#seriously the Erin’s are cowards

[spaceumbredoggos]

The leaks are killing me.

[wc-confessions]

I'll never get over how dirty they did Smoke and Whitetail in Onestar's Confession

Like, Onestar treats Smoke like complete shit, like to her and refuses to take responsibility, he's so paranoid about Whitetail finding out about his past relationship that he refuses to listen to Smoke when she needs him (leading to two of her kits dying) and he literally ATTACKS HER AND HURTS DARKKIT IN THE PROCESS

Onestar constantly flips back and forth between "I'm glad I don't have to see her anymore" and "B-but I was gonna go back for her!!!" And the book frames it like she was some kind of crazy ex instead of a victim of Onestar's shitty behavior

Then they have the audacity to have Smoke appear in his dream later and be all "please Onestar...you have to stop Darktail...I believe in you" SHE WOULD NEVER

As for Whitetail, she's one of the few background characters who actually had a personality (not much of one, but more than can be said for a lot of bg characters) and they just threw it in the trash to make her a generic compliant, submissive love interest

In Shattered Sky, Whitetail is pissed when Onestar tells the truth about Darktail, but in OC she's all "teehee you're so silly, of course I forgive you!!" SHE WOULD NEVER

And all of that isn't even mentioning her being his apprentice. Erins why. You could ha e retconned that so easily. Why did you basically make Onewhisker go "I remember when she used to be my student...haha she's so attractive" WHAT. (seriously the way it's worded is so creepy who thought that was a good idea)

And then at the end of the book he's just forgiven after he reflects on his life for three seconds. No justice for Smoke. No justice for Whitetail. No justice for Darkkit and no justice for anyone else he's hurt. The only character whose evil actions have been more swept under the rug by the books is fucking Clear Sky

Also they try to frame his death like it's anywhere comparable to Bristlefrost's (similar wording, both drowned etc etc) when NO. IT IS NOT. Bristlefrost was a selfless cat who realized her mistakes and worked tirelessly to fix them and doomed her spirit to nothingness, Onrstar was a complete asshole coward who never truly took accountability whose sacrifice was a last ditch effort to do something good in his pathetic cowardly life

Anyways rant over I just really hate that book

.

[kamryn1963]

would you please write a Hank and Erin ficlet where she has a pregnancy scare and he catches her taking a test/crying at the office/googling something and them having a confrontation about it

Thank you for the request! I had some time on the drive to the beach this morning (I wasn't driving lol) and I managed to get this written up.

Enjoy!

Erin had been acting weird lately. Hank hadn't been able to put his finger on why, he just knew it was worrying. 

He had tried to talk to her of course, but Erin had just brushed him off and told him she was fine. Hank had tried to talk to Jay as well but he seemed as worried and clueless as Hank. This has been going on for nearly a week at this point and Hank was close to snapping. Erin had gotten more and more closed off recently and was starting to isolate herself from everyone. 

Hank was planning to head to her apartment and talk to her that night and was surprised when he came out of his office to see her still at his desk. Right away Hank noticed she was crying and he headed over to her instantly. 

Erin heard him and looked up, quickly wiping at her face as she saw the look on Hank's face. 

“I'm fine”. Erin said before Hank could speak. 

“You call this fine?” Hank asked with a scoff as he looked at Erin's tear stained face. 

“Hank, I'm fine. I just want to head home”. Erin argued. She knew this conversation was bound to happen and this time she wouldn't be able to just leave without giving Hank an answer of some kind. 

“Erin”. Hank warned as he pulled Jay's desk chair up to Erin's desk and he sat down. 

“Does this have to do with Bunny?” That was where Hank's mind first went. That's where his mind always went when Erin was upset. 

God knows Bunny had caused enough trouble in Erin's life that it wasn't a ridiculous suggestion. 

“Not everything has to do with her”. Erin responded harshly. She knew that would only make Hank mad but she also didn't know how to talk to Hank of all people about what actually happened. 

She hadn't even told Jay yet. 

“Don't give me that bullshit, Erin. Just tell me what happened”. Hank replied seriously. 

Erin didn't say anything but the tense silence and the stern look on Hank's face soon made her snap. 

“Fine! I thought I was pregnant!” Erin shouted and silence came over the bullpen. 

Hank was thankful it was only the two of them still there. 

“You what?” Hank knew what she said and Erin knew that too. 

“I was late and I kept forgetting to buy a test and for a few days there I thought I was pregnant. And I just kept thinking you know? That maybe, I'd be a good mother”. Erin admitted. She didn't look at Hank. She couldn't. 

Erin knew she should've told Jay when she thought she was pregnant with his child. Erin was too scared, too much of a coward to tell him. To get both their hopes up. 

“Me and Jay talked a bit when we first started dating, and both decided we don't want kids, at least not right now. But I imagined a world where we started a family together”. Erin was crying again and she hated herself for it. 

Why was she crying over something that never existed? It's not like she had a miscarriage or something. She just wasn't pregnant. But Erin couldn't stop imagining a fantasy of her, Jay and a baby, a perfect mix of them. 

“It's just a stupid thing for me to get upset about”. Erin said with a laugh but there was no humor in it and she still couldn't meet Hank's eyes. 

“It's not stupid, not at all”. Hank didn't know what to say, how to help. At times like these he really missed Camille. 

“I'm getting so upset over something that never existed”. Erin said angrily but she was only angry at herself. 

Erin never saw herself as a mother. Not until now and the longing was strong. The longing to be a better mother than hers ever was. She wanted to be a mother like Camille had been. 

“Come here”. Hank replied and Erin didn't argue as she hugged him. He just held her as her body shook with silent sobs. 

“I could be a good mother”. Erin sobbed and Hank just held her tighter as he rubbed her back. 

“You will be. I know you will”. Hank reassured. He still felt like he wasn't the best person for Erin to talk to but he was just happy she was opening up. 

Erin didn't respond but her sobs died off and she pulled away. Erin tied her hair up needing something to do with her hands before Hank noticed how badly they were shaking. 

“Thank you”. Erin said sincerely a few moments later. 

Hank nodded as he stood up. “Are you feeling better, kid?” 

“I am. I should go talk to Jay now”. Erin replied as she also stood up and took a deep breath. 

After a few more minutes, Erin left heading to her apartment now feeling lighter and ready to have a conversation with her boyfriend. 

Hank stayed at the district for another hour before he also headed home. His conversation with Erin was still fresh in his mind and he needed time to think. Probably with alcohol. 

[lightleapfan]

Shadow Spoilers:

If only SunxLightxBlaze could be in a polyamorous relationship! I love their dynamic so much! And now that Sunbeam has talked to Lightleap, I'm hoping she can have a conversation with Blazefire soon as well. If nothing else, they all deserve closure. And not that I want a switch to happen again, but I was really hoping that maybe Sunbeam would mentor any LightxBlaze kits and be a sort of protective but cool mom to them.

Wouldnt that be a dream... reading through the chapter summaries on wcrp i was straight up delirious by the time i got to the later chapters (it was like 1am), with lightleap & blazefire literally taking sunbeam out to lunch...i seriously thought there might be a chance they were gonna ask her to be their third. WHY CANT THEY BE HAPPY!!!!!!!!! if the erins weren't such cowards these clans could be looking like the greater seattle area

[your-ivy-grows-77]

There are so many CinderLion kits at this point that the only reasons they must still be single is a) everyone else is their cousin 🙄 or b) the Erins are too scared to make them gay

[stargleam-star]

Me, looking at the allegiances from the recent books, seeing how huge the cast in Thunderclan has gotten

[spottyissleepy]

“There's an art to life's distractions

To somehow escapes the burning weight, the art of scraping through

Some like to imagine

The dark caress of someone else, I guess any thrill will do.”

Someone New - Hozier

─────✧･ﾟ: *✧･

OFND is cancelled, this is now a Nightcloud appreciation blog /j

Seriously though I have…. So many thoughts about this lovely lady and I’m so excited to write her character as the truly interesting and fully fleshed out figure she could have been if the Erins weren’t cowards

[fighterkimburgess]

Apart from Burzek, why do you prefer to write for non-canon ships/crack ships (I'm not sure if this is what it's called??)?

You’re good, I know what you mean!

Honestly it’s just because I love the “what if”. The thing about OC in particular is there’s SO MUCH POTENTIAL, but they keep all the ships (except Plouch my beloved) basically within the same show. The only exception has been Brettonio.

Like seriously - has a character from Med had a relationship with one from PD or Fire that’s gone on more than a few episodes? I know Kelly and Erin had their flirty thing going on, but it wasn’t really a relationship. Even when Jay and Gabby were sleeping together PD hadn’t aired yet.

I love these random ships that could happen if the writers weren’t cowards, but I know they won’t happen. So it’s fun to play around with and daydream. Sometimes if an idea is big enough it could become a fic.

[eternalxblossom]

Another challenge I love to bits because I ship EVERYTHING.

OTP GAME - thank you for tagging me, @halfthealphabet​, you are doing God’s work.

1. Bea Smith/Allie Novak - (Wentworth) - I would seriously sell my kidney for them, number one OTP forever and ever, they’re even in the blog tag so... I am also forever salty about them.

2. Hailey Upton/Jay Halstead (Chicago PD) - the most chanel straights of all chanel straights - they’re in the blog tag too so that’s self-explanatory.

