#and i do think roy is maybe. a little bit more effective at captaining than jackie ill admit

[jopzer]

like the OBVIOUS parallels of jackie and jamie / shauna and roy are so tasty and delicious but i think drawing lines between jackie and roy is really fun for me personally. sometimes you are a team captain who sucks shit at their job. sometimes its because you have no emotional control sometimes you can be a bit of a diva it happens to all of us

[elareine]

If you could, can you please write JayTim or RoyTim (whichever one you want) trying to be romantic and woo Tim (maybe with some puns, I love puns), but Tim is a bit oblivious towards it, because the other is so cool, therefore they must be trying to make friends and be nice with him and nothing more. So when he does finally realize its an italicized "Oh" moment.

Hi lovely!! Thank you for waiting so patiently for this fill. I... ended up making it JayRoyTim, I hope that's okay? It just fit so well, but I can totally write something else with JayTim or RoyTim for you if you want :)

Also, it turned out to be about pick-up lines more than wooing, sorry. I might’ve gone overboard with googling the puns. It's long enough that I put it on ao3, too. What's your username on there? Then I'll gift it to you.

if you were a transformer (you’d be optimus fine)

“Well, here I am.”

Tim looks up, utterly confused. “I didn’t call for you, but… that’s… great?”

Roy waggles his eyebrows. It looks faintly disturbing. Redheads should maybe not do that. Or, actually, Tim revises mentally, thinking of literally every other redhead Dick ever dated—that’s just Roy. “What are your other two wishes?”

“Coffee and some silence to finish working this case?”

Roy looks weirdly deflated at that, but he does get him some coffee. Tim soon forgets about it.

—

(“How’d it go?”

“Does obliviousness run in the family?”

“Yes. Yes it does. Have you met Bruce?”

“…okay, fair. Your turn next.”)

—

“Jason? What’re you doing here?”

Sure, Jason and Roy have been spending a lot more time in Gotham lately. Something to do with a case, Tim assumes. Maybe even with the one that they worked on together in Star City five months ago?

Anyway. They’ve been around, is what Tim is saying. Not at the manor, but at Tim’s apartment and his workspace, cause apparently it’s not worth rebuilding their safe house after it went up in flames, and Bruce and Damian are too often at Dick’s place. He’s not exactly surprised to see either of them anymore. (Pleased, yes. But not surprised.) However, Tim has no fucking clue why Jason is currently grinning at him from the other side of the library desk.

At least Tim has the good sense to check his name tag before he gasps: “Jason?”

“Oh, hey, Tim.” Jason’s grinning. “Guess you figured out my new job, huh?”

“Yeah.” Tim shakes his head. “Color me surprised.” So this is what Jason’s spending his days doing. He’s gotta be shadowing someone, right? Tim’ll ask him tonight.

“I’ve always liked this place.” Jason’s gaze is far away for a moment. Tim badly wants to know what he’s remembering. Then the older man seems to come back to himself and gives Tim a weird—maybe angry?—look. “It’s a good thing I’m a librarian, too, cause I’m totally checking you out.”

“Alright, I can take a hint.” Tim grabs his book and demonstratively walks over to the self-service scanners. Really. How rude.

—

(“Are you telling me he managed to resist you in your cardigan?”

“Apparently.”

“Aww. C’mere, babe.”)

—

So Roy blows things up all the time. No, really, Tim now totally understands why Dick was so happy when he heard the duo is camping out at Tim’s place for a change. His older brother even gave Tim a thumbs-up, for God’s sake. He must’ve known.

Cause yeah, there’s at least one explosion every two days. Or Roy dropping something cause he’s too focused on what he’s thinking to remember what his hands are doing. Or something dropping on him. Jason seems used to it; he just catches whatever it is or laughs at Roy. Tim… is starting to learn to do the same, actually. Whatever Roy comes up with at that moment is usually worth it, and besides, he’s kinda adorable.

Aaaaaaanyway. (He’s using that word a lot in his own thoughts right now. Almost as if he’s avoiding thinking about something. Hmm.) Tim’s not surprised when Roy walks into a room, stumbles, and slaps a hand over his eyes with a dramatic exclamation.

Tim, in shorts and not much else cause he got drenched in pollen earlier, just raises an eyebrow. “Alright, Roy?”

“Nope.” Roy’s hand is still covering his face, but Tim can still see his grin underneath. “I’m gonna need your name and phone number for insurance purposes.”

“Roy. You have both of these things,” Tim explains slowly, wondering if Roy sustained a brain injury or accidentally dosed himself on something. “And why insurance?”

“I was blinded by your beauty.”

God. Sometimes Tim wonders about the original Titans and their socialization for the two dudes if this is how they think making friends works. Then again, Kori, Donna, and Dick probably appreciated constant compliments about their beauty. It all makes sense. Roy must be so used to it that he even uses those same methods when someone unexceptional like Tim is around.

He smiles gamely. “I’m looking forward to hearing that phone call. Must be almost as great as the time Bruce tried to convince his insurance company that Clark dropping on his car wasn’t an act of God because God is demonstrably not a Kryptonian. Neither was the giant ape punching Clark out.”

Roy drops his hand at that. “…Batman did what?”

—

(“You were doing so well, too.”

“I knoooow. How much more obvious can we get?”

“I dunno, but I intend to try.”)

—

“Do you like Star Wars? Because Yoda only one for me!”

“Haha. No. Star Trek or die.” Tim’s answer is automatic. He’s had these discussions soooo many times with Kon before. Of course Jason also goes for the space cowboy soap opera.

Besides, Jason’s boyfriend is standing right next to him. He doesn’t mean to sound flirtatious with Tim. Or maybe he does, and it’s just good fun? Or maybe teasing him? Tim can’t figure it out, but he knows he doesn’t like the weird hollow feeling he gets in his stomach when he thinks about it, so he changes the topic.

And makes both of them sit down to watch some classic Captain Kirk, of course.

—

(“Should I be insulted by that pick up line?”

“Nah. There aren’t that many lines that imply a polycule, though.”

A kiss. “Alright.”)

—

One of the things Jason and Tim have in common is their predilection for motorbikes and fiddling around with them. Not that makes them unique in the batclan; Tim has never spent days quietly working side-by-side with Dick, though, the way he does with Jason. They started out with separate projects. Then Jason saw this vintage Ducati at an abandoned warehouse he was about to blow up and, well… Would be a shame, right? Tim just happens to have had one of these before—regrettably lost to one of Harley’s exploding baseball bats—so he offers his expertise.

It’s not because it means bending over the engine with Jason, closer than they ever are, their hands brushing when they hand each other instruments. It’s not.

Roy doesn’t join them. He’s too polite to say so, but he finds normal cars and bikes boring af. Doesn’t stop him from popping his head into the garage and whistling when he sees that they are shirtless and covered in grease. It’s a damn good look on Jason, so Tim can’t fault him for that.

Roy follows it up with a: “Are you a parking ticket? Cause you got fine written all over you.”

Tim can’t help it; he blushes at the suggestive tone. Those two never stop flirting with each other, do they? So far, he has managed to avoid stumbling over them while they’re making out (not that they’re making that easy—the kitchen? Really?), and he’d like to keep avoiding that, thank you very much. He’s already feeling guilty enough for his fantasies as it is.

“Uh. I should clean up,” he mumbles and flees.

—

(“Dammit.”

“…do you think that was a rejection?”

“Nah. He was definitely checking me out before you came and fucked it up.”

“That’s saying something if you noticed it.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”)

—

So Tim has magically acquired cat ears and a very fluffy tail. Don’t ask. They’re gonna go away in eight hours, and until then, he’s gonna stay in the cave and work himself to distraction. Jason seems intent on keeping him company, though.

(It’s nice. Tim loves hanging out with Jason—that’s not the problem. The issue is that Tim is looking ridiculous, and Jason is being nice about it, and none of this is helping his stupid crush go away.)

They’re absently chatting about nothing until Jason says: “Kinda a pity you’re a cat, though.”

Tim looks up. Huh? Admittedly, he never pegged Jason as the type to go for catboys (though maybe… he did hang out with Kyle… perhaps it’s just that he definitely doesn’t go for Tims), but that’s still a weird pronouncement.

Jason is grinning. “If you were a chicken, you’d be impeccable.” He pauses. “Wait. Like even more than you already are. Uh.”

Tim sighs. Great. And now Jason is making fun of him again. “Whatever.”

—

(“A chicken?”

“Shut up. I panicked.” A sigh. “He was so cute with these ears.”

“…yeah, he was.”)

—

“You must be tired. You’ve been running through my mind all night.”

“I’m not tired,” Tim says automatically. Why does everyone keep asking him that tonight? Surely the shadows under his eyes can’t be that bad? He used concealer!

Something in Roy’s expression softens. “Aww. C’mere.” He pats the space on the couch next to him, and when Tim sits down, Roy pulls him half of on top of him and into a hug. “Relax for a bit, little bird.”

Tim sinks into the embrace, boneless all of a sudden. Roy just has that effect on him. Tim vaguely remembers thinking of him as his oldest brother’s cool friend and then Jason’s cool boyfriend, kind of a fuckboy but clearly good for Jay.

Now? Now, Roy just makes him feel safe.

—

(“So you spent the night on the couch just so he could sleep in your arms?”

“Yeah. Totally worth it.”

“Duh.”

“I just wish we could do that with him every night. Bet he fits perfectly between us.”

“Yeah.”

A pause.

“We might have to up the ante or switch tactics.”)

—

They’re talking about their favorite books—Tim doesn’t read as much as Jason does, but they discovered a shared love of sci-fi weeks ago—when Tim says: “Actually, that book kinda reminds me of you.”

“Oh?”

“Overly dramatic but good.”

Jason makes an offended noise, and Tim grins.

“I’m not sure which part I should argue about first.” Jason pretends to think.

Tim is always down to tell Jason that fuck his self-perception—Jason is a good man, one of the best Tim knows; that also feels too revealing right now. Instead, he gets up from their comfortable position on the couch and grabs the first stack on the table, carrying them over to the shelves to replace the gaps. “What kind of book would I be?”

“Babe, if you were words on a page, you’d be fine print.”

“Annoying and no one reads it?” Tim asks without turning around, trying to ignore the babe. That’s. That’s gotta be a slip of the tongue, right? Force of habit from spending so much time with Roy?

“No, fine,” and the emphasis is clear this time. Jason continues before Tim can reply: “Though if we’re talking books…”

Tim whirls around. “Save it. You don’t have to make fun of me just because I—“He swallows down the words.

Jason looks alarmed. “Tim—“

As if he can smell trouble, Roy chooses that moment to enter the room. Tim has barely heard him approach, Jesus. He doesn’t want to have this argument in front of Roy, though, so he just stands there in the middle of the room. Jason, too, has stopped speaking.

Roy, of course, takes one look at the awkwardness and decides to make it worse. Or more confusing.

“Did you just come out of the oven?” he asks.

“As this isn’t Hansel and Gretel, no, I didn’t.” Tim checks his shirt, just in case this is an actual conversation opener and not just a weird attempt at a distraction. “Do I have soot on me?”

“Nope.” Roy shakes his head, and he’s smiling that smile again, the one Tim is startled to recognize, the one he thought is reserved only for Jason— “Because you’re hot.”

And finally, Tim gets it. “Me?”

“Yes, Tim.” Roy’s moving in closer. “You.”

There’s a soft touch to Tim’s shoulder, and Tim whirls around, expecting Jason to be mad, cause his boyfriend is—is hitting on Tim, right, that’s what’s happening, Jason can’t be happy—

Jason is smiling down at him. His hand is still resting on Tim’s shoulder, but it slides down to his collar bone, a gentle presence as he murmurs: “You’re so beautiful that you made forget my pick up line.”

Oh. Oh.

Tim says the first thing he can think of: “Are you a raisin?”

Jason starts grinning. “I’m not even gonna qualify that with an answer.”

Tim smiles back. “Cause you’re raising my hopes for a kiss right about now.”

And he gets one. And then another, and then Roy joins in, kissing Tim’s neck and then his mouth and—Yeah.

They’re too busy for any more pick up lines right now.

[treasure-mimic]

So, for those of you that are familiar with the formatting this may seem a bit strange. While normally, I like to pitch newcomer characters from whole cloth, in this case I want to make a moveset for a character that’s already in Smash. Specifically one of its oldest characters. Because characters in Smash Bros. tend to be highly, immutable, changes happen very slowly, a few in between years of development, and no character has ever gotten a true overhaul. It’s taken Ganondorf 15 years to get a few moves wholly distinct from Captain Falcon, and the inspiration is still entwined in the DNA of his kit.

So this is less, “here’s a character that I would like Smash to add, here’s how I think they would play”, it’s, “here’s a character that’s in Smash but I don’t think has a very authentic or accurate playstyle, here’s how I would change them”, or more accurately, “here’s how I think this character would, or at least could, play if they were added today”.

So, Samus Aran is a heavy, yet floaty and mobile, mid-ranger. She gets a lot of mileage out of her projectile game, but is not completely reliant on them like her easiest comparison Mega Man. She’s closer to a cross between him and Simon in true playstyle, as a lot of her moves contain narrow pathways that require good aim and spacing to get the most usage out of.

General Mobility and Mechanics

Most of Samus’ basic stats and base level animations should stay the same, I’m not out to change her idle pose, dash speed, weight or jump. However, one big difference between the real Samus and my Samus is that my Samus doesn’t crouch. Instead she goes into her morph ball form. This can work with the same number of frames that most crouch animations go into, or it could take a few frames more (no more than a few though), it shouldn’t impact things either way. What is important about the morph ball, however, is that it has a very, very low profile, one of the lowest of any crouch, and it also gives her access to a crawl, which is just her morph ball rolling around. This crawl is notable for having greater acceleration and top speed than her dash, only being slower at the start due to its lower burst speed. However, the morph ball should be more than an option, it is one of her default forms of movement.

Furthermore, her roll attacks should change to fit this, no longer seeing Samus enter her morph ball form, but simply flipping or dodging out of the way, similar to the dodge system from Other M, with frame data much closer to the average roll dodge. I would also give her a roll attack, similar to Terry, but with her rolls instead of her spot dodge. She would simply fire one small energy pellet forward, with a slight angle up, with similar damage and knockback to Mega Man’s jab. More about these types of attacks will be explained later.

Normals

Jab - Samus has a single hit jab, similar to Roy and Chrom. In it, she swings her arm cannon in a wide arc in front of her, representing the parry from Samus Returns. This move should have a very quick startup, 2-3 frames likely, and see Samus with partial intangibility while it’s active, making it a strong reversal option. Unlike Roy’s however, this attack sends opponents away, popping them far at low percents but not a whole lot farther at high percents. This makes it hard to follow up on, and furthermore, doesn’t do a whole lot of damage on its own, probably not more than the first hit of her jab already does. It is solely a tool for getting close ranged opponents off of you.

Forward Tilt - A reverse roundhouse, can be angled, basically the same thing that she already has.

Up Tilt - Samus swings the arm cannon above her head. Covers a wide area, but the animation should be a bit more reserved than the over the head splits kick she has. Pops the opponent up slightly and can be used to chain into itself at low percents with bad or no DI.

Down Tilt - While in the morph ball, Samus shoots forward a short distance, on par or even less than Cloud’s slide kick, with similar effects, popping the opponent up. The green accents on the morph ball can glow a little and leave a light trail to emphasize this as a reference to the Boost Ball from the Prime series.

Dash Attack - Identical to what it is now, I would maybe make the animation a bit more stiff to accentuate this as a Shinespark reference.

Neutral Aerial - Samus tucks in and spins, similar to her Screw Attack but without the blue electrical effects. Hits once and knocks opponents away.

Forward Aerial - Samus aims forward and shoots three uncharged shots, the first two naturally combo into the third. The third launches, though doesn’t kill until high percents.

Backwards Aerial - Samus aims behind her and a missile. It travels a short distance before exploding, kills at mid percent.

Up Aerial - Samus straightens her body out and fires an uncharged shot straight up, it doesn’t go far but it launches straight up, meaning in air-to-air fights it could KO off the top.

Down Aerial - Samus punches below her with her arm cannon. If the tip of the move connects, and only if, the end of the cannon explodes as Samus fires a point blank missile, and spikes (this does not count as a projectile). Otherwise, the move just sends out.

Throws

Grab - Samus retains her tether grab utilizing the grapple beam. The only thing I would change is that the grapple should come out of the gem on the back of her hand as opposed to the arm cannon, to emphasize the fact that these throws are now proper grapples instead of swinging people around with the grapple beam.

Pummel - Samus shoots the opponent with an uncharged shot from her arm cannon. These shots can be spammed very quickly, though do little damage.

Forward Throw - Samus spins the opponent around to put them in a headlock, then blasts them in the head with a charged shot, sending them flying.

Backwards Throw - Samus takes the opponent in her one hand and spins and hurls them backwards. This is a kill throw at mid-high percents.

Up Throw - Samus tosses the opponent up and shoots them out of the air with a charge shot.

Down Throw - Samus throws the opponent to the ground and steps on them, letting loose two uncharged shots and then a charged shot, doing by far the most damage of all her throws.

Smash Attacks

Forward Smash - Samus leaps and rolls back then fires a charged shot in the area in front of her. This charged shot travels fast, fast enough to be comparable to a melee smash attack, though in turn the projectile doesn’t go far, especially considering she jumps back before firing. The total range is about that of Olimar’s forward smash with a purple pikmin, from her starting position. Because she rolls back, this is capable of crossing up and hitting opponents behind her.

Up Smash - Samus leaps and rolls forward, firing a charged shot straight up as she moves. The charge shot moves just as fast as her fsmash, and stops just below the top platform on Battlefield.

Down Smash - The morph ball glows yellow and begins spinning on itself. When the button is released, Samus releases five bombs from the morph ball, which fly up slightly and then scatter on the ground around her. These bombs explode when they come in contact with an enemy, shielding or no, or after half a second of being released. On their own, these explosions don’t do much damage, but if the opponent is caught in three or more they will be launched like a normal smash attack.

Specials

Neutral B - Aim Stance - Samus widens her stance to firmly ground herself and stops moving. Pressing B again ends the stance immediately, upon which any action can immediately be performed. Jumping will also cancel the stance. While in the stance, the control stick can be used to aim Samus’ arm cannon in a complete 360 degree circle around herself. Pressing the A button will have Samus fire uncharged shots from her arm cannon, with a maximum charge time of a second. These uncharged shots do scratch damage and do little more than flinch the opponents, but can be rapid fired to fill the space between Samus and her aim and make approach harder. Holding and then releasing the A button will have Samus charge a shot, the longer a shot is charged, the more damage it does, the faster it travels, the further it knocks back, and the farther it goes. If the shield button is held, then Samus’ arm cannon opens up, and when the A button is pressed she instead fires missiles. Missiles can’t be fired as rapidly as uncharged shots, move slower than charged shots, and don’t go quite as far, though they do go farther than uncharged shots, but kill very early. If a missile is charged for the length that it would take to max charge a shot, Samus shoots a super missile, which has all the properties of a regular missile but can kill as early as 50% on midweights.

