#also what is emily bett rickard up to these days? happy for her that she doesn't have to bleach blonde her hair any more

[dykemarcille]

you were in my dream last night :) we were walking in the park and stephen amell was there desperately trying to get people to care about some new tv show he was starring in but nobody cared. so as we were walking past him i said "oh i'm so excited for emily bett rickards's new show" and we could see that his feelings were hurt

i love this. i am fully accepting into my heart that this is literally how he reacted when HEELS aired and everyone called him a scab and no one cared. also who did i look like? when i dream about tumblr mutuals they always sort of look like an ai blender tried to make their icon into a real girl

[olicitytropes]

Olicity Tropetastic Awards: Season Seven

The time has come to talk of many scenes.

Of bows and arrows and superheroes.

Olicity’s reunion and the baby we knew was a Queen.

But wait just one minute,

Before we go and do all of that...

We thank you all for the time you have shared.

The elevators you have climbed,

The episodes you have faced and scared.

We will keep your stories in our hearts for always,

And we hope that you can too.

Because they would not be bigger than the friggin’ universe

If not for all of you.

-xoxo Ellie, Caitlin, Sascha, Mary, Beccie, Meegan, and Alli (and of course Emily Bett Rickards since she wrote this poem first;) )

@memcjo’s recs:

as darkness falls (a spark resides) - @alexiablackbriar13

It's been two weeks since Felicity found out she's pregnant, and she hasn't told Oliver yet.

Plagued by nightmares about being attacked and the baby being hurt, Felicity struggles to sleep.

After Oliver witnesses one of her post-nightmare panic attacks, she finally tells him about the baby.

**Award: Best Use of Angsty Angst Followed by Sweet, Sweet Olicity Moments**

two pints of mint chip it’s a girl - @alexiablackbriar13

missing scene in 7x22, before olicity move to the cabin. dr schwartz gives felicity an ultrasound, and our bigger than the freaking universe couple discover their baby's gender

**Award: Best Use of Touching, Loving, Sweet Olicity**

Run Away With Me - @dmichellewrites 

This is basically everything I hoped season 7 would be after the prison arc, but unfortunately we didn't get to see it.

Join Oliver, Felicity, their friends, and family as they navigate their lives together post-Slabside. They really can have it all. Watch them balance being heroes, parents, and still manage to hold down day to day jobs. Enjoy their slice of maximum domesticity, and take a peek into their home life together with their four children.

**Award: Most Kickass, Joyous, Amazing Olicity Finding a New Life!**

We Don’t Have To Talk About It (We’ll Find Another Way) - @smoaking-greenarrow

Felicity is at Slabside to pick up Oliver, to finally take him home...when all hell breaks loose

**Award: Most Awesome, Badass Oliver and Felicity Going Through Hell and Back to Find Each Other!**

Come & Talk To Me - @hope-for-olicity

I wrote this story as a fix it for the things I felt the writers forgot or screwed up since Oliver got out of prison. It mainly focuses on Olicity but it also deals with their relationship with Diggle.

**Award: Best Use of Oliver and Felicity Facing Their Fears and Finding Each Other All Over again~ SWOON!**

Dear Felicity - @smoakmonster

A series of letters Oliver journals to Felicity from prison.

**Award: Best Use of Oliver Finding His Voice (and making me cry)**

Nothing Breaks Like a Heart - @by-mintsea

A mid season 7 and Elseworlds Crossover fix it fic. Silences, missing scenes and rewrites from 7x07 through end of crossover.

**Award: Best Us of Oliver and Felicity Fighting for Each Other and Their Family**

@blondeeoneexox’s recs:

The Other Side (of a world without you) - fanfics4you

She stares at the sky, the moon staring back at her. She holds her daughter in her arms as she starts to talk about him. She hopes wherever he is, he is safe. She hopes that he knows. That she still loves him, that he has a daughter who loves him so much, a son who lives far away from this world, leading the normal life he always wanted. She hopes that he knows he isn't alone.

He stares at the sky, his fingers caressing his wedding ring gently. The night is full of darkness and he feels so lonely. He has everything here, yet he has nothing. He sees a shooting star fall from the sky, and he finally smiles. His hold on his wedding ring tightens as he reminds himself why is he doing this again. He knows.

In which Oliver Queen and Felicity Smoak spend twenty years apart and then a lifetime together.

**Award: Best Cry Your Eyes Out Til They Hurt Fic**

The Microchip Chronicles - CSM

Post 713. Follows the next nine months of Felicity’s pregnancy.

**Award: Most Domesticated, Blissfully Happy Pregnant Olicity That Definitely Should Have Actually Happened**

The Other Side of a World Without You - MachaSWicket

SUMMARY: Arrow S7 finale SPOILERS ahead. Beware!

**Award: Best 20 Year Reunion I Could Ever Ask For**

The Legacy of a Queen -  inlovewithimpossibility

Series of one-shots from a future AU where Oliver and Felicity are able to raise their children after they defeat the Ninth Circle and Oliver hangs up the hood

**Award: Best ‘What Could (SHOULD) Have Been Fic**

The Hardest Part - @smoaking-greenarrow

Prompt: What if Felicity found out she was pregnant with Lucas after Oliver left and she'd have to raise both of their kids without him. Then Oliver would come back five years later to check on his girls only to find Mia playing with a slightly younger boy who looks exactly like him.

**Award: Most Heartbreakingly Beautiful, Sob-Worthy, Amazing Post-S7 (That Was Absolutely My Fault) Fic**

strange behaviors - @alexiablackbriar13

the 5 times john diggle noticed oliver queen and felicity smoak's latest weird behaviors and the 1 time he figured out what was causing it (spoiler alert: it's fetus mia smoak-queen)

**Award: Cutest Uncle Diggle Reaction to FINALLY Figuring Out Olicity’s Weird Behaviors**

@it-was-a-red-heeler’s recs:

bliss within madness - @alexiablackbriar13

“Hey, Mia. It’s your dad,” he whispered. Pausing, he added, “Mia or Lucas. We don’t know exactly who you are yet. But I promise you, your mom and I are gonna love you to the stars and back no matter who you turn out to be. I’m gonna call you Mia for now, though.” He kissed Felicity’s stomach softly, humming under his breath at the heat coming from her skin.

**Award: Best Beautiful, Blissful Domestic Olicity Moments**

Clean Slate - @smoakmonster

What happens when Oliver loses his memories of Felicity and William? How will this hurting family heal when he finally returns home from prison and doesn't know who his wife and son are?

This series is based on speculation from the Arrow 7x05 trailer that was released on Nov 5. As such, this short series will start in speculation and will likely shift to canon divergence or even au depending on what happens in the next few episodes. Future tags will be added accordingly.

**Award: Oliver Fighting His Way Back to His Family (Amnesia Tropes Are My Jam!) Award**

@msbeccieboo’s recs:

no heart for me like yours - inlovewithimpossibility

After weeks of chaos following Oliver's release from Slabside, Oliver and Felicity finally have a moment to sit down and discuss how they move forward from here

**Award: Best Gorgeous, Sleepy and Oh-So-Wise Oliver Moment**

Deep Water - @it-was-a-red-heeler

A Season 7 Speculation fic.

**Award: THE BEST S7a Do-Over (also the Delicity We All Deserved)**

At Last - @jesileighs

He hadn’t really even noticed there was a change in Felicity until the chaos died down, and even then it took him a couple of weeks to look past the excuses and the way she brushed off his attempts to talk. When he kissed her she pulled away almost immediately. When he reached for her hands she found a way to keep them busy. When he’d make his way to their bed at night, she would make an excuse to stay up and every morning when he woke up she was already gone from beside him. He told himself they were both readjusting. Things needed time to settle. They’d both been through so much.

**Award: Most Beautiful Reunion That We All Wanted But Never Really Got In Canon**

@smoaking-greenarrow’s recs:

Two - @nodecaff4me

Post Episode 7x07 ficlet about the first hours after Oliver stepped out of the gates of Slabside.

**Award: The Focus on Felicity’s Emotions That Should Have Been in Season Seven**

Renewal - @juliesioux

This first bit leads into the story we might never get and I wanted to explore the loneliness Felicity must have felt and the urgency she would feel to go and find him once she could.

**Award: Epitome of ‘Bigger than the friggin’ universe’**

Learning How to Win - @juvinadelgreko

At the end of Arrow S7, Oliver and Felicity retire from the vigilante life only to be interrupted by the Monitor and Crisis on Infinite Earths.

They deserved better. Here’s my take on what better looks like. Begins shortly after Oliver and Felicity moved into their new home.

**Award: Sweetest Life Win That Olicity Deserves**

No Sex Until There Is Hair - @hope-for-olicity

Oliver shaves his head again and Felicity is NOT a fan.

**Award: Best Felicity Completely Understanding Oliver Moment**

@tangled23works’ recs:

Holding On and Letting Go - @smoaking-greenarrow

Oliver is finally home. But he’s not as close to his wife as he’d like to be. To move past the choices he made, both of them need to get a few things off their chests.

This fic can be enjoyed on its own, but if you’ve read The Longbow Hunters, it can also be read as an epilogue for that story.

**Award: Best And Most Sincere Apology By Oliver Queen**

The Longbow Hunters - @smoaking-greenarrow

Based on the set photos from 7x02 and my imagination :)

**Award: Most Badass Felicity With A Plan**

whenever you’re ready - @alexiablackbriar13

Mia and William from 2040 travel back in time to 2019 to access an uncorrupted version of Archer. Oliver and Felicity investigate a break-in at the bunker only to find their children from the future bickering. Emotional confrontations and conversations ensue.

**Award: Most Heartbreaking, Angsty and Beautiful Family Reunion**

[madclcivc]

To Porcelain, To Ivory

— ♔ In the past, people were born royal and for MADELEINE MARIE DUVAL the TWENTY-EIGHT-year-old PRINCESS of FRANCE, that is a tradition SHE intend/s to keep. To others, SHE looks an awful lot like EMILY BETT RICKARDS and has been painted as THE WITTY PRINCESS but behind closed doors, SHE is OPINIONATED AND BLUNT but also CORDIAL AND INTELLIGENT. It has also been said they are NOT BETROTHED to ANYONE RIGHT NOW. 

                                                                                                         To Steel

                                                           PARIS

Fullname Name: Madeleine “Maddie” Marie Duval

Age: 28

Birthday: June 21st

Betrothal Status: Not Betrothed

Country: France

Faceclaim: Emily Bett Rickards

                                                    MARSEILLE

As the second child of the French Royal Family, Madeleine’s life was no fairytale story. Rather one of being a spare, her parents sought to keep her from royal life for most of her childhood, to keep her protected and allow her room to grow. On a family estate, she grew up with her maternal grandmother, her primary parental figure from the age of 2 to the age of 14. Childhood, with her mémère was far different than others, not an ounce of royal life seeping in. She was allowed to go where she pleased, with whomever she pleased, raised with the children of the surrounding area. Childhood, brought freedom of expression, something that would stay with her til the end of her days. Childhood brought happiness.

Adolescence brought rules. When the outside world caught up, Madeleine had to learnt he ways of the game, a crash course in politics and duties, manners and propriety. She could no longer go where she pleased, do as she wanted, instead being moved to her parents primary residence, a fully invested member of the royal family in the spotlight. Adolescene brought struggle. For her entire life, she’d been allowed to do as she pleased, say what she pleased. Saturdays spent in the garden, mornings spent being lectured by her teacher, afternoons running around the square. It all changed, and Maddie had to adapt. She lashed out, in the beginning, dying her hair a rather loud shade of pink, lasting for the first two years, despite her parents protests. She’d been dubbed the rebel princess, known for breaking the rules, until she learned to play the game better, giving up pieces of her individuality for the ability to advance. Adolescence, brought change.

Adulthood brought freedom. Despite losing some of her independence, Maddie finally adapted to her life, the one of being the spare to her siblings heir. Never one for jewels and crowns, though she wore hers with pride, Maddie did what she could for her sibling, taking on every diplomatic trip, every tour, speech, opening, every dinner and dance. She did it for them, for her people, that she loved. She took photos, snapshots of life, of her sibling and her parents, of her mémère and her friends.

                                                          LYON

Personality-wise, Maddie is a little awkward, but incredibly inviting and intelligent. She at times can be a little too blunt, often saying things that people don’t ever truly want to hear. She can be a little too sarcastic, and just a tiny but naive to some things. She cannot dance to save her life, having been well well trained in only a few dances, and if you ask her sing, she’s bound to scare everyone away. 

                                                   TOULOUSE

Wanted Connections:

- Sibling - Madeleine doesn’t envy her older sibling in the slightest, instead actively working to help them from behind the scenes. They weren’t always the closest growing up, due to Maddie’s childhood with their mémère, but they bonded rather closely in their teens, recognizing the best and worst in one another.

- Childhood Friend(s) - Maddie kept in touch with those she grew up with, and learned to make friends in with other political figures kids in her teens. She’ll drop whatever she’s doing at the drop of a hat for them, often taking photographs or helping pull strings for them. 