3. Lucas Scott/Peyton Sawyer (One Tree Hill) - listen this is the first ship that made me believe love is real

4. Amy Raudenfeld/Karma Ashcroft (Faking It) - I want to die when I think of that wasted potential

5. Emily Prentiss/Jennifer Jareau (Criminal Minds) - same as 4

6. Nathan Wuornos/Audrey Parker (Haven) - my parents. They are my parents!

7. Veronica Mars/Logan Echolls (Veronica Mars)

8. Stiles Stilinski/Lydia Martin (Teen Wolf)

9. Lincoln/Octavia Blake (The 100)

10. Erin Lindsay/Jay Halstead (Chicago PD)

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

1. Do you remember the episode/scene/chapter that you first started shipping 6?

First scene - 1x01. I was trash. I mean they literally pulled guns on each other and I was like “TRU LUV. They have two dogs!”

2. Have you ever read a fanfic about 2?

Just one? I read pretty much all Upstead there is. I even wrote some!

3. Has a picture of 4 ever been your screen saver/profile picture/tumblr screen saver?

Oh yes, I used to have Amy from Faking It as my icon here on Tumblr because she is my damaged sarcastic daughter.

4. If 7 were to suddenly break up today, what would your reaction be?

I would be very angry. But not as angry as what the showrunners did...Veronica Mars fans know, THAT was a shitstorm. I would have preferred the break-up.

5. Why is 1 so important?

Listen Bea and Allie are the greatest prison love story and love story of all time on television and I will fight anyone who ever dares to say otherwise. It has everything - unconditional love, tragedy (a bit too much but that’s just television), acceptance, hope, seeing the other the way no one else ever has, willingness to sacrifice, trust and patience...I think Tumblr has been sleeping on this amazing pair.

6. Is 9 a funny ship or a serious ship?

A very serious ship! I will always be angry at fucking Jason RoTTENBERG for what he did to Linctavia, fuck that prick.

7. Out of all the ships listed, which ship has the most chemistry?

BEA AND ALLIE I MEAN LOOK AT THEM JESUS.

....I WILL THROW MYSELF OFF A BRIDGE.

Point made? Point made.

8. Out of all your ships listed, which ship has the strongest bond?

Bea/Allie and Jay/Hailey (1 and 2). Absolutely no contest. Hence why they’re both in my blog tag.

Point made? Point made again. I only ship Chanel, Walmart can take a seat LOL.

9. How many times have you read/watched the 10’s fandom? 

Hmmm well I did read a bit of Linstead fanfiction back in the day but I can’t say I watched their scenes or episodes twice. I enjoyed the dynamic on screen a lot though.

10. Which ship has lasted the longest?

Canonically? I would say 3 - Lucas and Peyton from One Tree Hill. They’ve been on and off, though.

11. How many times, if ever, has 6 broken up?

Hmm they didn’t actually break up willingly, let’s just say interdimensional travel and a weird creepy barn and some amnesia split them up (Haven fans know haha)

12. If the world was suddenly thrust into a zombie apocalypse, which ship would make it out alive, 2 or 8?

Both, actually! 2 are a pair of cops and 8 - well, Stiles and Lydia have huge brains and wits, they could outsmart any dumbass zombies.

13. Did 7 ever have to hide their relationship for any reason?

I can’t remember exactly but I think Logan and Veronica did hide it at some point because Logan was her best friend’s ex and she died and V. felt guilty about moving on with him, of all people.

14. Is 4 still together?

They were never canon but they are together in my heart and away from that shitty ass showrunner Carter Trollington so that’s all that matters. Where’s my Faking It fandom at? Guys, I am still salty, for the record.

15. Is 10 canon?

They were for a while but one character got written off so no.

16. If all 10 ships were put into a couple’s Hunger Games, which couple would win?

I can’t decide. But I’d bet on Bea/Allie cuz they have prison training or Jay/Hailey, along with Emily/JJ cuz both pairs are cops.

17. Has anybody ever tried to sabotage 5’s ship?

YES THE FUCKING WRITERS who were cowards and didn’t want to make Emily Prentiss a lesbian even if the actress would have been fine with it. They just sabotaged the best chemistry they had.

Another point made I think. The gif speaks for itself.

18. Which ship would you defend to the death and beyond?

ALL OF THEM but especially 1 and 2. 

19. Do you spend hours a day going through 3’s tumblr page?

I used to, in the past. Not so much now because One Tree Hill ended forever ago. I still follow ship blogs and reblog their gifs whenever I see them because I’ll always have a soft spot for Leyton. 

20. If an evil witch descended from the sky and told you that you had to pick one of the ten ships to break up forever or else she’d break them all forever, which ship would you sink?

I hate to choose but...10. They already broke up in canon so...

P.S. I really don’t know who to tag this time so if y’all wanna do this, just say I tagged you!

[raggydraws]

Whitestorm 🙏

Aight, my friend, my dude. Do you want WhiteTiger? Or my more obscure RedStorm?

Imma do do Whitestorm x Redtail. Good boys, my two favorite boys, golden bois~

General headcanons for Whitestorm

Whitestorm

Whitestorm was a family guy and if he felt he had the chance he would've pulled a Fernsong in an instant. He loved his kids so much, regardless of who you think his kids are.

Speaking of kids~ He is the father of Greystripe (cause incest is yucky Erins) and I imagine he was supportive of his son's decisions after Silversteam's death. When he came back he welcomed him with open arms.

He was also really sad that he passed away before he could see Sorrel, Soot and, Rain beccome warriors and at how soon his sons joined him. He's a great grandpa to Molepaw, Honeyfern and, Seedpaw though!

Whitestorm x Redtail

So starting off, I firmly believe that that Tigerclaw and Whitestorm did date for a long time, at least up until Thistleclaw's death, before they had a really nasty break up. Tigerclaw grew up into something Whitestorm couldn't support and Tigerclaw's following tantrum/outburst for White's 'betrayal' stung very deeply.

"But Raggs I thought you were doing Redtail x Whitestorm??" I'm getting there, y'all need backstory first.

So, Whitestorm kinda bounced around short relationships for a while after he and Tiger broke up. He was very upset and wasn't in the best state of mind to be in a serious relationship. Some of these were WhiteLion, WhiteWillow (possibly making Greystripe in this narrative?) And finally him and Redtail.

Redtail was a breathe of fresh air for him, Red is mature and responsible but never gave into White's feeling sorry for himself. They kinda balanced each other out, as Red often felt a little stretched thin and Whitestorm (with a little experience with deputy duties) could help him out or convince him to go hunting when he was at his breaking point. Also imagine Single Dad Redtail telling Sandkit that he's dating Whitestorm and she's just like ":0".

Once Whitestorm's gotten over Tigerclaw and has healed from that heartbreak he starts taking what Red assumed was a casual relationship much more seriously. It's kind of a surprise but a welcome one and the two actually becomes mates not long after Sandkit becomes Sandpaw. Greykit, who still sees Whitestorm very often and is aware that parents aren't together, calls new dad everything Willowpelt says he can't do something. Also Step-siblings Greystripe and Sandstorm sounds like fun! Warrior cats should have more step families like...come on Erins...stop being Cowards you fools.

And because I want a happy ending I could see Whitestorm being more aware of Tigerclaw's ambition towards leadership. He dosen’t want to believe that Tigerclaw would go has far as removing Redtail from his position but when the battle with Riverclan rolls around Whitestorm manages to convince Redtail to stay behind. He tells his mate his concerns and while Redtail brushes it off at first, the glares and hushed conversations between Tigerclaw and Darkstripe start to become more obvious to him as time goes on. The two live through the events of first series, most likely with Redtail becoming Redstar, and possibly both passing away in late New Prophecy to make way for Firestar (or Brightstar!)

[idrawcats]

Hello it’s been a while so here are my thoughts on VEIL OF SHADOWS

Ok I’m gonna get this out of the way:

I’m loving The Broken Code

I think it’s really well written and it’s been one of my favorite arcs

Like I’d say that the first three (or really the second and third) books of AVoS are my favorite arc, then the original series, and then TBC

Now here come the spoilers

Be warned

First of all, I honestly think that Shadowsight should’ve died in the prologue

I think it would’ve been a really interesting twist to have him as a spirit for the rest of the arc

My favorite chapters were Shadowsight’s ghost chapters (ESPECIALLY the one where he talks to the imposter)

Like having Shadowsight in the world of the dead, Bristlefrost in the land of the living, and Rootspring bridging the gap would’ve been so amazing

Alas

HarperCollins are cowards

That said, I did like Shadowsight a lot in this book

Tigerheartstar is an amazing dad even if I don’t like him that much

Shadowsight’s connection to Spiresight was sweet but Spiresight was acting a little sus tbh

Telling Shadowsight that being a ghost is better

Maybe he was just lonely but idk it seemed a little

Shady

To me

(I’m sorry)

ANYWAYS MOVING ON

We have to talk about that scene

You know the one

Okay in all seriousness, I really think that the fandom blew the suicide scene way out of proportion

Like I was expecting it to be Stemleaf or one of the Rebels jumping off a cliff or slitting their throat in defiance of Fakestar but nope

It was just Shadowsight eating some berries with no real intention of dying

Was it insentitive to people with suicidal tendencies? Yes.

Was it poorly handled? Absolutely.

