#noah ngata

[aurorangen]

That I can take control of my decisions and make myself feel understood

Transcript:

Vincent: I don't want to attend this bar crawl event. It's that day today. Pam: Your mum wants you to enjoy uni life! Don't let the past and him get to you. Vincent: I'm just saying, I'd much rather keep her company.

Pam: Didn't you promise someone you'd show up? Anyway, you're already here, holding a beer. Vincent: Thanks to your persuading. I did, Renee. And this? I don't want to drink it, you gave it to me. Pam: We're blending in like everyone else! I've not met Renee yet, but what do you think of her?

Vincent: There's something about her like an instant connection, maybe because she's Charlie's cousin. And I dunno how to describe it, but I felt safe with Renee. Relaxed. I had a warm feeling inside of me. Pam: Sounds like you like her. Could be something more.

Vincent: Oh hmm that uhh [awkwardly talks] I have Nancy, but Renee…I don't even know anymore. This is embarrassing to ask, why would a girl stop texting a guy? It's close to a month. Pam: She's busy? Umm please don't hate me for saying this [quietly] maybe Nancy's moved on?

[Those were the words that hurt to hear. The longer it went on, the more believable it seemed. It was hard to move on without knowing anything…what if she was still waiting for me? Then we arrived at the next bar and there was Renee with her friends. My heart was telling me to move on. My head? The opposite]

[In the end, I went with my heart. Slowly though. Just in case I saw Nancy again. I was afraid of messing things up with her, even though I knew we were growing more detached as the days went by]

[cursed-bite]

the cork boards & polaroids are a STAPLE in any bedroom i build. how else would i cry over their prom photo booth pictures???

[lookatthefamilytree]

100 Baby Challenge

First Matriarch: Anya Husfelt

Babies: 1). Alysha Zest (Johnny Zest) 2). Breezy Greenberg (Knox Greenberg) 3). Courtney Kahananui (Alika Kahananui) 4). Dallas Rocco (Paolo Rocco) 5). Esther Flex (Marcus Flex) 6). Felicity Roswell (Ted Roswell) 7). Gertrude Endo (Toru Endo) 8). Helix Husfelt (no biological father) 9). Izar Dellosantos (Laurant Delossantos) 10). Jax Capricciosa (Eva Capricciosa)

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

Second Matriarch: Gertrude Endo

Babies: 11). Kingston Benali (Salim Benali) 12). Loryn Lewis (Eric Lewis) 13). Moxie Lopez (Celene Lopez) 14). Nadia Hecking (Brent Hecking) 15). Ophelia Hamby (Guadalupe Hamby) 16). Quill Fyres (Morgan Fyres) 17). Roman Hughes (Drew Hughes) 18). Preston Sabo (Savannah Sabo) 19). Sandoval McCloud (Jason McCloud) 20). Tate Dunbar (Noel Dunbar) 21). Uriah Dunbar (Noel Dunbar) 22). Victor Harris (Jeb Harris) 23). Winona Robles (Kole Robles) 24). Xabrina Bailey-Moon (Orange Bailey-Moon) 25). Yuliana Bailey-Moon (Orange Bailey-Moon) 26). Zoella Kane (Noah Kane) 27). Zayan Kane (Noah Kane) 28). Avalon Casey (Coralie Casey) 29). Bleu Casey (Coralie Casey) 30). Cleo Kaplan (Connor Kaplan) 31). Duke Crusoe (Christopher Crusoe) ------------------------------------------------------

Third Matriarch: Cleo Kaplan

Babies: 32). Elliott Eubank (Leif Eubank) 33). Floyd Nigel (Rickey Nigel) 34). Garth Ngata (Art Ngata) 35). Hali Kaplan (no father - Science Baby) 36). Iridessa Hershey (Toni Hershey)

[sims4-premades]

Active Sims (Currently Updating)

Akiyama - Kado (Gen 1) / Jenna (Gen 1) / Taku (Gen 2) / Miki (Gen 2)

Bailey - Grey (Gen 3)

Benali - Rebecca (Gen 2) / Ella (Gen 2)

Bheeda - Nadia (Gen 2) / Maya (Gen 2) / Sanjay (Gen 2) / Caleb (Gen 2) / Layla (Gen 3) / Miles (Gen 4) / Melody (Gen 4)

Clarke - Becca (Gen 1)

Davila - Dani (Gen 1)

Delgato - Evie (Gen 2) / Finn (Gen 3) / Austin (Gen 3) / Jeremy (Gen 4) / Sutton (Gen 4) / Lennon (Gen 4) / Allison (Gen 4) / Hailey (Gen 4) / Stephanie (Gen 4)

Elderberry - Kali (Gen 1) / Rohan (Gen 2) / Brooke (Gen 3) / Keegan (Gen 3) / Charlie (Gen 3)

Feng - Simon (Gen 2) / Arthur (Gen 2) / Harriet (Gen 2) / Avery (Gen 3) / Harper (Gen 3) / Marlie (Gen 3)

Fletcher - Cameron (Gen 1) / Riley (Gen 2) / Logan (Gen 2) / Ellie (Gen 2)

Flex - Ethan (Gen 2) / Jacob (Gen 3) / Millie (Gen 4) / Isabella (Gen 4)

Gooseman - Donny (Gen 0) / Mabel (Gen 2) / Milan (Gen 2)

Greenburg - Knox (Gen 1) / Beckett (Gen 2) / Sawyer (Gen 2)

Grove - Umber (Gen 1) / Juniper (Gen 1) / Sienna (Gen 1) / Wren (Gen 2)