- Best Friend - Most likely a royal, Maddie and they are icons, often featuring in her photographs and travels. They’ve made their way in the papers, an iconic duo that often spells good things, with a little bit of spice mixed in. They’re blunt, reliant, and as close as siblings, almost a little closer than Maddie and her own sibling. 

- Ex(es) - Maddie’s adulthood might have brought acceptance, but it didn’t mean she was anything less than herself. She wasn’t picky about who she dated, be it someone royal, or someone common, often dating people who simply accepted her for her. Some ended good, some ended bad, a regret she has for the loss of a friend.

LMK if you wanna plot!! :) Just give this a like and I’ll pop into your dms!!

[ascottywrites]

Overwatch -- The Felicity Smoak List

In light of Emily Bett Rickards’ departure from Arrow here we are with a few of my favorite things. Happy Reading!! 

The Phoenix by SuperSillyAndDorky06 (Complete: 27/27| 126,939) --Bratva Oliver 

Felicity Smoak fell in love with the broody, intense Oliver Queen, Captain of the Russian Bratva, ages ago but he broke her heart. So, when the sudden marriage between them is arranged, she does not understand it and she does not want it. Except Oliver Queen is not only a harder man to live with than she realized, he also has no intention of letting her go. Mature content. Mild swearing. A lot of sexual tension. And you will want to punch Oliver at times. Kiss him at times ;)

A Code of Silence by OliversMuse (Complete: 34/34| 55,265) --Bratva Oliver  Oliver Queen is a boss of the Star City mafia when he meets and and falls in love with Star City socialite Felicity Smoak. While on their honeymoon their yacht goes down and they are presumed dead. Five years later they unexpectantly show back up alive and Oliver is now also a Captain in the Russian Bratva. As he fights to keep his territory he faces a resistance that will force him to show everyone just how far he will go to protect those he loves and Felicity to show what she will do to protect her family.

I Will Protect Her by beggsyboo (Complete: 22/22| 33,678) --Bratva Oliver  She required protection.

He needed a wife.

                                                  *** 

   So I’ve just got three Olicity stories and they’re all Bratva!Oliver meh. It’s probably because in fanfiction I ship Felicity with literally anyone other than Oliver (sorry Olicity die-hards). It could be because after a hint of it was introduced, the Arrow-verse canon made it a central piece of the storytelling. Or it could be a multitude of other reasons...let’s not look too deep into it. INSTEAD here are some alternate pair Felicity fics. Enjoy! 

+Batlicity 

Wait. What happened in Vegas?  by Ellabee15 (Complete: 30/30| 47,651)  Bruce and Felicity accidentally get married in Vegas.

A Bat Reaches for the Light by tdgal1 (wip: 13/?| 35,053) 

Oliver sleeps with Isabel and tells Felicity that nonsense. Felicity meets Bruce Wayne, Felicity decides that if Oliver wants no relationship that is what he will get. The first chapter is a summary but things will improve. This is for my good friend Vanessa.

Between a Bat and a Sharp Place by Ellabee15 (Complete: 28/28| 19,849) 

Beginning sometime after Oliver makes Felicity his EA this takes a different view of how season 2 might have gone. What if Felicity's family secrets were revealed? How will Oliver react to her being the daughter of a business rival. More importantly how does Tony Stark feel about the way the Arrow treats his daughter. Also Felicity has a history with...Batman?

Batlicity oneshots by  Ellabee15 (Complete: 20/20| 20,250) 

Felicity/Bruce Wayne one shots.

How Did We End Up Like This? by Wally_Birb (Complete: 15/15| 46,404) 

For half of a decade, Felicity's best friend was a billionaire vigilante with a dark past. No, not that one. What started out as what Felicity insists was a mistake resulted in one of the longest friendship Felicity had ever had. Long distance, of course, because Bruce Wayne wasn't exactly keen on Star City and Felicity wasn't a fan of smog.

When Felicity and Oliver break up, Felicity doesn't want to give up on making a difference. So, she turns to her best friend, looking for comfort (which he fails at giving spectacularly) and understanding (which he wouldn't be able to stop even if he wanted to). She quickly finds herself fitting in with the Batman and his little army of children.

+Clark Kent 

The Measure of a Hero by Ellabee15 (Complete: 22/22| 36,873) 

After the Glades fall strange things begin happening in Starling.

Man of Smoak, Man of Steel by Ellabee15 (Complete: 24/24| 24,604) 

After Felicity graduated from MIT she went to work for a while in Metropolis to set up the Daily Planet's new computer system...and got a little more than she bargained for. AU (Obviously) will feature Arrow story line later.

+Clint Barton 

Slings and Arrows of Outrageous Fortune by Ellabee15 (Complete: 29/29| 44,465) 

Clint Barton gets tired of being compared to the Arrow and decides to set the record straight once and for all. The last thing he wanted was to get involved in the Arrow's mess. Felicity's struggling with Oliver's willingness to overlook Malcolm's past in order to defeat the League of Assassins. The last thing she needs is another stubborn archer in her life.

**This is followed by  Where We Stand 

Not Her Only Archer by Nartie327 (wip: 11/?| 11,844) 

What If Oliver wasn't the only archer Felicity knows? What if she had a whole secret life before she joined Team Arrow that no one knew about?

(Timeline: Arrow season 2 & The Avengers: Age of Ultron)

Maybe Next Time I can Buy You That Drink? by lailah (one-shot| 2,868)

“When the shirt was gone her eyes widened in surprise. His body was -- well amazing, it was all rock hard muscle and skin, so much glistening skin. Felicity couldn’t help but reach out and press her hands against him, feel what she was seeing to make sure it was real.”

**This is followed by  The Softer Side

Marry Me (buy me dinner first) by Wally_Birb (one-shot| 7,718) 

The one where Clint and Felicity sorta dive headfirst into this whole 'partners' thing and Clint realizes what the initials of Strike Team Delta spell out.

+Thorlicity 

When Lightning Strikes by Ellabee15 (Complete: 20/20| 48,473) 

After being banished from Asgard, Thor crash lands outside of Starling.

Smoak or Stark? by laxit21 (wip: 58/?| 76,002) 

Howard Stark was a known adulterer. Roughly a week after he and his wife are killed in a car accident, their son Tony becomes aware of his younger sister, Felicity Smoak. How will events for both the Arrow and the Avengers change as a result of their sibling relationship?

(Canon divergence for both Arrow and the MCU)

Always Be My Thunder by Ellabee15 (Complete: 27/27| 62,582) 

Felicity is recruited by SHIELD to help with an impending disaster. A life altering accident forces her to make an extremely important decision which will forever change the dynamics of Team Arrow and those of the Asgardian court.

Lightning in her blood by Millie 1985 (Complete: 3/3| 3,848) 

Felicity is not what she seems, sure she is a sweet, quirky, genius who can always be relied upon to help save the day but she is also more than that. She has lightning in her blood and more than one mighty protector in her corner. Takes place after both Heir to the Demon and the second avenger film. Now a collection of one shots.

 +Steve Rogers 

I'll be your Soldier by Ellabee15 (Complete: 31/31| 54,121) 

 Felicity Smoak is kidnapped by the league of Assassins. Over the next 2 years a new Winter Soldier comes to the attention of Captain America. (This story begins at the beginning of season 3 in the Arrow timeline and after Captain America: The winter soldier in the Marvel universe.)

Rising Above The Ashes by Wally_Birb (wip: 9/?| 20,494) 

When Felicity Smoak was 19, SHIELD forced her to join their ranks to work off the crimes that the people closest to her committed with her super virus. Also when she was 19, a kill order went out that forced three of SHIELD's top agents to defect so that she could escape with her life. No one knows why exactly the order went out, but years later the answer comes while Felicity is hacking investigating SHIELD.

Of course, knowing why it happened? Well that just puts more of a bounty on her head.

Some Good In This World (Worth Fighting For) by Wally_Birb (one-shot| 10,960) 

Felicity blames Cisco, honestly. It's always Cisco's fault, so she figured that when she woke up in the 1940's after interrupting one of his experiments, it was a safe bet to think that it was all Cisco's fault.

His Best Girl by iluvaqt (Complete: 22/22| 100,696) 

Felicity moves to New York after the Glades collapse. A chance run-in at the Buy More with Steve Rogers, changes her world and sets her on a path of discovery that has been kept secret since before she was born.

Because I'm Worth It by lateVMlover (Complete: 10/10| 34,455) 

This is a crossover story that is set after season 2's Arrow finale. Felicity is Pepper's cousin and decides to go to New York to get away from her heartbreak from Oliver. This is NOT an Olicity story. It focuses on her meeting and falling for Captain America.

**This is followed by a few more installations  Black Meets Green  Protecting the Family  The Wedding ...Ya know, just in case you’re in need of a deeper look. 

+Johnny Storm 

Where there's Smoak there's Fire by Ellabee15 (Complete: 11/11| 14,043)

In the wake of Oliver's death Felicity is sent by Palmer Tech to oversee a deal with the Fantastic Four.

+Aquaman 

Above | Beneath by Vixx2pointOh (Complete: 6/6|23,990)

He was from the lost world beneath.

She was from the dry land above.

Or at least that's what they thought...

Expectations by NellyHarrison (one-shot| 6,562) 

The first time Felicity Smoak meets Arthur Curry does not go well, but as they continue to work together, and she continues to believe in his potential, their relationship evolves into something neither of them had expected.

[emilybettsource]

Oh, frack. It’s time to say goodbye to Felicity.

Monday night’s all-new hour of Arrow is not only the season seven finale, it’s also Emily Bett Rickards’ last episode as Felicity Smoak on The CW’s superhero drama.

The 27-year-old actress revealed the news of her departure with a sweet collage and poem on on her Instagram at the end of March. "Felicity and I/ are a very tight two/ But after one through seven/ we will be saying goodbye to you," she wrote to the dismay of longtime fans.

Rickards' exit means that Arrow's eighth and final season will not feature Felicity, a character who has been a fan favorite since her endearing “babbling” with Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) in the I.T. department at Queen Consolidated in the series’ third episode.

Her vast technological knowledge proved invaluable as one of the three original members of Team Arrow, and Felicity’s journey defied comic book canon expectations when she later became Oliver Queen’s wife, and then the mother of his child, Mia (Katherine McNamara).

After seven seasons of near-death twists and heart-pounding turns, Felicity’s time is coming to an end, so ET called up Arrow showrunner Beth Schwartz to get the inside scoop on Olicity’s final scene, and if the girl with the red pen could ever come back to our screens.

ET: All of Arrow’s season finales are monumental events, but this one is especially important to fans because it’s Emily Bett Rickards’ last episode. What was your goal when you set off to create this last hour of season seven?

Ben Schwartz: Well, definitely it was to honor the whole season and make sure that we end the redemption story that we began with, as well as giving Felicity a major sendoff, which was really important to me.

You and Emily have such a great working relationship and an off-screen friendship as well. When she came to you and said she wanted to end Felicity’s journey on Arrow, what was your initial reaction?

As a friend, I fully support Emily and her new chapter and what she wants to do -- but creatively, I was definitely very sad because she's one of my favorite characters to write. So yeah, this finale was definitely bittersweet in that sense that I feel really happy with what we came up with, but very sad that it’s the end.

I love that you bring up the dichotomy of wanting to supportive to her as a friend, but that this decision throws a wrench in your plans as a showrunner. Was there ever a conversation where you asked, “Can you just hold out for one last half season?”

[Laughs] No, I don’t want to pressure her. She has to do what’s right for her and, obviously, I’d be more than happy if she came back at some point next season, so we’ll just have to see.

And that leads us to the the number one questions that fans have been asking: Is there a possibility that Felicity could come back for the series finale of Arrow?

I don’t know. I hope there is a way that can happen. She’s welcome to come back whenever she wants.

When you were approaching this episode -- knowing it was going to be the last one for Felicity -- did Emily have any last wishes or Easter eggs that she wanted to make sure were included?

I don't think so. I think that we were on the same page as for her exit from the show. I know that Stephen had some. It was really important to him, and we had a lot of conversations about her ending as well. So between the three of us, I think we were all very happy with the outcome.

Felicity Smoak's fans are so passionate -- not just about her, but about her friendships as a member of OTA and her romantic relationship with Oliver. How will this last episode honor this character that fans know and love?

I think this whole season, in a sense, honored her character. She was so prevalent in our future storyline and [through] her relationship with Mia, you got to see what she went through in the future and also some of her successes as well. And then in the present day, we get to see the origins of Smoak Tech and that that was super important to her besides just being part of Team Arrow. And then with her relationship with Oliver, [we saw her] getting pregnant and then sort of trying to figure out how to be parents when you’re superheroes and danger has always been around the corner.

Fans love Original Team Arrow so much. Are we going to be getting a special OTA moment in this final episode?

Yeah we definitely honor the OTA in the finale. There’s a lot of really nice homages to where the series started between the three of them and as well as between Oliver and Felciity.

