#detective felice | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

schrijverr · 8 days

Text

The Most Important Thing

Oliver returns home with only a chest of stuff, in it is the most important thing he has; Akio’s ashes. He tries to do right by the boy, attempting to give him a good resting place. In doing so, he finds pieces of himself again.

On AO3.

Ships: none

Warnings: grief, the mention of a canonical child death and canonical character death

~~~

The chest he brings back from Lian Yu contains what little important stuff he has gathered over the last five years. It might be a pretty long time, five years, but with the way Oliver has lived, he has learned to leave all he has behind whenever he has to flee, so what he has managed to hold onto is important to him.

Of course there’s his bow, the one that once belonged to Yao Fei, then shortly to Shado, a reminder of two of his mentors. The arrows that are with it have been made by him. He can’t ever use those arrows again, knowing they can be tracked down to Lian Yu, thus also to him, however, the thought of throwing them away is too much.

There’s the hozen in there too, the one that Shado gave him. They’ll never reconnect, not until Oliver follows her to the grave, but he cherishes it anyway. The hope of reconnecting that still lingered even in purgatory.

Alongside that there are two bottles in there too, one empty and one full.

The full one is filled with proper Russian Vodka, gifted to him by Anatoli, before leaving him on Lian Yu again. He told Oliver to take it, in case he became homesick, it’s surprising how much Oliver does feel homesick, despite going back to Starling.

The empty bottle, is one he collected from the fuselage, before allowing A.R.G.U.S. to take him back to the main land, so he could go to Russia to fulfill his promise to Taiana. It’s the empty bottle of Australian liquor that he drank with Sara and Slade, before it all went to shit. The last good memory he has of both of them. It’s sentimental, but he can’t help it. It was such an important part of his life and not having anything physical makes him feel like the memories will slip through his fingers until only the bad is left.

He also has some functional stuff in there, like the super herbs Yao Fei had, some stuff to make a fire and other tools. A basic kit to keep himself alive. A comfort to have for the worst case scenario.

If someone were to ever know about the contents of that chest, they’d probably think that the most important thing he has, is the book his father left behind. It has been something he carried on his person for all those years, his driving force before coming home, the promise he made to do better than his father. However, that person would be wrong. The most important thing Oliver has from those five years, is the small urn that holds a third of Akio’s ashes.

Oliver never thought he would have those. Mostly because he never thought that Akio would die, the young boy such a happy kid, so far away from what his parents and Oliver did. Despite being caught up in it, Akio never felt like he would die, but he has.

But even once he had, once Oliver felt that grief so deeply, he didn’t think he’d be worthy of it. He knows that Tatsu hated him for being a part of their lives and that Maseo was more annoyed with him than friendly. It wasn’t until those few days where the three of them went rogue to stop Shrieve that they became close.

Akio’s death hit all of them hard and having the brotherly role he took on for Akio be acknowledged by his parents after his death, pushed him to do what he had done to Shrieve, the anger at it all overtaking him as he let his inner darkness lead.

Back then, he saw how Akio’s death tore Tatsu and Maseo apart, their family breaking down. He would’ve given anything to fix it, to bring Akio back, but there was nothing to do.

A part of him thought of his family then, how his own death has affected them, but he couldn’t go home after that. He isn’t like Akio, young and innocent, he’s a killer.

But now he is here, coming home with his chest full of memories, being reunited with loved ones while Akio never will be.

It’s weird being home.

The house seems to have been stuck in time with only minor changes here and there. Back when he was here with A.R.G.U.S. it felt comforting, but now it’s strange. As if time hasn’t moved on here, while it did for him.

Yet, everything is different too. The people especially. Thea isn’t a child anymore and his mother has a heaviness in her shoulders, not to mention the new presence of Walter, whose stuff is scattered in the house too. It makes it all feel a little unreal, a shade off, a mimic of what he used to know.

He knows he’s different too, just like them, but he’s a new person, while they all seem close enough to who they used to be to give him an uncanny valley feeling.

His room feels the most normal. Like his mother had said, nothing has changed inside, making it feel like a shrine to the boy he used to be, the boy that died on that boat. It feels almost ritualistic to sit inside the corpse of who he used to be and go through that chest of things that he is, tainting the memory of his old self with who he is now.

It’s then that he sees Akio’s ashes again, having tried to forget about them for the past two years as he threw himself in danger to forget about who he had become.

Most of the stuff will go to his base of operation whenever he sets that up, both because of the usefulness of some things as well as to keep it all away from prying eyes. What he has gone through is private and he doesn’t want to share it with the people here, doesn’t want to bring those years home more than he already has.

However, it feels wrong to hide Akio like that. The kid was a bright light, someone good, not someone who lurked in the shadows. He shouldn’t be left in that chest in a warehouse somewhere out of shame. He should have a home.

Oliver takes out the small urn, cradling it in his hands carefully, as if it’s as fragile as a newborn baby.

With as much gentleness as his hands are still capable off, he takes it to his desk and puts it down. It immediately feels wrong, as if it’s some frivolous decoration in his lavish room. The nightstand and few shelves are also wrong.

Frustration wells up in him, as well as a deep heartache. He can’t even memorialize Akio right, what were they thinking entrusting him with such a precious thing?

He puts the urn back in the chest and gets behind his computer, researching Japanese funerary customs. Most things should happen in the first 100 days, which means Oliver has already missed all of them. Akio is also supposed to be in a family grave, but his family doesn’t exist anymore, having been ripped apart and scattered, much like Akio himself.

A thickness gathers in his throat, making it hard to swallow, but he pushes it all down. He can’t afford to break down, he isn’t worthy of grieving Akio, when he hasn’t done anything to honor the boy properly.

According to the article he found, there’s supposed to be a photo of Akio on the altar at home. He wonders if Tatsu or Maseo have one, or if Akio has gotten none of the rites he deserved.

Oliver himself might be able to get his hands on a photo of Akio, but he would have to involve someone and it’ll likely be a still from a security camera. All that, not to mention having the photo somewhere visible, would invite too many questions.

Still, the idea of an altar doesn’t leave him. He has also found some people saying that the Japanese burn incense for the dead, though it also might be more Chinese. Oliver feels so very out of his depth, but he’s trying so hard to do right by Akio. Maybe since the boy lived in China for a while, he would appreciate it?

So, when he is out in the town by himself, having ditched his new bodyguard Diggle, he gets wood as well, before going to the Foundry.

The dank basement feels more like home within seconds of him being there. He fits better in the shady base of operations than in the nice house 20 miles outside the city. If he makes it better, a little nicer, it’ll be a good place to honor Akio. Not what he deserves, but better than Oliver has given him before now.

It takes a few weeks, before he deems it all good enough. The club is still being built upstairs, but the basement is already done. It’s good. Not the warmest place, but functional and safe. Oliver feels safe. He hopes Akio will too.

He takes much care in constructing the altar, having researched it and learned that it’s called a Butsudan. It’s small and simple, Oliver hopes the care he put into it makes up for that.

Along with the altar, he has gotten a few boxes of incense sticks and a holder. He can’t risk the smell too much until the club opens and the smell of alcohol covers it, but he still burns one when he goes out that night, feeling much better than he has in a while. He knows he can never do enough, but he’s doing something.

When Diggle gets brought in, he doesn’t comment on the altar. The urn is small and doesn’t look too much like an urn as they know it here, so maybe he just thinks Oliver became spiritual while on the island. The herbs he has and the mention of Yao Fei doesn’t exactly discourage the notion, so Oliver lets him believe what he wants.

Neither of them speak about it, Diggle letting Oliver burn incense there without a complaint, until they bring in Felicity.

It has become normal for him to light an incense stick, before going out for the night. The space has become infused with the smell, making him faintly nostalgic for his time in Hong Kong, despite how it ended. It’s a comfort.

He doesn’t think much about doing it, the ordeal having become a ritual as much as suiting up and counting his arrows is. Until Felicity pipes up: “Is that a good luck thing or something? That wasn’t a judgment, by the way. Everyone has their superstitions, I mean, when I went to MIT I used to wear my good luck earrings to every exam. It just surprised me, since you’re, you know, always grumpy and practical. Not that there’s something wrong with that, you just don’t seem the type.”

Oliver lets her finish her babble, having clammed up when she mentioned it. Thinking about Akio still isn’t very easy for him, talking about him is even more difficult.

