#i want secret identities and political intrigue!!! sorry to the haters

[leulahart]

the alayne sample chapter from winds is actually something that can be so personal

[allimariexf]

alli’s Arrow 1x21 rewatch thoughts

Aka the one where Felicity goes from a person who’s “setting up Oliver’s internet” to his “friend.” Aka this is really long but I think it’s so important in the progression of Olicity and for understanding Oliver’s character and how Laurel fits in.

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“Better get started then.” OLIVER SASS! Barely there, but still. I love how he’s starting to play with her, just a little.

And then: 

“He’s the one who left, Felicity. I did everything I could to stop him.”

“Except apologize....” That’s right, Felicity! Don’t let him get away with that.

THEN:

“I’m sorry - who are you?” ENTITLED LAUREL, wow. Obviously Felicity knows Oliver - what right to you have to demand an explanation from her?

“Nobody. I mean I’m not nobody, I’m someone, obviously, and so are you, you’re Laurel, right? That Laurel - Gorgeous Laurel?”  Meanwhile Felicity’s reaction here is so adorable and so revealing:

- it shows how, even though she has confidence in her own intelligence and values, she has a deeply embedded sense of inferiority when it comes to certain types of women (the Laurel-types, who are conventionally beautiful and successful and universally adored). It shows that to some extent she sees herself as an outsider. (Not that she sees herself as lacking, exactly...I think many of us who relate to her see where I am going with this. Not that we would change things about ourselves, but that we feel like outsiders because we’re not conventionally beautiful/successful/fashionable/etc.)

- it also shows how Oliver’s continued obsession with Laurel reinforces that sense of inferiority/outsiderness. That she won’t directly assert herself between Oliver and Laurel because she assumes that Oliver would “take Laurel’s side” if he were required to make a choice between them. (With this in mind, oh how sweet 2x23 and everything after is). (Side note: in season 2 we get a delicious follow-up to this scene when Felicity DOES assert herself between Laurel and Oliver - in 2x04 at a fancy party when Felicity says to Laurel, “You can have him back in a minute” and Oliver goes with her - and it is an awesome moment showing the progression of their relationship. I live for this stuff 😎)

Meanwhile, Oliver’s little smile at Felicity here is adorable because it shows, again, that he’s simply charmed by her, and he doesn’t necessarily see her as inferior.

“This is Felicity. She’s setting up my internet.” That being said, his need to maintain his secret identity ruse - and his need at this point to preserve separation between his two identities (the “Oliver Queen” identity and relationships that he puts on a pedestal, versus the “Hood” identity and relationships which he still sees as somewhat “monstrous” and tainted) causes him to basically devalue her in front of Laurel. His response completely diminishes her actual importance and is particularly ironic because, between Laurel and Felicity, Felicity is the person who actually knows the real him at this point. *More on this later*

I’m not a Laurel-hater, but if anything was ever going to make me dislike Laurel, it would be this scene.

MOOOORE below the cut!

Meanwhile, once they go downstairs and get to work, it turns out Felicity has casually been EXTRA BRILLIANT by making the Walter connection. Because already she is more than just tech assistance, but a crime-solving PARTNER and Oliver just totally devalued her in front of Laurel and okay I am a little bitter. But the end of the episode will help make it better.

Felicity’s sass regarding Diggle is awesome - I love how she never misses an opportunity to prod Oliver to be better.

And how freaking heroic is it that she just casually presumes that she will go undercover, even after having been made a hostage during Dodger? It’s not at all like this is what she signed up for when she started helping Oliver.

Oliver’s protectiveness of her is adorable though. And the way he goes to lay down the law, “Felicity, I’m not letting you -” and then she just talks over him, “Oliver, the reason I joined you in the first place….” *Sigh* quality stuff right here. Also the way that they use each other’s first names for emphasis, even though they’re talking to each other and they’re the only people there. It’s adorable. 

THE INTENSITY: “You have to let me do this.” AND THE UNINTENTIONAL SEXUAL TENSION: “All right. But we do it my way.”

DELICITY! Ugh this friendship is so perfect, John is perfect, Felicity is perfect, their chemistry and interactions are amazing (it’s still season 1 - how is this even possible??). Why did we not get a bazillion more scenes like this? I mean, I know it’s not strictly necessary, since their close friendship and alliance comes through even in peripheral interactions, but come on...it’s just quality content!

“It feels really good having you inside me” scene: what can I say about this scene that hasn’t been said a million times? *swoooon* I will note that I particularly love how nervous you can tell Oliver is after he says “If anything happens, I’m right outside” and Felicity responds “Okay” and looks down: the way he sweeps his eyes over her with that worried expression and takes a deep breath.

“Oh look, there’s the bathroom. Should have known the manager’s office would be down the hall and to the right of the bathroom.” LOL I adore this line - she’s smart and obvious and hilarious.

“You’re gonna be really upset when you meet my partner.” I love how she’s relying on him to rescue her, how much confidence she has in him. And Oliver busting in to save her is pretty hot.

Meanwhile, pretty risky of Oliver to take his hood off in there since they probably have security cameras, but anyway it’s sweet that he did it so he could share a meaningful look with Felicity.

Felicity walking down the stairs and turning the light on sitting-in-the-dark Oliver - I love this show’s use of metaphorical imagery.

I want to know who was piloting that plane that Oliver jumped out of. Whoever that person was, they must know Oliver’s the vigilante lol

Okay so this second scene totally parallels the “Felicity-interrupting-Oliver-and-Laurel” scene, in a way that shows their relationship has PROGRESSED:

“This is totally a family thing, isn’t it?”

“I’m sorry, who are you?”  Unlike Laurel, Moira’s question isn’t at all entitled. She is actually more polite than she strictly needs to be.

“This is Felicity. She’s my friend.” This time when Oliver introduces Felicity, after everything she just risked and proved by helping rescue Walter, Oliver cannot deny her friendship. Even though he still needs to hide his secret from his family, and as much as he is trying to keep his identities separate so that his Hood persona won’t taint his “true” life and family and friends, he can’t deny that Felicity is a friend to anyone anymore. And! The way he describes their relationship from this point forward only gets more and more intimate. ^_^

For the record: Oliver thinking he loves Laurel at this point has EVERYTHING to do with the fact that he now thinks she’s the only “pure” person left from his former life who’s not tainted by lies and conspiracy and intrigue. He just found out that his mother and Tommy’s dad are involved in the undertaking, and everything he held as sacred about his former life is crashing down around him and it is making her seem more pristine by comparison. He is still holding on to the illusion that by “righting his father’s wrongs” he can redeem himself for everything he did during his 5 years away and before, and Laurel being pure is the key to that. He thinks that’s love, but obviously everyone who isn’t Oliver knows it’s not.

@jules85 @blondeeoneexox @hope-for-olicity @memcjo