Harris - Cletus (Gen 1) / Faye (Gen 1) / Jeb (Gen 2) / Gideon (Gen 2) / Spencer (Gen 2) / Remy (Gen 3)

Harjo - Lucha (Gen 1) / Ada (Gen 1) / Ash (Gen 2)

Hauata - Ayana (Gen 2) / Dahlia (Gen 3)

Hecking - Brooklyn (Gen 2) / Axl (Gen 3) / Wolf (Gen 3)

Huntington - Fleur (Gen 2) / Fiona (Gen 2) / April (Gen 3) / Poppy (Gen 3)

Ito - Naoki (Gen 1) / Megumi (Gen 1) / Kiyoshi (Gen 2) / Nanami (Gen 2) / Emiko (Gen 3)

Jang - Noah (Gen 2) / Zayn (Gen 3) / Carlton (Gen 3) / Mina (Gen 4) / Jayla (Gen 4)

Kahananui - Alanis (Gen 2) / Lucy (Gen 3) / Liam (Gen 4)

Kalani - Calvin (Gen 2) / Abigail (Gen 3) / Grace (Gen 3) / Owen (Gen 3)

Kane - Jonah (Gen 1)

Kang - Cecilia (Gen 1) / Everly (Gen 2)

Kealoha - Nani (Gen 2)

Kibo - Kai (Gen 2) / Rachel (Gen 2) / Daniel (Gen 3) / Emma (Gen 2) / Abel (Gen 2) / Phoenix (Gen 3) / Archer (Gen 3)

Landgraab - Freddie (Gen 3) / Bryony (Gen 3) / Sydney (Gen 4) / Mason (Gen 4) / Madison (Gen 4) / Finley (Gen 4) / Felix (Gen 4) / Thomas (Gen 4)

Laurent - Horatio (Gen 1) / Hilary (Gen 1) / Greta (Gen 2) / Jace (Gen 2)

Le Chien - Emily (Gen 2) / Aaron (Gen 2) / Chase (Gen 3) / Hudson (Gen 3)

Lewis - Princess (Gen 2)

Lobo - Naomi (Gen 2) / Connor (Gen 2) / Ezra (Gen 3) / Samuel (Gen 3) / Harmony (Gen 3) / Micah (Gen 4) / Ivy (Gen 4) / Margot (Gen 4)

Lothario - Peter (Gen 2) / Nate (Gen 3)

Luna - Eleanor (Gen 0) / Xochitl (Gen 1) / Karmine (Gen 2)

Lynx - River (Gen 2)

Markovic - Mateo (Gen 1) / Lucia (Gen 1) / Tomi (Gen 2) / Lorenzo (Gen 2)

Michaelson - Christopher (Gen 1) / Celeste (Gen 1) / Atlas (Gen 2) / Orion (Gen 2)

Moody - Felicity (Gen 1) / Alistair (Gen 2)

Munch - Will (Gen 3) / Mia (Gen 3) / Theo (Gen 3) / Hannah (Gen 3) / Lauren (Gen 3) / Chloe (Gen 3) / Megan (Gen 4) / Asher (Gen 4) / Archie (Gen 4) / Beau (Gen 4) / Natasha (Gen 4) / Roxy (Gen 4) / Addison (Gen 4) / Carter (Gen 5) / Cooper (Gen 5) / Rhys (Gen 5) / Blake (Gen 5) / Wyatt (Gen 5) 

Ngata - Tane (Gen 2)

Nishidake - Shigeru & Sachiko (Gen 0) / Kaori (Gen 2)

Ojo - Harry (Gen 2) / Florence (Gen 3) / Louis (Gen 3) / Louisa (Gen 3) 

Pleasant - Angela (Gen 1) / Lilth (Gen 1) / Zion (Gen 2) / Daisy (Gen 2) / Oakley (Gen 2) / Otto (Gen 2) / Lola (Gen 2)

Prescott - Mei (Gen 1) / Molly (Gen 2) / Amy (Gen 2)

Price - Marcel (Gen 1) / Janae (Gen 1) / Savannah (Gen 2) / Sidney (Gen 2) / Jayden (Gen 2)

Rasoya - Jasmine (Gen 2) / Josephine (Gen 2) / Kaia (Gen 2) / Anisha (Gen 3) / Kris (Gen 3) / Dawn (Gen 4)

Rico - Jules (Gen 1) / Zuley (Gen 2) / Teddy (Gen 2)

Robles - Ignacio (Gen 0) / Ewan (Gen 1) / Bernice (Gen 1) / Doli (Gen 1) / Jay (Gen 1) / Aurelio (Gen 2) / Tala (Gen 2) / Ames (Gen 2) / Aspen (Gen 2) / Aziz (Gen 3) / Bonnie (Gen 3)

Rocca - Tamara (Gen 2) / Jackson (Gen 2) / Ava (Gen 2) / Alyssa (Gen 2) / Gemma (Gen 3) / Grayson (Gen 3) / Reece (Gen 4)

Romeo - Sean (Gen 2) / Tiffany (Gen 2) / Hunter (Gen 3) / Cole (Gen 3) / Faith (Gen 3)

Richards - Lacey (Gen 2) / Christian (Gen 2) / Jennifer (Gen 3) / Harrison (Gen 3) / Holly (Gen 3)

Talla - Duane (Gen 1) / Jenkin (Gen 2) / Zachary (Gen 2) / Trey (Gen 2) / Troy (Gen 2) / Cain (Gen 3) / Amethyst (Gen 2) / Wade (Gen 2) / Ashleigh (Gen 3) / Forest (Gen 3) / Boone (Gen 3) / Moss (Gen 3) / Heath (Gen 3) / Imogen (Gen 3) / Ivan (Gen 3)

