i can't help myself.

“I don’t think it was too bad.“ Kora responded. “It certainly attracts attention.” And attention was good right? For all those bands, attention was the grand scheme? “Do you still do the band-ing thing?” There had to be a better way to put it, she realized an instant to late to having said the words. Kora gave a light laugh. “She sounds adorable.” Kids. There weren’t many of those at Afterlife, barring Kora’s own self. It was typical many were only brought in once having reached adulthood and obtained their powers. She was unique in the sense that for most, adulthood and powers meant freedom. The opposite had befallen her fate. “Sounds good to me.” She replied perkily with a grin. 

\\

“Well, thank you for that. One of the nicer comments about the name.” Roy had also been a lot younger back in that time, which becomes his excuse for it. “I’m in a new band, yeah. I don’t mean to brag but we’re kind of awesome. We’re called Elementi if you want to check us out.” They were a progressive metal band but it’s more melodic far as the vocals are concerned. He’s proud of their success and the following they’ve managed to achieve so far. Roy didn’t always envision himself being father material growing up but his mind changed instantly after Jade gave him custody of their daughter. “She is very adorable, you’re spot on with that assumption.” Won over the hearts of everyone that she met actually. He glances down and the cat seems to have fallen asleep in his arms — PERFECT. “I think so too. Do you want to come over for coffee or tea? I should get this one back inside.”

Crap there he went getting all emotional again. Wally valiantly had to stop himself from crying into Roy’s shoulder but god damn it he had missed him. He held Roy tighter just so he could get himself together and just to enjoy the feeling of being with his friend again. Wally was a social creature and self isolation had been brutal. Necessary according to him, but brutal. He smiled wide as he pulled away to get a good look at his old buddy. “You didn’t expect me to come all the way here and not check up on you right? Hey did you get my gift? I dropped it off when you weren’t here. I just hope the porch pirates didn’t pilfer it.” 

Wally stepped inside and smiled fondly at the combination of toys and arrows and other pointy bits scattered all over the place. “I take it Lian isn’t here? Because if she was you know I’d have to question your parenting choices a little.”

\\

Emotional hugs aren’t something Roy does often but when it comes to one of his best friends? It was going to happen. He can’t remember the last time they got to just hang out so casually had been. This would be nice so he just squeezes the other redhead to the best of his ability. They’ve been through a lot together over the years and nothing could ruin this friendship they’ve formed. He understands that everyone is going through something these days, that’s part of being an adult, isn’t it? “I did get the gifts! They’re wonderful, thank you. You didn’t have to get me anything but it was really thoughtful.” Roy says while he places the bag of food down on a free spot on the coffee table.

“My daughter is spending the night at her best friend’s house. I took advantage of having the place to myself and spread out some of the arrow prototypes I’ve been working on. Make yourself at home, Wally.” He starts to put all the finishes arrows into his quiver and the rest of the stuff is placed neatly into the box he brought it out in. Which frees up room on the coffee table. “How you been?”

..

“  that’s  capitalism  for  you. ”  he  responds  easily.  “  –  and  we  buy  into  it  every  single  year.  without  fail. ”   he  thinks  about  the  7ft  trees  his  mother  used  to  put  up  in  the  sitting  room,  and  the  study,  and  resists  the  urge  to  scowl.  all  the  decorations  in  the  world  hadn’t  been  able  to  make  that  HELL  into  a  home.  “  the  human  race  is  nothing  if  not  predictable. ”

\\

This guy reminds him a lot of Oliver, who would probably love getting the chance to talk about this stuff. “I was raised listening to my dad talk passionately about the same thing. He always believed we should be helping the underprivileged instead of giving more to the already wealthy. I hate how commercialized holidays are with the lights. My daughter likes ‘em but other than that we go volunteer around that time of year instead because we aren’t big on the holiday. We’re not even part of that religion so ... yeah.” Maybe his father was rubbing off on him in subtle ways.

@brazcnly

There were a few things Wally was known for outside of his hero thing. One was his insatiable appetite which in his defense made complete scientific sense considering he was a speedster. Another was his loyalty to his friends. Or at least it should have been. He’d been a pretty lousy friend, dropping off the grid like he did. They deserved better than that from him. Yes he’d still talked to Roy and Dick but only just. That wasn’t fair to them, It wasn’t fair to them to push them away like he had. Like he’d pushed everyone away. That’s how he found himself knocking on Roy’s door with Belly Burgers in hand praying that his old friend was home. He had a lot to make up for and the earlier he started the better. And what better start was there than food and good company?

