11276/Lonely Lighthouses

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Lonely Lighthouses
Date of Scene: 22 May 2022
Location: Atlantic Ocean Coastline
Synopsis: Arthur and Dinah have a chat on his sailboat on the way to Maine.
Cast of Characters: Arthur Curry, Dinah Lance




Arthur Curry has posed:
    There are better boats in the world.
    Better kept ones. Better maintained. More elaborate. Larger. Though this one had had stories. It had traveled farther than most vessels this size. An old Catalina thirty footer that was built back in the early 80s. It was older than the man who was riding in it, had belonged to his father. Though as it floated across the ocean it had no sail set, no engine humming away either. Yet it still made good time as the waves pushed it gently along its path heading North.
    To Maine.
    "You're gonna need that jacket before too long. Sun's setting."
    Arthur Curry, old man Curry's son, he inherited the boat when his father passed and he kept it in a seaworthy state. Now, however, he was climbing up those claustrophobic steps, walking up onto the small deck and making his way to where his guest was. Though now he was carrying to wine spritzers in his hands, complete with umbrellas and cherries for decorations.
    "And yeah I know it's supposed to be Spring, but New England doesn't care for silly things like 'seasons'."

Dinah Lance has posed:
A gal could get used to this.

Anyone could really but that saying fit Dinah. She was settled on the bench seat, face toward the front of the boat so she could feel the breeze of their passage on her face. She was dressed in a pair of jeans now, having pulled them on over her bathing suit earlier when they moved from the warmer climates to the cooler. A slightly oversized cardigan sweater pulled over a t-shirt, the sweater wrapped around her to help keep her warm. She glanced over at the jacket laying nearby to make sure it was at hand.

"Thanks for the warning." She pulled the jacket over and laid it across her lap for the moment as she focused on the captain of the ship. Boat. Whatever.

She had to smile at the wine spritzer. More at the decorations and cherries than the drink itself. It was unexpected from someone like Arthur. But she had learned there was more to him than most people realized. Or would ever learn.

It was so peaceful on the boat, just hearing the ocean, the sound of the waves against the hull. No engine noises. No having to run around to deal with the sail. It was something to be experienced. His abilities allowed for another experience most people wouldn't have. Unless they got lost at sea but this was a pleasant experience, not a sea tragedy.

"So it's like the southern states? Where it is summer for like 11 months and winter for one?"

Arthur Curry has posed:
    "Mmm," Arthur starts as he gets her situated with her drink, then he sits down on the bench seat beside her, taking up a bit more space and partly where the engine of the boat would go. "More like most months we call it snow or not snow. Though there's a slim window of a few weeks here or there where it's actually warm. But that's fleeting."
    He takes a sip of his drink and then sprawls back against that railing. Arthur wasn't dressed too out of the norm since to be fair... his normal garb is pretty casual to put it politely. On his feet are a pair of slip on canvas shoes with rubber soles, the kind you see for beach-goers taking their leisure on vacation. No socks, of course, just bare dark skin of his ankles though his legs are hidden by a pair of worn blue jeans. A t-shirt on his chest proudly proclaims 'GWAR!' with an image of a skull on top, but that's mostly hidden by the loose open long-sleeved blue shirt he wears over top.
    "We should be gettin' in around nine, time enough to get some dinner, then can show you around Amnesty Bay before we wander up to the lighthouse." For a moment he looks ahead of the ship and there's no coast line that they can see, but it's likely he knows exactly where they are. "Though I hear you Gotham girls can be impatient, I can speed us up if needs be."

Dinah Lance has posed:
As he settles in next to her, Dinah shifts her seat. Bringing her legs up, she spins in her seat and puts her legs across his lap. Then she scooched a little closer as she settled in happily. This way, she would be able to look at his face while they were speaking.

Dinah nodded at the explanation of when they would arrive. The entire thing sounded good. Get there. Get food. Then get to see his lighthouse. "This is the place you were raised, right?"

But then something hit her and she tilted her head a little bit. "Gotham girls can be impatient, huh?" The tone alone should be setting off his alarm bells.

