For @allofourkingsaredead, who asked for Flintwood in the DC Verse, so have a Coldwave!Flintwood AU.
.....I never thought it possible to fall in love more than once.....
.....then you came into my life.....
seen from Estonia
seen from T1
seen from United Kingdom

seen from Italy
seen from United Kingdom
seen from Germany
seen from United Kingdom
seen from United States
seen from T1

seen from Philippines

seen from Türkiye

seen from Portugal
seen from Türkiye
seen from United States

seen from Türkiye
seen from Germany

seen from Italy
seen from Netherlands
seen from United Kingdom
seen from Switzerland
For @allofourkingsaredead, who asked for Flintwood in the DC Verse, so have a Coldwave!Flintwood AU.
.....I never thought it possible to fall in love more than once.....
.....then you came into my life.....
In another universe, Captain Cold is the local ice cream shoppe owner who gives little kids free samples and loves his sister's kids to death and brings lunch to his firefighter husband Mick.
A cop walks into a bar . . . (ColdWave AU fic)
Leonard stared at the group of police, watching them, well, watching one in particular. Officer Mick Rory, the Central City police chief. The CCPD all met for a drink every Friday at Leonard’s bar, though sometimes some of them were busy.
Officer Rory had actually been the first to discover the Three Robbers, as Len had named it, and had struck up a conversation with Leonard that ended up lasting almost two hours. He was a bartender, and therefore talked to a lot of people, mostly losers that were drinking away their ex-lovers, but he had enjoyed talking to the cop a lot. Then, suddenly, the entire force was meeting every week at Len’s bar.
They gave him a lot of business, and for that he was grateful and for the chance to talk to Officer Rory once a week, he was more grateful. In truth, Leonard was a red-blooded bisexual man, who also happened to be currently single. He thought Mick was quite attractive and would like nothing more than to fuck him over this bar until he forgot his own name. However, Leonard would never admit this to the police chief. In fact, the only person he had told was his best friend, Sara Lance. An alcoholic lesbian who also happened to be one of his top customers.
Sara was sitting on a barstool across the counter which was stained by a sticky residue made of a putrid mixture of old alcohol, blood and spit, forged by years of barfights and broken bottles. “Honestly, you should just go over there and talk to him already.” she mentioned, finishing off her vodka and cranberry juice, then signaling for him to refill it, slamming a ten dollar bill on the counter.
“I talk to him all the time.” Leonard argued, pouring out clear hard liquor into the glass.
“Not about what you want to talk to him about.” justified Sara.
Leonard reached under the counter for the half-empty bottle of deep red juice.
“He’s the chief of police, it’s not like a guy can just go and confess their ‘undying love’ for him.” Leonard said, sarcastically, flooding the vodka with cranberry and turning it red.
Then he slid it over to Sara. No sooner had he done this then Sara had taken a giant gulp from it.
Leonard surpressed a sigh as he shook his head at her, her life completely dominated by failure and alcoholism.
“Well, you might not love him but you feel something for the guy and you know you do. Personally, I don’t blame you. He’s handsome.”
She hadn’t always been a lesbian.
“'Handsome’ doesn’t do him justice …” murmered Len, his mind filling with very gay sexual fantasies …
“Whatever you’re gonna do PLEASE do it soon, because this is getting ridiculous.” Sara groaned.
“I already told you, Sara, I’m not going to do anything! I like someone and he doesn’t like me back, and even if he was gay, there’s no way he’d settle for me.”
“I’d keep my voice down if I were you.” Sara whispered, pouring the rest of her drink down her throat.
Len knew this part of the night. This was the part of the night that Sara’s words began to slur and her vision just started to blur. And it took a lot to get her drunk. But she’d been a regular to the Three Robbers for eight years, so Leonard had seen her at her absolute worst.
It was however, very rare she got to her very worst. Leonard had also seen her do five shots of vodka and be completely unfazed, and he’d seen her win countless drinking contests.
“How much have you had today?” Leonard inquired.
“This morning I finished off a bottle of beer … I drank some gin at work, I drank two beers when I got home and then I came here.”
Last year. Sara had tried to quit drinking. It was fairly successful, for about three months, three hard months, she was stone sober. Then, her sister died and she had the worst relapse of her life. She hadn’t came back from it since.
