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Clock Tower Theater: Fanfic, Fan Music Videos and Art

Luckylyn

By Luckylyn
in Arrow

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wonderwall

wonderwall

I have a list of five stories that are my favorite Arrow fics, but if truly forced, I would probably pick "And Then It Ends" as my favorite. The characters are smart, everyone is in character--I especially like Roy--and even on re-reading I find myself on the edge of my seat because Macha ramps up the tension so well. Catch me on a different day and I might pick another story, but this one is a gem.

Mind naming your top 5??? :)

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Morrigan2575
Morrigan2575

Cute.  

wonderwall
wonderwall

This is FANTASTIC LMFAO:                 http://sm0ak-queen.tumblr.com/post/142085171808/felicity-and-friends-a-show-about-a-group-of

WindofChange
WindofChange

I love this source: http://oliverfelicitygifs.tumblr.com/post/168315297294

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thegirlsleuth

thegirlsleuth

(edited)

Mind naming your top 5??? :)

 

Ha, ha--sure.  This came up because I had a friend I was pimping into the fandom and they asked for fic recs to start.  I tried to give her a taste of the different seasons and different writers, and generally followed up my rec with "and then read everything else this author wrote". In addition to "And Then it Ends" they are:

 

Hideaways by Jaegermighty:  http://archiveofourown.org/works/1056769. I think this one captures Oliver's season one vigilance and awkwardness, as well as the capers for the first season.  Also, it has a sex scene that matches up with my head cannon of what Oliver and Felicity's sex is like when Oliver is not marching off to his death in Nanda Parbat, eager and hot and fun.

Between the Shadow and the Soul, apinknightmare.  http://archiveofourown.org/works/1847812/chapters/3973774. Each chapter is beautifully formed, and could be a standalone, but they build on each other so nicely and give a great feel of Oliver's progression after season two that wasn't shown onscreen.

Open Secrets, Ash818 http://archiveofourown.org/works/2256201.  I know others like her futurefic, and I almost picked plus ca change except it got Jossed by canon. I like this one for how opening himself up is going to save Oliver's life, and the scene where he gets delirious in the frozen wilderness is beautiful.  

Ten Lives, by Anna_S, http://archiveofourown.org/works/3123437.  I wanted to include a season 3B fix-it, and I thought You're His Hope would scare my friend off. This has a couple of great lines,  like describing Oliver and Felicity's relationship as "a dead question mark with an asterisk", acknowledging how Oliver was the first to recognize Felicity's heroism, Oliver wondering what it meant that he knew how to make bombs, and Thea and Felicity--his two great loves--storming the castle.

 

Bonus:  Aint It Fun, by Magneticwave. http://archiveofourown.org/works/1467502This was written before anyone knew anything about Felicity Smoak so it is way off canon, but it is such a friggin' delight I included it.

 

If I went longer, I'd include wagamiller, carrie ann, anzoona, confidentialityspice, serenadreams, the shipsfirstmate, jsevick, and thelaughingduchess.

Edited by thegirlsleuth
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foreverevolving

foreverevolving

(edited)

I would like to add another major! fic peeve to my list: the usage of technology/websites/companies before said tech was common or even existed.

Just read a fic (a non Arrow one) where the story takes place circa 1997 and character B was using character A phone to text back to the guy who canceled his date with character A via text! 

 

Non historically accurate technology is only allowed in AU/parallel earth like stories!

Edited by foreverevolving
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arjumand

arjumand

(edited)

Going to read now :D

What's everyone's opinion on FFN vs A03? Personally I like A03 better but not really sure why lol

 

I do like AO3 better, but FFN has its plus points too - I ended up putting my fic on both to widen my reader base. I don't know why but they don't really overlap. In FFN you can communicate directly with other members through private messages, which you can't through AO3. Also, there's a forum about writing in which I got into some interesting conversations and managed to improve the way I write.

 

On the other hand, and this has happened to me twice now, on FFN I've had to explain or justify going off at a tangent, or moving at a faster pace. It's so weird that this has happened to me twice on FFN, and never on AO3.

 

AO3. When I really like a fic, I save it as a Word document so I can read it later in case it gets taken down. I can't do that with FF.net any more

 

Actually, you can do that on fanfiction.net :

 

If you're reading using Firefox, click on the little icon in the address bar which looks like an open book (Enter Reader View) - then you can copy paste as usual. I found out after I took part in a review game (writers review each other's fics) and ended up retyping, when I could have just copy-pasted. Ugh.