"And where did you get this information from precisely? Experience or someone spoke to you?"

Arthur Curry has posed:
    "Oh it's well known," Arthur says, for now abandoning the line of inquiry about the lighthouse being where he grew up, instead following the path of greater danger. "Word on the street, you might say." Which has his smirk sliding into place at the corner of his mouth even as he turns a little to pull her legs up into his lap a little more while they get comfortable.
    "Apparently only thing more impatient than a Gotham gal, is a Gotham gal that also happens to be a blonde." Which has his lips twisting upwards knowing full well...
    Well, the wig, after all.
    "Though personally? I heard it from the Bat I think. So clearly you should go talk to him. I hear he's /extremely/ amenable to critique and advice."

Dinah Lance has posed:
"With that, I call bullshit. Because I know Batman and he knows better than to say something like that. Besides, from his experience, the brunettes and redheads are for less patient than the blondes."

Which now that she said it she technically has walked into that since she is a brunette, who wears a blonde wig. "And I have to maintain that as a faux blonde, I am bound by those requirements." Though currently she doesn't have her wig on. Right now, she's just Dinah. Her short black hair on full display.

"But since you have experience with one blonde Gotham girl, do tell if you agree with his assessment?"

Arthur Curry has posed:
    A low chortles comes from Arthur, if his voice wasn't so deep it might almost sound like a giggle. But he gives a shrug as he flares one hand as if he had no idea that this might not be true, he's utterly innocent after all. Which is a theme that's continued in his words as he elaborates.
    "Ms. Lance, I'm just a simple ole New England Boy, I'm not canny to your big city ways, hardly fair to take advantage of my naivete." Which has him throwing in a hint of an accent there, softening the 'r's a little and drifting a little more nasally.
    "But depends. When you get hungry you get super impatient." Which has him nodding steadily as he adds, "Hangry."

Dinah Lance has posed:
"Uh huh."

Dinah's lips are twisted up in mock annoyance. "You haven't been naive since you were probably... thirteen? That's being rather generous there, I suspect." But she has to purse her lips and admit, "Valid. When I'm hangry I sure as hell am impatient. Thankfully we had something earlier so you are safe. But past 9:30 and you are in for it, mister."

But her annoyance is completely acting since those blue eyes of hers show her amusement at the situation. "Although, I made an assumption there. Are there perhaps other blonde Gotham girls you know? Just to know the sample size of your exprience."

Arthur Curry has posed:
    "Hey, I was a late bloomer." Arthur corrects her with a lift of his glass just before he takes another sip. Though he doesn't correct her in any other way beyond that since a gentleman is as a gentelman does. But his lips twist up a little further as he shakes his head and then rests an arm across her shins.
    "But you see, already with the threats if I don't feed you on the regular." Another shake of his head as the boat continues to drift through the ocean, faster than it likely seems considering the water around it carries it on a current made just for them. It's a good clip, deceptive, however.
    "Other blonde Gotham gals?" His eyes lift upwards, "That Batwoman gal is a redhead I believe. Though that might be a wig too. Hard to tell with the cowl." Arthur tips a nod to her. Then he chews on the inside of his cheek thoughtfully. "Oh, Harley Quinn. She's pretty impatient." A nod is given, "That news reporter gal? I forget her name. She seems impatient too. But beyond that... no idea."

Dinah Lance has posed:
As he starts listing the names, Dinah lifts her eyebrows a bit and that smirk is back on her face. She does take a sip of her drink before he finishes then continues to hold it easily in her hand.

"So you've met all of those. Reporter could be any number of people. Lots of reporters there. Let's see. Harley Quinn is insane. So not sure that is so much impatience. Although I guess it is impatience but it has that whole certifiable thing too." She shrugs. "Not sure on Batwoman. Don't know if she is or isn't a redhead. With the cowl, makes it harder to tell and you know I have my wig game on the spot."

Then that focused look into his eyes. "You've met all of them?"