“You ever think about quitting again?” Len asked, hesitantly.
Sara froze and paused for a moment. She stared at Leonard. “Just give me the rest of that bottle of vodka, I don’t care how much it costs. I’ll pay before I leave, you know I’m good for it.” she answered dryly.
Leonard shrugged and passed her the bottle. The blonde woman took it in her hand, popped it open and drank straight from it.
The bar was relatively small so he had hired only a single waitress named Ramona when he opened it. It was than that this waitress came up to him. Ramona was in her early twenties, with black hair and wore more makeup than a prostitute in Harlem.
She set her black, plastic tray on the counter.
“What do you want?” Len asked her.
“Nothing, just that there’s not really anything for me to do right now so just hanging out I guess.” giggled Ramona.
Sara rolled her eyes and gave Len a moody look of disbelief.
“Well, don’t.” he told her.
“Okay. I haven’t been completely honest with you. I came over here to ask something and it’s a tiny bit personal.”
“Personal?”
“You guys spend so much time talking that I couldn’t help thinking that you might be … ”
Len stared at the waitress as she pointed to Leonard and Sara. “Wait, do you seriously think Leonard’s my boyfriend?” Sara asked.
“Well … are you?” Ramona questioned of Leonard.
“No. No, no, no not ever.”
“Oh … ” she seemed like she was trying to seem discouraged but she did not at all look so as her next words cleared everything up, “So I guess that means you’re available?”
“No, Ramona. This isn’t happening. You’re like twenty.”
Now she really did seem discouraged, and greatly so as she said, “Oh? Oh! You thought … you thought I was … I wasn’t, obviously. Yeah, 'cause yeah, with college and everything, I’m not ready for a relationship with anyone. So, um, sorry.” the waitress walked away, very quickly, with her head held down, heading in the direction of the woman’s bathroom.
Ramona had flirted with her employer on several occasions and every time he had either ignored her advances, or if she was acting particularly brave that day, outright tell her to stop.
“Aww, she likes you! You should at least be nice to her.” commented Sara.
Len gave her a flat look and didn’t reply.
It was then that Officer Mick Rory walked up to the bar.
“What can I do for you?” Len asked him, smirking.
“We’ll take another round of beer.”
As Len was pouring the first one Mick questioned, “We’ve been coming here for two years, why don’t you ever come over and talk to us?” while pointing in the general direction of the group of cops who were all laughing immensely hard at some joke.
“Probably cause I’m working.” Len replied, trying not to show his outright shock that Mick would say that.
“How bout you take a break? Come on, I feel like we talked but never got to know each other, and I like to know the guy who serves me and my friends beer.”
“Just let me finish this up.” Len knew that it wasn’t professional or good for business for him to leave the bar to talk to a boy he liked.
With that being said, the two of them didn’t get to talk very often so he stepped out from behind the counter. He was also shocked when Mick put a hand on his shoulder to lead him to the very visible table with what might have indeed been the entire Central City Police Force sitting around it.
Mick was really strong, Leonard realized. He added Officer Rory to his mental list of people never to start a fight with.
Mick practically forced Len to sit down with them by pushing down on his narrow shoulder. Not that Leonard objected. What could he say? He liked it rough.
“Where’s the beer?” asked one of the cops.
“Alright, alright, I’ll get your damn beer and then I’ll tell you what you can do with it.” Mick responded and all the other officers chuckled.
It’s safe to say that Leonard felt out of place, particularly when Mick left to get the alcohol for his posse. He was a scrawny, LGBT bartender and every one of these cops looked like action heros, even the two women. Not to mention that he was significantly antisocial, and had never really liked cops in general. Of course, that was before he met Mick. Len was also well aware that all of this could have been avoided if he wasn’t so fucking horny.
Mick returned and slammed the glasses on the table, making beer splash everywhere. Len bit down on his tongue to prevent himself from reminding them that he had to wash the tables after everyone left. Well, either him or Ramona, but he was probably going to let her go home early.
The police officers cheered and raised their drinks in unison.
“So, uh, Len, you’re a good-looking guy. You got anyone to come home to if you don’t mind me asking?” questioned one of them.
“No, … I do not.”
“You kidding me? You’re a bartender, you must meet a ton of chicks.” Mick stated.
“Sure, I meet them. Sometimes take them home. I guess I want someone of … substance.”