But Shadowsight wasn’t actually in any danger. He was in the medicine den with Puddleshine right next to him and, as a medicine cat, he likely knew that they had a full stock of yarrow

Obviously the Erins and HarperCollins treating suicide like an easily reversible decision was incredibly disrespectful

But I’ve seen a lot of people saying that there were other ways for Shadowsight to reach the Dark Forest and I completely disagree. The Moonpool was broken and StarClan/the DF were completely cut off. No one could reach them

The only evidence we’d actually seen of them at this point were Shadowsight’s visions, and those are involuntary

Now, I don’t think that it should have been necessary at all for Shadowsight to reach the Dark Forest. I honestly think it would have been better to keep the reason that StarClan is cut off a mystery

Something to keep driving the books forward

And I think that the explanation of DF cats cutting them off by making a barrier around their connection with the living kind of ruins the lore and mystery surrounding StarClan

Well, what was left of the lore and mystery anyways

Idk how I felt about the imposter trapping Bramblestar in the DF

Like I think it would’ve been a lot cooler if he’d actually faded so much that the living couldn’t see him anymore

REGARDLESS

My point is, I don’t think Shadowsight’s attempted suicide should have been in the book at all and I don’t think that the entire DF sequence should’ve been there either

But if the DF sequence existed

Then Shadowsight’s attempted suicide would have to exist as well

Moving on

I’d like to talk about Bristlefrost (can we talk about Bristlefrost, please? I’ve been dying to talk about Bristlefrost)

Overall, I think Bristlefrost had the strongest narration in this book

I loved seeing her relationship with the Rebels AND with Fakestar

I loved seeing her spy

And I loved seeing her build a relationship with Squirrelflight

It was sad to see her Clanmates hating her, but it felt natural and completely realistic for someone in her situation

Her scenes of seeing Fakestar complaining to Alderheart about pain, seeing his weakness, and seeing him talking to a ghost (whom Bristlefrost couldn’t see) were some of my favorite scenes in the book

They drove home that the Imposter isn’t invincible and that he’s weakening

And I loved how those scenes contrasted to seeing him fight off the Rebels and actually manage to kill THREE GROWN WARRIORS on his own

He’s completely unpredictable and has unchecked power and that makes him a great villain

Seeing his paranoia (which resulted in Berrynose’s exile) was really interesting

Bristlefrost got some nice development in this book

I liked seeing her struggle as deputy and I liked that she was relieved to step down at the end

The only thing I didn’t really like about Bristlefrost in this book was that she admitted that she had feelings for Rootspring

That felt completely out of left field

Like all of her narration felt like she saw him more as a friend or even a little brother

She never really showed any interest in him romantically

So I hated that

I feel like it’s only there to drive the plot forward and sacrificing character growth for the sake of plot is not! good! writing!

It’s kind of funny though — I think that each protagonist has had their own book to shine

Like I think that Shadowsight was the best protagonist in Lost Stars, Rootspring was the best in The Silent Thaw, and Bristlefrost was the best in Veil of Shadows

Wow and those were the cats on the covers of their respective books

Hadn’t noticed that

Anyways onto Rootspring

Oh Rootspring

Out of the three protagonists, I think Rootspring has shown the most character growth

He started out as a whiny apprentice in Lost Stars and grew into a complex, likable, but still flawed character

I loved seeing his relationship with his family in this book, especially his growing acceptance of Tree (more on that when I talk about Tree’s Roots)

Seeing Rootspring’s growing friendship with Shadowsight was great

I feel like, unlike in all the other arcs, the protagonists of this arc are pretty detached from one another

Like Bristlefrost and Rootpaw are friends, and now Rootpaw is starting to become friends with Shadowsight

But Bristlefrost and Shadowsight have no relationship (I don’t think they’ve interacted even once? Correct me if I’m wrong) and that’s strange because they’re actually kin

Rootspring’s relationship with Dewspring was also nice

I liked seeing Dewspring grow to respect his apprentice

I honestly thought that Rootspring’s little stint as a medicine cat apprentice was unnecessary

I was glad that he got to choose to be a warrior in the end (unlike other forced medicine cats), but I was frustrated that those chapters could’ve been filled with something else (and probably something more interesting)

Unfortunately, I didn’t think Rootspring’s chapters were very interesting without Brambleghost

The only chapters of his that I really enjoyed were his chapters with Shadowsight (especially when he rescued Shadowsight)

Rootspring is a likable character but that didn’t make his chapters any less boring

Here are some other notes:

The battle at the end was good but it felt a little rushed (especially since Bristlefrost didn’t actually fight)

I’m pretty upset that Rosepetal died bc I really liked her and I thought she had great character potential

Every scene in the rebel camp was great

I loved seeing these cats being forced to cooperate with each other

Like Bristlefrost said, I’d love to know more about Jayfeather and Mothwing’s relationship

Seeing Lionblaze and Crowfeather begrudgingly cooperating was fun

I think the real star of this book was Squirrelflight

She was a fantastic leader in the rebel camp (despite Crowfeather also being a deputy)

The scene where Squirrelflight and Mothwing faked Squirrelflight’s death was very clever and I completely understand why Jayfeather wouldn’t want to risk severely wounding his mother

I just wish we’d actually gotten to witness the actual wounding and not just the aftermath

I don’t think it’ll happen, but I really hope we get Squirrelstar by the end of this arc

I don’t like that she chose Lionblaze as a deputy though

Not just because he’s boring, but because he’s only trained one apprentice (and that apprentice broke the Code and switched Clans), and he’s never really shown any leadership potential

He’s always been more of a follower

Also i will always adore seeing Lionblaze and Jayfeather interacting with Squirrelflight

Some other standout characters in this book (there were a lot):

Alderheart:

Seeing him standing up to the Imposter was fantastic

My boy finally grew a spine

I just wish he hadn’t left Flipclaw and ThunderClan all alone

Flipclaw:

This poor boy

He was really fucked over in this book

But it was nice to see a side character getting some development and actual characterization (especially since he’s Bristlefrost’s littermate)

Berrynose:

It was nice to see that he actually thought that Bramblestar was a good cat (just misguided)

He was a good deputy (surprisingly)

In the end, I felt bad for him

He was completely taken advantage of and taken for granted

I never liked Berrynose but I was sad about his death

The way that Tawnypelt killed him was brutal (but great), and I hope that he’s at peace with his siblings and Honeyfern in StarClan

(Even though I know he’s not)

Mothwing:

Seeing her reject Mistystar’s invitation back into RiverClan was great and it felt completely in-character for her

I’ve seen a lot of people saying that Mistystar acted OOC in this book, but I disagree

We know from Mistystar’s Omen AND from her actions in AVoS that Mistystar is a proud cat and that she has great pride in both RiverClan and StarClan

I fully believe that she’d do whatever it takes to bring StarClan back, including exiling Mothwing (a named codebreaker)

Especially given that she’s forced Mothwing to step down once before

I also think that her old age might have made her even more proud and harsh (for example, exiling Icewing and Harelight due to codebreaking and burying Dappletuft without honors)

Back to Mothwing

It was nice to see her standing up for herself (especially after reading Mothwing’s Secret) and I liked that she was willing to do what was necessary to help Squirrelflight

Sparkpelt also had a great moment in this book

As did Graystripe

Stemleaf and Spotfur were also great and I was sad to see Stemleaf go

Their friendship with Bristlefrost was really nice

I’m actually kind of excited for Spotfur’s novellas

I hope we get to see her interacting with Lionblaze more

He’s her father and they were together in the rebel camp

I hope to see more from Ivypool, Twigbranch, and Violetshine in the coming books (ESPECIALLY Ivypool)

Another standout: Leafstar

She continues to be the smartest leader

And finally

The Imposter

We all know who it is at this point

It’s Ashfur

But he was fantastic in this book

His conversation with Shadowsight was so fun to read and his last words in the book were chilling

I still think he has an accomplice but we shall see

Overall I liked this book

It had its weaknesses, but I think it’s strengths greatly outweighed them

Warriors is never gonna be perfect but the books can still be pretty damn good

And this was one of the better ones

[jbuffyangel]

Fight Back: Arrow 7x01 Review (Inmate 4587)

WOW.  Arrow’s Season 7 premiere came out swinging! This took me way longer to write than my typical season premiere because there is so much to unpack. “Inmate 4587” is in my top 3 of Arrow premieres. Not too shabby for seven seasons in. Way to bring your A game, Arrow.

Let’s dig in…

Olicity

And we’re running! 

Arrow opens with a green hooded figure racing through the forest like we’ve seen in so many seasons prior.  However, it’s not Oliver who is running. It’s William. He’s wearing his father’s green hoodie; the one Oliver wore when he was happily jogging through suburban paradise during his blissful life with Felicity.

 This subtle call back to Ivy Town reminds us of heaven as we enter Oliver’s hell.

William stumbles and we immediately know something is off. He’s running through the forests of Lian Yu – a very intact Lian Yu. If William was truly on the island things should be looking a bit more charred. It’s clear this is a nightmare.

Source:  felicitysmoakgifs

There’s something full circle about William wearing the green hoodie. Arrow began as a story about father and son. William’s introduction maintains that familial relationship, but now Oliver is the father. His mission began from Robert Queen’s guilt and now Oliver is transferring his own guilt onto his son, albeit in his mind. William is cloaked in a piece of Oliver and trapped in his father’s purgatory. Felicity and William may not truly be on Lian Yu, but they are stuck in their own version of purgatory. They are stuck there because of Oliver’s actions.  

