Arsenal

hello friends! i’d send this in the discord but sadly i’m not in the server anymore. as i’ve explained to the admins, my time at sidekick is up for now. unfortunately i just don’t have the capacity to dedicate to this group at the moment with my new job and it doesn’t feel right to hang around and take up spots that could be better filled elsewhere.

I wish so many of you the best and if anyone wants to keep in touch please feel free to add me on discord Mel 🌟#6996

          ❝ ‘N then if I tap my foot twice like this … ❞ Link’s taken the liberty of showcasing the new functions of the prosthetic leg they acquired in their absence. First day back at Paragon and the first instinct is to SHOW OFF to younger students ; how very Link Wayne of them. On brand , as they’d say. But they do what they describe , tapping their toe twice to the ground and watching as the food expands into a skateboard. ❝ - I get a coolass skateboard !! ‘N it works , just watch - ❞ They balance their other foot on the edge , perfectly whirling around the area. ❝ It’s fuckin’ li- SHIT. ❞ They collide with another body , hoping to not send them toppling over - and the kids watching them giggle just a tad. Link sighs. ❝ ‘Kay , I get it - it’s funny , now go to class since you wanna apparently laugh at my failed attempt at badassery. ❞ They step back , tapping their foot again to return to its normal state. They looked the other figure up and down , hands on their hips. ❝ Sorry about that - y’good ?? … What’s , uh , what’s poppin ?? ❞

Jason has always been good at burying what happens to himself, thinking it was better to focus on the kids and his friends than anything else. He doesn’t even mean to shift the focus toward himself — nervous a little at the feeling of those hands against his cheek. “What?” He asks softly. “I know that. It’ll be you AND me until we’re old.” Jason means it, wanting to be able to be alongside Roy until the end of time.

He never once got completely over his death. Jason knows that he should now that he’s six years away from fifty. He was getting old — and it was strange for thinking that when he shouldn’t have lived past the age of fifteen. “I’m glad you feel that way. I wish it hadn’t happened either.  I fell right into the clown’s trap.”

Roy can’t help but breathe a sigh of relief at Jason’s confirmation. Not that he would ever doubt Jason fo course - the man’s never given him reason to. No, he doubts himself, that he could ever really be enough for Jason to stay, even after so many years there’s a small part of him that wonders if he can really be that lucky. “You and me, old and grey on a porch somewhere, watching beautiful sunsets every day. You think that’s a thing we’re gonna be able to have?” He asks with a small smile.

Jason knows that this probably wasn’t easy for Roy to go through, knowing how his mind works after so many decades together — he doesn’t know many people better than that. He loves him completely, and which is why he can’t bring himself to be mad at Roy for something he couldn’t control. The mist had done something to everyone — but ultimately Jason had just been sad to see him like that and unable to do anything about it. “They’re beautiful.” He says with a smile, even though this moment was completely emotional.

“I was worried at first wondering what was going on when you were texting me like that. I didn’t know what it could have meant — but I was worried you might have suddenly decided to want to leave. Which we raised kids together I think if we can survive that we can survive anything. I saw you though and then realized something else was wrong. I know I’m here now, but I still feel bad about putting everyone through so much grief. My brain plays tricks on me sometimes, makes me see things that aren’t really there as a way of coping with it.”

“Jason - hey, look at me.” He says immediately, his attention shifting away from what happened to him for a moment as he rests his palm on Jason’s cheek. Because it didn’t just happen to him. It happened to Jason, too - and not just the way he was stuck speaking Spanish, but the fact that he had to endure seeing Roy like this, seeing him so confused and lost and hurt. “I’m never going to want to leave you. Jay - aside from Lian? You’re easily the best thing that’s ever happened to me. Nothing’s ever gonna make me want to leave you. No matter what happens, just - always remember that, okay?”

fabian had been living on their own for years but being ADULT wasn’t something that they were used to. they were in their late twenties but how they lived to be compared to when they were in high school. they ate a lot of ramen and mac ‘n cheese and drank too much coffee for it to be normal. they knew that they had to become more of an adult and learn how to cook for themselves , especially if they saw a bright future with their boyfriend. which they did. “ never - i’d never mind leftovers , “ fabian smiles. 

