RT @quiveringbunny: At this point, I expect @mguggenheim to tap me on the shoulder in the grocery store, beckon me with a crooked finger and say, “Come with me, you’re in the crossover.” #CrisisOnInfiniteEarths
At this point, I expect @mguggenheim to tap me on the shoulder in the grocery store, beckon me with a crooked finger and say, “Come with me, you’re in the crossover.” #CrisisOnInfiniteEarths
— quiveringbunny (@quiveringbunny) September 27, 2019
via Twitter https://twitter.com/mguggenheim
September 27, 2019 at 04:22PM
The show might be about Oliver’s journey, but we wouldn’t have Arrow without Felicity. We laughed with her, we cried with her, we grew with her, and we swooned over Oliver with her. Surely, she’s one of the most relatable and popular characters on TV. But for many of us, she became a friend.
This one’s for the hacker, the badass, the love of Oliver Queen’s life. Here’s to the ICONIC Felicity Megan Smoak!
@blondeeoneexox’s recs:
Green Arrow Exposed - @allimariexf
The Oliver Queen publicity tour gets an unscripted guest appearance.
**Award: Most Badass, Standing By Her Man Felicity**
Felicity’s Party Raver Hangover Supreme Cure - @felicityollies
The story of how Felicity got her industrial piercing as told by Felicity to her very curious husband.
**Award: Most Carefree Felicity That I Wish We Would Have Gotten More Of In The Show**
Mother’s Day - @felicityollies
Felicity’s first Mother’s Day with William.
**Award: Sweetest, Most Honestly Beautiful William/Felicity Scene That Needs To Be An Additional Scene**
Hotel Vegas - @it-was-a-red-heeler
Heartbreak sends Felicity home to her mother for a vacation that just might change her life forever.
**Award: Most Amazing Use of Felicity Being The Strong Woman She Is!**
@allimariexf’s recs:
Jade - LoudVoice
When a mission requires it, Felicity offers to infiltrate a strip club as a dancer. Oliver and Diggle are hesitant. What they don’t know is that Felicity has been taking pole-dancing classes for years.
**Award: Best “Felicity Smoak is a woman of many hidden talents” story**
maybe all this is the party (maybe we just do it violently) - unicornstore
The collar could have exploded. If the night had gone any differently, she would be a mangled corpse in a body bag. She wouldn’t have been the first on Nelson’s kill list, hardly anything more than someone else who got in his way. / a tag for 1.15 (dodger). oliver drives felicity home and she comes to terms with some of the events of the night.
**Award: Best “Felicity Smoak was a hero from the beginning” and other things that cannot be captured in a single phrase so just read it NOW! story**
ain’t it fun - magneticwave
Working for Oliver Queen can be mostly summed up as a series of lessons for Felicity on how to keep her cool in situations she is completely unequipped to handle. Thanks for nothing, MIT.
Or, Felicity’s first year on Team Arrow.
**Award: Best Year-in-the-Life on Team Arrow from Felicity’s POV (Year 1) aka another amazing Felicity story that defies description!!**
ghosts and echoes of you (everywhere we go) - @alexiablackbriar13
Everywhere she turned, she could see Oliver. His reflection, his ghost - his memory. It was painful. It was suffocating. Mia was the only reason she didn’t break down most days.
**Award: Most Devastating Single-Mom Felicity story**
@memcjo’s recs:
Uptown Girl - @hope-for-olicity
Felicity Smoak is not your average debutante, but going to the Debutante Ball turns out to be one of the most important decisions of her life. The story of an uptown girl meeting a downtown boy - who happens to be in a rock band.
**Award: Best Use of Felicity and Oliver Taking Control of Their Lives and Living Happily Ever After!**
We Build Then We Break - @smoaking-greenarrow
The aftermath of the limo shooting; one month later, Felicity has to decide if she is going to let what happened change her. Oliver and Curtis both help her realize the kind of person that she is.
**Award: Best Use of Swoon Worthy Oliver Queen Being There for the Love of His Life**
The Butler Did It - @quiveringbunny
Felicity Smoak is trying to be the best CEO she can, but it can be a struggle to establish her role with outsiders. So, attending an out of town conference looks to be a real challenge without a bit of help and encouragement from the man who loves her.
**Award: Best Use of Sexy Olicity Having Fun, Smutty Smut**
Times Like These - anthfan
A man from Felicity’s past she never thought she’d see again suddenly appears in Starling City, bringing with him memories she’d rather keep forgotten, and a new threat.
**Award: Best Use of Scary, Edge of Your Seat Olicity Storytelling**
gray henley’s and fluffy purple socks - @alexiablackbriar13
Felicity and Oliver have taken to sharing their clothes recently since discovering she’s pregnant.
Well - it’s not really sharing. It’s very one-sided and originating from Felicity, and it’s more stealing than anything else.
**Award: Cutest, Sweetest, Most Adorable Felicity Story**
Long Way Down - Abbie
Scant weeks after the takedown of Slade Wilson, Felicity is abducted from her bed in the middle of the night. She comes to in a stark white cell to be faced with the inexplicably alive Tommy Merlyn, but breathing isn’t the only thing he’s doing that he shouldn’t be.
**Award: BEST~ HOLY SHIT~THIS FIC IS SOOO INTENSE AWARD**
@smoaking-greenarrow’s recs:
Open Heart and Lithe Tongue (Speak and We Are Undone) - RosieTwiggs
In all of Felicity’s experience, among all of her partners, not one had ever gone down on her, even those times when she’d worked up the courage to outright ask.
**Award: Sexiest ‘Oliver Giving Felicity What She Wants’ Award**
DONE. - @imusuallyobsessed
Felicity only said yes to ARGUS protection because she thought it would keep William safe. But Diaz found them anyway. Now? The only one who can protect William is her. She’s done playing games.
**Award: Best Fed-Up Felicity**
Will You Remember Me - @jesileighs, @latinasmoak
After being attacked by a metahuman with the power to steal memories, Felicity learns that a lot can happen in six years. Even things that she once believed to be unthinkable.
**Award: The Amnesia Trope To End All Amnesia Tropes**
Burning Soufflés - @allimariexf
Felicity really needs to have a talk with Oliver. Which they will really, definitely do just as soon as she stops being kidnapped.
**Award: The ‘This Pregnancy Reveal is Now My Canon Pregnancy Reveal’ Award**
@tangled23works’ recs:
Is it Fair, or is it Fate? - @smoaking-greenarrow
We are the best parts of each other.
She’d said it and she’d meant it, which unfortunately meant that she’d just lost the best part of herself.
**Award: Most Hopeful And Determined Felicity**
Begin Again - jennfics
Felicity has a coffee date, potentially, and Iris West Allen is the best friend a girl could have. A coffee shop meet/cute in the making.
**Award: The Funniest And Cutest Nervous!Felicity Fic**
While You Were Sleeping - Loulou26
Felicity Smoak, an IT expert at Queen Consolidated, has a little bit of a crush on her boss, Tommy Merlyn. The problem? He doesn’t know she exists. After she saves his life, Felicity is mistaken for his fiancee as he lies in a coma. Suddenly thrown into the welcoming arms of the man’s family - The Queens, Felicity soon finds herself falling in love with his brother, Oliver. But when Tommy awakens, Felicity also finds herself in the worst predicament of her life.
**Award: Best Adorable, Awkward And Funny Felicity Stealing Oliver’s Heart**
Mind on Fire - Nerdy_Xicana
An accidental discovery leads Felicity Smoak to come face to face with Yao Fei Gulong. Deciding to take a chance on a man who proves with one conversation he can be trusted she signs on to work with Sagittarius International. A private security company that did so much more than act like hired mercenaries. She would soon come to find out they had a very real purpose that they kept very well hidden.
After 4 years of working to leave her past behind her, Felicity finds herself surrounded by people who show her what she can no longer avoid- human interaction. One person in particular is the handsome Oliver Queen.
Oliver has spent the last year and a half avoiding romantic entanglements. Choosing to focus on his work and their missions, the last thing he expected was developing feelings for the beautiful analyst that fell into his hands.
Her mission is clear, but it soon becomes convoluted when she finally admits to feeling something for the brooding blue-eyed mercenary. He needs to keep her at arm’s length, but everything in him pulls her closer. Can they come together, when everything is trying to pull them apart?
**Award: Most Badass, Strong And Sexy Felicity Smoak AU**
@it-was-a-red-heeler’s recs:
Right Girl - @smoaking-greenarrow
Felicity meets Oliver after she transfers to Starling Academy, a high school she never wanted to step foot in.
** Award: Best Teenage Oliver Queen Being a Badass For the Woman He Loves**
Asclepius - CharlotteCordelier
**Award: (And I mean this in all seriousness) “This Should’ve Been The Show”**
@msbeccieboo’s recs:
BREAK - BookofLife
Felicity shut down the second earthquake machine (because of course she left the Foundry to do it because wasting time leading an old fashioned detective through a series of complicated do-hickeys was Oliver’s ridiculous idea, not hers), but being alone in the Glades at night, during a catastrophe, wasn’t the safest thing to have happen.
Sometimes you suffer for doing the right thing.
**Award: Best Felicity-Ignores-Oliver-And-Goes-Off-To-Be-A-Hero-Anyway Moment**
A Woman’s Guide to Vigilantism - jules_ink
After five years of hell, fear, and poor decisions, of becoming a weapon, Felicity Smoak returns home to her family intending to finally make things right—only to find that there are some things you cannot run from. Like love. And mortal enemies. And your mother’s loud voice.
**Award: Best Role-Reversal Fic Featuring BAMF Vigilante Felicity*
Huge thanks to everyone who posted wonderful recs on here. They are a terrific reminder of the breadth of Olicity love out there. And thank you to @olicitytropes for holding such awards. I feel especially grateful to @memcjo for singling out The Butler Did It for it’s “fun, smutty smut.” I do try to please. LOL. And our favorite ship makes it kind of easy. Thank you again, everybody. Read on. Write on. xx
You Can’t Afford Him (Olicity fanfic, rated M) - Chapter 2
Here is Chapter 2 of my fic.