Felicity is running close behind William. Diaz is hunting them. 

Source:  felicitysmoakgifs

Felicity screams Oliver’s name helplessly and Diaz moves menacingly towards them. Felicity tells William to run before Diaz shoots her in the chest.

Source:  andjustforthismoment

She collapses to the ground and gasps a final breath. Lian Yu is where everyone Oliver loves dies. The island always finds him. Diaz killed Felicity, but it’s Oliver’s fault.

Source:  oliverfelicitygifs

Then, Oliver wakes. This is a new reoccurring nightmare. Nightmares are one of the many ways PTSD manifests in Oliver. 

We’ve seen many times before when he’s experiencing a lack of control, facing death or an impossible obstacle, or grappling with his guilt. Oliver is dealing with all of the above in Slabside prison.

We quickly see what life is like on this island. 

Source: candicesalvatore

Nightmare, workout, shower, food, stare at the picture of his family, mark the day, sleep and repeat. Repetition can be its own kind of hell. Every day is the same until you start needing that repetition. Until you become “institutionalized” as Red put it in Shawshank Redemption. 

Source: @seeing-red-arrow​

Oliver places the photo of Felicity and William on top of his copy of “Count of Monte Cristo” because they are his way out. Physically he may be trapped, but there’s more than one way to find freedom.

Oliver’s coping mechanism is to keep his head down while avoiding any human contact of any kind. It’s kind of working until he runs into Stan. 

Source:  smoakmonster

Good old Stan who stans Oliver Queen. Same buddy (I see you Arrow writers.) Oliver has a fanboy of his very own now. This is very inconvenient to Oliver because he’s not interested in protecting Stan from the vile criminals in Slabside. Oliver isn’t interested in doing anything other than survive. He is a country unto himself. Survival makes Oliver an isolationist.

Brick (Season 3), Turner (Bronze Tiger, Season 5) and Sampson (Amell’s pro wrestler buddy, Season 5) attack Oliver. The fight scenes are BRUTAL. Arrow has reclaimed the dark, savage, gritty, rapid and realistic tone to their fight scenes again. We are also back to Oliver Queen taking on ten guys by himself. Season 1 was highly problematic, but this is one element I am glad the show has returned to.

Oliver plants a shank on Turner and he’s thrown into the hole. I don’t actually know if that’s where he went. I just really wanted to say “thrown into the hole.” My expertise on prison lingo comes from Shawshank Redemption, Netflix documentaries and a lot of Dateline. I also know how to run heroin in and out of New York City thanks to Power.

The fight puts Oliver on Brick’s and the guards’ radar more than he already is. So much for low profile. 

Diggle comes for a visit just in time to give Oliver a little pep talk. Oliver looks completely defeated walking towards the phone. It’s a humbling and humiliating experience to be shackled, told where to sit, who to talk to and for how long. These men are a long way from their homey Arrow cave and a bottle of vodka.

Oliver’s voice breaks just a little when asks about William and Felicity. It hurts to even say their names. 

Thankfully, the nightmare hasn’t come true… yet. They are safe and Diggle has upped their surveillance to 24 hours after his last visit with Oliver. The 24 hour surveillance was probably Oliver’s request after suffering through the 90th rerun of his nightmare. Oliver is desperately trying to think of every angle and tactic to keep his family safe. He’s trying to maintain control even though he has none.

When John remarks on Oliver’s appearance (seriously he looks like crap and it’s not just because of the dead animal on his face), Oliver responds, “I’ve looked worse.”

Pain is relative to Oliver Queen. Slabside is nothing to Lian Yu… yet. He’s not stopping birds from picking at his father’s body. Oliver hasn’t been tortured for hours with a sword. 

There’s no arrow through his shoulder. 

He hasn’t chosen who lives and who dies.

Oliver’s life is a series of bad to worse moments. It’s why Felicity and William are so precious to him. 

They are his lone happy story among all the misery.

Oliver compares and contrasts Slabslide with all his bad days, orders it accordingly, and determines he’s had much worse days – much much worse. His family is safe, which is all that matters. That is hope for Oliver, which was sadly lacking on Lian Yu. Bruises and cuts heal - the pain doesn’t come close to the pain Oliver truly fears the most.

Diggle supports the “Keep your head down” plan, but he worries about the emotional toll it’s going to take. Oliver has made himself quiet, submissive and small, but he’s not any of those things. He has to suppress who he is to survive. How long can Oliver ignore who he is before he loses himself all together? Oliver Queen has always done what he’s had to do to survive, but what does survival truly look like inside of Slabside?

Source:  oliverfelicitygifs

Oliver returns from his visit with Diggle to find Brick and Sampson in his cell. Brick creepily caresses Felicity’s photo and Oliver is ready to kill him right there. DO NOT TOUCH THE WIFE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES.  

Brick gives the standard join-us-or-we’ll- kill-your-family villain pitch. When this doesn’t motivate Oliver they attack Stan.  Unfortunately, Oliver refuses to protect Stan and walks away as Brick and Sampson beat the crap out of him.

Source:  saebrfan

THIS was the moment Stephen Amell was convinced fans’ would be furious with Oliver over. Eh. Not so much. Do what you gotta do home skillet. 

Listen, I thought Oliver was going to kill Stan. 

This was waaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than my worst case scenario. It’s also wildly apparent my dark is a lot darker than Arrow and I’m considering a therapist.  

The guards drag Stan back to his cell (awww he’s neighbors with Oliver) after he’s stitched up and he looks like Frankenstein’s bride. Oliver explains all the reasons he couldn’t get involved. They are all understandable reasons, but very “me” focused reasons which isn’t very Oliver Queen. We can argue Oliver doesn’t know Stan, owes him nothing, and the priority is getting back to his family.  This is all true.

However, Oliver didn’t know 98% of the people he saved as the Green Arrow. He wasn’t a hero because he wanted a reward or thanks. Oliver was a hero because it was the right thing to do. He sacrifices himself for the greater good. Oliver Queen is selfless. It’s what makes him a hero.

Unfortunately, Stan the fanboy is presented with a disappointing version of the Green Arrow. He explains how he’s wrongfully accused. (Oooh! Dateline on Arrow? I’m so down.) There’s no justice in Slabside or Star City. Stan was hopeful he’d see the Green Arrow fight for justice, but all he sees is a coward.

Jeez Stan. Snap a man’s balls off why don’t ya?  You’re alive bro - be glad the writers didn’t go with our other theory.

After Stan calls Oliver a coward the lights switch off.  Okay we get it, show. No need to beat us over the head with the symbolism. Oliver is suppressing who he truly is, which means he’s suppressing his light. A man can only live in darkness for so long before he’s consumed by it.

Gee I wonder who can harness his light again.

It’s tricky to separate your main couple for long periods of time on a television show.  The central love story can be easily lost if you don’t keep the characters connected even when they are physically or emotionally separated. Arrow is always at its best when Felicity and Oliver are united as a team. The show flounders when this couple is separated for long periods of time or not allowed to emotionally connect.

“Inmate 4587” plays it smart. Oliver and Felicity may be separated by walls, but they’ve never been more connected. They are both on an island. Felicity is struggling to adjust to her new environment as well. Her name is Erin. She’s living in Hope Springs and is the cutest pink haired barista to ever live.

Source:  whenikisssedyou

The nice guy customer hitting on Felicity and asking her on a date is to remind us how disconnected Felicity is to this life. She looks like a happy, single woman on the surface, but deep down she is lonely, missing her husband and everything that matters to her. 

Source:  andjustforthismoment

Unfortunately, Felicity can’t say she’s married. She can’t wear her wedding ring and talk about how much she misses her husband. Felicity can’t explain why she knows computers so well. She can’t even say her real name. She’s tried to make herself small, quiet and forgettable, but Felicity is not any of those things.

However, when Felicity suppresses her light it only fights to burn brighter. Felicity is the same person serving coffee as she is hacking A.R.G.U.S. satellites. Felicity approaches her life in Hope Springs with the same humor she brings to everything.

Source: whenikisssedyou

The young man asks her out because she is beautiful, smart, warm and funny. People can see Felicity’s goodness no matter how hard she tries to hide it. Also, she’s serving coffee and not living in prison so it is little easier to be a slightly more cheerful.

I love Felicity’s reaction to being asked out. “Still got it!” Something happens when you get married, start raising children, and picking up snot rags. You stop thinking of yourself as desirable.  Felicity has spent so much time making sure she’s hidden she’s forgotten what it feels like to be seen. It’s a warm and friendly reminder to Felicity that she’s anything but invisible.

Source:  whenikisssedyou

Felicity returns home to a dark apartment and William is there to greet her. Felicity holds the key chain Oliver gave her in one hand and her son in the other.

It’s a tangible connection to everything she’s lost and everything she still has. Felicity is desperately trying to hold on to the pieces of her life, but it’s not the same. She’s not the same and Felicity knows it in her bones. Felicity is doing what she needs to do to survive, but what does survival truly look like on this island?

Both Oliver and Felicity are struggling with the same questions.  Each is living in a repetitious purgatory. They sleep restlessly in an empty bed, aching for each other.

They wake to the same photo. A reminder of what was lost and what they still have.