“Well, don’t even ask me what the fuck that means, I just look for tits!” chortled the one that had brought up the subject in the first place.
“You are as shallow as they come, Greeley.” laughed one of the policewomen.
“Are you even into that sort of thing?” Mick asked Leonard.
“What are you talking about?”
“Tits. Girls. As opposed to balls. Boys.”
Leonard choked on his beer. Mick was asking him if he was gay. Mick Rory was asking him if he was gay. Mick Rory.
“Um, I actually like balls and tits, Officer Rory.”
“You don’t have to call me that, none of my friends call me that.”
Leonard choked on his beer again and decided to set it down.
“Okay … so can I call you Mick?”
“Bitch, I really don’t care what you call me.”
Leonard looked behind him over at Sara, who had turned around in the barstool, and gave him a double-thumbs up, vodka still in hand.
They talked for a while about things like cars, jail, history among other fairly random topics. Finally the cops had begun to clear out, they were always the last ones left before closing time. Leonard had decided to let Ramona off, since he thought he might have made her cry. The bar was empty save for Mick, Leonard and one other guy who was playing pool in the corner.
“So, what do you think of them?”
“They’re argumentative, loud, constantly bickering and at the same time completely badass. What’s not to love?”
“Is that how you’d describe me?” Mick asked.
Leonard turned to look at the other man, “Not exactly. Some of it.”
“Still badass though, right?”
“No comment.” Len teased.
It was mindblowing how well they clicked. Even before tonight the conversations they’d had with each other had gone great.
Leonard was sitting in a chair that was right beside Mick’s. Their thighs brushed up against one another. Then, Mick grabbed Len by the front of his shirt and pressed his lips on Leonard’s.
A/N: Again, will definitely write more. Just an alternate universe where Mick Rory is a police officer and Leonard Snart is a bartender. This was late night writing.
atomwave or coldwave
i just had a lightbulb moment for coldwave so, au: mick gets powers after the accelerator explodes. len doesn’t.
--
The world turns white, and for a shrieking, horrifying second, the only thing Len thinks is, “Where is my sister?”
He hadn’t thought of Mick in that isn’t, hadn’t felt the need to- They’d always said they’d die together, and his husband takes his hand as if he can sense Len’s thoughts, and the sky turns white and then gold and then-
It’s over. A flash in the pan, a bright wash of light and nothing else.
And he finds himself grinning at it, at the acceptance (not fear, never fear,) that had washed over him, for what? So old Doctor Wells made a dud. Hilarious. He lets out a laugh, tugging Mick’s arm, his warm hand still gripping Len’s tightly.
“That,” he says. “Was a whole lot of nothing.”
Mick tries to nod, but seems to have trouble with it, his eyes fluttering. “Funny.”
“Mick,” Len says, suddenly creasing his brow. “Are you alright?”
“M’fine,” he says, though he’s starting to sweat and that can’t be right, they never keep the heat on very high if at all, but he reaches to wipe the sweat from Mick’s brow and finds he’s burning.
“You need to lay down,” Len says, and something in his stomach says that it hadn’t been harmless, it hadn’t been a dud, it’s something far worse and something far more insidious. And his gut is never wrong.
Something is happening to his husband. Something has made him sick.
“Mick,” Len says, almost pleading. “Why don’t I run you a cold bath? Make you soup? You just need to rest, it’ll be okay, it’s fine-”
Mick shoves him. Hard, forcibly enough to put some distance between the two of them, and Len is about to protest but Mick drops to his knees.
“Don’t come near me,” Mick says. “Feel like I’m going to-” He curls his hands into fists. “Something’s wrong,” he offers, and his hands come alight, his arms.
“Mick,” Len says softly, expecting him to feel some kind of pain, something, but he seems to just be letting it happen, the flames don’t burn his skin but come out from it, move with it, and he watches as Mick tries not to touch anything and unsteadily rises to his feet.
He lifts his hand in front of his face, still glassy eyed, still sick. “Lenny,” he says, quietly. “I think there’s something wrong with me.”
A cop walks into a bar . . . (Part Two)
A/N: Sorry this took so long @legendcold asked for more so here it is!
Leonard didn’t know why he bothered to open the bar so early. No one was going to go drinking at one in the afternoon except for the major alcoholics, but he did it. The Robbers was open from one to two am. He didn’t need that much sleep, fortunately and he honestly didn’t have that hard of a job.