If you missed Chapter 1, you can read it here on Tumblr.
If you prefer reading on Ao3, here are links to:
Chapter 1 Chapter 2
CHAPTER 2
“Archer, meet Celeste Chen, who has impeccable taste in shoes and her fellow, Myles Crofton.”
Without missing a beat, Myles piped up. “I’m told she also has impeccable taste in boyfriends.”
At the utterance of their target’s name, Oliver had tightened his grip around Felicity, just enough for her to notice. Then he offered his hand to the arm’s dealer with a perfect playboy grin.
“Good to meet you, Myles.”
Myles offered the universal head nod that could have meant yes or the feeling is mutual. As with so many wealthy people, much was left to be interpreted.
“Panda told us you’ve had some bother with your luggage.”
And good grace that kiss that right out drooling panty dropping kiss… HOLY…
Dayem… ( the last one is my personal favorite.. cuz dayem all the feelings he has for her is in this one kiss.. damn you Oliver!) BUT EEEEP KISSSSSSSS!!
You Can’t Afford Him (Olicity fanfic, rated M) - Chapter 2
Here is Chapter 2 of my fic.
If you missed Chapter 1, you can read it here on Tumblr.
If you prefer reading on Ao3, here are links to:
Chapter 1 Chapter 2
CHAPTER 2
“Archer, meet Celeste Chen, who has impeccable taste in shoes and her fellow, Myles Crofton.”
Without missing a beat, Myles piped up. “I’m told she also has impeccable taste in boyfriends.”
At the utterance of their target’s name, Oliver had tightened his grip around Felicity, just enough for her to notice. Then he offered his hand to the arm’s dealer with a perfect playboy grin.
“Good to meet you, Myles.”
Myles offered the universal head nod that could have meant yes or the feeling is mutual. As with so many wealthy people, much was left to be interpreted.
“Panda told us you’ve had some bother with your luggage.”
Yeah, it’s been ages. I know. I guess there has just been such a dearth of good images to use to inspire me…I needed to take a break. Today I have gone back to the basics and made some pretty things for ya. Hope I didn’t leave anyone off.
I really wish to return to the days when I could just love Oliver Queen and his journey. Lately, many (too many) distractions and digressions from his story. While I wait to see if the show picks up the slack somehow, here are some nice pics for your dash.
Hopefully I have not angered the image police in any way. But more importantly, I hope I made your day a little more pretty.
If you would like to be removed or added to this list for Washboard Wednesday, Man Face Monday, and occasional other day posts of pretty, please let me know. I really hope the tags work this week. I know it’s spotty. Once again, please reblog if you think your followers will enjoy. Thanks!! @scu11y22, @tinaday3w, @dettiot, @mel-loves-all, @andjustforthismoment, @aussieforgood, @florence-bubbles, @flailykermit, @lerayon, @diggo26, @olicityaddicted, @thewidowpazzy, @melsanfo, @emilybettqueen, @yourviewingparty, @lynslogic, @tanyaslogic, @angelalafan, @coal000, @triciaolicity, @choiceofluthien, @emilybuttrickards, @seaolicity, @supersillyanddorky06, @swordandarrow, @watsoncroft, @jsevick, @readerkas, @yespleasehawkeyee, @geniewithwifi, @befitandchase, @caedmonfaith, @myhauntedblacksoul, @casydee, @jamyfan-blog, @awesomeziziblr, @bigdeesmallworld, @alemap74, @angelicmisskitty, @almondblossomme, @callistawolf, @miriam1779, @imusuallyobsessed, @vaelisamaza, @mochababychristy, @juliesioux, @pjcmfalcon, @josephine-in-mirkwood, @i-m-a-fan-world, @ms-mags, @red-devilkin, @ah-maa-zing, @itshandledd, @olicityandsteroline, @turn-thy-paige, @wildirish23, @nlh03, @alanna-the-lionheart, @charlinert, @amytosh, @stygian-omada-fan, @multi-fandom-crazy-fangirl, @machawicket, @biermank, @i-am-wordaholic, @hope-for-olicity, @memcjo, @jaspertown, @itchiygo, @oliverfel4, @tolivers, @ccdimples88, @ap-n, @pleasantfanandstudent, @emmilynestill, @kainesbitt77, @anthfan, @lyricalarrow, @laurabelle2930, @ellefraser17, @ireland1733, @mammashof, @chachurka, @somewhatinvisible, @tdgal1, @buffaleen, @suziesammy-blog, @missyriver, @lovelycssefan, @kh2o, @codebreakinsmoak, @letsnevergrowupfan, @bwangangelic, @arrowolicity88, @thebookjumper, @arrowlainie05, @pineprincess, @saebrfan, @olicityinmyheart, @razorbladenitro, @letsnevergrowupfan, @1106angel, @xflarrowbeforebloodx, @omglovechrissie, @benisa1608, @simonona-blog, @blindspot-fanatic, @hecatesan, @olicityotp-always, @hatianhonie
You Can’t Afford Him (Olicity fanfic, rated M) - Chapter 2
Here is Chapter 2 of my fic.
If you missed Chapter 1, you can read it here on Tumblr.
If you prefer reading on Ao3, here are links to:
Chapter 1 Chapter 2
CHAPTER 2
“Archer, meet Celeste Chen, who has impeccable taste in shoes and her fellow, Myles Crofton.”
Without missing a beat, Myles piped up. “I’m told she also has impeccable taste in boyfriends.”
At the utterance of their target’s name, Oliver had tightened his grip around Felicity, just enough for her to notice. Then he offered his hand to the arm’s dealer with a perfect playboy grin.
“Good to meet you, Myles.”
Myles offered the universal head nod that could have meant yes or the feeling is mutual. As with so many wealthy people, much was left to be interpreted.
“Panda told us you’ve had some bother with your luggage.”
“That’s right,” Oliver sighed. “Can you believe it?” He tried to seem put upon without coming off a complete dick so early in their interaction. If these two didn’t like him, they might shut down the obvious opening that Felicity had created for them.
“And since our room isn’t ready,” Felicity added, leaning into Oliver’s sizable shoulder, “it seemed like the good idea to spread a little cryptocurrency around the shops, although I guess since it’s all virtual it doesn’t actually spread.”
Oliver held his breath. He loved Felicity’s rambles, but he didn’t know if they translated well in other cultures. His worries dissipated when Celeste chuckled and Myles cracked a smile. He watched the woman tug on her man’s sleeve and then give him a questioning look. Myles took note, shook his head, then wordlessly wandered away, raising his phone to his ear. Oliver was curious, but forced himself to remain partially attentive to the half of the couple that remained. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Myles. On his first call, everything seemed fine. Then, it was as though he was talking to someone else because he looked agitated. He didn’t raise his voice so they could hear, but he was seething for a moment.
“Archer, I know this is Panda’s first visit to Macau. What about you?”
“I have a recollection of passing through once with my family, but it was decades ago. So much has changed since then. It’s incredible now. The architecture. The energy. The beautiful women,” he added pointedly. Felicity raised an eyebrow at him, at which he became very serious. “And by that I mean that Panda wasn’t here, so it was much less attractive then.”
The two of them studied each other for a moment, then Felicity playfully prodded Oliver’s ribs.
“Good recovery there,” Celeste volunteered.
“Yes,” Felicity smirked. “My hero.”
“Do you two have any dinner plans tonight? We would love for you to join us.”
Felicity looked up at Oliver, her eyes twinkling. They needed to play it cool, but she really wanted to pump her fist in the air at this moment.
“We don’t have plans tonight, do we Baby?” Felicity looked up at Oliver with a warm smile.
“I think we do now, PandaBear. That is very kind of you, Celeste,” Oliver offered the woman a genuine smile. “I hope I won’t be overdressed,” he added, looking down at his tuxedo.
“Nonsense,” Celeste replied. “It’s perfect.” She then directed her gaze to Felicity. "You have excellent taste, Panda."
Oliver felt Felicity’s hand slip between his shirt and his jacket and rest near his heart. He hoped she couldn’t feel it beating more violently than usual. What had gotten into her? The touching? Apparently Pandora Fleece was a lot more handsy than Felicity Smoak. He hadn’t even begun to process their earlier kiss. And what was that about Felicity having good taste? Before Oliver could question or protest, he was interrupted.
“That would be lovely,” Felicity responded to the other woman while softly running her fingers against Oliver’s expensive shirt-covered abs.
Just then, Myles returned and took the hand of his beautiful Celeste. He wasn’t the only one who could be affectionate. Of course, the Americans were always a little too obvious about it in public. Celeste studied his face for information.
“I have had a word with the desk. Just go see the concierge. He will be looking after you personally.”
Felicity and Oliver expressed enthusiasm for their host’s kindness.
“No problem,” Myles replied. “One of the benefits of owning the place.”
“Oh, wow.” Felicity feigned surprise. She could not let on how much they already knew about the man. They were, after all, just tourists.
“Thank you,” Oliver added, “that’s very kind.” He offered his hand again with a sincere smile. Myles took it.
“Don’t mention it.” Myles turned to Celeste. “Darling, I am now running late for a meeting and I’m told the art consultant is upstairs. I’m afraid we are going to have to try this shirt thing another day.”
“Of course,” Celeste sighed. “Panda, I’ll have dinner details sent to your room.”
“That’s wonderful, Celeste. We are looking forward to it.”
xoxoxo
Once they had settled the details with Javier regarding the final purchase, arrangements were made to have Archer’s clothing sent up to their room via the hotel concierge. Throughout the transaction, the two generally avoided eye contact. There was much to be said, much to explain, but it had to wait until they were in private.
The two proceeded to the concierge station near the front desk and were greeted enthusiastically by a middle-aged woman named Kim who had jet black hair with a shock of white on one side. She smiled warmly and apologized far too much for inconveniencing them. When she signaled for them to follow her away from the desk, they realized she was going to escort them to their room herself. The two exchanged curious looks as they proceeded up an elevator to the 25th floor. The woman finally led them down a gold and red-hued hallway to a very opulent door. She swiped a metal card and it unlocked with a decisive click.
