#i quit arrow when they killed laurel and yet

[harlivies]

[jungkookiebus]

A Sacrifice in the Temple of Apollo | kth

Credit for the gif here since the gif search wanted to be difficult.

Genre: mythology, GreekGod!au, smut Pairing: Apollo!Taehyung x mortal!reader Word Count: 4.4k Warnings: mentions of sacrifices to gods (non-graphic), semi-exhibitionism (you’ll see lol), cunnilingus, use of alcohol, intense finger fucking, sex in a religious space Summary: With your village ravaged by famine and plague; crops, livestock, and people are dying. The Temple of Apollo is just up the mountain and sacrifices have been left to no avail. You try to beseech the god yourself and get more than you bargained for.

The day was overcast as you climbed the mountain. Rain drizzled down on you, blanketing your hair and clothes until you were uncomfortable but not quite soaked. Shivering, you trudged forward up the roughly hewn stone steps ignoring the fact that the sandals you had on were too thin for this endeavor. You were desperate and willing to try anything. Below you, your village lay quiet, unnaturally so for this time of year. A sickness had spread through the people, crops, and livestock; effectively killing hundreds in its wake. It had taken your brother months ago. Your mother fell into a depression and your father’s barley crops had withered and died before they could even be harvested. The village was dark, bleak, and lifeless. People milled about in the market as if in a daze, children were starving, men were dying in the roads, and there was no one around to help you. Tears streamed down your face as the steps evened out, got more precise, as you grew closer. The trees in the forest thinned the higher you got. A column towered to your right, holding nothing, but there was a marker showing you that you were getting closer. The Temple of Apollo had been erected here many, many years ago; before you were even born. The steps were strewn with flowers, bug eaten bread, wine, and many other offerings as you climbed the final steps to the temple. Despite the collective effort of the village to offer Apollo the last of their food or drachma, nothing had changed. So, you were here to beg the god to listen. In your bag, you had the finest bottle of wine from your mother’s storeroom and a few coins jingled against the glass. The large, marble temple towered above you. Inside, oil lamps burned dimly, kept up by various villagers afraid to anger the gods further. The statue of Apollo stood, foreboding and intimidating, in the dim light. Expensive rugs, food, goblets, coins, and other various offerings littered the floor at his feet. Inside, it was quiet, eerie, save for the rain now falling harder outside. You looked behind you to see it like a grey wall, coming straight down with no inclination of slowing down. Water dripped from your clothes and your feet blistered in your sandals.

“Apollo,” you whispered, afraid to hear your own voice in the vastness of the temple. You coughed a little as you spoke again. “Apollo. I come here to plead with you. I know many have come before me, begging with you to have mercy on our village. I am sorry I have not come myself, but I am here now to ask for your help. Our crops and people are dying from this strange illness. Never have I heard of both being endangered at once, but please I’ve already lost my brother…”

Your voice caught in your throat; devastation washed over you as you thought about the loss.

The temple was just as quiet as when you walked in.

Then a raven’s call broke the silence. You jumped, turning around to see a raven fly through the sheet of rain, into the temple, and onto the outstretched arm of Apollo. Something brushed against the side of your foot and you looked down to see a thick, long python slithering next to you. Screaming, you fell back on the marble floor, bag landing in your lap as the snake ignored you and lithely slid amongst the offerings to the base of Apollo’s feet where it curled up and settled in as if he belonged there. Both the raven and the snake seemed to be watching the entrance of the temple behind you, unmoving as they looked.

Slowly, you turned your head. Your entire body shook with fear and cold as you breathed heavily, a soft cloud escaping your lips as the temperature dropped. The hair along your neck and arms stood on end as the air became charged and you chocked it up to the storm, but this felt different. The electricity coursing through the air wasn’t any you had felt before. Your chest felt tight and you willed yourself to breathe, but you were afraid that if you did, whatever was causing this would find you.

You looked through the driving rain and saw nothing. Squinting, you looked a little harder. The vague shape of a human was coming up the steps on the mountain. They walked smoothly, but slowly up the steps; in no rush to get out of the pouring rain. The closer they drew, the more you could make the outline of a man, much taller it seemed than the men in the village. Another raven emerged from the rain behind him, calling out as it whipped past his head within centimeters, but he neither ducked out of the way nor cried out as it flew past. It flew into the temple and perched next to the first. You only watched them for a second before you turned back towards the man, closer now as he started to navigate the offerings laid out and ruined on the steps. Your chest burned hotter and hotter as your lungs constricted, too afraid to breathe or move. He stepped through the rain and into the balmy, wet cavern of the temple, completely dry. His tousled, curly hair fell past his eyes and the dark strands kissed the back of his neck softly. His skin was dark and warm. Your breath was taken away as you looked at him. Smooth, unmarred skin disappeared under the soft white tunic that was made of a material you had never seen before. His brown eyes sparkled in the lamp light as he looked down at you. He seemed larger than life inside the temple, completely out of place yet strangely at home within the surroundings. He turned to survey the offerings, smiling as the saw the snake and ravens, before he turned to you and held out his hand. Your back was still to him as you sat frozen, head turned and looking at him. He gestured towards you more emphatically as if you were supposed to know what he wanted. His eyes widened as he looked at you in exasperation and pointed to your bag. Slowly, you swiveled around and with shaking hands opened the bag and pulled the wine from it. Mirth filled his eyes and a wide smile broke out across his face. You felt the warmth from his smile and his skin as he leaned closer to you in order to grab the bottle. Snatching up a goblet close by, he easily popped the cork out with his teeth, spit it to the side, and began pouring. He swirled the wine a little before bringing it to his lips and sipping lightly. He seemed to be in thought as he let the taste roll around on his tongue for a second.

“Tell your mother her wine is excellent,” he said turning his attention to you. “She can use her wine to play kottabos.”

You wanted your mouth to form words but all you could do was stutter as you struggled to think. He turned his head to look around the temple and that was when you saw the laurel wreath nestled in his curls. Some of the leaves looked as if they were freshly grown while some were a solid, thin gold.

“Are you…?” you finally were able to mutter.

He got down on one knee in front of you, forearm rested across it as he leaned into you. He smelled sickly sweet and a little like rain, even though he was completely dry. He stared into your eyes searchingly before his gaze directed to the large statue behind you. One of the ravens gave a single cry as you watched his eyes rake down the statue, past the snake, and back at you.

“Doesn’t really look like me, but I appreciate the effort.”

Could Apollo be right in front of you right now? Or were you so desperate for help that you were hallucinating?

“How do I know it’s you?” you clutched your bag tightly against you.

His eyebrows shot up in surprise and then furrowed as if caught off guard. Surely no mortal meeting a god had questioned their validity before? He let out a low whistle that blew the sweet smell of wine across your face. His eyes flitted to point behind you and once again you were slowly turning your head, unsure of how to prepare yourself for whatever phantom you were about to see. A young girl stepped out from behind the statue and stood next to the python. Beautiful blue robes laid across her shoulders and pooled past her feet. Ornate gold threading depicted Apollo receiving his golden bow and arrows from his father Zeus. Her eyes were as white as milk, but she looked at him as if she could see everything in the room.

“That,” he said pointing to the woman who was as still as a statute, “is the Pythia, Oracle of Delphi.”

Her face was impassive as you looked at her, the soft glow of the lamps lit her features. Her hair was softly braided, thrown over her shoulder, and golden thread was woven within the strands.

“What day is it?”

“Seventh day of the month and the number of Apollo,” he said winking at you. “The only day the Pythia will give prophecy.”

“Can she help us? Can…you help us?” You threw all caution to the wind as you chose to believe the man claiming to be Apollo himself.

“Of course, I can help you,” he said running his finger along your jawline before cupping your chin. He leaned your head back a little as he brought the goblet to your lips. “Now drink, my little bird.”

The familiar taste of your mother’s wine washed into your mouth as you drank, but there seemed to be something different; a taste foreign to your tongue. The tepid liquid ran down your throat and the strange taste seemed to coat it. Your vision blurred a little and your mind buzzed as if you were instantly drunk, but something within you lit like a flame. He smiled when he saw the look in your eyes change and pulled the bag from your lap, ignoring the coins as they clinked together inside. Leaning in close, he pressed his mouth against yours and the heat inside of you seemed fueled by the kiss as it burned hotter. He pulled away, eyes not leaving your swollen lips as his chest rose swiftly.

“You look so much like her…,” he said wistfully as his thumb brushed your bottom lip.

You shivered again from his touch as he placed his open palm against your neck. Heat radiated from him like the sun on a summer day and he seemed to shine just as bright in the dark temple. The flames from the oil lamps created flickering shadows on the walls. The statue shown even bigger and more intimidating in shadow with the two ravens still perched on the arm. His other hand came up to your face as he knelt in front of you, hooded eyes surveying every inch of your face.

“Wine kissed lips,” he whispered, head tilting in thought as he ran his thumbs over your features, “eyes as clear as the sea, skin kissed by Helios, and a face fit for the gods.”

The heat between you grew and amplified, filling every corner of the temple. The fires in the lamps dulled a little and soon the whole room glowed softly and you saw the flames perfectly in his eyes. Swiftly, he grabbed you by the waist and was sitting with you perched on his lap facing him within seconds. The Oracle still stood behind him, eyes distant as she stared out of the door of the temple, unmoving.

“She couldn’t love me,” he continued, “but you can.”

His lips were on your neck as he pulled you closer to him, hands tangling in your hair. He seemed desperate to be closer to you in every way and his breath quickened with each kiss.

Daphne. Eros had shot Apollo and made him fall in love with a nymph. That was who he was talking about; the nymph who turned herself into a laurel tree to escape him. Now that he was here in front of you, you weren’t sure why she would ever want to do that.

“Can you love me?” he asked breathlessly between kisses to your neck, shoulder, and face. He didn’t give you time to answer before his lips were on yours again, pushing your robe from your shoulders and his warm hands were on your ribs, pulling you against him and your breasts rubbed against the soft fabric. You moaned as the sensation made your entire body shiver. His hands were on your lower back now as he slid your hips even further into his and you felt him grow harder amongst the plumes of fabric.

He stopped suddenly, hands still grasping at your skin, chest heaving against yours as he looked up into your eyes. Flames flickered there as his pupils were blown wide with desire. “Will you be the sacrifice that saves your family?”

His question took you off guard, your mind clearing just a little. Were you willing to sacrifice yourself to save others? Hundreds had died and many more would due to famine. You had already lost so much, so what would be one more thing? Nothing.

“Yes.”

Something seemed to transfer from him to you as he devoured you body and soul. It filled you until you thought the feeling would be unbearable, somewhere between pain and pleasure, you were stuck in the balance between the two and you wanted to rupture to alleviate it. Your skin burned hotter than a fever and his lips were hotter still. He kissed the place above your breast as he grabbed your ass and pulled you harder against him. The shadows around you danced dangerously along the walls and vaulted ceiling. This time, you pushed the fabric from his shoulders to reveal a toned chest, the golden honey tone of his face matching perfectly to the rest of a him. A band of gold wrapped around his upper arm and you blearily watched as the muscles flexed beneath it. His mouth was on your nipple and hot pleasure raced across your skin and directly into your core. You felt yourself beginning to drip on the expensive fabric of his robes. He inhaled deeply as he came up from your breast, spit stretched to his lips as he detached and before you knew it his lips were on yours. His tongue was at your lips, darting past your teeth to explore the depths of your mouth. He moaned now, as he deepened the kiss and ground himself up into you as he kept a firm grip on your hips. He dipped his hand into the folds of your clothes and instinctively found your clit. He ran his hand past it, to your folds, to collect the slickness now gathering there and ruining his clothes. He placed two fingers over your clit and began to draw small circles, gradually applying pressure. Your legs quivered and threatened to close against the pleasure, but he kept you spread with his. Fiery red bruises blossomed along your neck and collarbone as he moved his lips anywhere he could reach, sucking and biting as he went. He slid both fingers back and curved them up into you, sliding deliciously in and out until he had your eyes rolling. Your fingers dug into the skin of his shoulders, back arched as you leaned more into him, riding his fingers. He stilled his movements as you began to roll your hips, using him to pleasure yourself. He pushed his thumb against your clit as he sucked your other nipple into his mouth, suckling gently, as he teased the sensitive nerve endings. Tears slipped slowly out of your eyes as your pleasure mounted. He moaned as your body shuddered, close to the edge. Hand completely still, you fucked yourself over him until you were dripping well past his wrist. Your eyes flew open as your orgasm hit. The shadows on the wall seemed to grow larger as you came. The Oracle still stood, as still as ever, gazing out of the doors of the temple. Your fingernails raked into his skin painfully and he sighed as he brought your face to his once more, kissing you deeply. His fingers were out of you within moments as he stood easily from the floor, taking you with him as you wrapped your legs around his waist. His tunic fell away as he stood, leaving you the only one semi clothed. Turning, he walked up the steps to the altar, raked every offering off onto the floor, and laid you gently on your back. You gasped as your hot skin hit the cold surface of the marble, but that did not deter him as he pulled your clothing off completely. He dropped to his knees in front of you as if offering penance to himself, here in his own temple, yet he was worshipping you. Wrapping both arms around your thighs he pulled you into him, burying his face into you as he fucked you with his tongue. Off to the right and higher up, the Oracle still stood motionless next to the sleeping python. The rain still poured outside, semi muted through the stone, but loud on the steps outside. The heat inside of you grew once more as he sloppily ate your cunt; the stone beneath you becoming slicker. Your hands were in his hair, buried deep at the roots, and pulling him harder against you. He moaned against your clit as he flicked his tongue over you. Chills of pleasure rippled through you as your legs closed hard around his head. The small, golden leaves bit into the skin of your thighs but you ignored them. Almost involuntarily, you began moving your hips against him, desperately always wanting more. He moved with you, hands firm on your thighs as his enclosed mouth and tongue worked over your clit. One leg curled in, the ball of your foot digging into the edge as your toes curled, while the other stretched out behind him. Your back arched up off the altar as you came a second time, but he continued eating you out into overstimulation as you pulled at his hair. He came up not a second later, rising from his knees in front of you, and face glistening. The heat still burned in his eyes as he looked down at you, an offering, laid out on his altar.

He leaned down, hands on either side of your waist, as he looked you in the eye.

“Are you a willing sacrifice?”

“Yes,” you muttered between swollen lips.

“Then I give myself to you.”

He filled you up so completely and, in that moment, you had never felt so full. He still seemed to be connected to you not just by body but also something deeper, something that transcended this place. His thrusts were easy, you were so wet he slid inside with ease. He wrapped his arms around your knees, holding your legs up as he fucked you, hitting so deep inside of you it bordered on painful. You cried out as your body slid with each thrust, but he was pulling you back, bouncing you on his cock and starting over again. He let go and leaned down, folding your legs with him as his thrusts slowed but got deeper. Keeping you hanging in a balance of standing right at the precipice and falling over the edge, he kept the torturous pace until you were nearly begging him to go faster. He leaned back once more to let your legs fall to either side of his hips before leaning back down again. He still lazily thrust inside of you as he grabbed some of your hair and brought your face close to his.  

“Such a pretty little bird sacrificing herself to me,” he whispered hotly. Every now and again he’d thrust harder and deeper, causing you to moan, which he seemed to be enjoying immensely.  He reached between the two of you and placed his fingers on your swollen clit. “Now give me another part of you.”

He deepened his thrusts to the point the he was barely moving, ensuring he was brushing over that bundle of nerves each time. You couldn’t breathe, you couldn’t see, and you couldn’t think.

That’s when the voice resounded in the room. Your eyes fluttered open as you saw the Oracle still staring into the rain, mouth unmoving as a woman’s voice seemed to come from the air, as loud as thunder, and as soft as a bird’s wing.

“The sickness that has wrought this land shall be smote with the rainfall.”

He didn’t even seem to notice that she was speaking as he continued to fuck you, bringing you close to the edge once more. Sweat dripped from his brow to your breasts as he watched your face. Pure ecstasy was laced into your features and he was fascinated by it.

“In three months hence all trace of the disease will be wiped from your people, livestock, and crops.”

He drew his bottom lip between his teeth as he maintained his pace inside of you and on your clit. You opened your eyes to look at him. He glistened in the firelight and he seemed even more god-like as he glowed. The laurels on his head glinted, giving him an even more heavenly appearance. But what you noticed the most was the look in his eyes. He didn’t look at you like a sacrifice, he looked at you lovingly, truly appreciating the offering given to him, and treating it with respect. He wanted you to feel every bit of elation and pleasure that he did. The room dimmed immensely as you came, almost completely tamped down. The ravens both cried overhead as they rose in a flurry of wings and flew out of the temple into the rain.

“And with this sacrifice to Apollo, your land shall never know the touch of disease or famine until the end of your days.”

The snake at her feet uncoiled and stretched to its full length, slithered between his legs as he thrust into you harder now, and out of the temple. The Oracle turned and walked back around the statue and disappeared from the temple once more. The fire in the lamps returned to a dull glow, illuminating the statue with less intimidation. He slowed his thrusts again until they were deep and even. His face was pressed against your shoulder as he gathered you in his arms, holding you closer and reaching his end. Your hands explored every inch of his back, feeling the muscles ripple beneath his skin. He held you aloft with one arm as he came, falling forward onto his other hand, holding the both of you up as he rode out his orgasm, thrusting a few more times before he stopped. He breathed heavily against you, still holding you, as silence and rain cloaked the temple once more. He lowered you, gently, back down onto the altar before pulling out of you. He donned his tunic before pulling yours from the floor and holding it. You sat up on the altar and he lightly pulled yours over your head. Softly, he placed a kiss on your forehead before smiling.  

“Brother?” you heard from the doorway.

He turned slightly to look as you too leaned to the side. A woman who looked almost exactly like him, but with much longer hair stood in the doorway. Furs covered her shoulders, leather gauntlets protected her arms, a saffron hunting tunic reached her knees, and a highly detailed carved bow was slung across her back. In every sense of the word she was a hunter, but she seemed a beautiful force to be reckoned with.

“Artemis,” he said simply.

“Are you done?” she asked, eyes scanning you as you sat on the altar. “The ravens preceded your return, but you did not come.”

“I didn’t tell them to leave.”

“You should know your place.” And with that she turned and walked off into the rain, a large hound following behind her.

He turned back to you and smiled sadly, holding your hand in his.

“May your family be blessed by the gods,” he smiled.

“Wait.” You were genuinely confused. Weren’t you his sacrifice? You were expecting him to pull out a golden dagger at any moment and plunge it through your heart. You’d thank him, too, if it meant saving your family.

He let go of your hand in favor of cupping your face in his palms.

“You gave yourself to me,” he whispered against your lips as chills ran up and down your spine, “and that’s all I wanted.”

He kissed you softly, but there was something unsaid behind it; a true reverence in his followers and an appreciation you had never felt before. He let go of you slowly, backing away with a grin on his face and looking at you as if he were trying to remember this. Gods rarely ever crossed a mortal’s path twice. You watched as he grabbed a bottle of wine, took a sip, and sauntered back out into the rain and down the steps.