Side B - Plasma Beam - Samus aims and fires her plasma beam, which is shown as being a glowing green and having several wavy strands. The attack can be charged by holding the button, it can be shield cancelled but the charge cannot be stored. While charging, the shot can be aimed, but it’s limited to a 140 degree range, 70 up and 70 down, in the direction the attack was done in. The plasma beam passes through all objects on the stage as well as items and enemies, multi-hits and launches, capable of killing at high percents. It also travels the farthest of any of Samus’ projectiles. However, the move also has the most startup time of her projectiles, even for an uncharged shot.

Up B - Screw Attack - Not much change from the real version of this move, I would just want the attack to travel forward more and have more of an identifiable “arc” in its movement.

Down B - Bomb - Samus drops a bomb in her morph ball form. Unlike the real version of this move, this attack should have little to no startup or recovery, and the bombs also shouldn’t be affected by gravity. They explode when they come in contact with an enemy, or have been active for a second and a half. And if the explosion hits Samus, then she’ll be bumped up in the air slightly in her morph ball form. If the attack is performed in the air, then she enters her morph ball form where her aerial movement is replaced with the same mobility as she has while rolling on the ground, but in this form she cannot use her recovery, double jump, or fastfall. This mode can be exited before touching the ground by hitting up on the control stick whereupon these options are returned to her.

Final Smash - Queen’s Nest

Samus jumps back and fires a large plasma beam shot forward and slightly down. This covers a wide area in front of her, though doesn’t have much vertical coverage. All enemies that are hit are put in a cinematic where they’re knocked back into a dark, green cave filled with glowing eggs. The Queen Metroid appears behind them and chomps them all down. Samus runs in after, turning into her morph ball form and diving down the Queen’s throat before laying a Super Bomb in her stomach, which explodes, destroying the queen and launching all the characters hit.

[silwenworld]

UNTIL THE LAST PETAL FALLS (Part 2 in the War Roses series) Summary:  He could see the flowers floating before his eyes. A Bouquet. A single flower. Every time in different configuration but one thing was constant - the petals were falling away. Each time there were fewer and fewer petals attached to the stalk. And each time that happened, he could feel himself slipping further and further away.

Or: Captain Gold has a son to find and woman to come back to, and nothing short of dying will keep him from doing just that.

A continuation of the Rumbelle Showdown 2020 fic "The Dried Rose" Category: M 

CHAPTER 6 [Ao3] [First Chapter]

There was something soothing in the sewing process - watching as the needle went up and down, puncturing the material time and time again. 

 Down. 

It weaved the black thread, bringing two parts closer together up to the moment when they finally become one.

Up.

It slipped through a small loop forming a knot so the stitch wouldn't break.

All done.

Belle pulled hard, then bent down to bit on the thread, snapping it close to the knot, then admired her handiwork. At first glance, it was almost impossible to notice the changes, and she nodded to herself, proud. 

Silently she stood up and approached the closet, making sure not to step on any of the loose boards. It was easy even in the low light - she had their place memorised long time ago. The floor hadn't squeaked, but the closet door did precisely that when she tried to open them.

Jumping slightly, she turned her head to the left, freezing in her movements, watching closely. Roy stirred on the bed but didn't wake up, and she let a breath that she didn't realise she was holding.

Cautiously, she put the jacket back on its hanger - the one closer to the wall - arranging it just as it had been before. It would not do if Roy caught her small scheme after all the trouble she had went with checking which of his garments he had tempered with and which he hadn't.

With a small smile, she carefully closed the door and on her tiptoes returned to bed, curling beside Roy.

*

It was long after the sunrise, but Gold still didn't know what to think. Waking up next to Belle in bed had been both bizarre and wonderful, but on top of it confusing.  

When he had finally opened his eyes - an achievement on itself, considering they felt so heavy as if someone had glued them together -  his head had been pounding so hard he had thought he might have thrown up any minute. That or because of the images that had been still fresh in his mind from the dream. Gold had been surprised he didn't find himself on the floor nor twisted in the bedsheets, and it took him a moment to realise just why. The mattress to his left had shifted, and he turned his head to find himself looking at Belle's blue eyes. 

His lips parted in surprise.

"Good morning," she whispered, smiling slightly at his astonished look. Even with the swelled right eye, he still looked at least ten years younger with the way his hair was all tussled up and sticking in every direction. "How are you feeling?"

Gold groaned and hesitantly covered his face with his arm, wincing as it made contact with the bruising.

"As if a tank ran me down," he grumbled.

He stiffened when he felt a hand touch his hair before remembering that it was Belle's and not anybody else, cursing his reaction. He relaxed almost immediately, but she seemed to notice as the movement faltered for a second.

"Roy?"

"Hmm?" He still hadn't looked from under his arm.

"How much from yesterday do you remember?"

"Not much," Lair. He glanced from under his elbow. "Please tell me I didn't drag you to bed with me."

"I dragged myself if you insist on knowing," she answered his try at sidestepping the topic with a smile, but somehow he could tell she knew he hadn't told the truth.

He smiled slightly and grabbed her hand then brought it to his lips, kissing it softly. Roy more felt than saw Belle got closer to him and instinctively lifted his arm, letting her rest her head on his chest as he unconsciously started running small circles with his thumb over her shoulder.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Belle's voice sounded small and muffled by his shirt, but it wasn't hard to hear it. He couldn't help but squeeze his eyes shut, though, tightening his hold on her shoulder at the same time.

"I'm f - "

"Please don't," she interrupted him lifting her head to look at him. "Please don't lie to me saying you're fine."

Silence.

"You don't have to talk if you don't want to. Just... You're not alone in it."

He knew it to be the wrong decision. He was stalling or drawing attention from the problem at hand, but instead of answering honestly or staying silent, he twisted just enough to line his face with Belle's and crushed his lips against hers, hard. He could feel his body protesting, from the pain in his ribs to the way his split lip stung at the contact. But he didn't know what else to do, and he wanted to feel normal again so much it hurt a lot more than any of his physical wounds ever could.

When his kiss was rough and desperate, Belle's was soft and gentle. She kissed him back only after a second of surprise, but she didn't let it become messy on painful. He didn't stop when a spasm wrecked his calf, nor when his head began to feel as if someone had dropped an anvil on it. 

He wanted to get lost in the feeling of having Belle in his arms, distract himself from everything that was going on, and she let him. Even if for only a little bit, because when she felt more than heard as he tried once again to stifle the hiss of pain, she gently put a hand on his chest. She didn't push him away, only put a little more pressure on it than just a normal touch, but it had the same effect. 

Roy rested his forehead against hers, panting slightly, the small droplets of sweat forming on his forehead. 

"I'm sorry," he whispered still not opening his eyes.

"There's nothing to be sorry about," she answered, tracing his stubbled cheek.

Gold laid back down with a sigh.

"Sorry for ruining in the morning."

"How about I'll go downstairs and bring us something back to eat, hmm?"

"Paracetamol?" He risked a look at her, bearly opening his eyes.

"Not the most healthy breakfast, but a good appetiser," she smiled, brushing his hear behind his ear.

Belle freed herself from his arms and swung her feet from the bed. She looked around for her shoes, finding them hidden almost fully under the bed. She must have kicked them there accidentally when she had gotten back to bed during the night.

Gold watched her from his spot on the bed, as she got ready and it took a couple of long minutes for his brain to finally catch up on what exactly he had found so weird about Belle's appearance. Still, when it had finally clicked, his eyes winded a little as his throat tightened.

She was wearing one of his shirts. 

More than that - she had looked so natural in it that at first, his brain had thought it to be the most natural of things. He didn't know why seeing Belle in his clothes made him feel so emotional. Maybe it was because it looked like she didn't find them repelling and him by extension - the fact she had stayed a night with him when he had looked and acted like a total waste of air should be an indication enough, but somehow seeing her now made it more real.

He cleared his throat, willing the tightness to go away.

"You know, missus Lucas will skin me alive when she sees you?"

She turned around confused then giggled as she realised he was talking about the shirt and the time of the day.

"She likes you so she won't."

"I don't think we're talking about the same missus Lucas."

Belle rounded the bed and kissed him lightly, mindful of the broken lip.

"She will have to get through me first."

*

Widow Lucas wiped her hands on the apron, looking around the diner. It was a quiet morning with only a handful of people occupying the tables, nursing cups of coffee before the work. She nodded to herself, knowing the place would be empty in about twenty minutes or so and she would be able to do what she had set her mind to the moment she had seen her only tenant limp in from the back door.

She busied herself with cleaning the dishes until then nodding her goodbyes to the ones who had finished their meals and went on their way. Truth be told she hadn't seen Gold around for a couple of days. The first time had been only yesterday, and it only served as proving her suspicions that something had happened.  He hadn't gone to work ever since the hearing - that Booth boy had brought some smaller works for the man over without giving away much information, and Ruby had insisted on carrying the meals for the Captain when Belle had been absent. Oh, and speaking of the young miss French, Widow Lucas hadn't been blind nor stupid not to see her sneaking around the kitchen in the wee hours of the morning that past couple of days. Also, her granddaughter, not being the subtle type, was more than enough for her to more or less seal her suspicions. 

Gold didn't look good - not now, and not yesterday - and she didn't want to know how he did look like on the day that something had happened seeing the still lingering results. On both occasions, the man had seated himself in the farthest booth, away from the prying eyes, but the weak light wasn't enough to hide the bruises on his face or the knuckles. 

It was more than apparent that he had been in the fight and lost it. The only consolation was that just two days ago widow Lucas had seen Keith Nottingham sneaking around the back alley with what clearly looked like a broken nose. Connecting the dots hadn't been hard after that.

When the last of the costumers had nodded his goodbyes, she riched under the counter. 

*

He rolled up the leg of his trousers, wincing and biting down on his tongue before any louder noise could escape his mouth, then grimaced as his eyes fell upon the purple mess that was his right leg. Seeing how much it was bruised, it was no wonder why it hurt as it did. Gold was pretty sure that if he squinted his eyes, he would be able to notice the outline of a shoe nicely formed on his tibia. 

Gritting his teeth, he firstly probed the limb with his fingers barely containing himself from crying out then reluctantly tried to stand up.

A bad decision it turned out to be, at least for the first try, as his leg had almost folded under him the moment he put his weight on it, and he would have fallen hard on the floor if he hadn't caught himself on the nightstand.

Stupid limb.

He took a shaky breath in and tried again. This time he had managed to stand up, but that was about it. Resigned, sweaty and out of breath, he sat back down. At least it wasn't broken - it had felt different from when it had been. Painful as hell, yes, but not even close to that time when he had tried to get out of bed while in Germany. 

Gold reached towards the nightstand with one hand, producing the small jar of ointment form the drawer. He grimaced after unscrewing it, the smell not pleasant in the slightest, but it had been helpful before so he had to suffer through the inconveniences. He rubbed the salve into his painful limb, restraining himself from cursing aloud. 

He had almost finished when the door suddenly creaked open and in his haste to pull down his pants leg, the jar slipped from his fingers and rolled away from him. He made a clumsy attempted to catch it but ended almost tumbling down from the bed instead.

And just like that, he could only watch as the jar rolled away from him and stopped at Belle's feet. She looked down startled at the item that had touched her foot, and it gave him enough time to hastily throw the blanket over his lap so it would cover his mangled leg.

Belle looked up from the jar to him, then back down.  She fully stepped over the threshold and, after closing the door, she moved the food tray to her right hand before crouching down to pick up the salve with her left one.

Gold gulped, unable to meet her eyes as she put down the tray with the porridge and silently sat down next to him. The smell of the food suddenly made him want to gag, and the whole idea of eating anything totally abandoned him.  He clenched his fists, watching with spite as they trembled, his mind jumping to yet another conclusion about his miserable self when suddenly almost all of them came to a halt.

Belle wrapped her arms around his torso, crushing him in a strong, firm embrace. Her head rested on his shoulder, and she didn't let go of him as at first, he stiffened then relaxed, melting into her. She held him as his shoulders started to tremble, when a shaky hand covered her arm and when his tears wetted her head.

"I'm broken, Belle." She heard him whisper against her hair.

"No, not broken," She answered firmly, holding him tighter. "Just chipped."

*

When he had finally made it down to the diner, he felt relieved. He knew he couldn't hide forever in his room, but between his leg hurting more than before and the unwillingness to face other people, it had been burdensome, to say the least. 

Here he was - now almost former captain Gold, the man who before all of that had at least been respected and didn't like at most, now reduced to the laughing stock and a pushover. But at least he had forced himself to limp down the stairs for the second time and drink his coffee in what somewhat resembled peace, so he counted this as a victory.

He was just about to raise the cup to his lips when suddenly there was a loud bang as something connected with his table, making him jump and almost spill the coffee all over. Used to the panic attacks by now, he forced his heart to slow down and not show how thrown off balance the whole noise had made him, he turned to look for the source. 

His eyes landed on what unmistakably was a golden handle of a cane, firmly planted on the table. With a scowl on his face, he glanced up to meet the unimpressed expression of missus Lucas, who without letting go of the cane, looked him dead in the eye.

"Something I can help you with, missus Lucas?" He asked, trying for an indifferent tone.

"This was my late husband's cane."

"All right..." His brows furrowed in confusion. Just where was the older woman going with this?

"Now it's yours," she said matter of factly.

What?

"I don't think I follow."

Missus Lucas grimaced. "I thought you a clever man, Captain, so don't make me rethink that."

She lifted the cane, flipped it, then put it fully on the table, crossing her arms when finished. Gold watched her do it, now even more confused, but there was some other emotion coming to the surface. He didn't make a move to take the cane.

"I won't take it."

"And why is that?"

"I don't need it."

Not entirely true and the woman didn't even bat an eye at the blatant lie. 

"It cluttered my closet long enough. You can use it as either as door support, a tool to wack somebody or whatever, I don't care."

Gold's fingers twitched as if wanting to touch the item that now ley on a full display but he had caught himself in time to stop them. It was a beautiful thing - the shaft made of sleek, dark wood and the grip looked like made of gold with a distinctive, leafy pattern which made the captain briefly wonder how exactly could the late mister Lucas afford such piece.

The corner of Gold's mouth twitched. He knew exactly what the older woman was doing. He didn't make a move to take the cane, but he didn't push it away either. Widow Lucas humphed in approval then bend to pick up his empty plate. 

"You should talk to someone, be that Belle or anyone really," she said, and he almost choked on his coffee yet again.

"About what?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "About bad coping mechanisms." 

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

She threw the towel over her shoulder and turned around on her heel without answering, leaving him gaping after her. As she heard the uneven steps accompanied by a tap of a familiar cane leaving the diner, widow Lucas smiled to herself. And when she walked back to clean the table, she had found one used cruth left behind, and her smirk winded.

*

He would have never say it aloud, but the cane was a blessing. It was just the perfect hight - which made him wonder if missus Lucas had done something to it beforehand because there was no way her husband had been the same size as he was - and thanks to that even after the short walk around his room his shoulder wasn't yet hurting. He was finally able to walk more or less in a proper way, clasping the grip in his left hand instead of the right one as he used to do when using the cruth. His injured shoulder had been killing him every time the pad of the crutch had dug into his armpit, but with that issue now gone, he had needed to relearn how to walk again. Surprisingly, it was quite easy, but still, it took him two days to get used to. At first, he had thought he looked ridiculous - a simple, old ex-soldier with too-long hair and cheep clothes parading around with a golden-handled cane, but Belle insisted that it was making him look distinguished in a way. She even commented that his jacket seemed to fit him more lately. Odd, considering he didn't remember eating that much more, but as he had looked in the mirror in the morning, he had to admit she had been right.

He was on his third round around the room, just about to rest as his mangled limb was giving him not so subtle signs that he should take it easy when there was a rap at the door. Gold tightened the grip on his cane and with a frown, made his way towards the sound. He wasn't expecting anybody - Belle was still at school, so who could that be?

Hesitantly, he pushed on the handle.

His eyes briefly winded as he recognised the young man standing on the threshold.

"Um, Captain Gold? I'm sorry to intrude - "

"You're not intruding, officer," he cut in. Graham Humbert smiled slightly, not minding the way he had been interrupted in the slightest. Gold was almost sure that there wasn't a thing in the world that could upset the other man. 

"That's good to hear. Can I come in?"

"Be my guest," he didn't know what the officer would want, but either way, it was rude to keep the man standing on the corridor, and you didn't spend most of your life in the army not knowing how to hide your confusion.

"I'm going to take just a minute," Graham said while stepping in. He removed his cap and brushed back the stray lock of hair, that almost instantly had fallen back onto his forehead, making Gold smirk a little. "Can I ask you some questions, sir?"

"Am a suspected of anything?"

"No, no - of course not!" The man was quick to assure, chuckling nervously. "You see, there had been a break-in at Mr Booth's workshop yesterday."

"Was anybody hurt?" Gold asked frowning. A break-in? Yesterday? Odd, considering he had seen Marco just this morning and he hadn't said anything to him.

"August has a couple of bruises, but nothing serious." 

Gold nodded to that, but his frown didn't disappear.

"We do have the men suspected in custody," Humbert continued, "and considering you do work at Marco's I wanted to ask if you had seen anyone suspicious in the area recently."

Gold shook his head.

"I was working from here for a couple of last days."

"May I ask why?"

"An accident," he answered. 

Humbert nodded slowly, taking out his little notebook, flipping through the pages. Gold waited for the question about his appearance to arise, but nothing like that happened.

"Does the names Keith Nottingham and Haldor Frontland mean anything to you?"

His whole posture stilled but Humbert was still too busy with his notes to notice the small change in Gold's stance. Roy tightened his hold on the cane, his knuckles going white from the pressure as his mind jumped to the images of that night. What was going on here?

"Should they?" His tone was icy cold.

"They're the ones I got in custody and suspected of the break-in." 

Gold didn't answer, but his hand started to tremble a little. 

One day Gary will get that girl of yours, and when he gets tired of her, I'll have my way with her.

"Think again, Captain," Humbert raised his eyes from the notebook, interrupting Gold's thought. He could be mistaken, but he could swear small sparks were dancing in the younger man's eyes. "Are you really sure you haven't seen those men around the workshop?"

Gold gaped at him, unable to comprehend the officer's words. Was he expecting him to say yes? And if so, why?

"Maybe you have gone on the stroll in the area let's say yesterday's evening?" The man pushed on, and now Gold was pretty sure the sparks were there. Was this a ghost of a smile on Humbert's face? 

Wait - was there a chance he knew what had happened on that day?

Gold relaxed just so slightly. Clever man. 