It was a suite. Not a junior suite like at the Marriott with a fold out couch, a sad desk in the corner and a couple of bottles of water. It was a full-fledged apartment, suitable for hosting visiting dignitaries. If they were sultans. The space had a dark Arabian Nights kind of vibe. Felicity found herself gawping, legit gawping, as the woman provided the grand tour of the rooms and amenities. Huge sitting area with tall windows. Massive bedroom with gigantic bed. Check. Large sitting room with fainting couch off the bedroom. Crazy fancy bathroom with a huge soaking tub and a rain shower. Check. Second fancy bathroom. Check. Pillows. Pillows. Pillows. Everywhere. Flowers. A chilled bottle of wine placed in a cooler on a wet bar. It just became more ridiculous with every moment.
“Excuse me, Kim. This is truly amazing, but it definitely isn’t what I reserved.”
“Yes, Miss Fleece. Mr. Crofton would like you to stay in this suite. It is one he sets aside for his and Miss Celeste’s friends.”
“I am speechless,” spoke the young woman, who had eyeballed some of the finest accommodations in Las Vegas when she was young.
“Thank you,” Oliver volunteered, seeing the woman to the door. “This was a very generous gesture. We are so very grateful.”
The woman explained that she would have their purchases brought up when they were available and would call with details of their dinner plans. Oliver thanked the woman again and was grateful that tipping was not standard practice in Macau for this particular service, as he didn’t have any cash in his pocket.
Once the woman was gone, Oliver kept staring at the closed door, collecting his thoughts before he turned to see Felicity sitting tentatively on an opulent couch, her chin resting on her hands. He considered his next move carefully and then acted swiftly, as he always did.
Oliver moved across the carpet and sat right down next to Felicity, invading her personal space. His warm body and even hotter breath tickled her ear and she gasped. The look in his eye was curious, even to her, and she had seen all of his expressions - or so she thought. It was like he wanted her. But that couldn’t be right. Just as she became uncomfortable with his gaze and attempted to shift away, Oliver grabbed her arm and whispered into her ear.
“Can you sweep the rooms without anyone knowing?”
Felicity let out a relieved and in no small way disappointed sign and nodded. Soon, she was grabbing her phone from her bag and touring their digs again, chatting mindlessly about the decor and the amenities, all the while checking for listening devices and cameras. It was unlikely their space would be monitored, but Oliver was right. It was good to check. After her circuit, she ended up in front of her partner, who was standing at a bank of windows, looking out on the Macau harbor in the afternoon sun.
“It’s clean,” she announced, brightly.
“Good.” His voice was flat. Tired, perhaps. But there was more to it. “I’m going to rest.”
With that, Oliver walked into the bedroom, past the bed and into the sitting room. He disappeared behind a closed door, leaving Felicity alone and unsure of what had just happened.
xoxoxo
Felicity knew something was off with Oliver. He hadn’t said more than a few words to her after they left Dolce & Gabbana and then he seemed to want to ditch her the moment they got into their insanely beautiful suite after looking at her with expressions she couldn’t decipher. Now he was asleep. An afternoon nap also seemed uncharacteristic of Oliver, but they had been traveling for 24 hours and it wasn’t unreasonable to imagine he could be wiped out.
Not knowing what to do next, Felicity first jumped on her tablet and made the necessary changes to their backstory support on the web to accommodate a quick alteration in cover stories, just in case. She also did some snooping on Celeste and soon discovered she was a very sought-after debutante in Hong Kong before coupling up with Myles Crofton.
A knock at the door signaled the delivery of numerous bags from the dress shop and D&G. Felicity had the stewards litter the living area with them.
Eventually, the lure of the amazing soaking tub in the master bath became a distraction. Felicity gathered up her purchases and took up residence in what amounted to a marble temple. She helped herself to some of the high-end bath products that were provided on the counter, slipped into the tub, and finally felt herself decompressing from the many sharp turns of the day. But every time her mind started to clear, her thoughts drifted to that kiss.
What had possessed her to do it? Was an epic lip-lock really necessary to sell their cover at that point? Or had she done it to mark her territory — as if Oliver Queen was hers? Felicity debated with herself about it for quite some time and then decided that, yes, the smooch had quickly and definitively established the credibility of their cover to the target of their mission and created greater potential for mission success since it led to an invitation to socially engage with said target.
Yep. That’s exactly what it did. The fact that Oliver’s lips felt so hot and strong against hers, while remaining curiously soft was irrelevant, as was the way he smelled — woodsy and masculine — even though he had been cooped up on a plane for a day. She could almost still feel it reverberating on her mouth. Imagine what an actual kiss with Oliver Queen might feel like, if a fake one had her knees buckling in a designer clothing store! She couldn’t bring herself to entertain that thought. Oliver wouldn’t kiss someone he could care about. She had to remember that.
Felicity also needed to remind herself that allowing her feelings to take over could be dangerous for her heart. And they were already surrounded by physical danger just being there in Hong Kong, thousands of miles away from home, trying to wheedle their way into the private business of a man who made an impressive fortune buying and selling devastating weapons. That man might have even procured Mirakuru and the potential to raise and army of nearly invincible killers.
This was simply no time to moon over her infuriating and attractive partner. There it was - the crux of her situation, clear as day. Lives could be at stake, Smoak. Pandora Fleece and Archer Middleton were just the masks they needed to wear to be heroes now.
After a solid soak, Felicity emerged from the water with a clearer head. She was back on mission now. Hyper-focused. Once she had finished fretting, she spent twenty solid minutes considering various scenarios that could transpire with Myles Crofton and devising ways to use them to gain access to his sensitive data. Ew. That sounded a little sexual. Her mind always found the worst ways to say something.
Her first task was to fix her hair. She couldn’t decide how she would wear it for the evening. Up? Down? Straight? Curly. Being a lady uncover was not easy. She stared at herself in the mirror and grimaced.
Felicity distracted herself from the dilemma by rooting through the luxuriously-packed boutique bags and pulling out items she had sourced hours before. This included a flat box. Inside, there were three pairs of red satin panties nestled inside cream-colored tissue paper. Three. Huh. She had asked for just two pairs, but maybe Margot was feeling generous.
At first she snorted at them. Silly scraps of fabric. But then she reconsidered. Maybe they would be good luck. She could definitely use some if they were going to be successful on their mission. Who was she to turn down potential good fortune?
Relenting, she soon discovered she had underestimated them. Those ridiculous panties. How they would make her feel when she slipped them on. But the satin was perfect and rubbed deliciously against her skin. Looking at herself in the mirror…admiring herself…Felicity felt sexy and powerful. She didn’t know she needed this. God bless Margot.
Still not sure what to do with her hair, she decided to do her makeup next. But she would need to retrieve her purse from the living area sofa first. She enveloped herself in a plush white terry robe emblazoned with the logo of the hotel and emerged into the master bedroom.
Her breath was stolen when she found Oliver sitting on the edge of the bed, facing the bathroom door. He was wearing his tuxedo, but was currently foregoing the jacket. His tie was missing and his top shirt buttons open. His posture was deflated until he saw her and sat up straight. He didn’t speak. He just looked at her, carefully, studying her while Felicity tightened the belt on her robe and attempted to settle her breathing.
Neither of them spoke for the longest time. Felicity was waiting for Oliver to say something, perhaps to reveal what seemed to have him out of sorts earlier. Meanwhile, the Arrow’s face reflected a heavy storm, one that he couldn’t find the words to express.
“I…I just needed my purse,” she finally stammered, gesturing toward the main room. Suddenly, she was moving, scooting out to collect her bag.
Oliver’s eyes followed her as she rushed out of the room and snagged her purse from the coffee table. She returned wordlessly, steering herself back toward the bathroom. This felt beyond awkward.
“I was going to ask your opinion about how to wear my hair but since you don’t seem to be speaking to me…” she muttered, her back to him as she headed to the door. Then she heard his voice rumble, quiet and deep.
“Down.” He cleared his throat. “Your hair looks nice just like that.”
Felicity stopped and turned around.
“Okay,” she whispered.
Their staring contest reconvened. Oliver was winning like Secretariat.
xoxoxo
Oliver had woken up from a short, but deep nap in the late afternoon and then brooded in a sitting room for at least an hour. Maybe two. Every that had happened earlier in the day with Felicity in the boutique played over and over in his head. He still hadn’t talked to her about the events that led to an apparent role reversal in their cover stories.
How had she connected with Myles Crofton so quickly and made such an impression that they were already invited to dine with him and his girlfriend? The obvious answer was…it was Felicity. She was remarkable, after all. He should have known better by now to even wonder. But he was still curious.
And then there was the damn kiss. She completely surprised him with that move. He knew it was probably necessary to establish some kind of relationship with Crofton and Celeste, but it was unexpected and unsettling. He really needed to talk to her.
He opened the door to the bedroom and realized she was using the bathroom. Rather than interrupt her, he wandered out into the living area and found the bags containing the purchases from Dolce & Gabbana. He took them to the extra bathroom before indulging in a relaxing shower.
After getting cleaned up, Oliver began digging through the bags. The shop had been aware of his luggage predicament and added a number of items he might need. There was a sample of aftershave and even a simple pair of pajamas. He didn’t wear pajamas, but maybe he should start. It appeared that the hotel had also chipped in some extra toiletries so he could trim his beard.
Oliver finished dressing, except for his jacket and tie, and wandered around the main room of the suite. Okay, he was pacing, considering what he wanted to say to Felicity and whether or not he could actually express himself, even if he got his shit together, as well as worrying that any kind of conversation now might be counterproductive to the mission. A dangerous mission. Eventually, he ended up sitting in the bedroom directly across from the bathroom door, slumping a little in his designer clothes. It occurred to him that if Thea could see him, she’d give him all kinds of shit for wrinkling the Dolce.