He doesn’t feel like explaining, doesn’t feel like opening that wound again and inviting all the questions about what he was doing in Hong Kong. Diggle might know that he wasn’t always on Lian Yu, but the can of worms shaped like Amanda Waller is one he’d like to keep closed.

However, he also thinks of what he’s read, the reasons he had for not having a picture of Akio. Now it seems Felicity might be his answer.

So, he answers: “It’s a Butsudan. It’s a Japanese Buddhist altar. They use it to pay respect to Buddha and family members that have died. The burning incense thing is more Chinese, to please the passed spirit.”

“I didn’t know you’re a Buddhist,” Felicity comments.

“I’m not.”

“Oh…”

It’s quiet for a second, none of the people there knowing how to continue. Felicity is too new and doesn’t know if she can push, while Oliver is awkward about communication in general, so it’s Diggle, who puts them all out of their misery. “So why the altar?”

“For Akio,” Oliver says, having to push himself to get the name over lips. “His family was Japanese, but they lived in Hong Kong.”

“Is this the you not always being on that island?” Diggle asks. “When you found your father’s message about his list.”

“It’s related,” Oliver doesn’t give much away.

“Wait, you weren’t always on the island?” Felicity interrupts, not having heard that before. “Did you start out in Asia? But then how would you get there? And why? Like-”

“Long story,” Oliver cuts her off, before she can gain steam. Before she can reply, he adds: “That I won’t tell.”

“Why not?” Felicity questions, always so ready to stand up to him when she doesn’t agree with him, despite her caution surrounding some topics.

“It’s classified.”

“Classified?” Diggle repeats, brow raised.

“Yes,” Oliver grits out, not liking the inquisition this has turned into. So he gives Akio one more glance, then pulls the hood up, allowing the monster to take over as he leaves the Foundry to put the fear of god and a few arrows in some rich socialite.

After that, he doesn’t feel like bringing it up. Those five years were his purgatory, the place between who he was and who he is. A liminal thing that is best not spoken off. The things he went through shaped him, but they aren’t things he wants to discuss.

It’s not until Vertigo comes back again and he is falling out with Tommy even more that the topic comes up again.

Lance has been furthering his hate campaign against both Oliver and Tommy, coming back with a warrant that forces Oliver to open up the door to the basement. A fear grips his heart, knowing what they will find down there, though he doesn’t show it.

It’s ridiculous to think, but Oliver hopes he’ll be able to claim that he didn’t know. Otherwise, he’ll just have to break out of prison, he’s used to life as a fugitive anyway.

His biggest fear is about everything of sentimental value he has down there. All the things that mean so much to him that will be taken to evidence lock up. God, what about Akio?

With a feet like cement, he follows Lance and Tommy down the stairs, Laurel and more boys in blue behind them. Tommy flicks on the power, saying something about how the place is a mess, but Oliver doesn’t hear a thing, too taken aback by the state of the basement.

Everything’s gone.

Tommy covered for him.

He’s been pissed at Oliver ever since he found out and it hasn’t been helped by the past day, but still he covered for him. It reminds him of when they were kids and a warmth spreads in his chest. Affection, a novelty still to feel that. To feel any positive feelings really.

“So if you don’t have anything to hide, why didn’t you want the inspector down here?” Lance asks, not ready to let it go.

Oliver is letting Tommy take the wheel completely here, the other has always been better at bullshitting and lying than he is. Indeed, Tommy has an answer ready: “Well, the ventilation system hasn’t been updated since the 60s. We really shouldn’t even be open.”

It’s clear Lance doesn’t like the fact that Tommy has an answer ready as much as Oliver does, so he jabs at something else. “So why does it smell like a temple in here? Are you trying to cover something?”

Again, Oliver is silent, but now for a very different reason. He’d been so glad that he wasn’t going to prison for the rest of his life, that he hadn’t thought about what Tommy might have done with his stuff. He removed everything, including Akio. Who knows where the urn might be now? Breathing is suddenly a little more difficult.

“We burned incense all around the property,” Tommy says. “The whole place smelled like old steel and pipes that had been leaking. Upstairs it all wafted away and got replaced by spilled beers, but down here? Like I said, the ventilation system is shit.”

It’s a good story, great even. Lance has nothing to say and leaves, obviously displeased as he goes up the stairs, men in tow.

Tommy and Laurel follow, the couple wanting to talk about what just happened. Normally, he would feel a stab at it. Though he’s fine with them dating, it takes time to get used to it. However, he’s too distracted now, staying downstairs to look for his stuff, desperately hoping to find Akio somewhere.

A few moments later, Tommy is back on the stairs, eyes following Oliver coldly and his arms crossed. After a beat, he asks: “Is there something you want to say to me?”

“Thank you,” Oliver throws back absentmindedly, still searching between the boxes as he starts to suspect his stuff has been taken off the property, hoping he’s wrong. He needs to see Akio, safe and okay. As soon as possible.

“No, I meant what you were thinking when Lance accused me of dealing drugs out of the club,” Tommy tells him, stalking over to him.

It’s not a conversation Oliver feels capable of having right now. The only stuff he still has an attachment to is gone, the things that make him feel safe, make him feel like himself, are gone. Akio is not there, the one important thing he has been able to do for the boy he failed, has disappeared, and he’s panicking.

“Where is my stuff?” he asks, not at all replying to what Tommy has just said.

“Really?” Tommy scoffs. “You’re not even going to admit to it?”

“Where’s my stuff, Tommy?” Oliver repeats, knowing he sounds a little desperate.

“I’m not telling you anything, until you have this conversation with me. How could you think that little of me? What have I done in the past six months since you’ve been home that made you think I could do such a thing?”

“You don’t understand, I need to know where it is,” Oliver says, gripping Tommy’s shoulders to look at him. “Please, just tell me. I just need to know about the wooden shrine, with the doors and the incense holder. There is this- it looks like a tin, or- or a can. Did you see it? Do you know where it is? I just need to know if it’s safe.”

Tommy is looking at him strangely, which Oliver can’t blame him for. Usually he hides his panic behind a mask of stoicism, but right now he’s incapable of that. He must look a little frazzled, maybe even visibly scared. Or crazed to go with Tommy’s other opinions of him.

“It’s with the other stuff all the way in the back in a box on the bottom,” Tommy answers still frowning. “And I was careful with all of it, I don’t know what kind of dangerous shit you have with all you do. I didn’t want to die while covering your ass.”

Oliver doesn’t even register how pointed the comment is, already having let go and halfway across the room.

It doesn’t take much effort to lift the top box off, so he can open the one underneath. The chest with all he holds dear is in it, with next to it the Butsudan with its doors closed, yet upright.

Carefully, he lifts it out of the box and puts it on the ground, before opening it up to check the inside. The urn is still upright and the lid still on it, nothing has been spilled. Akio is safe. Finally he can let out a relieved breath.

Needing to assure himself further, he takes the urn, hugging it to his chest as he closes his eyes briefly and bows his head. He doesn’t pray, god has long since abandoned him, but he does send a wish to Akio, the wish that he’s okay, wherever he might be.

Behind him, Tommy radiates confusion and maybe a little judgment. When Oliver doesn’t move, he snipes: “So, is finding that really more important than having a conversation about this? Is it a magic altar or something? Did you find the mystical arts alongside shooting people with a bow classes while you were away, is that it?”

Oliver decides that it’ll be better not to inform Tommy of the magic he indeed encountered while away. It probably won’t go over well to tell him one of the tattoos he has is magical. However, the comment still hurts a bit too and his brain is too overloaded to come up with anything other than: “It is… It’s Akio.”

“Akio? What’s that?” And it’s so weird to hear the name be said by anyone else. By Tommy. It doesn’t fit in his mouth, doesn’t fit in this city.

“He- uhm,” Oliver clears his throat. “I met him-” Fuck, he can’t tell Tommy this, he can’t tell him he was in Hong Kong, not when Tommy was there too, not when he’s mad and might tell everyone about it. On top of that, tears start to burn in his eyes.

Concerned and a little shrill, Tommy asks: “Akio was a person?”

Wordlessly Oliver nods, because he’s already said too much, but he also knows that whatever he says, it will never be enough.

“What the hell, man. I thought you were alone on that island.”