Edited by arjumand
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lemotomato

lemotomato

I would like to add another major! fic peeve to my list: the usage of technology/websites/companies before said tech was common or even existed.

Just read a fic (a non Arrow one) where the story takes place circa 1997 and character B was using character A phone to text back to the guy who canceled his date with character A via text! 

 

Non historically accurate technology is only allowed in AU/parallel earth like stories!

Texting in 1997? They should've gone with pager code, LOL. My guess is that the author is young enough so they don't remember that technology change.
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foreverevolving

foreverevolving

Texting in 1997? They should've gone with pager code, LOL. My guess is that the author is young enough so they don't remember that technology change.

The golden rule of any author writing stories taken place in the years before they turned 20 should always be to: research those years!

There is no excuse for this! My inner Felicity Smoak is crying at this.

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looptab

looptab

I think a trap that a lot of fanfic writers fall into is making Felicity a lot more playful than she actually is. Looking throughout the course of the show, Felicity isn't one to be all that bubbly. She's funny, she puts her foot in her mouth, and flirty (with Oliver), and sometimes she has fun, but overall Felicity is a serious person who doesn't take anyone's crap. 

 

Which is why that Bose commercial with Felicity dancing in her seat, it just looks weird now that we've had 4 seasons of Felicity. Because we've never seen her be THAT light and carefree. 

Mmh, I don't know. I loved that commercial, and it didn't seem OOC for her, not even now, after 4 years - after S3! :) I can see why some authors would insert some more of that in their fictions, afterall the show doesn't leave a lot of space for moments like that - for anyone.  I've read very few fanfictions though, so my experience is limited. Maybe I didn't really come across what you describe. :)

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Delphi

Delphi

meh, all they had to do was ask their parents. lol.

Ha, you'd have to find an angsty, fan fiction writing, Tumblr using teenager that would want to talk to their parents.

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foreverevolving

foreverevolving

So the "The Darkest Hour" got updated- great update!

Seriously I have no idea what she is doing with Tommy, but I am loving it and I am dying to learn why he is so different.. practically evil! I love it! but I need to understand the "why" he is that way.

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bijoux

bijoux

So the "The Darkest Hour" got updated- great update!

Seriously I have no idea what she is doing with Tommy, but I am loving it and I am dying to learn why he is so different.. practically evil! I love it! but I need to understand the "why" he is that way.

 

This is great news to come home to. 

 

As for mister, it's very overused in fics. Felicity used it precisely once in the clip above and that was under extreme stress. I'm talking about plain mister, not Mr. Queen.

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wonderwall

wonderwall

So the "The Darkest Hour" got updated- great update!

Seriously I have no idea what she is doing with Tommy, but I am loving it and I am dying to learn why he is so different.. practically evil! I love it! but I need to understand the "why" he is that way.

 

I was so excited to see this update. Honestly I loved it all! I wonder what Tommy is up to and why he is the way he is, hopefully she explores his character as well as she does Felicity and Oliver's... 

 

Two moments in the chapter just made me fall in love with this fic even more... This paragraph:

 

 

“Night,” he said softly, and she squeezed his arm as she walked past him.  She was halfway up the stairs when she turned to look over her shoulder.  Oliver was where she left him, only this time leaning against the table, his hands gripping the edges.  A single light shined down on him and Felicity thought she had never seen a person so alone.  Her heart gripped at the sight of him, his head bowed as he wrestled with whatever thoughts had him holding on to the edges of the table so tightly.  Before she could think about it, she said his name softly.  His head came up quickly, and their eyes met.  A flood of emotions charged between them and Felicity found herself gripping the railing tightly.  She was not ready.  While she wanted to run down the stairs and fling herself into his arms, she was not ready.  She needed to finish rebuilding herself, to rediscover those strengths that they tried to destroy in her. If she let him, Oliver could surround her and take over so completely and she would find herself succumbing to his will rather than meeting it with her own.  No, she wasn’t ready but neither could she discount her own growing attraction to Oliver.

 

And her entire talk with Diggle:

 

 

“Sure, if you look at it in absolutes.  But when we’re breaking the law, we’re not lining our own pockets.  We’re not paying people to look the other way.  Quite the opposite.  We are shining a bright light on the corruption in this city, on the crime that remains unchecked, and slowly….frustratingly so sometimes….we are making a difference.  More honest cops, residents of the Glades, and outside of it,” Diggle emphasized, “taking up the watch and reporting crimes more frequently rather than ignoring what is happening.  That’s progress.”

...

“Is it too much, Felicity?  What you experienced tonight is nothing compared to other ops.  This was easy, most likely because we have you as our eyes and ears, but other ops won’t be nearly as simple.”