It’s funny when you are waiting for something to happen and then when it does, you are still surprised. That’s how Oliver felt when the bathroom door swung open and Felicity emerged, barefoot and enveloped in a hotel robe. Suddenly, the situation, the job, felt so intimate. This was Felicity like she might be at home in the morning getting ready for work or dressing for a date with someone who wasn’t him.
And he had no words. Everything he had been going over in his head earlier seemed pointless and petty. All she had to do was stand there and look at him. Like that. He could tell when she blanched that he was probably making her uncomfortable with his silence. He knew that Felicity hated pregnant pauses. It was like her brain wanted to switch on and begin ruminating on a problem or a piece of code, but it couldn’t because there might be some pending exchange.
Felicity appeared to wait a moment, then she rushed into the other room. Something about her purse. Oliver took a steadying breath, no longer under scrutiny. Get it together Queen.
When Felicity came back into the room, she didn’t engage with him at all, but rather headed for the bathroom.
“I was going to ask your opinion about how to wear my hair but since you don’t seem to be speaking to me…” she said quietly.
Something in him cracked at that comment. It wasn’t that he wasn’t speaking to her. He simply didn’t know what…how to say anything when she was right there, shimmering like a terrycloth mirage.
She sounded offended. Say something, Queen. She never asked him how he liked her hair before and in all honesty, he liked it however she wore it. Wait? Did she say something about him not speaking to her?
“Down.” He choked out. “Your hair looks nice just like that.”
Felicity stopped moving forward. She pivoted and looked right into his eyes, surprised.
“Okay,” she whispered, tilting her head.
A force — Oliver really had no idea what it was, or he didn’t want to name it — pulled him up off the bed and drew him toward her at the doorway like a magnet. And now she was looking up at him, her blue eyes blazing with curiosity.
“Why did you think…I wasn’t…I didn’t know. I didn’t know what to say,” he exhaled, towering over her, but still seeming soft and sincere.
“Usually I’m the babbler, Oliver. That’s my thing. You wear the leather and put the fear of God in people.”
Felicity followed up her statement with a sweet smile, trying to defuse what had quickly become a tense moment. Oliver let out a breathy chuckle and looked at the ceiling to gather himself.
“I do that, don’t I?”
“You do, although if I’m being honest, I prefer you doing the former to the latter because leather is, you know,” she grinned, “hot and fear of God gets kind of arrowy and there’s blood. Not that it’s your blood. I mean, actually, usually it’s somebody else’s but it’s still gross and gets all over the leather, which is good.”
Oliver was shaking his head now. God, she was adorable.
“And I’m babbling again. Oliver you have to stop me when…”
“Felicity,” he spoke sharply. Then he grasped her arms at her elbows, holding her still. He had her attention now. “Earlier, you kissed me.”
Felicity’s eyes slammed shut for a moment. She couldn’t run, but she was definitely thinking about it. “I know. I’m sorry I couldn’t explain what was happening, but when I met Celeste we talked about cryptocurrency and it was a crazy coincidence that her boyfriend was involved in it and she wanted me to meet him and then there he was…freaking Myles Crofton himself and it felt like an unexpected opportunity and I should run with it.”
When her eyes opened, he was studying her face, looking at her with unexpected warmth.
“Felicity, look at me.” Oliver left hand disengaged from her arm and he gently placed his palm against her cheek. Felicity’s eye’s fluttered open.
“When we were at the house and I needed to get Slade,” Oliver said with a quiet, deliberate tone, “I said something to you…”
“It was just for the mission,” she volunteered, trying to button down her expression, which likely still reflected disappointment. “You gave me the syringe.”
Oliver shook his head and he sighed.
“It’s alright, Oliver. We have to say things sometimes that we don’t mean.”
“The natural thing for me to do to really sell the plan to Slade would have been to kiss you.”
Felicity avoided his glance as heat rose on her face. He was still cupping her jaw against his hand and she was enjoying that feeling. It was tender. Sweet.
“But I didn’t want to do that,” he continued. Felicity turned her eyes up to meet his. If he was going to deliver bad news, they should just get it over with so she could go back in the bathroom and fall apart alone.
“Felicity, I’ve kissed a lot of girls. You could wallpaper a room with pictures from the tabloids of me doing thoughtless things and making an exhibitionist ass out of myself back before the island. But I’m different now. I didn’t want the first time I kissed you to be a ruse. I wanted it to be perfect and, just…I thought if it was ever going to happen, I wanted it to be real and I didn’t want to share that moment with anyone but you.”
His beautiful partner’s eyes grew wider as she processed what he was saying.
“Oh. Oh, you wanted to…” her expression morphed from surprise to devastation. “Oh God. Did I ruin it? I did, didn’t I? I shouldn’t have…”
Her voice trailed and room became silent except for the hum of the air conditioning system.
Oliver watched Felicity’s eyes started to fill with moisture. His pulse rose with concern. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her. He leaned down and his eyes shined at her in a way he had never allowed in the past.
“No,” he rasped. “It was just practice. For this.”
Then he wrapped one arm around her shoulder and the other circled her waist, rubbing against the soft terrycloth belt of her robe. He tugged her closer and lowered his mouth to hers, seeking her lips with the lightest of touches.
When he felt her her body press against his, the anxiety in him relaxed a little. Then she tilted her head to find the perfect angle to answer his kiss and his heart surged beneath his crisp, linen shirt. Time slowed and Felicity’s purse met the ground with a dull, quiet, thud.
Oliver was barely aware that he was moving them, stepping back to the bed, lifting her and draping her across his lap as he sat down. He memorized everything from the exotic perfume of the soap she wore to the whimper she made when he reluctantly pulled away and rested his nose against the soft pink shell of her ear.
“Wow,” she gasped, followed by a “meep” noise signaling she had meant to keep that comment internal. Soon, Oliver’s body was shaking with a laugh he tried to stifle by pulling her closer.
“Yes, wow,” he added, honestly, and also to assure she didn’t feel alone in expressing appreciation because it was the best first kiss he’d ever had. It was the last first kiss he ever wanted. But he kept that to himself for now.
Now, they had a serious mission. As much as he wanted to set that aside and focus on the woman in his arms, he knew that. Oliver took a step back but continued to hold her.
“Oliver.”
“We should probably try to focus on tonight now. This dinner with Crofton. The sooner we get it done, the sooner we can talk about this and lots of other things.”
Felicity studied his face and the way the corners of his mouth were turning up. He was right. She gave him a definitive nod.
“Why don’t you go in there and finish getting ready?” he added.
“Okay,” she sighed and ambled to stand.
“Then you can tell me about our new covers, although I gather you are the lead on this now and I’m the boyfriend.”
Felicity headed toward the bathroom, picking up her handbag along the way. She stopped when she got to the doorway and bit her lip. If she wasn’t still flushed from the kiss, he might have noticed her sheepish look.
“Oliver…”
“You did the right thing. I’m not thrilled that you are more involved than we planned, but you made the right call. And we’re partners. Sometimes that means that you’ll be the one out in front and I have to make peace with that. I’ll still worry, but you are remarkable. No matter what happens, I never forget that.”
“Partners.” Felicity smiled at him, warmth and pride filling her. “Thank you.”
Oliver beamed back at her and leaned back on the bed, supported by his elbows.
Just as she was about to close the door, she peeked out. “I’ll wear my hair like this.”
Good, he mouthed to her.
“And it’s possible Celeste is under the impression that you are my boy toy.” She quickly shut the door, leaving Oliver to process her words and their ramifications.
“Felicity,” he groaned, then flopped against the bed.
You Can’t Afford Him (Olicity fanfic, rated M) - Chapter 1
Here is chapter 1 of my latest Olicity story. I hope you enjoy it. The first chapter is fluffy fun. Later the story will be M.
Read on Ao3
YOU CAN’T AFFORD HIM
Chapter 1
After the team returned from depositing Slade Wilson in his dismal cell beneath the graceful palm trees of Lian Yu, the atmosphere in the Lair was tense for weeks.
John Diggle was no dummy. Something had happened between Oliver and Felicity around the time they ended the Siege of the Mad Australian and his Mirakuru soldiers. He wasn’t sure what it was, but John figured it had something to do with how Felicity was kidnapped by Slade in order to inject him with the cure. The whole thing had come from out of nowhere, from his perspective, but Oliver didn’t seem surprised. Now, the third, and most stoic, member of Team Arrow wondered what had transpired to set those events in motion, resulting in a very awkward vibe between his partners.
Lyla, his own love, shook her head and clucked “UST” when he confided in her about the situation. So, Diggle stayed away from the Lair a little more often now. He hoped that by giving the two of them some time together, they might work through whatever rough patch they were having and maybe, just maybe, Oliver Queen would pull his damn head out of his ass and ask the girl out. And he certainly didn’t want to walk in on them resolving anything.
You Can’t Afford Him (Olicity fanfic, rated M) - Chapter 1
Here is chapter 1 of my latest Olicity story. I hope you enjoy it. The first chapter is fluffy fun. Later the story will be M.
Read on Ao3
YOU CAN’T AFFORD HIM
Chapter 1
After the team returned from depositing Slade Wilson in his dismal cell beneath the graceful palm trees of Lian Yu, the atmosphere in the Lair was tense for weeks.
John Diggle was no dummy. Something had happened between Oliver and Felicity around the time they ended the Siege of the Mad Australian and his Mirakuru soldiers. He wasn’t sure what it was, but John figured it had something to do with how Felicity was kidnapped by Slade in order to inject him with the cure. The whole thing had come from out of nowhere, from his perspective, but Oliver didn’t seem surprised. Now, the third, and most stoic, member of Team Arrow wondered what had transpired to set those events in motion, resulting in a very awkward vibe between his partners.
Lyla, his own love, shook her head and clucked “UST” when he confided in her about the situation. So, Diggle stayed away from the Lair a little more often now. He hoped that by giving the two of them some time together, they might work through whatever rough patch they were having and maybe, just maybe, Oliver Queen would pull his damn head out of his ass and ask the girl out. And he certainly didn’t want to walk in on them resolving anything.