You sat dumbly on the altar not sure what to do. Do you tell your family? Do you keep it a secret? Maybe the Oracle was wrong. Instead, you trudged back home through the rain, until you reached the village. Going to bed that night, you were unsure if your sacrifice had been enough.

Within the month the barley was growing back better than ever, signs of sickness had been eradicated from the people, and the farmers were sure the livestock would come back from the loss. The sun shined bright each day, glinting off the surface of the sea. Within five months, the village was back to normal again. You still felt the loss of your brother and friends, but you were happy that the suffering was over. From time to time, you’d visit the temple, leaving an offering of your mother’s wine. Each time Apollo would follow behind, grab the bottle, pull the cork, and take a long drink.

With a smile on his face and mischief in his eyes as he thought back on your night together, he’d take another, long drag of the sweet wine. Even with age he still thought you were beautiful.

“Good enough to play kottabos.”

[spooner-cruz]

I rewatched Green Arrow and the Canaries (Arrow s8 e9) again and I have thoughts ™️.

(Arrow spoilers... duh)

First of all GAY GAY GAY

If GAATC had gotten picked up Laurel and Dinah would’ve been together and you can’t convince me otherwise !

I know it’s the CW and they’re quite the experts on Queerbaiting ™️ (especially being a CW Arrowverse show *side eyes Supercorp*) which was probably the case, but I chose to believe they would’ve gotten together! I mean ffs their first scene this episode is the gayes thing ever.

Laurel’s eyebrow raise and smile when Dinah notices her kfhdkchsjd

The director/writer/ whomever, decided to put this DinahxLaurel interaction so that the lyric “I’m in love with you” matches up with Dinah’s reaction to Laurel. That was fully purposeful! Dinah had a whole ass piano solo after that lyric where they couldve put their interaction, but nooo

The lyric:“Im in love with you”!! WHAT WAS THE REASON!! The songs original lyric is “I love you” and I could not find a single other version or cover that uses “Im in love...” instead. I know Dinahsiren fanfic writers picked up on this (as they should) and it’s an often mentioned fact in Dinahsiren fanfic (and i love it) but the thing is we would’ve overanalyzed it just the same had they kept the original lyrics. I’ve heard arguments that “it’s not that big of a deal” AND THATS EXACTLY THE POINT, if it’s not that big if a deal why would they change it??? We would’ve lost our minds even had kept the original lyric, but they made this change so it was noticeable!! So this was either them leading up to a Dinahsiren relationship or very detailed and precise queer-baiting, I chose to believe the former.

Anyway that’s it from Dinah and Laurel because every single one of their interactions with his episode was gay and they deserve their own separate post + I don’t want to make this one longer than it will be.

who do I have to contact in order to know who the big bad of this show would be???

I’ve got theories, as I’m sure many do! Please feel free to share your theories I’d love to know!!

What we know:

She’s a woman.

She kidnapped and planned on killing Bianca Bertinelli, which would’ve brought crime and disorder back to star city

She kidnapped William, which is probably how the GAATC would’ve gotten even more involved with all of this

Her “minions” wore the Deathstroke mask and seemed keen on reviving the Deathstroke Gang

THE HŌZEN!! In Buddhism, it symbolizes reconnecting, in Arrow it was shown to be a symbols of the Queen family, passed from Oliver to Thea to Roy than Thea again then to Felicity and finally William. However, it also symbolizes Lian Yu. The Hozēn was used in 2040 1.0 to bring William to Lian Yu, where Hōzen was initially found around a dead soldiers neck. And before the Hōzen came to symbolize the Queen family, Shado had it and wore it around her neck, which brings me to my theory.

The main antagonist would’ve been Shado.

All the symbols used by our villain relate to Shado. The Hōzen being the main reason why I think this, before it was a symbol of Oliver’s family, it was a symbol of Lian-Yu and Oliver’s way to remember Shado. The Deathstroke mask adds up too. Slade loved Shado, everything he did was to avenge her death, and though she didn’t reciprocate his romantic feelings she obviously cared about him too.

What I see happening is that maybe Shado was brought back to life after crisis (they explained why Robert Queen wasn’t brought back but they never did explain why Shado wasn’t brought back) somehow she ends up in 2040. So Shado is alive and in 2040, and she wants revenged on Oliver for her would’ve-been death (and his legacy— hence the destroying the city and kidnapping William). It would also make sense for her to honor Deathstroke, especially if she had found out about her friends similar mission to avenge her. Plus she was one of the people who trained Oliver to be the Hood, so she would’ve definitely provided a challenge for GAATC

Also she’s pretty and I miss her and that would’ve been so cool

I do have a few plot holes about GAATC and just crisis/the 2040 kids in general that I noticed this rewatch and they really bother me:

Did they not restore Zoe’s memory of Crisis?? (2020 Zoe that is).

I fully understand why they didn’t restore William’s memory seeing as he wasn’t actually there during Crisis and JJ was a baby so it’s not like he had memories to be restored.

But Zoe was there through it all. Yes we didn’t see her in crisis, but she had to have known about it, at least in crisis-prep season 8. Rene and Dinah both seemed pretty vocal about their vigilantism when they were interacting with Zoe, and even if they didn’t tell her about Crisis, she would’ve noticed her dad leaving for an island in the North China sea or how he probably acted all sad and shit after he found out 2040 version 1.0’s Zoe died. Plus she definitely would’ve seen grown Mia and William at least once during season 8 even if what just passing by. Also after Crisis happened, even if they didn’t restore her memory, she would’ve noticed Dinah suddenly disappearing?? Or that people that used to be dead were suddenly alive (which is another crisis issue! Moira and Tommy didn’t seem to have their memories restored yet they knew in some version of reality they would’ve been dead, so did the people who’s memories didn’t get restored just accept that dead folks were coming back). At the very least 2040 Zoe would’ve 100% recognized Dinah and Laurel (so would William for that matter wtf).

Then there’s the Diggles.

So baby Sara seemed to have been brought back, as show in the last few scenes of Arrow. Why was she not in 2040? Would she have been included in GAATC or were they just glaze over how John and Lyla suddenly had a daughter who was conveniently the same age as JJ.

Then also the whole thing with Dig being the Green Lantern, I got to say I’m completely out of the loop with that, but it’s what Arrow seemed to have been leading up to, which just bring me to ask why tf are Digs kids the way that they are? I mean it’s not the most ridiculous thing ever, that the Green Lantern’s kids grew up to be a drug addict, and a socialite who ended up being evil, but it just doesn’t rlly add up that Diggle was the Green Lantern yet his kids are like this.

Also they whole thing with JJ being evil again makes no sense?? Yes he was reminded that in a past life he was evil, but now tf would that make him want to be evil again. Mia was struggling with embracing her past life vs her current life because she had a great life and yet felt a responsibility to live up to her father and be a hero, understandable, but JJ??? He had a great life in 2040 version 2.0, and he moved on so quickly from that when he regained his memory simply because is some past life his dad was kind of an asshole?? Idk doesn’t make sense to me.

[lgbtqlegends]

Avalance wedding headcanons?

Via @jkp-official

okay so i got another ask about avalance wedding so i'm just gonna stick it here:

thank y'all for the asks n hope y'all enjoy! okay so like i don't think avalance really needs to get married like i think they'd be fine as just like,,, life partners without the whole marriage thing. I'd be fine seeing either in the show- either them getting married or them being life partners. however, that being said, it would be so damn cute if they did get married so without further ado, here are the headcanons:

-sara wants the absolute gayest wedding ever because this is their day and they're going to do it however they want to. the legends all agree that the wedding should def be super gay, liked decked out in rainbows and pride flags n shit so that's ultimately what they end up doing, and ava has almost no reservations about making it like,, super blatantly queer (esp since they know who they're inviting and none of them are homophobic or anything so it's chill)

-it's a pretty small wedding too, like neither of them wanted a big wedding, it just wouldn't have felt right for them and besides, it's not like either of them has a whole lot of people to put on the invite list. so it ends up just being the legends, both former and current, plus the other super teams like arrow, flash and supergirl. sara's family is there too, so like,, quentin, dinah, laurel and also sin, and that's pretty much it

-they really do go all out with making it gay lmao like,, rainbows and pride flags n shit just,,, e v e r y w h e r e. everyone thinks it's the best thing ever.

-sara n ava can't decide who's gonna get to walk down the aisle so they end up saying fuck it, quentin will walk them both down the aisle

-they also both have a hard time deciding whether they wanna wear a dress or a suit. neither of them really cares what the other wears, as long as like,, the general colour scheme looks good together, it's just neither of them can decide what they personally wanna wear. they both end up in suits and they absolutely Kill it (and y'know,,, if they both do a double take when they see each other for the first time on their wedding day, well,, mission accomplished then)

-either diggle or gideon officiates it n it's the best thing ever bc it's close and personal and family

-it's a very soft night. neither of them wanted a church wedding, so they ended up doing nature and they end up doing it in some beautiful place surrounded by trees and soft grass and fresh air. there's fairy lights everywhere so that everything is doused in a soft yellow glow that flickers a little bit. they think it's quite possibly the most magical thing they've ever seen and they've quite literally seen a lot of magical things in their life

-they both cry a bunch of happy tears and the way they look at each other the entire night is just,,, 🥺🥺 absolute heart eyes. like,, they're so in love

-everyone else also cries bc they think it's just so beautiful n sara n ava are so in love n they deserve every single second of this happiness

-it's later in the night like,,, during the reception. sara n ava are in the middle of the makeshift dancefloor n they're slow dancing to some cheesy slow love song that they designated as their song, that like,, describes their relationship. sara discarded her shoes a long time ago, so she's barefoot in the soft grass and surrounded by fairy lights and the heigh difference between her n ava is even more prominent bc ava hasn't yet taken off her shoes. sara's got her arms around ava's neck n ava's got hers around sara's waist bc of the height difference n they're looking at each other with absolute love n adoration n happiness in their eyes

-and like there's other ppl on the dancefloor obvi but no one else is actually dancing bc they're all just so caught up in watching sara n ava, bc it's this beautiful moment where they're both just so soft n happy n wrapped up in each other n neither of them even notice anything (which says a lot given who they are n their instincts) bc they're just in their own little world

-someone snaps a picture of that moment n gets it printed so that sara n ava can have it forever. behrad also sits at a table, drawing out the moment bc he plans on giving them the drawing after

-time seems frozen for just a moment, but then sara's leaning up n ava's leaning down into a super soft kiss that somehow brings them closer to each other than they were before, and sara's and sara's kinda on her tippy toes, her hands gripping ava's suit while ava holds her hips. n they just look so happy n so at peace that everyone starts to tear up again

-it only lasts a brief moment before they pull back, and sara steps closer to ava and rests her head over ava's heart as they keep swaying to the music. they stay like that pretty much the whole rest of the night until it's time for everyone to start heading home

-at some point during the night, when they're doing pictures, they whip out some swords and take some pretty cool pictures with those (and they also definitely had a couple picture of them wearing armor too and wielding swords. it's pretty fricken awesome)

-once everyone leaves and they're back on the waverider, they curl up in bed together after some mind blowing wedding night sex and it's the absolute happiest either of them has ever been. they just feel so happy and light and warm and in love n just,,, every other good feeling in the book

-they fall asleep after spending a little while talking softly and getting distracted by each other's lips. they sleep great throughout the entire night and they wake up late the next morning, still cuddled super close together. it's still the happiest they've ever been and they spend a little extra time in bed, just snuggling and talking and stealing kisses and being super soft.

-when they finally emerge from their room it's well after lunch time and the legends swear they've never ever seen sara n ava so happy and at peace n it makes them all a little emotional

-they leave for their honeymoon later that day after thoroughly making sure the legends won't blow up the ship while they're gone, but honestly they don't think anything could pull them away from their honeymoon vacation bc they're just too damn happy and in love with each other and they deserve every bit of it and they'll be damned if they don't enjoy every second this vacation, wrapped up completely in each other

[cartoonfangirl1218]

Cards

So obviously set in S1. CaptainCanary. Enjoy.

Cards had kinda become a hobby between them, the ice breaker so to say. She had found out the most about him when they played cards and she revealed more about her life than she had thought she would to the coldhearted criminal.

Something about the soft, rhythmic shuffle of the pieces of paper, the silence that enveloped them, isolating them from each other yet in barrier together against the rest of the world. It was relaxing, no need for the constant babbling that Ray provided or the awkward comments. They could just think and observe. No pressure to make conversation. She hadn't expected to but it all started during gin rummy.

Se had been surveying her cards, picking which one to show her hand when she noticed a scar on the inside of Leonard's wrist.

She didn't mean to stare but Leonard noticed anyway. He was always so observant that way. Taking in his surroundings and calculating it to his advantage.

"Just a beer bottle" He said off-handedly like he was describing one of his prison beaks. "I was 5."

he said it very breezily and non chant but Sara could see by the way his forehead flattened just a bit that the scar bothered him.

She was aware of his past and his father and didn't bother prying anymore information out of it. It would ruin the mood besides his queen was going to get destroyed by her Aces.

The second time, she was the one who spoke about her time on the League of Shadows. It had been after returning from the fifties and she was sleepless. The years with Ra reminded her of when she first joined and the bloodlust and she just plagued her thoughts on her ability to be a hero. At least a reliable one.

Leonard had entered the kitchen at five in the morning, saw her staring at the table and brought out a deck of cards for poker.

They settled to the usual shuffling and calling out moves, and soon Sara started to pour out her feelings.

"It's just juts that everyone is so good! It annoys the shit out of me so much. I feel like I'm constantly struggling to live up to those standards. Even Arrow, he killed who knows how many people on the island, but at least he tries to fight the darkness. I...I gave up too easily, I just fell back to the League because it felt good. I always was bad and kinda selfish, you should hear the things I did when I was a teenager." Sara ranted

"Look who's talking" Leonard scoffed "I'm only here to steal the world's most famous jewels from across the timeline."

Sara snorted quietly under her breath. That hardly mattered, he was the criminal, he didn't know how hard it was to compare with a "pure and sweet and utterly adorkable" friends and older sister.

"But seriously, Sara. You're strong woman, I've seen it in the way you fight and in your actions. It's hard dealing with all the good people but us "bad guys" we're stronger than them. We know pain and we moved past it."

Sara almost dropped her cards. Where was the speech coming from, it sounded like poetry or some inspirational message for the AA group.

Sara managed to shut her mouth and give a small thanks.

They had played once more when Pilgrim came and they had to say goodbye to their family members and give them the amnesia pill. They had just dropped off Jax's dad back to his station, when Leonard pulled out his cards teasingly.

"Let's go to the control room" Sara said and they did

"So how did your dad go?" Leonard asked, setting up the flush game.

"Okay, it took him awhile to get used to the fact they we were from the future, and that alians did not take over the Earth. But I managed. How about you?"

"Good. Yeah, Lisa and I talked. Nothing big. She wouldn't let go of baby me, I think she wanted to take me home with her."

"Baby you was cute" Sara grinned

"Do you miss him? Your dad I mean."

Sara regarded that question thoughtfully, "Yeah I do. I've spent years without them and stuff but I do sometimes wish they would magically appear and give me advice sometimes" Sara shrugged. She had wished that twice already, she wanted to talk to Laurel so badly after Leonard said "My feelings for you" comment. It had caught her off-guarded and yes, she was pleased. But it was Leonard maybe he was just teasing and wanted to get a reaction out of her. Then again, that moment when they were huddled the warehouse, approaching possible death. Then too she wanted to contact Laurel and talk.

"Sometimes I think about how she's doing without me. I was relieved to hear she hadn't gotten herself into jail yet but she isn't staying home and knitting either. I think she's screwing that engineer kid. The one that's friends with Flash" Leonard scowled as he thought over all the things she could possibly be doing without his supervision.

Sara gave a small smile. It was sweet how much he cared for his sister, she wished she had more of that relationship with Laurel. Sure it was better now, but they could have been a little more lenient with each other's faults.

"There could be worse things" Sara merely replied, and frowned as she saw her cards get flushed.

It all came to head after Leonard's return.

It had been a busy few weeks, gathering the information, helping hi cope with dying but despite the pain at looking at him struggling to get back to what he was, she was still incredible relieved he was back.

They hadn't talked about what the kiss meant, but they both knew it was something more. She gave it willingly and without pity for his death but rather for doing his part for the mission.

"So Lance, wanna go get freaky in the 80s next. The retro 80s bars in Havana are quite killer if you're looking for a fight. I'm tired of the whole nurse routine their giving me out there" Leonard drawled, gesturing outside Sara's room

"Sure" Sara moved toward him, eye to eye and kissed him.

Leonard gave his signature smirk, and Sara smiled back.

"So did you see what I left for you?" he asked

"Left what?"

"Well since Rip kept saying that this might our last mission, people could die, etc etc. I left something in your sword case"

Sara's eyes widened and she rushed to open her sword case hidden in the back of her closet.

There was a pack of cards. His pack of cards.

"Very thoughtful. How about we play some now, then get freaky." Sara suggested, inside a warm feeling spread through her heart.

"Sure" He sat down beside her, and kissed her softy on the head.

years later, the two were lying on a casino table.

The club had been cleared out after Sara appeared with her knives and he with his cold gun. They locked the doors shut and had the whole place to themselves.

They went to the same bar as they had went in the seventies as a memorial for their fifth year anniversary as boyfriend and girlfriend.

They had been playing cards, but after Leonard accused her of cheating, and Sara challenged him to find her hidden cards, one thing led to another and well.. the casino was surprisingly comfortable for a sensual wrestling match.

"Found it" Leonard grinned as his hands unzipped the back of her dress, pulling out eight cards of aces.

"Well if I'm cheating than you've got to be bluffing" Sara put an exaggerated whine as she slipped her hands under his parka.

"What bluff?"

"The one where you said you'd give me the best game of my life" Sara licked the bottom of his lips

He stopped her words with a kiss and pushed the cards off the table.

[cogentranting]

Arrow 1x04 Rewatch

“You really did lose your mind on that Island”  “Found a couple things too”  “Like what archery classes?” “No. well. Yes. Technically. But that’s not what I’m talking about.” 

Two things:  1. Laurel said she heard about the shooting and came to check on Oliver. But she was with Tommy. Did Tommy not come check in to see if his best friend got shot?  2. She accuses him of being so self centered that he doesn’t think people will care if he’s okay or not and be worried about him. But that just.. doesn’t make sense as a line of reasoning. I feel like the more logical conclusion relates to the 5 years that she believes he spent in total isolation and often in life threatening danger. You know. Where he wouldn’t have had anyone worrying about him that he needed to check in with. 

Ok. So I know why Oliver isn’t thrown by the shooting. By why isn’t Thea more upset by it? 

Oliver’s voice changer this early is different than the voice he uses later and I can’t decide if that’s good because it sounds more like a regular voice so it’s less obvious that he’s disguising it or if it’s too close to his regular voice

“You were born with a platinum spoon in your mouth. What you spend five years on an island with no room service and suddenly you find religion?” I mean... yes? That’s a reasonable explanation even if the public story of just being marooned and isolated was true. A near death experience, watching your father and childhood friend/girlfriend/mistress (whatever you want to call Sara) and multiple other people die, then struggling to survive for 5 years in total isolation is enough to make most people reevaluate their life. 