Thebe - Arnessa (Gen 0)

Tinker - Yasemin (Gen 1) / Tina (Gen 1) / Olive (Gen 2) / Eli (Gen 2)

Tracey - Marissa (Gen 1)

Scott - Jason (Gen 2) / Jessica (Gen 2) / Craig (Gen 2) / Heather (Gen 2) / Colleen (Gen 3) / Isaac (Gen 3) / Roman (Gen 3) / Cora (Gen 3)

Scott-town - Stephen (Gen 1) / Sara (Gen 1) / Clarissa (Gen 2) / Caroline (Gen 2) / Matilda (Gen 2) / Noa (Gen 2)

Sterling - Bess (Gen 1)

Villareal - Amanda (Gen 2) / Milo (Gen 2) / Autumn (Gen 2) / Maddox (Gen 2) / Alex (Gen 3) / Anna (Gen 3) / Carrie (Gen 3) / Vicki (Gen 3) / Zane (Gen 3) / Ryder (Gen 3)

Ward - Kyle (Gen 2) / Cassidy (Gen 3) / Chelsea (Gen 3) / Ruby (Gen 4)

Watson - Tommy (Gen 1) / Rashidah (Gen 2) / Maira (Gen 2) / Imran (Gen 2) / Zaynab (Gen 3)

Wright - Julia (Gen 1)

Zest - Eron (Gen 2) / Eliana (Gen 2) / Elijah (Gen 3) / Keaton (Gen 3) / Parker (Gen 3) / Clover (Gen 3) / Maeve (Gen 4) / Luka (Gen 4) / Eloise (Gen 4) / Jax (Gen 4) / Sebastian (Gen 4) / Una (Gen 4)

[smkkbert]

Time for a story - Elseworlds

Felicity glanced at her watch before she looked down the street once more. Since Oliver’s car was still nowhere to be found, she pulled her phone from the pocket of her coat. Oliver hadn’t left her a message either, so she hoped that was a good sign. He should have been here fifteen minutes ago already.

Oliver was just still incredibly overworked, he had been since the earthquake really. It almost felt like the more time passed and the calmer everything got, the more Oliver had to do. As the mayor, there were just too many things to take care of, but Felicity refused to believe that he was skipping this appointment she had personally added to every schedule he was keeping.

Being the mayor was a job that Oliver took very thoroughly. He loved his job, and he knew the responsibility that had come with running for mayor. So far, Oliver had never forgotten that being a father had brought its own responsibilities to his life. With all the pressure that had been put on him in the last weeks, maybe he needed a reminder though. Felicity knew that, if he was too late to see Tommy reciting a poem, he had written himself.

Just when Felicity had decided to call him, she felt a familiar prickling in the back of her neck. She pushed her phone away even before she turned away. She wasn’t at all surprised to find Oliver hurrying towards her with an already apologetic expression on his face.

“Hi,” he said and pecked her lips briefly, “sorry for being late. Since the earthquake, it feels like hell has been breaking loose at City Hall.”

“I know,” Felicity told him, putting her hands on his chest and rubbing them up and down soothingly, “don’t worry about it. You are here now and that is still completely in time which, as we both know, is not too rarely different.”

Oliver hummed in agreement. He looked a little tired, but it was far from as bad as it had looked a couple of days ago when she had picked him up from work in the middle of the night. He was still working a lot, but he wasn’t as emotionally exhausted as he had been at first.

“Did you get some things done at least?” Felicity asked him, grabbing his tie and loosening it, so she could pull it over his head and push it into her purse. “Yesterday you said it felt like the more you work, the more new piles of papers are being dropped on your desk. Still that bad?”

“Kind of,” Oliver replied with a sigh that soon turned into a chuckle, “but I have increased the number of members on the crisis committee to ease the work load for me a little bit.”

“Sounds like a smart idea.” Felicity smiled innocently, unbuttoning the topmost button of Oliver’s shirt and moving her hand beneath the fabric. “Yours?”

Oliver wrapped his arms around Felicity’s waist and leaned closer to her. His eyes were sparkling with amusement. He knew as well as she did that she had been the one to push him towards this idea. She had recommended an article about baseball to him, but had – absolutely by accident of course – dropped the newspaper into his lap with the wrong page on top. Hence, he had read an article about professionally organizing worksharing instead.

“A lucky coincidence made happened by my wife did,” Oliver replied and nuzzled her nose with his playfully, “luckily.”

Felicity chuckled. She had done her best to play innocent, but of course Oliver had looked right through her from the start. He had known that Felicity wouldn’t have recommended an article about baseball to him. She wouldn’t have read it in the first place. It had been a sure sign to know that she was trying to give him a sign for something. Oliver had accepted it gladly.

Still smiling, Oliver leaned in. He closed the distance between his lips and Felicity’s, kissing her gently. Felicity sighed against his lips. He hands moved into his short hair, scratching the back of his neck slightly. The feeling made Oliver hum and deepen the kiss for a moment.

Soon, Felicity angled her head back to break the kiss though. She scrunched up her nose, not exactly happy about her actions, but she had had her reasons.

“We should go inside,” she suggested, nodding towards the entrance, “or we will be too late after all.”

Oliver nodded his head in agreement. With their fingers laced, they walked towards the entrance. Oliver payed for the tickets, giving them an extra eighteen dollar to the two dollar they had to pay.