"Now, that you mention it, I might have seen someone resembling those gentlemen."

"Splendid, that would match with other witnesses' reports, besides the one of Mr Booth's, of course. He did leave quite a good description of the culprits."

"Other witnesses?"

"Sorry, Captain," Humbert said, smiling while he put back the notebook into his pocket.  "I can't reveal the sensitive information, but your landlady has very sharp eyes. Now, as that's cleared, I won't bother you again, sir. Good day."

The hat was back on the man's head, and he left without waiting to be escorted to the door. Gold watched him go, unable to say a thing. He stood rotten to the spot, trying to figure out what exactly had transpired in a matter of minutes. 

Because it had seemed that the two men, who unmistakeably were even more waste of air than he was, would be now locked in jail, even if for a little while.

He limped to the window, looking down the street below, catching a glimpse of officer Humbert as he made his way down the road. As if feeling he was being watched, the younger man turned around. It was weird how he knew where to look at, and when catching Gold's eyes, he dipped his head with a smile.

What and odd man.

[travelagentforguilttrips]

See, All Good

Whumptober: Prompt 4

Running out of time | buried alive, collapsed building

——

Squad 51 pulls up to the front of the small, partially collapsed building. Johnny jumps out of the passenger side of the squad and starts walking towards their Captain, Roy right on his tail.

“Anyone in there Cap?” Johnny questions glancing towards the building.

“There may be a couple people, the building owner isn’t really sure.” Cap glances over to the small sweaty man wiping his bald head with a handkerchief. He looks back towards the partially collapsed and burning building before looking back to Johnny and Roy looking at him hopefully. “You both do a quick walk through and then get out of there, that building looks like it could be coming down any minute now.”

“Got it Cap,” Roy says while walking back to the squad to get the rest of their gear on.

After they are all ready they briskly walk to the entrance of the building and look around at the big entry hall that bisects the building.

“I’ll take right if you wanna take left,” Johnny says turning to Roy in time to see him nod. “We’ll do a quick sweep and then meet back here.”

Johnny heads off to the right hallways as Roy walks to the left ones.

Johnny had only been clearing rooms for about a minute before he hears a sound, like a constant quick tapping. Walking into the room he can hear it coming from he glances around before walking over to a door on the other side of the room. He opens the door looking inside and freezing at the object sitting in the closet.

Down on the floor there’s a small bomb. It’s not big enough to effect the people outside but it could bring down a significant portion of this part of the building. Johnnys eyes widen as he sees the timer.

The dial is almost back to the start.

Johnny slams the door shut turning around to try and run, maybe get Roy and himself out of dodge in time. Or at least put as much space between himself and that bomb as possible. But he’s never had that kind of luck.

The explosion throws Johnny off his feet and he tries to cover himself as best as he can, but an object strikes his head knocking his helmet off. The room gives in and collapses trapping Johnny helplessly beneath as something else slams into his head and then his world goes dark.

___

Roy has just arrived back at the meeting point when he hears the explosion. Then the roof of the right side of the small building cracks down the center and Roy backs up eyes wide.

Parts of the building to the right of the hallway collapse while little cracks form on the remaining walls and roof closest to the collapsed portion from the pressure. Roy is backed away from the collapsed section trying to pull his flashlight up and shining the light while walking quickly through the hallway. The remainder of the building cracking and groaning as he walks. He turns quickly and sees the section of collapsed rooms and knows in his heart that Johnny is somewhere under all this rubble. He aims his flashlight over the section to see if he can see anything under the rubble.

“Oh god, Johnny,” Roy gasps looking around to see if his partner was visible but doubting he’ll see anything. “JOHNNY! I’m going to go get help just hold on!” Roy shouts turning and sprinting out of the building to his captain.

Cap sighs with relief when he sees Roy running out of the building but tenses when he doesn’t see his junior paramedic following along behind him. “Where’s Gage?” Cap questions urgently.

“He was still in there when it collapsed,” Roy pants out.

“Okay, I called in for help so they should be here any second now and we’re gonna need help if were going to get him out of there. Johnny’s going to be fine Roy, “ Cap says putting his hand on Roy’s shoulder to try and offer some comfort then grins. “He always is, isn’t he?”

Roy lets out a small smile and nods before looking back to the building. Station 47 pulls up to the scene sirens wailing loudly before coming to a stop at the curb. The two captains briefly talk to discuss what they’re going to do before giving out orders to all the men.

The men dig for about an hour before they hear a faint noise.

It’s beeping.

Roys eyes widen as he realizes it must be Johnnys air tank alerting him to the empty tank. He shouts and the rest of the men begin to focus their efforts more on that area of the rubble. Someone shouts after a few minutes.

“I found him! I need some help over here!”

The men all flock over to help and in no time Johnny is completely unearthed and being placed gently in a stokes. Roy and Chet carrying Johnny out quickly and setting him down next to the side of the squad. Chet pulls the bio phone over to him and starts trying to raise Rampart, Roys sole focus on his partner.

Roy quickly examines Johnny trying to be careful and after what feels like forever gets him bandaged up and ready for transport.

In the back of the ambulance Roy continuously monitors Johnny’s vitals. Roy is just checking Johnny’s pulse when Johnny’s hand twitches.

His eyes move and he lets out a low moan, squinting open his eyes as he looks up at Roy.

“Hey Johnny, welcome back to the land of the living. You’ve been out for awhile,” Roy says with a small smile though he can’t hid the worry on his face.

“Roooy wha’ happ’n,” Johnny slurs looking around in confusion. “What’s tha’ noise?”

“You were in a building collapse, remember. We’re in an ambulance on the way to Rampart,” Roy says looking down at Johnny.

“Oh ok,” Johnny sighs as his eyes flutter closed. His eyes snap back open and he squirms a bit and looks at Roy, “A-a bomb! There was a bomb in the building t-that blew!”

Roy’s eyes widen and he doesn’t know what to say for a second. But then Johnny’s eyes shutter closed and his body relaxes.

“No, hey Johnny wake up. C’mon Junior, you know your supposed to stay awake with a head injury better than anyone. Wake up,” Roy pats Johnnys cheek gently a couple times but when he gets no response he sighs before glancing towards the front of the ambulance. “How close are we?”

“We’re pulling in to the parking lot now,” the ambulance driver calls back.

Roy sighs with relief though it doesn’t completely quell the anxious feeling in his gut.

—-

Roy sighs before looking up at the clock for what feels like the hundredth time in the past hour. He’d delivered Johnny to Dr. Brackett and Dixie and they’d ushered him out the second he wasn’t necessary anymore.

Roy goes to get another cup of coffee before glancing at the clock again. The ticking has never seemed so loud before.

Which reminds him of the bomb.

The police are currently investigating but there’s not much to go on yet, but Roy’s hoping when Johnny wakes up he can tell them something.

The door opens and Roy jumps up from his seat. Dr. Brackett and Dixie walk in and head over to the coffee pot.

“Well Roy, looks like that partner of your has done it again. Aside from a moderate concussion, a broken leg, a lot of bruising and cuts, and a broken arm he is completely fine which is surprising for the situation. I think in the ambulance he had just gone to sleep, but he will be back to driving you crazy in about 8 weeks.” Brackett informs Roy with a smile on his face.

“Oh thank god, is he awake can I see him?” Roy sets his coffee cup down quickly looking at the doctor hopefully.

“He was awake when orthopedics went in so if you go now you might be able to catch him. He’ll be moved up into a room soon. Now go on to your partner hose jockey,” Brackett teases with a grin.

Roy smiles brightly at the at the two before heading off quickly to treatment room 2. He quietly pushes open the door and steps inside. Johnny is alone lying on the table covered in casts and bandages with his eyes closed, but when Roy brushes against the cabinet his eyes open and he looks up at Roy.

“Heeeeey there pallyyyyyy, you know, I feel sooo much better now.” Johnny slurs with a smile on his face.

“Well they’ve got you all dosed up I see, and I’m glad your better you had me worried for a minute there.” Roy says looking down at his partner in amusement before a small frown crosses his face.

“Oh don’ worrrry s-s-soo much ‘oy, m’fiinee.” Johnny says waving his good arm a bit in Roys face, ”See, all good.”

Roy smiles and pushes Johnnys arm back down to the table, “Yeah I can see that Junior.”

The door opens and two orderlies step in with a gurney, “We’re taking him up to a room now.” The taller one says before locking the wheels and then the two transfer Johnny onto the gurney.

Johnny’s quiet the way up and when they move him into a bed, squirming a little to get comfortable.

“Hey Roooy.”

“Yeah Johnny,” Roy says sitting down in the chair next to the bed.

“I’m tired.” Johnny clumsily flips his arm to be resting over his eyes. “I’m gonna take a nap now, ‘kay.”

“Alright Junior, you get some sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up.” Roy pats Johnnys shoulder before leaning back into the chair.

“Kay.”

Johnnys breath slows, his chest rising and falling less frequently, and Roy knows Johnny is asleep. Roy breaths out a sigh of relief laying his head back against the chair.

Johnny’s going to be fine, hopefully back in the squad soon, and Roy relaxes and quickly falls asleep. The exhaustion of the day and the relief taking over him making him forget all about the investigation and all the questions regarding what had happened.

[mrsspidermanmaryjanewatsonparker]

Sometime in the first few months of 2000, I dropped Stan Lee a line saying I’d love to do some work for Stan Lee Media, Stan’s well-publicized and multi-staffed dot-com company, if he could ever use me. He replied that, while he’d like to work with me again, I would’ve had to be around L.A. to work for SLM, but that, by coincidence, he really needed a writer to work with him on the SPIDER-MAN comic strip… to plot out and do the first-draft script of the seven-days-a-week King Features strip. I said that sounded fine to me (even though I’d never really been wild about writing Spidey compared to the F.F., Avengers, Conan, etc.). He replied with a chuckle that maybe I should wait till I heard his offer, because the money was so minuscule… just $300 a week. I laughed, and told him that he had no idea how little money it cost me to live on my 40-acre place in the middle of South Carolina. The mortgage and both our vehicles were paid off, so Dann and I had no expenses except what we spent month-to-month. So a deal was quickly struck, and I went to work, with my first strip (a Monday, of course) appearing on July 17, 2000.

As it turned out, although I never got a raise in 18 1/2 years I basically ghost-wrote the strip (though, until recent years, with his often hands-on editing), it was a great gig. I spent maybe two days a month writing four weeks’ worth of strips, and another day 2 or 3 times a year doing outlines for upcoming storylines.

After Stan cut back his activities a few years ago, following installation of his pacemaker, etc., I worked primarily with his longtime assistant, Michael Kelly, with some indirect verbal input from Stan, and in some ways I liked that even better, since Stan and I were only about 80% on the same page as to what made a good comic strip. Despite his well-known (and correct) views on how important the writing was to the success of Marvel Comics from 1961 on, he would often talk about how it was the artwork that sold the strip. I didn’t think that reflected the realities of the situation, particularly after John Romita left the strip a few years after it began, and as the printing of the strips grew smaller and smaller. Stan’s brother Larry Lieber was a good journeyman penciler (and Alex Saviuk considerably better), but the artists didn’t really have the scope, especially in the dailies, to do the kind of artwork that was going to excite readers the way, say, Milt Caniff once had in Terry and the Pirates. The sight of Spidey or Dr. Octopus in a strip might draw people in, but the writing had to bring people back, day after day, since Spidey and Peter and MJ and Doc Ock would always look basically the same, squeezed into small panels–with no “full-page spreads” like in the comicbooks. And yes, I wrote a bit more text and dialogue than he did… but that was partly because, otherwise, I wasn’t sure people could really follow the strip from day to day… or at least, no new readers would be brought in if it was hard to start reading the strip at any given point.

Mostly, though, Stan and I got along fine. For the most part, he liked what I submitted, accepted most (not all) of my ideas for stories… and until a few years ago often “suggested” (or insisted upon) alterations in them. For some years, he would rewrite a panel or balloon here and there, or even more… while other dailies or Sundays would sail through without a single word change.

The major change I tried to effect, after the first “Spider-Man” movie, was to go back to a time when MJ and Peter weren’t married. Stan agreed, and seemed halfway enthusiastic about the change at first, and we did one whole storyline (involving Electro) that way. But then Stan changed his mind, and I saw at once that I wouldn’t be able to change it back. So I wrote a “Dallas”-type scene in which Peter woke up (after going to sleep in Aunt May’s apartment as a single young man) to find himself married (again) to Mary Jane… and that’s the way we kept it from then on. Actually, I was increasingly happy with that, as an alternative to the bouncing around of the comicbooks, in which MJ and Peter totally forgot each other and their marriage, and who-knows-what occurred. Left increasingly to my own devices, and building on MJ’s modeling career in the comicbooks, I gradually took her from working in a computer store to becoming a Broadway star and movie actress, playing a super-heroine called “Marvella” (before the female Captain Marvel was a big deal, or maybe even was around at all)…but I kept her and Peter, somewhat incongruously, in their relatively small Manhattan apartment (except when they were in L.A., of course)… although they occasionally shopped around for something bigger.

In recent years, I had taken increasingly to using guest stars: Wolverine, Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow, Ant-Man, most recently Iron Fist and Luke Cage. We never bothered to try to follow the current Marvel continuity, which Stan didn’t want to do… the more so, I suppose, as from time to time it was given increasingly to violent wrenches and re-starts, such as when MJ and Peter were abruptly uncoupled. If there were eventually several Spider-Man universes in the comics (with different Spider-Men, a Spider-Girl, whatever), well, our comic strip universe was yet another one… just about the only one, in recent years, in which Peter and MJ were a married couple, continuing the original direction of decades of the comicbooks. We were all kind of proud of that.

When the strip died (i.e., was killed), the Mammon Theatre where MJ’s hit play was running was shuttered by damage (in a Spidey-related fight, of course), and “Marvella II” had flopped, so the two of them took off to Australia for a vacation, and I wrote a couple of weeks of a continuity (along with a full outline approved by Michael Kelly) involving the villain the Kangaroo. Then Marvel decided to kill the strip and not print the final couple of weeks, and I declined to rewrite the last published strip or two to turn it into a “goodbye” strip. My feeling was that I had accepted the snuffing of the strip, and didn’t take it personally… it was just a business move (although when I was told the strip was being killed I wasn’t told—perhaps because those who informed me didn’t know–that Marvel was planning to either revive the strip with a new team or to start a new strip that might not be a Spidey strip per se, but more the equivalent of DC’s latter-day successor to its Superman strip, The World’s Greatest Heroes, which had featured the whole panoply of DC heroes). I felt that I had written what I had written for the strip, and they were welcome to do whatever they wanted to with the script (as long as I was paid for what I had done, naturally), but I preferred never to touch it again. When I’m done with something, I’m done with something.

Alex Saviuk, bless him, graciously reworked the final strip to show the two of us in it, and to add a “‘Nuff Said!” headline on the Daily Bugle. He was perhaps a better sport about things than I was… and I admire him for that, since he had spent well over two decades penciling the Sunday Spider-Man and then had only recently been promoted to seven-days-a-week penciler… only to see the strip almost immediately canceled so that he was out of a regular gig. I hope he finds one. He deserves it.

Naturally, I was sorry to see the strip end (the more so because it signaled the finale of the only long-lasting adventure strip launched in the past half century), just at the time when I could finally have begun to receive on-strip credit for the work I did… although of course I did have that for two years on the Conan the Barbarian comic strip at the end of the 1970s. But at least, once Stan wrote vaguely, maybe a decade ago, in his introduction to the hardcover volume Marvel Visionaries: Roy Thomas, that I “help[ed]” him with the Spidey strip, everybody with half a brain knew what I was contributing to the strip anyway. That didn’t bother Stan, and it didn’t bother me. The strip was Stan’s, and I was happy to co-write or write it under his name… although I wouldn’t have been willing to go on writing it anonymously once he had passed on, had that alternative been suggested to me.

Working with Stan and Michael Kelly (as well as with Larry, Alex, and the ever-amiable Joe Sinnott–with Joe spelled occasionally by Jim Amash or Terry Austin) on the Spider-Man strip was an enjoyable experience, and I’m grateful to Stan for offering me that “pittance” back in 2000. The strip became the last of our many collaborations of one sort or other, which began when, in early July of 1965, I inherited a Modeling with Millie story that he had previously talked over (I suppose) with penciler Stan Goldberg.

Best wishes,

Roy Thomas

The LAST SPIDER-MAN Daily newspaper strip! It’s been a fabulous time for me being part of such an iconic character for so long. I’ve drawn Spider-Man in comics and newspapers for 32 years in a row and unless I get another crack at him NEXT year that run will come to an end. But I am digressing a bit; I’m here to talk about the newspaper strip which for me OFFICIALLY started in the spring of 1977 probably around April-May. I say OFFICIALLY because back in 1980 , John Romita, Sr. who was still drawing the entire strip at that time called me and asked if I had the time to ghost lay out some Sunday strips for him since he was incredibly busy with everything else he had on his plate for Marvel. John lived ( and still lives, I believe ) in the town next to mine on Long Island when I was there and I actually met him about 10 years earlier since I was in high school with his sons. ( that’s right, I went to high school with JR, Jr.— he IS four years younger than me to the day and when I was a senior he was a freshman and today looks 20 years younger than me!) I was in a club in school with the older son Victor who over time found out I was interested in drawing comics and came to me one day and said “… my father draws comics — would you like to meet him?” Of course I knew that but I would never impose. We met soon after that. What happened after that is another story!

BACK TO THE STRIP: I did at least 4 Sunday layouts for John on vellum tracing paper and he took it to the next level and beyond yet saving him a ton of time. I was really happy and excited just to be called to assist him , first of all, and then get the privilege and honor of working with one of my comic book artist “heroes”. IDW just recently published that volume of reprints and it was fun to see our collaborations again.

