cuddlecity | (open) ➹ 'boy you was battle born'

CHARACTERS: oliver queen and you
LOCATIONS: various places; ft. sucker punch
WARNINGS: possible violence
SUMMARY: catch-all for april

↪ still in here trying to figure it out (sucker punch)

( Happiness; the ultimate goal. What everyone strives for. Just a fleeting chance to grasp it and cling, breathe life into a moment and stretch it out longer than you have any right to. Then why did he fight against fully embracing the pursuit? Knowing what a rare commodity it is leaves guilt lingering. Life in Cadelle couldn't be elevated any nearer to perfection; a relationship built upon unshakable foundations, emotional scars healing over, trauma from the past no longer required to sustain him. The chance to understand who Oliver Queen actually is now that the dust settled.

A spark of anger; the ember smoldering, threatening to fan itself towards something larger. The question remains unanswered. Ever present; refusing a call towards oblivion, swiftly dodging past his attempts at banishing the unspoken words. Does he need the green arrow in order to be complete? How selfish did that make him?

Jab. Cross. Front kick. To progress in the direction of an answer can only be found in a certain kind of therapy. Beads of perspiration dot his heavily scarred body; the ring is his church, offering up any confession as long as its physical. Round after round. A fresh body every five minutes. The faces blur together; pure instinct and muscle memory, taking a shot in order to land one. Blood flows in a thin line from his left eyebrow, and only when he presses the action against the ropes does he realize this is going too far. Past friendly sparring. )

Sorry. ( Gloves lifted in a sign of apology; one step backwards to create space, his speech slightly blocked by a mouthpiece ) We can call it there if you want...I got carried away. ( Yet something in his eyes says another round is acceptable )

↪ creature double feature (the drive in)

( Convention wisdom says that to appreciate what the drive in has to offer one requires a car; if his current situation is any indication, that may not hold true. The ideal perch for an archer. Just behind the concession and parking area, he's found a sloping hill to take refuge on, allowing for a decent view of the screen. Who could resist the call of 'b movies' from the past? It may seem in poor taste; how many times had Star City been held under siege or assaulted by forces of sheer terror? This puts things in perspective; gives them a more lighthearted touch, and allows for a brief reprieve.

His motorcycle is off the side; a blanket extended over the grass, providing better seating than any theater could have. There's a small radio (far from the easiest thing to procure) nearby, blasting the sounds of a giant lizard rampaging through crowded streets. As if to tie the experience together, he's gone to the lengths of buying an overly large tub of popcorn, and accompanying drink. It's the first movie of the night and he's still undecided whether he'll stay for the second. Gone is the rigidity that usually dots Oliver's body language; he's relaxed, legs stretching out, enjoying the cool breeze.

Approaching footsteps barely register; he doesn't turn his head towards the sound, though if you look close enough, you'll be able to catch the corners of his lips pulling into the first hints of a smile. ) Sit down, if you want. Just getting to the best part.

↪ wildcard

( if you'd like something specific, shoot me a pm. )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Settling back into Cadelle has been strange, to say the least. Catching up on all the things she should remember in theory, but now have become hazy in the five years that she spent at home is a slow process, but one person, on memory at a time, she's managed to reorient her life as it is here, with one exception.

Oliver.

As much as she had stayed close to Thea, Oliver she had avoided entirely, not ready to set aside her anger at the way things had transpired between them. Five years later, she's still angry, but now it comes with a weighty kind of disappointment, more in herself than anything else.

Eventually, maybe, she'll learn not to trust him so easily. But she also knows that Oliver is from ahead of her still, so she'll try to set that aside for now and makes her way closer when she makes the offer.]

Good to see that five years on a deserted island hasn't changed your tastes any.

( Very few things in life could make time feel as if it had the ability to roll back; her voice counts among them. Intensely enough for a shiver to travel down the length of his spine. Just her approach, soft but unyielding, could leave him disarmed. )

Laurel. ( As quiet as his voice may have been, it carried over the sound of monster destruction. There's an edge to her. A slight tension in the body language. It never discouraged them, did it? They were too much alike in that way.

Getting to his feet, he brushed his hands off on his jeans, turning to face face her ) Once upon a time you didn't mind so much, when we watched them in the theater room. ( An exaggeration. He didn't doubt Laurel sat through those movies just to humor him. Back when things were simpler. )

It feels like a lifetime ago, doesn't it? ( Eyebrows knitting, he's fighting the urge to reach out and touch her, to cement that this is real. )

Edited 2018-04-18 06:33 (UTC)

[She nods a bit, because it does feel like forever ago. In fact, it feels like she was a different person back then, a person who trusted the world more because her world hadn't been completely rocked off it's foundation.