“How was your day?” he asked while they were walking to the auditorium and lifted her hand to his lips to kiss the back of it. “Today was the first day that Ms. Ngata has worked for you, right?”

“Yes,” Felicity replied, not at all surprised that Oliver even remembered the name of the woman she had hired last week, “and she is even better than what I have thought. If there have been any doubts before – and there really haven’t been any to be honest – there are non left now. The few hours she spent at QI today just proved that she is exactly where she is supposed to be.”

“Sounds great.”

“It absolutely is.” Felicity smiled. “You know how picky I can be when it comes to new employees, but she is so great and-“

Felicity fell silent when they entered the auditorium. With the way Oliver’s fingers tightened around her, she knew that he was getting the same impression from the sight they were met with. Given that the performances of Tommy’s class were starting in barely some minutes, there were little to no parents around. Felicity counted quickly. Aside from her and Oliver, there were only seven parents more there. Tommy’s class counted 22 students though.

“Sad,” Oliver whispered, “really, really sad.”

Felicity nodded her head. “Indeed.”

Hand in hand, Oliver walked down the aisle between the seats and took some seats in the front row. Since the spots were free and they weren’t likely to be taken within the next minutes, Oliver and Felicity guessed it was okay. Usually, they avoided the front row because they were convinced that those seats belonged to the parents that either didn’t get a chance to see their kids to often or the parents whose kids just needed to see their parents to feel safe while talking in front of an audience.

Once they were seated, Oliver leaned a little closer to her. Felicity got what he was trying to do and leaned closer towards him too.

“It’s terrible for the kids,” Oliver whispered, “to be here and present something, but not have any parent around.”

“We will be extra attentive today.”

“And we will applaud for twenty people.”

Felicity nodded her head once more, shooting a look around. A lot of kids didn’t even have one parent around tonight. She almost felt guilty that she and Oliver had both come. Tommy had both of his parents here, while others didn’t even have a single one here.

“I guess some parents didn’t have a chance to come,” Oliver whispered, “long hours of work, the wrong shift or no money left to even pay the two dollars to attend.”

Again, Felicity just nodded her head. She felt her heart skipping a beat. It was partly from empathy and partly from memory. With how much time she had to be a mother, she sometimes forgot how little time her mother had had to be a mother. She knew that her kids missed her sometimes because she did allow herself to work a lot, but they were more than privileged compared to other kids, including Felicity herself.

With a low sigh, Felicity rested her head against Oliver’s shoulder. He could feel that she was going to say something personal. He rested his lips against the crown of her head and tightened his hold on her fingers. It was his wordless way of telling her that she could share everything with him. He was there to listen, and he would understand. There had to be no secrets between them.

“My mom had to work a lot when I was a kid,” Felicity started, knowing that this was not new to Oliver at all, “so she could barely ever make it to any school events.”

Felicity remembered how often she had been disappointed when she had asked her mother to come to some event, and she hadn’t been able to because her shift hadn’t allowed it. Eventually, she had grown older, and for some reason she had become ashamed of what her mother had been doing and what she had looked like. Felicity couldn’t remember when that had started, but it had eventually caused her to feel relieved when her mother hadn’t been able to attend any events at school.

“When she couldn’t make it,” Felicity continued, pushing all other thoughts away, “she always made sure that someone came, so that I had at least one familiar face around. Sometimes it was a neighbor, other times one of her colleagues. The barkeeper was there a lot of times.”

As a kid, Felicity hadn’t been able to understand that her mother had only been doing what she had needed to do. She had felt betrayed and left alone when her mother hadn’t come. She had thought that she didn’t love her like so many other parents had loved their kids. They had come together, as a couple, and her mother, who she had felt had chased her dad away, hadn’t come.

Once more Felicity realized how hard she must have been on her mother. She had done her best to bring the family through after Noah had left. She had taken all the blame Felicity had put on her, and she hadn’t held it against her once.

“She did her best, so I wouldn’t feel alone.”

“That is because she is a good mother,” Oliver whispered, “and I am sure that you got that from her.”

Felicity smiled at him and leaned over. Her lips brushed against his briefly. When she pulled back, she cocked her head at him.

“And you?” she asked. “What was it like for you when there were any school events?”

Oliver shrugged his shoulders, but he lowered his gaze. As indifferent as he wanted to appear, Felicity could look like through it. He knew that because he knew how well she knew him.

“My parents were often busy too,” Oliver replied with a sigh, “my dad was at the company, and my mom was either home with Thea or spending time on one of her charity things. They usually tried to make sure that one of them could be there, but sometimes, when neither of them could make it, Raisa came.”

Unlike most kids, Oliver didn’t seem at all disappointed. He had always loved Raisa, and she had always been like a second mother to him. She had been the one to be there when he had fallen in the garden and hurt his knees. She had been the one to bake cookies for him to comfort him. She had been the one to see right through his pubertal nonsense and given advice.

“We had good parents,” Felicity whispered, “at least when it came to that.”

Oliver nodded his head. He lifted her hand to his lip once more and brushed them against the back of her hand. When he turned his head towards her, he had his eyes narrowed at her slightly. His lips were spread to a slight smile though.

“Have you taken part in any school plays?” He narrowed his eyes even more. “You never told me that.”

“I have been singing a couple of times,” Felicity admitted, quickly looking away, “but it hasn’t been exactly often, and I only did so because some others told me to. It stopped in puberty when I was years longer than everyone else in my class.”

Oliver puckered his lips. “Are there any videos of that?”

Although he tried to look very casual, Felicity could see right through him. She knew that he didn’t really mean it. He had some seconds thoughts about this, and Felicity already got an idea what exactly it was that was on his mind.