FORWARD to 1997: Ralph Macchio at Marvel calls me up and asks if I would be interested in penciling the Spider-Man Sunday strip since fill-in penciler old time artist Fred Kida wanted to leave. Of course I agreed — i would get to work directly with Stan Lee and Joe Sinnott! I put a package together of my Web Of Spider-Man and Spider-Man Adventures books and sent them to Stan. His assistant Mike Kelly called a few days later and said Stan liked the work but wanted to see how I would handle a “horizontal” strip in a six panel grid format. I admit I was a bit surprised by that request since with my 20 years of experience at that time I figured i showed what I can do in just the comic books. But I went ahead and penciled a six panel episode of an encounter with Spider-Man saving JJonah Jameson from a few muggers with the end panel having an ungrateful JJJ waving his fist at Spidey as he swung away from the scene. I sent that in and a few days days after returning home from running errands I found a message from Stan Lee on my answering machine. “ Hi, Alex… this is Stan Lee. I LOVE your work and I’d love to work with you. It doesn’t pay that much but think of the GLORY!” Actually the page rate was as much as I was making at the time so i couldn’t complain. No raise in 22 years ( but from what I understand things havent changed that much for mainstream freelancers even today. ) I got my first script a few days later and in May 1977 I penciled a Sunday in the middle of a Kingpin storyline which was inked by Joe Sinnott , lettered by Stan Sakai and was published in August 1977. Sundays were always drawn 3 months ahead of publication. What a rush to see those preview Xeroxes and then the colored version in the newspaper( which I had to hunt down ! There were no papers in Florida where I lived carrying the strip but the local Barnes & Noble sold out of town newspapers so I managed to find one that published the Sundays )

FORWARD to Feb 2003: Got a call asking me if I could ink a week of Dailies drawn by Larry Lieber because inker John Tartaglione needed to go to the hospital for a procedure. John ended up being OK after that week but I had a blast inking Larry’s pencils since I really never inked anybody else other my own pencils for my Web Of Spider-Man covers. Sadly that November , I got a call that John Tartaglione has passed away at 82 because he lost the fight with his particular illness. At the same time I was asked if I would be able to take over the inking of the Dailies. Affirmative….

FORWARD to July 2018: Larry Lieber wants to retire at 87 after 25+ years ( maybe 30+? ) and I inherit the penciling duties! Pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I thought the Stan Lee would live forever especially since a few years ago when he got his pacemaker he felt he was the next Tony Stark and felt stronger than ever. Unfortunately and sadly as we all know , that didnt happen and Marvel decided the strip shouldn’t go on without STAN LEE at the helm. But I am forever in Stan Lee’s debt for having me join him, Joe Sinnott, Roy Thomas and letterers Stan Sakai, Kenny Lopez, and Janice Chiang for all these years in bringing our friendly neighborhood Spider-Man to our readers each and every day for these months and years! It’s been a joy, an honor and privilege which I will never forget!

( I do want to add that since since the Sundays were done so far in advance there are TWO more Sundays that followed March 17 that we did together that are now considered to be officially UNPUBLISHED! )”

-Alex Saviuk

P.S. Putting aside how Roy got his timeline mixed up because the back int ime stuff happened in 2008 not 2002, and just so you heard it louder at the back, Stan Lee and Roy Thomas 100% didn’t care fro OMD and actively sought to keep the marriage in the comics.

[intoxicatedeuphoria]

Day 1: Chess (Royai Week 2017)

NECESSARY EVIL

She would be the queen who would make him king.

Roy Mustang fiddled with his silver pocket watch nervously. His lieutenant – no, it’s captain now – was late.

Fifteen minutes late to be exact.

Riza Hawkeye was never late…

…unless something happened to her.

The door opened with a creak, and the newly promoted brigadier general almost jumped out of his seat.

“I’m terribly sorry, sir,” the blonde woman began, entering the room with her beloved dog, “but Hayate’s leash broke on our way here, and since the pet supplies store was on the way, I decided to drop by before coming here. I apologize for not calling.”

Roy released a sigh of relief. “It’s alright, lieu – err, captain,” he fumbled awkwardly. “Sorry, I’m still not used to your new rank.”

“It’s the same for me, sir,” she admitted with a slightest hint of a smile.

He sat up straight and motioned for her to take a seat. “Well, let’s get to business then, shall we?”

She settled on the armchair across his, while Black Hayate laid down by her feet.

She inhaled deeply, as if preparing herself for the worst.

“Col—“ she shook her head, then tried again. “Brigadier General Mustang, may I have your permission to speak freely?” she requested weakly, so unlike her.

He nodded.

“Sir, I’m sorry, but…” Her right hand grabbed the arm of the chair tightly and continued. “I’m afraid I cannot watch your back anymore in the near future.”

Nothing could have prepared him for her declaration.

He froze in his seat, his breath caught in his throat.

For a minute or so, his mind went utterly blank.

“What are you talking about?” he demanded harshly. It was all he could say after recovering a part of his wit.

“Please don’t get me wrong,” she said steadily even when her hands shook as she placed them on her lap. “I’m not abandoning you, sir. I just found a better way to help you reach the top, that’s all.

Their eyes met, and hers were filled with equal parts of desperation and dread. He could only guess at how his looked like. He was a convoluted mess of emotions, and panic was slowly taking over his entire being.

“Do you trust me?” she asked, her voice so gentle that it calmed him down considerably, but not completely.

He kept his gaze on her as he replied. “With my life.”

Her eyes widened slightly at his confession, and he added as an afterthought, “…and everything in it.”

It took her a second longer to recover.  A sigh escaped her lips, then her explanation came afterwards. “Please believe me when I say I’m doing this for your – no, for our goal. Right now, I’m still working on the details, but I promise you, everything will be worth it.”

No, not everything. I can’t lose you. Roy screamed inside his head.

He tried to reign in his feelings, but he was failing miserably.

“What is this really about, Riza?” His voice was loud, but trembling.

Her eyes widened once again, but she regained herself in a blink of an eye.

Slowly, the corners of her mouth lifted as she countered carefully, “Which chess piece do you think is the strongest, sir?”

“Definitely the Queen,” he responded in a heartbeat with an intense gaze directed at her.

The direction of their conversation bewildered him, but he decided to indulge her. After all, Riza Hawkeye was a woman of purpose. There must be a point in all of this. There had to be or he would lose his mind from the confusion.

“…and when is she most powerful?” she resumed her questioning as she crossed her arms.

“When she’s moving across the board,” he stated mindlessly.

“Precisely.” A proud grin took over her countenance.

He raised an eyebrow. “What are you getting at?”

She ignored his question and started speaking instead, “The Queen is useless when she’s always next to the King. She, out of all the other pieces, has the greatest chance of leading the King towards victory.”

Roy tilted his head to the side. He already knew all of this, so why–

“One last question, sir,” she declared suddenly, effectively interrupting his musing. “Who is more powerful than the Queen?”

He scratched his chin before he voiced out, “Isn’t it the King?”

“Don’t you think he’s the weakest one of them all, sir? After all, he’s the main target, but can only move one square at a time.” She reasoned out evenly.

He let out a displeased grunt.

Riza chuckled softly at his undisguised dismay. She knew how much he adored the chess metaphor, and here she was, insulting the King who was supposed to be him.

“Fine,” he acquiesced, letting her have her fun. “Then pray tell, my fair lady, who is more powerful than the Queen in the game of chess?”

She regained her composure, then captured his gaze once more.

“The person who moves the pieces across the board.”

Her answer floored him, and all of a sudden, everything fell into place in his mind.

Riza watched as his eyes lit up in comprehension. He might not know what the actual plan was, but at least he had some idea who the players involved might be.

In about two years’ time, Führer Grumman, her maternal grandfather, would set the stage for her, and she planned to take the country by storm as the First Granddaughter. If everything went according to their plan, she would become the de facto First Lady of Amestris since she was the one – and only, he assured her – woman in the führer’s life.

By doing so, Riza believed that she could pave the way to the top for him.

It was a brilliant idea, really. She came up with it after reflecting on the events that led to the Promised Day.

It was her conversation with King Bradley, in particular, that prompted her to come up with this plan. She knew that the homunculi got away with what they had done for centuries because they were good at manipulating the perception of humans – of the masses, in the case of Wrath. They eventually stopped the homunculi’s plot and brought down the Bradley regime, but the system – as well as the institutions associated with it –  that Father and his homunculi had established remained.

And then one day, Riza realized that the only way to beat it was to join it.

It was high time they started playing politics.

In the end, politics was simply another game involving cunning moves and great sacrifices.

She finally understood why her grandfather insisted on playing chess with Roy. He was preparing his favorite protégé for what was in store for him the closer he got to the top.

This time around, she refused to become a passive piece.

She would lead him to victory and would do so in a way only she could.

She would be the Queen who would make him the King.

HAPPY ROYAI WEEK~!!

Soo... it’s a little rough around the edges since I was cramming so much a bit. It’s supposed to be the prologue for a multichapter fic entitled Playing Politics, which I was planning to work on maybe never eventually. I’m still deliberating whether to write the rest of it because I would have to ignore Roy and Riza’s epilogue photo (where he’s a general without the ‘stache please and she has short hair) for this story to make sense. Going against canon breaks my heart, but the canon is breaking my heart, too!! T__T

[jbuffyangel]

Tether: Arrow 5x16 Review (Checkmate)

I had two wishes for tonight's episode.  First, that Oliver and Snoozan break up because, as you all know, I'm super done with her.  Second, that Prometheus not suck because, as you all know, I've been super unimpressed so far. @fanmommer​ can confirm these wishes.

Alright, so I didn't get wish #1 (just a matter of time kids), but Oliver delivered fantastic Snoozan shade,  so I am satisfied. Wish #2 came true however.  The Big Bad does not suck. He's awesome. 

That and a subtle, but meaningful Olicity scene means I am one happy camper.

Let's dig in...

Prometheus and Oliver Queen

I have made no secret over my concerns with Arrow's Season 5 Big Bad (re: 5x09 review). Prometheus has failed to impress. He felt like a caricature rather than a real menace. I haven't been invested in any of the big bad he's committed against Oliver and crew (Sorry Billy). 

The season long mystery of "Who is Prometheus?" concluded like a deflating balloon (re: 5x15 review). 

We can debate whether Arrow's main focus is romance and Olicity, but the Big Bad is not debatable. The Big Bad is a main focus and, more often than not, is the linchpin. A season can live or die by their villain and Arrow's Season 5 was dying a hard and fast death with Prometheus. We were getting The Initiative when we needed Angelus. I was very worried. Until tonight.

In my 5x15 review I highlighted a potential silver lining with unmasking Prometheus.

“It leaves me to wonder, perhaps the Prometheus reveal isn’t the pay off. Maybe his identity isn’t the big surprise. Perhaps, there’s still another shoe waiting to drop. The pay off may not be in who Prometheus is, but rather in what he does.”

I still maintain 16 episodes is too far into the season to really start cooking on the Big Bad, 

but at this point my elation over Josh Seggara's performance eclipses my annoyance. Prometheus' mask created a wall between him and the audience. I haven't been able to connect to Prometheus the same way I connected to Malcolm, Slade, Ra's Al Ghul and Damien Darhk. Well, the gloves, or rather mask , is off and Josh Seggara brought it tonight.

Adrian Chase be crazy.

But it's not campy crazy, which is an extremely good thing. To take the villain seriously, we need to feel like they are a real threat. Too much camp and they become a joke. 

What's wonderful about Josh's performance is he walks the precarious line between complete control versus utter lunacy. It creates what I like to call "the switch effect." At any moment, Adrian Chase can flip the switch and go full out One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, much like he did towards the end of the episode.

However, the remainder of the time Chase is in complete control. He is every bit the chess champion, coolly and calmly putting Oliver Queen in checkmate. Yet, like any good chess player, Chase revels in the knowledge his opponent is finished 10 moves before Oliver comes to the same conclusion. It creates an edge-of-your-seat feel, which is just... fun. It's nice to feel suspense again on Arrow.

***That's the end of the chess analogies because I don't play chess and Nick isn't home for me to scream questions at so I can make quippy comparisons in my review.

Arrow lowers the boom with a climb up a mountain.  

Ugh... mountains. My heart's scar tissue is still fresh from Oliver's last scamper up to high altitude, so if it's all the same pumpkin let's exit the way you came - on foot, without a sword in your chest. Cool? Cool. 

Oliver is paying a visit to Talia because he wants to know why Prometheus is the new teacher's pet.  In the twist everyone except Oliver saw coming, the two have a great deal in common.

Oliver killed Adrian's father and Talia's.

As burns go that is a pretty savage one. Slay girl slay.

Yeah, Oliver. Talia is Talia Al Ghul. LAST NAMES ARE A THING. It never occured to you to ask the mysterious woman, who seems to know everything about you, her last name? Lord, boy it's amazing you've survived this long. It reminds me of a line from You've Got Mail.

"Joe"? "Just call me Joe"? As if you were one of those stupid 22-year old girls with no last name? "Hi, I'm Kimberly!" "Hi, I'm Janice!" Don't they know you're supposed to have a last name? It's like they're an entire generation of cocktail waitresses." - Kathleen Kelly

Talia is not a cocktail waitress Oliver.  She's a super ninja. Next time, get a last name.

I think I read one too many awesome specs about Talia Al Ghul working with Prometheus, so this "shocker" was more "Sure, makes sense" for me. I am getting serious Dark Knight Rises feels from this particular storyline though.

Prometheus  = Bane

Talia = Talia (Subtle is never Arrow's thing. We know this.)

It's fine, certainly not the first time Arrow has "borrowed" from Batman. Good news is Bane seriously sucked. I couldn’t understand a damn word he said, so there's ample room for improvement too. Have at it Arrow.

Thankfully, Prometheus isn't just the muscle like Bane was. His endgame is more diabolical. The cat and mouse game Adrian and Oliver engage in during "Checkmate" is the most fun I've had in a long time on Arrow because we're in on the game. We know what Adrian and Oliver know. We know he's Prometheus. We know he has Oliver over a barrel. Oliver can't come after Chase as Mayor, because Adrian is the District Attorney. He's a trusted public figure like Oliver is. Oliver needs proof or nobody will believe the DA is the Throwing Star Killer. In a way, Chase has adopted Oliver's game, but he's better at playing it.

Felicity makes a deal with the devil (Helix) and gets Oliver the evidence he needs to expose the Adrian Chase alias (his real name is Simon Morrison). But Chase stabs the police captain before he has a chance to investigate the lead. Once again, Oliver Queen is between a rock and a hard place.

Nor can Oliver come after Prometheus as the Green Arrow. Prometheus has Susan, so the Green Arrow can't kill him. Is Chase dies, then Susan dies. Nobody actually cares Prometheus has Susan, but that's just details. #TeamPrommy

Luckily for me, Adrian is a details man! It's almost like he sensed my indifference to the predicament. I cannot possibly imagine how. I'm so quiet about it. 

So, Prometheus brings the Green Arrow down another way. Adrian makes it look like the Green Arrow went after the District Attorney's wife. Mayor Queen has to issue a "shoot on sight" order in a televised press conference. Wherever Roy Harper is he's gotta be pissed. He didn't give Thea up for this shit.

I love it. 

Don't get me wrong, this is bad... poor Oliver, but from an audience perspective? FUN.  The layers in the scenes between Oliver and Chase are like a triffle. Each one better than the next.

Adrian spends the first half of the episode taunting Oliver and his team. 

A+ shade. Extra points for calling Rene "dog."

However, it's the confrontation in Pike's hospital room where we get into the psychology of Prometheus.

Adrian: Life’s just so fragile, isn’t it? Decades of hopes and dreams, and in one moment, one little mistake, and it all just goes away.

It's another taunt at Oliver. He gave Pike the USB drive with Felicity's evidence. Prometheus is telling Oliver it's his mistake that put Pike in a hospital bed. Once again, Oliver destroys a life.

However, this particular dialogue goes deeper than just a taunt. I believe Adrian is also speaking about his father. Remember, Oliver is the villain of Simon Morrison's story. The Hood killed his father. In Simon's mind, his father made one mistake and paid with his life. Decades of hopes and dreams, his father's and Simon's, gone in an instant. Yet, Oliver Queen has the nerve to stand in front of him and call it justice.

Simon wants Oliver to feel his pain the way Slade needed Oliver to feel pain. Unlike Slade, Simon isn't interested in revenge. This game isn't about killing Oliver, which can make Prometheus even more diabolical than Slade.

In a lot of ways the Green Arrow has been in search of his Joker. The Joker never wants to kill Batman. He just wants the game to go on. 

Adrian has a slightly tighter grasp on his sanity than that, not by much, but his endgame seems somewhat similar to the Joker's. This isn't about death. This is about destruction. This makes Prometheus different than Merlyn, Damien, Ra's Ahl Ghul, and yes, even Slade. Slade wanted to take the person Oliver loved the most, but he had every intention of killing Oliver after his revenge. I think Prometheus' game goes deeper than that.  This is about more than revenge. Prometheus doesn't want to kill Oliver because death would be a release from torment.

The fires of hell never consume. They just go on burning. There is no end to the misery. No end to the pain. Prometheus doesn't want to end Oliver's life. He knows his opponent well. He knows Oliver doesn't fear death. What Prometheus wants is to send Oliver to hell. So what's a hell Oliver can never escape from? 

One of his making.

So, this war instantly becomes more psychological than physical. 

Mom is a low blow Adrian. Chase names off all the names of those Oliver has lost - his mother, Shado, Laurel. Deaths we know Oliver blames himself for. Deaths Oliver believes he caused. 

"Let’s find out how much more loss you can take because I don’t think it’s much.”

Obviously, Snoozan isn't the loss that leads to Oliver's destruction. 

Prometheus, like the Joker, is a showman. Snoozan is just the opening act. She's the tease to get Oliver in the game. She's also the bait, so Prometheus and Talia can kidnap Oliver.  

She's a mere domino among hundreds of dominoes. Nothing more and nothing less. Prometheus is saving that important "one loss" until the final act.

Is this just a redo of the "person you love the most?" Perhaps, but I don't think Prometheus is driving Oliver towards a choice. He's driving Oliver towards a truth. A truth about who he is. About the kind of man he is.

Adrian: Do you have any idea how impotent you sound?

Impotent. It’s an interesting choice of words. It means helpless, powerless and unable to take action.  There’s also a sexual definition -  a man’s inability to achieve an erection. Adrian could have called Oliver helpless or powerless, as many great villains have done in so many stories, and then manically laugh. Instead, Adrian chooses a word with sexual connotations because he's calling Oliver's manhood into question. Who is Oliver Queen? What kind of man is he? To Prometheus, not much of one, but the goal is for Oliver to believe that.

Slade: You are not a hero or a brother or a friend. You are nothing.

In Season 2, Episode 9, Oliver saw three ghosts and one of them was Slade. Slade told him this charade wasn't about atoning for his father's sins. Oliver is atoning for his own sins. Slade was just a hallucination. He was Oliver's darkest fears psychologically manifested in the form of a ghost. Slade was saying what Oliver believed.

Prometheus is the opposite. He's no ghost. He's flesh and blood. He's the physical manifestation of Oliver's darkness the way Slade was a psychological manifestation in 2x09. The creation of these two foes represent the schism in Oliver Queen. Oliver Queen chose Sara, condemning Shado, thereby setting Slade on his path for revenge. 

Prometheus is created from The Hood's killing. The Hood killed Justin Claybourne, thereby setting Prometheus on his path for destruction.

But what is the hood to Oliver? 

The hood is the darkness the five years away from home created. Talia gave Oliver the hood as an outlet for the monster inside. Oliver believes if he can use this darkness as a force of good then it won't consume him.

Although... secretly I wonder if that too is a lie Oliver tells himself. I think Oliver's biggest fear isn't of what the five years away created. I think he's afraid of what those five years away revealed. I think Oliver is afraid this darkness was always inside of him, even before the Island, but that's another point  for another time.