It’s a lot. It’s too much. The memories wash over him again and Tommy’s voice feels like an interrogation, as if he’s back in Hong Kong again. Back with Waller and A.R.G.U.S..

After some struggle, Oliver manages to choke out: “Was alone most of the time. He died.” The lie mixed with the bitter truth tastes foul in his mouth. How can he just erase Tatsu and Maseo from the story of their boy?

“And you just took his ashes with you and built a shrine?” Tommy asks, sounding as if he can’t believe what he’s saying, as if Oliver is a stranger to him.

“He’s Japanese, I wanted to give him a proper rest,” Oliver says.

“What happened to you out there?” Tommy asks, much like he had done during his welcome home bash. Tommy must realize that, because he adds: “And don’t feed me some bullshit line about just being happy to be alive.”

“Well you should be,” Oliver snaps, all his usual emotional defenses down until only anger remains in their place. He glares at Tommy, hackles raised. “Being alive is more of a privilege than you can ever imagine.”

As he talks he gets up from his knees, urn still cradled to his chest, but getting into Tommy’s face as he spits: “I don’t owe you jack shit about what happened to me. What I’ve seen out there, is nothing like you can imagine. It changes you in ways life here doesn’t.”

Tommy was stepping back, but now he gets right back in Oliver’s face, anger overtaking him as well. “So that’s it? You think I haven’t changed?”

“Before I left, you played hard. You played with bad people, who were into bad stuff.”

“So did you, Oliver. So, did you. And just because I haven’t gone through whatever you did, doesn’t make it that I can’t change. And just because you did, doesn’t mean you’re better than me,” Tommy yells.

Oliver just looks at him, flabbergasted. He is the worst. In what world does Tommy live in that he genuinely thinks that Oliver thinks he’s better than him?

When Tommy continues, his voice is low with an odd edge to it. “I have no idea what you’re capable off, if I’m going to be next on your list. You are a complete mystery to me. I have no idea how you find it so easy to kill people. So yeah, you don’t owe me jack shit about what happened to you, but next time you decide to think the worst of me, imagine what I now think of you.”

And with that, Tommy turns and walks away. As he walks, Oliver spots shaking hands that Tommy balls into fists, making him realize that the edge in Tommy’s voice was fear. Tommy is scared of him.

His fingers tighten involuntarily, reminding him of the urn he’s still holding. Back in Hong Kong he was arguably worse than he is now, but Akio never saw him like that. Akio was never scared of him, always trusted him and wanted to play with him. He misses that now, misses someone who was aware that he was doing some violent stuff with bad men, but who still liked him and trusted him to keep them safe.

The closest thing to Akio he has now is Felicity and even that isn’t the same, because she has been vocally against his violence on a few occasions.

Still, he doesn’t deserve her, much like he hadn’t deserved Akio. He’ll probably lead her right to her death, much like he does with everyone he comes in contact with. Tommy is smart to stay away, to be scared. He should be. They all should be.

He puts the Butsudan back where it always is, before leaving the basement behind him. He needs a drink or something.

Oliver is barely at the bar and pouring himself a drink when Diggle comes in, saying he saw an angry Tommy in the parking lot and wondering what his problem is. With the mindset Oliver’s in, it’s easiest to push everyone away and he does so to Diggle quite spectacularly.

The moment Diggle is gone, he hates himself again. These people put up with who he has become, who he is. Diggle most of all. And he gets it. Just like Oliver gets him. Gets not being able to move on until you’ve hurt someone as badly as you’ve been hurt, in a way it’s what this whole crusade is about. Not to mention what he did to Shrieve in Akio’s name.

However, he doesn’t know how to deal with any of that, beyond working and ignoring it. So he sets to work rebuilding the base into the safe zone it has always been, trying to stabilize himself once more by creating that comfort he associates with the space. And when Felicity arrives, he deflects about Diggle and goes on as usual, continuing the mission.

He’s beyond glad when Diggle still shows up to get his ass out of trouble when it proves to be more than he could handle. Though guilt tears him apart too. How is it that good people keep coming back for him? What has he done to deserve that?

He wants to do better, wants to be better. It doesn’t work with Tommy, but he’ll try again with Diggle. Because Diggle is a good person, who has done so much for him, and Diggle is a solider, who is capable of his own violence and understands why Oliver has to be violent sometimes too. He is the man who has his back and Oliver owes it to him to return that favor.

When Diggle easily puts sand over what passed between them, he is beyond grateful to him. Oliver isn’t sure where he’d be without Diggle in his corner.

The two have just made up when Felicity comes back down, saying: “Oh thank G-d. I was so worried about you fighting. I am horrible when people fight. Not to make it about me. Just happy you guys are friends again.”

Oliver smiles automatically, her babbles soothing to him in a way he can’t describe. Sincerely, he says: “Thank you, Felicity. For pointing Diggle my way.”

“Of course,” she smiles back at him, plopping down at the desk. She cracks her neck and stretches, before groaning: “Ugh, it’s going to be a long night, putting my whole set up back together.”

It’s not too late, the club hasn’t even opened fully yet and the fight had happened early. If it weren’t such an emotional night, he would have been suited up again to go out on a patrol. However, redoing the base will take them quite a bit and it won’t be the first late night Felicity has had since joining up. Guilt floods his chest.

“You can go home and we’ll set up,” Oliver offers. She has already done so much for him, he should easy her burdens where he can.

“Nuh-uh,” Felicity shakes her head vigorously. “Do you have any idea how much work I put into this set up? You’re good at your punchy-punch, but this requires delicacy and accuracy. You go use your sculpted muscles – very nice muscles – which are useful, useful is important here, shutting up about that now... Just use the- uhm, the muscles to reset the rest of the base.”

She’s slightly flushed at the end of it and Oliver can’t help but chuckle. His guilt is alleviated and he feels lighter than he has in a while, she always has that effect on him. The cloud shaped like Tommy still hangs over him, but he has hope now that it might turn out better later, after he’s given the other some air.

Diggle and Oliver carry around all the supplies Tommy had brought down there, while Felicity fiddles with her computers. The silence is companionable and they all enjoy it.

Felicity is done before them with the physical aspect, but is still setting up digitally when Oliver and Diggle wrap up their part. By unspoken agreement, the two settle in to wait until she’s done too, the three of them together remaking the base into a home.

Oliver gazes at the altar for Akio absentmindedly, letting the smell of incense invade his nostrils.

Telling Tommy about Akio today, though little and riddled with lies as it was, felt strange. Tommy obviously thinks he’s crazy for having shrine to a random person and it makes him wonder what his two partners must think. They have a little more information than Tommy, but not much more.

Today has shown him that trusting in his friends, opening up about himself, might be smart if he wants to avoid another fight like he had with Tommy.

Besides, he wants to do right by Akio, give him the proper rituals he would have had were he home in Japan. Felicity can get him a photo without it giving everything away. Not talking about Akio for his own comfort is selfish.

With a blink he refocuses his eyes, turning his gaze on Felicity. He speaks up: “Felicity?”

“Yeah?” she asks, looking up at him with questioning eyes. “What can I do you for? Not- not do you, but like what can I do for you. That wasn’t a pass.”

Her usual awkwardness soothes Oliver’s nerves a little. “I know,” he says with a small smile. “I was wondering if you could get me a photo of someone.”

“Sure, if they’ve ever been near a camera, I can do that. Whose photo do you need?”

Oliver takes a deep breath, then takes the plunge. “Akio Yamashiro. He lived in Hong Kong in 2010, but born in Japan. You won’t find records of him after that. I want one for the Butsudan.”

Felicity’s eyes grow wide at his request and he sees Diggle shift in his periphery. He knows they’ve been curious about him not always being on the island ever since he first mentioned it, so he steels himself for the questions.

They don’t come.

Instead, Felicity just nods and smiles: “Of course, Oliver,” as she starts to type, leaving Oliver confused as he stares at her.

His focus snaps to Diggle when the man snorts. After making a soft confused noise, Diggle explains: “You have a puppy like confused face, man. It’s kind of funny. We’re not gonna ask after classified things, I get it.”

“And I get not pushing sensitive emotional things with you, Mr. Grumpy,” Felicity adds. “You’ll tell us when you’re ready.”