“None that you will find,” she told him, making quite sure that he knew how serious she was about that although she was only whispering, “and you know how great I am at hiding things that I don’t want you to see.”

Oliver chuckled. “Oh, yes, I know about that.”

Looking at him, Felicity could see that he really meant it. He knew how well she was at hiding things that should be possible to be found online or through any other computer possibilities. Oliver, no matter how skilled he was at the computer – he liked to hide it, but he was quite great at it – would never be able to find it.

“And you?” Felicity asked. “What did you do?”

“Whatever I liked to do,” Oliver replied easily, shrugging his shoulders like it wasn’t a big thing at all, “I mean I did get to play the Romeo when I was six for example.”

Felicity perked up a single eyebrow. “And what did you pay for playing that role?”

“Not much.” Oliver cleared his throat slightly. “I promised Christina McLordy, who played the Juliet, to be with her for the two months that followed. It was a small price to pay. She was actually kind of pretty.”

Felicity looked at Oliver incredulously, but he just shrugged his shoulders and grinned to himself. It was his usual way of dealing with things that he didn’t really want to deal with or things he was at least slightly embarrassed about.

Snorting, Felicity just shook her head. “Oliver Queen, prostituting himself since he has been six years old. Why am I not surprised?”

Oliver just chuckled. He took her hand and squeezed it. When Felicity looked at him, she found his eyes on her already. She could see the silent question in his eyes, the question whether he had finally told her something about himself that was too much to take or that angered her or hurt her. Of course, after everything Felicity knew about Oliver, there was nothing she could think of that could possibly be too much for her or something she wouldn’t be able to understand. Hence, she squeezed his hand right back and smiled at him.

With a sigh that held a little bit of relief, Oliver turned his eyes back towards the different rows of seats. A few more parents had come, maybe three more. It was still a sad picture, but at least it was better than nothing Felicity guessed.

“I guess in a perfect world it would be different.”

Felicity nodded her head. “Elseworlds, parents are always able to attend an occasion like this.”

“And they love to do it.”

“Because they love their children, and they get paid leave for the rare hours.”

“That would certainly make for a better world.”

“And a more peaceful generation of kids growing up,” Felicity added with a low sigh, “because kids that grow up feeling loved and appreciated often don’t feel the need to go around and bully others or hurt them. I think the number of crimes would decrease.”

“I could be put out of both of my jobs and be a stay-at-home dad again.”

Felicity cocked her head, a little bit surprised about the way Oliver’s voice sounded so nostalgic. She knew how much he had enjoyed to stay home with the kids, taking care of them every minute of the day. After the long time he had spent far away from home, thinking he’d never make it home and would never have a family of his own, he had wanted nothing more than to be the best parent he could be.

Maybe he missed that now that he didn’t have that much time with his kids because of all the work that had been pushed onto him lately.

Putting her hand to Oliver’s thigh, she made him look at her and said, “I might have to talk to the mayor about making Starling City a part of Elseworld.”

Oliver chuckled. “I doubt that I have that much power.”

With a low sigh, Oliver gave away that he really didn’t like to admit that. He was doing so much, but he always wanted to do more. For him, it was never enough. He wanted the world to be the fairest and safest place possible. He hadn’t gotten to know it like that, and even their kids weren’t getting to know their home like that. The world continued to be a dangerous place.

Felicity lifted a hand to the side of his face and pulled his face a little closer to her. Straightening up in her seat, she brushed her lips against his jaw then.

“You are doing a lot already.”

Oliver smiled sadly. He didn’t have to say it for her to know what he was thinking. It just wasn’t enough. It was never enough.

There was no time to further discuss this though. The lights in the auditorium went out. A single spotlight was directed at the stage.  A young girl with long Rastas was stepping to the microphone. Felicity could see her eyes skimming the few people in the audience, and her eyes lost a little bit of their light when she didn’t find the person she had hoped for and saw some other parents play on their phones.

When her eyes met Felicity’s, Felicity flashed her a wide smile. She lifted a hand and waved at her, trying to give her the feeling that she was here just for her right now. The girl smiled, waved back and took in a deep breath.

“Ladies and Gentlemen,” she said, “welcome to the show tonight. You can expect dramatic drama presentations, poetic poem recitations and musical music contents.”

Felicity chuckled softly, and the girl’s smile brightened even more. It was incredible to see how a little attention and a warm smile could achieve so much.

“All money that will be earned today is going to be given to charitable societies to support the people in need after the earthquake.”

Felicity shot Oliver a meaningful gaze. Neither of them said a word, but they still agreed on donating some more money today. They kids had put so much effort to this. They shouldn’t be disappointed.

“Now, your first treat of the evening is going to be Thomas Robert Merlyn, and he is going to present a poem to you that he has written himself. Applause for Tommy!”

Tommy, who was usually all shy and hesitant when it came to strangers, stepped onto the stage with a wide smile. When his eyes met Felicity’s, his shoulders straightened even more. Felicity lifter her hand to wave at him, but Tommy rolled his eyes.

“Guess who is starting to get embarrassed at the public showing of affection?”

“Stop that,” Felicity mumbled, “he is nowhere old enough for that.”

Oliver chuckled quietly, so Felicity bumped her elbow into his ribs. Chuckling some more, Oliver grabbed her hand and held it between both of his. It was a wordless offer of peace, and Felicity accepted it willingly.

“My poem’s title is Robin Hood.”