“I thought you said your father died when the boat went down.”  “We both made it to a life raft but there wasn’t enough food and water for both of us, so he shot himself in the head.”  So the acting on these lines is really interesting. Oliver for most of his statement is very obviously not making eye contact; he’s turned sideways looking away, staring at the table, anywhere but at Diggle. Until he gets to final clause-- on “he shot himself” his eyes go up and meet Diggle’s and he just stares at him for the rest of what he says about his father shooting himself, and atoning for his sins, and his own mission. I think, if I’m remembering right, that this is the first time that Oliver has told someone about what really happened to his father (it’s possible that he told Sara or someone else in the flashbacks that I’m just not remembering but I don’t think he did). And I think more than anything else on the whole course of the show, with the possible exception of the time Chase spent torturing him, that memory is hard for Oliver to talk about. He does later get to where he can talk about it a little easier (because he tells the story somewhere between 3-5 different times after this point) but I think at this point he’s really struggling to force those words out. But. It’s also very calculated. So when he does it he forces himself to stare Diggle down. He wants Diggle to feel the impact of those words. Diggle at this point has some idea of how much Oliver was affected by the Island-- in episode 2 he spots the PTSD signs. But that comment I quoted before in the last section shows that he’s still not quite getting it. And Oliver wants him get the full force of ‘this changed me’. And Diggle does. You can see the shock on his face as he processes what Oliver’s saying. What that means. What that would be like to watch something like that. But as Oliver continues through the rest of his Crusade Sales Pitch, you can tell that he’s not really sure what to think still. He sees Oliver’s intensity, and hears what he’s saying about corruption and believes that, and knows that Oliver’s changed, but he’s not sure into what. And honestly, in that moment Oliver’s frightening. His assessment of the problem in the city is fair, and Diggle sees that. But Oliver’s solution is a lot of violence. In a way this episode is sort of Diggle deciding to make a deal with the devil. He believes in what Oliver’s accomplishing so he decides to go along with this dark violent man to hopefully rein him in a little bit.  It’s only later that Diggle will start to truly like and trust Oliver, when he starts to see more of who he really is (something I think he has some sense of at the moment but only vaguely). For now working with him is a sort of compromise. 

“I mean I’m not your girl. I wasn’t making a pass at you.... but I am the future wife of your stepson.” 

I’ve probably said it a dozen times but it is so funny for me that the first stretch of flashbacks keeps Oliver in long sleeves and a shirt buttoned all the way up to the collar to hide the fact that Stephen is ripped at a time when Oliver shouldn’t be. 

“I took your advice with Laurel to be myself. I chained a man to some train tracks for her. It’s going great.” 

Quentin to Laurel: “You lied to me, straight to my face. I thought you and I didn’t do that.” Ohhhh just wait, Quentin. Just wait. 

Remember Andy Jr? Diggle’s nephew who is seen once in season 1 and then never again? And is never even mentioned in the second half of the show. 

“You remember the friend that I mentioned? the one that believes in you? Well he said he’s going to violently coerce a confession!” 

Somehow I think Oliver is more recognizable in this balaclava than in the hood. Like to the point that I think Laurel should have recognized him. Especially after she pulls him off the guy and is looking right at him. 

I really do love that moment when Oliver hears Laurel talking to Quentin about the Hood and says “he’s a killer”. Especially in light of the Russia flashbacks and knowing what Oliver is trying to get away from in himself.

“Just to be clear, I’m not signing on to be a sidekick.” No dude. You’re taking the first step toward being the Green Lantern. Congrats. 

“But maybe this way, there will be fewer casualties. Including you.” Even now, Diggle knows enough about who Oliver is that he wants to protect him and to make sure that he doesn’t die. Or completely lose himself. 

“‘except you have no idea what war does to you. How it scrapes off little pieces of your soul.” This line kills me every time because Oliver knows SO well how it does that. “And you need someone to remind you of who you are, and not this thing you’re becoming.”  I take back what I said in my long bit earlier (or at least some of it) about Diggle not really seeing yet the good in Oliver, because he shows here that he does. He sees both the monster and the man in Oliver right now. (And remember, it’s only been a few months at MOST since Oliver was killing people in Russia). And Diggle knows already that there’s someone worth saving in Oliver. And Oliver actually looks really affected by what Diggle has to say. Maybe because it sounds really similar to the warning that Anatoly gave him not long ago. Maybe because it echoes his own fears about himself. He knows what he’s capable of, what he’s done, better than Diggle does. And he’s trying to convince himself that he’s atoning for his father, not himself, that he is a man who can be here and have relationships. And in a way Diggle is offering him exactly what he desperately wants. Someone to believe in his humanity and be an anchor for him. Someone to trust. 

I love the audacity of the shocked and angry response Oliver has to being arrested for the things that he very much did do. 

[cwanddcunitedsuperheroes]

Savior (Kate Kane × F! reader SMUT)

Request: Yes or No

Based On: A post by @allurajarren​ wanting some Kate Kane × F! Reader Smut. I got you guys who wanted it covered. And I warn you it is my first time writing Lesbian Smut so it’s a learning experience here since I’m straight. Enjoy! 

Pairing: Kate Kane �� f! Queen reader

Note: (Y/S/H/N) - Your superhero name, (Y/N) - Your name, (A/B) - Alcoholic Beverage, 

Word Count: 

Description: As batwoman gets captured by Alice on a mission it's up to her girlfriend the reader aka (Y/S/H/N) to save her from Alice. After you save Batwoman the reader get injured and as her girlfriend she learns your identity. Which leads her to being angry at you, but also angry at Alice for harming you. But it escalates where the reader isn't too badly injured and leads to Angry yet passionate sex between Kate Kane and the Reader. (And yes, this is Oliver’s sister). And no I do not own Batwoman. 

Your heels were clicking against the hardwood floor as you were entering The Hold Up as you saw doing more work as she was currently thinking of what else to do with the whole club since everything with the club across the street hating homosexual people. When you kept studying the surroundings and saw Luke talking to Kate, as Mary noticed you walk in. 

“Hello (Y/N).” Mary said waving at you as your heels clicked more on the hardwood flooring, and you watched as Kate glanced at you from where she was standing behind the bar while focusing on her conversation with Luke. As you went to sit down beside Mary at one of the tables across from her. 

“So how is it being a lawyer in Gotham (Y/N)?” Mary asked me as I laughed. “Nothing too hard, because last time I checked Star City wasn’t too calm back then being a lawyer and all.” I said as she looked at me, “One time we almost had the court blown up.” I said as I remembered helping my client on trial as one of the court wall’s.” I said as Mary gasped, “Did anyone get hurt?” She asked as I nodded. “Well, nothing more than one broken leg, and a few people having scrapes and scratches. But nobody was injured to bad since Arrow came before anything could happen.” I said as she nodded. 

“Heroes always come at the craziest moments. Like they know how to make an entrance.” She said as I nodded. Before I saw a ding on my phone about the latest news in Gotham. I was scrolling through some of the batwoman articles as Mary continued to talk about Batwoman and (Y/S/H/N). 

Before I could glance back at Mary, I turned my head to see Kate coming up with drinks for everyone. I smile at her as I grab (A/B) and clink my glass with everyone before I take a sip of it. As everyone just looks at another as we are having a moment to just... enjoy. 

I heard Luke’s phone go off, as he whispers something in Kate’s ear as she apologies to Mary and I and then she runs off out the back way. For quite awhile I have suspensions that Kate is Batwoman since our encounter back when I lived in Star City as (Y/S/H/N) with my older brother Oliver when the Monitor came to test the heroes for this “crisis”. Before I knew it I finished my (A/B) and grabbed my jacket from the chair and walked out the front door after saying goodbye to Mary and Luke. 

I ran to my motorcycle and drove to my apartment as I threw my jacket on my couch as I took my hair down from the bun it was in, and sat my keys in my door bowl as I turned on the news watching as the sun was setting in Gotham knowing some sort of crime would happen tonight or any night now. Like Star City once did back then as my Brother, and I along with Team Arrow had to fight the crime there so why is this any different?

As I snapped out of my own head, and I saw the news headline “Alice captured Batwoman during a fight near Gotham Bridge” It said as I stared at the screen. I continued to watch the helicopter fly over Gotham Bridge and River.

I quickly grabbed my phone as I opened it and texted an Old friend as I opened my burner computer and started hacking through some of the controls of Batwoman’s gear and not getting to far. As I got a quick response back from my text, “I got you covered (Y/N). Next time just ask Barry to bring me to Gotham so I could have it easier to hack gear from Batwoman. Friggin Batwoman. What’s next Batman?” The text said as I laughed from the response that I received from Felicity one of my go to girls from Star City, other than Dinah, Laurel, and Sara. 

I grabbed my gear putting the location of the warehouse one of my weapons as I walked to my wall where my painting was as I moved it to grab my suit. Then running to my room to suit up as I continued to listen to the news. Then I ran to the storage place across the street unlocking it to grab my motorcycle as I started driving down the streets of Gotham. 

Smelling the water, listening to the cars, and the helicopter above me as I saw the flashing light from the lighting under the helicopter as I knew it would be the news. Then before I could continue to look up I see some of the crow cars behind me as I smiled turning down a street earlier and losing them heading to location of the warehouse Batwoman’s tracker was at. 

I stopped my bike near a dark patch of the street looking at some of the goons outside of the warehouse, as they definitely were Alice’s goons since they wear those silly and stupid masks that they do. I use my bow to go above the building before I jump on a goon and then fight the others, before taking them all down. Only getting minor bruised and scratched in the process. Nothing that Oliver would kill me for if he found out, or Kate. 

When I walked in the warehouse I walked through some creepy areas of broken dolls, white and red roses, and checker board on the floor pattern. I saw batwoman tied up as Alice was talking to her about her life story and not giving in to Batwoman. Before I could listen anymore I saw a goon coming over to where I was standing and I had to sneak up to them and take them down just like the old days as (Y/S/H/N). 

I continued to listen to Alice speak to Batwoman as she was bleeding badly already, and I continued to sneak around the hallway. When I was sneaking I heard Batwoman call Alice “Beth” which was Kate’s twin sister who was claimed “dead”. Just as I was going to enter some goons saw me. 

“It’s (Y/S/H/N).” One goon said as they started shooting at me and I dodged the bullets, as I saw Alice turn her head along with Batwoman as I kicked the men, and then threw a smoke bomb. When I got to the main room to help Batwoman, Alice had disappeared. But she can always be captured later.

As I saw some of the goons start to run down the hall towards here I quickly cut batwoman down with one of my daggers in my side pockets. Watching as she was trying to fight my grip as I turned to see the goons coming our way and I used my grappling hook to get us up hearing what sounded like Luke’s voice as we flew out of the building. 

I grabbed the com putting it in my ear as I headed to my motorcycle letting batwoman be in the front as I drove down the streets of Gotham, “Whoever you are if you have a medical kit she is going to need it.” I said through the com. “Who is this?” Luke said as I laughed. “(Y/S/H/N) and Batwoman needs help Luke stop with your games. I know it’s you, and trust me your teammate will die. I just need to know where this cave, or hideout is.” I said with my voice box as Luke sighed then told me to head towards Wayne Tower and go under the parking garage. 

As I arrived at Wayne Tower and headed up the elevator Batwoman woke up and was groaning at the pain from her side. When I got to the floor I saw Luke standing there coming over as he used Martha’s necklace and turned it to the Cave as we sat Batwoman down on the table as we had to get some of the gear off of her to help to stitch the knife wounds up. And I took off her mask, as Luke left the room to return later. I was in shock. 

Kate Kane is Batwoman.

A few minutes passed as Batwoman was finally better, and I was still in shock even through all the years of fighting with Team Arrow. My girlfriend was Batwoman. 

“Luke you let her in.” Kate said as she saw her mask beside her as she groaned and sat up looking at me like daggers coming in my side. As Luke entered seeing her mask off and looking at me. “She saved your life Kate.” She said as I looked at her worried. She studied my face for a moment looking at my (E/C) then every other detail she could see that the hood doesn’t cover. 

“(Y/N)?” She questioned as I was still hurt from being stabbed in the arm that I just stitched. Looking over and saw Luke look at me as I took down my hood to show my (H/C), and then I took off my mask. “Your (Y/S/H/N)?” Kate said as she furrowed her eyebrows and I nodded. 

“I’ll leave you two alone, I’ll see your both I presume tomorrow.” He said walking out to head home. I stared at Kate for a moment. “How long?” She asked me as I looked at her. “Before I moved to Gotham I helped my brother, which I know you know is Arrow.” I said to her as she looked at me as I saw the anger in her eyes. “I didn’t tell you because like you I was wanting to protect you. Even though I know you can protect yourself Kate.” I said as she looked at me. 

“Let’s go.” She said as I heard a light growl in her voice knowing what was going to happen as we headed to her apartment after changing from our costumes. I just knew she wasn’t going to care what I said tonight on how things go. 

As we arrived to her apartment and unlocked the door I turned around to feel her soft lips against mine as she roughly kissed me when we were walking slowly taking off our coats. But before I could do anything else she pushed me against the door, and locked it with a smirk on her face, when she saw I was flustered. 

She continued to kiss down my neck as I was feeling the moans in my throat trying to escape but couldn’t...yet. As she continued she took off my top, and threw it somewhere I couldn’t see. And then she continued to kiss down my neck and sucked on my sweet spot in between my neck and collarbone and I finally let in and moaned as I looked down to see her smirk. Trying to touch her with my hands she moved them up as she shook her head at me leading me to her bed pushing me on it. And before I knew it my skirt was off, along with her clothing as she got on top of me. 

She then pushed my hands above my head as she kissed down my collarbone down to my stomach. As in between kisses she roughly bites and sucks my skin as my moans become more frequently. As I know I’ll have a few hickies in the morning. Until she goes back to my lips and starts teasing my lips with her tongue as I allowed her access as she started to venture into my mouth then sucking my tongue. Once we both ran out of air she finally stopped kissing me and pulled her head up a bit to catch her breath, as I was laying breathless. 

Before I knew it Kate’s hand lowered to my waist, as she lowered her head to my breasted, and placed her mouth on my right nipple making my back arch at the feeling when she held my waist down. But before I could continue moving at the sensational feeling she wrapped her hand around my other nipple bud and started to twist it and the massaged it while she was sucking and biting my right nipple. Until she moved to my other nipple leaving a trail of kissing in-between each breast until she started sucking and biting on my left nipple, and then massaged my right nipple. I let out a deep moan as I felt my wetness growing worse in my panties. As I could hear my deep breathing continue as she came back up and kissed me taking one of her hands putting it on one of my thighs. 

Before I knew it she started to move my panties down my thighs then my calves to my heels as she finally pulled them all the way off looking at my the whole time with lust in her eyes. As she started to kiss my foot, then my ankle, then my calves, knee caps, and then she started to hold my hips as my back tried to arch as I moaned loud and hard. “Kate.” I moaned as she smiled with a smirk on her face going back to kissing up my thigh as I felt my pussy grow more wet knowing that her smirk grew bigger at the sight of me getting more wet. 

“Are you that eager?” She asked with a smug face and a raspy tone to her voice as I moaned out. As she continued to kiss my thighs slowly coming to my core. She then kissed my core as I started to moan louder as she laughed as I felt the pleasure of her laugh in my core. 

As she put her tounge near my wetness teasing me as I moaned as she was so close to the entrance. And I put my hands in her hair and she moaned.

After I hit my climax, I took a few breaths watching her lick some of my juices off my fingers. As she fell right beside me on her bed, as I turned over and got on top of her. “What Kate you thought that you I was going to be the only one?” I said kissing her pushing her back on her bed, watching as she fell down on her pillow and I kissed her again. 

I started trailing wet kisses down her neck to her shoulder sucking and biting leaving bruises for her tomorrow. After I continued to kiss down her chest kissing her breast then going down to her stomach as she moaned, “Fuck.” She said as I went back up and kissed her making her quiet again. 

Instead of teasing her I went to pleasure her by kissing her core 

I could feel from her body that she was almost at her climax. I continued to keep my tounge in her pussy, as I used on of my fingers that was on my other hand to start playing with her 

“That was something Kate.” I said looking back at her as she laughed but with a raspear voice. “Yeah, but (Y/N) next time don’t hide anything from me. I don’t want you to get hurt because of Alice.” She said as I smiled turning my body as I reached up and kissed her before falling asleep in her arms. 

[sola-invinctus]

30DD #3: Symbols of Apollon

↪️ Click here for a link to the 30 Days of Deity Devotion Challenge and credit for the above image goes to @dappermouth here

Apollon has many symbols and attributes to himself and his image, so this may a bit of a long and messy post. However, I’m on mobile and don’t know how to do a “read more” line here. Either way, before I begin, I want to give a quick shoutout to @falanx for her great Appalachian Apollon correspondences post. I adore reading about people’s local cultus and it’s quite a list. The following might also be used as correspondences as I do magic with this deity.

Common attributes:

The Lyre: For anyone with even a cursory knowledge of Ancient Greek religion or mythology, it’s quite obvious that Apollon is often depicted with a lyre. He’s the god of music and poetry, ruling over the oratory arts, along with leading the muses in their respective forms of art.

A Bow and a Quicker of Arrows: Just like the above detail of Apollon as a musician, he is equally depicted as an archer with his bow, sometimes ready to shoot. He is the god of archery and these tools, but it also refers to his golden/silver arrows. According to mythology, no one can feel these arrows but his shot is fatal, which is a metaphor for Apollon as a plague god, and so, these arrows are the cause of illness and sudden death itself. As both the Letii synchronized with the titans ruling over the sun as moon, their arrows began to become symbols of their rays of light as well.

Laurel Branch or Wreath: Apollon is often depicted wearing a laurel wreath or carrying a branch as this particular tree is sacred to him, which I will mention later on. But due to its mythology, the tree is also scene as a symbol of nobility, and wearing it denotes Apollon as a noble figure.

The Sun: Something that anyone associates with Apollon is the sun itself. Both him and Helios were the Greek gods of the sun but some times and places had them as one god or Apollon as solely in charge of it. And so, the sun easily has a strong connection to him.

Amber (UPG): Amber is associated with the sun and solar things in lots of lore and mythology. In descriptions of hyperborea, a mythical land beyond the northern wind that Apollon is said to retreat to, there is lots of amber. And a few other reasons I can’t remember off the top of my head.

Plants: Apollon has plenty of plants associated with him through various myths, which include

Bay laurel: According to myth, one of the women he loved, the nymph Daphne, was turned into a bay laurel tree, to escape him, and so, out of sadness, he wears it as a reminder of her. And thus, the origin of laurel wreaths, but also an attribute of noble status.

Larkspur/hyacinth: Similar to the above one, the hyacinth flower is named after one of his lovers who died and became a flower, Hyacinthus. Although, it’s likely that this myth more often referred to larkspur.

Cypress: You guessed it! Yet another dead lover becoming some sort of plant.

Henbane: Correspondence wise, it seems natural for a poisonous plant to be sacred to the god of plagues, and in this case, also one that may have been used to help induce the Pythian oracles in their trance state, along with oreandar. Henbane has been recorded as Herba Apollonaris for this reason.