A wave of affection crashes over him at that. These two people do so much for him, from the big things to the small things. They don’t expect him to be someone he’s not, they never knew him before and are patient in getting to know him now. Oliver doesn’t think he’ll ever be able to convey how much that means to him. With a tight voice he tries anyway. “Thank you.”

Diggle and Felicity both give him smiles, before they go back to their tasks; Felicity to her computers, while Diggle cleans his gun. Oliver could be sharpening arrows, but he enjoys the moment of peace too much.

The peace is broken a few minutes later by a gasp from Felicity that she quickly tries to muffle. She clears her throat, but keeps looking at the screen as she says: “I found some photos. Uhm, from- from his school, but also from security cams in Hong Kong, if you want to pick one.”

Oliver is out of his seat immediately, but approaches the desk cautiously. He hasn’t seen Akio’s face in years.

On the screen, Akio stares back at him, the image punching the air out of his lungs. He looks exactly like Oliver remembers, happy and a little mischievous, even in the school picture from 2008. It’s from Japan, before the Yamashiro family was relocated to Hong Kong.

However, what catches his eye the most are the security camera stills. The ones are likely from A.R.G.U.S. or Shrieve’s operation, on the record only because they’d been used as blackmail or to track them all. Whatever the case may be, his eyes can’t help but be glued to them.

Diggle appears behind him, taking in a sharp breath as he sees the photos the other two are looking at.

There’s one of Maseo hoisting Akio in the air, a happy smile on his face, while in the background Tatsu watches them fondly from her seat on a bench. Another one is of Akio at an intersection, holding one of Tatsu’s hands while she carries a bag of groceries in the other. The one that catches his eye the most though, is of Akio in the botanical garden of Hong Kong, happily talking about seeing his parents soon.

Oliver knows, he remembers that moment, he himself is in the background of that still. It must have been from seconds before they spotted the bad men, as Akio called them, when they were forced to flee again. One of the last days Akio was alive.

It hits him all over again that Akio is dead. That he’s never coming back. That Oliver was too late to stop that outbreak and now he’ll never go to the botanical garden with his parents again.

Without his permission, a tear slides down his face. He has never allowed himself to cry for Akio, never allowed himself to grieve properly, too much blame on his shoulders. He still carries that blame now, but the emotions overwhelm him at seeing Akio once more and he can’t stop them.

He doesn’t sob, doesn’t even cry properly – at this point, he doesn’t know if he can still cry properly at all – just stares as tears leak down his face, as if his eyes are faulty faucets.

It takes him a while, before he gathers himself enough to say: “I- I’d like to have the school picture and the one in the bo-” a shuddering breath “-botanical garden.”

Wordlessly Felicity sends them to the printer, a hush hanging over the room. Softly and gently, Felicity breaks it, saying nothing more than: “He was nine.”

She sounds shocked and horrified, and Oliver realizes that neither of them knew who Akio was, that they probably assumed he was an adult like Oliver, that they worked together or something and that he died on a mission. Not this. Not the horrid truth that a child had been caught in the cross hairs of Oliver’s world and died as a result.

“I worked with his father,” Oliver replies, feeling the need to explain. “He and his wife housed me while I was there. I was Akio’s- I was… I was his big brother.”

“Says he died as a result that chemical accident, you were there for that?” Felicity asks, not to pry, but to understand, to give him room to process it verbally should he want to. Oliver can tell she doesn’t expect a reaction.

“Not an accident,” he grits out, all the anger at Shrieve and Waller rising back up inside of him as he hears the cover up.

“That the classified thing you can’t talk about?” Diggle comments, immediately picking up on the implication.

Oliver nods curtly.

His throat is now completely closed up and he knows he can’t say another word, even if he wanted to. Akio’s death was a result of a mission he couldn’t complete, a mission he failed. He came back to Starling with another mission. He can’t fail it. He can’t fail it like he did this one. No innocents will get hurt because of him ever again.

Tommy might not know who he is anymore, might think he’s a monster that kills so easily, and while it is true that death comes swiftly in his hands, Oliver knows that Tommy never has to fear him. He’d never hurt someone defenseless, much like he couldn’t kill the Count today. He wasn’t enough to protect Akio, but he will be enough for everyone else.

With that, he turns away from the screens. He will be enough for everyone, but it won’t change what happened to Akio. The failure weighs heavily on him and he needs a moment to process and reset.

Oliver leaves the Foundry without another word, driving himself home and crawling under his covers. Tonight the Hood doesn’t grace the city with his presence, tonight Oliver finally lets himself grieve.

The next day, he comes back to their base, unsure of how the others will act. Diggle keeps up his professionalism when they’re out and about, but in here he becomes his friend instead of bodyguard and that changes things.

But neither of them say anything. It seems they meant it when they told him they won’t ask him about it. It’s weirdly comforting to be allowed to go at his own pace.

Though it appears that not asking about it, doesn’t mean not acting. The pictures he chose yesterday are on the shrine, both of them framed in beautiful, fitting frames. It looks like a proper memorial, like the resting place Akio deserves. He nearly chokes up again at the sight.

He doesn’t thank them for it, but he’s sure it shows on his face with the way they smile kindly at him.

After that everything unravels quickly. The conspiracy behind his father’s book becomes clearer and clearer, until it is a race against the clock to save the city.

Watching part of the Glades go down from a rooftop and then finding Tommy in the rubble, slowly bleeding out, makes him flash back to Hong Kong. How the three of them worked so hard to stop it, failing and walking through the aftermath, but thinking their loved ones were safe, only to return and find that to be false.

Oliver sits next to Tommy and weeps, weeps until he has to flee, even doing that clumsily, because he can’t look past his tears. Tommy is gone. His best friend is gone. How can he live in a world without Tommy in it? How did Tommy do it when he went missing? How could he bear it?

On autopilot he goes back to the base, praying to find it semi in tact. If he comes home to find Felicity buried, he isn’t sure what he’ll do.

The structure is thankfully still standing and he stumbles inside and down the stairs, needing to see her right now.

He finds her, still sitting under her desk, likely hiding under something heavy just in case the whole thing came down.

His eyes zero in on her arms, a tidal wave of emotions overtaking him when he sees that she’s cradling Akio’s ashes and the pictures of him, making sure they were safe and wouldn’t fall from their shrine during the quake.

Felicity kept Akio safe when he couldn’t. He wasn’t there for Akio when he needed him. Again. Just like he wasn’t there for Tommy. Like he wasn’t there for all those people buried in the rubble out there, dead because he was too late to stop it all.

He came back to Starling to complete his mission, to save the city, to do right by everyone like couldn’t for Akio. But he hasn’t done anything right. Hundreds are dead because of him. Tommy is dead because of him. He has failed. Again. He can’t save anyone and he doesn’t know why he ever thought he could. He’s a monster, made to destroy. Not some hero.

His eyes meet Felcity’s, she starts to say something, but before she can, he turns around and leaves, not sparing her another glance.

Oliver doesn’t stop moving. He keeps running, running away from the memories of Akio, from the city filled with tragedy, from the fact that there will be a funeral held for Tommy. He barely stops for long enough to make sure his mom and sister are safe, before he runs the final stretch, right back to hell, to Lian Yu; the punishment he deserves.

It takes him months and a lot of convincing to leave the island behind him again. Lian Yu has become his home and his prison. If he were to leave, it is with the knowledge that he will never try his hand at being a hero again. It was on Lian Yu that he was first shaped into what he is now, into a monster. Being back here served as a reminder that he can’t change that about himself and he shouldn’t try.

Heroes tragically sacrifice themselves for others, they don’t make it home. Survivors make it home and they do so, because they’ve become killers. Oliver should keep reminding himself that he is a survivor, not a hero.

However, the city has not gotten better in his absence. In fact, people have taken his failed attempt at trying to better it, to make it worse. It’s oddly poetic, in a way.

At first, Oliver wants nothing to do with it. He keeps reminding himself of the lesson his self enforced exile was supposed to teach him. But these Hoods make it very hard. They’re his creation, he should do something about them.

The moment he gives in, Felicity is grinning, pulling him down the stairs to show him her remodeling.

The renovations take his breath away. Instead of a dark basement that could be the hide out of any common criminal with sense, it’s a sleek base of operations… a home. It feels right, if he wants to do things differently this time.

As he inspects everything, his eyes fall on the spot where the Butsudan was. It’s still there, though replaced by a nicer and slightly bigger altar. On it are the pictures of Akio and his ashes, however, they’re now joined by a photo of Tommy as well.