...

“No,” she finally said, looking up to meet Diggle’s eyes.  “It’s not too much.  I’m finally taking some control over what happened to me.  The first few days, weeks, I needed to recover, to readjust.  But it was never going to be enough, just sitting on the sidelines waiting for someone to do something.   I’m helping to solve my own case.  And that is helping me move forward.  This? This is part of my new normal.  And I like it.”

 

I adored her talk with Diggle. It was everything I want to see on the show but sadly it won't give it to me.

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bijoux

bijoux

I just encountered another pet peeve I want to add to the list: Felicity calling her computers her "babies." It is so overdone and usually awkward in any fic that includes it.

Oh, God, yes.

 

As for The Darkest Hour, it's excellent. I think Tommy might actually be heading towards comics territory, that he is the Dark Archer, or this universe's variation of it. I do wonder what his plan is. I hope it's merely painting Oliver as an irresponsible playboy in Felicity's eyes.

 

I loved the first joined mission, they are an outstanding team already. And the writer just keeps the story tight. She really manages to strike an excellent balance between the characters' emotional lives and keeping the action going.

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EmilyBettFan

EmilyBettFan

This is great news to come home to.

As for mister, it's very overused in fics. Felicity used it precisely once in the clip above and that was under extreme stress. I'm talking about plain mister, not Mr. Queen.

oh sorry lol
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Morrigan2575

Morrigan2575

Just remembered another pet peeve and this is a general one, not just Arrow.

I hate when writers use the actors real names for other characters. Like naming an Olicity daughter Emily. Or (just came across one) having a character named Judge DeGouw. It really takes me out of the story.

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foreverevolving

foreverevolving

(edited)

Guys i need someone to scrub my brain or erase it, anyone has one of those MIB sticks?.. Why, why, are there people out there writing AOS Phil/Daisy romance fics, including M rated ones?!

*whimpers in pain* All I wanted to do was read one or two FitzSimmons fics.

Edited by foreverevolving
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BkWurm1

BkWurm1

Guys i need someone to scrub my brain or erase it, anyone has one of those MIB sticks?.. Why, why, are there people out there writing AOS Phil/Daisy romance fics, including M rated ones?!

*whimpers in pain* All I wanted to do was read one or two FitzSimmons fics.

Given that there was a time when I wondered if he was her father, I feel your pain. 

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wonderwall

wonderwall

The Darkest Hour just updated

http://archiveofourown.org/chapters/15206653

 

And I have to say, she's making Tommy really creepy and I sort of love it. It's kind of like the Tommy we probably would've seen if the show didn't kill him off. And we FINALLY know why the Cadre took Felicity.But the moment that took the cake for me was the part in the middle with Oliver/Felicity. It's such a small but important moment and the following line that she wrote just made my day :p

 

"They stood in the bright sunshine, smiling broadly at each other. In that moment, that utterly beautiful, perfect moment, Oliver knew that finding Felicity was singularly the most important thing he’d done since returning from the island. "

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EmeraldArcher

EmeraldArcher

The Darkest Hour just updated

http://archiveofourown.org/chapters/15206653

 

And I have to say, she's making Tommy really creepy and I sort of love it. It's kind of like the Tommy we probably would've seen if the show didn't kill him off. And we FINALLY know why the Cadre took Felicity.But the moment that took the cake for me was the part in the middle with Oliver/Felicity. It's such a small but important moment and the following line that she wrote just made my day :p

 

"They stood in the bright sunshine, smiling broadly at each other. In that moment, that utterly beautiful, perfect moment, Oliver knew that finding Felicity was singularly the most important thing he’d done since returning from the island. "

YES! I love this creepy Tommy!

In the pilot, I thought there was a lot of ambiguity about Tommy--what he knew and whether there was more darkness in him than his charming, playboy façade would suggest. It could have been because they were still loosely operating under the premise that he would eventually be the Dark Archer, but there were certainly moments during which Tommy's eyes held more than a hint of menace that suggested he knew Oliver was lying about what really happened during the kidnapping.

I would have really loved it if Tommy's path to the Dark Archer would have come to fruition, minus the originally planned O-L-T triangle. I think his turning to the dark side would have created more complex storytelling than having Malcolm be the big bad. Malcolm, as played by JB, has just always been too hammy. Furthermore, Malcolm has always had a weird fondness for Oliver, but a betrayed Tommy would have shown him no mercy and their shared history would have created so much more organic and character-driven angst than the stupid, plot-driven shoehorning Malcolm requires to remain relevant. Collin Donnell would have nailed it.