That wouldn’t be today. He found them sitting at a table, playing cards strewn haphazardly in front of them. Oliver was scrubbing his face in frustration and Felicity sat opposite him, arms folded across her chest. She looked pissed.
“Hey Guys, what’s going on here?” John tried to sound as light and breezy as he could with his baritone.
“Nothing,” was Oliver’s immediate response, but his colleague was having none of that.
“Oliver asked me to teach him how to count cards. I think he thought it would be easy.”
“People count cards all the time,” Oliver piped up.
“Not really, Oliver. It’s frowned upon and it does take a bit of talent.”
John, finding himself inexplicably drawn in, leaned against a nearby bench.
“And why do you want to learn how to count cards?”
Oliver turned to face his other partner while Felicity shuffled multiple decks like a dealer. “There is someone I need to look into in Macau. An associate of Slade’s who owns a casino there. We still don’t know if Slade shared his Mirakuru formula outside of Starling. But this person would know. His casino is a front for an arms operation.”
“So, Oliver has to infiltrate a gambling operation and he thinks being able to have an advantage is necessary,” she added.
Diggle fixed his eyes on his beleaguered colleague. “Why don’t you just let Felicity do it? She’s the most experienced gambler.”
“Thank you!” She sounded both grateful and exasperated. Apparently this was not an unfamiliar suggestion. Unfortunately, it only elicited a grumpy sigh from Oliver “Heart Eyes” Queen.
“It’s too dangerous.”
“Why do we keep having this conversation, Oliver? I’ve gone in the field for missions before. Even to a casino.”
“Yes, you did. And when you got made, you were nearly beaten by the guys in the back room. I only got there just in time...”
Felicity rolled her eyes and prepared to rebut.
“I might regret suggesting this,” Diggle interjected, “but why don’t you both go? Oliver, you can look into things while Felicity establishes credibility at the gaming tables?”
Felicity mouthed “thank you” to John and then turned to Oliver with a raised brow. The Arrow huffed back and crossed his arms, obviously not happy with the suggestion.
#######
Felicity enjoyed gambling. When she was a child she liked to play bingo with her maternal grandmother and got a taste for triumph. She enjoyed her casino adventures while living in Las Vegas, making extra money to cover the household bills, before an overzealous pit boss at Harrah’s stopped underestimating the lucky young woman with the glasses. The thrill carried on into adulthood. In some way, her day job and her night job still scratched her itch for numeric probability problems. Truth be told, if she was a risk-averse person, she would never have signed on to Team Arrow for the long term.
Even though the prospect of going undercover in a Macau casino was thrilling to Felicity, she still found her nerves surging during the dreadful flights from Starling to Macau International Airport. Thank god for Benzos. She noticed Oliver watching her like a hawk, undoubtedly concerned she might croak before they arrived, but he had no idea it was his intense gaze that made her anxious in the first place, not the prospect of play-acting in a nest of bad men.
#######
When they were just two hours away from their final destination, Oliver quietly rasped into her ear. It was definitely sobering. He was sitting rightthere. Yes, he was in the seat next to her. But those seats on commercial aircraft were just too damn close.
“Felicity, do we have anything else on Myles Crofton? Anything we might be able to use to find out if he was in touch with Slade? Or leverage him, maybe?”
“You asked me that last night, Oliver. No. That is why we are on this hellish trip right now. I really have to get into his office. I need to check every aspect of his digital life on the scene to find out definitively. And if it works out that he’s got a fridge full of Killer Soldier Juice, you get to smash it all up.”
“And him.”
“Whatever works for you.”
“Do we need to nail down our cover story, Felicity?”
She couldn’t help but loll her head to the side in disbelief, like she did so many times when he was being ridiculous.
“Oh, you mean the cover story where you are a globetrotting playboy from Miami and I am your nerdy personal assistant who happens to be amazingly lucky at the tables? That one?”
Queen’s features morphed to discontent. “Felicity.”
“It’s okay,” she sighed. “Everything will be fine. Except I changed my name again for this mission. It’s Pandora Fleece.”
“What?!” Oliver schooled his voice after his outburst. “Why is your name Pandora Fleece? It was Ginger something before.”
Felicity grumbled. “Exactly. You could never remember it. You will remember Pandora Fleece.”
“I don’t know if I can call you Pandora with a straight face.”
“Call me Panda, then. It’s shorter and more familiar. I am your right hand, after all.”
“Okay, Panda.” Oliver couldn’t help but remember the panda flats Felicity used to wear. They were charming and quirky. Suddenly, he was warming to the name and a smile was pulling at his lips. Then his mind snapped back at her voice again.
“You are still Archer Middleton. It sounds like money.”
“Archer?”
“I get to have fun sometimes.”
“Sounds like a trust fund douche I went to school with.”
“You were the douche you went to school with,” she smirked. “At least according to TMZ.”
Oliver grimaced at her. “Can it be something else?”
“What, like James Bond?”
At that, Oliver couldn’t help but grin a little. He looked at her expectantly.
“No, you can’t be James Bond.”
Defeat crossed his face and Felicity watched it with some amusement.
“No matter how good you look in a tux,” she added with a faint twinkle in her eye before sitting back in her seat.
Oliver registered the compliment and puffed his chest out, ever so slightly. He knew she liked it when he wore a tux.
Ever since the team had come back from Lian Yu, the sync between him and his Girl Wednesday had felt off. He was worried their relationship would never go back to the way it was before that night in the foyer of Queen Mansion – the night when he admitted that he loved her. He said the words out loud for Slade’s benefit, but they had been true. Then he got scared and took the “out” Felicity had given him on the beach and they hadn’t spoken of it again. Oliver still loved her, but he couldn’t help recalling how she looked with Slade Wilson’s sword pressed to her throat. She was taken because of his feelings for her and Oliver never wanted that to happen again. Keeping her at a distance personally would assure that.
Still, he really enjoyed it when they were in sync, working together and making things happen as a team. He felt the inklings of that connection returning now. Maybe.
#######
Macau was going to be a challenge. As soon as they landed, Felicity discovered that the airline had misdirected their bags, which shouldn’t have been surprising, given the chaos of the airport and their connections. The airline assured her they would find the luggage and forward it to the Metropol Casino and Resort as soon as possible. But Felicity didn’t know how long that actually meant in Macau time.
The check in at the hotel was similarly difficult. They were waiting in line for the front desk several minutes. Felicity couldn’t help but notice how the women around her were dressed. Even in one of her better day dresses, she felt a bit grubby and desperately hoped her suitcase would arrive soon. When they finally got their turn at the desk, they were informed that the two-bedroom suite Felicity had booked was not yet available. There were vociferous apologies for the wait. Oliver suggested they go to the adjacent underground mall to shop in case their bags were not returned in time for their evening at the casino.
#######
It felt good to walk after being cooped up on a plane for most of a day. The two of them trekked the length of the mall before Oliver steered a hesitant Felicity into one of the high-end dress shops.
It was a fairly large boutique with clothing at one end and accessories, primarily shoes, at the other. Still, the offerings were sparse.
“Why is it the expensive places have the fewest clothes on display?” Felicity remarked, making him huff a laugh. It was then that he noticed a striking red gown. Felicity followed his eyes to it. Then she looked at him and he quirked an eyebrow.
“No,” she whispered as he picked up the dress. “That is not an assistant’s dress. It looks too fancy.”
“Just try it.”
As if by magic, an attentive shop attendant appeared to facilitate the process.
“May I help you?” The attendant was clever enough to direct his question to Felicity. If the woman wasn’t keen on purchasing, it was unlikely to happen. But sometimes the husband or boyfriend or lover or “uncle” could be influential, so the lanky man with dark eyes waited.
“Yes. Could you help Ms...Fleece, please?” Oliver asked. “The red.” He directed with his gaze.
“Excellent.” The man smiled widely. “My name is Claude and I am pleased to be able to assist you today.”
Then Claude did a strange thing. He snapped his fingers. Suddenly, a younger man appeared with a black Lucite tray. Perched on it were two glasses of pink sparkling wine and several luscious strawberries.
Felicity was suddenly afraid she would blow their cover before the op had even begun. The alcohol looked very appealing right now, so she took a glass and nodded to Oliver. He did the same and offered his billionaire smile with a quiet toast.
“This way, Ms. Fleece,” Claude bowed before turning. Felicity urged Oliver to take her handbag with a deadly look, then she followed the man toward the stylishly appointed fitting rooms. She looked over her shoulder just once to see Oliver snagging a berry off the tray and biting into it with gusto while clutching the purse to his chest. Claude waved Felicity towards an open cubicle.
“I will be right back with your gown.”
“But don’t you need to know my size?” Felicity volunteered.
“Trust me, Ms. Fleece. I have been doing this for a long time. I already know.”
Claude nodded respectfully and disappeared for three minutes before returning with the dress in exactly the right size. At least in most of the places that mattered. It looked a bit long in the fitting room.
Meanwhile, out on the floor of the shop, Oliver needed to wait. There were places to sit down, comfortable velvet armchairs, but he had been sitting for what felt like days and that seemed like the last thing his body wanted to do. So, he wandered around and looked over the accessories. They made him think of his sister Thea and what a clotheshorse she always was.
Thoughts of his sister left him when Oliver watched Claude lead Felicity out of the fitting room and toward a pedestal in front of a bank of angled mirrors. The sight of her in the dress stole all of his words and much of his sanity. Felicity was beautiful, for sure, whether she was dressed practically for her day job or covered in grime for their night work. But in this dress, she was possibly the loveliest woman he had ever seen. It wasn’t the fabric that floated around her legs or the cut that showcased her feminine curves making her so striking. In truth, it was a fairly conservative dress in terms of its high neckline and long sleeves. It was the way that the dress was obviously affecting her. She looked attractive, sexy, confident - all the things that drew Oliver to her since he met her, all at once.