Oliver thought if he could separate himself from the darkness, give it a name, something tangible outside of his every day persona, then he could live with it. Yet, he continues to operate in the schism. As Anatoly, shockingly of all people, rightly points out-  there is no separation from the darkness. If it's in you, then it's in you. Oliver has GOT to deal with that. Every season, he fails to fully grasp the full picture, which is why a villain like Prometheus is so necessary.

Oliver could put on the hood and fight Malcolm, Slade, Ra's and Damien. He could continue to disassociate himself from the darkness inside via this other persona. However, Oliver can't do that with Prometheus because he is a villain created from the hood. There is no dissociation. It's like staring into a mirror every time the Green Arrow faces him.  

We can see this in the way Prometheus and the Green Arrow fight. They are evenly matched. We can barely distinguish one man from the other. It's almost like Oliver is fighting a reflection.

We've seen Oliver fight his reflection before. In Season 3. That time The Arrow fought Oliver Queen. 

Then, we watched Oliver lose himself inside the hood. 

He thought the only way to save the city was to become the mask entirely, and leave the man by the wayside. 

By the end of the season, he left the mask behind and embraced only the man. 

In Season 4, Oliver realized just being Oliver Queen was an incomplete picture as well (with some serious nudging from Felicity). 

Yet, he was unable to balance both sides.

And around and around and around we go.

Oliver begins to question things again we thought he already found the answer to. 

He challenges Diggle on the growth both men have fought for. Oliver fears all the trust, optimism and love he's opened himself up to has left him vulnerable. Instead of building a family, and a life, he's simply set up targets for his enemies to take down one by one. Targets. I remember a time when Oliver used that same word. 

See? This is what happens when you are separated from Felicity for too long Oliver.  We backslide into this nonsense again.

With Susan in danger, Oliver wonders aloud if he gave up the right to be with anyone when he put on the hood. Great. Didn’t we beat this topic to death enough in Season 3?

Diggle very clearly tells Oliver his connections are not targets. They are his humanity. 

We all have darkness inside, so what makes us human? Empathy, compassion, trust, forgiveness and love. These are the tethers that separate the light from the dark. No one can survive alone. At some point, at some time, we all need someone. We all need to love and be loved in return.

The five years Oliver was away he continually lost his tethers. Every time he tried to hold onto someone he lost them. When he lost a tether, Oliver didn't reach for a new one. Oliver cut himself off. Slowly, we are seeing the emergence of The Machine in the flashbacks.

Who would Oliver Queen be without John Diggle? 

Who would Oliver Queen be without Felicity Smoak? 

What separates Prometheus and the Green Arrow? 

The reason Simon Morrison is so angry with The Hood is because The Hood took his tether. Justin Claybourne may have been a bad man, but he was loved by someone. Simon loved his father. Talia Al Ghul loved her father. Just like Oliver Queen loved his.

Prometheus believes he's driving Oliver towards a truth.  This truth will consume Oliver like hell fire. It will never stop burning. It's what Prometheus wants more than anything else... even more than his own wife. When Diggle brings Doris to Adrian, we see the control break. For the first time, we see how deep the crazy crevice goes. We saw it coming. We knew Adrian was going to kill his wife. Yet, it's the act itself, the moment when he drives the dagger into her chest, that you realize this is a man who willingly cuts the tethers from his life, so he's free to be a monster.

I think whatever "truth" Prometheus is driving Oliver towards, is one Oliver has secretly feared for years.  We've seen this fear manifested in different ways and by different villains, but it all comes back to this one singular idea: Oliver fears the mask isn't The Green Arrow or The Arrow or The Hood. He's afraid the mask is Oliver Queen.

Adrian: If you kill me you’ll only really be killing yourself.

Every once and awhile, Arrow delivers an exceptional line. This line has so much meaning and encapsulates the final arc Oliver is evolving along. On the surface, Prometheus is speaking about Susan. If Oliver kills Prometheus, then Susan dies, and Oliver is destroyed. Susan will be one loss too many.

Give me a break. Prometheus knows Oliver Queen. He knows Susan's death isn't the key. Even Oliver can't rank Susan above Diggle, Felicity and William.

 "Checkmate" is an episode filled with double meaning dialogue, so what is Arrow really saying when Prometheus issues Oliver this warning?

If Prometheus is created from killing, then I don't believe the solution is for Oliver to kill Simon Morrison. Prometheus represents Oliver’s darkness. By killing Prometheus, Oliver will only be killing himself and this isn't about eradicating one side. This is about acceptance. The mask doesn’t have to be a manifestation of Oliver’s darkness. The mask can be the manifestation of Oliver’s goodness and light. But that only happens when Oliver stops fearing Oliver Queen. The only way to stop fearing Oliver Queen is to face the darkness. 

Yoda knows wassup.

But Oliver needs the strength to do it. 

The only way balance both sides, Oliver Queen and The Green Arrow, the only way to balance the light and the dark, is the tethers that hold him even and steady to the ground. It's these tethers that bridge the schism. It's these tethers that are Oliver's strength... and that's the difference between a villain and a superhero. A villain cannot even grasp the concept, 

while a superhero becomes the embodiment of it.

Olicity

Some may argue romance isn't part of superhero stories. I argue it's one of the most fundamental aspects of the genre. First, heroism is an act of love. It is unconditional, selfless, inspiring love. Second, a hero's journey requires belief. We have to believe in the hero for the story to have value.  Therefore, we have to understand who this person is. There is no better way to understand who someone is than to witness how they love. It's why in almost any iteration of the hero's journey there is a great love. The heart of the hero is revealed, so we can believe in the hero.

Oliver Queen loves Felicity Smoak. She is Oliver’s great love. Felicity Smoak loves Oliver Queen. He is Felicity’s great love. I believe this is a core tenet of the show. Arrow is always their most truthful, their most authentic, when they are keeping this tenet. These two heroes are their best selves when they are loving each other. They challenge and inspire one another, and in return, challenge and inspire us.

It's difficult to accept any other love interest because it flies in the face of this central tenet. Inevitably, other love interests are meant to reinforce Olicity. Some better than others. I think on some basic level Arrow knows this.  When the Arrow writers aren't invested in a character it's reflected in the writing. When we look at characters like Laurel, Whatshername, Billy and Snoozan, it's clear the writers aren't invested n them. The effort simply isn't there. It's almost impossible to ask your audience to exert more effort and investment in characters than the writers have. So, my level of investment in Snoozan is at the same level as the writers - which is next to nothing. I accept her as filler and rather enjoy snarking away at her any chance I get. Snark is its own form of entertainment.

What is so enjoyable about the Olicity scene in "Checkmate" is the return to a level of authenticity. I certainly appreciate the optimism Oliver had while attempting to find love again after Felicity. It showed growth and that's always a hard fought battle with Oliver Queen. However, these steps Oliver made don't move him any further from the truth, which is he loves Felicity. He loved her before Snoozan, he loved her while dating Snoozan, and he will love her after Snoozan. Yes, Oliver may care for Snoozan, but he will never care about her as much as he does for Felicity. Arrow acknowledges this singular truth in the scene between Oliver and Felicity and, for the first time in weeks, I can recognize Oliver again.

Felicity is MIA during the Snoozan kidnapping because she's getting the tour of Helix. After a dozen emergency texts from Curtis, she arrives in the bunker.

Oliver has said this twice and neither time has led to sex. So, I expect that to be remedied in Season 6.

Felicity is certain Oliver is angry. She is certain Oliver is going to yell, but he doesn't. Instead, Oliver calmly states she doesn't work for him. Oliver doesn't view Felicity as employee. He hasn't for years. 

Felicity his partner.  Oliver needs her. He depends on her. He misses Felicity when she's gone.  The team is less without her, and so is he, but Oliver fully recognizes Felicity is part of Team Arrow by choice. It's her decision to stand by him, but only she can determine what that looks like. It's a small, but gentle moment and a striking contrast to the jealous temper tantrum we saw only few years ago. There's a maturity in Oliver's response and an acknowledgment of Felicity's free will. THY NAME IS CHARACTER GROWTH.

Instead, Oliver tells Felicity he's worried. Oliver hasn't been oblivious to what's been going on with Felicity. Nor is this the first time he's tried to address it. It is, however, the first time he's tried to address it this way.

Felicity immediately assumes he's talking about Snoozan, because... why wouldn't he be? Snoozan is his girlfriend and she's been kidnapped. When Felicity addresses Oliver's worry as Snoozan, he casually brushes said girlfriend aside. Kidnapped girlfriend isn't on his radar, but it's true love!

Of course, Oliver wants to get Snoozan back. Of course, he's concerned about her safety, but the more pressing concern for him in this moment is what's going on with Felicity. Felicity is what he needs to talk about. Snoozan's life may be hanging in the balance, but it's Felicity who can't wait. Not anymore. He's already waited too long as it is.

Oliver gives a slight headshake like it's unfathomable that he could be talking about Susan right now. This is the Oliver I know. This is the real Oliver. This is the man who can only see Felicity. The man who's future is focused on her. The man who puts Felicity first. This is the hero I know. This is the hero I believe in.

Oliver firmly explains he's worried about her and a soft "oh" escapes from Felicity's mouth. 

It is both heartbreaking and overwhelming. It's a crack in the tough facade she's built up since Billy's death... since Havenrock... since her paralysis... since her father... since Oliver's lie...

Diggle tried talking to Felicity. Curtis tried talking to Felicity and yes, Oliver has tried talking to Felicity. Nothing has quite hit the mark like, "I'm worried about you." She's touched Oliver is worried. Felicity is touched Oliver thinks about her... still.

The heartbreaking part is she sounds a little surprised. Felicity is surprised Oliver still thinks about her. She's a little surprised he worries about her because it feels like all evidence to the contrary. They both agreed to move on. While her attempt to move on is six feet under, Oliver's is alive and well. At least for now. There was a time Felicity Smoak knew she was Oliver's first thought and priority, but now she actually believes Susan comes first. As inauthentic as his relationship with Susan is, Felicity buys it. Even though we closed the distance a little we still have a ways to go.

"I'm worried about you."

There's an intimacy to those words. Four words and the distance between them is closed a little more. It's not a casual statement, but it's not a lecture either. It's Oliver reaching out with an open hand, asking Felicity to reach back.

Instead of talking around it by saying she's better than him, instead of quizzical little looks, but no words, Oliver lays it out for Felicity. He knows something is going on with her. He knows she's into something she's not telling him. He knows.

Oliver finally stops dancing around it, but also acknowledges he might be the only one out of the loop. It couldn't have been easy for Oliver to acknowledge he might be the only one Felicity isn't telling. Since, he can recognize the possibility then I believe Oliver can also understand why that may be. The why is something he's earned. Oliver wasn't honest with Felicity.  He broke the trust first. This distance between them is one he created.

It's why his remark about honesty is so pointed. Oliver and Felicity are emotional wreckage from the crash that was William. It was a lie so big it broke them and they couldn't see their way back together (not yet). Oliver understands the cost of lies perhaps better than anyone else. He lost the person he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. The price for lying to Felicity is too high, which is why Oliver promised to never lie to her again.

Except... Felicity didn't make the same promise to Oliver. She didn't promise to never lie. Felicity may not view Helix as a lie, but rather an omission. Oliver played the game last year with William too. William was a lie of omission. Same difference from my standpoint. A lie is lie.  The point is, the wreckage from a lie, no matter the reason and no matter who does the lying, will always been the same between them. The cost will always be too high.

Granted, the situations are not apples to apples. Oliver and Felicity are not engaged. They aren't even together. 

As Felicity explained to Curtis, she's a grown woman who can live her life how she wants. 

Whether Felicity owes Oliver the truth about Helix the way he owed her the truth about William is debatable. However, their lives are not completely independent. They are still crime fighting partners and this arrangement with Helix impacts the team. So, in that sense, yes Felicity does owe Oliver the truth.

But there's something more basic here that Oliver is driving at with "I'm worried about you." What happens to Felicity impacts him. Whether they are together or not, engaged or not, married or not... Oliver cares about Felicity. He worries about her. HE LOVES HER. Oliver not only wants to know... he needs to know. That's what love is. This tether between them can never be severed. If the distance between them, that makes working together bearable , means he can't know then Oliver wants no part of that. It's enough to push him towards Felicity. It's enough for Oliver to make the attempt to bridge the gap.

Oliver may be reaching for Felicity, but she's not ready to reach back. Not yet... and that's okay. This road Felicity is on is one she has to travel alone for awhile. She needs to spiral deeper. Is Felicity being a hypocrite? I don't think it makes her a hypocrite to withhold trust and truth from Oliver when he refused to give those things to her first.  There's only so many times Felicity can give and not receive. This is what the wreckage of a big lie looks like. Putting the pieces together isn't always clean. Walking in each other's shoes isn't always a gentle path.

But they are walking in each other's shoes. Oliver is feeling what it's like to be shut out,  lied to, and isolated from the person you love most in the world. Felicity isn't ready to tell Oliver the truth, and for the first time, he knows what it feels like not to be completely trusted by her. Whatever her reasons are, refusing to tell Oliver the truth is an issue of trust. Just like William was an issue of trust. Felicity doesn't believe Oliver will understand about Helix. The same way Oliver didn't believe Felicity would understand about William.

As for Felicity, she's able to rationalize this lie the same way Oliver was able to rationalize William. Oliver thought he was serving the greater good - ensuring a relationship with his son and keeping him safe (yeah that reason still makes me want to pull my hair out.) Felicity's deeper spiral into Helix isn't born out of revenge, but compassion. She thinks she's serving the greater good. Felicity agrees to quid pro quo to save her ex fiancé's soon to be ex girlfriend. ACTUAL ANGEL. Felicity's empathy is her real superpower. Her good heart leads her into deeper water with Helix.

And it will lead her in deeper still. Now that Prometheus has Oliver, Felicity will go to the ends of the earth for him. There is no hell she won't walk through to save the man she loves. 

Felicity isn’t being played by Helix. She’s simply not asking the question, because she doesn’t want to know the answer. Felicity will rationalize the ends justify the means, just like Oliver did with William. She is ignoring the potential looming consequences because she believes Helix is necessary. Just like Oliver believed lying about William was necessary, while ignoring the looming consequences. This doesn’t excuse Oliver’s behavior anymore than it does Felicity’s, but rather gives Felicity a bettering understand of Oliver’s choices. Understanding doesn't excuse behavior, but it can lead to empathy, which opens the door to forgiveness.

Something, extraordinatory happens at the end of their conversation. Felicity asks Oliver to trust her... and he says okay. Oliver gives trust when he’s not receiving any back. Oliver is the one who bends. Their roles are so beautifully reversed.

Trust is all she ever asked of him. 

And bit by bit, Oliver is understanding the reality of what that word really means.

When Oliver rescues Susan it's such a stark difference from the times he's rescued Felicity. It’s Chanel versus Walmart in any circumstance when comparing Felicity and Snoozan 

When Oliver rescued Felicity he couldn't leave her side. 

Oliver needed to hold Felicity, 

to feel her breath against his skin, 

and know for certain she was alive. 

That's what love is. It's the need to hold on and never let go. 

After the obligatory, "Are you okay?" Oliver barely glances at Susan. 

Refrigerators have opened their arms to me with warmer greetings than Oliver gave Snoozan in that elevator.  Finally, it felt like an honest reaction to Susan from Oliver. I cackled. Glorious.

There is no reason for Oliver to be so cold and aloof. Susan knows he's the Green Arrow.  Perhaps, Oliver is already shutting down and pushing away those "targets" he'd opened his heart to. That's the thing though...  you can't shut down love. You can't push it away.

You always come back.

The connection is always there 

because you need it.

It's the air you breathe. 

It gives you peace.

It challenges you to be better.

It makes you dream.

It gives you strength.

It helps you hold on in moments of despair.

It’s the light in the dark.

It's what makes you human.  

Oliver can let Snoozan go because he can’t hold on to what was never there. It’s Felicity. She’s the one Oliver can’t let go of. Felicity is the tether Oliver can't cut loose.

Times by Tenth Avenue North

I hear You say, My love is over It's underneath It's inside It's in between The times you doubt Me, when you can't feel The times that you question, Is this for real? The times you're broken The times that you mend The times that you hate Me, and the times that you bend Well, My love is over, it's underneath It's inside, it's in between These times you're healing, and when your heart breaks The times that you feel like you're falling from grace The times you're hurting The times that you heal The times you go hungry, and are tempted to steal The times of confusion, in chaos and pain I'm there in your sorrow, under the weight of your shame I'm there through your heartache I'm there in the storm My love I will keep you, by My pow'r alone I don't care where you fall, where you have been I'll never forsake you, My love never ends It never ends

Stray Thoughts

Nobody told me we were calling her Snoozan. Ya gotta tell me this stuff guys. I could have been snarky about her name for weeks now. 

 “I don’t know what I was thinking dating Susan.” We’ve only been screaming that at you Oliver for 10 episodes, but happy to have you on board.

Anatoly must be protected at all costs.

Seriously. All costs.

Dinah calling Rene "Lassie" wins everything.

Were we supposed to take a shot every time Quentin said, “Son of a bitch”?

“Susan’s fine by the way.” Ha! Even Chase knows Oliver really doesn't give a crap about Snoozan.

Oliver fears he destroys lives, so he destroys stuff. A little subtly wouldn’t kill you Arrow. Let’s try new things! Btw, that looked like a really nice TV Oliver. Calm down bro.

Curtis' T-spheres are more helpful than Mr. Terrific. So, can we just send the T-spheres with Dinah and Curtis can stay in the bunker? Or better yet go back to Palmer Tech?

This is how not chill Arrow is about Olicity’s endgame. The writers can’t stop themselves from inserting Felicity into flashbacks because ENDGAME and CONTINUITY and DESTINY and all those other words that are like crack to a writer. They want Oliver’s flashback journey to be leading to Felicity like his present day journey. (Sorry L*urel. Cue awkwardness). This was the plan with L*urel but then she was awful and Felicity was AMAZING, so TA DA. They’d like us to pretend that Olicity was the Plan A couple all along (L*uriver was just a bad dream) and that’s fine by me! Continue lack of chill.

Oliver is tied up in chains and shirtless next week. This is "Back to Basics" I can support.

I wonder if Prometheus needs someone to throw water on Oliver.

[daresplaining]

What are your thoughts on Evil!Matt Murdock from the Spider-Gwen universe? He's obviously very different from the Matts of other universes, but what might he have in common with them? Do you think he'll end up with a redemption arc, or will he stay a villain? Sorry that most of this is so vague, but I'm just REALLY into alternate versions of characters.

    We’re loving evil Matt. He’s so gleefully malevolent! It’s great fun to see a version of this character who has the life he wants and is enjoying every minute of it.