Olicity has become the most powerful shipdom we’ve ever seen. What can fans expect from Felicity and Oliver’s last scene together?

I feel like we honor the relationship from where they started to what they've gone through over the entire series, not just this season where they started separate when Oliver was in prison and Felicity being able to take care of herself. I think the fans will be very satisfied with the ending. That’s all I can say.

What are the chances that we’ll get the see Oliver and Felicity share a scene together in the future storyline?

Oh, in the finale? Low.

Seeing Felicity as a mother has been such an amazing addition to this season and her dynamic with Mia has been so great. How would you describe Felicity and Mia’s interactions in this final episode?

You see in [episode] 16 where they had such a great relationship, but then Mia felt betrayed. They’ve had a little bit of a bumpy ride, but by the end, that will all have been resolved.

As we look toward the end of Arrow, fans are already clamoring about the crossover. What can you tease right now as you’re trying to piece together another massive CW Arrowverse crossover?

We’ve already started talking about it, which is crazy. Last year we said it was the earliest we’d started talking about it, but this year we started taking weeks ago. It’s pretty massive and basically it’s going to affect every show, which is really cool. So yeah, there’s a to to look forward to.

What last message to you want to say to the Arrow fans before they embark on this final episode for Felicity Smoak?

It’s definitely an emotional ending and it is a lot to process. I just think they’ve been such a great and passionate fandom, and I just hope it will honor this character that everyone loves that everyone has been watching for the past seven years.

Arrow’s season seven finale airs Monday, May 13 at 9 p.m. EST/PST on The CW.

[oliverdant]

When exactly will Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell) die? I Just as The Hollywood Reporter predicted after the Batwoman/Elseworlds crossover concluded at the end of 2018, Oliver did indeed make a deal with The Monitor (LaMonica Garrett) to save Barry (Grant Gustin) and Kara's (Melissa Benoist) lives. But in a surprise twist, it turns out that not even Oliver knew what he was agreeing to. The Monitor returned at the end of the Arrow season seven finale to collect on their deal after Oliver had put the superhero life behind him and moved into his new home with Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) in the woods to get off the grid and protect their newborn daughter's life. The Monitor interrupted their content, happy ending as a resigned Oliver asked him, "So what bargain did I make? What does the multiverse require?" Oliver never actually agreed to trade his life for theirs; he just blindly accepted whatever would come in the future, making the result even more heartbreaking as The Monitor told him that he'll "assist me as we seek to prevent the inevitable." He also said that he's seen Oliver’s death during "the crisis," aka the upcoming Crisis on Infinite Earths crossover, and while he can’t stop it, Oliver can still save countless lives and the entire universe. But the crossover will take place over five episodes (the largest yet), split into two chapters: three episodes airing in December 2019 and two airing in January 2020. It will include all five Arrow-verse series, including Legends of Tomorrow (which sat out this year's crossover) as well as newcomer Batwoman. That means the first chapter of the crossover will hit right near the end of Arrow's 10-episode final season, giving the series one or two episodes after to wrap up any story loose ends that don't pertain to Crisis. Seeing as how Oliver's gravestone, glimpsed at the end of the finale, showed the year of his death is 2019, that means he'll die at some point during the first three episodes of the crossover airing in 2019. But will he die in the Arrow episode of the crossover, or on another show's hour?

How will Oliver's disappearance with The Monitor shape the final season? | With all signs pointing to Oliver's death thanks to his mysterious deal in last year's crossover, the question remained of when it would come. Now that his death in the Crisis crossover has been confirmed and Oliver already left with The Monitor in the season seven finale, there's no telling what Arrow is going to look like in the last 10 episodes of the series. Will the show follow Oliver as he travels across the multiverse with The Monitor as they attempt to stop the Crisis? Or will the show stick with all of Oliver's loved ones that he left behind as they grapple with his absence?

Will the final season just focus on the upcoming Crisis crossover? | This question goes hand-in-hand with the one above but deserves its own spotlight. Arrow threw fans for a loop when it began the countdown to the crossover at the end of the season seven finale. This is the earliest that the Arrow-verse has ever teased the upcoming crossover event, as it was first introduced an entire year in advance at the end of the Elseworlds crossover. The Monitor has popped up throughout the Arrow-verse a few times since then, but with Oliver leaving with him at the end of the finale, it seems as if Arrow is now just going to be focused on building up to the massive comic book event. That sounds like it's going to be epic in its own right, but will diehard Arrow fans be disappointed if the final season is solely crossover-centric?

Will Felicity return at any point in the final season? | After The CW announced that Arrow's eighth season would be its last, Rickards sent shockwaves through the fandom by announcing on Instagram that she would not be returning for the final run, despite it only being 10 episodes. Her absence was explained away in the season seven finale, first in the present-day storyline as she agreed to live off the grid to keep her newborn daughter Mia safe from a terrorist organization plotting to get revenge on her and Oliver. No matter what happens with Team Arrow in the present, Felicity essentially vowed never rejoin the team for the sake of her daughter. And having already said goodbye to Oliver knowing he was going to die in this finale, that also helps explain why the character won't be in the crossover or series finale ... unless Rickards decides to appear in the series finale. Will the actor choose to return for the most iconic moment in the series? It's hard to imagine not seeing Felicity grieve Oliver's death in any way, shape or form on the series. And in the future storyline, after saving Star City with both her grown children Mia (Katherine McNamara) and Will (Ben Lewis), Felicity visited Oliver's gravestone and then called on The Monitor to take her ... somewhere. “I have waited a very long time to see him. I’m ready,” she said before walking with him into a blue portal, from which The Monitor warned she'd never be able to return. Did he take her to another universe where Oliver was still alive? If the Crisis crossover eliminates the multiverse as it did in the comics, that can't be possible. Is he taking her to heaven? Is that even possible? So many questions will remain open-ended forever, unless Rickards does choose to return at some point in the final season to help answer them.

Who else can/will return for the final season? | In the season seven finale, Oliver left with The Monitor to help stop the Crisis and Felicity chose to remain behind (and off the show) with their newborn daughter. And then every other character seemed to get their own happy ending. And because of that, regardless of Oliver's upcoming crossover fate, the finale felt pretty much like a series finale. The title of the hour was even "You Have Saved This City," concretely confirming that Oliver's quest and Team Arrow's mission had been accomplished. So what more is there left to say or show with the other characters on the show? Which characters will return for the final season, and what will they do? Will they just join up in the fight against the Crisis? And if so, will they be playing their Earth-1 versions or another universe's doppelganger?

Will there be any more flash forwards? | As with most of these burning questions, this one ties right back into what the final season will be about. If Arrow only focuses on the upcoming Crisis crossover, the series won't have any use for its flashback/flash forward structure that has defined the show since the very beginning. But if Arrow does continue its own story separate from the crossover, will there be more flash forwards to the future? Or will the series move entirely into the future and tell the stories of the new Team Arrow, aka Will and Mia and their allies as they continue to save and protect the new Star City as they learned how to from their parents?

[fyeahebr]

Emily Bett Rickards Talks the 'You Might Think Emily Bett is an Actor But Actually She’s a Fricken Rockstar'for Girls Are Awesome [x]

We had an exclusive chat with the 'Arrow' actor about life and stuff. It’s no secret that our e-pal Emily Bett Rickards is a massively successful actor and a smashing human being. Her journey up until this point is inspirational in itself; she paved her own way in the industry by being her best self – her character Felicity Smoak on the American television series Arrow actually became extended after she gave an incredible appearance in her first episode. We had a chance to talk to this real-life baddie about the start of her career, Hollywood life and her own unique worldview. Can you remember a piece of advice that your mother has given you during your life that you kind of hang on to or use to guide you through anything? Good situations, tough situations… My mom is so good at advice honestly – she is full of it. One thing that she has always said to me throughout my life is about self-boundaries and taking time for yourself. That if you’re trying to help others and understand others, if you don’t understand yourself you will never be able to understand or be of service to other people or the world – not to say that you necessarily have to be of service to other people or the world as your life purpose but if that’s what feeds you – if you don’t understand yourself, it’s not gonna work. That goes with so many different pieces of advice about being able to have boundaries, expressing yourself and really staying true to who you are. My mom is a big advocate of that – she’s an incredible human being. She also happens to be a therapist so I grew up on a lot of time spent talking and position feeding and associating and analyzing things and thoughts of that world, so that always helps. I guess you probably have to say ‘no’ a lot in your life. Do you think that her advice has helped you figure out how to do that in a good way or did you sort of figure that out by yourself? Absolutely. I think being able to say ‘no’ is a bit harder these days because we have so many options at our fingertips and we’re used to instant gratification. On a smaller scale, it can be about being able to say ‘no’ to yourself if you’re about to dive into your phone or something. Or being able to say ‘no’ to your friends if they try and pry you from your house when you don’t feel like going out. Being able to say ‘no’ to more serious things, like for certain jobs or when it comes to morality or things like that… It’s definitely a skill and skills only get stronger with time. But yeah, it’s super important and it might sound scary because we think ‘no’ sounds innately negative, right? But I think it’s really positive to set up these types of boundaries in life and for ourselves. Speaking about your career, or even your personal life, can you you think of a moment where you felt like ‘oh, this is real now,’ and that all the hard work had paid off, in a way? Do you have a defining ‘champagne moment’? To be honest, I’m pretty hard on myself but I’ve never really felt that way and I wonder if anyone really does. I wonder if there is sort of tangible landmark goal. I don’t know if anyone gets there and is like ‘I made it.’ I think the term, ‘making it’, can only be from an outside perspective because it sounds like such a different type of ‘want’ that ‘making it’ can not really fulfill, if that makes sense. So I don’t know if anyone ever feels that way. I think you can feel proud, though. It’s also changing because we change as people as we spend so much time getting somewhere – wherever that may be. And in the process, your goals probably change, expand and transform a little bit as well. When they transform even though you made it to the place where you wanted to be, it’s that moment of needing to just get somewhere and be happy with that instead of chasing something that you don’t already have. Def makes sense. What made you fall in love with your job? It started with talking about things like this to be honest! Acting is such a different thing to different people. For me, it’s about exploring vessels and transformation and understanding stories. It helps me understand people and understand the world better, basically. I love stories so much – I always have and I don’t think that’ll ever change. Everyone’s understanding of stories is different so I don’t know if you could ever fully grab it and grasp it but it definitely gives me life. You have to fully understand a person that’s written on a page and bring that person and their story to life. There’s a freedom in that that exists unlike any other; I don’t really know how to explain it. There’s so much freedom in being able to lift a human being and bring them to life off a piece of paper. We’re super interested in the Shethority movement that you’re kind of involved with. What’s that about and how involved are you there? Yesss, I’m involved and we’re still kind of growing it. Like I mentioned a few months ago, we’re not really sure what it’s gonna become. It’s really interesting to find out where you can take these things and make a good job of it. The intention behind it is love, support and trying to understand where we’re going in this world and trying to get some communication about deep concepts with things that are confusing and being able to relate to other people. Mostly people just share their stories or read stories and feel like they’re not alone. A big part is celebrating women, celebrating the world that we live in and carrying this through the negative aspects of the online world that we have and make it somewhat safe and in between interesting and educational. Ultimately, it is a platform that keeps expanding in front of us and it’s starting to have a powerhouse behind it that we can’t really explain but meanwhile we’re figuring out what it should become. Like I said to you before we’re trying to figure it out but keep it moving and expanding. So you have a massive Insta-presence but your whole vibe is very natural and un-forced. You’re not trying to edit or product place anything, which is really cool. How did that kind of unfold to being such? Is it literally through the role of Felicity? I’m like a middle millennial because I’m 27. I had Instagram before my work popularity grew. Through my Instagram, I try to not overexpose some of my friends and attmenpt to avoid over-sharing. I keep things private, I don’t put up a ton about my family and my home. I wish I did more, actually. But I’ve always thought about Instagram as hopefully being the photo album that I have when I’m older and the photos that I really like, I want to see later and again. Physical photos are really important to me. My apartment is covered with some more personal photos and polaroids. I struggle with Instagram as a work platform quite a bit. I wonder if I should have a personal account and a work account but I try to make my life a little simpler. I don’t have Facebook, I’m rarely on Twitter. But I don’t know, it’s almost like over-exposure to me sometimes. There’s positives and negatives, as with anything of course! Have you had any speed bumps, hurdles, anything you’ve had to get through in those realms? How did you get through it – any advice for those listening? Yeah, at some point I hit a pretty big speed bump that I would say lasted like 2 years and that sort of ended recently. You come out on the other side thinking you knew you were lost or you knew something was wrong and couldn’t figure out how to fix it. I think sometimes when you get to the other side, you’re like ‘oh this makes so much sense now’ but the tricky thing is that those things can last a long time. I don’t really have any specific advice besides the fact that if you do feel inauthentic or in breach of yourself, and you’re having that thought, then you probably are and checking in is the most important way to go about it. And, you know, talking to people and explaining is so important and you will find that you’re not alone in that. Speed bumps happen every day from minute to minute from trying to organize your day to losing a family member or living with an illness. Those things make you go and live life and figure out who you are in that because at the end of the day, you will always be you. You’re always growing and maybe you can reach inside and find a new piece of you, which is a beautiful thing. How did you discover Girls Are Awesome and can you be our ambassador? I discovered you guys on Instagram! I started following you guys because I liked it. I was like hell yeah, girls are awesome. I was in the airport on Thursday and I had a Girls Are Awesome sticker on my backpack and this dad tapped his daughter on the shoulder. I thought she was maybe 14, 15 and he was like hey – I can’t remember her name because I was just passing by – but he was like hey, look at that sticker it says “girls are awesome!” isn’t that cool? And then they were gone. Haha, it was so cute. Yass, thanks, Emily!