However, as he unlocked the door, his mind was on other things.
Officer Mick Rory, the chief of CC police, had kissed Leonard Snart. Just last night. It sounds stupid, but Len hadn’t brushed his teeth last night because he wanted to go to sleep still tasting the cop on his toungue and lips.
“Hey,” a deep voice behind him said.
Leonard turned around and saw Mick.
“ … hi.” answered Len, trying not to show that he’d just been thinking about having sex with him.
“Look, about last night, I’m sorry I um, kissed you like that … I shouldn’t have just grabbed you. Because … you know … consent and all that. I had one too many beers in me and … you don’t have anything to worry about, there was no romantic attraction involved. Just don’t tell the guys, alright?” Leonard stared at him, contemplating the best way to respond. The kiss hadn’t meant anything … it was just the alcohol. Great. “Well, if you don’t mind me saying so, Chief … you seemed pretty sober to me.” Len muttered to him, then stepped inside the bar and shut the door behind him. He leaned back against the door, fully aware of the officer on the other side of it walking away. Len put his hands on his face. Ramona was dragging out wooden barstools from their position in the corner of the bar next to the supply closet, yanking their uneven legs apart and placing them in front of the counter. Then he mustered the strength to walk towards the counter and step behind it. The door opened and Sara walked through. “Thought you didn’t get out of work until five.” he said to her. “It’s Saturday, Len.” “I guess I didn’t notice.” he was half-heartedly engaging in conversation with her. He couldn’t stop thinking about Mick. Everything about him, his rock-hard body, his rough assertiveness, his gravelly voice, Leonard was attracted to all of it. And he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about him since the day he met the guy. Of course, Sara knew this. She knew that he was thinking about him now. “I got your text messages. What was it like being kissed by him?” “I don’t want to talk about that, Sara.” “What?!” “He just told me that he blamed it on alcohol, and that he’s not attracted to me.” “Well, did he seem drunk? I know what drunk kissing feels like, I’ve been both a giver and a receiver, and I know you know what it feels like because you were the receiver one of those times I was the giver.” “No. He didn’t even drink that much.” “He’s lying. He’s the chief of police, he’s embarrassed, and he’s saving face. He doesn’t think you’re into him, and he’s apologizing.” “That doesn’t sound like Mick.” “Well, it’s the truth,” insisted Sara. “Now get me a beer.” Leonard complied, turning around, reaching down into a crate and tossing her a bottle. She’d been coming for eight years, he had memorized her favorite brands. The blonde dropped a five dollar bill on the counter which he picked up and stuffed into the cash register. As she took a drink from it, she gestured for him to come to her. He shook his head and she slammed the bottle down on the wooden bar. Sara stood up and walked behind the the counter. “What are you doing?” She didn’t respond, just stood in front of him. Then, to his shock, Sara pulled him towards her by his shoulders and wrapped her arms around him. Len thought about shoving the woman off him, but he didn’t. He just let her hug him tightly. “Leonard. You are my best friend. You know that?” At this point, he began to slowly hug her back. Not as tight, just hesitantly positioned his hands around her arching torso. “I love you,” Sara continued. “and I hope more than anything that it works out between you and this guy. But … if it doesn’t … I want you to remember two things. One: It won’t be the worst thing in the world. It won’t be good, but there are literally billions of other people in the world, both guys and girls, and fortunately for you, you’re attracted to both. And Two: I’m here for you. I will always be here to help you get over shit. So, if I’m wrong, and he doesn’t like you back, my advice is to not get hung up on him. You can always come back here and drink with me till you find the next sexy fish in the sea.” He smiled and she released him. It was one of those things that he didn’t know he needed until he had it, like a cat, Mortal Kombat, or bootleg homosexual Japanese pornography. “Okay, now get your ass on the right side of the bar.” commented Leonard, pretending that her earnest support hadn’t affected him. She knew it did, though. She knew him well enough to know when he was suppressing his emotions, which was most of the time. Sara skipped back in front of the counter and hopped back onto her stool. Sara had claimed one barstool for herself and she never sat in another one. Even if someone else was sitting in it while she was there, she either made that person find another seat or she stood. It was the stool not directly in front of the bartender but just to his right. She fiercely upheld the belief that that seat was the best of all the seats around the bar. “So, what are you going