    (Gosh, look at him…)

    As you know (and in case anyone doesn’t), there are many, many Matt Murdock-inhabited alternate universes (both Marvel and DC are big on alternate universes), and someday we should do a comprehensive post about all of them, because there’s great variety. There is (to name a few) a Matt without superpowers, a Matt who is an agent of SHIELD, a Matt who is a demonic chef, several zombie Matts, Matts from a range of time periods and social backgrounds, a whole bunch of tragically deceased Matts, and even a Matt who is a mouse.

Mouse Murdock: “Stay back, Fisk, or you’re going to have a long, bad day.”

[Howard the Human #1 by Scottie Young, Jim Mahfood, and Justin Stewart]

    Thanks to this range of interpretations, which play with and subvert almost every aspect of Matt’s character, there are actually very few consistent cross-universe qualities that tie them together. He’s usually blind, and tends to possess that strength/stubbornness of spirit that is such a staple of the DD narrative. But beyond that, they’re all over the place.

    The variant we think bears the closest resemblance to Spider-Gwen’s Matt is from the What If? Daredevil VS Elektra one-shot by Karl Bollers. In this universe it is young Matt, rather than Elektra’s father, who is killed during the hostage situation at Columbia University. The Hand, who are aware of Matt’s abilities and training, steal his body and resurrect him to fight for them. Taking on the moniker “The Advocate” (because of course he does), he performs the Hand’s dirty work for years until crossing paths once more with Elektra– now a SHIELD agent– who must put aside the knowledge of who he once was in order to take him down.

Elektra: “I’m here to stop you.”

Matt: “From doing what? Bringing order to chaos? Imagine these widowmakers without my guidance. You’re still holding onto the ideals of youth. Your father raised you in a sheltered, protected bubble allowing you limited contact with the rest of the world. Clouded your thoughts with fairy tale notions of ‘good’ and ‘evil’.”

[What If? Daredevil VS Elektra by Karl Bollers, Rafael Kayanan, and Lovern Kindzierski]

    It’s a straightforward (albeit quite nuanced) Elektra/Matt role reversal, and given the core concept of Earth-65– in which a tragically dead past love switches places with her superhero counterpart– we were originally expecting Spider-Gwen Matt’s situation to be similar. 

    We learn, via his character page at the end of Spider-Gwen vol. 2 #3, that Earth-65 Matt has the same basic origin story as his 616 counterpart, though he isn’t trained by Stick until after Jack’s death. An unspecified amount of time later, the Hand kill Stick and adopt Matt, finishing his training and inducting him into their ranks. By the time we first meet him in Edge of Spider-Verse #2 he has become the leader of the western branch of the Hand, and has used his power and influence to take over Wilson Fisk’s criminal dealings while he’s in prison. As in Daredevil VS Elektra, here we have a Hand-trained, Hand-allied Matt who operates as an assassin.

[Spider-Gwen vol. 1 #5 by Jason Latour, Robbi Rodriguez, and Rico Renzi]

    However, there’s clearly a power difference between these two universes. “Advocate” Matt, while technically the leader of the Hand, was brainwashed by his resurrection and operates as a tool to do the Hand’s bidding– while Earth-65 Matt is calling the shots, living a full life, and shows no signs of brainwashing whatsoever. There’s no crisis of conscience and, beyond his affiliation with Fisk, no hint of anyone pulling his strings behind the scenes. He acts solely for his own benefit, offering aid when it best suits him and daring others to compromise their morals by accepting it. He’s a proud ninja/assassin/mob boss/sleazy lawyer, and he doesn’t care who knows it.

Matt: “’Kingpin’?! Moi?! Captain, I’m just a blind servant of justice. Why, I can’t even dress myself.”

[Spider-Gwen vol. 2 #5 by Jason Latour, Chris Visions, and Rico Renzi]

    The obvious question is, then, how did he end up this way? What is the X factor on Earth-65 that turned its Matt willingly villainous? To start, he’s one of those characters whose past has always contained the potential for a super villain origin. There’s even a famous Frank Miller quote about it. Were it not for his optimism and strength of spirit, and his devotion to law and justice, Matt very well could have pulled an Elektra and just given up on humanity. That’s a core part of Elektra’s character concept actually– a demonstration of how someone very like Matt could end up on a non-heroic path. (We wrote a whole post about this, for anyone who wants the rambly details.) In fact, 65 Matt’s situation is much more similar to 616 Elektra’s than that of the other evil Matt, discussed above. 

    One key difference between the 616 and 65 realities is Matt’s support system, or– more specifically– the destruction of it. Young Earth-65 Matt suffers the loss of not one, but both of his parents (616 Matt was raised thinking Maggie was dead, so was never faced with the actual trauma of losing her. To extend this tangent, while we’re here in the parentheses, it’s interesting to note that 65 Maggie is still alive. Did she ever come out of the coma? Is she going to reappear? Are we going to get awkward mother/evil son bonding? Jason Latour, are you reading this?) 

    Then he is taken in by Stick, who is apparently an all-out vigilante crimefighter in this universe. 65 Stick would have been much more of a parental figure to Matt than his 616 counterpart– who was parental to a certain degree, but wasn’t Matt’s sole source of emotional support due to Jack still being around. Note that at this point 65 Matt is still a moral person, operating in what must have been a sidekick role. But then Stick is killed, a third parental figure lost, leaving him alone. The timing on the character bio is a little shaky, but if we go ahead and assume that the timeline is 616-based, Matt would have been in college– and there’s no mention of any other contacts or friends he might have had at this point. No connection to Foggy, as far as we know, who we’re convinced was instrumental in keeping him focused and grounded in the main continuity.

Foggy: “You’ve gotta snap out of it, Matt… like your dad would’ve wanted! We’ll be graduating soon… and I want you to join me, Matt… as my partner!”

[Daredevil vol. 1 #53 by Roy Thomas, Gene Colan, and Artie Simek]

    Another possibility– since Foggy does exist in this universe– is that they did know each other, but had some kind of falling-out. Who knows? Either way, faced with this absolute isolation, it makes some sense that 65 Matt would have seen the Hand as the only place left to go.

    We’re short on details about his time training with the Hand, but his flippant reference to having been “raised by ninjas” (in Spider-Gwen vol. 2 #5) suggests that he does think of them as family. If brainwashing was involved, it was very subtle, but at that point it may not even have been necessary. The Hand would have offered him a purpose, a direction, and an opportunity to make something of himself– all offers that would have appealed to a seemingly directionless Matt. They would have offered him empowerment– both literal and metaphorical– which is something Matt has always strived for, regardless of the universe. Seeing a hero like Stick fail might have colored his perception of how effective good guy justice could be. And the loss of everyone he has previously cared for could have hardened young Matt enough to allow him, in conjunction with his Hand training, to suppress his respect for human life.

    It’s tough to say at this point whether or not he’ll get a redemption arc, but his current trajectory makes it seem unlikely. Unless this has all been an act to cover up for some bigger scheme yet to be revealed, he hasn’t shown any signs that he’s at all interested in redemption. The criminal thing seems to be working out very well for him, and as charming and entertaining as he his, he hasn’t yet displayed any in-universe redeeming qualities. He wouldn’t have any desire or motivation to become a good guy at this point because he just keeps winning.

Gwen: “But… why?”

Matt: “I don’t know. Why not? Because I can? Or maybe it’s just that the season is the reason. The “why” doesn’t matter. All that matters is– now I’m your only hope for being Spider-Woman. And that’s fun, right? Like having your own personal Santa Claus.”

[Spider-Gwen vol. 2 #15 by Jason Latour, Robbi Rodriguez, and Rico Renzi]

    But it’s also entirely possible that this could change. His seemingly positive upbringing, and the superhero training he received from Stick, suggests that he was once a moral person. There’s been a trend in this series of exploring villains’ motivations, often as a way of paralleling Gwen’s personal journey. Harry Osborn and Jesse Drew received this treatment, as– to a certain degree– did Frank Castle and Mysterio. Evil Cindy Moon’s motivations are clear, even if she’s still very much an antagonist. Heck, we even got a bit of Bodega Bandit’s life story. If Matt sticks around (which he clearly will) and as Gwen starts to spend more time with him, it’s likely his backstory will start to make its way into the narrative. At the very least, we might get a sense of exactly why he’s so interested in recruiting Spider-Woman, which could involve more than simply wanting a powerful pawn to play with. This would open the door for a more complex understanding of his motivations, if not a full redemption arc. That, we feel, would require his plans to start failing him, and for the cushy life he’s been leading as a villain to develop some cracks.

    Currently, he seems to have four points of potential weakness: S.I.L.K., George Stacy’s upcoming trial, Fisk, and Gwen herself. Despite Matt’s current *cough* truce with Cindy, S.I.L.K. is still his biggest rival for power in the criminal underworld– and they could very easily turn on him. We honestly doubt Matt will have any trouble with the trial, if it even ends up happening at all, but it’s fun to imagine D.A. Foggy Nelson kicking him around the courtroom a bit, isn’t it? We also don’t know how Fisk feels about Matt having taken over as Kingpin, or whose idea the transition of power even was. Once he gets out of prison, is Fisk going to want his job back? And of course, at some point Gwen is going to find the power and leverage to start fighting against Matt’s blackmail. She is the hero, after all, and it’s practically guaranteed that she will beat him in the end. And who knows where that might lead?  

    As one final tangent, we wanted to point out the “Skills/Talents” section of 65 Matt’s character bio:

“Skills/Talents: Murdock’s superhuman abilities give him a unique synthesis between his motor reflexes and the outside world– particularly a refined motor control and sense of balance. Little is yet known about the extent of Murdock’s ninja training during his time abroad, though his command of both his powers and respect of the ninjas in his employ suggest that he not only completed his training, but thrived.”

   616 Matt received only basic ninja training– which was more than enough to turn him into a badass, of course, but which also left him locked out of a lot of the upper level, magic-based Chaste/Hand skills. But here we have a version of Matt who has reached his full potential. High level Hand ninjas can do all sorts of cool things, from bringing people back from the dead to taking over the minds of others… and we are really excited to see what kinds of tricks 65 Matt has up his sleeve.   

[fortheheavenssake]

PG MM Anon Interpretation Collection - 22

💜💜💜🙏🏻🙏🏻🎄PG INTERPRETATION OF MM ANON🎄🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜💜

146: Dec 18

MM ANON …… The Christmas Royal choreography ……… Homeless hope……… “not just for Christmas”…… quiet compassions ……… Brits rage at nutmeg……… “ it’s Harry Jim,But not as we knew him”……… “ what’s the answer Spock?”……… EST…… “ eat your vegetables!!”……… “ but mummy, that’s sooooo unfair” ……… “no veg, no pony!!”……… “well from a PR standpoint, it’s an annual thing now”………… “ front and centre ma’am”……… “quite agree!!” ……… “Philip ??” ……… “people identify old thing”……… “ The Sandringham songbirds”

💜💜💜🙏🏻🙏🏻🎄THANK YOUR MM ANON🎄🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜💜

I am feeling bit better, still yucky but l found this! I had not realized the previous day was a riddle! My days are all mixed up now!

This is December 17/2019 riddle

For me RIDDLE #146

December 18/2019 0500 hrs CST.

Sorry it’s so late, l will take each day as it finds me. Thanks and gratitude for all the thoughts and prayers and cute photos music, wonderful things for me💜🙏🏻🎄🙏🏻💜

The Christmas Royal choreography

As with many families and step- families this time of year coordinating who goes where when, who goes to church Sunday school Christmas programs, school Christmas programs, although those are all but gone, thank God my niece send her three to private Catholic school where the full message of the Season is celebrated! If we think OUR lives are busy, whoa, just imagine HMTQ!! And that’s in a good year with no major issues! I congratulate her staff and LG for their continuing loyalty and service to HMTQ! It truly takes a choreographer to coordinate all of the Christmas events, oth family and public!

Homeless hope……… “not just for Christmas”

Homelessness is a growing problem, in the part of the country l live in, people often found frozen to death. This should be and is a goal many have been working on and continuing to work on, all over the globe!

quiet compassions

I wonder if unpublicly known donations and support has been given to many places. I am certain there is because we all do it in our private lives thusly l am certain the entire royal family with their massive wealth do also.

Brits rage at nutmeg

There still is no love lost regarding madam. She puts out the occasional Instagram post or does she?? Just what will the Christmas card be, stick drawings?? Undoubtedly in black and white, from behind, her hand flipping the bird at everything from behind her back or maybe archficial stick drawing will be doing it. She’s teaching him early! Bite the hand that feeds and clothes you, they like it!!

“ it’s Harry Jim,But not as we knew him”……… “ what’s the answer Spock?”……… EST

This is an obvious reference to the classic Star Trek MM ANON loves so well, as do l, none of tis new giddy daddy stuff! Doctor-aka Bones is speaking to Jim, aka Captain Kirk, about Harry referencing an incident that happened with Spock, l think on one of the films? EST Electric Shock Therapy might be referring to ECT, as it is called here. When l was working this was often used as treatment of choice for patients severely depressed, non-responsive to medication, or starving themselves etc. I am getting the feeling when we do finally see Harry again he will have come out of this a completely changed man. Our Harry has been through several Hells with madam, treatment to rid her him of her effects. There will be changes that come with this as comes with personal grew all gain through trauma, death of loved ones etc etc.

“ eat your vegetables!!”……… “ but mummy, that’s sooooo unfair” ……… “no veg, no pony!!”

We’ll be her a princess o matter, eating your vegetables is a non negotiable! Of course parents who enforce this are terribly criel🙄🙄🤣🤣😂😂, nevertheless it must be done. Oh the threats come out next! No pony!! That’s too cruel! Thumbs up 👍😁😁

“well from a PR standpoint, it’s an annual thing now”………… “ front and centre ma’am”……… “quite agree!!” ……… “Philip ??” ……… “people identify old thing”

LG, HMTQ and PP discussing the awesome success that was the Mary Berry Special with the Cambridges and highlighting charities and those who work over Christmas. I want you to rant a minute here about that Cather jerking from William garbage, WATCH THE SHOW, she moved simultaneously as he touched her, no divorce pending, no trauma! Good gracious some people just wait to jump!! Anyhow Mary Berry, my she’s a national and international treasure! I am certain the ratings are through the roof only making the public love them. Ore. Wait till Christmas Day with George and Charlotte walking to church!! They will be inundated with presents!

Sounds like a yearly family Christmas special is in the offing, keeping them from and centre, where they should be, as the future of the Monarchy! LG agrees, HMTQ checks with PP who quite agrees saying people can identify with them!! That’s extremely important to keep the monarchy strong. Remember when Queen Victoria had drawing made and the someone printed them and sold copies and she was aghast until she learned how the family life picture are what people could relate best to and loved her all the more!

“ The Sandringham songbirds”

I wonder not that most of the grandchildren and great grand children are of a certain age, might there be plans for them to sing a little song or two at Sandringham Christmas?? That would be cherubic!

HMTQ is is patron of Songbird Survival. Here is a cut and paste sorry, l am tired. It’s from the Telegraph 2008 March 26

The Queen has given money from her private income to a charity that believes in exterminating magpies, grey squirrels and feral cats to stop the decline of Britain’s songbirds.

The charity, Songbird Survival, has been consistently critical of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, of which the Queen is patron.

“The Norfolk-based charity was among the 17 animal charities the Queen gave an undisclosed sum to last year.

The RSPB denies that predators are responsible for the decline over the past 30 years of the lesser redpoll (90 per cent decline), tree sparrow, (80 per cent), skylark (75 per cent), song thrush (53 per cent) or bullfinch (over 50 per cent).

Songbird Survival, which is understood to have emerged out of an alliance between landowners and pigeon fanciers, believes that the growth in numbers of predators, including mink, crows and sparrowhawks, is likely to be a factor in the songbirds’ decline.

It argues that habitat improvements in the countryside in the past 10 years from the planting of hedges, green farming schemes and more organic farming and the reduction in the use of pesticides have not brought about the turnaround in the fortunes of songbirds that might have been expected if the RSPB’s explanation for the declines was correct.

Therefore, the charity argues on its website, other factors such as the decline in predator control by gamekeepers and the relentless growth in the populations of introduced species such as grey squirrels must be to blame.

Last year Songbird Survival published a study by Prof Roy Brown which said that the grey squirrel was the greatest predator of native songbirds - an even bigger killer than domestic cats.

An article on its website by Richard Coke, a Norfolk landowner who owns woodland close to Sandringham, argues for the “elimination” of the grey squirrel to save songbirds, protect the native red squirrel and save native woodlands.

The website also gives advice on how to set Larsen traps for magpies and says some landowners kill 100 magpies a year, to the benefit of songbirds which lose fewer eggs from their nests as a result.

A spokesman for Songbird Survival said: “We can confirm that the Queen has made a donation to the charity from the Privy Purse Charitable Trust.

“The charity represents many UK bird lovers who are concerned at the dramatic decline in songbird numbers in recent years.”

He said that the charity was currently raising funds for two major pieces of research, one with British Trust for Ornithology and the University of St Andrews examining the effect of bird predators on 30 prey species of farm and garden birds, which will report this year.

Another, with Reading university, would be looking at the effects of all bird and mammal predators on all prey species. It started last November and could take two years.

André Farrar, of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, said: “Songbird Survival is an interesting outfit. Having started out being negative and consistently critical about what the RSPB says, rather than looking at the rationale behind it, their editorial content has become more sophisticated. We welcome their recent move to commission some high quality science from highly rated sources. What they do with it we will see.

"We don’t believe magpies are as much of a problem as they do. We don’t agree with magpie control, but as long as they do it within the law, it is up to them to justify their actions.”

A spokesman for Buckingham Palace said the Queen gave £301,709 to 346 charities last year.

“There is no significance in the donation,” she added.”

0530 hrs CST. GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦

Thank you PG. This was unexpected as you are sick. Forever loyal, struggling to get it done for us. It is much appreciated….interesting stuff going on…🙏🏻💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

Skippy submission

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147: Dec 18

MM ANON ……… 🎼tis’ the season’ ……… 🎼……… “Tighter than ones ducks @ss under water ma’am”…… “indubitably LG, send the letters!!”……… “ Netty has it stitched!!”……… I think they were spotted on Elba……… someone saw them in Calvi ……… “Hmmmm, the historical significance doesn’t escape me”……… “ what say you Philip?”……” who gives a sh**, fancy a drinky

💜💜💜🙏🏻🙏🏻🎄THANK YOU MM ANON🎄🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜💜

DECEMBER 18/2019

RIDDLE #146. 1515 hrs CST

MM

🎼tis’ the season’ ……… 🎼

HMTQ leaves the hustle and bustle of London life behind and off to Christmas at Sandringham! One pesky return to London next week for the opening of Parliament, short helicopter ride for HMTQ! Christmas lunch was today and it’s officially time to relax and celebrate!