[talesofafangirlwithadvr]

March Picks

It’s already another end of the month wrap up! Man, did that go fast and as usual...yes, I did watch A LOT of TV (and movies).

Spoilers are coming...

First up is World of Dance

The dance competition show produced by Jennifer Lopez is now in it’s third season and I am so excited to be watching. It has been on my list for a while now and while I am not a dancer at all, the commercials of past seasons had always looked like something I’d like. And I have not been wrong one bit. I love the concept, the format and the judges. J-Lo, Ne-Yo, and Derek Hough are a great combination that compliment each other so well and each bring something to the competition. I also like how there are four different categories for dancers based on age group and solo or group. Right now one of my top favorites is the Crazy Eights. I definitely recommend this show if you enjoy competition shows. Add it to your queue! 

Whiskey Cavalier 

Usually when a TV show gets overly promoted it makes me not want to tune it in. Lately the ABC network seems to be doing this with their new shows (such as The Rookie which made me not want to watch it) as well as Whiskey Cavalier. But with Whiskey, I decided to tune in and am very happy that I did. The best way to describe this show is as a FBI agent comedy. It has action, romance and my personal favorite, humor. Usually this style of show is extremely serious, but with the added element of comedy it brings a fresher take to the already familiar narrative. Great cast of characters with good chemistry. They each bring a certain dynamic to the show. (I’m also a big fan of the theme song.) If you’re a fan of other ABC shows like Castle I would highly suggest it. 

CATCHING UP

Slowly (very slowly) but surely I am starting to catch up on Arrow. Every time I feel like I’m closer to being caught up I’m still like 4 episodes behind. It might be because I’m not enjoying all story-lines this season. So I guess I’m okay with the show ending next season (as long as they do it right). Because I haven’t caught up yet I’m kind of confused how there will be a final season without Felicity as Emily Bett Rickards is leaving the show this season. Right now I’m enjoying the flash forward with William. I just discovered Mia is Felicity and Oliver’s kid but haven’t seen Felicity pregnant in the present yet. I mainly just miss the OG Team Arrow and don’t really understand why his half-sister had to come into the story. It just makes me feel like we’re replaying old seasons. (Again, I guess a reason why the show will only have one more season).  

Binge-ing

My journey with Jane the Virgin has progressed! 

I have quickly become OBSESSED with this show and I know I said this last month, but I seriously don’t know why I didn’t listen to everyone sooner and watch this show. In the past few episodes she had a student plagiarize while reading Pride and Prejudice and she thought she lost her manuscript when orange juice split on her laptop. I have TOTALLY been there! I’m loving all of the telenovela drama both on Ro’s show and as the overall plot. I have officially made it to season 3 and I know of big moments on the horizon and I know I’m not going to be able to take it. 

RE-WATCH

The great part about a family member binge-watching a show for the first time that you’ve already watched is that you get to watch random episodes and appreciate your love for it all over again. You also get to pick up on things referenced that you missed before and see foreshadowing. Oh, it’s just all so good and I cannot wait till Game of Thrones returns in a couple of weeks. It’s going to be bittersweet to see it end, but we’ll get there when we get there. Still unsure who will sit on the iron throne, who will survive, but I do know that my love for Tryion has expanded and I will always love Davos. 

At the Movies

How to Train Your Dragon 3

I have been a fan of this series since the beginning. When I heard a third movie would be coming out this year I, surprisingly, wasn’t overly thrilled. Of course, I knew I would go see it, but I wasn’t super pumped. I am happy to say that I still went to the theaters to watch it. It made me want to go back and watch the first movie all over again. While it was more emotional and I knew things had to happen (even if I didn’t want them to). I have to say that I am super thankful for the last 10 minutes/epilogue. I wouldn’t have liked the movie as much without it. If you have seen the other How to Train Your Dragons you should finish it off with the last one. 

Captain Marvel

I have been waiting to write a review of Captain Marvel because despite popular opinion I didn’t love it. Things I liked: 1) Her character 2) Early SHIELD 3) The start of literally it all (so many pieces were connected as to how the Avengers Initiative begins) 4) The Stan Lee tribute and cameo was great. What didn’t work for me: 1) At times the plot felt like it dragged. I didn’t feel it pick up until about the last fourth of the movie. 2) I wanted more action scenes. Normally I feel the opposite but here I felt like they were too fast or not action packed enough. I am excited to see Captain Marvel in Endgame and to see how she works with the team. She’s been gone for a while so I’m wondering what she has been up to in all of this time. 

Looking Forward to in April...

AVENGERS: ENDGAME

I’m ready. Okay, maybe I’m not mentally ready, but I secured my tickets for opening day and I CANNOT wait to see how this film defeats Thanos and brings back those who have fallen. It feels like forever ago since Infinity Wars and I am so happy that we will finally able to watch Endgame. For now I’ll just watch Infinity Wars and cry my eyes out...again.  

[eponinx]

[ Emily Bett Rickards, thirty-two, female, she/her ] ━ hey, I just saw [ Eden Lane-Munro ] walking down the streets of crownsville. they’ve lived in town for [ three days ], and you can catch them around town working as a [ neurosurgeon ]. I hear they’re known to be [ audacious & fiercely independent ] and [ erratic & reticent ]. if asked, they would say their aesthetic would be [ packing a suitcase in the middle of the night, coffee at 2am, wrinkled white coats ]. ━ [ ooc: rose, 21, cst, she/her ]

Eden was born on January 3rd, 1987 in Tarrytown, New York. The Lane family is a billionaire family, made from old money and a lineage of ambitious offspring. Eden’s great great great great grandfather was the poster child of the american dream. He’d started off as a fisherman who went into making fishing boats, and eventually, yachts. His yacht business took off and became a famous brand of that still exists today, well known in the boating community as Wilbur Lane Yachts.

Eden’s mother, Marie Lane was a trophy wife. She was the child of another wealthy, influential New York family who met Eden’s father, Christopher in graduate school. Christopher is the current owner and CEO of Wilbur Lane Yacht’s as well as a venture capitalist.

Eden is the second youngest out of four sisters. Her oldest sister works for their father in Wilbur Lane Yacht’s and will one day take over the company herself. Her second oldest sister is a corporate lawyer. Her youngest sister followed the footsteps of their mother and went to become a wealthy house wife.

The Lane parents always had unreasonably expectations of their daughters. They were to continue the legacy of their family. Them all being women, their parents would be appeased had they all just married rich, as long as one of them took over Wilbur Lane Yacht’s upon Christophers retirement, but they were also content with them going in to become moguls of their own respective fields.

These expectations had caused Eden to go down a self destructive path during her teenage and young adult years. She realized during high school that nothing she could possibly do was ever good enough for them, so there came a point where she quit trying. She partied and experimented with drugs, made friends that were, in her parents eyes, nobodies. Her parents were appalled at her behavior and only caused more damage by cracking down even harder about their impossible expectations.

Despite her rebellious tendencies, Eden still went to university when she graduated high school. At the time, she truly would have been content doing anything other than that, but her parents were persuasive and threatening toward her if she didn’t. They couldn’t have one of their daughters be a stain on the family name.

She tended to ditch class and fail tests due to a lack of effort on her part. It wasn’t until she wound up in a tabloid for sleeping with a married celebrity who she was able to meet due to her families connections, that she realized she could no longer be careless. She was under public scrutiny, called a home wrecker, a whore, even receiving messages from his fans saying she should kill herself or that they were going to kill her, among other terrible, obscene things. She eventually deleted all her social media accounts and changed her phone number. To this day she does not use any form of social media.

The public humiliation from the affair didn’t end with her, unfortunately. It came back to bite her family as well, which was when her parents had decided that she was never going to make anything of herself, and stopped trying to convince her. They wrote her out of their will and only associate with her during holidays and events when it would look bad for their daughter not to attend.

That tabloid unfortunately had also disclosed the university she attended, which enabled a certain sadistic man to stalk her for the next several years. He would leave threatening notes in her mail that said things about what she was doing that day, deliver packages with creepy, disturbing artifacts inside … Every day she went home there was something there from him, sadistic messages and “gifts” meant to torment her. It caused her to isolate herself, terrified to go anywhere by herself off campus, unsure if it was somebody she knew doing it, paranoid if one of her friends was causing all this harm to her. She became paranoid of everyone she knew and fell into a deep depression. The only thing she could do to cope was to throw herself into school, which she did, and managed to significantly improve her grades.

Eden wound up moving several times, only for him to find her address once more. She didn’t know who she could open up to so for years, she didn’t. Instead she decided that if she wanted to erase her reputation as a slut and a homewrecker that she had to make something of herself. It’s when she found out that she wanted to be a doctor, and whenever she moved to New York City for medical school, she was lucky enough that her stalker had not tracked her there too.

In New York City less people recognized her, she wasn’t the talk of the town like she had been which was a clean breath of fresh air. She needed the fresh start, even if the slate would never be completely wiped clean. She still got looked down on by peers in her class who had heard her name, people who doubted her ability to become a doctor, but that only convinced her to try harder.

It was during her time in medical school that she met Ian Munro. Ian didn’t linger on the gossip that surrounded her past and instead saw her for who she really was without the tabloids. They were close friends for a long time before they were ever together due to awful timing, them both being in their respective relationships when they had met. Once they finally did get together, everything seemed to click together immediately. They were happy and in love with each other. A year into their relationship he proposed and a few months after their wedding, Eden was pregnant with their son.

Their son had rounded Eden’s edges out and she stepped into the role of a mother with ease. She loved that boy. Everything was great until Jace passed away when he was only two years old due to pneumonia that was difficult to treat when he was allergic to most antibiotics. 

Rather than the couple leaning on each other for support, Eden withdrew from Ian and everybody else in her life. She threw herself head first into her residency, picked up extra shifts, worked tirelessly just to keep herself from thinking about all she had lost. She couldn’t stand to be around her husband anymore, it caused her pain as seeing him only served to remind her of what they lost, and she was doing all she could to distract herself from that. She avoided him when she could, when she couldn’t she ignored him or was short with him. She barely looked at him for months, until one day around Christmas time, he asked what she wanted. She answered that she wanted a divorce, and he left. 

Eden didn’t contact him after that and remained in New York City until her residency ended in March. She decided to take a fellowship under a neurosurgeon in Crownsville that she had a lot of respect for and moved there in mid April to begin

[felicityqueene]

today our story starts anew

title from ‘a happy beginning’ from the ouat musical episode. all credit goes to the cw and the dc comics inc and all inspiration goes to emily bett rickards and jack moore for their scene in the base in 6x11 because that gave me new life and dedication to the show.

and also @love-with-you-i-have-everything, to whom this is gifted on the occasion of her (belated) birthday. much love, dear!

on ao3 here.

It was a bit of an unusual day in the life of the Queen-Smoak-Clayton family.

Firstly, William had been late to school, something completely weird since William actually liked school and had only been successfully late to school once before. He had overslept since Felicity’s sensibility had overridden Oliver’s sense and she had declared last night a video game extravaganza.

Secondly, Oliver had burned one of the pancakes, which was odd since Oliver never burned the food unless he was completely distracted. This time it could be attributed to William scorching the eggs and setting off the fire alarm, which was almost normal but rarely coincided with the pancakes.

Thirdly, Felicity Smoak was at home alone. That was unusual enough; she was normally at work at 2 PM. Most working people were, including her husband. William was still at school, since he had after-care until 4. Felicity, however, had thrown up in the base’s bathroom not too long after arriving and chosen to send herself to the closest Walgreens. Once she had arrived at home, she resigned herself to staying on the floor of her bathroom until Oliver got home.

Felicity considered standing up for a moment and trying to pull her life back together, but her stomach revolted again. She hadn’t even eaten anything since one of the not-burned pancakes, she mused as she wiped her mouth. She leaned back against the bathtub.

So… what to tell Oliver? Or William? Oh god, William, he was going to freak out. They’d have to use that full cliché speech about how he wasn’t being replaced and what if he didn’t believe it—Oliver. Oliver was going to freak out for sure. They hadn’t even talked about this. Somehow, in their two separate relationships and discovery of William and now marriage, they hadn’t discussed the problem that was currently displayed on a plastic stick on the sink.

She didn’t even know how she felt about the whole thing yet. She was… sprawled across the bathroom floor with Walgreens bag next to her. That was a pretty good indication of her current peace of mind or lack thereof. Her brain was kind of spinning.