“I would hope it isn’t for just anyone.” Jason admits with a soft smirk across his lips. He rationally knew that whatever was going on wasn’t Roy’s fault. He just wasn’t prepared to experience what it had been like for him when he wasn’t. He knows that what happened to him was out of his control though — it was the Joker’s doing. He had been the one who put him through the trauma and murdered him in cold blood. “You aren’t the worst fiancé, stop that. I do love the flowers though.” He says featuring to where he had put them.

His body turns around, and doesn’t stop Roy when he grabs onto his hands like that. “Yeah? Well good.” Jason didn’t know what kind of conversation they were about to have, but he gives those hands a gentle squeeze. “I’m not mad. I can’t be mad at you for that — initially I was a little pissed until I realized something was wrong. Something happened with the storm, and that mist — it made me forget how to speak English so we were all a little  out of our minds.” He says with a soft smile. “I’m truly sorry that I wasn’t able to be there for you back then I really am.”

“Definitely not - only you, Jay. You know that.” Roy wishes he could return with a joke, a quip, something - but he just doesn’t have it in him. He hates what happened to him, hates what that mist did to him - sent him back to that time, that part of his life that he’s so painfully ashamed of. Worse - that he put Jason through seeing him that way, through seeing what a mess Roy was when he was gone. “I’m glad you like them. Really.”

penny had to do something like this before, when she was arrested for petty theft. they made her stand on the side of a highway in a bright orange vest and stab pieces of trash with a stick. it was easily one of the most humiliating parts of her life. one she didn’t like to think back on often, but there she was stabbing pieces of trash with a stick again. except this time, no vest. the person she was supposed to meet with and do this wasn’t there yet, she had showed up earlier and planned on cleaning up less than half of the trash in their designated area and leave them the rest, but it was taking longer than she liked. finally someone walked up with trash pick in hand. “you look like shit” she said, forcibly stabbing a protein bar wrapper. “and you’re late” they weren’t, but she wasn’t in a good mood and liked to bring everyone else down with her. @cfroyharper

Jason wasn’t a mind reader, but never wished to be one because working through his own thoughts was enough for him to do. He respects those that can handle it, but he does wonder what was going through Roy’s head right now. He never saw the archer like that before, not knowing just how bad it got when he was DEAD. He takes the flowers though, moving away from his position against the wall. He smiles as he smells them, already moving to quickly get a vase filled with water from the kitchen for them. He comes back a few minutes later, and places them on the coffee table. His eyes turns back to Roy, and listens. “You’ve gone soft, Harper. You didn’t have to do all of this for me, but I will always accept food and new weaponry. Thank you, love.” He answers as he leans in to kiss Roy’s cheek before this all got serious. 

“You don’t have to apologize to me. I was just worried, and didn’t understand that something happened to you too. I didn’t realize how much my death truly hurt you. This doesn’t change anything, but we can talk about it if you want? My death — would that help?”

“Not for everyone.” Roy says simply, a small, somewhat shaky smile on his face. He likes to think that, after all this time, he knows Jason pretty well - and the man doesn’t seem angry right now which is a huge relief. Not that Roy would blame him if he was, but - he’s definitely glad that he’s not. It makes this entire conversation much easier to even think about. “Besides, I - I wanted to. And not just because I was about the worst fiance in the world.” He sighs, his smile fading. Jason might not be mad at him, but Roy’s definitely mad at himself - whatever made him forget who he was, where he was, everything that’s happened over the past twenty-plus years, - it doesn’t matter. It’s not an excuse for the things he said. “Anything for you, Jason. I mean it.”

* the above revised invitation has been sent out to all invitees of for Jason and Roy’s wedding advising as below *

SAVE THE NEW DATE

We apologise for the inconvenience but would like to announce a change to the upcoming wedding.