Sunflowers (UPG): Every devotee or follower or deviantart artist of Apollon naturally associates this plant with him as the god of the sun, to the point that I can imagine how many people think it officially is, despite it being a new world plant. Personally, it works anytime he wants to pull up a flower for synchronicity.

Animals: Dear god, Apollon has a lot of animals, and depending on the time of day, I think I could probably name at least six, so I might miss one or two. It should go without saying that my absolute favorite animals of his are the wolf and the crow. Some of these are more gentle and others more scary, but something interesting about the myths connected to some of them is his way of claming that scariness as his own beast.

Crows: This generally seems to apply to all black corvids, such as crows, ravens, and jackdaws, maybe magpies as well if he chooses to. These are birds of omen especially with disease and sudden death, and fairly common birds in some places so it’s easy for him to “appear” in this particular animal. And my personal #1 fav animal.

Wolves: My favorite epithet of his is actually Apollon Lyceus, the wolf-god, but it shows his intense side, and ties into “Apollon as conquering” with all his tough scary bits. No bias at all here, clearly. Apollon is one of those things that changed wolves from a cliche to symbolically significant animal for me.

Snakes: An instance of taming the beast and making it your own, Apollon grew an association with snakes from the event of killing the Python Delphyne, in which he inherited all the snakes at the temple there. I’ve always loved snakes but not as much as the other two and he really isn’t as much of a snake spirit as others.

Cicadas: Cicadas make music and come out to the dance in the summer heat, so how couldn’t they be an animal of his? A couple of different Greek writers associate them with him, as well as with necromancy, so two birds one stone.

Mice: Another one of his animal epithets is “mouse-god” and with its own strange history, but mostly relating to regional cults and the oracular symbolism of mice in ancient times. It makes sense, though, with some of his other aspects.

Swans: Everyone little kid’s Greek mythology book mentions the regal majestic swans, and Plato himself talked about how these servants of Apollon sing a song of joy when they die to celebrate that their soul will reach Apollon.

Dolphins: Probably the weirdest sounding one, this animal has to do with his aspects as a god of protection while traveling and association with the sea, and his part in some founding stories where he transforms into a dolphin to lead sailors.

[habibialkaysani]

Touch (Laurel/Nyssa; T) - Earth-2

Ships: Laurel/Nyssa

Summary: Laurel and Nyssa. Dinah and Amina. Green Arrow and the Black Canary. Daredevil and the Black Sky. The Flash and Vibe.

Across the multiverse, they go by many names, surrounded by different people at different times in their lives. But there is one golden link between the Dinah Laurel Lances and Nyssa Raatkos across the infinite earths - that they always find each other. And every time, their story starts with a single touch.

Read at AO3

A/N: Many thanks to Soph/@sophiainspace​ for reading this one over (forever ago lol) and giving me much needed suggestions. I am a total procrastinator which is why this one has been on the backburner, but I'm hoping that I can get back to it now I have hopefully found my groove again :)

Also, this one is totally in the spirit of Pride, but please heed the warning of referenced homophobia.

Earth-2

 (In which [Dinah] Laurel Lance, pre her Black Siren days, as a teenager hopelessly in love with her best friend, Amina Raatko II, or Nyssa’s doppelganger.)

 "Keep your back straight."

 "Why can't I keep it gay?" Dinah said, and despite Amina's best efforts to maintain her composure, Dinah could feel, from Amina's hand in the small of her back, that her best friend was only just holding back a silent quake of laughter. 

 They were standing in a field close to their school, where they'd been training for a while now. It was nice, being here, not least because it was empty around them, what felt like miles and miles of blank space that was theirs alone. It made Dinah think - somewhat wistfully - that for a while she could pretend they were the only two people on the face of the earth they stood on. 

 It was a good feeling, while it lasted. 

 "Back straight, Dinah, and feet apart," Amina said, her commanding voice (which got under Dinah’s skin, literally, making her shiver involuntarily) betrayed only slightly by a tinge of amusement. "If you're serious about learning archery -" 

 "Of course I am - why else would I spend two whole hours slapping water with you?" 

 "- you need to quit having such sloppy posture. Irrespective of how many girls you like," Amina added, now with a clearly teasing lilt in her tone. 

 "You're so bossy," Dinah complained, but of course it was with fondness as she looked at her friend and caught her gaze. She didn't add, though, that there was only one girl she liked, and Dinah was looking at her. 

 "You're a brat." 

 "You love me," Dinah retorted, without thinking, but perhaps thankfully, she wasn’t able to linger over her petulant slip of tongue even for a second, as just then her breath caught in her throat when she felt Amina's foot go between hers to nudge them further apart. 

 "I do," Amina agreed, "but I don't love your really weak foundation. You're opening yourself up to attack." 

 Dinah was confused now. "So you're teaching me self-defence?" 

 "Archery involves a weapon. One that I hope you only ever have to use on targets. But if you do find yourself in a situation where you need to defend yourself - at least you'll be prepared." 

 Turning her head slightly, Dinah met Amina's eyes. "Come on. I can't even kill a spider without feeling guilty."

 "And I hope that never changes,” Amina said sincerely. Then she cleared her throat, saying in a businesslike tone, “But in the meantime, you need a strong foundation. So you need to have your feet apart."

 Dinah tried not to show her disappointment when Amina stepped away from her for a moment, but thankfully she returned seconds later bearing her bow. It was hard for Dinah not to admire Amina when she was like this, brow furrowed, tongue between her teeth in concentration, in her element as she handed the bow to Dinah. Dinah took it, but of course Amina had to correct her grip, and Dinah could feel the goosebumps erupting on her spine even before Amina’s cool palm closed over Dinah’s fingers.

 "How many times, Dinah? Back straight," Amina ordered, and Dinah bit back a laugh as she did as she was told. Amina reached behind her to get an arrow out of her quiver - it was purple, because of course Amina Raatko would make her own purple arrowheads - and Dinah thought Amina was giving it to her, but their hands were still touching, ever so slightly, when Amina guided Dinah's fingers down the drawstring. "You feel that?" Amina's breath was warm, soft, as it tickled the shell of Dinah's ear, and she had to remember to breathe a moment later. 

 The drawstring was taut as Dinah tugged it back. "Yeah." Too quickly though she let go, and the arrow only zoomed forward a foot or so before veering downwards into the grass, nowhere near the target. 

 "Remember what we talked about." 

 Somehow, infuriatingly, Dinah’s brain chose that moment to short-circuit, and at Amina’s raised eyebrows Dinah could only blink - rather stupidly, it felt. "What did we talk about?" 

 "When you were slapping water," Amina said, shaking her head in faint exasperation. "I told you it was about one thing. Control. Watch." 

 And watch Dinah did, eyes widened as Amina swiped the bow from her and shot an arrow at the target with such speed that even she seemed to be shocked when it landed on the bullseye. 

 Wow, that's hot, Dinah thought, and only when Amina burst out laughing did Dinah realise she had said that aloud. 

 Shit. For a moment Dinah was sure her heart had thudded to an absolute halt, and when Amina ducked her head in what Dinah could only perceive as embarrassment, Dinah could feel her cheeks heat up. With her tongue trying and failing to find the right words, Dinah spluttered, blinking rapidly, not sure whether to be reassured at the sparkle of amusement in Amina’s eyes as she regarded Dinah.

 "Thank you?" she said with only a touch of uncertainty, but that was enough to make Dinah clam up instantly, extinguishing the flicker of relief Dinah had had seconds earlier. 

 "Sorry," Dinah muttered. "I - didn't think -" 

 "Dinah," Amina interrupted, "why are you even apologising? It's not like you said anything bad." 

 "No, it's not that," Dinah answered. "I know it's not bad, I just -" But Dinah couldn't quite put her finger on what was bothering her, because Amina was right. Dinah knew that much. 

 It was like Amina read her mind, because she then set down the bow and sat cross-legged on the grass. When Dinah looked down curiously (they were technically still training, after all), Amina wordlessly held out her hand; almost instinctively, Dinah took it and let her best friend pull her down to her level, so she too was on the grass. 

 There was silence for a moment, as Dinah found it in her to meet her best friend's eyes. It was only then that Amina spoke. 

 "Did I… do something wrong?" Amina asked after a moment. Her easy smile was gone, replaced with a worried expression, lips pressed together after she spoke, as if on the very edge of a grimace. 

 "What?" Dinah said, nonplussed for a second, but then recognising the concerned look on Amina's face. 

 (Sometimes she forgot she had anyone to worry about her.) 

 Amina shifted where she was sitting, leaning against Dinah a little as she stretched her legs and leaned back, palms against the grass. And maybe it was the heat, but as Amina looked up at the cloudless blue sky, Dinah couldn't help gazing at her profile, the reddish tint of the sun visible as her dark hair swung back, and the sharpness of her cheekbones catching the sunlight at all the right angles. Amina was thinking, and even now when Dinah was practically busted - she couldn't stop admiring Amina even if she wanted to. "Ever since you came out at school… I don't know. You seem - I'm just used to you wearing your heart on your sleeve. You know. Within reach. And now I can't see it or touch it. I get the feeling you've closed yourself off a bit. Even when you're trying to act normal, like nothing has changed with you. And I just want to know if it's something I said, or did, because -"

 "No," Dinah cut across her firmly. "Never. Out of everyone, you're the one girl who hasn't automatically assumed I like you." 

 "You don't like me?" Amina said, and Dinah automatically relaxed, relieved that almost of their own accord they were back to their usual banter. As usual, Amina tried and failed to sound affronted, and as usual, Dinah smiled and shook her head. 

 "Not even a little." Dinah saw her smile returned on Amina's lips - but Dinah knew it wouldn't last forever. At some point she'd break. Especially when Amina looked serious again. 

 "For real, though - is that what everyone said? That being gay means you must have a crush on every girl with a pulse?" 

 Dinah wasn't sure why she was holding back her wince, but she was - there was something about Amina that made her want to be strong around her. So Dinah just shrugged. "Something like that." Then, before she could stop herself, she added, "And the boys weren't much better - they would be like, 'that's hot, can I watch?'" 

 Amina visibly recoiled at that. "Ugh. People are so shitty. I'm sorry, Dinah." 

 "Don't be. You were the one exception to that," Dinah told her, and maybe her heart slowed a little knowing that she meant it. 

 "But you do think I'm hot," Amina said, and it was less of a question, Dinah thought, more a statement of fact. Yet it was said with a smile and somehow it calmed Dinah a little more. 

 "I shouldn't have said that. That would just prove everyone right - that I want to kiss every girl in arm's reach of me." 

 Dinah thought of what she'd done after gym class yesterday, when she had hidden in the bathroom for half an hour after class. She'd heard muttering behind her back about what gays liked to do in the locker room, and something inside her had just snapped. 

 "Do you? Want to kiss every girl in Central City?"

 Sighing, Dinah stretched out her legs and lay back, looking up at the sky to avoid Amina's gaze. "No," Dinah said, being truthful for the first time. "Just one. But I don't think she'd want to kiss me back." 

 She shut her eyes, finding the sun too bright even outside her line of vision, but grateful for the ready excuse for her rosy cheeks. 

 Dinah felt the gentle tug at her shoulders first. She tensed for a moment, before automatically relaxing into Amina's familiar touch, as her best friend pulled her back a couple inches until Dinah's head rested against Amina's lap.

 She had maybe five seconds, as Amina waited, as if expecting Dinah to object, but this didn't feel real. This felt like a dream, the two of them together, and in all the times Amina had appeared in her dreams, Dinah had never hesitated nor objected to Amina's touch. 

 So the fingertips touching Dinah’s jaw felt dreamlike too, just like Amina's hand cradling Dinah's cheek from above, and the way her hair fell to brush softly against Dinah's neck. 

 But the whisper of breath on Dinah's nose - that felt real. So too were Amina's lips, a hundred times more gentle than Dinah had imagined, and the quick dart of her tongue, sweeter than even Dinah's wildest dreams - but that taste was fleeting, before all at once Dinah came crashing down to earth. Her eyes fluttered open, and somehow, miraculously, Amina's beautiful face was peering back at her. Uncertainty flickered in her eyes, and then a flash of worry. 

 "Amina -" Dinah began to say, just as her friend said "Dinah," and they both let out a nervous chuckle. "You go first," Dinah said. 

 Twirling her hair with her finger, Amina said, "I was going to say 'maybe the girl you wanna kiss might get there first… but now I'm wondering if you meant someone else." 

 Relief, sweet and warm and comforting, blanketed Dinah so completely that she was sure for a moment she forgot how to breathe. Giving herself a moment to right herself, Dinah sat up, the smile on her face threatening to split her face in two. She reached out, like she'd always wanted to, and tucked several runaway strands of hair behind Amina's ear.

 "No one else," Dinah told her softly. "There's only ever been you." 

 "Good," Amina whispered back. "I have a feeling jealousy wouldn't be a good look on me." They shared a laugh, and then Amina said, "So… aren't you going to ask me?" 

 "Ask you what?" 

 "What I am. Gay, straight, bi, pan -" 

 "I don't need to know. I know the only thing that matters." Dinah paused, running her thumb down Amina's cheek and stopping just short of her chin. 

 Amina closed her eyes at her touch, again in the way Dinah had only ever dreamed of. But then she opened them again, meeting her gaze and quirking an eyebrow. "Well? Don't keep me in suspense, Dinah Lance." 

 It took several moments and deep breaths for Dinah to say what she wanted to. "I know that I love you." Amina opened her mouth as if to speak, then closed it again, and Dinah couldn't resist leaning in and kissing her this time. It was less fleeting this time, filled with the promise of so many more. "And I know that you don't hate me for it."

 "Never. I could never hate you. Not when I love you back." 

[austencello]

Fadeout - Arrow Music Notes 8x10

The final episode brings the series to a close as the characters deal with a changed world and reality without Oliver Queen.  The show brings closure to the characters and the audience as everyone says a final goodbye.  Due to this being the last one, almost everything was a musical callback to a previous moment on Arrow which means this analysis is going to be on the long side.

A New World

The music usually chosen for Oliver’s intro speeches includes previous music from the series and often heroic sounding but not with specific meaning. This last one was a little different as it used the heroic justice/league heroes music from Crisis as Oliver explains that he became something else and birthed a new universe.  He became the leader of all the heroes and set the stage for a changed world.

The episode begins with one of the most heart-breaking scenes from the series: Moira’s death.  The same music “Promise Kept” (2x20) accompanies the scene until things change.  As soon as Oliver cuts himself free and stops Slade, his hero theme 2 (“Time to Go Home” 2x01) plays in the horn while he saves his mom, changing her fate.  In a similar way, the same music for the flashback of Robert Queen telling Oliver to survive contains the same music as the pilot and the hammered dulcimer plays the hero theme as Mia wakes up in the future.

The Documentary from 7x12 returns as a Memorial beginning with Moira as she tries to wrap her head around the fact that she died in a different reality and that the whole world was a gift from her son. As she speaks, high electronics play “Honor Memory” (1x02) which originally played for Oliver when he tried to honor the memory of his father, torn between how he would honor his father’s sacrifice and mission to right his wrongs as a Vigilante and how he may appear less honoring as Oliver Queen, especially in the beginning.  It returned several times as Oliver dealt with the fact that his father was less honorable than he believed.  He grew over the seasons recognizing with the help of Felicity and others that he did not need to carry the burden of his father’s past but continue his own legacy of heroism and love, sacrificing himself to save not only the world but those he loved, including his mother who now has chance to honor him.  

Dinah, Rene, and Diggle speak to the Documentary team about Oliver and the changes he made both for them and the city.  The music hearkens to the synths and lower bass sounds that the original documentary had.  Rene drops by after Diggle talks to the camera discussing the fact that crime has disappeared overnight thanks to Oliver, but Diggle is not ready to believe that the mission is over yet. As they talk about Oliver saving the city, hammered dulcimer (one of Oliver’s instruments since the pilot) accompanies the scene.  His instruments and presence is felt throughout the episode even though he himself is not visible in the present time.

Diggle and Rene meet up with Roy, Dinah and Laurel to toast to Oliver with Vodka and discuss what they are planning on doing next.  Piano and higher electronics play a theme from 7x10 that had been used for Emiko and Rene’s conversations when Rene shared that he wanted to help the city.  Now, he shares a new stage of that dream by running for Mayor after Lance steps down with his endorsement and Dinah shares her upcoming promotion.  The piano (Oliver’s instrument) plays the theme as another sign of Oliver’s gift to his team and city for a better future.

Rene asks Diggle when Felicity will be coming in for the funeral and Diggle replies that she might not make it as she hasn’t gotten out of bed since they received the news of Oliver’s death.  As he shares this, a piano version of “Being Happy” (1x07) plays.  This theme is usually over electronics (“Own Worst enemy”) in the strings.  It originally was with Oliver and Tommy’s tough relationship as Tommy believed Oliver was a murderer but at the same time recognized that Oliver’s choices especially in lying to everyone closest to him took a toll: “If you are alone, you’ll never be happy.”  Oliver responded that his happiness wasn’t what was important.  However, one of the beautiful growing parts for Oliver was that over time, he did accept happiness and others into his life, especially the love of his life and his daughter Mia.  The theme comes back in 7x22 as Oliver and Felicity happily share a life together with baby Mia, a life of happiness and everything Oliver deserved.  But now he is gone and Felicity is left alone, grieving.  This music is in the piano (Oliver’s instrument) but stripped down to simple piano chords, getting rid of all the other instruments and even changing to minor/sadder chords.  It’s an echo of the happiness that they had.

While many people were brought back to life in this new reality such as Moira, Quentin, Tommy and Emiko, there were two notable exceptions: Robert and Laurel.  Laurel from Earth 2 struggled with this knowledge, feeling guilty that it was because of her that Quentin did not have his daughter back.  She goes to talk to him about it as “She was my rock/Canary Flies Away” (4x20) plays.  This theme was first heard as Quentin struggled with Laurel’s death throughout season 4 and 5.  Later on, it was used to forge connections between himself and Laurel 2 as Quentin recognized her as family while still knowing she wasn’t his original daughter.  Here, Quentin tells Laurel in a fatherly tone that nothing needed to be fixed about her which is why Oliver didn’t change anything in regards to her.

Flashbacks

Diggle remembers when he joined the team and Oliver wasn’t letting him go at on the field yet.  As Oliver appears and crosses another name off the list, high electronics play reminiscent of “On the List.” Although the melody is a little different, the atmospheric electronics are the same and then the hammered dulcimer plays a new melody as Diggle asks Oliver when the list/mission will end and Oliver responds that it will never end.  The high electronics return as Diggle tries to help Oliver and bring down the body count, to convince him that there are other ways of justice beside killing them. 