“Tighter than ones ducks @ss under water ma’am”…… “indubitably LG, send the letters!!”……… “ Netty has it stitched!!”

This awesome! LG informing HMTQ the case against both madam and her PR SS, is extremely secure with all i dotted and t crossed. A solid case legally!! Letters to be sent, subpoenas to follow and let the storms begin!! Again dear Netty, who we all know now, Lord Maldon, Chief Justice of England and Wales has been incredibly helpful throughout this whole ordeal!! MADAM IS DONE FOR , COMPLETELY OFFICIALLY DONE FOR!!!

I think they were spotted on Elba……… someone saw them in Calvi

Both places in Italy, have we got ‘sightings’ of the Sussexes?? LONG WAY FROM THOSE PLACES, BELIEVE ME!!!! Calvi, is a hairy toity Corsican island yet a French District! When l first read this the first thing came to my mind was Idris Elba mmmmmmmm handsome man!!😁

“Hmmmm, the historical significance doesn’t escape me”……… “ what say you Philip?”……” who gives a sh**, fancy a drinky

Well HMTQ and PP finally together. The fire is roaring, the lunch is digesting, satisfaction, of a sort has set in! Great rest and legal processes have been formally approved by HMTQ!! This will be historical, a ‘royal’ wife, with a not of the body baby, blackmailing, allegedly, her way into the family, messing with Harry’s fragile emotions. Justice scales ⚖️ WILL BE SERVED. YOU KNOW, AS THE SAYING GOES, REVENGE IS BEST SERVED COLD, JUSTICE WILL BE SERVED IN THE COLD OF WINTER. RACHEL YOU SHOULD BE MORE SCARED NOW THAN YOU HAVE EVER BEEN IN YOUR ENTIRE LIFE! THE FULL POWER OF THE CROWN IS ABOUT TO DESCEND ON YOU!!!

As always, PL certainly knows how to turn a phrase doesn’t he! Your Majesty, Your Royal Highness, please allow me to get your drinks, Ma’am, gin and DuBonnet, sir, Boddingtons. CHEERS TO YOU BOTH! HAVE A HAPPY HAPPY CHRISTMAS!🎄!

1530 hrs CST

GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦🎄🇬🇧

This is wonderful! Thank you PG! We pray this is what we have been waiting for! Great job, much appreciated!😊💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

Ask Skippy

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148: Dec 20

MM ANON …… Kate’s Christmas present to nutmeg …… Wrinkle cream!!😱😱…… new year getaway W&K……The Firm views pre-recorded QS. ……… A Royal decade, the 20,20s. …… “ up a gear ma’am”…… “ Keep calm and ostracise LG”…… 🎬it’s a wonderful life 🎬…… “ FROZEN mummy!!!”………”STAR WARS daddy!!”……… OMG ‘ it’s her Christmas card ……… “ we never received one” …… “ bloody lucky you!! “…… 🎼bye bye miss American pie🎼……… Kate’s tabloid cull…… “ what’s your 20?”

Oh 💜💜💜🙏🏻🙏🏻🎄THANK YOU MM ANON🎄🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜🐼

THIS NEW IPAD UPDATE WILL NO WAY DO HOW LET ME DO RIDDLES AS I NORMALLY CUT AND PASTE EACH CLUE FOR YOU. I HAD DONE IT MANUALLY AND IT JUST VANISHED 😫😫😫😫😫.

45 minutes in and l haven’t even started the interpretation!

DECEMBER 20/2019 RIDDLE POSTED DECEMBER19/2019

RIDDLE #147

0125 hrs CST

RIDDLE #147 Sorry kids l can no longer cut and paste the way l have been doing the IOS IPAD Update won’t allow cut and paste as far as l can figure and l have spent an hour now at it!

December 20/2019 riddle posted DECEMBER 19/2019

0125 hrs CST

Catherine, let me back up. The Royal family LOVE giving gag gifts at Christmas. Catherine has been reading the blog and taken a cue from me and given madam wrinkle cream😩🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂. She needs vanishing cream at this point! THANK YOU MM ANON, MY SECOND SHOUT OUT IN A RIDDLE😁😁😁😁😁😁 I AM CHUFFED!!😁😁😁😁😁😁

Sounding like William and Catherine are going for a baby moon, just themselves. If you’re not familiar, a baby moon is when a couple goes on holiday before their new baby arrives just to have time to relax and enjoy one another! Well deserved you two! Announce it already! Another girl please💜💜💜🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜

HMTQ Christmas Day speech has been recorded, she is now at Sandringham and l for one wish her well deserved away and family time! I can hardly wait to watch it!!

The 20, 20s royal decade

The 1920′s was called the Roaring 20′s until the stock market crashed and brought on the dirty 30′s. 2020 will bring a many changes in the family. Madam will be gone, ⚖️ will be served. Backers will be brought from the shadows to face justice. Likely we will have announcements of new babies, Catherine Zara, Eugenie. Beatrice and Edo will wed. PA will find his justice . HMTQ will announce a Regency. William and Catherine will continue to soar in public love and popularity and another baby will bring it ever more! If that is even possible!😁🤣🤣🤣😂😂. Last but not least, our beloved Harry will re-emerge, resume duties, a changed man but loved even more than before! I have full confidence in that!

up a gear😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣

HMTQ chauffeur cannot get HMTQ to Sandringham fast enough, she wants away from London and all the stress badly and he is well in tune with HMTQ needs!

Keep calm and ostracize LG

Keep calm yes but ostracize LG? Ostracize means to shun, leave out, stigmatize. Who would do that? Madam and her PR and quite likely her legal team.

It’s a Wonderful Life, it’s the classic Jimmy Stewart film, George Bailey, consistently gives up her personal wishes to do the right thing for his family and townspeople. Classic film, the Cambridge children jonesing to see FROZEN II or STAR WARS! I will let you decide who wants to see what film!🤣🤣🤣😂😂

HMTQ and PP joking about madams Christmas card, actual think this might have been the conversation at the a Christmas luncheon, l know PP wasn’t there, indulge me. , l haven’t seen it, l do not know if it is out yet publicly. They are joking saying be glad you didn’t get one🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😫😂.

🎼 bye bye….🎼 Madams fate is all but sealed, the Treason law bring revamped, that’s no coincidence! She should be terrified! The full weight, l know l said this yesterday, indulge me, l am stressed doing the riddle in a way l don’t feel is adequate with my iPad not cooperating!, the full weight of the Crown and Justice nipping at her filthy, dirty too big stiletto heels!!

To cull means to organize and sort the what you need, donate, get rid of what you no longer want. Catherine, has been in and on the cover of countless print magazines, newspapers, and immeasurable online versions. Has KP staff been clearing the lies off the internet? Scrubbing as the word is? I just cannot see Catherine saving magazines etc of herself sorting they them, that’s just not her style. I think it’s getting rid of madams PR lies. It’s the continuation of ridding remnants of madam!!

My dad was a ham radio operator and both my parents were big time into CB radio. It was HUGE in the 80′s. We had visitors from all over visiting us! Today’s equivalent is online l guess. Anyhow 10-100 is bathroom🤣🤣🤣😂😂. If you ask someone what’s your 20, you’re asking them where are they? So Rachel whats YORUR 20? LG KNOWS, INTERPOL KNOWS😁😁😁😁😁😁

0240 hrs CST

I AM GOING TO HAVE TO SERIOUSLY FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO RIDDLES NOW WITH THIS CHANGE IN IOS. AND THE RIDDLES ONLY SHOWING UP AS 1. The first two times posted it. She had to reblog it for me twice!

0240 hrs CST

GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦

Thank you PG. It seems updates always play havoc on our devices…thank you for persevering to get the riddle done. Looks great!😊💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

Ask Skippy submission

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149: Dec 20

MM ANON ………an unwelcome intrusion ……… “ and it was all going so well” …… “ sweeping the the whole bloody house!! “…… fun and games ……… C&G play charades …… Def-Con 4……… “150 million expected ma’am”…… “ my little Pony”…… mini scrambler,🏍Wow!!…… “grouse for the grown-ups”…… “dial it back ma’am?”……” what happens in Sandringham, stays in Sandringham”…… “Charles, see to the RPOs”…… “ night before Christmas,and all round the house “………… Great Expectations

💜💜💜🙏🏻🙏🏻🎄THANK YOU MM ANON🎄🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜💜

ALL THINGS BACK TO NORMAL ON MY IPAD TODAY, IT MUST HAVE BEEN TUMBLER

DECEMBER 20/2019

RIDDLE #148

1255 hrs CST

an unwelcome intrusion …“ and it was all going so well” …“ sweeping the the whole bloody house!! “

This is EXTREMELY CONCERNING!! Through out the riddle security concerns! Has a bug or some device been found? Has some video/audio/surveillance been found? Kids remember, the backers who planned these multi-pronged attacks on our beloved royal family, play in the big leagues! The RPO’S will be sweeping the whole house, meaning in security terms, checking for bugs, listening devices, video etc etc etc be something has been found to raise the threat level! This is not housecleaning for dust bunnies sweeping!!

PP has been fairly well except for that bad chest cold he had a few weeks ago. They say this hospitalization was planned, however , it does change things when he was coming along. He also had recovered from the MVA earlier this year, no more driving though! Passenger yes, driver no.He did walk into hospital, so that was a positive sign. Definitely was not what the family wanted, nor him. No disrespect intended, but grumpy patients, nurses trade off, boy do l know that! Let’s 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 he is out of hospital for🙏🏻🙏🏻🎄🙏🏻🙏🏻🎄🙏🏻🙏🏻🎄🙏🏻🙏🏻.

fun and games ……… C&G play charades

Christmas/ the Holiday seasons brings a change in routine in all aspects. I know one of the Royal families fav games is playing charades. Seems George and Charlotte are learning it and having fun. I am certain besides seeing a movie, lots of playing and merry making! Love children at Christmas, so magical!

Def-Con 4……… “

This in America is one of the levels of security, which l think after 9/11 changes were made so security risks were changed to colours. This is also a movie or video game. I think the Cambridge children are too young, perhaps all the adult cousins on their snap-chat app, l think that’s what it’s called on their PMC’s, play video games. It’s hugely popular how many adults spend hours at this, professionally even, it’s a huge industry with famous actors doing the voices and bands doing the music.

I wonder seriously, with HMTQ having given the go ahead to send the letters as we were told a few days ago by MM ANON, if this brought says higher security risk, hence added security and raising the actual security level for the BRF🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻.

“150 million expected ma’am”

LG telling HMTQ the expected viewership that will watch her annual Christmas speech and l, and my sister most definitely will be!!

“ my little Pony”…… mini scrambler,🏍Wow!!

My little pony is back again! I wonder if the Cambridge children wrote letters to Santa asking for these treasures! Charlotte seems to have sort of moved a wee bit from the 🦄unicorn phase to live ponies, sniffle sniffle sneeze sneeze, bubby by doze is stuffed up (translation, mummy my nose is stuffed up)🤣🤣🤣🤣😂🤣🤣. I am sure she knows exactly which my little pony she wants and all the accessories too! Meanwhile over with George, he is jonesing for a vroom vroom. The family photo shows a classic on their Christmas card. We know William, as most love their life sized motorized toys!! Louis will want in on the action this year. He is so cute!! This will be his first Christmas 🎄where he is independently mobile and oh my l bet he is a going/growing concern😁😁😁😁!

“grouse for the grown-ups”

Christmas dinner menu, traditional . However Boxing Day , the annual pheasant /grouse hunt. Will be the toys /games played by the adults!!

“dial it back ma’am?”……” what happens in Sandringham, stays in Sandringham”

HMTQ is asking for little information to be released about PP . She is also seeking privacy about PA and Harry. They, l am 10 000% sure will be there but little/no public information on this. As far as madam goes, BOJO could announce at any moment a separation, annulment or divorce, hopefully before Christmas. This date in 1995, HMTQ announce she asked PC and Diana to divorce and end their marriage. The PM, at the time, John Major, made the announcement in Parliament!

So whoever attends Christmas at Sandringham, it will be kept private. No intrusion on their first real family Christmas in two years sans madam horrific presence!

Was it not great, wonderful and marvellous love letter, of a sort, to see our Harry on the video as Santa talking to grieving children, he can absolutely understand the impact of it!

“Charles, see to the RPOs”

There is a lot of security outside King Edward VII hospital where PP has been admitted for a planned admission, hope for a few days only. I so hope he can be home for Christmas 🎄. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻. In the photos, outside the host here are police officers and standing near the door are two well dressed gentlemen who l assume are RPO’S or perhaps MI5. HMTQ has asked PC to ensure security is well in hand.l truly believe this prolonged, multifaceted attack on the BRF has resulted in extra security! I for one, am very glad of it and thankful!🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

“ night before Christmas,and all round the house “

Security, all around. I am getting that strongly MM ANON. The line actually says all through the house. So this is all round the house, outside!

Great Expectations

Fantastic Dickens novel about a young orphan named Pip making his May in a dark and dangerous world. My mind went immediately to Archie, l know he is being well cared for, but that child, when he is older and learns of his parentage, the issues it shall bring him🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻.

I also believe dear MM ANON is referring to 2020 and the great expectations for the year as l wrote in the previous riddle. EXPECTATIONS =PREGNANCIES!! More than one royal baby is coming!! You all know since a November 9/2019 l have been saying Catherine is pregnant, who else? As l said previously, Zara? Eugenie?? All three? It’s marvellous!

I think 2020 is a year for Harry to shine, l am most certain he has goals and life changes, MAJOR changes coming=annulment/divorce! As for madam, l see a very bleak 2020!

1355 hrs CST

GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦🎄🇬🇧

Fantastic job once again dear PG! Thank you so much. I should say, does seem like security is on high alert at this point in time. Almost like the mention of changing the “treason laws” could be the reason. Thank you, much appreciate you always being here for us, no matter whether well or not. 🙏🏻💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

Ask Skippy submission

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150: Dec 21

MM ANON ……… “ it’s a tad cautionary ma’am”……… visiting hours only!!! ……… “ no bloody fuss, piss off” ……… “ and SYDNEY!! no drinks !!!”……… she’s here until January …… Diplomatic immunity…… one way in, one way out!!……… Full cover’ face recognition and sleeper van. ……… “ 🎼the kids are alright!!👀🎼”……… “ to start with’ it’s a 50cc Yam.”……… “ a pony has more torque” ……… “stop worrying Catherine!!”…… “It’s His Decision”……… “ I’ll meet, just say when!! “.

💜💜💜🙏🏻🙏🏻🎄THANK YOU MM ANON🎄🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜💜

DECEMBER 21/2019

RIDDLE #149

1610 hrs CST

… “ it’s a tad cautionary ma’am”……… visiting hours only!!! ……… “ no bloody fuss, piss off” ……… “ and SYDNEY!! no drinks !!!”…

The doctor is discussing PP’s health status with HMTQ. Just cautionary, meaning he needs monitoring for something and better safe than sorry and stay in hospital. Limited visitors, he needs rest, l am guessing he has pneumonia and a bladder infection. I say this based on reports of his recent chest cold, his age, his history of bladder infections. Older people with bladder infections can develop a delirium, where they act bizarrely, it’s very scary to watch for the family. Obviously PP is excited about being in hospital being clucked over by nurses and doctors…NOT!!!🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 HMTQ giving Sydney, PP ‘man’/valet STRICT INSTRUCTIONS NO BODDINGTONS, NO ALCOHOL. Alcohol is contraindicated with many antibiotics, meaning it lessens their effects and can add to the difficulties which led to his hospitalization. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 for you Sir!

…… she’s here until January …… Diplomatic immunity…… one way in, one way out!!………

Madam is using as her ploy is to use diplomatic immunity due to her royal status. Let me back up, diplomatic immunity is for foreign nationals who live and work at a foreign embassy or some official capacity are immune to prosecution. Case right now, Harry Dunn killed on his motorbike by an American woman, who was driving on the wrong side of the road and killed him head on. She fled back to America. Yesterday, charges were filed and the CROWN PROSECUTORS Service/CPS will seek extradition. Interestingly as an aside/sidebar, the woman’s husband is an intelligence agent, the way the law is, HE doesn’t have diplomat immunity but his wife and family do. I know it’s odd.

Anyhow back to madam, she will try the ploy/plot of claiming she has diplomatic immunity as a royal🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣. Good luck Rachel, go have a wee blether with Prince Andrew 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬.

Where is “here till January” ? Did she swoop into Canada and hiding in the woods with MA in a camper van? Most certainly the facial recognition would have captured her at the border! One way in, one way out, passport!! She needs a VISA to stay in the U.K. l have no doubt she has not thought of that.

I highly doubt she is in Canada but l do think she has a male with her. Is it the rogue RPO?!? She cannot enter/leave the U.K. without going through customs if she wants Canada or America or any non EU country at this time.

No matter where she is, she is on the run hiding, going to use DI, and MI5 is tracking her and they have eyes on 24/7!! KIDS THIS IS GETTING REAL! HMTQ DROPPED THE HAMMER SENDING THE LETTERS!! I AM ANTICIPATING WITH BATED BREATH NEWS OF A ANNULMENT AND FOLLOWED BY AN ARREST/FORMAL CHARGES!!! LORD BURNETT HAS SEEN TO THAT END OF IT! THIS MAY END UP BEING A WHIZ BANG IF A CHRISTMAS PRESENT😁😁😁😁😁😁😁

Full cover’ face recognition and sleeper van. “ 🎼the kids are alright!!👀🎼”

Lots of shock and talk about the cheesy Santa suit that ‘HARRY’ was wearing in the video released, against a blank wall. Like something out of a cheap film,, it on Sussex Instagram. Just not right. MI5 analyzed that video fully, fricking facial recognition software confirmed the man’s identity. He is the ‘fake’ Harry that madam has been using for who knows how long. Remember the lunch at the pub? Is she with this guy in a van on the run?? Just adds more charges to an already long list!

Song by The Who. Guy doesn’t mind his gal being with other guys and leaving the kids they’re all right. Side eye!!! Obviously madam is with a man, perhaps Lady A aka MA also, whose looking after Archificial?? Interpol or MI5 has confirmed its them usual facial recognition software. There are CCTV’s EVERYWHERE!! THERE IS NO HIDING UNLESS YOU’RE IN A CAVE RACHEL!! WOW A CAMPER VAN, YOU’RE LIVING LARGE AND IN CHARGE NOW RACHEL!! YOU’RE ON THE RUN WITH NOWHERE NO GO!!! GOD HELP YOU MADAM, YOU TOO LADY A!!!FOR THE THIRD DAY IN A ROW I WILL REPEAT, YOU MESSED(I WANT BADLY TO USE ANOTHER WORD RHYMING WITH TRUCK, BUT I WON’T, YES I KNOW IT’S ALL CAPS BUT LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME! FOR THE THIRD TIME THE FULL WEIGHT OF THE CROWN IS GOING TO COME DOWN ON YOU RACHEL REACH OUT TO GOD FOR YOUR MORTAL SOUL, JUSTICE ⚖️IS COMING!!!