Felicity tried to sit up when she heard Oliver’s footsteps coming through the apartment. “Felicity?” he called. It wasn’t too panicked, so she’d probably be okay for a bit.

“In here,” she called, her voice slightly raspy from not having actually spoken out loud in something like two hours.

She wasn’t quite sitting up when Oliver stepped inside the bathroom. To his credit, he didn’t start yelling or anything. “Are you okay?” he asked with a bit of panic as he helped her sit up. “I got your text in the middle of a meeting and couldn’t reply. And before you ask, yes, I did worry.”

Felicity sighed. “I’m fine, I told you. The text was quite clear, I thought.” Then Oliver was reaching for a washcloth, and then he stood up to wet it in the sink. Felicity reached out toward the countertop, trying to somehow stop it, stop the inevitable, but there was nothing to be done. It was like those slow-motion scenes action movies were so fond of, and just like in the movies, it didn’t work.

Oliver’s eyes widened comically and he glanced down at her before slowly reaching for the little plastic stick. Felicity watched his eyes go back and forth across the lines—the extra pink line, in particular—as she stood up and felt the world spin around her for a moment. Before the world cleared, Oliver had his arm around her, steadying her.

“You’re pregnant?” he whispered, finally.

Felicity didn’t really know what to say, which was really a first in the life of Felicity Smoak-Queen. “Yes.” She felt that required a little more explanation. “I haven’t felt normal for a few weeks and I finally noticed that I was late this morning and then I threw up in the base and so I figured it out and went to get that and I’ve been sitting here since because I didn’t know what—”

And then she was pulled into a hug. Oliver buried his face in her neck and she could feel his grin against her skin. He pulled away almost as abruptly. “You’re really pregnant?” His eyes were shining, both with the force of his smile and the tears that were puddling in his eyes. And that was all she needed for that flash of joy she’d been waiting for.

She grinned up at him, wrapped her arms around his back. “Yeah, Oliver. Afraid so.” And before she could stop him, he kissed her. Then she forgot about all the problems she was considering and pulled him even closer.

He walked them over to their bed, not breaking the kiss, and she found herself down on her back with Oliver bracing himself above her. For once she was wearing a shirt and pants combo, so it wasn’t hard for him to push her shirt up and he leaned down and kissed her stomach gently.

Oliver smiled and crawled up the bed to lie down next to her. “How do you feel about it?” he asked, tucking an arm under his head and stroking her fingers with his other hand.

“Somehow, we’ve managed to not talk about all of this,” Felicity began, turning to face him. “I mean, we have William, but we didn’t talk about it before or since he appeared. And I haven’t really considered the whole kid thing in a while, like not since I was in college, and we’ve got the Green Arrow stuff and the team and everything with—” Then she recited her whole freak-out from before Oliver got home.

By the time she was done, Oliver was kissing her fingers. He looked up at her, blue eyes all serious and loving. “In a few days, I’m going to think about all of that and I will freak out. I’ll probably get ridiculously protective and I might wall up for a bit.”

“Obviously,” Felicity said. He wouldn’t be Oliver Queen if all of that didn’t happen. “There is a ‘but’, though, right? That would be useful. Seeing as if you keep on like that for another, what, eight months, I’ll be forced to arrow you.”

“But…” His voice went quiet and, dare she think, awed. “…we’re having a baby. That’s the most wonderful thing I’ve ever heard.” He grinned again, and she couldn’t help but smile back. It was so contagious, his joy and his smile. “You make me the happiest man on earth, Felicity Smoak.”

And that was too sweet; she didn’t stop herself from kissing him. He was beautiful when he was happy.

--

Two weeks later, Oliver’s prediction—and her complete belief in the matter—had come true. They were still happy, of course; nothing was going to stop that. And the fact that Oliver’s eyes had managed to become shining hearts whenever he looked at her or William, and he kissed her stomach every morning and night.

Then they’d gone to the doctor. The sound of the heartbeat filled the room, and Oliver’s eyes shone. They stared at the infuriatingly blurry picture of their kid. “It looks like a peanut,” Felicity said, trying not to go all gooey at the fact that there was a peanut growing in her stomach.

“It looks like you’re about seven weeks along,” the nurse gushed. “Everything looks good!” Then she said a lot more technical stuff that neither of them listened to because they were staring at the peanut and Felicity’s best friend was the internet.

They got home. They were ridiculously, completely, deliriously happy. That lasted two and a half days. Then the overprotectiveness began.

Oliver first tried to prevent her from going down to the base. She acquiesced at first, since the panic in Oliver’s eyes was a little bit contagious and she was still working on nausea treatment. Then she got restless and, when the Villain of the Week eluded Oliver and John for the fourth day in a row since they couldn’t figure out her technology, she earned her re-admittance to the Arrow cave.

John stared at her for a few minutes down in the lair as she settled back into her wonderful chair. Oliver was standing pretty close by, within reach but not so close that they were running into each other, a la two days ago. Felicity was watching the screens, going back and forth between the searches and John Diggle’s face.

Finally, John understood, a grin slowly forming on his face. “You’re pregnant!” he had almost shouted. After the obligatory “how did you find out?” and “why didn’t you tell me?” and threatening from Oliver and hugs and handshakes all around, they sat down to have a proper chat while waiting for the search to finish. “How long?” Digg asked.

“About two months,” Felicity answered. “The nurse was scary enough that I didn’t want to tell anyone for a while.”

“They’ll do that,” John grinned, remembering the same stage with JJ. Although, with JJ, John had taken even longer to tell them, Felicity reflected. One point for Olicity, then. He then clapped Oliver on the back. “How are you holding up?”

Oliver flinched and made a noncommittal noise, showing both best friend and wife exactly how well he wasn’t handling the whole thing at the moment. “He was fine at first, more than fine, great, actually, but over the past four days he’s become a protective monster of a baby daddy,” Felicity explained fondly.

John looked at Oliver almost as fondly. “He would do that, wouldn’t he.”

“He couldn’t help it,” Felicity cooed, forgetting yesterday when she’d yelled at him for not letting her handle the toaster. It was a toaster. It would not attack anyone. The fact that she regularly burned herself with it was entirely besides the point.

Oliver then stalked away, ripping his shirt off along the way, heading for the salmon ladder. After the initial and very brief surprise of his abrupt stripping, Felicity and Diggle had returned to the computers, talking about the plans for Baby Queen around the clangs of Oliver’s stress.

It was expected, at least, Felicity mused as she found Bad Guy of the Week and sent her boys out to capture him. And—she remembered the way his back muscles had rippled earlier as he ascended and descended the salmon ladder over and over—the stripping was welcome, anyway. “Honestly, everyone’s taking the idea of your existence really well,” she whispered to her stomach.

She wondered if it was a boy or girl, all of a sudden. And if it would be better at computers or salmon ladders. Then she realized she was talking to her stomach. Which would have been okay if the baby could hear her, but since it was the size of a grape, it wasn’t even close to auditory skills. Not much point yet. She shook her head and directed John down the next road, letting the chase regain her attention.

--

“We have to tell William,” Felicity murmured a week later as they were taking a rare ten minutes to watch an adventure story that wasn’t actually their life. “He’s going to find out eventually, he’s so smart, and I just don’t think it’ll be good for him to figure it out on his own.”

“True,” Oliver murmured back. He’d taken to lying across her lap and cuddling as closely as possible whenever they sat down for more than five minutes, and he was almost asleep as a result. “I wouldn’t have figured out at his age, though…” He zoned out as Hawkeye shot another alien and Felicity tried to think of a way to say “You’re my husband and I love you but your son is way smarter than you” without offending him. “But he is way smarter than me, so he probably will,” Oliver finished the sentence, much to her relief.

Felicity ran her fingers through his hair and added haircuts all around to her checklist. William’s was almost in his eyes, and Oliver’s was going to be really close to attack-paparazzi Oliver in a week or two. That wasn’t a look any of them were actually interested in.

“Are you pregnant?” William’s voice came from behind. Oliver jumped, returning to a sitting position without Felicity seeing him move. She turned around to face the boy, her heart trying to keep up with the adrenaline and racing brain. “Sorry to interrupt. I just thought I heard…” He took one step backwards, trying to escape to his room.

Oliver glanced down at her and called his son back. “We should explain—”

“Yes, I’m pregnant,” Felicity blurted out. Thankfully, William stepped over to the couch so she didn’t have to crane her neck too awkwardly.

Then all three of them stared. Despite the progress made over the months of Three Queens, they hadn’t gotten really good at the family talks yet. Although—did anyone really get good at those? They were hard and awkward and annoying. “How long?” William asked.

“Two months and a week and a half, about. We’ve known for about two weeks,” Felicity quickly said. The kid probably wanted information quickly to make up for what he didn’t know, right? She could basically see the thoughts racing through William’s head.

Then just as quickly as the surprise had formed on William’s face, a smile broke across it. “That’s really cool,” he said. “Is it a boy or girl?”

“It’s like two or three months until that appointment,” Felicity said, watching as William’s face finally walled over. Her heart sank at the rapid (and basically expected) progression of William’s emotions. “But you’ll be the first to know!” At least now she would be able to say she tried to save the situation.

“That’ll probably be the ultrasound technician, really,” William said, that hint of whimsy she so loved in his voice. Maybe this wouldn’t be completely awful. Then she watched all her hopes dash away on some kind of magic flying creature as William gave another celebratory grin, stepped back into the door frame, and just about ran away.

“William?” Oliver called. He tried to get up but Felicity pressed lightly down on his chest and shook her head. Oliver searched her eyes for a moment and read the let him go she was projecting. “What do we do?” he whispered.

“I don’t know, but for now he needs to be alone. He just found out he’s getting a baby sibling and he’s almost a teenager and he’s William Clayton Queen and there’s only so much more attention he can stand because you know how almost everyone at school treats him anyway and now look at this, he'll be close to the center of attention again, and—” Felicity felt her brain switch back onto the crazy track but it was quickly derailed by Oliver gently grabbing her chin and pulling her head up to look at him.

“He’ll be okay, Felicity. Like you said. It’ll be okay.”

--

“William?” Felicity heard Oliver calling just as she started smelling the pancakes. She took a moment to consider getting out of bed, and thankfully, Queen Child No. 2 liked the pancakes and didn’t immediately cause nausea. So she got out of bed and wandered toward the pancakes and husband and son.

Oliver’s hair was wild when she found him in the kitchen. “He’s not in his room, Felicity. I don’t know where he is. There’s a pile of blankets in his bed and—”

William was missing. Felicity felt the room basically flip upside down and found herself in Oliver’s arms a moment later. “I’m good, I’m good, I'm fine." She batted the wild-eyed Oliver away and stepped toward her tablet. “I’ll check the—”

Oliver was yanking on a hoodie and tennis shoes before she could finish her sentence. “I’m going now, I texted Digg and he’s going to the base to check the traffic cameras. I’m going to go—somewhere.” And Oliver kissed her on the forehead and exited the apartment.

“He couldn’t even wait for me to check the security footage,” Felicity grumbled, fingers flying on the screen. Her heart was about to beat itself out of her chest—the memories of Adrian Chase were never pleasant and they were returning in full-force—but the cameras in the apartment and building finally cooperated. “Your dad’s great, kid, but he’s an idiot sometimes when it comes to the people he loves,” she muttered. “So dramatic.”

As she yanked her own shoes and robe on, she watched William step out of the apartment and wander out of the building at 5:14 AM. It was a miracle Oliver hadn’t heard the door, honestly. He then meandered down the street, clutching his blue blanket around himself like a cloak. She locked the apartment door as she kept watching the footage, switching from camera to camera along the streets. She followed William’s path as quickly as she could, her heart rate slowing down when she figured out his destination.

“Hey, kid,” Felicity said as she sat down on the swing next to William.

William kept staring at the rest of the playground equipment. “Hi Felicity,” he replied quietly. “How did you find me before Dad?”

“You did a good job being unpredictable, where you walked and where you were going. And your dad didn’t wait for me to bring the cameras up before he and John ran out looking.”

William chuckled soundlessly. “Just like him,” he murmured.

They sat in silence for a minute, Felicity dragging her shoes on the pine chips. Her mind was racing and trying to figure out anything to say that wouldn’t sound completely cliché. It was going to sound cliché whatever happened, honestly.

Thankfully, William started first. “I’m not upset about the baby,” he said, looking up at her with those eyes so like Oliver’s. “I just… I don’t know.”

Felicity tried for humor to fill the silence. “That’s something, at least, that you don’t hate your sibling.”

“I know you’re not replacing me or anything.” William ignored the humor, as well he should. “I wasn’t expecting it at all, though. Should have expected it, you and Dad are married and love each other and you’ve got everything except—”

“If you say that we’ve got everything except a kid…” William glanced back up at her, his eyes looking wounded. Oh, frick. That was what he was thinking. Felicity jumped off of the swing and knelt down in front of William as well as she could without him absolutely towering over her. “We have a kid, William. You.”