It would give us great pleasure if you could join

JASON TODD & ROY HARPER

For their wedding on June 8th, 2019

Location and times will remain the same

Please RSVP for the new date by April 30th

We hope you will still be able to join us on our special day

Jason is just relieved it was all over — whatever had happened. He rubs his eyes, thankful to be able to speak English again because not everyone was fluent in Spanish even if he wished that they were. He had been cleaning some of his weapons to keep himself busy. When hearing someone walk in, all he can assume to be Roy — he puts them away in his sealed safe. Which is hidden behind a painting, that wouldn’t open for anyone other than himself. It was for safety more than anything.

He steps out of the bedroom, and he leans against one of the walls in the living room. “Yeah, I’m here. Those for me?”

Roy nods his head immediately, resisting the urge to just rush over to Jason and hold him and apologise for everything. Whatever it was about that stupid storm that made everyone’s behaviour change, that made him forget the past twenty-odd years - Roy still can’t believe he put Jason through something like that. He hates himself for it - and really, he wouldn’t blame Jason if he did, too. “Yeah, I - here -” He steps over to Jason, holding out the flowers, “For you. And I picked up your favourite for dinner. And - give me a few hours and this -” He shakes the package gently - “It’s going to be a pretty cool new weapon for you to use. You know, if you want.”

Lian would never think differently of her father for stepping back to focus on another job. She would respect the decision —  always a daddy’s girl when it comes down to it. She always picked his side, and didn’t think Roy could do any wrong. Which might not always be a good mindset, but she can’t help it. She’s nervous as to what’s going on, but then her face drops little after he says it.

It was only for a moment. “Oh. You’re getting a big person job? That’s great, daddy. I’m so happy for you! I can handle it on my own for a while. Jay can always take me out too.” She suggests, looking at her father for a reaction.

Roy knows his daughter loves him. Of course he does. And he knows she wouldn’t be mad or hurt at him for making this decision - but there’s always a small part of him that worries he’ll fail her somehow. That he won’t be the kind of father she deserves. That thought alone has driven him to do right by her - and even with this decision, that’s what he’s doing in a way.

It has been a while since Jason has seen Roy like this — and he recognizes that look in the man’s eye. He was staring at him as if he was just a ghost or someone he doesn’t recognize. Which he doesn’t know which one would hurt more. “We can get through this together, come here.” Jason tries to get Roy to approach him, as he wants to be there for him — but it seems that it wasn’t happening. “It’s Jason, yeah.”

He goes silent, hands stay at his sides as he just observes what Roy was going to do. 

“Well I know I’m ugly, but my face hasn’t changed much the last ten years. I still look like me. What are you talking about? You really don’t want to see me?” Jason asks unsure what was happening all around them, just standing there HURT that Roy was hurting. 

* italics are spanish.

Roy’s lucky he took the time to pick up some Spanish from Jason so he could understand his friend before he died - but somehow that just makes all of this worse. The fact that this - this fake-Jason is insisting on speaking Spanish just makes this that much more difficult to face. “This isn’t happening. This isn’t happening.” Roy says over and over, trying to  find an escape of some kind from this - this nightmare.

It took some time, but he stops upon seeing Roy finally. He knew the archer better than anyone after all these years so tracking him down despite whatever was going on wasn’t so hard. “Harper! There you are. What’s going on with you?” He shouts as he closes the distance between them, and stopping in front of him. He hopes that Roy can understand him at least since he was unable to speak in English. “You’re worrying me.”

* italics is meant to be spanish.

For a few moments, Roy doesn’t even recognise him. All he can do is stare blankly at the man approaching, blink a few times, and try to figure out just who the hell he is. As he gets closer, though, and as Roy hears him talk, it dawns on him. “Oh my god..” He murmurs, eyes widening, torn between stumbling away from him and stepping closer. It can’t be - can it? “J-Jason?” He gasps, mouth hanging open in shock.

It can’t be. It can’t be. Jason’s dead. He’s been dead for a while, this - this can’t be happening -

[ TEXT // ROY 💘 ] → alright that’s it i’m coming to find you.