Felicity notices him watching and hugs his arm as she says: “We kept the incense burning while you were away.”

A lump forms in Oliver’s throat at the news. He had always thought he would have to do it alone, that no one would get it and join his mission, that the only time he would have allies was during those five years, when he was a monster working with other monsters, while the few good people that were there died.

However, Dig and Felicity prove him wrong. They have made themselves at home next to him, continuing in his absence. It’s almost effortless how they’ve fit themselves amongst the important stuff he has gathered over the years. How they expanded what he held dear until it can’t fit inside a chest anymore.

Oliver is forever grateful to them. Especially for keeping Akio’s memorial going. He hopes the boy is proud of what he is doing there, that he’s happy Oliver is still making sure the bad men won’t get anyone.

A/N:

I don’t think I’m ever going to be normal about the fact that Oliver has a part of Akio’s ashes, that those were given to him. Like can you imagine? The fact that they never mention that again is wild to me. He has hIS ASHES!

Also, disclaimer: I am not Asian, so while I did try and research Japanese (and a little Chinese) funerary rites, I claim no expertise, so all of the info is what I found online, if someone knows more and wants to share, I’d love to learn more :D

8 notes · View notes

btrflyng · 1 year

Text

40 notes · View notes

skullsemi · 1 year

Note

I can totally see a cameo of Felicity Mouse where its just her and her siblings funny banter rather than some serious case. I could be somewhat wrong tho!

You're absolutely right!!

They definitely would get together and just keep joking around, ALSO, having Felicity there would really be a stress relief since sometimes they do overwork themselves looking too much into a case

#disney #felicity fieldmouse #mickey mouse #oswald the lucky rabbit #the backup detectives #inbox

52 notes · View notes

sevlawless · 1 year

Text

how do i tell you?

pairing: nate sewell x f!detective (felicity langford)

word count: 1.9k

warnings: some swearing? and felicity overthinking so much like it’s her job

tagging: @masonscig @blainehayes

notes: so this has been a wip for... a year at least LMFAO but i'm in twc hell so i dusted her off and she's here! i will never get tired of examining felicity under a microscope like she's an ant so <3 this takes place sometime during book 3 (we're ignoring that her apartment is ruined) AND this fic is loosely based on how do i tell you? by lizzy mcalpine

[read on ao3]

─── ･｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

felicity watches as the fan on her bedroom ceiling grows faster with each spin, the yellow blades losing their rectangular shape in seconds and morphing into a blur right in front of her eyes. she's probably spent a thousand nights doing exactly this, hoping that if she stares up at it long enough it'll put her to sleep.

but how can the thought of sleeping even cross her mind when all she can think about is him?

all felicity sees when she closes her eyes is nate; the way he looks at her when they're together, his deep brown eyes staring into her own and leaving her breathless, the intensity making her look away, how he concentrates when he's pouring over a book in the library, the way his ring covered hands turn each page so delicately.

she also sees the way his smile strains when she turns him away yet again, reassuring her that it's okay, how he reaches out to comfort her but quickly puts his hands back in his pockets as if touching her would burn them both.

it's not that she doesn't like him. she adores him. she knows being with him would make her happier than she's ever been in entire life, even a sliver of what could be when they're together makes her smile a little brighter and stand a little taller.

if only she could get over herself.

to say she's been hurt badly in the past would be an understatement. she's never anyone's priority, at least not in the way that they were to her. whether it was with bobby, or the handful of other relationships she's had, they always end up leaving her in the dust, struggling to understand where it went wrong, as if it was all her fault.

she knows nate would never do that, at least she thinks he wouldn't. she's just so tired of having to pick up the pieces of her broken heart that it seems pointless to attempt a romantic relationship with anyone ever again, despite how much she might want to.

and she desperately wants to.

this can't go on forever, she knows that. she needs time, but she's tired of feeling down on herself and fuck if she does it any longer. nate deserves to know how she feels.

before she can stop herself, her phone is unplugged and off her nightstand and into her hand. she's calling nate before it even registers in her brain what she's doing.

it rings four times (not that she was counting), when she suddenly hears some shuffling on the other end. her heart sinks as she realizes he was probably asleep and feels guilty for calling him so out of the blue, and she hates to admit it but she wanted - no needed, to hear his voice and maybe just talking it out would help and god, what the fuck is she doing-

"felicity? is everything alright?" his voice is urgent, but calm and she rolls her eyes at how quickly it soothes the storm of overdramatic thoughts swirling around in her head.

"i just had a hard time sleeping," she smacks her hand against her forehead. that is not why you called him. why are you prolonging this?

"i'm sorry to hear that," he says and her heart swells at his words. she's known him for six months now and still, every time he says something to her that feels so genuine - because it's nate, and he doesn't have a insincere bone in his body - she can't help but gape in disbelief that anyone could be so… unabashedly kind to her. is she really that starved for affection that someone being polite to her feels like such a big deal?

'any normal person would be sorry that you couldn't sleep,' she thinks. 'don't get ahead of yourself.'

she shakes her head as if to clear that thought out of her brain.

"do you want to talk about it?" nate asks.

her mind immediately starts to backtrack. she couldn't possibly tell him how she feels. it's too soon. she can't do this.

"no, it's really dumb and i shouldn't have called you. it's so late," she lets out a nervous laugh, "and i know you hate talking on the phone."

"i was awake anyways," she swears she can hear his smile through the screen as he continues, "and you know i enjoy talking to you, no matter the circumstance."

i would fight through any form of technology if i knew you were on the other end.

the memory of him saying those words to her outside of the warehouse makes her head spin. her skin flushes as she mumbles an okay.

"if you don't want to talk about it, i understand, but i hope you know i'm here for you, felicity. always."

always.

after a beat of silence, she mumbles, "what if you leave?"

"felicity, i-"

"leave wayhaven," she says quickly, "things could calm down and unit bravo isn't needed here anymore and you get assigned somewhere else. what then?"

"i can assure you if we got assigned to a different place, i wouldn't lose contact with you." he declares it with such confidence it makes her brain foggy.

she smiles in spite of herself. "what, would you write to me?"

"absolutely."

she giggles. "maybe farah could teach you how to text."

she expects him to join in on the laughter but he's quiet. "or, you could teach me."

"i could."

there's a moment of silence before nate speaks again.

"is me leaving something you think about frequently?"

she almost forgot she let that slip and her bedroom suddenly feels a lot smaller and constricting.

"not really. i mean, i guess so, since i brought it up," she rambles and exhales a deep breath. i just…"

"i don't think that i ever mean that much to anyone," she blurts out, eyes widening at what she's saying. "i know that sounds dumb, but when things get tough with anyone, no one has ever stuck around and seen it through. i want to mean enough to someone to where they want to make it work when things are hard. and i'm terrified of that happening with you."

there, she said it. the worst that could happen is that he doesn't feel the same. but he does feel the same.

right?

her thoughts come to a halt when she realizes he hasn't said anything.

"nate? hello?" she pulls the phone from her ear to see that the call has been disconnected.

did he hang up on me?

maybe he accidentally hung up. he'll call back any minute.

one minute turns into five. five minutes turn into ten.

she can't stop the tears from forming in her eyes.

he doesn't feel the same way. of course. why would he? why the fuck did i say all that? he probably thinks i'm crazy. god, why am i such an-

the knocking on her front door stops her overthinking completely. she's probably so tired that she's hearing things, until she hears a knock again.

she rubs her eyes and slips out of bed, adjusting her pajamas and treading sleepily to the door.

she looks through the peephole and her heart is in her stomach.

it's nate.

she immediately yanks the door open. he's stood there, wearing his green satin pajamas with his usual jacket hastily thrown on. his hair looks like he hasn't brushed it in days, and he has sweat dripping from his brow. she'd find it attractive if she wasn't so anxious and confused about why he was here.

"may i come in?" he asks, eyes pleading and she lets him in. she notices he's also wearing his bedroom slippers which have tracked mud into her apartment. nate notices this too.

"i apologize for the mess, i'll clean it-"

"why do you look so-"

"disheveled?" he chuckles, running a hand through his hair.

"yeah. not that i don't like the look but-" it hits her. "nate, did you run here?"