“Yeah, but I’m not yours. Not like the baby will be.”

Felicity’s heart pretty much broke. Completely in half. “I know I’m not your biological mother, Will. I’m not trying to be, I’ll never try to replace your mother, I could never do that. I know too much about losing a parent to ever try that. But I’ve never thought of you as anything less than my son.”

William’s eyes were now shining. She reached up and grabbed his hand, partially for the physical contact and partially for stability. Thankfully, he held on as tightly as she was. “Even when your dad and I were just talking about getting back together, or when we were dating for those weeks before we got married, I’ve sort of thought of you as my kid too. You’ve always been enough for me and your dad. Remember when you found out your dad was still running around in green?”

“I said I wasn’t as worried about losing him, since I had you. After you let me watch him arrow people.”

Felicity managed a smile. That was not one of her better moments. Then she returned to the important topic. “You’ve always had me, William. Whether it was for math tutoring or taking care of you if your dad doesn’t make it home one night.” William just stared for a moment. Felicity scanned his face and decided it was time for the best truth of the morning. “Your dad and I, we love you more than anything. You’re the best kid I’ve ever met, and, if you’re willing, you’re going to be the best big brother in the world. Which is how we should have told you, incidentally, instead of you being too smart for your own good.”

They stared at each other for another minute, Felicity watching everything process in William’s eyes. Finally, William nodded. Felicity stood up, her quads blessing the movement, and William jumped out of the swing into her arms. They stood there in the playground, just the two of them, and Felicity hugged her son.

“Thanks, Felicity,” William whispered. “Love you.”

Felicity felt her eyes fill up. “I love you too, William.”

And that was how Oliver found them, a few minutes later. Felicity heard his footsteps coming closer, but she couldn’t do anything more than turn her head to face him. As he got closer, Felicity could see the alarm in his eyes slowly fade away and, by the time he wrapped his arms around them and rested his forehead on William’s head, Oliver was smiling.

“Love you, Dad,” William murmured.

“Love you too, William,” Oliver answered.

They would be okay, Felicity thought as they turned back toward the apartment and breakfast. William would be okay, even if he was late for school again.

--

“What’s his name?” William asked, cradling his baby brother. Felicity had been taking pictures of them for half an hour. It was just too precious.

The baby had been born three hours ago. Oliver and Felicity had kept one hour of it to themselves, just staring at their kid and figuring out the name. After that blessed hour, William and Digg and Lyla had swarmed them, all three wanting to hold the littlest Queen. Naturally and without much argument from the adults, William had won the hold-the-baby battle. Oliver had shifted his littler son into his firstborn’s arms and gotten into the bed with Felicity.

Oliver glanced at Felicity, giving her the reins. Felicity smiled as Oliver pulled her a little closer and kissed the side of her head. “Jonathan Thomas Queen,” she told him. “Thomas for Tommy, of course. Jonathan…”

“Oliver Jonas Queen,” John said thoughtfully. “Kinda similar.”

Felicity nodded toward Digg and immediately regretted movement. The very nice drugs were officially wearing off. “That was my thought, yeah. Kind of clever, right? But also… Jonathan and David, in the Bible.”

“Brothers,” Oliver summed it up, looking at William with the softest gaze Felicity had ever seen in his blue eyes. She loved him all the more for that look. “Even with all of their problems, they still had each other. So we named him Jonathan for you, William. You and him.”

William smiled and looked back down at the baby. “Jonathan, huh,” he murmured. “He’s pretty great.”

Felicity looked around at the room. Oliver, sitting next to her with all of the love in the world in his eyes. John and Lyla, arms around each other and persevering despite the odds. William, their first child, looking down at his little brother with awe. Jonathan, blue eyes staring up at his big brother sleepily but his little hands wriggling with contentment. All of the happiness surrounding her was completely unexpected, but it was beautiful.

“Yeah, he is,” she agreed. “And he has the best family in the world.”

[canaryatlaw]

ok, I need to get this post written and get to sleep because I’m way tired. Today of course was another awesome day, to finish off three awesome days of the weekend. My alarm went off at 7:30, 15 minutes to get out the door since I was gonna do my make up in the car, then 15 minutes to walk to Jess’ place at 8 (it doesn’t usually take that long, but I try to budget in extra time incase I run into some complications). Got there, got in the car and headed off to HVFF. This convention center is off by O’Hare, which is pretty much in the northwest corner of Chicago, so a bit of a drive even for those of us who live on the north side as we do. But we got there in pretty good time then tried to figure out will call to get our tickets. I had a VIP badge because I bought it on sale for super cheap sometime last summer, even though it was a two day badge and I only ended up using one day because I wanted to be at C2E2 with Caity yesterday, lol. So I got whisked off to a special VIP line because we got into the show floor a full hour and a half before the general admission people. So I got in and looked around, there were a few celebrities out but not all that many, and not many of the vendors were open yet, so I decided to venture over to the “Walker Stalker” side of the con, which is a whole Walking Dead con basically, Chicago is apparently the only city that does HVFF and walker stalker together, but it was basically an entirely different space with its own vendors and celebrities. I was going over there because one of the celebrities they had who’s apparently on the walking dead is Sarah Wayne Callies, also known as Sara from Prison Break. She was the only celebrity on my list that Jess didn’t want to also meet, so I figured I’d get her done while I was alone. We had to wait a little bit, I struck up a pleasant conversation with the woman in line behind me who had also not watched any of the walking dead and was getting this autograph for a family member, so it was nice to know I wasn’t the only person who felt soooooo out of place there, lol. literally have not ever watched an episode and I’m not terribly interested in doing so, but Prison Break, so here I was. Once she came out the line started moving pretty quickly, so I got up there pretty soon. She was super lovely, I told her I had mixed feelings about a possible season 6 because I just wanted the writers to let them have their happy ending they got at the end of season 5 and not make their lives more miserable, which she thought was very valid lol. She said it wasn’t confirmed yet (apparently “Dom talks like it’s alright a done deal when it’s not even written”) but they should know soon. So that was a nice pleasant interaction. After that Jess had gotten in with the general admission people, so we went to hit up Emma Dumont from the gifted. I’m not going to share too many details of the interaction because part of it involves a surprise for a friend, and even though I don’t think she’s on tumblr I don’t want to risk her somehow finding out and ruining the surprise. But basically Emma Dumont is the COOLEST. Like, I obviously adore Caity and think she's awesome, but like, for someone who’s not my favorite I think she had the best fan interactions of any celebrities I’ve meet so far. She was so chill, she spent so much time talking to every person on line, and at one point wanted to edit the sign stating her autograph schedule because it said she was supposed to take a break and she didn’t want to, so she crossed it out and just wrote “NO BREAKS” across it and it was so so funny. She was such a delight, and the surprise portion of the interaction went over SO well, I had no idea how she was gonna react, but it was legit the best case possible, so I was very thrilled with that. After that we decided to go to Franz table and chat with him, he didn’t have much of a line so we got up there pretty quickly. I had him sign my legends poster, which now has his, Brandon’s, Caity’s and Dom’s autographs on it. When I was talking to him I was saying how sad I was when they wrote Jax off and that I really didn’t like how they did it, with all the press surrounding Victor Garber leaving and then he was written off without so much as a warning, and he was like “yeah, you’re not alone in thinking that” haha but I told him I was very much looking forward to seeing him return in the finale tomorrow. After him we went over to Katrina’s table, she hadn’t come out yet so we waited for a little bit until she came out. We decided to split a selfie, and then each get polaroids with her because they’re doing the adorable little polaroid pictures for $10. We also wanted to talk to her about our idea for the photo op later in the day, because the actual photo op is so rushed there’s really not much time to explain something like that. So we brought up the appropriate meme and showed it to her, and she was totally in for it and thought it was great, so I was happy about that. After that we took a break for lunch for a bit, then wandered around the vendors and artists until about 1:30, then got in line for Emily Bett Rickards, since she was coming back at 2 to start signing, her general admission line was crazy long, but luckily there were only two people in front of us in the VIP line. Jess wanted to meet her because she wanted to get her Felicity funko pop signed for her brother. She took until like, 2:15 to come out, but we got to see her pretty quickly. She was very sweet, and I’m not at all insulting anything about how she acted, but you could kind of tell she had had some bad experiences with fans doing really awful things and just how that can make someone have a lot of hesitance about this stuff. Her board of prices for stuff also stated *no hugs please* at the bottom, which just tells me how bad previous interactions had gone that she would now need to post that. Apparently this was one of the first times she was even doing selfies. So I felt bad for her over all of that, but she was lovely and sweet and I have no complains about her behavior. After that we went to the bathroom so Jess could change back into her Ava cosplay for the photo op. We stopped at one of the booths and I got a green shirt that says “star city archery club” because why not. We then went to the booth that had some wigs on display and asked about a blonde one, because we wanted the photo op to be easily identifiable to people. I did manage to find a blonde wig that I was actually alright with how it looked, so that was a win. It doesn’t really look like Sara’s current white canary hair, but it actually looks a lot like her season 2 of Arrow Canary wig, so that works. Then we went over to the photo op area and ran into some bitch Jess hates which we had to act civil towards and make awkward small talk, but I mostly just stared her down the whole time, lol. Once we made it into the photo op area we got called in pretty quickly, we showed Katrina the meme again so she would know exactly what to do (it’s the distracted boyfriend other girl meme if you didn’t see me reblog it earlier) so we got into those poses and oh man, it came out so awesome, I loved it. Jess snapped a photo of the print out, not even the digital copy, and posted it on twitter and it now has like, 700 likes lol so my mentions have been blowing up all day about that, which is cool. After that we ran back to Katrina’s booth just because we wanted to show her how it turned out, and she loved it and hugged both of us and was just generally very sweet. We were more or less ready to go at that point, but Elodie Yung’s table was pretty much empty, so we kinda worked our way in there and were just like “I don’t have any money left but I wanted to say I love you and you’re awesome as Elektra” and she was very sweet. After that we headed out, walked over to the parking garage and then through that to where there are some attached restaurants, because apparently if you eat at one of the restaurants they’ll validate your parking. So we went to a cute little place where we had a nice meal, Jess had the biggest plate of nachos I’ve ever seen, so she wasn’t quite able to finish all of it, lol. After that we headed home, she dropped me off and I just took the costume off, got into comfy clothes, and sat down to binge some tv. I watched the episode of Riverdale that was first on the list of episodes I’d missed, and I was really like.....I don’t find this very interesting, which is kind of a shame because Madelaine Petsch was at the con today and I did get to see her from a small distance. Oh well. At 7:30 I turned on Brooklyn 99, which was excellent of course, then started to finally start Rise, which I watched the first 3 episodes of, and I have to say I really like it so far. I know it’s supposed to be based on true events, but the Glee parallels are like, REALLY obvious, the teacher is completely Schuester 2.0, they recruit the football player, the threatening football coach, and just stuff like that. but it was definitely excellently cast, Auli’i is incredible of course, and the girl they cast as Gwen, when she did the “soft” version of purple summer, I was seriously getting chills- like the depths they went to to cast that character is nuts, and they did it very, very well. So I’m looking forward to watching more of that. And yeah, then I got in the shower and got ready for bed and here I am, did I mention I’m TIRED?? So I’m going to sleep now. Goodnight dolls. Happy start of your week.

[westallen-world]

With Barry and Iris’ wedding drawing closer, The Flash continues its comedy streak when their friends and family gather for the bachelor and bachelorette parties during Tuesday’s episode.

Hijinks and hilarity ensue during the hour, but probably not in the way viewers are expecting. In a bit of a role reversal, the guys have what relatively amounts to a quiet night, while Iris’ (Candice Patton) party gets out of hand when Killer Frost (Danielle Panabaker) crashes the festivities.

“It’s an episode that’s very girl-centric,” Patton tells EW. “The boys are trying to have fun, and the girls end up being the ones that are saving the day in the episode, so it’s an all-star female team up, and it’s a really girl-centered episode that fans have been waiting for.”

As previously teased, Killer Frost worked for Amunet Black (Katee Sackhoff), who runs an underground black market for supervillains. With Caitlin back in control, and reunited with Team Flash, Amunet is not happy, thus the ladies must team up to protect Caitlin and the city. “Caitlin, as we all know, has been struggling with Killer Frost and trying to keep that subdued and feeling like she can’t be a part of Team Flash because she’s got these powers she’s trying to keep under control,” Patton says. “Throughout the episode, you see Iris really be there for her and help her deal with her struggles of trying to keep Killer Frost down, basically telling her, ‘You don’t have to choose one or the other, you can be both. You’re still a good person.’ It’s really interesting to watch Caitlin and Killer Frost come to terms with the duality of their person, and Iris is pretty important to that happening.”

JEFF WEDDELL/THE CW The episode also marks a mini-crossover as Arrow‘s Felicity (Emily Bett Rickards) comes to town to celebrate Iris but finds the emergence of Killer Frost to be far more exciting. “She’s stoked to see Killer Frost because she’s never seen her before,” Rickards says. “Obviously she didn’t know Killer Frost was as dire as she is. Felicity’s a huge nerd and loves that stuff.” Panabaker adds: “Felicity brings a lot of levity to any scene she’s in, and it’s nice to have her enthusiasm on the show.”