to do about this whole Mick situation, anyway?” Sara questioned, taking another sip from the smooth, open hole in the top of the merciless bottle. He paused for a moment, sliding a drink to someone else before replying, “Why do you care?” “Besides the fact that I’m sick of you staring into space, thinking about him all the damn time? I want to find out if he’s right for you or not, same as you. I think you two would actually make a super cute couple. Also, I totally wanna help you plan your wedding someday.” “Whoa, I haven’t even asked him out yet, Sara, and you’re already planning on us getting married.” “Does that mean you’re planning on asking him out?!” the blonde squealed. “I didn’t say that. I get the feeling he’s the kind of guy to want to make the first move.” “He did make the first move. By kissing you.” “He said he was drunk.” “Do you really believe that?” “Not really … ” at least, he didn’t want to. “But whether or not he was actually drunk-kissing me is not the point. The point is that he denied it. He needs to make the first move and mean it. Act like he meant it. Show that he wants me.” “Besides, I thought you were the type of guy to want to make the first move.” “I am. With women. My strategies are completely different when I’m dating men.” “I can’t believe this is happening. Leonard Snart, the resident control freak is taking his hands off the wheel. In his sex life of all things.” Len couldn’t think of anything salty to say back to that, he just leaned back into the wall which was stacked high with bottles of alcohol, and shook his head, smirking at her. “Bitch.” he muttered. A/N: Sorry this was so short and the format got all messed up, I know.
“This job the only reason you wanted me here?”
Raya raised an eyebrow and looked up from their blueprints, a bit distracted. “Hmm?”
Joss sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. She hated having to talk about this but... Well, no matter how much Raya insisted that this was to get back at XS, to prove to the world that she existed, Joss couldn’t stifle the sense that there was something more to this. After all, not everyone would steal cold and heat guns from S.T.A.R. Labs just to prove a point and get their old partner back.
She wasn’t sure if she was still angry or not about the latter, even if Raya promised a big payoff in the end.
“Taking down XS can’t be the only reason you wanted me here,” she said. Her voice wasn’t nearly as steady as she tried for. “Why go to all that trouble, huh?”
Raya’s lips curled into a sharp smirk. She considered Joss for a moment - long enough for the latter to start squirming in place - before standing, moving to stare her down from a couple inches away. Joss swallowed hard at the look in her eyes, dark and knowing.
“Why indeed.” Raya tilted her head. “Didn’t get much of a chance to make it up to you before.”
“Making up for the burns or for lost time?” Joss muttered.
Something, a hint of remorse perhaps, flickered behind her stare. That smirk softened, just a smidge. “Both.”
Joss laughed dryly. “Helluva a gift, then. Giving me a gun that could burn me just as bad as that house fire.”
“And a chance to burn this nosy little speedster in our city,” Raya purred.
Oh. Oh, Raya hadn’t...
Joss wet her lips and wanted to smile when the other watched the movement, expectant in a way she realized came from a faint sense of nerves and anticipation.
It’d been a long time since she’d gotten to burn something.
“When’s the job?” she whispered, and Raya’s eyes lit up with delight.
Coldwave for the ask game? (always)
Gives nose/forehead kisses: I think that Mick would probably do the little nose/forehead kisses because honestly Len is the kind of person that can get so lost in his own head before/during/after a job or during a flashback that something needs to pull him back to the land of the living. When this happens, Mick just peppers little kisses on his nose and forehead until the light returns to his eyes.
Gets jealous the most: You would think that it’d be Mick, being the hot-headed one. But actually, Len gets the most jealous. He isn’t used to having someone that is exclusively his own, and he can’ help but wonder why Mick would ever choose to stay with someone like him, someone that can’t always reciprocate the kind of physical relationship that Mick craves. The association of skin-to-skin touch=pain is still very much a part of him thanks to his father. The amount of attention Mick gets from women looking for a little danger doesn’t help either. Nobody has died yet though and most locals know not to get too friendly with Mick now.
Picks the other up from the bar when they’re too drunk to drive: Mick always drives, but sometimes when he’s had a particularly good night he needs Len to come get him and drive him home. Len never drives, he hates driving. He was the getaway driver for his father from the time he could reach the pedals and see out the windshield. But he will drive for Mick, because he’s not sure he wants to find out what Mick will do if he’s pulled over for a DUI.