he looks uncharacteristically nervous, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck.

"i did."

"why?"

"because i wanted to finish our conversation in person."

her face grows hot in embarrassment.

"about what i said, nate, i-"

he takes both of her hands in his, the touch taking her by surprise. she forgets whatever excuse she was going to say about baring her feelings instantly.

"i know we haven't known each other that long, felicity, but i do care about you. more than i've cared about anyone in a long time. your happiness is of the utmost importance to me, and to hear you say you feel like you don't mean that much to anyone-

"you mean everything to me. i need you to know that. i'm sorry people in your life have been so unkind to where you feel this way, but i want you to know i would never dare to make you feel any less special than you are.

"i know you need time. i completely understand. but please know that i would never do anything to hurt you, felicity. doing so, i think would hurt me."

tears are welling up in her eyes again and nate's hands move from her own to cradle her face, thumbs at the ready in case any should fall. he's giving her that look that he always gives her, the look that tells her that he means everything he said. his brown eyes are staring into her own, and for once she doesn't look away.

"i… i don't know what to say," she mentally scolds herself, but how would anyone respond to the man of your dreams telling you he wants you and would never harm you?

"you don't have to say anything. i just wanted to tell you how i feel." he's smiling, but she knows she needs to buck up and let him know that - whatever this is between them - isn't one sided.

"i know," she sighs. "nate, i'm crazy about you. i care about you a lot, and i'm really sorry i haven't done a very good job at showing it. you deserve more-"

"no," he assures her, rubbing her cheek with his thumb. "i deserve you, and you deserve to be happy."

it all clicks into place for felicity at that moment.

"you're right."

she has to stand on her tiptoes but luckily nate meets her halfway as their lips meet in a searing kiss, her arms wrapping around his neck. his hands move to the small of her back, bunching up the fabric of her nightgown in his fists. kissing him is better than she ever could have imagined, his lips molding to hers as if they've always belonged there.

he pulls away too quickly for her liking and his eyes widen in concern, his hands snapping away to hover over her waist.

"felicity, are you sure?"

she smiles, blush rising in her cheeks. "i've never been more sure of anything in my life."

she kisses him again, and again, and again, until eventually, she has to pull away so she can breathe, and is met with nate's adoring gaze.

"i could get used to this view," she jokes, moving her hand to his hair to brush a strand out of his face.

he catches her wrist after, hand sliding down to entwine their fingers together.

"me too," he admits, smiling down at her. "and i am not going anywhere, so you'll be sure to see it often."

and she believes him.

#n sewell #nate sewell #nate sewell x detective #twc #the wayhaven chronicles #my writing #twc: nate x felicity #im just so obsessed with them !#also rip nate's slippers 💔 LMFAOKSKDNDNDKD

32 notes · View notes

mynameisgreenarrow · 2 days

Text

4 notes · View notes

jazzandpizazz · 2 years

Text

I love this show sm🕵🏻‍♂️ 🔎 🇧🇪

#look at themmmm #wonderful #Agatha Christie’s poirot #hercule Poirot #captain Hastings #Arthur Hastings #felicity lemon #james japp #chief inspector japp #Belgian detective #blorbos

101 notes · View notes

northbndtrain · 7 months

Text

I am 29 years old. Okay, I'm 33.

#felicity #javier quintata #ian gomez #felicityedit #felicity421 #no do-overs in lie detection #northpost

2 notes · View notes

hillerskaroyals · 2 years

Text

just realized since felice and wille are going to be closer in s2 and she stopped straightening her hair there’s a chance they’ll hug and wille will smell coconut in her hair and be reminded of simon

#i’m honestly hype for a wille felice friendship #my boy needs friends and not only is felice that bitch™ she’s also that friend™#felice is truly the friend he needs bc she already doesn’t fuck with august and already supports wille #here’s hoping she uses her detective skills to find a way to help simon and wille be together #or fight kristina #or both #both is good #young royals #young royals season 2 #yr s2 #mine

13 notes · View notes

badgiraffe · 2 years

Text

Felice!! What a legend. I love her.

#i grossly underestimated her at first #but she's like the nicest person #and a fucking eagle eye detective apparently!#dead pixels #jfc #she's a genius #felice #young royals #nikita uggla

8 notes · View notes

youngroyalsrewatch · 2 years

Text

What did Micke hide?

Doing my usual Sunday night YR watch and I just noticed this. First of all, how did I not see this until now? And secondly, what did Micke hide under the pillow? It looks like he pulled something off the wall and I think I hear a rustling noise, like a paper may be? a photograph? I am so confused.

#I need Felice and her detective skills #please i need answers #young royals #young royals netflix #simon eriksson #micke eriksson #micke young royals

16 notes · View notes

sweettjrose · 7 months

Text

Detective Mickey Pilot: Character Backstories - The Sensational Side Characters

Surprise again! Here is the second part of the character backstories I made for the Detective Mickey Pilot. These are more focused on the side characters who I imagine will make frequent appearances in the show and have specific backstories that will affect their character or the story. This won't include everyone as I don't have infinite time plus some characters are either spoilers, have pretty much the same backstory as the media they are from (Ex. Darkwing Duck and Scrooge McDuck), or I haven't come up with a backstory for them yet.

If you haven't seen the first part with the Core Four (The characters that influence the story the most) you can check that out here.

If you haven't seen my Detective Mickey Pilot, it is pinned to my main account.

I also would love to hear your thoughts or answer any questions. Some may be a bit controversial, but I swear that I have a method to my madness... I hope.

Goofy Goof - Estimated Age: Mid 40's - Late 40's

Goofy traveled quite a bit with his parents and therefore never really had a single place to call home. The places he spent the longest in were Spoonerville and Mouseton. He went to the same high school that Pete’s family went to and interacted with them a couple times, though they, especially Pete, didn’t really like him since he tended to cause trouble for any of their schemes. Eventually Goofy managed to get involved with a very wealthy mysterious bohemian woman and they instantly fell in love. Together they traveled the world going on all sorts of wacky adventures. One day she wanted to try something really wacky and live a life with Goofy as a mundane average family. So they moved to Mouseton and Goofy got a job as a janitor at Mouseton High and Mouseton University and she became a stay at home wife. They had Max around this time to truly complete the family experience. However she ended up finding the lifestyle boring and desired to go back to their more wild and free life before.

But Goofy was actually really enjoying settling down and wanted to stay to give Max a more stable life. That is when they decided to make the tough choice and separate so that they both could be happy. When she left her money left with her and Goofy was unable to make payments on the house with his janitor salary thus he had to move to a trailer home. However he wasn’t entirely alone as he met Donald and Mickey at Mouseton High and formed a friendship with them, becoming a formidable trio. Around the time Mickey and Donald got close to graduating college, he decided to move back to Spoonerville as the Spoonerville Business College offered him a “promotion”, they let him do the windows too for a little bit more money, which would help him further support Max. There is where he met Peg who was visiting her old business college and she helped him get a cheap house right next to theirs, much to her husband Pete's dismay. They lived in Spoonerville for a while, but as Pete moved back to Mouseton. Goofy decided to join him as he was motivated by Daisy and Minnie to start his own cleaning service and missed being close to his friends. He ended up once again Pete’s neighbor in Mouseton, again to Pete’s dismay. Max has mixed feelings about moving as he was glad to be close to his friend PJ and wanted to support his dad, but had to move away from his new girlfriend, Roxanne, resulting in a long distance relationship. However it seems like the move may be the least of their worries as a hidden family secret might make their lives a bit more super than they were expecting.

Donald Duck - Estimated Age: Late 20's - Early 30's

Donald was born and raised mostly in Duckburg. Donald first met Mickey at a regional Junior Woodchuck camping trip where they were bunk buddies. They connected over a love of photography and became close friends, visiting and writing to each other whenever they could. Eventually, his family temporarily moved to Mouseton and Donald ended up spending his high school years at Mouseton High with Mickey, Minnie, his twin sister Della, and Goofy the janitor. Donald struggled with figuring out what he wanted to do in life and after school decided to join the Navy in hopes it would give him a sense of direction. He went to Mouseton University and was a part of the college military program there. He also got to go abroad for a couple of summers, meeting José Carioca in Brazil and Panchito Pistoles in Mexico. They formed a pretty close knit group towards the end of Donald’s college years, even starting a short-lived band, and still keep in touch.