Oliver watched Claude help her step up onto a pedestal, a momentary flash of leg peeking through the slit that went up above her knee. He also couldn’t help but fixate on her back. The dress was open and revealed the most attractive shoulder blades he had ever seen. Who obsessed over shoulder blades? He was obviously in trouble. When she turned to him with a quizzical look, he hesitated to speak until...
“You need shoes,” he volunteered. In a flash, he moved to the opposite end of the store to get his head screwed on right and find the perfect heels for the dress he had already decided she was getting whether she liked it or not.
*******
Felicity watched Oliver scurry away with confusion. The dress was amazing, yet he hadn’t said a word about it. Truthfully, she really didn’t need his input. She knew the gown was fantastic as soon as she stepped into it. It made her feel incredible, even if the hem was dragging. Felicity enjoyed swishing the fabric back and forth. It was just a tad mature for her, but she liked that about it. It made her feel womanly in the best way.
A few moments later, her partner in justice reappeared beside her wearing an inscrutable look. He couldn’t take his eyes off her in the mirror. But before Felicity could ask him what was on his mind, Oliver produced a pair of sparkling gold sandals. The heels looked high, but not impossible. Felicity grinned and nodded.
What Oliver did next almost sent her toppling off her perch. He put his hand through the break in the dress, the slit, and found her bare foot. Then he moved to push the fabric away so he could place the shoe down. Without a word, he encouraged her to grasp his shoulder while he helped her slip her foot into the sandal. She never once left her place on the pedestal.
It was an overwhelming sequence of events for Felicity - Oliver being so unexpectedly familiar and thoughtful, so physically intimate in a way. With great effort she continued to breathe until the “shoe event” was over and she could stand to admire what the newfound height was adding to the overall look of the dress. But it was a little hard to focus with Oliver standing just behind her, according to the mirror, staring at her like...she always belonged up there.
Claude broke the tension by piping up, “It appears just a minor alteration to make it perfect, Ms. Fleece.”
Oh yes, there was someone else in the room. Felicity made moves to climb down from her perch and Oliver rushed to assist her. Then he directed his attention to their salesman while she reached for her chirping purse that Oliver left sitting on a nearby table.
“You can have it ready for this evening and sent up to our suite?” Oliver replied with a question that was actually a definitive statement.
Claude, accustomed to such requests from high-value clients, responded in the affirmative while Felicity grimaced at her phone screen.
Oliver shifted his attention to his Girl Wednesday. “What?”
“I was going to fight you about buying this dress, but this text says we won’t have our bags until tomorrow morning.”
“Dammit.”
“We’ll need to find you a suit.”
Claude ushered Felicity back to the changing area where an energetic older Asian woman named Margot, who couldn’t have been more that four and a half feet tall, appeared to measure for quick alterations. Margot disappeared while Felicity changed back into her regular clothes, but then appeared outside the changing room door as she was leaving.
“Miss, you will take these.” The lady was wearing a mysterious smile and carefully presented Felicity with a pair of red satin panties.
Felicity couldn’t help blushing and she may have actually sputtered,
“I don’t know...” She bit her bottom lip and reached out for the undergarment.
“No charge” Margot continued, her eyes twinkling. “You have a red dress, Miss. Also, there is a long tradition in Macau. The color red is good luck in our culture. But it is considered very fortuitous to wear the red panties when you are gambling. For gentlemen, it is good luck to carry in the pocket.”
“Seriously? Men here have ladies’ panties in their pockets?”
“As I said, Miss. It is a tradition. And here in our shop we think they must be given as a gift in order to have the most luck. You cannot purchase good fortune, after all.”
At that, Felicity shook her head. She recalled how superstitious gamblers were in Vegas. It was nothing to scoff at. Often much was riding on the most inconsequential-seeming details in a game.
“May I have two pairs?”
Margot laughed and nodded. “They will be sent up with your gown, Miss.”
When Felicity emerged from the changing area, she discovered that Oliver had found her a serviceable clutch to match the shoes. He was full of surprises today. She thanked him for his effort and offered an inscrutable smile as she thought about Margot’s offering. It was a naughty secret and she liked that.
Felicity would have offered extended commentary about how proud Thea would be regarding Oliver’s shopping chops, but she got distracted sorting out the particulars of making her purchase with bitcoin. When they planned to come to Macau, she researched currency and learned that many places accepted it and it was a good way to stay under the radar financially and maintain their pseudonyms. Once the transaction was successful, they thanked Claude and headed out to sort out Oliver’s clothing.
############
After a bit of internet searching, Felicity steered Oliver across a covered courtyard toward the Dolce and Gabbana boutique.
“Do I really need to buy? I’m sure there is somewhere here I can rent a tux...Panda?”
Oliver thought he might get points for using Felicity’s alias. Unfortunately, his statement just caused her to stop moving outside the shop entrance, which immediately got his attention. Okay, he might have sounded just a bit whiney.
“Have you seen you, Archer?” She stared into him with consternation and seemed a bit frustrated.
The Arrow’s response was a quirked eyebrow and a huff.
“Sorry, Mister Salmon Ladder, I-like-to-clobber-things-with-a-sledgehammer-for-funsies. While turning yourself into a weapon is probably a satisfying effort, and I’m not complaining about watching you do it, no Sir-ee, the sad fact is that you do not have an off-the-rack body. You need something designed for an athletic build, like a really athletic build, otherwise you will look ridiculous. I just hope they carry something in size Extra Massive.”
At that, Oliver couldn’t stifle a wide grin. “Extra Massive?”
“Shut up,” she huffed.
Oliver opened the glass door for her and gave her a serious look. “You better go ahead. I’m not sure I’ll be able to fit through.”
With an exasperated chuckle, because Oliver rarely joked and she actually appreciated the effort, she murmured loud enough for him to hear, “I could also have been referring to your head, Archer.”
###########
There were was one other patron in the exquisitely-styled boutique, a beautiful woman in her late 30’s, dressed expensively and lounging in one of the white wingback chairs placed in the center of the store.
Felicity passed the front counter, nodding to the slim, European sales manager. He was young, but had the slicked black hair and pencil mustache of a silent film star. He also had an impossible to identify accent.
“Madame, I will be with you in just a moment.” He smiled, professionally, gathering some inventory papers for a filing box.
“Of course,” Felicity responded, well, Pandora Fleece did. She needed to practice her character. “You accept bitcoin,” she added with a raised eyebrow. It was a statement.
“Absolutely, Madame,” he responded. He then directed his attention to the lady in the chair. “Do you need anything, Miss Chen?”
“No, thank you,” the woman sighed in a vaguely British accent. “He was detained in a meeting, but he will be down in ten minutes. I’m just going to enjoy some peace and read the news.”
“Of course, Miss Chen.”
Meanwhile, Felicity took charge of the “suit situation.” There was no question about that. It could have been a newfound confidence gained in her own recent purchase experience, a lack of fear borne of jet-lag, or the three glasses of champagne she consumed in lieu of lunch.
Oliver decided it was best to give “Pandora” carte blanche to shop on his behalf. She’d worked up a head of steam and he knew better than to challenge her. In truth, he was tired and hoping sincerely that there might be an opportunity to rest in the suite before the evening’s excitement.
Felicity headed straight for the tuxedo rack and began examining every sample. Her fingers slipped along the fabrics and she hoisted one up for a better view.
Soon, the salesman joined her. Oliver watched from a few paces away, curious to see their interaction. He never really liked shopping for himself. Since he returned from his years away from Starling, he let Thea pick out most of his clothes. He didn’t even go to stores. Clothing just turned up on his bed every few weeks. He tried it on and if it fit and he liked it, he put it in his closet. If he hated it, he made sure Thea returned it after giving her a good headshake.
“We need something for Archer for the casino tonight,” she offered after the sales associate Javier introduced himself. “I understand you have some cuts that might suit his build. He works out. A lot.”
The man directed his attention to Oliver, who blanched uncomfortably. At first, Javier eyed the Arrow as if he was the entire dessert case at the Cheesecake Factory, but he soon schooled his features. He knew his job and the perfect tuxedo for this customer’s exceptional physique.
“Please follow me, Sir. We’ll get you outfitted and then,” Javier said as he turned back to Felicity, “we will show you the look. I think you will be very satisfied, Mrs...”
“Miss Fleece. Pandora Fleece,” she rushed, her cheeks pinking with embarrassment. The man was definitely not her husband. Nope.
Oliver deployed a poker face.
“Miss Fleece.” Javier bowed slightly and signaled for Oliver to follow him to the changing area of the store.
Once the men were out of sight, Felicity felt her energy waning a bit and was delighted to sit in one of the upholstered chairs D&G so conveniently provided for her comfort. She idly studied her phone, checking up on various searches. But, she also prided herself on situational awareness, so she noted the other lady in the shop. This seemed like a good place to try out her persona and the woman looked unthreatening. Plus, her shoes.
“Your shoes are gorgeous,” Felicity announced, gesturing to the woman’s pumps. Because they were beautiful Manolos.
The dark-eyed woman looked up at the blonde woman and smiled genuinely. “Thank you. I know they are plain, but I like the classics.”
“Timeless design,” Felicity offered. This earned her an even more enthusiastic grin.
“Exactly.”
Felicity was feeling a bit more confident now that she had broken the ice. “I’m Pandora. Panda, for short.”
“Charming. I’ve never met someone by that name before.” She spoke in a very refined accent and conveyed an exotic beauty. “Celeste.” The lady moved to a chair closer to Felicity and leaned in.
“Very nice to meet you, Celeste.”
“I couldn’t help hearing you mention bitcoin...”
“Panda,” she reminded her. “Yes, I am fascinated by cryptocurrencies and I’m really enjoying how much flexibility it’s giving me, particularly doing business here in Asia.”
“Panda. My, that’s fun to say. My boyfriend is considered an expert in digital currencies.”
“Yes?”
“To be honest, I have a hard time feigning interest. I’m a Creative. Interior design. All he talks about is KlickEx-this or bitcoin-that these days. Of course, whenever I complain, he just mentions that...”
“It pays for the shopping, sweetheart.” A man’s voice filled the space.