Oliver’s fingers tightened around Felicity’s. She shot him a brief glance, and she could just see how emotional he was about the fact that his son had written a poem that was without any doubt an allusion to him. He had been compared to Robin Hood more often than not, and it was the very reason why the kids loved Robin Hood so much.

“In the dark times of Starling City, / crimes increased in popularity. / To save the people from the crimes / a lot have tried their best at times. / The best has never been enough / and what people learned there of? / Even the best gave up on safety and peace / to everyone’s misery, even the police.”

Tommy had visibly fun although barely anyone listened as attentive as they should. Since Tommy had always been a kid that had liked to be for himself – or alone with his mommy – the lack of audience didn’t seem to bother him much.

“Until finally in the darkest night, / someone took on the fight. / An archer in green leathers / came along with bow and arrows. / He sought the bad ones that failed the city / and with the same energy as Goldberg’s Whoopie, / he took them down to protect the ones in need / taking the crime lords off their feet.”

Oliver leaned a little closer.

“Did you help him with that?”

“Not at all,” Felicity whispered back, shaking her head, “he did this all by himself, maybe with the help of his teacher or his siblings.”

“Not everyone was happy though / even the good wanted the hero to go / because they feared that the hero’s actions / could cause the city to grow even more fractions. / They didn’t want to thank him, / didn’t celebrate his actions as a win. / Still, the hero never stopped to fight, / he always came back in the twilight.”

Once more, Oliver’s hand tightened around Felicity’s hand.

“So the hero continues to save the city and everyone in it, / the feeling of good his only benefit. / He builds a team long the way, / and chases the criminals away – hurray! / He wears a thousand names, / the setting sun his arrival proclaims. / He is known as the Green Arrow now, / a hero he really is – wow.”

Felicity would have loved to applaud for her son, but Oliver was still holding her hand between his fingers. She had to squeeze his fingers tightly for him to realize that he was holding onto her. He let go of her hand quickly and applauded too.

Tommy, who bowed down like he was met with a hurricane of applause rather than the low clapping of hands he really got, met Oliver’s eyes. Oliver didn’t have to say a word for Tommy to know that he was touched by the poem. He knew that it was much appreciated, and that Tommy had to recite it at home a few times too.

“You know, if this is part of Elseworlds too,” Oliver whispered to Felicity when Tommy left the stage, “I think a lot of parents would benefit from it too.”

Felicity nodded her head. “Absolutely.”

And in Elseworlds, Felicity realized as the show went on, all parents stayed until the last child had performed on stage instead of leaving once their own child had performed. Elseworlds, children and their parents were happier. Maybe someday, elseworlds would come to Starling City too.

* * *

@fannaz​ @promiseyoullbepatientwithme​ @bytemegeekette​ @felicity-said-just-in-case​ @phanseptiic​ @orangeisorange​ @mspotatohead14​ @whentheheavenfades​ @emmaamelia95​ @smoakingskye​ @seaolicity​ @ourwritinginvein​ @1022bridgetp​ @felicityqueenforever​ @leagueofolicity17​ @yryssss​ @myhauntedblacksoul​ @sherlock44​ @sinceriouslybea​ @olivyflavescentdeer​ @olicitys-castle​ @ofnothingcharming​ @vaelisamaza​ @smoakedandcharmed​ @alexisa1206​ @florence-bubbles​ @addictiontelly​ @queens-of-arrows​ @memcjo​ @hysterical-for-joshifer @oswinelevenforever​ @olicitylovemaking @bandanab310​ @mymusiclove101​ @lynslogic​ @scarletqueen23​ @olicityshipper19​ @alex-wesley​ @arrows-4ever​ @unabashedlynerdypatrol​ @louehmysoul​ @ligiapimenta​ @chattyyana​ @charlie-leau​ @coal000​ @samcrowleys​ @ishippolivia​ @julianegomesqueen​ @malafle​ @miriam1779​ @charlinert​ @melaux @ontheolicityship​ @myshipperlife​ @wrightainsley @lexi9515​ @ladygreenwood​ @multi-fandom-crazy-fangirl​ @morinamel​ @mje-thomas​ @kebarry​ @canadianheartgirl​ @nannett2307​ @almondblossomme​ @kathrynelizabeth89​ @imdfabulous​ @mrt2501​ @arsipaci14​ @salasvia​ @brandis91 @cainc3​ @morganmiguess @pr0fessi0nal-fangurl​ @iamisalima​ @nessafrancis-blog​ @jonhdiggle​ @niki-is-amazing​ @universed-posts @hopeful-warrior​ @senoritaswiftie​ @bellemmie​ @green-arrows-of-karamel​ @iheartarrow​ @olicityovereverything​ @oliverfel4​ @olicity-in-the-heart​ @fullychippedcreation​ @geemarie​ @everything-but-normal-cat @myarroworld​ @tjmartinez​ @pleasantfanandstudent​ @j69confessional2​ @scentedcolorpirate​ @icanica74​ @tjmartinez98​ @certainmentalityface​ @tatianadamaceno @ryelew​ @wildwillowzepplin​ @missafairy​ @letsplaymurde-r​ @lipizette​ @positivepiper​ @nuttymilkshakehologram​ @laksagirl-blog​ @turnupthemusicandscream​ @pumpernickle93 @onceuponanolicity​ @1106angel​ @jaspertown​ @fadinglands​ @morganashimi83​ @mochababychristy​ @omglovechrissie​ @mariejr88-blog​ @thetaufactor​ @onceuponanolicity​ @speakandseethetruth​ @bri206​ @aglasgo​ @geemarie​ @pineprincess​ @nerdgirljen​ @eternal-olicity14​ @allyouhadtodowas-stay-stay-stay​ @lovelycssefan​ @tsseract​ @flowerandsunshine​ @dcnmarvelgamergeek​ @blondeeoneexox @monetsmark​ @bb-olicity​ @mashamarty​ @rulerofsilence​ @erika-amber​ @nothingmorethanmyotps​ @kayleenyc​ @tonto16 @olicityfluv​ @olicitea1990​ @haahaaa2408​ @pattid1​ @faegal04​ @24karatgem​ @wrldtravler​ @readerkas​ @olicity-beliver​ @greencoffeecups​ @snorlaxishere​ @sonothappening118