After college Donald continued to work in the Navy, but had to go off-duty to help raise his nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie in Duckburg after Della was no longer able to. Della joined a secret government aerospace training program, but didn’t realize that would mean she would have to dedicate around a decade of her life to the program, away from her family. She would still visit any moment she could and after she completed her contracted time she quit the program so she could be with her boys and help Donald in raising them. But beforehand Donald had to raise them alone, working whatever temp jobs or jobs that Scrooge would bring (force) him on, in order to support his new family. He met Daisy at one of Glomgold’s parties that Scrooge dragged him into to do some spying, and they quickly connected. Daisy isn’t always in Duckburg, but she tries to stay as close as she can. Now that Della is back, working as a pilot for Scrooge and other private clients, Donald is no longer alone in raising the boys and has a bit more time to himself. But he still feels like he never really figured out what he wanted to do in life, as the Navy wasn’t cutting it for him either. Now that Mickey is getting attention for capturing the Phantom Blot, Donald can’t help but feel a bit jealous, but perhaps there is a heroic future in store for the duck.

Daisy Duck - Estimated Age: Late 20's - Early 30's

Daisy grew up in a large city in the Northeast part of America. She lived a pretty comfortable life in the city. She initially wanted to be a journalist and went to college for it, but found out that she had a passion for planning parties when she was a last minute wedding planner for a family friend. With help from her family, she started her own business as a party planner. She actually met Minnie on a forum for small business owners where they would share advice but also vent about some of their more troublesome clients. They became close online friends and would video call each other to hang out. As Daisy’s career grew, she started to get more and more wealthier clients, but unfortunately the more high end opportunities resulted in less creative control and freedom, making her feel like the parties don’t actually show off her skills. However she still wants the status of the wealthier clients so she keeps doing them. One day Daisy got a rare chance to be a party consultant for Flintheart Glomgold, her most prestigious client at the time. She didn’t end up getting paid for the gig, but she did meet Donald there and they quickly bonded and started to date. Eventually she would learn that her online friend, Minnie, was actually the girlfriend of her boyfriend’s best friend, allowing for the easy creation of their friend group. She now tries to do gigs mostly in Calisota trying her best to stay close with her boyfriend and friends there. When she isn’t working, she usually stays at an apartment near Donald's house boat. Thanks to Donald’s connection with Scrooge, Daisy has had a chance to network with a whole bunch of new clients that seem to respect her vision a bit more. Though such extravagant parties can be rife with some kind of trouble that may need the help of a detective.

Felicity Fieldmouse (Amelie Felicity Mouse/Fieldmouse) - Est. Age: Mid 30’s - Late 30’s

Felicity Fieldmouse was born and raised in Mouseton. She is the oldest sister of Mickey Mouse by a couple of years and is very close to him. Some could say that she practically raised him. Ever since she was little she loved journalism and since elementary school she would write her own articles and share it with friends and neighbors. She would let her brother join in as he would be in charge of taking any pictures and drawing the comics. She pursued this dream and eventually graduated Mouseton University and immediately landed a job at the Mouseton Argus after having many internships there. She greatly impressed the Editor in Chief at the time with her tenacity and compelling writing, which seemed to cause a rift between her and future Editor in Chief. She helped her brother get a position and prove his worth and then ended up accepting a position at a WDN. This resulted in her leaving Mouseton and her brother to move to New York City where the news network’s headquarters was at. She is the single mother of her two sons, Morty and Ferdie. They can be troublemakers like their uncle was, but also are just as good-hearted. It was tough raising the two boys alone, but she did her best to keep them out of trouble. Felicity loves her younger brother and her sons and has always tried to protect them and keep them safe from the dangers of the world. But despite how much she tries, she can't protect them all forever and some of her attempts to keep them safe may end up leading to future consequences.

Morty and Ferdie Fieldmouse - Estimated Age: 11 - 14

Morty and Ferdie Fieldmouse are the twin sons of Felicity Fieldmouse, both born in Mouseton. Ferdie is a smart though meek mouse who has interests more on the nerdy side. He does very well in math and science classes and hopes to pursue some kind of technical career in the future. He may be mild, but he also has a deep curiosity for the unknown and enjoys going on adventures with his brother, though partially to make sure he doesn’t get into too much trouble. Morty on the other hand is a bit more rambunctious and mischievous, oftentimes being the one leading the “adventures”. He isn’t sure what exactly he wants to do, but definitely wants to do something big like be a professional football player or a video game streamer or a movie star. He may seem rowdy, but he is pretty clever and enjoys some of his brother’s nerdy interests, though he tends to push his brother out of his comfort zone on their adventures. Despite having different personalities, they get along very well, pretty much offsetting each other’s weaknesses. They love their mom, though they can drive their mom crazy at times. They also love their Uncle Mickey and always thought he was cool ever since they were young, as he was the one who always beat them in Snow White and the Seven Brawlers and knew the best ice cream spots in Mouseton. However little did they expect their uncle to be even cooler as the one who caught the Phantom Blot. For better or for worse, this has inspired them to go on adventures too and get into even more trouble than before.

Mortimer Mouse - Estimated Age: Late 20's - Early 30's

Mortimer Mouse was raised mostly in Mouseton by his grandmother. He first met Mickey and Minnie in Kindergarten and they actually were friends at first. Mortimer was always a bit rough around the edges and would often say rude things or pull pranks, but he rarely meant harm. But as they grew older, the relationship between Mickey and Mortimer soured, as Mortimer started to bully him almost out of nowhere. This led to them becoming rivals even to this day, with Mortimer constantly downplaying Mickey’s achievements and doing things to actively upset him. Mortimer even dated Mickey’s crush Minnie in high school, though it was only for a week. Despite his relationship souring with Mickey, Mortimer still genuinely likes Minnie and has tried to get her to dump Mickey for him, it has never worked for him though. After graduating high school, Mortimer got a degree in legal studies at Mouseton University and became a private detective. He was inspired by the fame of Detective Casey who was a very well known detective in the 1960’s. In hopes of achieving the same exact fame, he got his private detective business and started his own agency. At first the venture was unsuccessful, but recently he has been managing to take out wave after wave of criminals almost miraculously. Getting the attention of the Mouseton public, especially the news. At least he did until Mickey completely stole his thunder. But one has to wonder how he is able to find all of these criminals so easily and if perhaps there is more to the situation here.

Clarabelle Cow - Early 30’s to Mid 30’s

Clarabelle Cow was raised mostly in Mouseton by her aunt. Her aunt was the owner of “The Moovelous Belles Bakery” which is a very popular bakery in Mouseton passed down the Cow family for generations. Clarabelle would help out at the bakery from time to time, but her aunt made sure to let her have some free time to spend with her friends. Clarabelle was part of a trio that included Clara Cluck and Horace Horsecollar. They often would go on their own adventures around Mouseton, usually causing trouble. She actually knew Mickey as they lived in the neighborhood and crossed paths quite a bit. She and the rest of the group served as mentors to Mickey and his friends, often being the big kids who would give advice or help them out. Though she was the one to give the actual good advice. Ever since middle school Horace and Clarabelle have had an on again off again relationship. Usually once they break up, Clarabelle is able to rather quickly get a new partner and even dated Clara for a bit, but eventually she and Horace would end up together again. After graduating high school, she started working full time at the bakery, preparing to take over once her aunt retires. The bakery is run so effectively though that Clarabelle rarely has to work overtime and can use her free time as she wishes. When she is not working, she likes to spend her time taking a bunch of classes, usually in something athletic or some kind of self defense. Secretly, Clarabelle isn’t sure if she really wants to take over the bakery once her aunt finally retires. She does however find joy in learning new skills and even holding classes for her friends if they are interested. Thankfully many of these skills would be very useful for a fledgling detective to know.