They both step into the shower. They shake off the nightmares and loneliness, wash away yesterday, and fortify their will to face another day.

There’s a sense of foreboding. Someone is coming.

They fight for survival.

Source:  oliverfelicitygifs

As vicious as Oliver’s shower fight is, it is Felicity’s fight with Diaz that stresses me out. 

Source:  smoaktechs

My worst fear is being alone in my home, with my child, and unable to defend us. It hit a little too close to home watching one of my beloved fictional characters go through it. I was terrified for Felicity and it is one of the few times Diaz felt menacing.

Source:  smoaktechs

But nobody fucks with her cub. Felicity goes full Mama Bear on Diaz and it is spectacular. 

Source:  feilcityqueen

She takes advantage of Diaz’s need to monologue (Of course he monologues. All arrogant pricks monologue) and gets William out. Felicity didn’t hesitate to put her body between William and danger. That’s love. That’s being a mother.  It makes me emotional even thinking of it now and Imma need a tissue. Just a second.

Okay I’m good. Just when we thought there was nothing better than Oliver fighting naked in a shower they give us Felicity kicking Diaz's ass. Can we take a moment to appreciate how little Felicity Smoak, all of 5’ 5” and less than 100 pounds, beat the crap out of the big bad, super ninja Dragon with a coffee pot and a poker? AMAAAAAAAZING. 

Sure, he flips her into a table like a rag doll, but that’s like being impressed if Goliath beat David. Diaz doesn’t get points for putting a woman HALF HIS SIZE through a table.

BY THE WAY WHERE’S THE 24 HOUR SURVEILLANCE DIGGLE?

Felicity’s fight ends with the impending doom of a bullet and Oliver’s fight ends with one of the prisoners confirming Felicity is dead.

Source:  oliverfelicitygifs

Oliver: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Me: Pfft. Not in this life. *eats a cookie*

Oliver paces in his cell like a caged animal.. The guards refuse to allow him a phone call or to call themselves. This is when the walls close in. This is when we understand how uncontrolled and helpless Oliver feels. He has all the skills and strength to stop Diaz, but instead it sits bottled up and useless. Oliver defines himself by his ability to protect those he loves. It’s how Oliver loves. Now it’s taken from him. He can do absolutely nothing. He is powerless.

Oliver is back on Lian Yu again. The birds are picking at his father’s bones. The arrow is in his shoulder. He’s being tortured by Billy Wintergreen. Yao Fei is dead. Shado is shot in front of him. Sara is swept away. This is all of Oliver’s bad days rolled into one and times a million. The reason why Oliver can order his pain so nonchalantly is because he already knows what his worst pain is.

This. This is his worst nightmare, only he isn’t dreaming. Oliver isn’t in purgatory anymore. This is hell and it will never end.

Oliver waits for Diggle to walk in and confirm his family is dead. Instead of Diggle walking through the doors, it’s Felicity 

Source: oliverfelicitygifs

– just like she has time and time again.

It is like watching Oliver be reborn. He was dead inside. All hope vanished from his eyes. The will to live was gone. Then that beautiful, but battered vision of pink and flannel flies through the door and Oliver remembers how to breathe again. He comes back to life.

If there is ever a time Oliver wants to punch through that glass this is it. I think he shows an incredible amount of self restraint. 

Source: oliverfelicitygifs

If it were up to me Oliver, I would have bust out of there Faith style.

Oliver whispers, “You’re okay”  just like he’s done so many times before, in his soft and gentle voice reserved just for her. Oliver says it to reassure himself almost as much to reassure Felicity. He needs to hear she’s okay; to know it’s true.

Source: oliverfelicitygifs

Of course, Felicity is horrified by Oliver’s appearance, but the cuts and bruises have all but disappeared in his mind.  All that matters is his family is safe.

Source: oliverfelicitygifs

This is what I love about married Olicity – we aren’t beating around the bush anymore. 

Source: oliverfelicitygifs

Remember when we had to wait a whole season for these types of goodies? 

Oliver and Felicity know better now. Life is short. Everything they hold dear can be gone in an instant. They don’t want to waste time.  They need to say what matters, so the other knows. So it gives them something to hold onto.

Oliver apologizes for not being there to protect Felicity. He can’t even look her in the eye he’s so ashamed. It’s heart breaking watching Oliver blame himself for things out of his control. Felicity rightly points out that there’s no way Oliver could have been there because he’s in prison. But guilt is how Oliver maintains his sense of control when the world spins madly on.

Oliver went to prison to keep Felicity and William safe, but Diaz was supposed to be off the board. He is powerless to stop everything he tried to keep his family safe from. There’s anger in Felicity’s voice when she says “I know.” There’s a thousand arguments wrapped up in that “I know.” There are a million reasons Oliver’s plan was stupid in that “I know.” There’s a billion ways Oliver stole Felicity’s agency in that “I know.”  Felicity won’t read Oliver the riot act while he’s fighting for his life in prison, but that “I know” means its coming, big boy.

Oliver immediately starts telling Felicity what to do again. He wants her to get new identities and go back into witness protection.  This is how it works between them. Oliver does as he wants and Felicity reacts.

In fact, Felicity’s character is often a series of reaction. Oliver breaks up with her and Felicity reacts. Oliver lies to Felicity and she reacts. Felicity is shot and reacts. Damien launches nukes and Felicity reacts. Her boyfriend is killed and Felicity reacts. Felicity seldom, if ever, gets to move her story via her own agency. It’s rare she makes the decision and the other characters have to react to her.

Source:  felicitysmoakgifs

Not this time. 

This time Felicity is acting. This time Felicity is making the decisions. This time Oliver doesn’t get a say. This time Oliver has to react. It’s a powerful reclamation of her agency.

Felicity was not able to protect William from Diaz and they would be dead if ARGUS hadn’t shown up. 

Source: whoeveryoulovethemost

She feels powerless, but she felt powerless long before Diaz showed up in her apartment. She’s remained hidden, but to do so is suppressing one of the most important parts of her. Felicity needs to fight back. It is who she is. She can’t watch helplessly as everything she loves is taken from her. Felicity refuses remain hiding in a cave waiting to die. 

She’s never been that person and she sure as hell isn’t starting now. 

Source: whoeveryoulovethemost

And if Oliver doesn’t like it (he doesn’t) well that’s just tough cookies.

Oliver isn’t going down without a fight though. 

Source: whoeveryoulovethemost

Of course Oliver understands her helplessness because he shares it. However, Oliver’s way to deal with it is to keep his head down. They narrowly avoided Oliver’s worst nightmare coming true, but now Felicity is tempting fate. Oliver’s mind is racing with all the ways this could go wrong.  He begs and pleads with Felicity to go back into witness protection, but she holds firm.

Source: whoeveryoulovethemost

Something happens when Oliver and Felicity place their hands through the window. 

They may be separated by walls and glass, but they are connected in their suffering. They are connected in the way they deal with that suffering.  They are connected by vows.

Oliver seems to realize this when his palm reaches for hers. 

Source: oliverxfelicity

He begs for more time, but he is locked in a world where everything is controlled by someone else. 

Once again he’s being torn away from the woman he loves. 

Felicity is crumbling and she reaches for Oliver through the glass again. 

Oliver acquiesces. He does so to calm her, so they don’t part on bad terms. Oliver also has no choice, but to agree. He’s not making the decisions for Felicity anymore. It’s her turn to decide. Oliver understands that now.

Source: oliverfelicitygifs

Felicity returns to William waiting for her at ARGUS and explains she is sending him to a boarding school. William immediately thinks Felicity is abandoning him, which is a natural first reaction. She reassures William this is not forever and once Diaz is off the board she will come for him. This is an incredibly smart decision on Felicity’s part. She can’t do what she needs to do if she’s constantly worrying about William’s safety. Diaz won’t have anyone to hold over Felicity if there’s no one to find.

Source:  @felicitysmoakgifs​

She gives William the hozen and right about now is when I start to cry. THEA GAVE FELICITY THE HOZEN. QUEEN SISTERS FOREVER. 

Obviously, the hozen means reconnection, but Felicity is totally tracking that sucker.

Felicity puts on a brave face and reassures William it will all be over soon. The truth is, Felicity doesn’t know how this will turn out. She’s putting it all on the line to stop Diaz, but for the first time in a long time Felicity feels like herself. Felicity won’t go gentle into that good night. She will rage against the dying of the light.

“Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” by Dylan Thomas

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight

Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Felicity’s actions do trigger a reaction in Oliver. She wasn’t trying to harness Oliver’s light in their jailhouse chat. She was harnessing her own light. Felicity is determined to be who she is even if it costs her everything. Seeing Felicity fight like this inspires Oliver to do the same. Oliver realizes he can only control himself.  

He wipes the chalkboard clean. He’s done keeping his head down. Oliver is done counting. He’s done living a slow and quiet death. Oliver Queen needs to fight back because that’s who he is.

As much as I love dark Oliver, I am glad Arrow isn’t rewinding him back to Season 1 status on this island. Oliver shut down over the five month hiatus, but that’s done now. It’s clear he will fight to retain the light he’s worked so hard to find over the last six years. It’s incredibly important for Oliver to learn he can hold on to who he is even when he’s cut off from everyone he loves. It’s a crucial step in his superhero evolution. Oliver is already light years ahead of where I thought we’d be starting from.

