TITLE — SEA LA VIE*


status: available
faceclaim: aja naomi king*
oc: jacqueline* pierce
love interest: oliver queen
first appearance: arrow season one
last appearance: arrow season eight*

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THE HUMAN BODY WAS MADE OF 60% WATER, YET YOU COULD STILL DROWN. Jacqueline Pierce had always been fascinated by that. It was like an oxymoron for how could the very thing you were made of be capable of destroying you. And she knew all to well how deadly water could really be as for as long as the young woman could remember, she had been one with the water.

It had something to do with the vaccine she received as a child - the same vaccine that her brother had. Somehow it had given the Pierce siblings powers which neither of them were prepared for. Jefferson was bestowed the ability to control electricity whilst Jacqueline manipulated water. They always said that water and electricity should never mix. But the Pierce siblings were the exception.

They became known as Black Lightning and Tidal - the vigilantes of Freeland. They fought for the people and helped where they could, all the while hunting for the man who had gotten away with their Father's murder: Tobias Whale. And when they found him, they destroyed him together. Jacqueline had let darkness into her soul that night under the moon, blood standing as a testament to her crimes. She no longer thought she was worthy to be the people's hope. So, Jacqueline Pierce left Freeland in search of a new beginning.

And she found it. In Starling City.

Three years after what she believed to be the death of Tobias Whale, Jacqueline Pierce was happy with her life in Starling City. She had an excellent job at Queen Consolidated which is how she met her friend Felicity. She had a nice home, perfect for just her in her new city. And she had a peaceful life. No mask. No bad guys to beat up in alleys. No Tobias Whale. Just peace.

But then Oliver Queen comes back from the dead five years after being lost at sea and everything changes. A man in a hood becomes Starling City's newest vigilante, a killer on some sort of vendetta that Jacqueline couldn't decipher. And just when she decided to keep out of it all, Oliver Queen strolls into the IT office of Pierce and Smoak with a job for them. 

Oliver Queen was a terrible liar and Jacqueline Pierce was smarter than she looked. So she didn't take long to realise that the hooded man running through Starling's streets at night was the city's most famous billionaire.

Now faced with a choice, Jacqueline decided to put on the mask once more. She became Riptide.

Despite her experience with leading a double life, being Riptide was something completely different. Before her partner was her brother, they knew each other, they trusted each other. But this new Hood, they were both strangers to each other. Yet somehow, Riptide and the Hood managed to work together to build up a bond so they could fight together.

And not just Riptide and the Hood because Jacqueline and Oliver were worming themselves into each others' lives also. Neither of them knowing that the connection they were making was going to be stronger than any storm that would hit them.

If you don't particularly like this summary, feel free to edit it to your liking.

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epigraph:

"She is water,
soft enough to offer life,
tough enough to drown it away."

- rupi kaur

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quotes:

"Oliver, our darkness does not define us."

"You don't know what true darkness is, Jacqueline."

jacqueline pierce and oliver queen

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about:

fullname: Jacqueline Rosa Pierce
age: 28 (as of arrow season 1)
alias: Tidal (Freeland)
Riptide (Starling/Star City)
family: Alvin Pierce (Father)†
unknown (Mother)†
Peter Gambi (Father-figure/Guardian)
Jefferson Pierce (Brother)
Anissa Pierce (Niece)
Jennifer Pierce (Niece)
William Clayton/Queen (Step-son)
tbd child/children
other unnamed family

tidal & riptide

● Powers: Jacqueline can't create water, only control it. She can take it from the rain and manipulate it. She normally carries a pouch of water on her. Basically, think ATLA water-bending without the healing. She can also blood-bend but it's extremely difficult and painful for her to do. But sometimes it's necessary to keep someone alive. And because she's a meta-human, she has enhanced healing. 

● Suit: Gambi makes most of her suits. The reason no one connected Tidal with Riptide was because she had a different suit that she made herself. Gambi taught her how to make one and occasionally sends her upgraded ones. It's a simple navy skin-tight suit with water pouches lined into it. Also has a water symbol on the front and a matching mask.

● Tidal: Tidal was Freeland's vigilante along with Black Lightning. They fought side by side for Freeland until they 'killed' Tobias Whale. After that, she also vanishes.

● Riptide: Noticing the connection between Oliver's requests and the vigilante, Jacqueline decided to start up once more as a vigilante. She became Riptide and helps the Hood kick ass, but she's against killing as even though Tobias killed her Dad, she feels guilty about killing him.



If you would like to know any other details about Jacqueline, please private message me and I'll be more than happy to answer any questions.

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notes:

● After 'killing' Tobias, Jacqueline leaves Freeland and moves to Starling City where she gets a tech job at Queen Consolidated (Gambi taught her to hack). And 3 years have past prior to arrow season one.