She feels a bit steadier now - not much, but some - and she doesn't reach out either, keeping out of touching distance but not as far as she would have been.]

Feels like we were different people.

In some ways, we were. ( Shaped now by experiences they couldn't have imagined before. Different crucibles, her's equally as traumatic, something realized after returning. The person who deserves better; she's always deserved better. Only now does he understand that's Laurel's choice to make and no one else's.

Swallowing, he inched closer, without invading the bubble of her personal space ) You're the only one that can look at me and still see that person. ( For better or worse. )

Laurel... ( There's no obliviousness to her body language; it isn't hostile as much as she's guarding herself. ) I've missed you.

[There's a deep breath, because she's missed him too. But a lot of the time, she isn't sure if she's missing the person Oliver is now, or the person he was then.]

You have a weird way of showing it.

[For Laurel, it's just days after he left her a note, saying that he couldn't be the person that she wanted him to be. He left her alone to grieve their best friend, who they both loved, and this time, Laurel didn't have Tommy to lean on and make up the difference.

But then she remembers that it might not be the same for Oliver and she shakes her head.]

Sorry. I know timelines are weird here. That was probably a barb intended for past you.

( the multiverse is a strange place. after all, the very existence of a place like cadelle was something that had taken the better part of a month to really solidify in caroline's mind. she wasn't entirely sure she understood it, even now, but for the most part, it was a good place to be. nobody was tying her up or shooting bullets at her, nobody was telling her she was a shitty person or trying to kill her friends, and she didn't have to deal with avoiding the awkward conversational opportunities that came up whenever she and her mom crossed paths. so, all in all, not a terrible place to be.

and, on the bright side, she didn't have to make hunting trips or steal blood bags from other vampires here. the city had been more than happy to supply those on a regular basis, so long as she was willing to stop by the hospital every so often to pick up a fresh supply crate. it wasn't exactly the thing she wanted to be doing, but... well, it was better than the alternative. which is why, on a random afternoon, caroline finds herself waiting somewhat impatiently in a line to speak with the hospital's registration desk. at least, she was waiting. the sight of a familiar profile across the hall catches her attention, though, and she sidesteps away from the line with a quiet 'excuse me' in order to get a better look.

it's not quite right. the cop uniform is weird, for one thing, and the hair is longer, and he looks older — but it's the same face. she'd never forget that face, not in a million years. brody.

the city may have rules about violence and bodily harm, but caroline forgets them almost immediately as the not-so-distant memory of being locked up and tortured by that same face floods her mind. it's the image of his face, grinning sadistically in her direction, that prompts her to speed forward, enhanced agility giving her enough of an edge to shove the unsuspecting man into a nearby examination room, lock clicking with a swift flick of her wrist behind her. )

Any last words?

( ... okay, so maybe she's not going to kill him, but she sure is angry enough to want to. )

( paperwork; the lifeblood of bureaucracy, and current scourge of his existence. a chart from the medical examiner in one hand, oliver stood immobile, expression locked in concentration. her approach didn't register. not until a delicate yet perplexingly strong hand grasped his forearm, guiding both of them away. something preternatural to the movements. the quickness.

the soft clicking of a lock didn't fail to catch his attention. instincts fought to seize control. fight or flight. 'me or them'. instead, a steadying breath kept tension from spreading throughout his muscles, and instead he regarded the person standing across from him.

blonde, female. unrecognizable. arms staying down at his sides, he regards her curiously, wanting to give an unassuming impression to his body language, despite being ready to spring into action )

Last words? ( lips pursing together, a moment of consideration ) You're a little young to be an assassin.

You're a little bit of a dick to be allowed in here.

( the syllable drops hot from between her lips, bitten off sharp and furious as she squares her shoulders across from him. she's not going to let him play dumb. she's not stupid. even with the ugly haircut, even with the police get-up, caroline's not going to not recognize him. )

Who'd you bribe, Brody? Did you think I wouldn't find out?

( he looks so smug, so confident, so relaxed. she wants to bite his jugular out. she wants to... well, she wants to do a lot of things, most of which will get her kicked out of here in a new york minute, but even the knowledge of the city regulations doesn't do anything for her blood simmering hot in her veins. )

Or did you think you just left me for dead in that cage?

(open) ➹ 'boy you was battle born'

drive in }

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