Arthur Curry has posed:
    "I can't remember the reporter." Arthur lifts his eyes upwards eyes narrowing as if seeking the name, then he looks back. "I've met some of them, but really can't recall. But I'm willing to take it as a reasonable certainty that the word on the street is true. I mean it's common knowledge at this point."
    That said he leans over and perhaps if only to change the subject he kisses her on the forehead, just a small thing before he says. "So you haven't told me how things have been going lately. Haven't heard any of the scuttlebutt lately around the Hall of Justice. Anything I should know?"

Dinah Lance has posed:
Dinah can't help smiling at the little kiss. It's just a sweet thing. A little show of affection. No grand gestures, no extremes. Just that gentle touch. It made her feel all warm and tingly. Emotionally speaking.

At the question, she shakes her head negatively. "I have to say I don't have a clue. Just been a few things here and there. Low level villains. No major incidents. Haven't heard any good rumors or things that would be entertaining." Maybe a thing here or there but none of the good stuff. She does set her drink aside and quickly pulls on the jacket, feeling the air getting a little nippier as they have traveled. Then she claims back her drink and sips.

"Anything on your side?"

Arthur Curry has posed:
    There's a small nod that comes from him as he settles back into the seat, the boat still rocking slowly with the sway of the wind and the waves. The chill is brisk, but not as intrusive as it could be. Or likely will be in the small hours of the evening. "Those teenyboppers that caused us some trouble."
    Arthur makes a face as he looks to the side, then scrunches up one eye as he looks back at her. "They got a good mess of talking to, but ultimately the heads of their households stepped in. When one of the parentals didn't enforce the punishment that was decided, then the others stopped and started a small to-do about how it was unjust children of the noble families be held accountable for 'vivacious youth'."
    Which has Arthur shaking his head and waving a hand to the side as if he didn't entirely understand. Which he doesn't. "Atlantis' ins and outs of their politics still elude me. Makes me think it's probably better that Namor is dealing with it since he grew up with the stuff."

Dinah Lance has posed:
"I think that's everywhere. Not just Atlantis," Dinah says with a scrunching up of her face. She shakes her head negatively after. "Surface parents are the same. Royalty and nobility are the same. People thinking they are better than other people by the happenstance of their birth. It's just stupidity all around but I'm not sure there is a cure for it."

She reaches her hand over to touch his arm gently. "I'm sorry you have to deal with all that. They are just a bunch of kids who think they are above getting repercussions I'm guessing? And seems they might be right?"

Arthur Curry has posed:
    "There's danger there, Dinah." Arthur shakes his head, "It's not so much just kids being kids, boredom and all." The tall man pushes one hand through his hair as he takes a deep breath, then releases it a little. "It's like... a portion of the population feeling that... the great battles of our time have already been fought. Leaves them with what to accomplish? Not a lot, so they start to see... injustices everywhere, failings, horrors that don't exist."
    A small snort is given, "Then they run off and smash park benches and try to knock over food trucks. Because the surfacers are oppressors. Dunno."

Dinah Lance has posed:
"I'm not sure how we are oppressing but okay." Dinah has to shrug that one off. She's never understood a lot of such arguments in a lot of subjects. "We've been called that a lot through the centuries. From all over the place."

She sips her drink. "THey want to leave their mark. They want to be able to say that they made a difference and made things better. But in the process they go astray and make things worse instead of better." She pauses again and glances down then back up at him. "Sounds like a lot of surfacers too."

Arthur Curry has posed:
    "Ehn," Arthur waves a hand again, looking to the other side now before looking at her. "Lots of people feel we do the same thing. Make things worse by thinking we're helping. The whole... chicken or the egg argument people make about the Bat."
    The Half-Atlantean curls a strong arm around her legs and nestles a little closer, easing an arm around her shoulders to draw her into that embrace and warmth as the night draws closer. "If Batman as a response to crime caused the escalation of costumed criminals. Or if Batman was just what brought them to light." Then he exhales slowly, frowning.
    "I think it might be a little of both, though a lot of those ancient societies and evil conspiracy bastards that we fight against have been around a lot longer than the Batman. So I dunno."