“ to start with’ it’s a 50cc Yam.”……… “ a pony has more torque” ……… “stop worrying Catherine!!”

Oh the dynamics of the Cambridge household! Oh to be a fly on the wall, God bless them🤣🤣🤣😂😂. William, as most men loves fast man toys ie 🏍 etc etc. He is trying to convince Catherine to get a bike for George. That was in yesterday’s riddle George wanting the scrambler 🏍. William is trying to say it’s just a wee bike lass🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂🤣🤣. His logic for Catherine relenting

giving a pony to Charlotte , that the pony runs faster ie has more torque🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂😂😂! He , l am bursting out laughing as l am interpreting this and typing🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂. Sorry Catherine, 😂😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣 but he is right and being the amazing mum you are, you do worry!M ESPECIALLY WITH BABY NUMBER FOUR ON THE WAY😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁! Can you please announce it already so people can stop calling me crazy?😂😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣.

“It’s His Decision”……… “ I’ll meet, just say when!! “.

Rumours have been rampant since almost their engagement, Harry and madam, that Williams strongly encouraged Harry to not marry her. The rift that has allegedly occurred between the brothers has been very concerning, if true. Harry did acknowledge they were on different paths in the AITV interview. Wow that’s breaking news NOT!! Their birth order dictated they were to be on different paths. I read this as either this is William speaking about Harry or Harry speaking about William. Either way, it is seeming, that to some degree there are definitely issues. Harry’s booty call has caused a tremendous, no adjective fits other than swearing, so insert your word yourself, to the Royal family especially HMTQ and PP!!They need to meet and sort this out and reunite for the sake of HMTQ and Harry’s future role!!!!

1700 hrs CST

GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦

Oh me oh my, things are heating up…..MM it’s not looking good for ya! Great job……yeah that is not Harry in that video…excellent! Thank you dear PG!😊💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

Ask Skippy submission

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151: Dec 22

150 TH RIDDLE INTERPRETATION! MM ANON I CANNOT FATHOM THE HOURS I HAVE SPENT INSIDE YOUR HEAD TRUNG TO INTERPRET YOUR RIDDLES. THIS IS SUCH A GREAT HONIUR FIR ME! THANK YOU BEYOND MEASURE💜💜💜💜🎄🎄🎄🎄🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜💜💜🇨🇦🇬🇧

MM ANON

George in the mix. …… a royal blackout …… pensive at the Forth Bridge …… “ Royal Bostic sir”…… “ unity ma’am!!”……… Done and Dusted ……… No Card???……… Christmas IG word salad and virtue massage …… …… rapidly dissolving PR……… “ when in doubt use mental health” ……… “we need a distraction ma’am”……… it’s a win, win !!……… “that’s a silly jumper William”

💜💜💜🙏🏻🙏🏻🎄THANK YOU MM ANON🎄🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜💜

DECEMBER 22/2019

RIDDLE #150 MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR ME I AM SO INCREDIBLY HONOURED AND GREATFULL 😊😊😊😊

1120 hrs CST

George in the mix.

WE THREE KINGS IS A CLASSIC CHRISTMAS CAROL. YESTERDAY SOME GORGEOUS AND HISTORICAL PHOTOS WERE RELEASED SHOWING HMTQ, WITH HER EVER PRESENT BLACK HANDBAG, PRINCE CHARLES, PRINCE WILLIAM AND PRINCE GEORGE. THE TABLE BEFORE THEM WAS FULL OF BOWLS AND ALL THE LOVELY INGREDIENTS FOR MAKING CHRISTMAS PUDDING. GEORGE WAS STIRRING THE THICK INGREDIENTS IN THE BIG BOWL WITH THE OTHERS SMILING, ENJOYING THE MOMENTS!!! CHRISTMAS PUDDINGS IS AN ANNUAL TRADITIONAL GIFT HMTQ GIFTS HERE QUOTE EXACTLY FROM INSTAGRAM .

Four generations of the Royal Family 🎄 together at Christmas.

New photos of The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Duke of Cambridge and Prince George have been released as part of the launch of the @RoyalBritishLegion’s ‘Together at Christmas’ initiative.

The initiative is designed to provide extra support to the Armed Forces and veteran communities at annual festive ‘get togethers’ across the charity’s network of outreach centres.

The four generations of the Royal Family are pictured here preparing special Christmas puddings — with the four representing a cross-section of those supported by the Legion, from the children of service personnel, to Second World War veterans.

The puddings will become the centrepieces of 2020’s get togethers, and form part of 99 puddings distributed across the charity’s network in the UK and the Commonwealth - also marking The Royal British Legion’s 99th year.

a royal blackout…

BLACKOUT MEANS NO ELECTRICITY. THIS IS NOT THAT. THIS IS REGARDING INFORMATION AND THE ROYAL FAMILY. THINGS WILL BE EXTREMELY EXTREME IN TERMS OF NO PUBLIC INFORMATION WHO IS WHERE REGARDING ROYAL FAMILY MEMBERS. WHO IS WHERE WITH WHOM, WHAT THEY ARE DOING, ARE THEY TRAVELLING, ARE THEY ATTENDING SANDRINGHAM FOR CHRISTMAS ETC ETC ETC. THIS LEVEL OF SECURITY HAS BEEN MARKEDLY INCREASED SINCE HMTQ GAVE THE OFFICIAL GO AHEAD TO ‘SEND THE LETTER” WE KNOW SOMETHING WAS FOUND IN TERMS OF A VIDEO CAMERA , BUG, WHATEVER DEVICE PLANTED TO GATHER DATA ABOUT THE ROYAL FAMILY, OLD SCHOOL WORDS TO BE SURE,BUT YOU GET MY MEANING. THERE HAS DEFINITELY BEEN SOMETHING THAT HAS OCCURRED THAT HAS RESULTED IN THIS RESPONSE. WE DO KNOW THERE HAS BEEN LOTS GOING ON IN THE BACKGROUND FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW AND WE WILL LIKELY NEVER BE INFORMED OF ALL THE CLASSIFIED INFORMATION.

pensive at the Forth Bridge

WE KNOW THIS IS THE CODE NAME FOR PP. IS HIS HEALTH CONDITION DETERIORATING??? PENSIVE MEANS TO BE ENGAGED IN, INVOLVED, PONDERING A SERIOUS DECISION OR SITUATION. MIGHT THIS BE THE CURRENT TREATMENT MODALITIES ARE NOT EFFECTIVE, OTHER CONSULTANTS BROUGHT IN, MORE TESTS??? THIS IS VERY CONCERNING TO ME, THINGS WITH PNEUMONIA, BREATHING ISSUES ETC AT THIS ADVANCED AGE CAN GO TO CRITICAL VERY QUICKLY. 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 FOR PP.

“ Royal Bostic sir”

BOSTIC IS AN ACRONYM…. Bristol and Oxford Surgical Trials Intervention Course (BOSTiC) . MEDICAL STAFF EXPLAINING PROCEDURE THE CONSULTANT WANTS TO TRY TO SEE IF IT WILL BE EFFECTIVE FOR PP. KIDS, I THINK THINGS ARE CRITICAL, IF YOU’RE INCLINED TO PRAY, THIS IS ESSENTIAL NOW! ROYAL BOSTIC MEANS OBVIOUSLY, INVOLVING PO.🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

“ unity ma’am!!”……… Done and Dusted ……… No Card???

LG STRESSING THE IMPORTANCE THAT THE ROYAL FAMILY SHOW UNITY ESPECIALLY AT THIS TIME AND THAT DECISIONS MADE BY HMTQ WERE DONE AT THE CORRECT CRITICAL TIME. THE CHRISTMAS WALK TO ST MARY MAGDALENE CHAPEL ON CHRISTMAS MORNING WILL BE VERY TELLING INDEED. DONE AND DUSTED SIMPLY MEAN, THE GAME IS OVER, TAKE YOUR TOYS HOME OR TO PRISON. MADAM’S FATE IS SEALED. NO SUSSEX CHRISTMAS CARD AS YET, LOTS AND LOTS OF CHATTER ABOUT THIS, WHY IS IS NOT OUT YET? WHERE ARE THEY? WHERE IS ARCHFICIAL??.

Christmas IG word salad and virtue massage …… …… rapidly dissolving PR

WHAT IS VIRTUE MASSAGE, NEVER HEARD OF IT, I FOUND THIS ON AN AUSTRALIAN WEBSITE…

Virtue Massage specializes in massages taking its roots from across the world in order to cater to diverse clientele needs and desires. The house special Thai Massage which uses no oil works its spell from ancient principles, yoga postures, and acupressure. Likewise, Deep Tissue Massage aims to work on deeper layers of muscle tissue in order to release chronic patterns of tension in the body. And the famous reflexology massage involves applying pressure to certain points on foot depending upon the desired outcome whether it is to boost blood circulation or eliminate toxins. Virtue Massage features a wide range of treatments that can fit people across the spectrum of society.

IS MADAM DOING THIS FOR $$$$$$££££££€€€€???

NONSENSE ON THE SUSSEX INSTAGRAM, ABSOLUTELY NO CURRENT PHOTOS, NOT EVRN THE USUAL HORRIBLE PHOTOSHOPS ONES MADAM TENDS TO POST. HER PR HAS FALLEN APART, AS HAS SHE….RUNNING OR HAS RUN OUT OF FINANCIAL RESOURCES. HER “JEWELRY”IS ALL FAKE, SHE CANNOT SELL ANY OF THAT. RACHEL RACHEL RACHEL, PUT UP YOUR HANDS, TURN AROUND, LET THE CUFFS GO ON, THIS TIME NOT FIR PLEASURE NOR MONEY BUT FOR ARREST, THE END IS NIGH!! 🚔 👮 ⚖️.

“ when in doubt use mental health” ……… “

YEP, DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY AS MENTIONED IN YESTERDAYS RIDDLE WILL NOT WORK, SO SHE IS GOING TO TRY FAKING INSANITY. THIS WILL DEFINITELY NOT WORK BECAUSE LG HAS PREVIOUSLY HAD HER MENTAL HEALTH ASSESSED IN A FOR ED PSYCHIATRIC HOLD.

“we need a distraction ma’am”……… it’s a win, win !!……… “

THERE HAS OBVIOUSLY BEEN A MASSIVE INCREASE IN SECURITY, WE SAW THAT DURING HMTQ TRAVEL TO THE TRAIN AND THE ROAD STOPPAGES. /CHECK POINTS THIS MORNING AS HMTQ WENT TO MORNING CHURCH SERVICES!!

I WONDER IF THE DISTRACTION WILL BE ANNOUNCEMENT OF CATHERINE’S PREGNANCY AND POSSIBLY OTHERS! NOW THAT WOULD BE A DISTRACTION! I THINK SOMETHING INVOLVING THE CAMBRIDGE CHILDREN WOULD BE A HUGE DISTRACTION AS WELL!! EITHER WAY, ITS A WIN WIN, MADAM GETS DEALT WITH ALONG WITH HER BACKERS AND WE GET TO ENJOY PHOTOS OR VIDEOS OF THE CAMBRIDGE FAMILY!

“that’s a silly jumper William”

I SHOULD MENTION/EXPLAIN SAY, TO THOSE UNFAMILIAR , A JUMPER IS A SWEATER. UGLY JUMPER/SWEATER CONTESTS AT CHRISTMAS TIME 🎄🎄🎄🎄, HAVE BECOME VERY POPULAR FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW AND CAN BE VERY COMPETITIVE!!! I WONDER WHAT HE CHOSE TO WEAR, AND OBVTHE OPINION IS NEGATIVE!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣ALTHOUGH NEGATIVE IS GOOD BECAUSE THE UGLIER AND TACKIER THE SWEATER IS, YOU HAVE MORE CHANCE TO WIN THE FUN COMPETITION!! 🎅🏻

1210 hrs CST

GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦🎄

Thank you dear PG! Congrats 150…..amazing! Prayers for PP. We pray for him and HM! Great job…much appreciated. Thank you🙏🏻💜💜💜💜💜💜

Ask Skippy submission

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152: Dec 24

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE AND LOVE AND 🙏🏻TO ALL

MM Anon

MM ANON …… yesterday’s riddle?? ……… Christmas Eve prayer’s …… 2.09 pm in England …… not on my watch. ………… Father Christmas 🎄 comes to Sandringham …… nutmegs not here 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳…… Mike incognito ……… Lost in Space ………” Yes , but dress them warm”. ……… A long wait for the faithful …… everyone is vetted and counted. …… it begins for little royals……” Andrew!!!”…… “Bloody hell’ I’m here you know!!” ……… “Ahhhh, Lobster 🦞 Bisque!!” ……… “Overtired!!”

💜💜💜🙏🏻🙏🏻🎄THANK YOU MM ANON🎄🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜💜

DECEMBER 24/2019. RIDDLE #151

1234 hrs CST

yesterday’s riddle??

I don’t think a riddle was posted yesterday due to the emergency yesterday with Sheldon.🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 l didn’t see it and l wouldn’t have been able to anyway. Today’s short and sweet family coming very soon!

Christmas Eve prayer’s …… 2.09 pm in England …… not on my watch

Many attend midnight mass. I wonder if Christmas Eve prayers are for Harry, as he is allegedly not there. I trust nothing, that Christmas card was the worst photoshop to date. Archies head was so massive, just an obvious photoshop, along with all the things others have pointed out. Was 2:09 the time PP was discharged from hospital?? Nope paper says 0849 departed hospital via chopper. He was not going to miss family Christmas ESPECIALLY now with madam go, no way, no how! Is there prayers at 1409 hrs?? Sorry l have almost no time to do this today. Sounds like ?William will make sure something doesn’t happen, perhaps madam trying to crash the gathering??

Father Christmas 🎄 comes to Sandringham …… nutmegs not here 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳…… Mike incognito

Is Mike, Zara’s husband dressing up as Santa? The family is going to have a great Christmas celebrating the season without madam being present.

Lost in Space

The ever so woke madam , decided to electronically send their chr cards and hard copy to family and friends, hence poorer quality. So some never got their? Are theirs lost is space as in cyberspace???

” Yes , but dress them warm”. … A long wait for the faithful …… everyone is vetted and counted. …… it begins for little royals……” Andrew!!!”…… “Bloody hell’ I’m here you know!!” ……… “Ahhhh, Lobster 🦞 Bisque!!” ……… “Overtired!!”

Sounds like approval given for George and Charlotte to do the walk to chapel St Mary Magdalene on Christmas morning, but to dress them warm! Hey we walk here when it’s -30C kids walk to school, they will be great and be loaded with presents from the public! Been a long LONG wait the faithful family has had since they could be together without Satan’s presence in their midst! What a marve time they will have! Andrew,!! As if someone is surprised and delighted to see him mixed with shock, he says of course l am here, it’s Christmas and you’re my family!! PP happy to see the bisque, better than hospital food!! Feeling better just very tired!!

I APOLOGIZE FOR THE SHORT FAST INTERPRETATION ITS ALL THE TIME I HAVE

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE💜💜💜💜💜🎄🎄🎄🎄🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🎄🎄💜💜💜🎄🎄🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

1300 hrs CST. GSTQAOBC 🇨🇦

Thank you PG…💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜

Ask Skippy submission

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153: Dec 25

🎄🎄🎄MM ANON, I DONT EVRN GET CHRISTMAS OFF , CATHERINE’S SIDEEYE 👀🤣🤣🤣🤣😂

MM ANON …… Lottie kills it with pink flamingo … 🥳🥳absent madam🥳…absentee ginger …… K&W now it’s a new monarchy!! …… happy Christmas to all our readers …… UK migrant terrorist alert …… PA on silent running …… skippy breaking news about Lottie on Christmas walk way back……… right here, right now!! ……… DM follows skippy …… dogs behind.

💜💜🙏🏻🙏🏻🎄THANK YOU MM ANO🎄🙏🏻🙏🏻💜💜

🎄🎄🎄MERRY CHRISTMAS MM ANON🎄🎄🎄🎄

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

DECEMBER 25/2019. RIDDLE #153

0918 hrs CST

Lottie kills it with pink flamingo … 🥳🥳absent madam🥳…absentee ginger …… K&W now it’s a new monarchy!!

Was it not MARVELLOUS TO SEE MOST OF OUR BELOVED CAMBRIDGE FAMILY THIS MORNING? TALK ANOUT A SPECIAL GIFT TO US, ALTHOUGH BEING A BIT GREEDY I AM STILL AWAITING A WEE ANNOUNCEMENT 🍼!! THE PINK FLAMINGO GIVEN TO PRINCE CHARLOTTE WAS ALMOST HER SIZE😁😁😁😁 A MADAM FREE CHRISTMAS PRAISE GOD!!HARRY WAS NOT AT CHURCH, BUT WHO KNOWS IF HE IS AT SANDRINGHAM???

ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT, GEORGE IS STEPPING UP, GROWING UP, IT IS A STRONG FUTURE AGEAD WITH THE CAMBRIDGES IN THE LINEUP TO BE MONARCHS! I COULD NOT BE MORE DELIGHTED!!

happy Christmas to all our readers

Merry Christmas to you MM ANON, ALLEGEDLY ANON, NANNY ANON, QUOTE ANON , ALL WHO READ AND COMMENT, THOSE WHO READ , EVERYONE.🎄🎄🎄🎄

UK migrant terrorist alert

There have been raised terror alerts in chr markets in Europe within the last week. We have seen a marked elevation in security especially evident when HMTQ took the train up to Sandringham. We saw it again on full display today, HMTQ always surrounded. I can’t find any threats posted but kids we all know major stuff is going on behind this scenes and this is the result, massive increase in usual security!!,🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

PA on silent running

PA attended church, however no comments. The princesses were both there with their partners. Marvellous that both Princesses partners were invited to attend Sandringham Christmas!!

skippy breaking news about Lottie on Christmas walk way back……… right here, right now!! ……… DM follows skippy …… dogs behind.

Again as happens with regularity information discussed here or shared here appears in the papers! Confirmation YET AGAIN THE MEDIA AKA DM AKA DAILY MAIL READS THIS BLOG. THE MEDIA AS A PUPPY, LAGS BEHIND!!! MM ANON YOU WROTE IT IN A RIDDLE AGES BACK AND NANNY ANON SAID IT AS WELL THAT GEORGE AND CHARLOTTE WOULD BE WALKING TO CHURCH, I AND OTHER JUST INTERPRETED YOUR RIDDLE CORRECTLY😁😁😁. 0945 hrsCST. 🎄🎄MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYONE 🎄🎄🎄. Thank you so much…..great job! Much appreciated this Christmas Day!💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