 Source:  seeing-red-arrow

There’s a glimmer in Oliver’s eye and the hint of a small smile as he stares at the photo of his beloved wife and son. He enters the prison yard holding his copy of “The Count of Monte Cristo,” but he’s not going to read it. 

Oliver uses the book to beat the ever loving crap out Brick. 

He ignores the guard’s warning and beats a prisoner, the man who told him Felicity was dead, with a 100 pound weight. 

Source:  dctvgifs

The Green Arrow is officially in Slabside.

Oliver kneels, puts his hands behind his back, breathes deep and looks at the sky.  He feels like himself for the first time since entering prison.  He may not have escaped (yet), but there are many ways to find freedom. Felicity and William paved the way out. Oliver will not go gentle into that good night. He will rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,

Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.

Do not go gentle into that good night.

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Diggle, the Newbies and Mystery Green Arrow

The weakest part of the episode BY FAR is all the stuff with Rene, Dinah and Curtis. As per usual, Curtis operates as default Felicity. He’s taken a job as the head of R&D at A.R.G.U.S. and for love of Zeus please let him stay there. 

There is absolutely no reason for this man to remain on Team Arrow. Ship him off to wherever Lyla goes when she’s not on the show. Then bring Lyla back more - a lot more. Prayer circle time.

Rene is working at a boxing outreach center and I am really trying to care, but I don’t. 

One of the kids argues he won’t be able to defend himself in the Glades with a couple boxing lessons. Oh yeah? TELL THAT TO L*UREL L*NCE BOXER EXTRAORDINAIRE. Wait. She’s dead. Never mind. Kid is right. Hehehe. I jest.

Rene is all about helping this mysterious new Green Arrow whereas Dinah, as the new police chief, is intent on catching him. If Rene is so hard pressed to play vigilante and go to prison then why didn’t he just do that in the first place? Then Oliver wouldn’t need to save your ass and leave everyone one he loves behind, Rene!!!!

Dinah believes not being a vigilante is honoring Oliver’s sacrifice, which okay... I guess? 

I don’t know. She’s trying to restore the citizen’s belief in the police force again. If the police ever arrest someone on this show without a vigilante’s help then I’ll eat my hat. This feels like trying to make Dinah into Season 1 Quentin Lance or Season 2 LL. Her hard line on vigilantes doesn’t make a ton of sense though since, ya know, SHE WAS ONE.

Diggle isn’t big on masking up either because he doesn’t want any of the blame to fall back on Oliver’s shoulders - i.e. it screws up any potential for Oliver’s early release. This feels like a far better reason to stay off the streets than anything Dinah or Rene came up with. Points to Diggle.

The whole Dinah versus Rene thing felt very forced given how “Ra Ra Team Newbies” they both were last season. Also, I don’t care if they are getting along. I don’t care if they are fighting. I don’t care if they go have smoothies every night, play Fortnight and braid Dinah’s hair. Whatever.

The Mystery Green Arrow, let’s call he or she MGA for short, is interesting because he/she allows Arrow to bring back old school Oliver without actually bringing back old school Oliver. We keep Oliver’s character growth and get nifty stunts like this:

Source:  saebrfan

At first, my money was on Roy. There was a lot of unnecessary parkour. Seems like a no brainer. Reveals like this on Arrow are seldom surprising, so I am prepping for the most obvious choice.

Source:  olivergifs

However, I did notice there was a decidedly pink hue among all the green light. Pink is the American color for girl, so MGA may be female. I don’t think she’s Katherine McNamara’s character though. Maya is described as Buffy The Superhero Slayer. If you want to slay vigilantes you don’t like them. So, it’s a bit of a head scratcher if Maya is running around as a vigilante.

Perhaps MGA is the mysterious yet unnamed character played by Shea Shoomka. Maybe she is Robert Queen’s daughter and Oliver’s half sister. Who knows at this point. Watching for clues will be fun.

Flash Forwards

Real time reactions of me watching Arrow 7x01:

None of the above! It’s flash forward Roy and grown up William. IT’S FREAKING AMAZING.

I am so here for flash forwards. 

Source: supercanaries

I looooooove this type of storytelling particularly on This Is Us. If you’ve read any of the interviews with Beth she’s a big This Is Us fan as well. Now, before everyone starts flipping their skillet over Oliver being dead, there’s nothing William said to Roy that directly points to his father being dead. He spoke in both past and present.

Beth said there will be other present day characters showing up in the flash forwards. I am so here for aged up Felicity. 

Since Stephen is signed for Season 8 and he’s the star of the freaking show, I feel confident he’ll show up in the flash forwards. 

This is twenty years into the future (2040), so Oliver is probably at home and drinking a scotch with Felicity. Maybe William’s younger brother or sister is home from college. I don’t know, but I’m not worried about it. 

The bigger question is – what the hell happened to Roy? He’s gone Season 1 Hiatus Oliver on us. Why didn’t he recognize William? How long has he been on Lian Yu? Where the heck is Thea?

You can bet Felicity’s comment about always being able to find William if he has the hozen will be important in the flash forward.

Not a lot of information on William other than he’s cute (family trait) and incredibly rich (also a family trait). We all know Oliver won’t be bringing home the big bucks any time soon, so Felicity’s company is a smashing success. Seriously - $200,000 for a boat ride y’all. They are loaded. 

He also has a bit of the Oliver Queen sarcastic wit and, according to Beth, is very smart. LOVE IT.

I know some are bothered by the reappearance of the island. Yes, Lian Yu was “blown up” in Season 5, but that doesn’t mean it disappeared. In present day it is uninhabitable, but have you ever seen a forest twenty years after a fire? It looks like nothing happened. So all the regrowth on the island is perfectly natural. Adrian Chase didn’t nuke it.

I also know some were bothered the grave sites were still in tact, but I’m fine with it. First, it’s Arrow. They play fast and loose with accuracy at times. BS is a DA. If you want to cry foul she’s the bigger fish to fry. 

Source: @oliverdant

Second, I always thought the graves were a few feet from the shoreline. Oliver didn’t drag his father’s body ten miles into the forest to bury him when he stepped off that raft. He didn’t have the energy.

Third, it’s entirely possible the graves were not near bomb sites or weren’t impacted by the bombs. Would Adrian Chase leave Robert Queen’s grave undisturbed? I mean… I don’t know. What’s he gonna do? Kill Robert more? Worst case, the bombs destroyed the wooden headstones and, at some point in the future, someone (probably Oliver) returns to replace their memorials. Does it really matter? No. Just roll with it.

This opens up a ton of story telling possibilities and Beth promised the flash forwards would remain on the show for as long as it’s on air. So, we get to see all of the characters we love (or most of them) twenty years into the future. That’s nifty. It’s absolutely something Arrow can tie up and bring full circle when the show goes off the air.

Is anyone else dying to see the Olicity baby all grown up in the flash forward? I AM. Beth also said there would be no time travel, so I am not expecting flash forward characters to show up in present day. If Katherine McNamara is playing Olicity’s daughter, like some have theorized, then I believe we’ll only see her in the flash forwards. See how quickly I made this about babies? Yes, I have a one track mind.

Stray Thoughts

If we are going to get this many Oliver work out and shower scenes then I’ll survive the prison storyline. Source: arrowdaily

Yes, I spent nearly a page discussing green hoodies. You know you love me.

Popular music on Arrow is rare. I really love using “Madness” by Ruelle for the opening montage.

We don’t know much about Diggle other than he’s working for ARGUS, so let’s dig deeper in future episodes Arrow. Pun intended. You owe us some decent Diggle time.

As a woman who’s on the later side of the 35-40 age bracket let’s settle down with the aging make up. Roy is 50. He’s not 80.

Pink hair Felicity looks like Lady Lovely Locks and Jem had a baby together. It’s everything I didn’t know I needed.

I love that Felicity calls William “Will.” STEP MOTHER NICKNAMES FOREVER.

Arrow keeps faking killing Felicity because they’d rather walk into hell than do it for real. How many times has Arrow pretended to kill Moira, Laurel, Quentin, Tommy? ZERO. Every time Felicity’s death is a ruse it lessens the emotional impact and shock if it happens for real. It’s no different than killing Oliver in 3x09. Arrow has already filmed Oliver’s perfect death scene, which makes it highly unlikely death is his ending.

Honestly, if that coffee customer took one look at Oliver’s picture he’d know better than to ask for a date.

LL hit the streets as BC after a couple boxing lessons. BS hits a couple law books and is DA. You’re right LL fandom. Totally same character.

Is anyone else unnerved watching all these characters fight crime legally?

Diggle thinks it's a smart play to keep his head down. Felicity wants to fight back. Oliver always listens to the wifey. See? He’s starting to understand how marriage works. There’s hope!

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[screamingatanemptyroom]

Fictober18 Day 16

Original Fiction

Prompt: “This is going to be so much fun”

Continuation of Erin/Gerald story. Part 1/ Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 links

“We’ll return to the school dueling grounds.”

Gerald’s voice was uncharacteristically serious, as he carefully gathered up their purchases and walked towards the road leading to the school.

Frederick laughed, crumpling up the challenge sashes in a clenched fist.

“Why not here and now, Prince? Worried about fighting me outside the safety of the academy? Need the teachers to watch your back while I beat your face in?”

“So angry!” Gerald laughed lightly, reaching out to grasp Erin’s hand while continuing to walk towards the school. “It’s nothing so dramatic. I just don’t trust you two. Even if I beat you, you’re the type that will claim it was a surprise attack rather than an official match.”