Oliver still goes after the bad guy on his own and kills everyone in his way in a classic Season 1 vibe.  In the same fashion, the music reflects Season 1 fight music: string patterns, electronics, and brass but without most of the classic Arrow themes until the end.  The brass glissando is heard as he zips up out at the end and then the Arrow string pattern and the hero theme (brass) plays as he lands and decides not to kill but just apprehend the bad guy.  The brass hero theme was actually used quite sparingly in Season 1.  Outside of the pilot “Setting up the Lair” in guitar harmonics, it was often heard in snippets - 2 or 3 notes instead of all four such as in “Damaged.”  While that does occur throughout the all Seasons also for musical effect, in the first Season it is because he is not fully a hero yet.  The entire motif is heard in the brass (a heroic sound) in 1x14 when he reveals himself to Felicity and then she and Diggle saves his life.  She is the light that can see the hero he becomes and it is through her faith, the loyalty and morality of Diggle, and the decision no longer to kill after Tommy’s death, that set him in motion to move from a killing Vigilante to a hero.  In fact, it isn’t used in the Title theme until Season 2 as Oliver begins this shift and the theme is heard much more frequently in fighting scenes such as “A Different Way” (2x01). 

Theroy

Thea and Roy reunite again after Roy freaked out and left her over the past year or two.  After trying to apologize (with bad timing), the two of them search for William together as “Team Continues Without Oliver” (3x11) plays in electronics and percussion in their running and jumping off roofs, which includes Roy’s Arsenal Theme.  Roy proceeds to apologize for leaving her and proposes.  While he does so, “I can’t lose you twice” (1x20) accompanies the scene.  This theme accompanied several couples such as Laurel and Tommy’s relationship, Laurel and Oliver (1x23), Felicity and Oliver, and Roy and Thea.  It first played for Thea and Roy in 1x20 as Roy is determined to find the vigilante, telling Thea that his life is connected to his own and she agrees to help find him.  At that point, they would have no idea how true that would become even to the point of Roy saying he was the Arrow and taking the fall so that Oliver could stay and not go to jail in Season 3.  This theme returned when Thea found Roy/Jason in 3x22 giving him back the Arsenal jacket and they end up kissing.  They both have had different journeys to find themselves and the heroes they became.  Having died and come back to life has given Roy a new perspective that he wants Thea in his life for always which leads to this moment.

Thea doesn’t give him an answer right away until after William is found and they meet up in the Queen mansion.  She first asks him to promise that he will never freak out and leave without talking to her.  The music is accompanied by clarinet (one of Thea’s instruments) first heard in 5x15.  It originally played when Thea tells Oliver she is leaving and not to ask her to stay as she needed to figure out who she was. This theme then returns in 6x16 (“Take Good Care of Her”) as she and Roy plan to leave together to destroy the Lazarus pits. Roy told her that he was going with her because all that mattered was that they were together. She found both her calling and was able to leave with Roy.  Despite the bumps that happened since then, she realizes she doesn’t want to waste anymore time without Roy by her side and says yes to his proposal.

Mia and Felicity Return

Sara brought back Mia to attend Oliver’s funeral and she tries to “channel her mom” at the computers as Dinah finds her.  While not being to tell much about the future, she does share that something happened and making her feel like she has already failed at being the Green Arrow and living in her father’s legacy.  Different instruments enter in with strings, brass, a low electronic bass (used more for Mia) and then hammered dulcimer as Dinah tells her that Oliver would be proud of her.  Hammered Dulcimer is one of Oliver’s instruments since the pilot and it represents how he would be proud of her as well as continuing on the legacy through his instruments as well as a bow and arrow.  Electronics enter which were used both for Archer and the future as William is revealed to have been kidnapped, making Mia live through her brother being kidnapped in both the past and future.

Wlliam’s kidapping brings back everyone who had been on the team including Felicity.  As she appears in the bunker, oboe plays the first two notes of the Olicity theme “The One I Love/Convince Him” (2x23, 3x20). Having even part of that theme in their instrument as she appears to come out of her grief for losing the love of her life for the sake of their son is poignant but it is also presented in a happier (major) mood as she brings joy, light, and hope to the team as well to viewers who have missed her presence.  As she hugs Diggle and Dinah and greets the team, guitar harmonics (Oliver’s instruments) and harp (Felicity’s instrument) double a pattern from “New Suit” (4x01).  At that point, Oliver was discouraged after Lance told him he was responsible for bringing all the darkness into everyone’s life which was one of the reasons he didn’t want to return from his life in Ivy Town.  He felt like the only way to fight darkness was to be darkness and he didn’t want to be that type of person anymore.  Felicity reminded him that he didn’t have to be that person anymore and that he wasn’t alone.  Now years later, Oliver has become a better person and furthermore, inspired a room of heroes to fight for the city, the world, and to bring Oliver’s family back.  The oboe plays one more note as Felicity passes Mia signifying their relationship even though Felicity is not aware of it yet.  Classic sounding Arrow music starts as Diggle calls them to suit up.

Mia is the one who finds her brother, landing on the roof as her hero theme (7x08) plays in the electric guitar. After the scene transitions back to her from the Flashback fight, string patterns and a low continuing electric bass note crescendos in the music that is very reminiscent of Oliver’s fight music as she chooses to not kill him and make the same decision that Oliver did, following in his footsteps.

Felicity finds out from Sara and Diggle that the young woman she is seeing with William is her daughter.  They ask if she wants to meet her but she is a little reluctant since baby Mia is at home.  She doesn’t want to rush the fact that she gets to watch Mia grow up.  As she processes this, guitar harmonics play a theme from 7x16 when Felicity and Mia reconnect after Mia, Connor and William rescued Felicity.  At that point, Mia was angry and confused with her mom who had told her heroic stories of her Dad that conflicted with the villain story the world was telling her.  But regardless of hating vigilantes and hating her mom, she started to understand it was for her protection. Felicity told her that she was so much like her father and was proud of her. The theme returned in 8x03 as Mia was confronted with the possibility of losing William, terrified to lose the only family she had left.  Now Felicity sees her daughter, a hero who saved younger William. It is a theme of love, connection and a family that had been broken by the loss of Oliver and fear to lose each other, but  restored through Oliver’s sacrifice so that William, Mia, and Felicity will have each other in this reality.

Dinah brings Mia’s attention to the news reporting a new Green Arrow, most likely part of a new generations inspired by Oliver.  As she hears this, it starts with electronics reminiscent of the future and then adding strings with the first part of Oliver’s Arrow theme moving into something new including high female voices as Dinah reminds Mia that Oliver would be proud of her.  It provides an epic quality in the music, a reassurance that Oliver is looking over Mia with an almost otherworldly sound and that she is in fact part of the new generation of heroes, following in her father’s footsteps.

Saying Goodbye

Diggle comes to terms with the fact the mission is in fact over for himself and family in Star City.  He meets Dinah and Rene as they share plans for their future as well as saying goodbye to the bunker.  He tells them that according to Sara, Oliver became something else as Spectre and so he liked to think Oliver was still with them, watching over them.  As he says this, the piano plays Oliver’s slow Arrow theme “I forgot who I was” (1x05) in the manner used for intimate moments for Oliver when he shared his heart for those closest to him, including 6x03 when he thanked Diggle for helping him become the Green Arrrow.  Musically, it seemed to confirm that Oliver was watching over them. As these three share about their future, having become better people due to Oliver and each other, and then turning off the lights, a music theme from the flash forwards play (7x10) in high electronics (almost bell like).  Originally it was for the Mark of 4, having promised to be there for each other and yet these promises were broken as the team had splintered.  It also played when the kids showed up in the bunker in 8x04 as Oliver was trying to process that his grown-up kids were there.  Using this theme again as the world has changed and the 8x09 episode showed a brighter future for all of them, returns to that original intent of being there for each other even as they go their separate ways.  A version of the Arrow theme plays as the lights go out for the last time.

Quentin gives a speech to honor Oliver and reveal a statue looking over the city.  Harp and piano play as it begins with a beautiful and quiet version of Oliver’s hero theme as Quentin thanks everyone for coming and begins by admitting that for a long time he hated Oliver and blamed him for Sara’s death and the violence in the city.  The theme changes as strings are added as he talks about how became an honorable man and proof that anyone can change.  Oliver wasn’t just a hero but a good man.  The theme that plays as the statue is revealed is “United Campaign Speech” (4x04) first heard when Oliver started his campaign as mayor, focusing on the theme of being united and working together.  Oliver’s dream in becoming mayor was to save the city in the light and not just in the shadows.  Right before he gave his speech (written by Thea), Thea told him the reason they had so many supporters and interns to help was because they believed like she did, that he was going to save the city.  He said the same thing in his speech: he returned with one goal to save his city which is possible with the help of friends, family, loved ones, those they trust, and those they need to trust again.  This dream may not have come true in way Oliver foresaw, whether it was with the List in the beginning or being mayor in the middle, but ultimately he did save the city which was revealed to be written on the statue as the Arrow theme plays.  It became possible because of the people he loved and who loved him back who all stand there to honor this hero, the man who changed their lives. 

Everyone gathers at the funeral as different characters interact or meet for the first time.  Thea asks Moira why Oliver didn’t bring back Robert as “Sad Moira” (1x10).  “Sad Moira” was first heard as its own melody when Oliver checks on Moira after Walter was kidnapped and in similar situations in seasons 1 and 2 when she was missing her children or Walter.  Now, Moira is  missing both Oliver and Robert as she acknowledges that Oliver would never have become the man he was if it hasn’t been for the loss of Oliver.  The theme is also heard as the counter-melody/harmony in “I forgot who I was/Own Worst Enemy” (2x18) which is all about love and loss for the Queen family.  It was used in moments for Oliver with Moira, Thea, William, and Emiko.  This counter-melody plays one last time as Emiko comes to meet Thea, another proof of Oliver healing his family in a place that had been broken.  

Tommy and Laurel meet as Tommy is trying to wrap around his mind of previous realities where he died and the fact that he is meeting his wife’s doppleganger.  Tommy and Laurel’s theme “Surprise me” (1x03) plays as he shares that he married Laurel 1 in this life.

Mia meets Felicity for the first time as an adult as high synths and violins play which is used in emotional moments especially with Felicity.  There are echoes of a melody like “Honor Memory” (1x02), giving space for the emotions as Mia tells Felicity that she got to meet her dad who taught her how to be a hero as echoes of Oliver’s hero theme are heard.  

Felicity asks Diggle to share a few words as they stand around Oliver’s tombstone.  Diggle shares that Oliver changed a lot since they met 8 years ago, becoming a better man who inspired all of them, bringing heroes into the world, but most importantly a brother to him.  He still recognizes that the mission of hope and justice will continue beyond Star City with Oliver living on in the people he inspired, even though the world is less bright without him in it.  He says he doesn’t see what the future holds as glimpses of the future are shown to the audience with Mia returning to the future, Rene running for mayor, and Diggle receiving the Green Lantern ring. The music for this whole speech is “Forgive Us/Goodbye to Roy” (3x19).  In the beginning of the theme, Oliver believed Roy was dead and blamed himself, while Diggle and Felicity revealed that it was a ruse to protect Oliver even though Roy would have to be in exile.  This was hard for Oliver to accept but Roy was willing to take the fall for the man who saved his life and gave him purpose.  It was a theme of saying goodbye and self-sacrifice.  Now, it is Oliver who has made the ultimate sacrifice to save all of them.  But there is also hope of a future, first for Roy and now for all of the heroes head out on their new journey.  Oliver’s hero theme plays in the piano at the end as it focuses on his tombstone: husband, father, brother, son, hero.

The Reunion

As Felicity prepares to leave in the future, the music is sad and full of loss playing “Everyone Left” (5x02).  This was used in 7x22 when Felicity, Mia and William were at Oliver’s grave before she left so it makes sense for that to continue as she has been waiting a long time to see Oliver. A high electronic changes locations (almost heavenly) as she walks through. The music is in major (different for a show set in minor) bringing light and happiness with piano and strings as Felicity arrives in a version of the QC office. Harp (Felicity’s instrument) and piano (Oliver’s) play Oliver’s hero theme as she looks at his picture with the red pen in her mouth.  It is a quiet intimate, peaceful moment as she turns and sees Oliver smiling at her and the harp quietly plays a repeating note as she greets him and they kiss. Then the Olicity theme “The one I love” (2x23) plays in the cellos as she tells him that this is so nice despite being a little confused that they were in a version of his old office. One of the ways it is made so quietly peaceful is the lack of any movement under the main theme, usually piano or harp moving underneath.  Everything is stripped away except their love theme as they see each other for the first time in 20 years. Oliver tells Felicity that he wanted to meet where he first saw her and the flashback from Season 3 is shown.  Violins, female voice, and guitar harmonics are added as he continues that they have all the time in the world to tell her about it.  Musically having the voice brings memories from 3x20 and 3x23 when they drive away reminding us of Oliver declaring: “I’m happy.”  Oliver and Felicity have found peace and happiness as they are reunited with their theme soaring before the Arrow theme plays one last time as the show comes to a close.

Extra Notes and Thank-you:

I decided not to do a deep dive into the Olicity theme since I have done that a lot in the past and this was already crazy long.  But for those of you who are interested, I have list of every time the Olicity theme has been used (minus this episode).

https://austencello.tumblr.com/post/182940428674/list-of-olicity-themes

I decided not to review 8x09 at this point.  As a back-door pilot, it picks up some older themes like Mia’s theme which occurred a lot but most of it was new which makes it harder to analyze.  We shall when/if the show gets picked up whether I will write about the show.

Thanks to all you for your kind words regarding my “Goodbye to Oliver” cello arrangement I made last week.  I really appreciate it!  

Finishing this is a bit bittersweet.  I would never have imagined Oliver’s journey to end up this way (I would never have guessed Olicity would be one of my favorite ships of all times at Season 1) but neither would I have imagined when I started watching this 8 years ago, that I would be analyzing the score for 4 and a half years (103 Arrow Music Notes!), make and meet friends from around the world, interact with Blake Neely on Twitter, arrange the score for cello, work on music collaborations with @jorahandal​, and meet a lot of the cast at conventions.  It’s been a lot of fun and quite a ride.  Thank you to all who have been on part of this journey with me as well as to Blake Neely, Nathaniel Blume and his whole team for creating such great music throughout the seasons.

For of those of you asking what is next...I’m going to take a break from music analysis as my life gets a little busy over the next few months. I’m hoping to shift to a few more arrangements and analysis of some of my favorite Jane Austen and period dramas over the next year or so.

@academyofshipping​ @ah-maa-zing​ @smoakmonster​ @herskirtsarentthatshort​ @mel-loves-all​ @dust2dust34​ @dmichellewrites​ @pulpklatura​ @cogentranting​ @withgraceandlight99​ @scu11y22​ @almondblossomme​ @green-arrows-of-karamel​ @hotcookinmama​ @latinasmoak​ @callistawolf​ @jbuffyangel​ 

[jinkxtheroo]

some hermit headcanons!

- Grian is like, fashion. He’s the only one that actually makes sure he has something nice to wear lol. he also sews and uses Mumbo for a mannequin cause he tall lanky and looks like a stick, Mumbo’s quite annoyed by that but if he ever tries to go away Grian WILL stab him with a needle

- Also, he paints his nails black and paints Mumbo’s nails red on sleepovers. where did he get polish? well... he and iskall both stole it from stress’s room in an undercover mission. they also stole her hair dryer

- next day Stress opens the doors to the lab in her pajamas and completely fucked up hair and asks “hey Iskall luv has u seen my hair dryer?” to which he IMMEDIATELY runs away wheezing

- she couldnt take it back from them but to get them back she stole Grian’s eyeliner

- he’s still looking for his eyeliner

- Mumbo is literally a fucking walking stick. if he trips on a rock he ABSOLUTELY will fall flat on the ground like a dumb stick.

- To kill Doc, just literally shoot an arrow on his robotic parts, he WILL fucking be electrocuted. Area 77 raiders LISTEN TO ME

- Cleo turns into a husk if staying on the midday desert sun dor too long, and she turns into a drowned if she stays in the water for too long. She also can talk wiv zombies and has saved many of the hermits’s stupid skins after they punched a zombie in the face

- Iskall has like 836573 scars. and everyone thinks is something sad or something. Nope its actually just times he got punched in the face or he tripped over something or a stupid dare that gone terribly wrong. 2 of these are from Ren. The scars from Ren are absolutely the times they fought over if the dress was blue/white or if it was saying yanny or laurel

- Wels doesn’t even have casual clothes he just wears his armor everywhere. his armor is very light. literally everyone can hold him in their arms. lets all hug and pick Wels up everyone

- Iskall is the best hugger in the server though. I want this man to pick ME UP and tell me everything’s gonna be ALL FUCKING RIGHT

- Yet Xisuma’s armor is very heavy. no one knows how he carries that shit around. also he hates getting out of it because he feels powerless, but anytime he comes out of it he absolutely has way too much overgrown hair in a ponytail, stubble, and a wacky turtle shirt which is his favorite (although for christmas he did wear a yeti shirt). - Mumbo has to have his things organized or kept at all times. He absolutely fails on this. His hair is almost never combed, his suit gets all types of wrecked up so he has to go to Grian so he can fix his suit and his tie is almost never nice

- He also has redstone stains on most of his shit. His nails are like, pitch red. this why Grian paints his nails

- Grian curls his hair. His hair was originally straightened, but he likes the look of it with curls. He also paints Mumbo’s hair black although he really likes the blonde look of it. Can we all just agree Grian is a fucking hairdresser

- Joe smells like freshly opened books and irony.

- I have special headcanons for Xisuma and TFC but I don’t know if they fit here so let’s just say TFC has as much control of the void as Xisuma has, but TFC got overtaken by his own powers, fought the void for control of his own body and WON. He can still use void powers but he doesn’t remember much from when he used to be a void user. the void is SO fucking scared of him

- Related to that special headcanon: the Standard Galactic Alphabet is divided into two alphabets, Old Galactic and New Galactic. New Galactic is the normal Galactic we see, but Old Galactic was the original version of it. Old Galactic is not written, instead, it is spoken through hands like some sort of sign language. Only void users remember Old Galactic. TFC lost a lot of memories, but still knows how to say it. He and Xisuma use it to contact Endermen sometimes

[raywritesthings]

Bird in a Storm 8/17

My Writing Fandom: Arrow Characters: Laurel Lance, Oliver Queen, Tommy Merlyn, Quentin Lance, Moira Queen, Malcolm Merlyn, Frank Chen Pairing: Laurel Lance/Oliver Queen Summary: The confrontation between the Hood and SWAT on the roof of the Winick Building goes differently, altering the course of Laurel’s career, relationships and efforts to save her city forever, the shockwaves of such an altered path making themselves felt throughout her family and friends. *Can be read on my AO3, link is in bio*

Tommy’s twenty-eighth birthday brought with it severely mixed feelings. On the one hand, he had his best friend back to celebrate it with him for the first time in five years. He also received a call from his father on the day and an invitation to dinner whenever he was available that week. Their repairing relationship was perhaps the strangest upturn his life had taken thus far, not even Ollie coming back from the dead able to top it.

But this was also the first year it wasn’t being marked by a certain Laurel Lance. She’d always remembered to send him a text or a card, occasionally met him up for the odd drink or two. There was one year they’d — well, but that was in the past.

He didn’t know what to feel about Laurel anymore. The anger was there even if it had faded, mostly. He was just… disappointed. Disappointed that she was wasting her life and her potential on problems that were never going to be fixed. As his father had reminded him, his mother had died doing the same thing.