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AyChihuahua

AyChihuahua

I wonder if the EPs would have killed off Laurel instead of Tommy if they had total free rein. Then either kill off Malcolm or let him hang around just awhile to train Tommy. I definitely think CD could have pulled off evil. He seems, IRL, to be an utterly lovely person, but he's a really good actor, so I think he would have rocked it.

 

In the fic, I'm guessing Tommy is going to try to drive a wedge bw Felicity and Oliver. He doesn't know Oliver is the Green Arrow, though, which should make the wedge-driving much more difficult.

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way2interested

way2interested

The Darkest Hour just updated

http://archiveofourown.org/chapters/15206653

 

And I have to say, she's making Tommy really creepy and I sort of love it. It's kind of like the Tommy we probably would've seen if the show didn't kill him off. And we FINALLY know why the Cadre took Felicity.But the moment that took the cake for me was the part in the middle with Oliver/Felicity. It's such a small but important moment and the following line that she wrote just made my day :p

 

"They stood in the bright sunshine, smiling broadly at each other. In that moment, that utterly beautiful, perfect moment, Oliver knew that finding Felicity was singularly the most important thing he’d done since returning from the island. "

 

It was such a good chapter, I loved it. It's funny, I was always on the brink of "the story is dragging" and "this story is rushing," but then I actually sit down and read it and I'm pleasantly surprised about how well-paced it is. So happy it was updated rather quickly compared to the other chapters and with now one of new favorite chapters. Also, love how Oliver and Felicity are just developing towards each other rather than a full-on love fest, one of my own pet peeves in fan fics. They like each other and care about each other, but they aren't too quick to jump and tell each other everything about what they're thinking, because they aren't quite there yet, which makes the moments when they do know how each other's feeling and they do share with each other feel so great. Gosh, don't mind me, I'm just gushing.  

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statsgirl

statsgirl

I think the problem with making Tommy the Dark Archer was that it would have been Spiderman all over again.  I miss Tommy and I wish they hadn't killed him off but I can see why they did it.

 

For Smoaking Billionaire fans, Infie has added a new section to her Voyeur, Director, Star series, Understudy, Lead.  Definitely NSFW but with good character development.

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bijoux

bijoux

This is so great and unexpected. The author wonderfully taps into things from the show, like Felicity's alarms going off with Tommy. It's not like a memory being triggered because I don't think Tommy was there when she was either kidnapped or tortured. Instead it's Felicity's canonical people instincts. PsychoTommy really works for me, even if I don't remember seeing any of that on the show and I'm very sad for Oliver that he's lost that link to his life before the island.

The biggest shocker of all may be that Isabel was the most rational person in the room, with no grudge against Felicity.

We have learned why Felicity was taken, but there are still mysteries and I would say the two biggest ones are Oliver and Tommy. What made Tommy become so unhinged that the entire Cadre fears him and what made Oliver stop killing? The most obvious answer seems to be Laurel, who is notably not present or mentioned. The only thing wrong with that is that I doubt Tommy would have made that progress in such a short time and the fic does give the impression that he's been involved longer.

I think the problem with making Tommy the Dark Archer was that it would have been Spiderman all over again.  I miss Tommy and I wish they hadn't killed him off but I can see why they did it.

 

Agreed. I also won't lie and say that revealing Malcolm was the Dark Archer wasn't a great twist. Despite the lengths they've gone to with him since, I honestly thought and still think that was an excellent reveal.
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EmeraldArcher

EmeraldArcher

I think the problem with making Tommy the Dark Archer was that it would have been Spiderman all over again.  I miss Tommy and I wish they hadn't killed him off but I can see why they did it.

I admit that I've only seen Spider-Man play out on the big screen (with Tobey Maguire) and agree that the sampling of more famous comic superheroes' stories (e.g., Batman and Spider-Man) would perhaps have been too much had Tommy turned out to be the Dark Archer. However, there would have been key differences, such as the equality between Oliver and Tommy (both billionaires, both handsome and charming, both enjoyed carefree young adulthood during which they partied and shirked responsibility, and potentially both with crucibles) unlike Peter and Harry, between whom always existed great disparity and often rivalry depending on the circumstance. If I remember correctly, it was Harry's father's death at the hands of Peter/SM that propelled Harry toward villiany--his grief was exacerbated by his petulance, insecurity, and jealously of Peter.

I'm just surmising how it could have happened without exactly duplicating a lot of the PP/HO relationship. Mostly, no matter how great the twist it was that MM was the Dark Archer, I can only wish that he hadn't be given such a prominent role in the series all these seasons and stupid plots later. Alas.