Over with the boys, Cisco (Carlos Valdes) sets out to make this a night they’ll never forget, but instead it’s one they’ll more likely have trouble remembering. “We let loose,” Gustin says. “Cisco makes Barry a little potion to get him drunk that works much better than the last time in season 1. It lasts for the duration of the entire night and Barry is in rare form. He is drunker than I have ever even come close to being, and we had a lot of fun with that. It was the first episode in the history of The Flash that I didn’t put the suit on, not one time.”

Alas, Cisco’s plans for the night go awry thanks to Ralph Dibny (Hartley Sawyer). “His plans get hijacked by Mr. Dibny,” Valdes teases. “It’s a terrible plan that starts terrible and ends terribly, honestly.” Initially, Gustin says, the boys were planning for a quiet night with a steak dinner, but Dibny instead takes them “to a strip club where Barry lets loose,” Gustin says.

BETTINA STRAUSS/THE CW Suffice it to say, it’s definitely not the night Joe (Jesse L. Martin) was expecting for his son. “It’s probably one of the first times Joe has ever seen Barry drunk,” Martin says. “As a kid, before he turned into Flash, he didn’t drink, he was a straight-up nerd, so Joe’s a little concerned, but more just fascinated with the fact that that’s what he’s like when he’s drunk. Barry’s a very funny drunk, let’s just say that. But the idea of going to a strip club, it’s bad all around. Joe doesn’t like it, he doesn’t like what he sees there, doesn’t like what happens when we get there. It’s a mess and it’s all because of that damn Dibny.”

[emilybettsource]

It’s no secret that our e-pal Emily Bett Rickards is a massively successful actor and a smashing human being. Her journey up until this point is inspirational in itself; she paved her own way in the industry by being her best self – her character Felicity Smoak on the American television series Arrow actually became extended after she gave an incredible appearance in her first episode. We had a chance to talk to this real-life baddie about the start of her career, Hollywood life and her own unique worldview. 

Can you remember a piece of advice that your mother has given you during your life that you kind of hang on to or use to guide you through anything? Good situations, tough situations…

My mom is so good at advice honestly – she is full of it. One thing that she has always said to me throughout my life is about self-boundaries and taking time for yourself. That if you’re trying to help others and understand others, if you don’t understand yourself you will never be able to understand or be of service to other people or the world – not to say that you necessarily have to be of service to other people or the world as your life purpose but if that’s what feeds you – if you don’t understand yourself, it’s not gonna work.

That goes with so many different pieces of advice about being able to have boundaries, expressing yourself and really staying true to who you are. My mom is a big advocate of that – she’s an incredible human being. She also happens to be a therapist so I grew up on a lot of time spent talking and position feeding and associating and analyzing things and thoughts of that world, so that always helps.

I guess you probably have to say ‘no’ a lot in your life. Do you think that her advice has helped you figure out how to do that in a good way or did you sort of figure that out by yourself?

Absolutely. I think being able to say ‘no’ is a bit harder these days because we have so many options at our fingertips and we’re used to instant gratification. On a smaller scale, it can be about being able to say ‘no’ to yourself if you’re about to dive into your phone or something. Or being able to say ‘no’ to your friends if they try and pry you from your house when you don’t feel like going out. Being able to say ‘no’ to more serious things, like for certain jobs or when it comes to morality or things like that… It’s definitely a skill and skills only get stronger with time. But yeah, it’s super important and it might sound scary because we think ‘no’ sounds innately negative, right? But I think it’s really positive to set up these types of boundaries in life and for ourselves.

Speaking about your career, or even your personal life, can you you think of a moment where you felt like ‘oh, this is real now,’ and that all the hard work had paid off, in a way? Do you have a defining ‘champagne moment’?

To be honest, I’m pretty hard on myself but I’ve never really felt that way and I wonder if anyone really does. I wonder if there is sort of tangible landmark goal. I don’t know if anyone gets there and is like ‘I made it.’ I think the term, ‘making it’, can only be from an outside perspective because it sounds like such a different type of ‘want’ that ‘making it’ can not really fulfill, if that makes sense. So I don’t know if anyone ever feels that way. I think you can feel proud, though.

It’s also changing because we change as people as we spend so much time getting somewhere – wherever that may be. And in the process, your goals probably change, expand and transform a little bit as well. When they transform even though you made it to the place where you wanted to be, it’s that moment of needing to just get somewhere and be happy with that instead of chasing something that you don’t already have.

Def makes sense. What made you fall in love with your job?

It started with talking about things like this to be honest! Acting is such a different thing to different people. For me, it’s about exploring vessels and transformation and understanding stories. It helps me understand people and understand the world better, basically.

I love stories so much – I always have and I don’t think that’ll ever change. Everyone’s understanding of stories is different so I don’t know if you could ever fully grab it and grasp it but it definitely gives me life. You have to fully understand a person that’s written on a page and bring that person and their story to life. There’s a freedom in that that exists unlike any other; I don’t really know how to explain it. There’s so much freedom in being able to lift a human being and bring them to life off a piece of paper.

We’re super interested in the Shethority movement that you’re kind of involved with. What’s that about and how involved are you there?

Yesss, I’m involved and we’re still kind of growing it. Like I mentioned a few months ago, we’re not really sure what it’s gonna become. It’s really interesting to find out where you can take these things and make a good job of it. The intention behind it is love, support and trying to understand where we’re going in this world and trying to get some communication about deep concepts with things that are confusing and being able to relate to other people. Mostly people just share their stories or read stories and feel like they’re not alone.

A big part is celebrating women, celebrating the world that we live in and carrying this through the negative aspects of the online world that we have and make it somewhat safe and in between interesting and educational. Ultimately, it is a platform that keeps expanding in front of us and it’s starting to have a powerhouse behind it that we can’t really explain but meanwhile we’re figuring out what it should become. Like I said to you before we’re trying to figure it out but keep it moving and expanding.

So you have a massive Insta-presence but your whole vibe is very natural and un-forced. You’re not trying to edit or product place anything, which is really cool. How did that kind of unfold to being such? Is it literally through the role of Felicity?

I’m like a middle millennial because I’m 27. I had Instagram before my work popularity grew. Through my Instagram, I try to not overexpose some of my friends and attmenpt to avoid over-sharing. I keep things private, I don’t put up a ton about my family and my home. I wish I did more, actually. But I’ve always thought about Instagram as hopefully being the photo album that I have when I’m older and the photos that I really like, I want to see later and again. Physical photos are really important to me. My apartment is covered with some more personal photos and polaroids.

I struggle with Instagram as a work platform quite a bit. I wonder if I should have a personal account and a work account but I try to make my life a little simpler. I don’t have Facebook, I’m rarely on Twitter. But I don’t know, it’s almost like over-exposure to me sometimes. There’s positives and negatives, as with anything of course!

Have you had any speed bumps, hurdles, anything you’ve had to get through in those realms? How did you get through it – any advice for those listening?

Yeah, at some point I hit a pretty big speed bump that I would say lasted like 2 years and that sort of ended recently. You come out on the other side thinking you knew you were lost or you knew something was wrong and couldn’t figure out how to fix it. I think sometimes when you get to the other side, you’re like ‘oh this makes so much sense now’ but the tricky thing is that those things can last a long time.

I don’t really have any specific advice besides the fact that if you do feel inauthentic or in breach of yourself, and you’re having that thought, then you probably are and checking in is the most important way to go about it. And, you know, talking to people and explaining is so important and you will find that you’re not alone in that. Speed bumps happen every day from minute to minute from trying to organize your day to losing a family member or living with an illness. Those things make you go and live life and figure out who you are in that because at the end of the day, you will always be you. You’re always growing and maybe you can reach inside and find a new piece of you, which is a beautiful thing.

How did you discover Girls Are Awesome and can you be our ambassador?

I discovered you guys on Instagram! I started following you guys because I liked it. I was like hell yeah, girls are awesome. I was in the airport on Thursday and I had a Girls Are Awesome sticker on my backpack and this dad tapped his daughter on the shoulder. I thought she was maybe 14, 15 and he was like hey – I can’t remember her name because I was just passing by – but he was like hey, look at that sticker it says “girls are awesome!” isn’t that cool? And then they were gone. Haha, it was so cute.

Yass, thanks, Emily!

[olicityarrowfan]

An amazing weekend ... 5 months ago .. HVFF London

So this has been sitting unfinished in my drafts for the past 5 months! I’m terrible, I know! But if anyone is interested in reading about my time at HVFF London where dreams came true and I met my all time fave, Emily Bett Rickards (as well as some others) please feel free to read! 

I’ve been meaning to write this for a few days but I’m finally getting round to it. I need to document my weekend at Heroes and Villains in London!

Firstly, it was truly an amazing weekend in every way possible! The atmosphere in the venue was really something else! It was so well organised and despite what had happened earlier in the week, everyone came together with the one shared interest! Seeing fandom like that is refreshing and it makes to proud to be a part of it! Heroes and Villains London was my fourth convention and the same sentiment from my first one I attended two years ago still applies; it is really amazing being surrounded my people who love what you love!

Saturday

The first day of the con was definitely the most eventful. It started with John Barrowman’s panel which was as great and funny as you would imagine! He is the absolute best! Now it was time to get some celeb autographs!

Milo Ventimiglia

Milo was first up in my autos list. I picked a This Is Us headshot of Jack Peason to get signed. Milo was so so lovely! He asked my name and where I was from. I told him how I have been a fan for a long time now, since Gilmore Girls but it’s all bout This Is Us now! He said how Jack is a pretty rad character which I totally agreed with! It was now time for a selfie since his autos came with a free selfie! He took my phone (!!) and took a few selfies, some normal and some funny! I thanked him for coming and wished him a good weekend. 

How many people can say Milo Ventimiglia took a sneaky selfie on their phone! haha!

Colin Donnell

Next up was Colin. Again he was so so sweet and kind! He asked my name and if I was having a good weekend. I asked how he was and said how as much as I miss him on Arrow, it is all about Chicago now! He seemed to really appreciate that! I told him how I was a fan of all the Chicago shows, and how all the finales killed me a little haha! He totally agreed and said how he can’t wait to see what happens! I told him that I think his wife Patti is awesome ( He totally lit up at this! So cute! ) and that I loved her daily calendar posts! He told me how they were by a guy from Chicago. We took a selfie and then I thanked him and he wished me a great weekend!

Once I got these two autographs, it was now time to wait to see if Emily’s autos opened up. Once I saw on twitter that they were open to everyone, that was my main priority!

Emily Bett Rickards

It was finally happening! I was in line to meet Emily!! Once she appeared, to say I was a bundle of nerves would be an understatement! I was all set to get my Arrow poster signed, but last minute when I was at the table and saw all the pretty Olicity shots I changed my mind! Now this was literally seconds before it was my turn so I just added to my flustered state! I asked how she was and she said she was great and asked how I was. I told her how I was going to get my poster signed but changed my mind to the Olicity shot. I told her that I was so happy to get to meet her, that Felicity was my all time favourite character on TV! She thanked me and seemed really glad about that! I then gave her a card that I had wrote, saying it was just a card for her! She said how that was really sweet and left it beside her other gifts from fans! I said thank you again and said goodbye. Walking away I was totally fangirling but can anyone blame me! lol

Meeting Emily was a totally dream come true! She was so genuine and kind! Also I totally loved how she was playing her own music and dancing away! she is just the coolest! 

Since all my autos were got, the next main event was my photo op with Emily! While I was waiting, I managed to catch some of the Supergirl panel with Mehcad Brooks, who was very funny and cool! 

It was soon time for my photo op with Emily! After careful consideration, I just decided on an ordinary photo wearing my Smoak Tech t-shirt! The photos went super fast but Emily was so cool and nice saying hello etc to everyone! One girl ahead of me was caught off guard with the flash of the camera and Emily made sure to get her back to get it retook! I will forever treasure my photo! They may cost a bit and go very fast but everytime I look at it, it makes me so happy!

To round off the Saturday, I managed to joke with John Barrowman as my friend got an autograph and also have a quick conversation with Hayley Attwell before she left for the day! She is an awesome lady!

Sunday

Sunday was all about the Arrow panels! First up, the main man himself, Stephen Amell! He was amazing as always! His panel was crashed by a few friends, which was great! Robbie, Emily and Josh all made an appearance! 

When Emily appeared on stage, I swear my Olicity heart exploded!! There they were, my OTP infront of my very eyes! The friendship between Stephen and Emily is truly something else! I am truly blessed to have witnessed it firsthand!

^^ There are no words! Just <3 <3 <3

Since I was done with all my autos, I took a quick look around the stalls! I swear if I could, I would buy it all! I bought Lord Mesa's mystery pack, and got some awesome Arrow prints and got them signed! Lord Mesa was so nice, just like when I met him at HVFF New Jersey in 2016! 