God, what if she died out there? Would it make the news? Would he see it on his television, former CNRI lawyer found dead in apparent mugging? Sometimes he was seconds away from calling Joanna to see if she had any news, but he always stopped himself. Laurel had made her her choice.

He and Oliver went out for drinks the night of. Tommy had maybe a few too many, and he found himself among some women he’d never met before but was now glad he had. He woke up the day after his birthday in an unfamiliar bed, gathered up his clothes and left without seeing who he’d been with. It was meaningless, and they both knew that.

At dinner, his father surprised him yet again.

“The city is honoring me this week with the humanitarian of the year award. I’d very much like you to be there, Tommy.”

He didn’t see why he shouldn’t be. He knew Oliver wouldn’t mind him taking the night off if it was something for family.

“Of course.”

His father smiled, an expression he was only starting to get used to seeing aimed in his direction. “Thank you, Tommy. The truth is, of anyone in this family, Rebecca should have been the one to receive this honor.”

Tommy nodded, his mood turning more somber. “She’d be proud of you for continuing her work.”

“That is the thought that guides me through each day,” his father confessed, his eyes shining. Tommy had always resented him for leaving those two years after, when he was also grieving, but he’d never given much thought to his own father’s grieving process. How much he’d lost that night. Maybe he’d been wrong to be so harsh.

He showed up the night of the ceremony at Merlyn Global in a new tux, greeting various people, mostly his father’s associates. He was glad to see Mrs. Queen, though she seemed a little distracted.

His father gave a speech, and just as he’d finished the lights shut off. People looked around in confusion, talking to each other and questioning the situation. The crowd jostled each other as an evacuation alarm sounded. Tommy looked for his father but was found instead when his dad grabbed him by the shoulders, telling him of the exit on the second floor.

Everything was a frantic rush after that. His father kept moving them up higher as men in server’s uniforms fired on them. The Hood of all people showed up and told them to run.

His father killed two men.

“As surely as he would have killed you,” was the answer his dad gave when Tommy objected. He then led them up the final flight to his penthouse office, inputting the code to seal them in.

His father was confident in their safety, so Tommy took the opportunity to demand, “How did you know how to do that? Fight. Kill.”

The only answer he got was his dad moving to a wall on the side and removing a painting to input yet another code. A wall started to slide open, though Tommy couldn’t see what was beyond it from where he stood.

And then all hell broke loose.

The window shattered with a force that almost shook the room, the wall sliding back shut. His father stepped forward, and a bullet caught him just below his neck. Tommy rushed to him as he fell, only for his dad to rise momentarily. He showed him the bulletproof vest. What kind of world were they living in where the humanitarian of the year had to take this many precautions?

The bullet had only nicked his skin but his father stopped talking and slumped back down. “Dad? Dad!”

Soft footfalls and a shadow soon indicated they weren’t alone. He looked up and was momentarily stunned by the sight that met him.

The Hood. Tommy scrambled to pick up the gun his father had taken off one of the men downstairs.

“Stay back!”

“I’m not here to hurt you or your father,” the vigilante claimed.

“I said stay back!”

He didn’t listen, taking another step and reaching for something on the ground. He murmured something, but in the modulated voice Tommy couldn’t make it out. And anyway, he was more concerned with the vigilante’s continued approach.

“Don’t come any closer!” The gun shook in his hands, or his hands were shaking, but he did his best to keep on trained on the hooded man.

“Your father's been poisoned. An assassin named Floyd Lawton laces his bullets with curare. I've dealt with this before. We need to dilute the poison in his bloodstream.”

“I said stay the hell back!”

“In three minutes he's paralyzed. In four minutes, he suffocates. If you don't let me help you now, he's dead before anybody gets here!” The man growled.

“Help.” Tommy couldn’t believe he was hearing this. “How?”

“Fresh blood buys him time to get to the hospital.”

“A blood transfusion? That's insane!” 

“It's the only way. He needs your blood.”

The Hood wanted to perform a medical experiment on his father. The same man that had attacked Mrs. Queen, that had abducted Laurel and destroyed her life, now thought he could help them? No.

He wasn’t going to let this monster take anything else from him.

“You're out of time. You need to make a decision right now.” The Hood took another menacing step. 

Tommy squeezed the trigger. The shot was loud in his ears, and he jolted back at the force. By the time he steadied his aim again, the vigilante was diving out of the shattered window, swinging away to safety.

He dropped the gun, hands shaking at what he’d tried to do. He’d missed, but he had meant to shoot a man, just like he’d seen his father do minutes prior.

“Dad,” he muttered, his pulse spiking again. His father was still lying unresponsive on the floor. Tommy fumbled for his phone and hit the emergency call button, hoping desperately it would be picked up as soon as possible.

“911, what’s your emergency?”

“We’re in the penthouse office at Merlyn Global. My dad, he was nicked with a bullet and won’t wake up. Please send help!”

“Help is on the way. Just stay on the line.”

“God, dad. God, dad, please,” Tommy begged, using his free hand to grasp his father’s. He couldn’t lose him, too. No matter what their relationship had been till now, he couldn’t lose his father, too.

---

Quentin didn’t often allow himself to be in the position of feeling guilty. He did things by the book, by and large, he was good at his job. Usually when things in his life went wrong it was because some other person had decided to screw with him or his family.

But this time he couldn’t quite pin the blame elsewhere.

Maybe if he’d been willing to bend a little, work with the vigilante when he called. Maybe they could have had officers in the surrounding buildings, caught the sniper before he could get to his perch. Organized crime might have had some luck in catching the Triad if he’d tipped them off.

As it was, he was now stuck sitting in a hospital waiting room with his daughter’s ex-boyfriend, waiting on news of one of the richest men in the city. The older Merlyn had reportedly been unresponsive but breathing when first responders picked him up. They’d started him on fresh blood during the ambulance drive over.

Merlyn’s son sat with his head in his hands. He’d shakily confirmed that the Hood had made an appearance in the penthouse office, but that he’d driven the vigilante off. Quentin still wasn’t sure what had had the Hood so concerned about a one-percenter like Malcolm Merlyn. Was it possible the good press about the businessman was really true?

A doctor entered the room and approached Tommy Merlyn. He spoke quietly, though the expression on Merlyn’s face was shattered enough for him to guess it wasn’t good news. Quentin noticed a nurse hovering in the doorway and walked over.

“Comatose,” she confirmed in a low voice. “We’re hoping that keeping him under will allow his body to heal, but…”

Quentin returned to sit by Merlyn’s chair as the doctor left. “I’m sorry about your father,” he said, none of his usual bite when addressing the young man present in his voice. It wasn’t time for his personal disagreements.

“He’s the only family I have, and we were finally getting along. I just- if I lose him now…” he hung his head low. “If the Hood could have just brought the paramedics with him or taken him down to them, I don’t know—”

Quentin blinked. “How’s that?”

“He wanted to do a- a blood transfusion. Between me and my dad,” Merlyn clarified. “If I’d agreed, would it have saved him?”

“Well, there’s no telling if the Hood would’ve known how to do one properly,” he offered, even knowing as he said it that the vigilante wouldn’t have recommended it unless he did. That wasn’t what the kid needed to hear, though. “And your father’s still alive.”

The young man nodded, but his frown remained set on his face.

Quentin looked away, and in doing so spotted a young woman watching them from around a corner. His eyes narrowed in confusion as she noticed his stare and ducked back around to hide — but then, he recognized that expression. It was the same one Laurel had always worn when he’d caught her up past her bedtime reading under the covers.

“Look, I’m gonna give you some time, okay?”

The younger Merlyn nodded, and Quentin stood and made his way down the hall to his daughter.

As he approached, he had to slow as he started to tally the differences in his girl. Gone were the nice clothes and soft makeup; she wore a ripped up jean jacket with leggings and boots, and her lips were a dark red. Her hair had been cut short, the longest piece hanging over her forehead and just barely reaching below her chin.

“Hey, dad.”

His mouth opened, but he couldn’t seem to find words, so he just nodded stiffly.

“How’s Mr. Merlyn?”

That was easier; work always was. “Doctors are saying he’s slipped into a coma. They’re not sure yet how deep.”

Laurel looked down, scuffing one boot on the floor. “Is Tommy okay?”

“Holding up as well as expected. He could probably do with some support.”

Laurel shook her head. “He doesn’t want to see me.”

There wasn’t much Quentin could say to argue that point. “You came here anyway.”

She shrugged, almost helpless. “I had to check on him.”

He could understand that. He’d been doing a lot of checking up on a loved one too, lately.

The silence had stretched on thanks to his lack of response, and so Laurel nodded once before slowly turning on her heel. Quentin screwed up his nerves and said, “Laurel.”

She stopped. “Yeah, dad?”

“You— I mean could we— how’s the new job?”

“It’s good. I’m learning a lot.”

He nodded once. “Good.”

“Was there anything else?”

Yes, he wanted to say, I miss you. Where did my good girl go? What have I done?

“No,” he said instead, watching her shoulders slump at the answer. “That should, uh, that should do it.

“Unless,” he added, and she stopped again. Quentin didn’t think he was imagining the tiny spark of hope in her eyes. “I don’t know what your schedule’s like these days, but we could grab dinner maybe.”

“Okay. The shop closes at six, so I’m good most nights. Joanna and her mom invited me over on Friday, and I promised Anita we’d go out Saturday. But any other night works.”

“Anita?” He didn’t recognize that name.

“My neighbor. She and her husband, they’ve been really great.”

Quentin looked down. This was something a father should have already known. “Well, that’s good. I’m glad you’ve made friends.” He scratched at the back of his head. “Yeah, I’ll look at my schedule, get back to you in a couple of days.”

“Okay.” She was still standing there so guarded. He hated it. He wished he’d never gotten the idea to plant that stupid bug in the phone and wreck his daughter’s trust in him so completely. Why couldn’t there be some easy solution?

The solution wasn’t easy, but he did know how it had to start. “You know, I am — I’m sorry, honey. For everything with the Hood and your job, but mostly for what it did to us.”

She drew in a breath and stepped forward, slowly bringing her arms around for a hug that he readily returned. It was still Laurel he held in his arms, Nothing about her changed appearance changed that. He could squeeze his eyes shut and pretend none of the bad stuff had ever even happened.

“I’m sorry, too. But thank you for saying so.”

She drew away and walked down the hall, out of his sight. Quentin let her go. She wasn’t his little girl anymore, and hadn’t been for some time even if he’d refused to see it. He’d have to get to know this young woman if he wanted any part of his daughter’s life going forward.

But if tonight had taught him anything, it was best to reach out to family while there was still the time.

---

The fight with Dark Archer at Christmas had been one thing. Laurel losing her job at CNRI another. But this?

Mr. Merlyn lay comatose in the hospital. Tommy had effectively lost his other parent to violence, and he could have done something this time. He’d tried to do something. And he’d failed. Every time it seemed to count most, he failed.

Oliver remained in the base all night. He couldn’t go to the hospital, knowing he was to blame for not saving Tommy’s father. It would be impossible for him to put on an act in front of his best friend right now.

He’d sent Diggle home a long time ago, and the base was empty. McKenna had tried calling once, which he’d ignored. He didn’t know what time it was, as he remained sitting back against a wall. But at some point, the door opened and footsteps descended lightly.

“Oliver?”

His breath caught. Of course she’d come to him when he couldn’t bring himself to face anyone.

He heard her set something down on a table, and then her footsteps came closer. She rounded the corner and spotted him the same time he did her.

His melancholy lifted for a moment just at the sight of her, though that had more to do with surprise than anything. She’d cut her hair. Oliver stood as she approached, looking hardly like the young girl in the photo he’d kept for five years. Her soft smile was still the same, though.

“I thought I might find you here.”

“You heard the news.”

“Hard not to. It’s all any of the stations are talking about. Have you seen Tommy yet?”

He shook his head, and Laurel frowned.

“Why not?”

“He shot at me.” Oliver watched Laurel’s eyebrows raise. “As the Hood.”

“Tommy?”

“Yeah. It wasn’t close to hitting me, but I had to leave him before somebody got hurt. And now his dad…” he looked away.

“This wasn’t your fault, Oliver. You can’t help someone if they don’t want your help.”

“I should have told him the truth about me. Then he might have been able to trust me. He might have understood why you...” Oliver trailed off while Laurel pursed her lips. He knew it was probably still a sensitive subject to get into, so he let that thought lie. “Now I can’t ever tell him. He’d be so betrayed.”

If Laurel agreed with his assessment or not, she didn’t say. She simply pulled him into a hug. One of his hands went to the back of her head, and he found himself trailing his fingers through the short ends of her hair, marveling at the new feeling. Laurel let him, just radiating that calm strength she had always possessed.

Eventually they both stepped back.

“I’m guessing you haven’t talked to him?”

“No. But I have something for him.” She led him back over to the table where he saw a bouquet of some kind of pink and orange flowers he didn’t know the name of sitting in a vase with water. “They’re called alstroemeria. Can you make sure this gets to him?”

Oliver nodded. “Yeah, I’ll make sure it does.”

Laurel smiled for him again. “I know you don’t think so right now, but Tommy could really use a friend. And Ollie, you’re all he has.”

“I know.” It would be hard. It would be harder even than all the lying he’d been doing to his mother and sister. But he had to try for Tommy. “Thank you.”

“I’m still here for you.”

“I know.” He wished he could do more for her in return. If he only knew what was going on in the city, how to stop it, then he could leave all this behind and focus on his loved ones like he wanted to. 

But it couldn’t be. Just like he was kidding himself thinking he could have a relationship with a detective who was part of the task force hunting him down.

“Have you eaten anything today?” Laurel asked, and that drew him up short.

“What day is it?”

She shook her head. “Come on. We’ll get you some lunch. My treat, and no arguments.”

Laurel took a hold of his arm with strength he wasn’t expecting, looping it through her own. He’d probably feel guilt over it later — of the two of them, he was the one with far more cash to burn — but for once he was grateful to let someone else he trusted take the lead.

---

Moira paced the floor of her office. A coma. Perhaps the worst possible outcome. Malcolm was down, but not out. Not entirely.

Had he known his life was in danger, that there were some in his midst conspiring against him? Had he suspected her? If he woke, she supposed she would have her answers.

Now the only question was what to do in the meantime.

The door opened quietly and Frank slipped through. “I got your call. I’m not sure it’s safe to be meeting like this so soon after, Moira.”

“We’re just two people meeting after a tragedy has befallen our good friend, Frank,” Moira reminded him. “Nothing more.”

“Well, we both know that’s not true.”

“And we’re the only two who can ever know. Not until the job is complete.”

Frank looked at her in shock. “You can’t be suggesting—”

“We need to consider all our options, Frank. Can it be done?”

Her partner in this terrible crime slowly shook his head. “The Triad are unhappy. They lost good men to the Hood, and hiring two separate assassins was not cheap. They are not interested in doing me any favors at the moment.”

Moira closed her eyes. She’d been afraid that would be the answer. Without a third party to hire to take care of things, Malcolm would be allowed to lie undisturbed in the hospital. Perhaps, to heal.

“Then we go forward with Malcolm’s agenda.”

“Moira?”

“There’s still a chance he could wake up, Frank. If he does and discovers we’ve dismantled his work in the meantime,” she let that thought hang in the air between them, not needing to finish it.

“I have begun taking precautions,” he admitted. “Amanda will be staying in London for the foreseeable future. You should think about relocating your family as well, Moira.”

“I can’t.” Not until she had her whole family, at any rate. There was too much at stake for her here in Starling to simply abandon it. And Oliver had already been asking questions. A drastic move like that would only increase his interest.

“Then I suppose we must do as you say. Allow the preparations to proceed.” Frank fixed her a look. “And should the device be completed?”

Moira thought their options over. The closer they got to the completion of the Undertaking, the more abhorrent she found it. Knowing it was no longer an abstract idea but almost a possible reality...

But there was one saving grace: Malcolm’s pride.

“Then we wait. Malcolm would want to be the one to activate it. This is, after all, his life’s work.”

Frank nodded. “Then we wait.”

“Yes.”

Her old friend left her shortly after. She knew he worried most of all about looking suspicious. It was not an unwise fear to have. They were balanced precariously now, with lives on either side.

The plans for Malcolm’s Undertaking would have to continue. If she ever wanted even the slimmest chance of seeing Walter again, she could not afford to show her traitorous colors.

[jbuffyangel]

Disloyalty: Arrow 7x20 Review (Confessions)

Is anyone feeling like the ramp up to the season finale is lacking ramp up? Cause I do. 

Also, it’s time to talk about D*nah.

Let’s dig in…

D*nah Dr*ke

The fact I’m starting with D*nah and not with Felicity or Olicity really says it all doesn’t it? Where should the priorities be right now given that it’s Emily Bett Rickard’s final few episodes? Hint: IT’S NOT D*NAH DR*KE.

“Confessions” employs a well known cinematic story telling device called the “Rashomon Effect.” It’s named after a 1950 film where a murder is described in four contradictory ways by four witnesses. Cool right? Yes, it’s a wonderful way of showing how an individual’s perspective, and self interests, can warp “the truth.” One of the best films to employ this technique is called Courage Under Fire. It stars Denzel Washington, Meg Ryan and Matt Damon. Watch it. Thank me later.

I think the Arrow writers are using the Rashomon Effect in “Confessions” but that doesn’t mean it’s effective. The episode has the same problem as “Spartan.” It’s placement in the season is bizarre.  “Confessions” would work much better if it aired in the 10-15 episode range, but as one of the final it’s kind of a snoozer. I was super bored. Bored and annoyed. That’s me.

“Confessions” is a looooooot of exposition. Two guards have been murdered and once again Oliver Queen & Co. stands accused. My irritation begins with the Star City Police Department. At this point these ungrateful and disloyal twiddle dinks deserve everything the Ninth Circle has coming to them. My firm belief is Oliver and Felicity should dump this Emiko mess on SCPD’s lap, get the hell out of town and raise their family in peace. But they won’t do that because they are “heroes.” Their selflessness is super annoying.

The good news is our Parkour Prince and Olicity’s first born son Roy Harper is back in town! Oh how I have missed that perfectly sculpted jaw line.  

Source:  arrowdaily

The big question of course is who killed the two guards? I mean… I guess I care.  

I’m not completely heartless. It’s sad the two guards are dead, but we already know Oliver didn’t do it. Neither did Felicity or Diggle. D*nah is investigating, so I’m assuming that puts her in the clear. So that leaves Rene, Roy or Emiko.

We can boil this list down even further given how shifty Roy is acting and the fact we know he’s living on a deserted island twenty years in the future. It’s either Roy or Emiko. I’m five minutes in and I’ve already figured out 95% of the plot. Yawn.

Every character gets their turn in the hot seat with D*nah and Sergeant Bingsley (isn’t that a great name?), who pretty much hates Oliver. 

Source: smoakmonster 

I’m not going through every single character’s perspective on the events in question mostly because it’s pretty boring (save for Felicity). Oliver, Felicity, Diggle, Roy and Rene’s details vary but all their stories arrive at the same conclusion – they didn’t do it and Oliver’s terrorist sister probably did.