Did anybody else enjoy the epilogue to "She Refused to be a Swooner" by SuchAPrettyPoison? I loved that entire fic! It was such a romp, and I loved the bookend to the first chapter that the epilogue provided. I also loved it when Oliver admitted he is a swooner!

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lemotomato

lemotomato

Did anybody else enjoy the epilogue to "She Refused to be a Swooner" by SuchAPrettyPoison? I loved that entire fic! It was such a romp, and I loved the bookend to the first chapter that the epilogue provided. I also loved it when Oliver admitted he is a swooner!

Me! I loved that story, and I'm so glad the author finished it. I really liked the banter-y dialogue and the role reversal of Felicity being protective of Oliver. And knowing what we know now of Oliver, it totally makes sense that he's a romantic sap.

 

I'm so starved for AU fluff. Anything written in the current canon makes me sad-- even stories about their summer away, because it just reminds me how happy they were back then compared to how miserable they are now.

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bijoux

bijoux

I just finished She Refused to be a Swooner on your recs. The characters have vague links to those I know from the show, but it's fine since it's mostly cute. I am still trying to figure out if it's cute enough for me to disregard

Oliver just taking all of Felicity's stuff from her place and taking it to his.

It's a bit (a lot) much for me. It's high-handed and crossing the lines, something I don't feel lines up with Oliver from the rest of the fic.

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Genki

Genki

Did anybody else enjoy the epilogue to "She Refused to be a Swooner" by SuchAPrettyPoison? I loved that entire fic! It was such a romp, and I loved the bookend to the first chapter that the epilogue provided. I also loved it when Oliver admitted he is a swooner!

 

Great rec, I really enjoyed it...Also I'm glad it is fully complete. 

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calliope1975

calliope1975

In FiCoN, can someone please explain to me why they changed Ellie's name? Or is there maybe a reason behind it that hasn't been revealed yet?

 

They wanted something similar to Ellie so if someone heard them saying her name, it could be brushed off as mishearing "Lily." And when Ellie is eventually born, those who were around for "Lily" won't wonder why they had a kid with the same name who should be several years older. Or something like that.

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apinknightmare

apinknightmare

(edited)

They wanted something similar to Ellie so if someone heard them saying her name, it could be brushed off as mishearing "Lily." And when Ellie is eventually born, those who were around for "Lily" won't wonder why they had a kid with the same name who should be several years older. Or something like that.

Ah, makes sense. I hadn't thought about the future. I guess they'll just write off Ellie and Lily looking exactly the same as family resemblance.

Edited by apinknightmare
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bijoux

bijoux

It is that. It was Laurel's idea. Don't know how much it will work since the reporter Ellie is familiar with in the future is there. Speaking of Laurel, how do you interpret Moira's attitude toward her in the last chapter?

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apinknightmare

apinknightmare

It is that. It was Laurel's idea. Don't know how much it will work since the reporter Ellie is familiar with in the future is there. Speaking of Laurel, how do you interpret Moira's attitude toward her in the last chapter?

 

Yeah, I knew it was her idea, I just for some reason recalled it seeming like it was a plan she already had when she went over to the Queen mansion, not one she came up with once she talked to Oliver about Ellie being from the future, so I got the details all mixed up. 

 

I can't tell what Moira's issue is with her. Maybe she's worried about Laurel wanting to get back with Oliver and messing up the future timeline she's already seen? One of the authors did mention that them changing things in the present affects things in the future, so maybe bringing Laurel into it changes something somehow and Moria's caught wind of it already? Not sure. 

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bijoux

bijoux

(edited)

I think this is after Laurel helped prosecute Moira, right? I know if it were me I'd resent Laurel...not saying it's fair, but it is what it is.

You're right, it is after Moira's trial. Could be. I don't remember the two of them interacting afterwards on the show to draw conclusions based on that. Maybe it's just Moira going super protective about her family, in which she now includes Felicity and Ellie. That's probably even more likely. Laurel's getting the you're-not-one-of-us treatment like Felicity when she confronted Moira about Thea. BTW, Moira calling Felicity darling is the funniest thing ever.

 

Macha finished her 2046 piece, I've Forgotten How It Felt Before the World Fell at Our Feet.

Edited by bijoux
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kismet

kismet

1 hour ago, wonderwall said:

A sweet illustration that was probably more honest than the show:

Really adorable tribute... but I just realized that he didn't even bother to send it to KC, which probably would have been nice.

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