Felicity and Celeste turned their attention to a very tanned man in a crisp white shirt, blue blazer and black jeans. Felicity was confident every piece of his wardrobe, including his socks, cost more than her paycheck at Queen Consolidated. His teeth were perfect. Felicity noted that his hair swooped in a graceful way across his forehead. Everything about him was perfect, even the way he removed his sunglasses, which he had likely worn for a ten-yard cruise across the courtyard.
“Darling,” Celeste got up and met her significant other as he approached. He gave her a kiss on the cheek.
“Celeste, love, I have to be in a meeting with the investors in five minutes. I hope you haven’t bought out the store.”
“No, the last time I tried to buy a shirt without your input you became peevish, which is completely ridiculous considering I am the one who gets paid to choose fabrics every day. Still, I have learned my lesson.”
“Good.” The man and Celeste exchanged playful smiles with each other.
“Darling, this is Panda. She’s apparently a tech wizard. She knows about your bitcoin. We must invite her and her boyfriend to join us for dinner.”
Felicity felt alarm strike. It’s true, she was, but Panda, assistant to a jet-setting douchebag, wasn’t. Or at least, she wasn’t supposed to be five minutes ago.
“Well, I don’t know about being a wizard,” Felicity offered, standing to meet Celeste’s preternaturally successful boyfriend. “I went to MIT, not Hogwarts,” she added.
“Isn’t she fantastic?” Celeste burbled. “Panda, this is my...Myles. Myles Crofton.”
Myles. Crofton. Possible bad guy, Myles Crofton. What were the chances? Oh, no more ridiculous than, say, crossing paths with the Count himself when you were out sleuthing dosed flu vaccines. Those kinds of chances.
The Smoak women were not known for having any sort of theatrical talents. Sure, there was a lot of drama, but none had ever hit the boards in earnest. Felicity’s mother, Donna, had dreamed of being a dancer at one time, but never an actress. And Felicity’s history in drama began and ended with an-ill conceived grade school performance of “Kids Rent” during which Felicity became so violently ill from performance anxiety that she was advised to never take the stage again. But now, faced with an audience of two, she was forced to pull the most effective poker face of her life.
“Hello, Panda,” the man reached out and shook her hand. An arms dealer and casino owner dressed like a cast member from Crazy Rich Asians shook her hand. Wow, her life was weird.
“It’s very nice to meet you, Myles.”
“Your first visit to Macau?”
“Yes, actually.” Felicity felt a pang of worry hit her. Was she already standing out as an interloper? Would their covers be believed?
“Panda is here to get a tuxedo for her young man.”
“Yes. Our luggage seems to have been misplaced. I think it’s in Kathmandu.”
“How terrible.” The woman couldn’t help chuckling at Felicity’s joke. “But when tragedy strikes...”
“The tough go shopping,” Felicity finished with a giggle. “Unfortunately, my Archer is a bit high maintenance in the clothing department, so here we are.”
“Well, in my experience, when you look like that, you can be as impossible as you want,” the woman responded. “Not that I was ogling your man,” she added quickly. Still, Myles quirked an eyebrow.
“Do I have some competition, Celeste?”
“You never know, darling. It’s best not to become complacent. No offense, Panda.”
“None taken.” Felicity smiled, carefully, not wanting to escalate any tension between them. Humor was always the best solution. “Looking is free.”
As if on cue, Oliver emerged from the dressing room looking every bit the prized bachelor from the Mystery Date game. Only more dangerous. And much, much hotter.
Felicity’s heart leapt into her mouth and she felt like the ground was moving under her feet as she made eye contact with him. Oliver’s eyes grew bigger in response her curious expression. Then things got even weirder when Felicity turned to the couple.
“I don’t think you can afford him,” she added with a hilarious wink.
Why did she do that? Was she being territorial all of a sudden? Maybe she was. The last thing she needed was for Oliver to “pull a Rochev” (that’s what she called Oliver’s random hotel hookups with strange women, although to be fair, she was not aware there had been any since the woman that inspired the saying). No, she was NOT being jealous. She was only thinking about the mission. And Celeste wasn’t serious and her boyfriend was actually the mission.
There was a moment of silence when Felicity had no idea what might transpire next. She managed a smirk. And then, miracle of miracles, the woman smirked back and her eyes twinkled. Myles laughed, ever so slightly, still not sure if he had anything to worry about.
“I’m sure you are right,” Celeste replied, resolving the tension completely with an easy smile.
Felicity rushed toward Oliver and began touching him. His lapels. His arms. His tie. The studs on his shirt. Oliver had absolutely no clue what had gotten into her, but it was apparent there was something. He knew he should remain quiet and play along, but Felicity basically feeling him up felt like sensory overload.
“Is this acceptable?” he asked her with more than a little trepidation.
“Quite,” Felicity replied, her voice several octaves lower than usual. It was more like a deep groan.
A moment later, Felicity’s hand snaked around his neck and she raised herself up on the balls of her feet to kiss him.
What the hell was going on? It was like the entire world shifted while he was in the Dolce & Gabbana changing room. Oliver wasn’t complaining, of course, because Felicity’s lips were on his and that was something he had told himself he would never get to experience. But now as the desire flickered through his body, he felt himself wanting more of her. He lightly touched her shoulders with curious fingers. Then, just when he moved to envelop her, he was gratefully reminded that his arms were wearing strange clothes and they were in a boutique in a casino in Macau.
Oliver forced himself to gently end the kiss and pulled his face away, but not the rest of his body. After all, they had an audience. He swore internally. They were going to talk about this as soon as they were in the privacy of their hotel suite. Equal parts of anxiety and excitement threatened to take over at the prospect of being near Felicity Smoak and a bed while talking about kissing. Later.
“Maybe I should get two,” Oliver quipped as he stared into her darkened eyes with a knowing look. Then he watched her recover not only physically, but emotionally, from what just happened. Felicity then pressed forward and rubbed her nose against his.
“Go with it,” she whispered first. “Whatever you want, baby,” she stated more loudly for onlookers. “Just make sure you get the suspenders. You know how much I like them.”
Oliver wondered for a moment then stepped back and tipped his head toward the other people in the room.
“Did you make new friends, Pandabear?”
Felicity smiled (okay, it was a grimace because…Pandabear?!), nodded and turned. Oliver placed his arm on her shoulder and brandished his best Ollie Queen trust fund smile, as they addressed the other couple.
I don’t post much anymore, though I do enjoy scanning my feed from time to time and seeing what folks are saying.
As far as Arrow goes, things have felt off for a while now. Maybe it started in Season 6 when, week after week, Ricardo Diaz just never made sense as a villain. Every week he bested Oliver and everyone else, while having no discernible advantage except that over and over again, Oliver seemed to underestimate him.
Olicity felt weird all last season as well. Rather than embracing the relationship and making it matter, it felt like the writers were doing as little as possible to sustain it. A lame shared wedding. And ultimately, a withholding of the truth that ended up having dire consequences for the Queen family.
This season has not been much better. The addition of more characters and the flash forwards have relegated many of the relationships I always found key to Oliver’s story to much less screen time. This has been particularly frustrating for me because while Arrow is a kind of adventure comic book show on the surface, I do believe the relationships are the key to conveying the journey of Oliver Queen from a dangerous man on a singular mission to a fully realized and evolved man who is capable of transcending his dark past.
When Stephen Amell started on Arrow, he obviously had the physical and athletic capabilities to portray the role. He seemed to take his job as lead actor very seriously and made a concerted effort to set a tone with the show and also to promote the program as much as possible. As the series evolved, I found myself impressed with his growth as an actor. Surrounded by strong performers, he has had the opportunity to play some wonderful emotional scenes over time that demonstrate his ability to do much more than Arrow, if he chose to. I can’t help but think he too has appreciated the chance to broaden his experience to the benefit of his acting reel.
But sometime over the past year, I have really gotten the vibe that he’s not into it anymore. Not sure if it’s burnout or frustration with the direction of the program that has had him putting very little effort into promoting the show any more. Hell, he barely seems to be on set these days. Is Oliver Queen’s part so small now that he can take off for seemingly weeks at a time?
It does seem like the show is bringing in new actors with an eye towards replacing the current cast over time with younger heroes. I don’t know. Maybe that is how it should be. i guess I’m just hopeful that it is what they want - that they would like the freedom to reach further in their careers. Certainly 7 seasons of any show is nothing to sneeze at. First and foremost, since they have entertained me, I want them to get to have all of the creative opportunities available to them in the future.
Of course, it may also simply be that he’s tired of carrying the weight of filming and all of the other business pursuits he has. Maybe he would rather be doing other things.
This is all speculation on my part, of course, but I do think that a recent comment Stephen made about an important and memorable day in his career may have signaled that he sat down with Berlanti and they talked about his endgame as the Arrow, which probably takes place concurrently with the crossover in S8. It does feel like a bittersweet time right now. There are only 8 episodes left in S7 and I have no idea what Oliver’s path might be. It just looks like he may have sacrificed everything for little positive outcome right now. I hope that can be fixed. I hope he can have positive closure in his life.
In the meantime, I try to remain hopeful about Oliver and what his arc will end up being. I would hate to think the show drew me in years ago to support and follow a character that simply ends badly. I love Oliver Queen. Hope he finds a happy ending with his family.
I think you are right @quiveringbunny. Right now Arrow is a completely different show than I fell in love with. I felt a spark of hope with next week’s preview but as usual the writers waited too long. They wait too long to introduce the big bad, they waited too long to kill Diaz, the left Oliver in prison too long, they kept Olicity apart too long. Since Oliver got out of prison this show seems less and less about him, I could totally understand if SA has lost interest…I certainly have.
I am just feeling a different vibe. Now, it could be that there was a conscious decision that the Oliver who left Slabside would never be the same and thus we have the very muted version of Oliver Queen. Could be. In truth, he has to roll with the writing they give him and direction he receives. Who knows what kinds of notes he’s been given? Still, he used to be on social media regularly touting his experiences on set and teasing things that were coming down the road. I am not blaming him at all in this. I think it’s also possible that he feels that he put a lot into making the show successful early on, so much so that they were able to spin off other shows and now they seem to be marginalizing his character for the sake of rebooting the franchise. That would make me upset if I was him. And yeah, I’m totally speculating.