Source: smoakmonster

This leaves us with one of two options – either Oliver & team are telling the truth about Emiko or they are covering for someone on the team i.e. Roy. Here’s where we arrive to the crux of my problem with “Confessions.” 

D*nah Dr*ke. 

The whole story hinges on D*nah either being a disloyal jackass or the audience believing she’s a disloyal jackass. Neither option says very good things about her character.

Oliver is sorry about the guards, but the team stopped a terrorist act so they are ahead by the numbers and boy he ain’t wrong! Yeah I know. Every life matters but also THEY STOPPED A TERRORIST. 

D*nah and the SCPD’s evidence against Oliver is the guard’s were killed by emerald green arrows. DUN DUN DUNNNNN!!!! It’s too bad there isn’t another vigilante dressing like the Green Arrow running all over town. OH WAIT THERE IS.

D*nah and Oliver fess up to knowing the identity of the New GA and he admits Emiko is his half sister. Oliver seems extremely reluctant to name his sister as the murderer. D*nah and Bingsley believe Oliver is protecting Emiko, so it feels legit when he quietly confesses she killed the guards. She is the reason Oliver is lying and stonewalling, so Bingsley (kind of) buys his story. Quite frankly this is a stroke of genius.  My boy was on fire with the plans tonight!

Long story short, Roy killed the guards in a fit of bloodlust rage, but Oliver is ride or die for his boy and insists the team cover for him. 

Source: smoakmonster 

However, Oliver’s plan is completely dependent on D*nah accusing her teammates of murder to misdirect the investigation, so he can casually/not so causally point the finger at Emiko. 

Source: smoakmonster 

We spend much of the episode listening to D*nah say, “Why the hell didn’t you tell me?” and, “I want to believe you Oliver but you gotta admit this looks really bad,” because the arrows are green.

Me: Holy hell woman. He went to prison for you. What more does he have to do to inspire some friggin loyalty from you?

Oliver argues pretty much all of my words because he feels me on a spiritual level. He didn’t do it. D*nah should know him better than that. And all he gets is her stony face and judgmental eyes. I mean, God forbid Oliver Queen make the department look bad!

The reason Oliver used D*nah this way is because she’s been judgmental and disloyal all season long. She barely lifted a finger to help Felicity get Oliver out of prison, she arrested Rene for being a vigilante and was up Siren’s ass all the time. (Okay, that last one was warranted.) Her primary worry is holding on to her job as captain. And don’t even get me started on Season 6.

Felicity: Oh you mean when Ricardo Diaz kidnapped Roy to turn him against Oliver? You might have forgotten about that since you weren’t exactly on speaking terms with Oliver and I at the time.

BOOM. Felicity Smoak is my level of petty. I love it. Drag her sis.

At first, I thought the writers were going with Plan A – Emiko killed the guards. So, my irritation with D*nah and her constant blame game when it came to Team Arrow’s actions were at an all time high.  I’m not kidding. I want Siren back. Can we do a Canary exchange? E2 gets D*nah . At least the writers have picked a personality with this version of LL.   I’ve gone from advocating for Laurel’s death to missing her newest incarnation. This is a full circle moment.

D*nah has many of the character problems E1 L*urel had. The writers are 100% committed to assassinating her character whenever the plot deems necessary. There’s really no other explanation for D*nah’s flip flopping personality and constant suspicions of Oliver Queen. We’ve been here before.

I know for many outside fandom this Roy reveal was an extremely great GOTCH YA, 

but I think fandom was on to Roy + rage = Lazarus Pit since the beginning of the season. It’s fine. We’re a very difficult group to surprise because we pay attention to all the itty bitty details a casual viewer blows right past. That wasn’t my annoyance with the episode.

My annoyance is the writers knew I would be annoyed with D*nah and believe she is selling out the team. 

Sometimes Arrow is very self aware and this is one of those moments. They know fans are frustrated with the character and yet instead of fixing it they lean into it. 

D*nah is blaming and accusing Oliver every other week. Her behavior really hasn’t changed that much from Season 6. So, the one time she’s on board with Oliver’s call I’m supposed to rejoice? No. 

Sorry, particularly when the writers use her awfulness to sell the ruse. IF YOU KNOW SHE IS AWFUL THEN WHY DON’T YOU FIX IT?

I couldn’t even be happy about D*nah being “one for all and all for one” because she continues to bitch about protecting Roy to Oliver after they are cleared by the police.

D*nah: Two innocent people died and we’re covering it up.

Oliver: D*nah is someone on this team goes down then this entire team goes down.

Felicity and Diggle also make strong arguments about sitting in lock up while Emiko wreaks havoc on the city. OTA is strongly #TeamProtectRoy.

Source:  lucyyh

Rene: But Roy’s not a part of this team. He’s been gone for months doing who knows what.

Oliver: With due respect, you don’t know what he’s been through. Roy is and will always be as much a part of this team as the rest of us.

D*nah: Except the rest of us don’t go around killing innocent people.

OKAY NEW KIDS. You’ve been going here for two stinking years whereas Roy has been around since Season 1. RESPECT YOUR ELDERS. 

I understand D*nah and Rene don’t have a personal connection to Roy, but when the guy who went to prison for you vouches for him then that’s all they should need. PICK A SIDE. Are you on this team or are you out? If you’re on the team then fall in line.

One thing I will always love about Oliver Queen is his LOYALTY. Roy sacrificed everything for Oliver, so he doesn’t even blink at two dead guards. 

Roy was clearly out of his mind, so the Newbies need to take a beat and follow the leader. Maybe you don’t know Roy, but they should know Oliver by now. And that’s the essential problem. Do Rene and D*nah trust Oliver Queen? No. I don’t think they do. Not fully. So what the hell are they doing here?

Also, has D*nah completely forgotten she is also a murderer? Because I haven’t.

The difference between Roy and D*nah is she doesn’t have bloodlust as an excuse. She was of sound mind and body when she pulled the trigger, so I really need her to shove the moral condemnation.

The entire reason this episode focused so much on D*nah is because she has been the character most predisposed to disloyalty this season. The entire reason this ruse worked on any kind of level with the audience is because we believed D*nah’s disloyalty. The entire reason Oliver knew the plan would fool the police is because D*nah’s disloyalty is believable. That is a very big problem. She is not a character I root for anymore and what’s even sadder is the writers don’t seem to care.

Roy Harper

I’m not putting my frustrations with “Confessions” all at D*nah’s feet. Now is the time to take a long and hard look at our problematic son Roy Harper. 

Here’s how the episode should have gone:

Roy: I died, Thea dipped me in the Pit and we used the Lotus Elixir, but I still have rage issues because Mirakuru is forever screwing me over.

Oliver: Cool.

Then, Dad would send son out into the field with a babysitter. Kind of like a buddy system. By the way, didn’t they use the only Lotus Elixir on Thea in Season 3? Me thinks yes, but apparently Nyssa has access to a whole lotus garden now.

What’s hilarious about this is Oliver used the Pit on Thea, she used the Pit on Roy and L*urel used it on Sara. And yet they adamantly refuse to use it on L*urel.  Nyssa has plenty of Lotus Elixir and Constantine is flying around time with Sara, but they still won’t resurrect her character. Oh Arrow. I see your petty and I love it. 

(Yeah I know they aren’t resurrecting Moira, Tommy, Robert, etc. but none of those people are actively seeking employment on the show.)

Anywho, back to Roy. Oliver brought him back to town because Emiko doesn’t know who he is and he could be their ace in the hole. Also they needed someone really good are parkour.

The writers addressed the “Why not Thea?” question, but Oliver’s answer left something to be desired. He’s not going to tell Thea about Emiko until she’s in custody? 

Uhhh… okay. I understand Oliver not wanting to drag Thea back into the Star City drama, but he could pick up the phone and let her know what’s going on. I’m not comfortable with a lie by omission. Would Thea come running home if she knew about Emiko? Yeah, maybe but I feel confident they could cook up a Lazarus Pit emergency instead of Oliver lying to his sister. Again.

This is 99.99% Roy’s fault and I’m glad Oliver holds him responsible for keeping a secret like this. It is possible to love and protect someone while holding them accountable. It doesn’t have to be either or.

This is what loyalty, friendship and team work looks like. D*nah and Rene could learn a few things from Oliver Queen.

Felicity Smoak and Olicity

It’s frustrating we’re on episode 20 and I’m spending 95% of my review talking about D*nah and Roy. I have long ago accepted Arrow is never going to focus on Felicity Smoak and Olicity to the level I would like them too. I’ve let that anger die many moons ago. However, I do occasionally get frustrated and this is one of those episodes. The need to use Felicity Smoak to her max potential seems even more urgent because of Emily’s impending exit.

And yet, Arrow remains Arrow. They won’t shift from standard operating procedure even now. Generally speaking, the big Olicity moments happen in the premiere, mid season finale/mid season premiere and season finale. I get it, but EMILY IS LEAVING. 

It’s time to chuck the SOP. Granted they’ve focused on Felicity more than ever have before, but this kind of exposition episode and focus on secondary characters would have been an easier pill to swallow if it came earlier in the season. But 7x20?

Maybe there’s an explanation for that and maybe there’s not. I don’t know for sure, but as a viewer it frustrates me.

Upside: We watched Felicity eat a bunch of yummies and be her perfect, adorable self. 

Source:  lucyyh

She almost told Roy she was preggo and Oliver had to bite his cheek to keep from laughing. 

Source:  felicitysmoakgifs

Her feelings about Rene are the same as mine and it gives me life.

Source:  smoakmonster 

We end on a cliffhanger with a worried wifey freaking about bae.

Source:  olivergifs

And her hair is its own storyline. Wow.

Source:  smoakmonster

The fact these are the only real moments I have from one of Felicity’s final episodes is sad to me, but I appreciate them nonetheless. Despite my love, Arrow is an imperfect show and it will remain so until the very end.

Stray Thoughts

Tweet of the night.

THEA IS HAPPY. DO NOT TOUCH MY CHILD WRITERS.

It’s entirely possible Roy goes to Lian Yu because he can’t find a cure for the bloodlust and cools his heels there for the last 20 years. Pretty much anything is better than the writers killing Thea, so if it protects my Theroy happy ending then I’ll get behind it. They are literally dumping characters in Pauseville until the series finale and I am here for it.

Do Thea and Roy both have a red hooded jacket or do they sharesies?

Look I get Rene is in love with Emiko, but she's trying to murder her brother on the regular for stuff Robert Queen did so this whole “family is important to her” stance he is taking is completely laughable. Will anyone on this show ever make sense? Oh right. Felicity AND SHE IS LEAVING.

Oliver is making a shocking amount of sense. Fully realized superhero Oliver is so unnerving. EPIC MOMENT. Source:  olivergifs

I'm glad Emiko finally dropped the Gambit bomb. Pun intended. Oliver needs to know the evil sister has been plotting since S1 because full circle baby!!!

Me: It's gonna take a lot more than dropping a building on him to kill Oliver Queen.

Also me: SOMEONE SAVE HIM!!!!!!!! THERE'S TOO MANY TOMMY MEMORIES AND I CAN'T HANDLE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! MAKE IT STAHP!!!! Source  olicitygifs

The final five minutes were good and delivered an action packed punch, but man it was a slow ride to get there. Time to pick up the pace Arrow! We’re almost to the finish line.

Disclaimer: Any gifs on the blog are not mine. If you would like a gif removed from my reviews, please message me. 7x20 gifs credited.

If you’d like to support the blog, please buy me a cup of tea!

[katzuyas]

for @vityaweek day 5 | prompt: mythology au

the day the poisoned arrow pierces victor’s heart is the best day of his life. undeniably.

he thinks he’s going to die-- well, he is dying. and then somehow he... isn’t?

the arrow is yanked out of his back, where it hit him from behind while he was tracking a strange golden doe through the woods, and the only thing that remains is the sting of the poison is the burn of the still open wound. but even that disappears as soon as a warm hand presses to his blood-stained tunic.

victor is turned on his back then, and like that -- stunned and shocked -- he peers into the eyes of his saviour: a molten gold that shines like the golden sun on the blue skies above.

“please, forgive me,” the stranger says. “I did not mean to shoot you. I was aiming for the doe. are you... are you quite alright? does anything hurt?”

before victor can find the tongue in his mouth, the stranger’s hands are all over him. touching his chest, arms, shoulder, face, the man inspects him, and everywhere his touch lingers like the warm rays of the sun. victor would be drawn to that, if he wasn’t already drawn to that face -- the sweet face, tight with worry over him.

“I’m--” he finally manages. “no, I, I think I’m whole? but how? how am I alive?” victor peers again into the beautiful golden eyes right before the man averts his gaze. “how did you save me?”

“it was my arrow, so it was within my power to reverse it,” he simply says, as if that’s what any archer could do with ease.

sitting up, victor takes him in once more. a beautiful face, rich tunic, a rope woven of golden thread slung over his shoulder -- this man couldn’t be just anyone. and when victor sees the bow, it is of as fine a make as the rest of his clothes. no, he definitely could not be just a simple hunter.

“who are you?”

golden eyes look to him, but the man’s lips remain sealed.

“you can’t tell me,” victor guesses. “or you don’t want to.”

“I shouldn’t,” the man replies, standing up.

victor follows, and he delights in the fact that they are almost of the same height. he is slightly taller, however, and from that height he can clearly see the laurel crown on top of the man’s dark hair.

he must be a noble, victor decides. must be someone who victor should never have spoken to. must be someone--

“I shouldn’t...” the man repeats, gazing up at him from behind dark, thick eyelashes, “...but I find myself wanting to.”

victor’s mouth parts in surprise, but before the breath can even leave him, the man catches his arms and climbs to his toes, coming up to meet victor’s eyes on the same level. he’s close, so close victor can smell something sweet on his breath, something so intoxicating that his own eyes half-close in pleasure, but snap wide open when their noses touch in a tender, darling gesture.

“if you bring me that doe, I will tell you all you wish to know,” the man says. “bring me the doe, and I shall be yours for the rest of the day.”

victor’s heart throbs hard at those words, but he can’t help repeating: “mine?”

“all yours,” the man confirms. “all yours until dawn. whatever you want, whatever is mine to give. just bring me the doe.”

and victor, smitten, enchanted victor hunts down the golden doe, shoots an arrow straight through it’s side, and then, bound by the legs brings it to lay it down at the feet of the man who almost killed him, almost saved him, and almost... almost kissed him.

the gaze of the golden eyes is soft in the falling darkness of the forest, and it softens still when the man crouches next to the husk of the doe and victor himself, who knows not what to do with his bloodied hands. a warm touch to his cheek draws him in, brings him forward until he’s breathing that sweet ambrosia from the man’s lips again, even as he speaks:

“I am the twin. apollo by day, and artemis by night. the sun and the moon. the prophet and the protector.”

he pauses and as the last rays of the sun fade to nothing and the night takes over the world, so does the gold fade from his eyes. replacing it is silver, colder, yet just as beautiful, and victor shivers under its light.

“you have been chosen,” the god, because victor now knows he must be one, speaks to him, while his thumb softly drags over victor’s bottom lip. “and you will do well, won’t you?”

and victor, poor, foolish victor, rests a greedy kiss against that thumb, and vows:

“whatever you wish from me.”

the dark, yet pleased smile on the god’s face is the last thing victor sees, before warm lips claim his own and his world bursts into pleasure of such he has never felt before, but even then he can’t truly be upset for it. not if he can have this man, this god, as his own -- if only until dawn.

[nellie-elizabeth]

Arrow: Reset (8x06)

Oh, I have feelings about this. Oliver my sweet precious hero friend.

Cons:

The idea that the Monitor has just been testing Oliver to get him ready for his final mission is... kind of silly? I don't know. Is this just me? It feels like what's really going on here is that they had to fill out a whole season, but needed to tread water until the actual "Crisis" plot thread could take over.

Pros:

This episode felt like old-school Arrow in a way I really admired. Oliver having to balance his public image as an important figure in his community, with his vigilante identity. Oliver going to a glitzy event and then having to don the suit to stop some bad guys. Oliver getting advice and help from his trusty side-kicks, but also learning a humbling lesson about his own limits. All very early-season vibes, in a way I really appreciated.

This is a Groundhog Day episode, where Oliver is stuck in a time loop that seems to reset when Quentin Lance is killed. Turns out, Laurel is also in the same loop. This is a pretty standard setup, but one thing I really liked about it is that first Lance, and then Diggle, both believe Oliver right away when they're told what's going on. As they both point out, their lives are crazy, and include time travel and resurrections and all sorts of bizarre crap. Why shouldn't they believe Oliver in this situation? They both have reason to trust him on something like this.

I also liked how close this world was to Oliver's own reality. He doesn't wake up in a completely different set of circumstances. Mia, William, and Connor are still here. Lyla still admits to having them taken down with tranquilizer darts. It's just... a couple of days are blank for Oliver. Everyone else is acting like things are business as usual. I like that. It adds a hint of unease to everything, as we're not clear on what exactly is real and what is part of the loop. Things are just off-kilter, not totally fantastical.

Lyla's role in events is still sort of baffling to me, even after this episode tried to clear up her motivations a bit. But honestly, I don't mind that. I like the tension of Diggle's wife being tied up in everything in such a sinister way. At the same time, we have the understanding that Lyla is doing what she thinks is best, to prepare Oliver for the work ahead of him. It can't be about what's best for Oliver as a person. It's got to be what's best to prevent the Crisis. That's a fun conflict to explore.

Diggle was mostly side-lined here, but I enjoyed that when Oliver told him about the time loop, he got right on board and actually offered good advice. Oliver commends him for always knowing what to say, and that feels so true to their bond.

Quentin Lance, be still my beating heart! He's a character who I never fully appreciated until he was gone, and seeing him here reminded me of how much I dearly loved him. He's a no-nonsense kind of guy, willing to think things through logically and accept reality even when it sucks. I liked that he was pretty accepting of his fate. He died saving his daughter. What better way for him to go? His support of Laurel and Oliver in this episode was really sweet. It makes me fully appreciate how far this show has come. Laurel and Oliver are obviously not a romantic prospect at this point, and Quentin is no longer chasing down the Hood and trying to put a stop to vigilantism. These relationships have changed so much over the years, and it's fun to be reminded of that.

Oh, Laurel. I love Earth Two Laurel. It took me a long, long time to get there with her character, because I couldn't quite understand what they were trying to do with her. But this, seeing her get the catharsis of finally saying goodbye to Quentin Lance, of getting to tell her (sort of) father how much she cared for him... that really had me tearing up, let me tell ya. I love that Laurel has chosen to be a hero, but that it's not a natural position for her to fall into. For all of the crap that Oliver has done, he still slots into that "hero" role a lot better than Laurel does. And yet she's fighting for it, and it's working. Go Laurel!

I appreciate how the kids - Mia, William, and Connor - acted as something of a touchstone for Oliver. Each time he woke up at the beginning of a loop, they were there, a reminder of what he's fighting for. And as the episode ends, Laurel and Oliver wake up for real, out of the loop, and find themselves, along with the kids, on Lian Yu. This should prove... interesting!

That's all I've got for now. This final season of Arrow has had quite a few high points, but there's also been a lot of drag. I appreciate this episode for giving us some nostalgia and also solidifying Oliver's goals a bit more than they have been all season.