Takes care of on sick days: They take care of each other, in their ways. Len tends to go a little overboard with the amount of soup and tea and blankets he gives to Mick, each accompanied by a “Don’t get used to it, we have a job next week” and Mick flipping the bird. Mick, on the other hand, has the harder job because if you think Len is a little shit when he’s healthy, he’s close to unbearable when he’s sick. On multiple occasions Mick has had to bodily pick Len up and put him back in bed because “No, you can’t just take an aspirin and no you can’t have the cold gun. You have pneumonia you ass. Why didn’t you say you were sick before?” Threats are exchanged, Lisa gets a call, and Len ends up a very grumpy blanket burrito. But in the end, both scenarios end with manly cuddling sharing body heat to break the fever.
Drags the other person out into the water on beach day: Neither really enjoy the beach during the day. Len hates the heat. Mick doesn’t like the way people look at his scars, like they’re ugly blemishes instead of beautiful glimpses into his soul, and he especially hates the way Len hides under long-sleeves like he has something to be ashamed of. Then of course there’s the potential of being recognized and the cops being called. But there was this one time, when they were laying low from a spectacular heist in a small bungalow in the tropics, that they could walk alone down the beach at night every night. The air was warm and the waves made soft music, and they held hands as they strolled shirtless in the dark.
Gives unprompted massages: Neither likes to be touched without warning, so an unprompted massage would lead to a punch to face.
Drives/rides shotgun: Len rides shotgun, Mick drives. When they first start pulling jobs solo, Len always drives because that’s what he’s used to when he from being his dad’s driver. He argues with Mick about wearing the seat-belt until one day he snaps and it turns into an all out shouting match so Mick shouts that if he can drive he’ll wear the damn belt. That’s that.
Brings the other lunch at work: They usually work together, so they can’t really bring each other lunch. But once in awhile one of them will cook for the other. Usually Mick’s food is black and inedible, and Len knows he only does it so he can order the takeout he actually wants.
Has the better parental relationship: Yeah.…they both have some pretty serious issues. At least Len has a few hazy memories of his mom, and his grandfather was nice when they got to live with him for a few years after Lisa’s mom left and Lewis went to prison again.
Tries to start role-playing in bed: Mick wants to play “firefighter” sometimes when he’s really spectacularly drunk. He also once pretends to be the Flash just to piss Len off. Len has always wanted to try staying in character (Captain Cold and Heatwave) but he doesn’t want Mick to get too into it and set him on fire.
Embarrassingly drunk dancer: For sure Mick is the drunk dancer. Len doesn’t dance, ever, not even when Mick tries to get him to join. He never dances. (Except when Mick plays music during Len’s intense planning sessions because Len doesn’t notice his hips swaying to beat).
Still cries watching Titanic: I doubt they’ve seen Titanic. Though if they did, I don’t think tears would be their reaction, probably more like drunkenly throwing popcorn at the screen and telling them to share the floating bit of wood.
Firmly believes in couples costumes: Len definitely believes in matching themes (they are NOT costumes, Mick!) because it gives them an edge (it is NOT DRAMATIC, Mick!).
Breaks the expensive gift rule during Christmas: They have the opposite rule-On Christmas Eve, they each have twelve hours to steal the most expensive Christmas-themed gift they possibly can that will fit in their pocket. Winner gets a holiday BJ.
Makes the other eat breakfast: If making Len eat a bowl of cereal once in while when he pulls another all-nighter with no end in sight is “making breakfast”, then Mick does.
Remembers anniversaries: Len. It’s kind of his thing, and the arguments about Mick forgetting them lead to great makeup sex.
Brings up having kids: Neither of them ever brings up how much they want kids, but they both know the other wants them. It’s their shared fears of turning into their own fathers and the life of crime the kids would sentenced to that prevents them from pursuing the one thing they want more than anything.
10 Things I Hate About You/ColdWave
Who do you think would fit the characters of the movie, 10 Things I Hate About You? The ones that I'm 1000% okay with are: Len as Katarina 'Kat' Stratford Mick as Patrick Verona Lisa as Bianca Stratford (just not at naive) And I'm not completely sure about are: Cisco as Cameron James Barry as Michael Eckman Sara as Mandela