Horace Horsecollar - Early 30’s to Mid 30’s

Horace initially grew up on a farm outside of Mouseton, but moved to Mouseton with his family. He has been living there ever since and is often found with Clarabelle and Clara Cluck as part of a trio. Horace was always a bit of a dreamer, however he never could stick with just one dream. He would constantly bounce from interest to new interest, but would retain skills becoming a bit of a jack of all trades with knowledge in all sorts of odd things. Sometimes these interests would lead to some kind of scheme to get rich or famous off of it. Though Horace can sometimes get over his head, he never means to cause harm and will take a step back and fix it, if he goes too far. Since middle school he has been in an on again off again relationship with Clarabelle, with sometimes the reason being the result of one of his latest schemes. But he usually is able to win her heart again, or she wins his, and they get back together. Most of the men in his family tend to be handymen so Horace started his career after high school as a handyman. Though now he does all sorts of freelance work alongside being a handyman, as a result of him learning so many different skills. He’s managed to get by mostly on the inheritance from his great uncle, unfortunately the money is starting to thin and he may have to start finding a way to cover his living expenses and his new hobbies. Though these new hobbies may seem like a waste of time at first, sometimes by chance they may be exactly what a detective needs.

Clara Cluck - Early 30’s to Mid 30’s

Ever since Clara Cluck was a little chick she had a love for the theater and performed at a young age. She acts and sings mostly at the Mouseton Local Theatre which was run by an elderly though beloved member of the community. When she wasn’t on stage, she was usually spending time with Clarabelle and Horace. She really gets into the drama and thrill of their adventures. Though she often would exaggerate the events when recalling them. This however has led to her growing a talent in story writing. When the elderly woman who ran the local theater died, the Mouseton Local Theatre was shut down and its fate seem to be sealed. But after Clara graduated college with a Theater Studies degree, she opened the theater back up and has been running it ever since. Outside of running the theater she also teaches acting, piano, and singing lessons to anyone who is interested. While this might seem disconnected to Mickey’s new role as a detective, the theater has always had a history with mystery.

Detective Casey (Jr.) - Estimated Age: Early 40’s - Mid 40’s

Detective Casey is actually the son of the much more famous Detective Casey Sr. His father was one of the best detectives around, cracking some of the most unsolvable cases across the nation and taking down some of the biggest criminals in the world. However he is now retired after his last case nearly got him killed. Hoping to make his father proud, Casey decided to follow in his father's footsteps and became a detective. Casey initially got a lot of hype early on due to the reputation of his father, which may have helped him get the job as a police detective at the Mouseton Police Department in the first place. Unfortunately, he struggled to solve cases as well as his father did, never even solving the first one he was given. Brick was transferred from a police department in Texas to help and while Casey struggled with the idea of a partner at first, they managed to solve much more cases than before. But still not at the level as his father. It doesn’t help that Mortimer Mouse has been outdoing him lately and catching waves of criminals at unprecedented levels. And to make matters worse a junior journalist managed to catch one of the most infamous criminal masterminds in the world and is now being offered to work as a police detective at his department. This unfortunately has put a bit of a damper on his and the new detective’s relationship, before they even had a chance to work together. But if he could warm up to Brick, maybe he can warm up to this new guy and find a way to live up to his father’s legacy

Portis Egmont - Estimated Age: Mid - 40's - Late 40's

Portis grew up in a large criminal family known as the Pete Family in the rougher parts of Mouseton. His mother and father died in a shootout while he was young and he was mostly raised by his aunt Maw Pete. He was very close with his cousin Pete, as they were usually teased together by the other cousins. Pete and Portis often caused trouble at school as a team, as Portis was able to add an element of science to their schemes. Portis actually gained a fascination with science at school and would often steal materials, with the help of Pete, to make his own gadgets and perform his own experiments. He actually wasn’t interested in joining the family on crimes and wanted to be a scientist instead. He was one of the few members of the Pete family who graduated high school and went to college. He graduated with a bachelors in biochemistry and a minor in robotics, and then went to graduate school to get his masters and potentially a doctorate. During his time at school he eventually got a chance to work at a research lab on campus. However he struggled to connect with his peers and saw the research lab’s strict adherence to ethics as a hindrance to their progress. After doing some secret unethical experiments to speed up results, Portis got found out and was expelled from the school. At the same time Pete was planning to form a new gang called Pete’s Gang and Portis, now without a direction in life, joined. The two did some crimes on their own and eventually hired two new members, Scuttle and Trudy. The years they spent together was truly a highlight as they were able to accomplish many things and build a close bond together. They even did some work with the Phantom Blot, as he was becoming a more prominent figure, with the Phantom Blot being specifically invested in Portis’ scientific capabilities. However, while working on a job for the Wind Willow Weasels, they got busted and Pete, Trudy, and Scuttle ended up getting caught and arrested. Portis however was not caught as the Phantom Blot rescued him beforehand and made a deal to free the rest of Pete's Gang in exchange for Portis to work with him personally on a project of his. Portis agreed and worked on the project for about a year, until breaking away from the Phantom Blot and continuing any work with him remotely. Since then he has been working on a variety of different gadgets and experiments commissioned by criminals from all over. He reconnected with Scuttle and Pete, but is currently busy with his new business. However, in his free time when he isn’t working on another villain’s plan, he is working on his own and they are finally coming close to completion.

Trudy Van Tubb - Mid 40's - Late 40's

Trudy lived in a poor area that was under constant threat by local mobs and police. Her mother was sickly and her father was kidnapped, never to be seen again. She had to join a small gang of other teens and children in order to get enough food and money to keep her and her mother alive. Unfortunately just as she got into her middle teenage years, her mother ended up dying and the gang she was a part of abandoned her. She then became sort of a mercenary to various criminal groups, only usually staying for a single job. However that changed when she ended up joining Pete's Gang. She ended up falling in love and getting married to the leader Pete and the gang was doing very well. Unfortunately this didn’t last, as a failed job and a possible betrayal by Pete, resulted in Trudy and others getting arrested. After being broken out of prison by the Phantom Blot, she went her own way and went back to being a solo mercenary, even doing a bit of espionage and rumored to be an assassin as well. Now that some time has passed, she hopes to be able to see Pete again to ‘discuss’ what happened. She initially found it hard to track him, but now that word is spreading of his new criminal business in Mouseton. He is now easier to find than before.

Scuttle - Estimated Age: Mid 30’s to Late 30’s

Scuttle was kicked out of his mother’s house when he was in his late teens. Since then Scuttle was homeless and mostly committed theft to get food. One day he found a flier and it led to him joining a new gang started by Pete and Portis. Everything was going great until a failed job resulted in nearly everyone getting arrested, including Scuttle. However instead of going to prison, in a mix-up Scuttle ended up getting on the wrong bus. After over a decade of getting into wacky shenanigan after wacky shenanigan, he finally got reunited with Pete and joined him on his new crime venture with the used car dealerships. While Scuttle may first seem like he doesn’t offer much, he is a wild card that brings a sense of randomness that can either save or ruin a plan.

Pepper - Mid 20’s to Late 20’s

Pepper never really knew her father, but was very close to her mother. Her mother worked at F.O.W.L as one of their top agents and Pepper joined their junior agent program to follow in her footsteps. Despite being part of an evil organization, Pepper has a bright and optimistic personality and puts in a lot of effort to do a good job. Unfortunately her mother ended up disappearing on one of her missions, which led to Pepper being let go from the program after she wasn’t able to keep up on her studies and failed too many tests. She still managed to get work at F.O.W.L as an egghead thanks to Black Heron, a friend of her mothers. But eventually Pepper was able to regain her positivity and has been outperforming all of her fellow eggheads. She shows a lot of promise with her expert hacking skills, enough to be specifically hired on jobs to use that skill. Despite the setback, it seems like she has a bright future ahead of her, but whether it is with F.O.W.L is the question.

Sylvester Shyster - Late 50’s to Early 60’s

Sylvester’s entire family was a family of lawyers. It was pretty much expected that if you grew up in the Shyster family, you are going to be some kind of a lawyer. Sylvester decided to follow in his family’s lead and went to the same school his parents did and got the same law degree. One of his very first clients was a small gang leader who was on trial for a string of crimes across town. Sylvester initially was warned about taking this case as it seemed like a losing battle, but to flex on his family and his peers he took the case and ended up winning. To thank him the gang leader discretely offered him some connections to some of his friends and Sylvester started to realize that there was much more money to be made in the criminal underground than as a typical lawyer. He still does a normal case every once in a while as a cover. But in secret he works with various crime gangs giving them legal advice to prevent them from getting caught or to assist in any future court battles. One of the biggest gangs he helped was the Wind Willow Weasels who eventually introduced him to Pete as they started to work with him. The two connected pretty quickly and Sylvester has been helping him forge legal documents and create manipulative contracts. Sylvester has been very successful in his secret criminal dealings, but who knows how long that is going to be a secret.

18 notes · View notes