8/10

[ruwithmeguys]

Hey it’s the twitter user who just asked for S1&2 arrow reviews. So I just finished rewatching S1 and I’ve been curious about why Oliver went back to Laurel even though he didn’t love her. Did Laurel really understand Oliver? Because I’ve always thought Felicity was the one who understood him

Hithere! WELCOME TO THE REST OF YOUR EXISTENCE.

No,seriously; good luck ever leaving this ship! (Join us, we have all the OTP cookies - hah, I never even used to know what OTP meant)

I’msure there are other people who can answer this better, who won’t do it at workwhen I’m supposed to be, you know, WORKING (I am not a role model). But I wanted to give you a response pronto!

Here we go: Oliver… Laurel… Tommy.

Here’s the thing. There areall kinds of love. Oliver, laurel and Tommy were friends first before any ofthem slept together. The love Oliver had for LL was predicated upon thatfoundation of friendship. They’d been attracted to each other so they decidedto do the natural thing: date.

Now, just because two friendsare attracted to each other, doesn’t make the relationship this amazingshowcase of love or the perfect ship or the forever one and only. Chandler andMonica they aren’t.

They weren’t even Ross andRachel, not even close. And Ross had sex with another women four hours after their ‘break’. What aguy.

Did we see even THIS level of intensity from either side? Nu uh. And I tell you,if I start a show like Arrow and I’m supposed to be sold on their romance because where there’s a hero, there’s always a romance, then I want at LEAST angst.

What I believe - and have beengiven proof from Stephen and from others - is that when Ollie - which wasexactly who he was before the Gambit sank - was with LL, she brought out thegood stuff. But the goodness inside him was coated by his greed, vanity andselfishness. He was a dick who LL thought that simply by being with her, would not be a dick…

Wishful thinking to the tenthdegree. 

She was head over heels and deluded by it (that gif is really creepy - he was sleeping with them both there. Laurel was oblivious. Sara was besotted. Three people and not one understood the other).

But Oliver has felt attractionbefore for many other women and continued to not only feel said attraction, butto act on it; she was just one in the herd. Oblivious to the other sheep. From my count, Oliver slept with Sara, Samantha, Max Fuller’s fiance and, two women he went on a joy ride with whilst dating Laurel. Possibly more. Thedifference being that he and laurel held a history of friendship and care together -that he should have given a shit about - so it deepened the relationship fromsex buddies to boyfriend/girlfriend.

But he still cheated on herbecause it wasn’t this special thing that she thought it was. And he was withoutmuch of an ethics base or conscience back then. I’m pretty sure Oliver knew howmuch of an ass he was; in fact I think he thought he was a worthless pretty boywith mountains of cash, which he used to get his way. Deep down, Oliver was,is, a very good person. But ego, money and pleasure soaked up his view and hemade the worst decisions. Just because he started dating one of his closestfriends, didn’t mean he was going to stop partying and cheating and being said ass.

The fact that LL saw this as agiven is one of her many displays of wilful tunnel vision. She was the star ofher own story and the star doesn’t get treated that way. She was at the top ofOllie’s and Tommy’s and daddy’s and mommy’s priority list: she was a betterdaughter than Sara, Ollie would never chase skirts behind her back - they weregoing to get married and be rich socialites together after all as her originalendgame (S3) was to become a wealthy DA who’s clients were the rich criminalsOliver faces in S1 - Tommy would always be there, and daddy would always beproud.

She had a skewed perception asmany people often do when they’re young, inexperienced, ridiculous and lofty.

She’s allowed to be this way. Oliver was allowed to be a disaster boyfriend.

Your first love is rarely yourlast.

But LL didn’t just see Ollieas her first love: she saw him as her last.

Ollie couldn’t look that farinto the future, as evidenced by how he treated his education, by how hetreated women, by how he played around with Sara, by how he tried hard to bethis constant failure.

So when LL started pushing forfurther commitment - for living together like their other friends and being an‘us’ - Oliver made a run for it and grabbed some TNT along the way. Nothingbreaks up a relationship quite like sleeping with the sibling of yourboy/girlfriend. This way, he could be in a far off land when LL realised hersister wasn’t at college, when one of her friends blab about her, because Sarasaid it herself on the Gambit: she was going to be in so much trouble, whichOliver was counting on.

He wouldn’t have to do any ofthe work.

A real shining example ofboyfriend of the year.

But then the Queen’s Gambitexplodes, Ollie looses Sara and hisfather whilst bobbing around for days at sea and by the time he reaches LianYu… Ollie’s not really there anymore; he’s already altered.

The good in him, the strengthhe didn’t know he had comes out, alongside a heavy coating of self-loathing,violent tendencies and a consideration of turpitude.

There’s a scene that perfectlyencapsulates how Oliver feels for LL in those S1 flashbacks: he’s in the cavewith Shao Fei and he’s staring at her picture. He looks so sad and so guiltyand he says ‘I’m so sorry LL’.

He’s not sorry because heloves and misses her. He’s sorry because he fucked up.

And Oliver had no idea what hehad until he lost it, but it’s made all the worse because he feels like Saradied because of his selfishness. Without that guilt I’m not entirely certainhe’d have been so obsessed with the idea of making it up to her, but yes; ahuge part of wanting to return home was about fixing what he broke. Making upfor his mistakes. Gaining a reprieve from years of suffering.

He’s dangerously close tokilling himself in that first year: sometimes believing you’re at the root ofall evil can help you prioritise. He needed to live to make it up to LL.

He needed to survive.

It’s a defence mechanism. Helatched onto those feelings to keep going. THAT and he isn’t scum: he wanted tobe better. He denied the hope inside him but it was still there, waiting for the right time.

The right person.

Notice he never once tells LLor says to anyone after his return, that he wants to be with her. He’s only ever said that to one woman on the show.Word for word. Not an insinuation: a flat out factoid.

The very few things Oliversays in regards to LL and their former relationship after his return in S1, isthat a) thinking about her helped him survive in that first year, b) that hecouldn’t say he didn’t love her, c) he was genuinely happy that she and Tommywere together, d) he would never ever reveal to her who and what he really iswhich means he’d always be lying to her and finally e) that he was sorry andthat it would never be enough.

Romantic stuff it is not.

Even with that crappy list,there are more holes.

A)   He admits in the S4 and S5 flashbacks that,since he was so changed, he knew the person who he’d become could never returnto LL because he wasn’t the same guy. He said that he kept her picture as areminder of everything he’d done.

Her picture was a source ofshame: his self-inflicted punishment. She would always remind him of hisselfishness. ROMANTIC RIGHT?

B)   Saying that you can’t say you don’t lovesomeone isn’t telling them you do love them. It’s useless after the fact.When Oliver realised he was in love with Felicity he declared it several timesto her even though he thought he couldn’t be with her! The one time Oliver tells LL that he loves her is after her death, in ahallucination in 5.08 where he’s very literally apologising for lying to herand for not being the man she loved. He tells her that they could never have been, because who she loved died and he wasn’t that man.

He couldn’t love her the wayshe’d clearly loved him. He was finally given the chance to gainclosure by telling her ghost what he should have told the woman before shedied. She’d deserved to hear the truth years ago. Case in point, on herdeathbed he could only stare at her when she told him that he’d always be thelove of her life. Loving someone? It is FAR different to being the love oftheir life.

Do you know what being thelove of someone’s life is? It’s being at the source of the most powerful,profound and influential love a lucky person feels in their lifetime. The WHOLEof their lifetime. The person who is the love of someone’s life is the person whothat someone loves the absolute most, the person who changed their lives themost. No other love will come close. Oliver was that for LL. She knew she was not that for him.

C)    Do youknow the most revealing way of being in love with a person who is unavailableto you? Jealousy. Oliver never showed an ounce of it for LL and Tommy. In facthe cheered them on, waving them off with a smile because he was HAPPY for them;as if he was saying, all is well and all is good now. Hot stuff right; it really makes you want to watch thislacklustre rickety canoe progress…

D)    Wantingsomeone in your life means revealing yourself to them. It means sharing thingsyou’re too embarrassed, ashamed or afraid to do otherwise. It takes a lot ofcourage and we know Oliver possesses that trait in spades. And yet, he neverwants her to know his secret - the other half of him - and what plays a big part inthis is her initial reaction to his rage in 1.04. He scares her and she’s not shy in showing just how much. Her back and forth after that fact wouldn’t instil confidence either, never mind that Oliver already knew a relationship between them with the hood in the middle was doomed to failure.

Trust me, ifthe show hadn’t been brave and we’d been forced to watch a relationship thatmade little sense, we’d have gotten a good 12 episodes of LL being afraid ofOliver and overcoming her fear to a manageable basis. THANK CHRIST.

There was never anything to fear with Oliver: Felicity knew that immediately.The hood, the man under it – it didn’t matter. LL didn’t see what was therepast the scary skills and bloody arrows. Under the hood was the man she repeatedly claimed, she knew down to his bones. And yet… she didn’t see him there.

E)   A love powered by guilt is no love at all.There is a difference between the love you have for the people you care for andbeing in love.

Oliver did love LL. But he wasnever in love with her. UntilFelicity, Oliver had never fallen inlove before and it was vastly different to anything he’d felt, thank you WendyMericle.

He even behaves differently once we see it. Falling in love withFelicity made him a better, more hopeful person.

Loving LL in any capacity wasa constant reminder of his ‘sin’.

So when you say that you don’tunderstand why Oliver went back to LL in 1.21… well, wouldn’t you want to beabsolved?

Oliver wanted- desperately needed to hear one thing from all thewomen in his life who have had some sort of emotional sway in it.

Moira Queen: I’m proud of you(who you are and who you’ll become)

Thea Queen: Thank you (forbeing who you are and for doing what you do)

Laurel Lance: I forgive you(so let go of the past, I have: I hope you find happiness)

Sara Lance: It wasn’t yourfault (and what happened gave me purpose)

Shado: you didn’t kill me (amad man trying to hurt you did: let me go)

Felicity Smoak: I love youOliver Queen (I always have and always will be yours)

Being the boyfriend he shouldhave been, being given a chance do it again and do it right – sort of liketurning back the clock – must have felt like a massive relief to Oliver who, inS1, was clueless about what made a relationship work. Relationships based onthe past, don’t last. There’s nothing there to help grow and like the once wiseJohn Diggle once said:

Itisn’t about changing or saving a person: it’s about being with someone who’sthe right fit.

The aim, the goal line whenyou want a relationship with the one you love, is simply to be withthem. To grow with them. Not to makeup for being a jackass in the past. You do that by being a decent person. Not by doing this:

HelloLL, I want to be with you to make up for betraying you! The making of a dream ship, I swear.

If they’d gotten back togetherafter 1.23, the following would have happened:

1.     Oliverwould have been forced to see that they couldn’t hack it as a couple. Friendsand allies yes but not as a couple. It takes complete trust to share your lifewith a person and Oliver has never trusted LL to that degree and there isoodles of proof. He’s admitted to it; in fact he’s alluded to never being ableto do that with anyone other than a certain beautiful IT girl.

2.     Wewould have had to put up with a solid season of a force-fed, lacklustre romanceand then we would have had the dreaded love triangle once Sara showed up whichwould have been so much worse to watch than what actually happened.

3.     OnceLL discovers his secret, and it wouldn’t be because he tells her, he’d break upwith her on the principal that it was the last straw: his last lie to thiswoman who didn’t deserve it and she would vow to prove him otherwise. She’dreach to become BC and they’d have an off again, on again tedious thing thatwould have killed the show in a final, ten episode long, S5.

Tommy’s death led Oliver’s hearttowards the light. 

Tommy wasn’t supposed to die. He was a good guy trapped between opposing forces and in love with a woman who didn’t love him back. When he died, Oliver’s world changed perspective. he saw what should have happened as opposed to what they thought should have happened. 

The love Oliver and Ll thought they had didn’t culminate in this victory the audience probably expected it to be.It was both reborn superfast only to perish in betrayal. Now, LL and Tommy wereover and Tommy had pushed them both away… so why did both LL and Oliver laterfeel like that was exactly what they did? You only feel this, if deep downinside, there’s something wrong, something you haven’t admitted. LL didn’t feelit until after Oliver runs away again,which meant she’d been swept away by another lie once more only to realise, it was another rinse repeat.

Oliver felt it immediately.

Being with LL wasn’t worthbetraying Tommy, wasn’t worth his death. It wasn’t, because his love for herdidn’t match Tommy’s and he flipping knew it. It tainted anything that could have been past the point of noreturn and suddenly Oliver didn’t want to live in the past anymore because whenhe’d tried, he’d screwed things up further and the boy deserved not to want tokill himself so much. The past includes LL, which is why they barely spend timetogether afterwards and it lasts right up to her death.

Because what else do theyhave, except the past?

If their love had been more,then maybe… after time, they could have gotten past this.

It wasn’t.

Oliver didn’t go back to Laurel. He and Laurel tried topick up again right where they left off, withoutfacing what had happened which is what you do when you decide to re-writehistory, which is of course impossible. It’s just another lie. It’s the easyway out.

Let’spretend you never cheated on me!

Goodidea! Let’s also pretend my alter ego doesn’t scare you shitless and that you don’t secretly hate me for Sara!

Awesome!

LL didn’t want to face thefact that the best time in her life was over before it even started because shecouldn’t move on from the loss of it. Oliver didn’t want to face the idea thathe couldn’t fix his mistakes because it meant acknowledging what he’s alwaysbelieved: that everything that happened after the sinking of the Gambit, was because he’d lived as others died.

You know what the best exampleof being in love is on a TV show?

What it does to the character.

There is never one singlemoment where LL and Oliver make each other better. They don’t ever help eachother in any positive way. He gives her one half hearted lie in 1.21 whichflatters her ego and lights up her libido for cardboard sex and puts women everywherewith two brain cells to string together and a modicum of self-respect, to shame.

This is what happens betweentwo people who never got closure. Once the sex is over, the appeal wears offand reality sinks in and it flat lines.

The exact opposite of what happens when Oliver and Felicity sleep together,just in case you’re wondering what a successful TV romance looks like.

Stephen stated something oncewhen he was asked about his favourite moments in S1. He said that he reallyliked the moment where Felicity said, ‘if you’re not leaving, I’m not leaving’.

He said it stayed with Oliverin a profound way because, deep down, Oliver has always craved that. Havingsomeone who he could lace 100% of his trust in and who would never leave, despite the times he screws up- and screws up hedoes.

And stay Felicity does.

Every single time, even when they’re not together.

We know Felicity saw the realhim. He saw her. There was animmediate connection that neither understands at first because it’s too big. 

Patience is required. 

I firmly believe there was no romance in S1; but anyonewho watches S1 – particularly 1.03, 1.12, 1.15, 1.17, 1.21, 1.22 and 1.23 – can’t possiblybe blind to all the tiny details of building of trust, reliance and connectionbetween two people who no one saw coming.

There is no build betweenOliver and LL in the season which is shocking and it makes you question thesanity of her fans: the sole season that includes romance between the two and it’s barely even played with. The writers didn’t even try to do it the justice it supposedly deserved. No matter how many complaints the fandom has about the writers, they are not THAT obtuse. It was deliberate.

Why try when it’s not worth trying for?

Lastly, remember that Oliver wasso fucking lonely in S1, especially after the five years of hell. The kind of lonely you couldn’t possibly understand. There isn’treally a way to measure that.

If you’re thinking about himand Felicity, it’s like imagining the deepening of the ocean.They both have issues the size of Godzilla; the ocean’s depths have to be at least as deep - you don’t want them together in S1.Let him go find empty sex with LL where they don’t face, fix or talk about athing. Where they just let themselves pretend for a while.

It’s easier.

Something you need to rememberabout S1: the first season is always going to be the season of trail and error.You cast your lead character in different scenarios with different people andyou see what works.

A fact for you that you mightneed to hear: roughly when they started filming 1.03, they revealed 1.01 to theexecutives at WB and so on and so forth and… let’s just say they weren’t takenwith the onscreen chemistry for the relationship between O + LL. Or with KC’s portrayal. It’s difficult to work against a constant barrage of bitterness. There are otherfactors but I’m not talking about them.

Now, the template for the show’sromance was supposed to be this epic love between the two, as it is in thecomics. Now, I have ample experience with my favourite stories being translatedonscreen. What works on a page rarely works the same way on tv and the comicbook relationship was terrible anyway; why replicate it?

Just when they were trying tofigure out what to do… Emily does onescene, lights the place up, gives Stephen the most excellent chemistry I’veseen in years to play off and suddenly they have a path to follow.

They started building Olicityin S1. They’ve admitted it, but they wanted to do it subtly and BECAUSE they didit slowly, it was believable. Between 1.01 and 1.05 – they write 5 episodesahead of filming – there’s this constant, in your face message that laurel andOliver are meant to be. Then there’s this shift. They slowly introduce this ‘behindthe scenes’ thing with Felicity and Walter, interjecting her loosely withOliver’s story at just the right moments (the end of 1.08 is a HUGE indicationof where they’re going), before the scene in 1.12.

It isn’t a coincidence thatthe scene discusses trust.

He doesn’t talk about trustwith anyone in the season, excerpt her AND… Helena.

Helena trusted him with herheart and she realised he wasn’t ready, that he was still hoping to save thepast just as he hoped to save her and his ignorance hurt her. So when Felicityshows trust in him and he in turn. Proves she can… well it’s a huge deal.

You’d think trust would pop upbetween him and Laurel given their history. The fact that it didn’t speakswonders. In fact, it’s stunning how far apart the writers keep them in S1; it’salmost unfeeling. The lead up to their love scene felt way too fast for my tastes and thereason for the sex, shallow at best.Filled with lies. Rushed.

Crappy sex. A reunion of the body but not the hearts or minds.

Not thelove scene you show for this supposed great star crossed lovers thing they weresupposed to be: it’s a massive neon sign post so I wouldn’t think about it asanything more than two people who had no idea what was good for them, doing theonly thing they knew how to do. Have sex.

Let’s face it, they both suckat relationships. Tommy, the bachelor, knew so much more. He had their futureplanned: him and LL and the white picket fence deal and LL was so clueless, shethought a rebound with ‘Ollie’ was preferable. Idiot woman.

Don’t put too much stock inseason 1: I actually love the season because you can see the narrative linesthat will propel the show towards where they are now.

You can see the prison storyin it from S7. You can see Felicity’s importance and the trust that leads to theepic romance of the show. You can see LL’s death. You can see Prometheus andSlade. John Diggle’s eventual rejection of OTA. Quentin’s death. Oliver rising as a hero.

But even in S1, it was alwaysgoing to be Oliver and Felicity. Stephen said it and he meant it and the directors/creators and writers have been backing him up since 2013.

Yet you have to make room for error and Oliverhas to be allowed to learn, even when it’s infuriating and he does senselessthings for the wrong reasons. THAT’S why he goes to LL in S1. It was unfinishedbusiness.

Sometimes you have to go back to move forwards.

Hope that helped. There wereabout a hundred different ways I could have answered this but I had to sort ofrush it out because of work and my fanfics so I hope it’s at least coherent.

(NO GIFS ARE MINE)