Back in line for the Arrow panel! I was definitely there just for Emily but after the panel, I have a new found love for Josh Segarra!! He was an absolute legend! From dancing some salsa and being totally 'Smoaked' with Emily! I even lined up to ask a question! I was so nervous but I really wanted to ask Emily a question! Unfortunately the moderator only got through about 4 fan questions so .. next time! 🤞

Look at these adorable humans!! ^^ 

Random Mentions

Drew from Nocking Point is definitely on my list of favourite people.. he gave me free coffee!! If you give me coffee, you are a good person in my eyes! lol! I stopped by the NP table, just to have a look on Sunday afternoon and since it was near they end and they had lots of bags of coffee, I got one for free! 

Drinking my free coffee, from my fave mug!! ^^

Once again, being surrounded by people who have such similar interests really makes me so happy! Conventions have become my ‘thing’ the past couple of year! Finding that place where you feel like you belong, where you don’t have to play down how passionate you are about something... well there’s no better feeling you know!

Convention number 4 done ... onto the next! 

[jbuffyangel]

HVFF Nashville Wrap Up

It’s midnight. This is the first second I’ve had to sit down and write about Nashville. I was knee deep in SDCC planning with my Just About Write ladies today. It’s gonna be lit folks! We can’t wait to cover it for you.

So... I decided to go to HVFF Nashville for one reason and one reason only. M*lissa B*noist was attending and my daughter could meet Supergirl. The obsession runs deep my friends. When M*lissa canceled Lauren was absolutely devastated and I was in a bit of a panic. Primarily because I didn’t know what else she would enjoy at HVFF. She’s not allowed to watch Arrow. She’s only seen a few clips, but Lauren loves Felicity Smoak. Hand to God this is how she described the show to a friend.

Friend: What’s Arrow? 

(The friend overhead my husband and I discussing my blog)

Lauren: It’s about Felicity Smoak. She is super smart and loves computers like I do. She fights crime.

Friend: Okaaaay. But... who is Arrow?

Lauren: (completely blasé) Oh. He’s just Felicity’s boyfriend.

I mean.... she’s not entirely wrong. She also possibly summed up 95% of the fandom’s view of the show, so I give her points for that. But... Emily Bett Rickards wasn’t going to be there. So, I was unsure of her level of excitement over Stephen.

Turns out she was pretty excited to meet him. 

Well, she was excited to dress up as Felicity, spend time with Mommy, shop and swim at the hotel pool, but Stephen was absolutely on the list. Truthfully, I wasn’t sure how much of the convention she would enjoy. Turns out she LOVED all of it. 

She shrieked when she saw Chewy and BB8. The force is strong with this child.

I fully support her superhero choices.

Honestly, it was just fun to share my little Arrow world with her. I already blogged about her autograph with Stephen, but here are a few more details. She was nervous and wanted very much to ask him a question, but didn’t know what to ask. So I gave her the question, “Will we have to wait all season for Olicity to get married?” Thanks @callistawolf for the suggestion. Man didn’t even blink. Folded immediately with, “No I don’t think so.” WEDDING CONFIRMED. THANK YOU MY ANGEL. Stephen is powerless against little Felicity Smoaks.

After the autograph, apparently Lauren felt like she had a rapport with Stephen. (Wink wink) Lauren floored me when she said she wanted to ask Stephen a question at the panel. Thought it all up by herself. Marched on up to the mic. I promise you she does not get this confidence from me. This is all her father.

Round three was the photos. Lauren said she had another question for Stephen. I explained that every time she had a question for Stephen, Mommy had to fork over a bunch of cash, so she was all done. Undeterred Lauren remembered she still had a photo with him and decided she could ask him there. She wanted to have a chat with Steve I think. Maybe over milk and cookies. I very quickly downplayed the interaction and explained he has a lot of people to get through and the photo goes very quickly. There won’t be any time for questions. 

She waited very patiently for her photo and, yes the line was moving fast. I could tell she was getting nervous again. When it was her turn, Stephen smiled at her and I said, “There he is. Go ahead.” I knew Lauren’s plan was to just stand next to him, but Stephen smiled at her again and said, “Yeah... no. Let’s try...” and he scooped her up. Lauren was airborne and completely shocked. My girl is tall but very thin for a 10 year old, so the man basically palmed her like a basketball. LOL To say she was thrilled would be an understatement. 

He set her down and I whispered thank you as she scurried back to me. And Stephen gave me a very sweet wink.

This was our convo after...

Lauren: HE PICKED ME UP MOMMY! I was NOT expecting that.

Me: I know. I saw. Pretty awesome!

Lauren: I was going to ask him on a scale of 1 to 100 how strong is he?

Me: I think he answered your question.

Lauren nodded speechless.

Me: I’d say as strong as Daddy. 99?

Lauren: (giddy) YES!

My daughter can be very introspective at times and the conversation we had on the airplane on the ride home struck a chord with me.

Lauren: Do you think Stephen gets tired of doing conventions?

Me: Well... I think he’s making a lot of money and people tell him he’s amazing all day. As jobs go, I don’t think it’s  a terribly tough one, but he does have to travel a lot and that can be hard.

Lauren: (very quietly) He probably doesn’t get to see his little girl very much.

(Stephen told a sweet story about Mavi at the panel. I was truly surprised Lauren brought her up.)

Me: That’s true. He lives in a different city when he films the show. Then he travels to conventions. Sometimes she comes with, but you are right. Stephen spends a lot of time away. Although I’m sure he sees Mavi every chance he gets.

Lauren: How old is his daughter?

Me: She’s little. I think she’s in preschool. 

Lauren was quiet again and I could tell what she was thinking.

Me: It’s nice that your Daddy is home every night isn’t it?

Lauren: Yeah.

Me: Fame has its perks, but there are negatives. Daddy isn’t famous, but I think you got the better end of the deal, don’t you?

Lauren: Yes.

Bonus points to my husband for remembering that Ming Na voiced Mulan as we scanned the guest list after Melissa canceled. Well played Dad. 

Of course, Ming Na is gorgeous and wonderful with kids. Lauren named off most of the characters in the movie and wanted to know if Ming Na had stuffed animals of them. (Stuffed animals rank high with her still). Answer: Yes, she does in her office. Lauren was quite pleased Ming Na was Disney Princess-ing properly. She had bracelets and candy for the kids too, so her parenting game was strong too.

Of course, meeting fandom friends is always a highlight of conventions. It’s always so funny when we introduce ourselves. Obviously, we start with our real names, but it’s only when we say our screen names that the light bulbs go off. 

I was able to meet @scu11y22, @jedichick04, @laurabelle2930, @ireland1733, @redpensandgreenarrows, @emmilynestill, @quant-um-fizzx, its_mjayy and Brittany_Ellis . (Sorry if I forgot anyone!!!) Y’all were as nice as can be. So sweet to both me and my daughter. Thanks for chatting Arrow with me, listening to me ramble (Yes, I do the same thing in person as I do in the reviews. I am deeply obsessed) and sharing your convention and real life stories with me!!! So happy to met you all.

We spent the weekend with my amazing friend @hotcookinmama. She is my life saving editor and beta for all my fics and Nashville tour guide extraordinaire. Angela picked us up from the airport, drove us around town and gave us a fantastic tour of Nashville. She found great restaurants for us to eat at. Absolute gem of a host. She is also one of the sweetest and most genuine people I’ve ever met. Our girls were fast friends and had a wonderful time playing together. #Perfectweekend

Two of my favorite convention moments were with Angela and both involved David Ramsey. I had a VIP ticket so I told Angela to tag along with me while I got my autograph with David. Typically they don’t mind how many people you have with as long as they don’t try to get an autograph at that time. I figured this would give Angela two visits with David (she would get her auto in the general admin line later). David and I chatted. He gave me that great spoiler and off we went. I started chatting about the spoiler as we walked away, but as I turned to look at her I realized she was crying. 100% FEELS OVERLOAD from meeting David Ramsey because he’s freaking David Ramsey and always wonderful. It was her first convention and I was just so happy to be part of that purely joyful moment with her. It’s so rare when we are gloriously happy as human beings and she absolutely was.

The second, of course, were the AMAZING SPOILERS David gave Angela. She essentially guessed the first six episodes of S6 because she’s a clairvoyant, kick ass fic writer. I was standing in Stephen’s empty booth, just on the other side of David’s. I was out of earshot, but enjoying watching Angela and her family interact with him. When Angela came over to me she was freaking out by what he told her. Then I was freaking out. It was AWESOME.

Regarding M*lissa’s cancellation - yes I was angry. These tickets are expensive, plus airfare, and it’s always difficult to disappoint your child. There seems to be some controversy over whether or not she was really working. Obviously, if she was working that’s understandable even though it’s frustrating. 

If she wasn’t really working well... that sucks. A LOT. 

That said, Stephen’s kindness went a long way to ease my daughter’s broken Supergirl heart and I appreciated it. I should probably let her watch Arrow now. ;) What’s most important though is the time we spent together and the memories we made on our mother/daughter trip.

[marytagus]

Yesterday I searched forHVFF London online but didn’t post any of what I read for one thing only Not enough Emily Bett Rickards.

But today was diferent I found great Em gems this morning and I have to share them.

SA - On season four and the criticism

"I was reading a review and it said it felt like the most Arrow part of season four happened on Legends. I read that and went, oh s***," said Amell.

He added that he felt season five stepped away from the magic and supernatural and was better for it.

Personnal Note: The magical stuff has nothing to do with Arrow IMO the villain story arc that drove Season 4 was all wrong; at first I thought it was needed to launch Legends but not all of it was needed. To a story arc I felt too off for the Arrow I love they added a romantic story arc they rushed to breaking point. Season 4 wasn’t good.

SA - On the best Arrow villain

Answering to the audiences calls for either Slade or Chase, Amell gave a diplomatic answer.

"Manu on season two did a marvellous job," he said. "I don't think of Josh as a villain so much. Mostly because I know him."

He added: "I think Josh and Prometheus fit best in terms of a season but from an iconic standpoint it's Deathstroke."

Personnal Note: I get what Stephen is saying. Deathstroke, Slade Wilson, is a cross Seasons antagonist to Oliver; Prometheus is a one Season villain.

What Stephen has told producers needs to change in s6

Stephen was asked what he'd like to see in season six and whether Oliver will change.

He honestly said: "I like playing a character that has flaws. I haven't talked to producers a lot about season six yet, but based off the fact he now has a team...I did say Oliver needs to learn he can't keep going it alone, or people will change the channel. He needs to use them."

Later on he said: "It would be nice to see someone being brick headed and see Oliver say, lets think and do this for these reasons." Basically think things through then...

SA - On being injured during bunker scene

"I like the quieter moments on the show. Emily and I had a lot of fun this year with the episode where we were trapped in the bunker."

Emily: "I remember it fondly."

Stephen: "The only part about that that wasn't fun was we filmed that episode right around the time that I shot American Ninja Warrior and I kept having to with my really, really, really hurt arm, I kept having to pick Emily up off the ground."

Emily: "and I couldn't help because I couldn't use my legs so it's just dead weight and he's injured."

Olicity's reunion sex - and how much was improv

It set Twitter alight when we saw Felicity and Oliver hook up after some Chinese and wine in the bunker, it also involved the Salmon Ladder.

Stephen spoke about how that scene came about when a fan said the script doesn't seem to give much direction (it laid out the dialogue). They asked whether they had used improv.

Stephen said he'd used a metaphor earlier, saying the script is like a tree - you don't want to poke holes in it, but you can add bits, like branches.

"I'm not creating lines, scripts are speeches though, not conversation," he said. "They can take our reaction or leave it. I'm sure there was a version that was very close to what was on that page."

He added: "I like playing drunk on wine Oliver!"

On who Stephen would play if he couldn't be Oliver

The answer was obvious...

Stephen says if he could play anyone else in show he'd be Diggle. 'if you watch the show and that's not your answer you're wrong!' #arrow

Arrow's finale

Stephen said the day filming on the boat (last scene) was exhausting. Everyone was worried about the weather. He was worried them trying to get the cool shots would mean missing the emotional ones. In between takes he was slumped exhausted.

On that cell scene with Chase

Josh: we were in the cell for 12hrs and they were real shackles. My respect grew for Stephen #HVFFLondon #arrow

On whether Felicity would suit up

Emily was asked about whether she'd like to see Felicity suit up. "I already feel she's a superhero," she said. "just without a mask. I've never felt that she needed that."

She added Felicity's abilities - hacking and helping the team - made her a hero, rather than powers.

"I'm happy to listen to those who want to argue, but I will always think Felicity at her core is a hero anyway," she said. "She doesn't need to get a suit."

The question was sparked by Felicity's Legends persona, where she did suit up - and then was swiftly killed. Emily added that character was dead, but that didn't mean she couldn't be in a suit in other earths/times.

Emily on the finale: There's a lot of explosions and definitely death.

Olicity baby? Stephen also apparently told fans if there was an Olicity baby he'd go for a girl called Moira.