\\

The apartment is a mess — children toys all over the floor since Lian didn’t pick any of them up before going to a sleepover at her friend’s house. There was also some arrow prototypes being worked on in the living room, some finished ones on the coffee table and also ones that were still in progress. Roy figured that he might as well take advantage of this chance of not having to worry about little fingers trying to touch so much dangerous substances. However, a knock on the door had been suspicious so Roy stands up to go and see who was there. His red curls tossed up into a messy bun. You can imagine the surprise on his face to see Wally — one of his very best friends. “Wally? What are you doing here? It’s been far too long, dude. Come in! Pardon the mess but first …” He says as steps forward to hug the other redhead carefully despite the bag of what looks to be food. Roy pulls back after a moment and steps aside to let his friend come inside.

“The Great Frog?” Kora didn’t know of many bands, let alone band names. Was that a normal one? One of the few bands she knew of were The Beatles. Maybe animals were common in names of bands? Yes, she decided, that must be it. “That’s sweet.” She commented with a light grin. It was sweet, the idea of a little girl growing up and naming her kitten after her father’s band. Very cute indeed. “Nice to meet you Roy, I’m Kora.” She introduced herself friendlily. “Yeah, don’t worry about it. What kind of person would I be if I demanded payment for helping a little girl?”

\\

“Yeah, it wasn’t the best name looking back on it.” Which is why the band Roy is in these days has something far more catchy. He would prefer Elementi over Great Frog every single time. His bandmates are supportive unlike those who used to take up his time. They hadn’t been the best of influences either — having dragged him to parties no teenager needed to be anywhere near. “She’s the sweetest kid. Unless she misplaces her favorite shoes and then she rips apart every closet.” The redhead laughs for a moment. “It’s lovely to meet you, Kora. You have a point there. Your friendship would be enough then … how about that?”

“  there’s  a  special  circle  in  hell  reserved  for  people  who  put  their  christmas  decorations  up  in  november. ”  @thephoenixstart​

Frog. Kora found that utterly adorable. Plus, the cat belonging to his daughter- who she presumed to be a little girl given how young the man himself was, Kora had no hesitation to part from the kitty at their behest. “that’s a very cute name, it was nice to meet you Mr. Frog.” She told the cat with a light grin on her face, giving it one more pet before pulling her hand away. “Oh, you think?” She wanted to say something encouraging, like Frog would have found his way home or something. But Kora wasn’t much of an animal expert, maybe she’d ask Ambrose if cats found their ways home. But that was for a later time. “You don’t have to do anything,” She said finally. “I’m happy to be helpful.”

\\

If anything happened to the cat then Roy knows what happens next would be heartbreaking. How do you tell a child that their pet won’t be coming home? Luckily it seems that won’t be the case here today. “I used to be in a band called Great Frog when I was a teenager. She grew up seeing my old drum kit around our place. I got her this one when he was just a kitten and she decided Frog was the perfect name.” Roy chuckles a little at the memory, a wholesome one. “It’s pretty cute, yeah.” He bends down to scratch behind the feline’s ears before picking him up. The redhead at least knows he won’t fight it which will make taking him home easier. “Are you sure? I’m Roy, shame on me for not introducing myself.”

Conner knows that being part of Roy’s family was important to him, and even if he already knew them, it would be a different kind of meeting than just teammates since this was a lot more serious. It was funny how most of the sidekicks grew up with adopted families, how all these heroes just took these wayward souls and have them a better chance at life, while cracking a few skulls along the way. “Yes a lot more of you,” Conner grinned as he came closer wrapping his arms around Roy. They had a very spacious place, and it was great for Lian to grow up in, and now that they were alone, they got to play. “Oh we’re definitely breaking a few things, but nothing that I didn’t already have set aside in order to be replaced. I might’ve thought a bit ahead,” he chuckled. “Don’t know, you should definitely decide and might as well rip those clothes off…actually just take them off I really like that shirt.”

A gust of wind breezed by as Wally hastily left the box he’d prepared at Roy’s door. Like the child he was he knocked a thousand times a second and sped away before Roy could see him. Inside was a simple handwritten note and some gifts he’d gotten for Roy and even one for Lian.