Dinah Lance has posed:
Dinah shifts a little to settle in under that arm comfortably, letting out a soft, contented sigh. Not because of the conversation though. That was far from comfortable. "It's a question there will never be an answer to, yeah." She has to agree with that. There is no way to know how it would play out in some other way since it had already played out as it had.

"I feel like the villains would've been there anyway. The danger would be real. Eventually the cops would get their man but how many would be dead by that point? There have always been good guys and bad guys, for as long as there has been history."

She gives a little smile. "I just do my best to do what little I can to help. I mean, why did you choose to become a hero?"

Arthur Curry has posed:
    "Maybe it might not have been so theatrical," Arthur offers as he holds her close. "Not quite the pageantry we have these days." His lip curves up a little, "But the Hand would still be doing their thing, or the Maggia."
    Then she asks him that question about why he became a hero and his eyebrows rise a little as well as his eyes widening, as if it was just too big of a question. Though it does take some thought as he says. "Well fact of the matter is, I didn't."
    Arthur looks at her then, eyes level, "I never told myself, 'today I'm gonna go and be a hero.'"
    He gestures to the side, "It all sort of just happened. One thing after another. I'd just go out and I'd go swimming. Just travel, see the world. But with my powers... comes an awareness. When things are discordant, out of harmony in the ocean. I'd start to hear people in distress. I couldn't really... do nothing. I helped some sailors get home. Helped that oil refinery that was going to collapse. And then that... tidal wave thing was a mess. And then... when things were at their craziest the rest of the league we all just showed up at the same place at the same time."
    A slight chuff of exhaled breath, not quite a laugh, then he says. "So I sorta just fell forward into it."

Dinah Lance has posed:
"Huh."

No judgement. Just a simple acknowledgement of what he was saying. Of how he chose his path. Better stated, how his path chose him. "You were just a guy trying to help people. That was my intention as well," Dinah admits. "To start. But there was a bit more to it for me."

She sipped her drink and realized she was close to finishing it. But for now she maintained her grasp around the glass. "I don't know how much you know about hero teams in the past. Older heroes. I am not the first Black Canary." She let that sit there a moment. Then finally continued. "My mother was. So I knew all about heroes and costumes and everything for my entire life. I was training from the age of ten, when I learned about her. There were ups and downs but I was 19 when I took on the role of Black Canary officially."

A glance off at the ocean before looking back to him. "I was sneaking out by the age of 17 and fighting crime on my own. Without permission. With mixed results. But after the first few times, I have to admit that the adrenaline rush was..." She frowned and finally just shrugged, looking at him. "Addictive." He knew her love of things fitting that word. Between the fighting, the underground, the speeding motorcycle rides.

"Then is when I sort of chose my path. I eventually came to the attention of the League. Helped out a couple of times. Got offered my membership card." Did they actually have membership cards? Likely not. More just offered a spot.

Arthur Curry has posed:
    "Yeah, I remember when it came to a vote about letting you join. I was all 'heck no' since well, your name is a little goofy." Which has the tall man half-grinning as he /leeeans/ to the side as if to get out of reach of her reprisal, but it's an unsuccessful effort.
    "Alright, to be fair, I voted for you." Which has him tilting his head to the side as he remembers, "If I remember correctly, Dinah vouched for you and that was good enough for me for the most part. You had a good rep."
    Then he looks back to her, "Then I saw that you were kinda cute, so... win win?"

Dinah Lance has posed:
He does get a light swat to the arm for his efforts, despite all the leaning. "I didn't pick the name! I just took on the role after my mother. I mean, do you think I'd have elected for fishnets as part of the costume in this day and age?"

Then Dinah held up her hand very quickly before he would answer that. Especially with the follow up of her looking 'kinda cute'. "Don't answer that. Ever."

And then she continued. "Although, to be honest, I think all the ladies in the League are pretty gorgeous so being kinda cute feels like I barely passed muster." It's a joke since obviously, considering their relationship, he had no problem with her looks.

Arthur Curry has posed:
    "No problem at all," Arthur says as he leans in a little closer and there is a soft touch of lips, a gentle kiss, and then they both forget about the sea for a bit of time together.