But if we look close, we see that none of OTA make much effort anymore to connect with fans these days (except when David directed his episode). In the past, that kind of non-activity dovetailed with them having storylines they didn’t like or OOC actions that made no sense that they didn’t want to have to discuss. Haven’t heard a peep out of EBR in terms of the show in I don’t know how long. As excited as people are about OlicityBaby, it’s possible she isn’t, given that her Mom story threatens to overshadow the SmoakTech development that has been dangled for a couple of seasons now. Or maybe she’s just a young actress who is seeing the end of one job and the prospect of many more ahead - as she should. And David is, if anything, a diplomatic and a professional. He never talks when things get weird. Of course too, Stephen is the captain of the ship and everyone takes their cues from him. If he isn’t out there flogging the show, neither are they.
It’s just quite curious. I honestly hoped they would have wrapped up in Season 5 - end on a strong villain, but with more hope. Season 6 had only a few highlights and a terrible villain (not true actually, they had a great potential villain in Cayden/Michael Emerson and completely screwed that up - maybe that was the beginning of the end). And now here we are. It feels like we are just being set up for Arrow 2.0 because God forbid the Arrowverse money train stop running for those folks.
Sorry if my tone is salty. I am just a bit sad. And really, it’s not fair to expect a lot from a tv show. It’s not their fault that we invest a lot into watching it, writing about it, going to cons, making friends, etc. all based around the fictional universe. But we do and we feel it when things aren’t right.
I don’t post much anymore, though I do enjoy scanning my feed from time to time and seeing what folks are saying.
As far as Arrow goes, things have felt off for a while now. Maybe it started in Season 6 when, week after week, Ricardo Diaz just never made sense as a villain. Every week he bested Oliver and everyone else, while having no discernible advantage except that over and over again, Oliver seemed to underestimate him.
Olicity felt weird all last season as well. Rather than embracing the relationship and making it matter, it felt like the writers were doing as little as possible to sustain it. A lame shared wedding. And ultimately, a withholding of the truth that ended up having dire consequences for the Queen family.
This season has not been much better. The addition of more characters and the flash forwards have relegated many of the relationships I always found key to Oliver’s story to much less screen time. This has been particularly frustrating for me because while Arrow is a kind of adventure comic book show on the surface, I do believe the relationships are the key to conveying the journey of Oliver Queen from a dangerous man on a singular mission to a fully realized and evolved man who is capable of transcending his dark past.
When Stephen Amell started on Arrow, he obviously had the physical and athletic capabilities to portray the role. He seemed to take his job as lead actor very seriously and made a concerted effort to set a tone with the show and also to promote the program as much as possible. As the series evolved, I found myself impressed with his growth as an actor. Surrounded by strong performers, he has had the opportunity to play some wonderful emotional scenes over time that demonstrate his ability to do much more than Arrow, if he chose to. I can’t help but think he too has appreciated the chance to broaden his experience to the benefit of his acting reel.
But sometime over the past year, I have really gotten the vibe that he’s not into it anymore. Not sure if it’s burnout or frustration with the direction of the program that has had him putting very little effort into promoting the show any more. Hell, he barely seems to be on set these days. Is Oliver Queen’s part so small now that he can take off for seemingly weeks at a time?
It does seem like the show is bringing in new actors with an eye towards replacing the current cast over time with younger heroes. I don’t know. Maybe that is how it should be. i guess I’m just hopeful that it is what they want - that they would like the freedom to reach further in their careers. Certainly 7 seasons of any show is nothing to sneeze at. First and foremost, since they have entertained me, I want them to get to have all of the creative opportunities available to them in the future.
Of course, it may also simply be that he’s tired of carrying the weight of filming and all of the other business pursuits he has. Maybe he would rather be doing other things.
This is all speculation on my part, of course, but I do think that a recent comment Stephen made about an important and memorable day in his career may have signaled that he sat down with Berlanti and they talked about his endgame as the Arrow, which probably takes place concurrently with the crossover in S8. It does feel like a bittersweet time right now. There are only 8 episodes left in S7 and I have no idea what Oliver’s path might be. It just looks like he may have sacrificed everything for little positive outcome right now. I hope that can be fixed. I hope he can have positive closure in his life.
In the meantime, I try to remain hopeful about Oliver and what his arc will end up being. I would hate to think the show drew me in years ago to support and follow a character that simply ends badly. I love Oliver Queen. Hope he finds a happy ending with his family.
I think you are right @quiveringbunny. Right now Arrow is a completely different show than I fell in love with. I felt a spark of hope with next week’s preview but as usual the writers waited too long. They wait too long to introduce the big bad, they waited too long to kill Diaz, the left Oliver in prison too long, they kept Olicity apart too long. Since Oliver got out of prison this show seems less and less about him, I could totally understand if SA has lost interest…I certainly have.
I am just feeling a different vibe. Now, it could be that there was a conscious decision that the Oliver who left Slabside would never be the same and thus we have the very muted version of Oliver Queen. Could be. In truth, he has to roll with the writing they give him and direction he receives. Who knows what kinds of notes he’s been given? Still, he used to be on social media regularly touting his experiences on set and teasing things that were coming down the road. I am not blaming him at all in this. I think it’s also possible that he feels that he put a lot into making the show successful early on, so much so that they were able to spin off other shows and now they seem to be marginalizing his character for the sake of rebooting the franchise. That would make me upset if I was him. And yeah, I’m totally speculating.
But if we look close, we see that none of OTA make much effort anymore to connect with fans these days (except when David directed his episode). In the past, that kind of non-activity dovetailed with them having storylines they didn’t like or OOC actions that made no sense that they didn’t want to have to discuss. Haven’t heard a peep out of EBR in terms of the show in I don’t know how long. As excited as people are about OlicityBaby, it’s possible she isn’t, given that her Mom story threatens to overshadow the SmoakTech development that has been dangled for a couple of seasons now. Or maybe she’s just a young actress who is seeing the end of one job and the prospect of many more ahead - as she should. And David is, if anything, a diplomatic and a professional. He never talks when things get weird. Of course too, Stephen is the captain of the ship and everyone takes their cues from him. If he isn’t out there flogging the show, neither are they.
It’s just quite curious. I honestly hoped they would have wrapped up in Season 5 - end on a strong villain, but with more hope. Season 6 had only a few highlights and a terrible villain (not true actually, they had a great potential villain in Cayden/Michael Emerson and completely screwed that up - maybe that was the beginning of the end). And now here we are. It feels like we are just being set up for Arrow 2.0 because God forbid the Arrowverse money train stop running for those folks.
Sorry if my tone is salty. I am just a bit sad. And really, it’s not fair to expect a lot from a tv show. It’s not their fault that we invest a lot into watching it, writing about it, going to cons, making friends, etc. all based around the fictional universe. But we do and we feel it when things aren’t right.
I don’t post much anymore, though I do enjoy scanning my feed from time to time and seeing what folks are saying.
As far as Arrow goes, things have felt off for a while now. Maybe it started in Season 6 when, week after week, Ricardo Diaz just never made sense as a villain. Every week he bested Oliver and everyone else, while having no discernible advantage except that over and over again, Oliver seemed to underestimate him.
Olicity felt weird all last season as well. Rather than embracing the relationship and making it matter, it felt like the writers were doing as little as possible to sustain it. A lame shared wedding. And ultimately, a withholding of the truth that ended up having dire consequences for the Queen family.
This season has not been much better. The addition of more characters and the flash forwards have relegated many of the relationships I always found key to Oliver’s story to much less screen time. This has been particularly frustrating for me because while Arrow is a kind of adventure comic book show on the surface, I do believe the relationships are the key to conveying the journey of Oliver Queen from a dangerous man on a singular mission to a fully realized and evolved man who is capable of transcending his dark past.
When Stephen Amell started on Arrow, he obviously had the physical and athletic capabilities to portray the role. He seemed to take his job as lead actor very seriously and made a concerted effort to set a tone with the show and also to promote the program as much as possible. As the series evolved, I found myself impressed with his growth as an actor. Surrounded by strong performers, he has had the opportunity to play some wonderful emotional scenes over time that demonstrate his ability to do much more than Arrow, if he chose to. I can’t help but think he too has appreciated the chance to broaden his experience to the benefit of his acting reel.
But sometime over the past year, I have really gotten the vibe that he’s not into it anymore. Not sure if it’s burnout or frustration with the direction of the program that has had him putting very little effort into promoting the show any more. Hell, he barely seems to be on set these days. Is Oliver Queen’s part so small now that he can take off for seemingly weeks at a time?
It does seem like the show is bringing in new actors with an eye towards replacing the current cast over time with younger heroes. I don’t know. Maybe that is how it should be. i guess I’m just hopeful that it is what they want - that they would like the freedom to reach further in their careers. Certainly 7 seasons of any show is nothing to sneeze at. First and foremost, since they have entertained me, I want them to get to have all of the creative opportunities available to them in the future.
Of course, it may also simply be that he’s tired of carrying the weight of filming and all of the other business pursuits he has. Maybe he would rather be doing other things.
This is all speculation on my part, of course, but I do think that a recent comment Stephen made about an important and memorable day in his career may have signaled that he sat down with Berlanti and they talked about his endgame as the Arrow, which probably takes place concurrently with the crossover in S8. It does feel like a bittersweet time right now. There are only 8 episodes left in S7 and I have no idea what Oliver’s path might be. It just looks like he may have sacrificed everything for little positive outcome right now. I hope that can be fixed. I hope he can have positive closure in his life.
In the meantime, I try to remain hopeful about Oliver and what his arc will end up being. I would hate to think the show drew me in years ago to support and follow a character that simply ends badly. I love Oliver Queen. Hope he finds a happy ending with his family.