(If you want to be tagged or untagged, just let me know. :))

[faithfulsinncrs]

summer muse clean-up

&& also VERY slow return to the roleplaying world. unfortunately some muses will be retiring due to personal reasons and/or no muse for them. other muses will be switched to a new section which is semi-active (which means they do not have as much activity as my older muses). Some muses are going to be selective, a few will be closed, and two will be transferred to guest muses.

RETIRING MUSES

Angelina Santiago

Avaline Duncan

Flint Bloodstone

Grayson Hunt

Serena Morris

SEMI-ACTIVE MUSES

Evelyn Loren

Logan Adler

Luca Ngata

Lucas Parker

Nathan Hawthorne

Noah Hawthorne

Oliver Hawke

Rafe Adler

SELECTIVE MUSES

Farrah Hamilton

Maddox Kingston

Sean Gardener

CLOSED MUSES

Kian Potter

GUEST MUSES

Lila Conrad

Mana Lang

[junker-town]

UGA, Clemson, and 8 other winners of the recruiting quiet period

The Crootletter is your source for college football recruiting analysis.

If you blinked, you might have missed it. From July 25 to July 31, the NCAA’s mandated “Dead Period” lifted and a “Quiet Period” set in. This was a big deal, because for the month or so before and after, no face-to-face contact is allowed between coaches and recruits. And in that time, colleges welcomed scores of talent to campus, with most of the elite recruiting powers hosting major recruiting weekends. Following the quiet period, both high schools and colleges begin training camp.

These are the teams who improved their classes the most during and around the Quiet Period.

Georgia had its locker room reveal and rocketed up the rankings to No. 2 nationally thanks to four new commitments including five-star defensive lineman Travon Walker, five-star running back John Emery Jr., four-star linebacker Rian Davis, and four-star linebacker Makiya Tongue. Emery is a pull from the New Orleans area and a particular blow to LSU. At this point, Georgia is set up to dominate the SEC East in a way that Alabama has never done to the SEC West under Nick Saban.

Clemson landed a pair of special players in cornerback Andrew Booth and receiver Joe Ngata, of Georgia and California, respectively. The length and freakish athleticism that Clemson is assembling at receiver with class of 2017’s Tee Higgins, 2018’s Justyn Ross, and now 2019’s Frank Ladson and Ngata is incredible. All four have truly elite upside and Clemson is well on its way to having the best receiving corps in America. Oh, and Clemson also added four-star linebacker Levonta Bentley and three-star defensive end Etinosa Reuben.

Oregon picked up four-star receiver Mycah Pittman, four-star cornerback Elijah Blades, four-star safety Trikweze Bridges, and three-star offensive lineman Joey Capra. The Ducks now sit at No. 5 nationally with 18 commitments. The 2018 class was shaping up to be perhaps the best in Oregon history before the coaching change, but this year Oregon looks to be punching up sustainably. And the Ducks landed 2018 four-star holdout Bryan Addison.

Florida State added a trio of top players in four-star safety Brendan Gant, four-star linebacker Kalen Deloach, and three-star offensive tackle Charles Cross. FSU had the most talent of any school on campus on the weekend of the 28th, and it paid rewards. Florida State is tops in recruiting the state of Florida right now, with Miami close behind and Florida nowhere to be found.

Ole Miss made a huge jump up the recruiting rankings in the last week with the addition four-stars like receiver Dannis Jackson, who flipped from Mississippi State, offensive tackle Darius Thomas, and receiver Jonathan Mingo. Ole Miss is now No. 11 in the recruiting rankings. With 27 commitments, its class is almost full, though some addition and subtraction will certainly occur. But what is important here is that Ole Miss doubled the number of four-star commitments in its class in a single weekend, going from three to six. This class is still mostly about quantity, but now it has more quality.

Penn State added four-stars in QB Michael Johnson Jr., and guard Saleem Wormley, plus three-star receiver Emery Simmons. Penn State is now one of 12 teams with more four- and five-star commitments than two- and three-star players. The Nittany Lions also secured visits from both parents of four-star running back Noah Cain, even though he could not visit due to school obligations.

Texas added four-star offensive tackle Javonne Shepherd and three-star linebacker Marcus Tillman Jr. Shepherd is an earth mover. And I’m interested to see how Tillman does in Austin, as none of the Florida schools appeared to be recruiting him that hard.

Tennessee added a lot of defensive talent in four-star cornerback Tyus Fields, along with three-stars like corner Warren Burrell, defensive tackle Savion Williams, and defensive end Roman Harrison. Like Florida and South Carolina, Tennessee is getting lapped in recruiting by Georgia, but its class did take a step forward during the quiet period.

Arkansas added a huge haul with seven prospects, including four-stars in receiver Treylon Burks and cornerback Adonis Otey. Three-star defensive ends Collin Clay and Eric Gregory are also top-450 players nationally.

Purdue also had a strong month.