He turned towards Erin with a grin. “We still haven’t gotten dessert yet. Want to come back to town after I humiliate him?”

“Sounds good.” Erin kept her tone easygoing as well, enjoying the obvious rage of the two student council members at not being taken seriously. She looked down at their clasped hands, raised an eyebrow, briefly considered pulling away, but in the end kept her hand in place.

“This is just too tragic.” Wilhemina jumped in, walking behind the two with a bitter expression. “Prince Gerald had the capabilities to truly excel in this academy, but now he’s being dragged down by the school’s garbage.” 

Frederick laughed along with her, but once he realized that the target of their mocking was ignoring them, grew sullen and silent.

“Your boyfriend is going to regret standing with you today.” Wilhemina hissed, moving faster to get to the school ahead of them. 

“We’ll see.” Erin sighed at their persistence. This really was getting annoying. She glanced over, only to do a second glance as she saw Gerald smiling widely.  “Why are you so happy?”

He squeezed her hand. “You didn’t correct her when she called me your boyfriend.”

“Idiot. Just focus on your fight.” Erin looked away, but heard him chuckle and knew he had seen her embarrassed expression.

“Yes ma’am. “ Luckily he was smart enough not to comment further, and they traveled the rest of the distance to the academy in silence.

 Once they had found a teacher to stand witness to the duel, they assembled on the practice grounds to begin. Erin stood on the sidelines, clutching the bags containing her birthday gifts and their purchases from earlier, feeling nervous. It was strange, she had no problem facing these people in fights by herself, even knowing she was going to lose due to her restrictions, but watching Gerald face the same danger was… disconcerting.

The boy in question did not seem to share her concerns, giving her a wink and a grin before heading to the center of the field.

“Wish me luck?”

She rolled her eyes. “Try not to embarrass yourself.”

Gerald turned, bowing in her direction. “Your wish is my command.”

“Stop screwing around!” Frederick’s face was livid as he took his stance.

“Hush, this is important flirting time, don’t interrupt. It’s essential to the royal courting process.” With a laugh, Gerald turned back towards his opponent and also took a ready position.

The teacher stepped forward, briefly stated the rules, and waved the sashes, signaling the start of the fight.

Frederick shot off two blasts of fire right away, a light forming at his feet as he activated physical reinforcement magic. Gerald stood still, watching every movement the other boy made intently, finally moving a step to the right at the last minute to avoid the ranged magic.

Undisturbed by the two failed attacks, Frederick continued to fire off shots continuously, while closing the distance between them. Gerald did not return any fire, simply staring at him as if trying to memorize every detail.  When Frederick got within ten feet of him, Gerald shot a single spell of water magic onto the ground, freezing it, tripping his opponent up. Caught unawares, the boy fell to the ground on his back.

“No!” Wilhemina let out a cry of dismay while Erin cheered. Much to their surprise, however, Gerald didn’t take advantage of Frederick’s fall and instead used the opportunity to increase the distance between them.

“Coward!” 

Frederick’s eyes were glazed over with rage as he raised up boulders from the ground with earth magic and flung them forward. “Stop running away!”

Gerald shrugged, continuing to dodge the fire and earth attacks with a calm expression. “I don’t have physical reinforcement magic like you, so I see no reason for me to place myself at a disadvantage of a close quarters fight.”

With a scream of anger the student council president leapt forward, minimizing the distance between them in one shot. He grasped the prince’s uniform, lifting him up in the air and flinging him a good forty feet away.

Erin, standing on the sidelines, didn’t call out, didn’t jump forward, despite her desire to do both. Her hands clenched into fists, the nails digging into her palms, the pain keeping her head clear. She broke out into a nervous sweat, seeing her friend cornered by the older boy.

Now at an advantage, Frederick intensified the speed of his attacks. Gerald was now only barely avoiding the worst of it. Already several spots of his uniform were singed, the sight of burned flesh underneath turning Erin’s stomach. A large cut marred one cheek from where a stray rock had struck him, blood slowly trickling down from it to stain the collar of his uniform.

“Admit it, you’ve lost!” Frederick crowed, his berserk appearance glowing in the light of his magical flames.

Gerald had been forced down to one knee, but despite the obvious disadvantage he was at, a broad grin spread across his face. Contrary to the atmosphere, he began laughing, startling Frederick into halting his attacks briefly.

“What’s so funny? You enjoy losing that badly?”

 Gerald stood back up to his feet, spitting out some blood that had run into his mouth. “No, but I really do love winning, and now that I’ve had enough exposure to completely grasp your magic, this fight is pretty much over.” He gestured for the other boy to come at him. “Let’s go, Frederick. I’ll show you the true terror of a catastrophic level Insight ability.”

“SHUT UP!” Screaming angrily, Frederick tried to leap forward once more, only to find that his feet were stuck in the ground.

“Also, you’re not the only one with high level earth magic.”

“Argh!” Unable to move, the boy then sent out wave after wave of fire magic, even stronger and faster then before. This time, Gerald didn’t dodge the attack, simply standing in place with a peaceful look.

“That won’t work anymore.”

Each one of the fire attacks was met with a water spell. Typically when opposite elemental spells hit each other, the stronger of the two would win out, with only one attack moving forward and the other disappearing. To Erin’s astonishment, however, each time Gerald’s water attacks struck, both spells would disappear instantly.

“They’re perfectly matched.” Erin whispered, amazed.

“That’s impossible! There’s no way to determine a spell’s power that quickly, and to calibrate your own spell’s power to match it… there’s no way!” Wilhemina glared at the practice field. “He has to be cheating.”

“He has level 5 insight... he doesn’t need to cheat.”

Frederick was obviously panicking; every single fire spell he tried was immediately smothered. His attempts at earth magic were met with earth spells of equal force, the boulders smashing each other into dust. Every move he made had already been seen through and matched easily.

It was quickly becoming a one sided fight.

“Ahh!” With a cry of dismay Frederick fell to the ground. The earth spell which had bound his feet down to the ground had now encased his legs. As the boy watched with horror, it made its way all the way to his hips, trapping his hands to the ground as well.

Quietly, with a polite smile, Gerald walked over to stand near his fallen enemy.

“Now, lucky for you, I’m a forgiving person.” He counted off his fingers. “The times that you mocked me, attacked me when I wasn’t looking, interrupted precious date time… I can live with that. I forgive you for that.” He sighed loudly.

“There’s just one problem.” 

His smile turned cold. “You called Erin names, burned her skin, and insulted her mother.” His boot came down to rest on the other boy’s elbow. “Turns out, when it comes to people who hurt her, I’m not so forgiving after all.”

He stomped down, and Erin winced at the sound of cracking bone.

Finally, unable to take it, Frederick cried out with pain, and Gerald lifted his foot briefly.

“I know she can handle you, and doesn’t need my help. But since I’ve got you here, I’m going to give you some advice for free:” 

He leaned forward quietly speaking in the Frederick’s ear. Erin only barely caught it from her position at the sidelines.

“Stay away from Erin. Because if I catch you hurting her again, you’re going to wish she had killed you first.” With that, he stomped down again, breaking the other arm.

He stepped back raising his hand and looking at the teacher. “Teacher, Frederick is incapacitated. Can you declare the result of the fight?”

Pale, the teacher glanced at the now unconscious boy, and then back at Gerald. “The winner is Prince Gerald.”

Erin walked up, staring at him with new eyes.

“What’s up with that look?” He asked with a grin.

“You were a lot more… decisive than I expected.” She admitted, biting back the word “cruel” at the last minute.

He nodded. “I’ll put up with a lot, but if it comes to protecting the people I care about… I’m willing to do whatever is necessary.” Looking around he sighed. “Is our date over?”

“Yeah, I think so. It’s a little late to go back to town for dessert.” She shrugged, looking as the teacher and Wilhemina carried Frederick’s still form off to the infirmary.

“Well, I guess there’s only one thing left to do then…” he grasped her hand. “Will you marry me?”

Erin groaned, pulling her hand back. “You promised not to propose…”

“During the date. Which we just agreed had ended.” He gave her a pleading look. “So... how about it?”

“Nope.”

“Oh well, maybe next time.”

“Stop fooling around and heal yourself, please?” 

They sat down near the path, and Erin watched over as Gerald took the time to meditate and heal his injuries. As the last of the lacerations and burns faded away, the sun had almost finished setting. He sighed, his relaxed posture signaling that the process was done. Erin helped him to his feet, and they moved back to the path. 

They had just started walking back to the dorms, when a wind communication spell caught them both in their tracks.

- Guys! 

Olivia’s voice came out from the small paper artifact that flew by their heads.  

- There’s been another student attacked! Meet me by the magical theory building.

The two stared at each other silently in shock, their faces dyed in the colors of the fading sunlight. Finally Erin shook her head.

“Come on, let’s go check it out.”

Gerald sighed. “This is going to be so much fun.”

[casspurrjoybell-20]

Blueberry Muffins - Chapter 15a

*Warning Adult Content*

Mates - Part 1 

“You're my mate, Wren."

Joshua Calder’s words seemed to echo in the silence of their tent, ringing in Wren Rivera’s ears. The atmosphere that had been buzzing before suddenly dropped and Wren felt so cold he shivered slightly.