Hey Roy. Man you’re getting old! Seeing as how you’re an old man now I thought I’d get you some grown up presents! No the cat is not for you. Obviously I couldn’t not got a gift for Lian too since it’s been so long. That one’s for her. Everything else is totally for you though. I hope you think of me every time you see that mug haha. Oh, be careful with that arrow head. It’s not very strong but it has the sharpest edge on the market. Obsidian. At the thinnest point it’s only a molecule wide. I know. I checked. Stylish and practical! See I can be an adult too! And who doesn’t like savings and food right? Anyway, Happy Birthday Roy. I’m in NY now so lets’ catch up!

Your coolest friend,

~Wally

@brazcnly​

it was a cat. kora had never had a cat before, or any animal of any kind. she’d seen inhumans who could turn INTO animals, but never an actual animal itself. the small thing, in all it’s glory, was simply laying down. it wasn’t a feral, she could tell that much by it’s grooming and the little collar hung around it’s neck. still, kora couldn’t resist petting the small cute thing. it was appealing, and she’d never done it before. so, why not? it was only when she glanced upward and saw a pair of unfamiliar eyes on her she realized maybe this had been a bad idea. “is this your cat?” she asked. 

\\

This has never happened before, Roy has been searching for hours while Lian was crying and asking what she did to make her cat run away. He made a promise to bring the missing member of their family home. Someone must have left a door open because the feline made a break for it. His eye catches the familiar sight of white fur and a collar — thankful that his search has come to an end. He might be used to leaping across rooftops but this had been an exhausting search. “Yes. He’s more my daughter’s cat than mine but still a member of our family. His name is Frog.” He chuckles a little at the name, knowing it’s ridiculous but that’s what happens when you let toddlers name things. It was sweet and stuck around as Lian got older. “How can I thank you for finding him? If you hadn’t stopped to pet him then I’d probably still be searching.”

Ororo glanced over the menu at the guy before responding. “Well you can never go wrong with the simple things. But I also like trying out new things sometimes. And some of their choices actually sound good.”

Ororo hadn’t been in town for quite some time and she felt a bit like a stranger. She knew she had to head back to the school but she had decided to stop and get something to eat from a nearby diner. She walked inside and sat down at a booth before picking up a menu and looking at it. 

//

Sometimes Roy feels like he has been in New York for quite some time now. He misses the days of traveling but Lian has school here and he can’t exactly hop on a plane to France anymore. Oh well, there was a lot of good things about being here in this city. The food is one of them — staring at one of the menus while being unable to pick something when it all looks amazing. He turns his head to the woman who sat down at the booth adjacent to his table. “They have so many choices, huh? It’s hard for me to pick just one.”

The fact that they were together now probably meant that it was the right time for them to jump into this, and Conner might’ve had to wait a little but the outcome was definitely worth it. Being able to call himself Roy’s boyfriend, Lian’s other dad, it was all definitely worth it. Their time spent together before, building those years of friendship surely meant something and now that they were both single, they took a chance on each other and it turned out to be the best thing he could’ve ever asked for. “If I remember correctly you actually had the other kind of dessert first before anything, so I don’t know what they would say exactly. Not that I’m complaining,” he mused before smiling at the man. 

“Yes,” he blushed, “Everything had to be perfect,” he said finishing his plate before crossing his arms at the other man. Conner wondered if he had told Oliver that they were already together, and he was sure Oliver would give them a hard time, he wasn’t really sure about Dinah. All of them had pretty big families, Conner even had Jonathan, Lois, Clark, and pretty much everybody else who took him into their lives without question. 

“Me? I’m always in the mood for more of you, best kind of dessert there is, and we’ve got a lot of surfaces here in the tower that we haven’t really used, so I think we might as well check if everything is sturdy. What do you think?”

Roy thinks that Oliver and Dinah might just be happy knowing that their boy isn’t dating Jade again or another super-villain. Which would be the best way to accept his boyfriend. He didn’t have a big family growing up but after being adopted that really changed his life for the better in some ways. Introductions can be thought about later, involving a trip back to the west coast to visit Star City where everyone is currently.  Unless they were on some special mission but that can be thought about when the trip is going to be planned. Which won’t happen anytime soon at least.

Roy: i should be doing that why am i over here trying to give them an answer at those things Roy: hahaha i see what you did there 😝 Roy: i don’t even think my dad likes answering them either Roy: okay you keep your secrets but now i’m curious but i don’t think this is something i’ll be able to google huh Roy: why are you like this?? go ahead and try to scare me see if you can do it Roy: you’re lucky i love ya man