● Jacqueline received the vaccine, which gave her her powers, when she was just an infant. She doesn't remember getting it. Nor does she remember her brother holding her under his bed as he watched Tobias kill their Father. She was just so young. Which is why she sees Gambi more as her Father than Jefferson. Jefferson and Gambi raised her and Gambi always talked about her Dad and never tried to take that position from him. But he does love her as his daughter.  

● Jacqueline and Oliver both have some darkness in them. But because Jackie is so sweet and kind in despite of it, he refuses to see her darkness. It can cause some issues between them but he just sees the best in her. 

 ● You are more than welcome to write Jacqueline into arrow cameos in other shows (The Flash etc), Legends of Tomorrow, Elseworlds and Crisis on Infinite Earth's. I haven't really seen much of the DC series stuff, which is why I only have Arrow in this timeline, but you don't have to stick to it and if you need help with a plot point, I'll try and help.

● Black Lightning came out in 2018 so you can either set it back to align when you want to or wait until season 6 of arrow. It would be nice to at least have references to the events of Black Lightning, especially his return, because Jacqueline would obviously keep tabs on her home.

● Jacqueline and Oliver grow close during season two. Jacqueline doesn't judge Oliver for his darkness because she knows what it's like to have done bad. But she sees the good in him and that makes him love her more. The only thing Jacqueline isn't thrilled about is the secret keeping. 

● You can decide how many children they have and you can name and cast them accordingly.

ACT ONE
arrow season one

● Jacqueline works with Felicity at Queen Consolidated and once she realises the connection between Oliver's requests and the Hood cases she's been monitoring, she starts to help as a vigilante. They name her Riptide. Oliver doesn't know who she really is until he takes the girls to his arrow cave under Verdant and she reveals her secret. Felicity is very shocked. They bond over becoming vigilantes because of their Fathers. Jackie cares about Oliver and is sad when he leaves.

ACT TWO
arrow season two

● Jacqueline and Oliver are growing closer in both lives. Even though she has some feelings for Oliver, she refuses to let them turn into jealousy of irritation with Sara. She really cares about Sara. She's very shocked about the whole Slade thing and tries to help Oliver through it. And she's there to comfort him when his Mother is killed. Oliver admits he loves her (to fool Slade, but also because he does like her) so after it's all over, they decide to take things slow.

ACT THREE
arrow season three

● Jacqueline is devastated by Sara's death. She also starts to care about Roy a lot - like a mother. Jacqueline works with Felicity at Palmer technologies and is BROTP with Ray. Her and Oliver are building on their slow romantic relationship. They get really close. Which is why she's devastated when he decides to go with the League. But despite what he did during that time, she held onto hope. At the end, they go off together.

ACT FOUR
arrow season four

● Jacqueline and Oliver actually end up in Freeland, per Jackie's request. They go back and Oliver runs for Mayor with Jackie at his side and funded by Felicity who runs Palmer technologies. After he proposes, she does get into an accident but instead of surgery, she goes into a coma. It takes a while, but her meta-genes speed up her healing and save her. She manages to save Laurel with her blood bending, but then Laurel dies again and she can't stop it. Their relationship gets a bit rocky and Jackie asks for a break rather than to end the engagement. At the end, Jackie even ropes in Gambi to help hack to save the world. 

ACT FIVE
arrow season five

● Jacqueline gets really attached to the recruits and is the good cop compared to Oliver's bad cop. After the alien space ship, both her and Oliver realise they really want to get married and so they do. Dinah and Jackie are BROTP (metas unite!). Oliver shuts Jackie out as she tries to be there for him. They end up distancing themselves from each other. Felicity brings her into the Helix fold. Trapped in the bunker, amongst their arguing, Jackie reveals she's pregnant. She's taken to the island with the others.

ACT SIX
arrow season six

● Five months and heavily pregnant later, Jackie is trying her hardest to be there for William and not take the place of his Mother. Despite being pregnant, Jackie wants to help Felicity fix their helix mess. They have their kid right before Oliver goes off to help Slade. After a break after that, Jackie returns as Riptide. The trial is very stressful for Jackie as she stands by Oliver through it all. She's devastated at losing Quentin and at the thought of her children being raised without their Father.

ACT SEVEN
arrow season seven

● Jackie is no longer Riptide and is trying her best to cope without Oliver, with the help of her family and friends. Her child is sent to Gambi whilst Diaz is still loose. You can decide if they have another kid (instead of Mia) and if they do, I would imagine them naming them after Quentin in some way.

● You can have a go at season 8 yourself. It's totally up to you. 

● Have fun expanding Jacqueline and Oliver into the other parts of DC, if you wish that is. I just picture anything that has Oliver or even Jefferson in it, Jacqueline would be there too.

IMPORTANT — anything not mentioned in this timeline is up to you to develop, giving you space for your own ideas. Also, if you have any questions, please private message me, I'm more than happy to answer them.

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password — Favourite Arrow character and why?