"What?" Wren asked in a whisper, utterly shocked.

"You're my mate, Wren. Not Aaron, not anyone else. You," Joshua repeated, solidifying the truth.

Wren’s body froze, his entire being seemingly stuck in one place. Joshua was his fated-mate? He was Joshua’s fated-mate? All this time and Joshua had decided to tell Wren now? Things finally began to make sense. The constant looks, the awkwardness, the conversations that always seemed to lead into Wren’s emotions or the topic of mates.

"Wren, I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," Joshua spoke up.

"You should be," Wren whispered, a sudden spike of anger going through him. 

"How could you keep this from me? What made you think I would want to be lied to like this for weeks on end? We're mates. I... I hurt you and I didn't even know it. Why? Why would you keep this from me?"

‘He had so many chances to tell me and he didn't. Instead, he watched me suffer and wonder if I could ever be happy. He gave me hope in finding my mate. I felt like I had been blindsided.’

Wren’s wolf didn't make things any better. He was feeling immense joy over finally finding his other half. He didn't even care that Joshua had lied to them for weeks on end. The happiness mixed with Wren’s own emotions and it served to make him even more frustrated. Of course, he was also happy that he'd found his mate and kissed him too but the circumstances that it happened were less than pleasant.

"I'm sorry," Joshua repeated, his voice sounding defeated. "I was scared. I was scared you'd reject me, then I was scared you'd be too hurt over it all. I kept pushing off telling you because I was terrified of what would happen," he explained slowly.

"When were you going to tell me, then?"

"Soon, very soon," Joshua answered with a weak and very awkward chuckle. 

"I had planned to tell you when I got to the tent but decided against it because of the whole... Erin thing."

They went silent after that but it wasn't nice. It felt like it was pressing down on Wren, suffocating him. He wrapped his arms around himself to fight off the sudden cold, refusing to look at Joshua even if he couldn't see him fully in the dark. 

"I wish you told me sooner. It would've saved us both a lot of pain," Wren finally mumbled.

Joshua laughed again but it sounded a lot sadder this time. 

"I know. I was being a coward. I really am sorry," he said seriously and Wren heard the sound of the tent material scratching as he scooted closer.

‘It didn't feel real, sitting there with my fated-mate after we'd kissed. It still felt like I'd stolen a kiss from a taken man. But Joshua wasn't taken... well, he was taken by me now, apparently. Was I crazy? This felt crazy. Maybe I was dreaming.’ 

It all happened so quickly. One moment, he's crying over Erin and a kiss he didn't want and the next, he’s realizing Joshua is really attractive and he’s kissing him. Had that attraction always been there and he was just too focused on his issues with Erin to realize it?

"Wren?"

Wren found himself looking up now, his eyes straining to look at Joshua's face. 

"So... we're really mates?"

"Yeah, we are." 

After that, they talked for a very long time. They talked about as much as they could. Joshua's sickness, Wren’s disability, both of their feelings. It was extremely draining, especially after the day Wren had already had but it was necessary. They needed to talk, to explain themselves. And after hearing Joshua out, Wren realized how right he was to feel scared. It didn't mean Wren wasn't still mad that he had to find out this way but he at least understood where Joshua was came from. Joshua feared rejection just as much as Wren had and he tried his best to take his fated-mate’s feelings into consideration. 

How was he supposed to know that his mate would be angry that he didn't drop the bomb earlier? By the time they decided it was time to sleep, the sun was already starting to rise in the sky but they laid down for a bit anyway. It was weird knowing his mate was right there next to him, sleeping soundly. So close, yet so far. Wren didn't think he'd be able to sleep but he quickly found his eyelids closing as sleep claimed him. And he dreamt. He dreamt of Joshua... of Erin and everything in between.

"Rise and shine, sleepyheads. Breakfast," Ryder's annoying voice cut through Wren’s dreams.

He blinked his eyes open, only to find Joshua sitting up, running a hand through his hair tiredly. Wren found himself suddenly blushing, even though Joshua’s actions were completely innocent. 

"Good morning," Wren whispered, slightly surprising Joshua.

A light laugh escaped him as Joshua jumped a bit before he also joined in with a chuckle of his own. 

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

Wren nodded, looking down at his lap for a moment. 

"As well as I could, I guess."

They went silent after that but it wasn't stifling like before. Wren would like to think they cleared the air a bit with their chat a few hours ago. 

‘It wasn't like they planned on rejecting each other or anything and I was already starting... ‘and may I stress starting’  to forgive Joshua for keeping this from me, so maybe this was a start to our new relationship as mates.’ 

The thought made Wren’s stomach flutter excitedly. Maybe his brain was finally catching up after sleeping. 

‘I have a mate.’

"So... wanna' head out now?" Joshua asked Wren who nodded his head.

[doesathoughtevertrulyrest]

Dear Diary,

I’ve finished Midnight Mass and now I have a very mixed impression.

On the one hand it was brilliant. I do love some characters, some lines, some scenes, almost all monologues. Especially the Erin’s one at the end. Oh, yeah, and priest’s preaching was just great I suppose to say. He has almost sold me religion (I’m a weak woman, so it’s better to never meet any catholic priests in my life, btw, he isn’t hot at all).

On the other…what. the. fuck. Vampires? Seriously? I mean I feel like it confounded the expectations I had. I can’t even imagine what might have been worse than this. Wait a second, I can. Zombies. But that’s not the point. I understand why they used vampires. I really truly understand, but everything that happened there was so fucking illogical. Like, you have no brain, and you, and you, and you, and there is no one tiny braincell at the all your fucking island. But I shouldn’t be surprised, should I? What have I expected from a bunch of creepy religious zealot? (An actress who played Beverly acted as Goddess, my desire to kill her was huge from the early beginning and then it just raised).

To sum up, I’d say that it was nice to watch, but from my point of view it’s nowhere near The Haunting of Hill House (which kinda was creepy enough to scare the shit out of me) and The Haunting of Bly Manor (which was full of beauty and drama).

P.S. I’m fed up with all these fucking priest’s stories. No. No. No. No fucking way, dear don’t remember your name mr. priest. You don’t deserve any compassion from me, you, fucking coward. I saw this scene so many times (one of my favs book is based on it). You’ve left your daughter. You’ve brought this ugly winged leather sack to the island, cmon, man, you should have died in the fucking desert and caused no troubles.

[deadmonsta]

My AOT Reaction

Episode 2 + Titans

Unlike everything else I post people actually liked my AOT reaction. I want to take a moment and say thank you to everyone that has liked a post of mine. It might not be much but it brings a smile to my face. That being said, I don’t remember telling you my thoughts about Titans.

I am currently at 2:28 in “That Day; The Fall Of Shigan(let me get my glasses)shina, Part 2”.

We left off on the only mother figure that we’ve seen in the show so far being eaten alive. Good times, right?

Okay! Right off the bat we have an ugly preacher dude speaking words of the Bible. Oh. My. GOSH! That reminds me of the Titanic! Continue.

Warning: I am about to say a medical term most people don’t like to read.

Why do the Titans have nothing down there. I mean, as far as I can tell there are guys but they have no Jingle Jangle. I am sorry for not saying the correct term but I don’t want to write that down.

Woman enters scene only to be picked up by her head. I know Titans are supposed to be monsters but at least show table manners when eating your prey!

04:42

At least Mr. Harron is aware that he is a coward.

06:01

So basically what Erin (I think he’s the narrator right now) is telling us that Shiganshina is bait. That the way the walls were built made it easier for Titans to kill them. That way when the others are under attack they’ll be better prepared/aware??

06:34

Armin knows something’s wrong. Erin looks broken, I mean it’s not hard to miss. Also, can’t those boats be devoured easily by the Titans?

08:02

Seriously? Fighting with each other when a Titan is coming!?! And 2nd, yeah, at least let the kids board. They should have realized they wouldn’t have enough room and send the kids first. *sigh*

09:12

How come only some of the Titans look like a muscle chart at a doctor’s office?

Some have skin and others don’t??? :/ Also, he’s jacked. And those humans are dead.

09:50

Oh! The giant muscle man isn’t a Titan! He’s a monster? That what home boy just said. I honestly haven’t noticed the size difference between muscle man and the Titans until now. That gate is slow.

10:18

I’m sorry but the muscle man’s butt was in the shot- I- it. :[

12:20

“This is the end”

I wheezed.

14:45

“I’ll kill every last one of them!”

Idiot.

Any of you ever have your family walk in on you watching anime? Because it’s so awkward! I always pause it in case of cussing. And then their like, “it doesn’t bother me you can keep watching it.”

My grandpa walked in halfway through the show. He told me I could keep watching it and I told him it was apocalyptic. I just kept hoping it wouldn’t cuss. AOT is pg-14 or ma and I’m definitely old enough for that. But my family is really stern when it comes to cussing. Thus, I am that one friend that does not cuss.

Titans

Ew.

That was my first thought when seeing the Titans.

They’re naked.

Stating the obvious was my second reaction to them.

Why do they have so many teeth?

Seriously, why? Instead of having a reasonable amount of big teeth for an enlarged human. The Titans have a lot of small teeth instead. Ugh!

That was my reaction to Titans and Episode 2. I haven’t watched it fully so I will make a part 2 if anything surprises me. But for now I have to practice the piano. :/ Goodbye my lovely children. Geez I’m creepy! Okay, bye!!!!