Quickly

These are items of interest to me, and I hope to readers of The Crootletter.

Turnovers are mostly luck, but schools spend so much time trying to create and and prevent them.

Do you read Bill Connelly��s CFB previews? You should.

I explained my Blue-Chip Ratio stat.

You should read meet the bagman.

[aurorangen]

Long story short, Noah and Connie are together now! The group were on a day trip in Windenburg and were taking a nice afternoon walk in Lykke Centre. They stopped mid-conversation and some big news was announced! What a wonderful surprise!

[aurorangen]

To summarise: Casper's having the time of his life, Petrah's glued to her seat and Marco came for the free food 👍 But hey everyone's having a great time and we get to meet the newest addition to the Apple family...Briar!!!

The cousins meeting for the first time 🥺

[aurorangen]

Perhaps it was Noah and Connie being there, but Renee was much more confident talking to Vincent. She began getting to know him better, asking about his hobbies and friends. And then came the awkward silence when she asked about his family.

Vincent excused himself and went to get a drink. Clearly, he did not want to talk about personal stuff to Renee, not just yet.

[aurorangen]

Who's excited for the family gathering?

Transcript:

Marco: Petrah…why do I have to come to your family gathering?

Petrah: Hey! I was practically forced to come here, so I am making you too [all smug]

Marco: [sulks then fake smiles] But you are wasting my precious sleeping time.

Petrah: Honey [even faker smile] you'll get your precious beauty sleep once we're back.

[Casper toddles behind with no idea where they are going]

Petrah: We'll stay for a bit then leave secretly. Sound good to you?

[They arrive and are greeted by Connie, who we know has an estranged relationship with her twin]

Connie: Petrah. You actually made it, what a surprise to see you in person and not on the big screen.

Petrah: [clears throat] And it's nice to see you too…Connie. You've met Mar-

[Before Marco even has a chance to speak, Connie goes and picks up Casper from his arms]

Connie: Ahh my baby Caspeeeeeer! Look how big you are!

[Both look at then ignore Marco who just stands there. Casper giggles]

Noah: Welcome welcome! Wow I finally get to meet you two, come on in everyone's waiting!

Petrah: [in her head] God he's so loud. Ugh of course Connie knows someone like him [smiles and shakes his

hand pretending to make a good impression] Hi Noah! Oh yes, we meet at last! Can't wait to see Briar!

[aurorangen]

Renee was daydreaming. She imagined her and Vincent's hot selves being transported into another world and meeting vampires, not solving this lettuce case! She has met a spellcaster and a mermaid, what if vampires exist too? "Hello? Renee?" Darius waved his hand in her face. "Sorry, this whole thing is," Renee gave a small smile. "There are animal footprints here." They comforted the old lady saying things like this happen and not to feel bad about calling. And they wrapped up the missing lettuce case in less than 5 minutes!

[aurorangen]

Travelling from the big city all the way to the English countryside to solve the missing lettuce case. Bless this old lady!

Transcript:

[Noah holds in his laughter and avoids eye contact with the old lady while Renee, looking down, is too shocked to speak, Like the team leader he is, only Darius keeps a serious face and continues the questioning] Darius: Excuse me, Ma'am. Please could you repeat that for us? [very confused] What exactly happened?

Carla: I woke up and brushed my teeth. Put the kettle on for a morning brew. Ah! Do you fancy a cuppa dear? Darius: [politely declines] We are fine thank you. Ma'am, could you skip to when you found out? Carla: Of course [thinks back carefully] I'm devastated to say someone has stolen my prized possession.

Carla: My giant lettuce is missing.

[aurorangen]

Finally a new case assignment and it's all thanks to Vincent and Isaac! Let's hope it won't be anything like last time 😣

Transcript:

Darius: Team we've got a new case assignment.

Noah: What is it this time? If this is something useless again, then I'm gonna-

Darius: Nah don't worry, this one's up to our standards! Where is Renee?

Noah: She went to get some research papers.

[Renee comes back with confidential Strangerville material as she was given access by her seniors]

Renee: I'm back! I figured we should look into Strangerville since we don't have any cases.

Darius: Hmm? Strangerville?

Renee: [realises he doesn't know the place] You see, our friend from uni is from Strangerville. She went back to take care of business [sighs] but we've not heard from her since. She's disappeared from our lives.

Darius: [skims through a file] Nothing about it online…I wonder what's happening there. I'm sorry about your friend, but let's look at this in the future. We have a potential money laundering case to investigate.

Renee: [recalls Vincent talking about winning his case and its outcome on their walk] We should do that.

[aurorangen]

Satisfying our pregnancy cravings by going to the Spice Festival after work! Also, say hi to Zeke who was in the area too!

In the end, Renee made it through the spicy dishes and won the challenge! Everyone else suffered from the spiciness though. Renee bragged to Zeke about being the champion and then brought up Robbie because she knew they were friends through Connie.

Honestly, she wanted to hear how her brother was doing; both hadn't kept in touch now or initiated any conversations. "Well," Zeke chuckled, "Robbie is just Robbie, isn't he? He's been busy with work, but he's cool." They then leaned in to share a secret, "I promise things will get better between you two. Y'know, since dating he's not as cold as before," Renee did not expect that answer.

Complete the spicy curry challenge ✅

[aurorangen]

That morning's conversation replayed in Vincent's head. All 3 people sitting in front of him work at the police station, the very same station that led the disappearance case 20 years ago. Even though he felt guilty concealing information, he'll wait a bit longer and forget about it for the time being. But he kept on wondering - why was Isaac so tentative about detectives anyway?