1323/Now that we are alone...

Now that we are alone...
Date of Scene:	23 April 2020
Location:	Arrowcave
Synopsis:	Roy comes for a visit where they do some training and talk about the future. Ollie doesn't pull his blows but Roy seems ready to get back up and find his way in life.
Cast of Characters:	Oliver Queen, Roy Harper

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Oliver Queen has posed:
Being a vigilante, with secret identities like they have means they often can't be as open, or talk of what they want in front of others. A price to pay for this life. One that Oliver normally doesn't care too much about. Yet it was about time that both Oliver and Roy could speak openly. Alone. Of what present and future were to bring.

One of the weekends Roy is invited over to stay with them. News? Oliver did say so. But whatever those might be it could wait.

At arrival there is noone home, or at least not on the normal level, an exploration to the arrowcave one would be able to find him over at a workbench, dutifully crafting on a bow. With a layer of sweat on him seems like he has just recently been working out.

Roy Harper has posed:
Roy Harper's more than used to not being able to talk about things, and so he wasn't terribly surprised when the last weekend he spent, they never actually talked about anything beyond the usual day to day stuff. But he'd enjoyed meeting Vanessa, and the chili was pretty good, so he certainly wasn't about to /complain/. This weekend, though, he finds the house empty and so he goes on wandering down to the Arrowcave in search of Ollie.

He is dressed in his usual, a dark red hoodie with faded jeans and a pair of red chucks, a backpack slung over one shoulder, which he drops off to one side near the stairs where it won't get tripped on before he makes his way over toward the bench where Oliver is working. He folds his arms and leans one shoulder against the nearby wall, watching. "Looks good," he says, nodding toward the bow.

Oliver Queen has posed:
It looks like a smaller bow, at least smaller than the ones he is used to working on. Though if there's one thing about him is that he always crafts his best bows. Both Roy's first bow, and the Arrow's one. He sets his work aside though and gets up, turning to look Roy in the eye. A nod. "Still a work in progress. We'll see when it's done." a pause. "Good to see you again, Roy." he reaches out with one hand for an arm shake with the younger man.

"I would ask if you had a good trip here but.., you are here and alive so, good enough for me." walking over to where he keeps his weapons he picks up a couple of escrima sticks, hands tightening about the handles.

"Feel like a workout training?" He asks, glancing over his shoulder. Then a chinjerk to the armory. Which pretty seems to say he is free to pick any weapon he wants.

Roy Harper has posed:
Roy Harper studies the bow for a few minutes and then tilts his head and asks, "Who's it for?" Because that's not the size bow that Oliver would use. He pulls away from the wall and takes the offered hand, returning the shake, firm and brief and gives a nod of his head. "Good to see you, too." He raises a brow and says, "Here, alive, and with no new holes that weren't there before." He smirks.

He makes his way over to where the weapons area and surveys the collection, picking up a pair of escrima sticks of his own and swinging them around a little, spinning them in his hands and working them with his wrists. "Always," he says with a grin over his shoulder, and then sets the sticks down to shrug out of his hoodie and hang it up to one side, leaving him in a plain white t-shirt instead, then grabs the sticks once more.

Oliver Queen has posed:
"I am surprised there are no new holes." Because Oliver knows well how prone to getting into the thick of things Roy can be. But then again Roy's skills have greatly improved now too. But the faint quirk of his lips means he's happy about it too, even if he doesn't verbalize it. As for the question about the bow. "Vanessa. It's a somewhat long story. She can tell you about it later." because he wanted to focus on Roy right now.

He makes his way over to the center of the training area, a brow lifting. "Matching my weapons? I am surprised. Thought you'd go for something with more reach to gain an advantage." he states, rolling his shoulders, expression apparently going more solemn, attentive, taking in the young man.

"Have you thought about the future? Not the school part. But the rest?" which is when he moves in, fast, the escrima sticks a blur as he goes for one of those known maneuvers that Roy certainly knows. Just a warm up for now!

Roy Harper has posed:
"Not for lack of tryin'," Roy assures Oliver with a grin, which is to say that he hasn't shied away from getting into the thick of things, even while attending school at Happy Harbor. There's a quirk of his lips when he mentions that it's for Vanessa, as though he'd kind of expected that to be the answer. "I like her," he points out, but he lets that topic lie for the time being.

"I could do that," he agrees, that smile lingering on his lips. "But maybe I don't want the advantage. Maybe I want to learn something right now." There's a confidence to him. He's been training a lot on his own, but he looks decidedly stronger, and healthier than he has been in a while. There was a time when he was a mess, and strung out, but he looks neither of these things in this moment as he takes up a defensive stance opposite Oliver in the center of the training area.

"A bit," he admits but if he was going to answer more, it's cut off by the sudden move from Oliver. He's not as fast with this weapon as he is with others. This is, in fact, one of the weapons he uses the least often. And so it's probably fortunate for him that it's a warm up. His own sticks come up for a parry of the move and a cross swing that doesn't quite hit its mark, but does manage to deflect the blow. For now, he seems to be on the defensive, getting used to the unfamiliar weapons again.

Oliver Queen has posed:
"Is there a story behind this..?" Oliver asks when Roy says he has been trying. Or well, knowing Roy there probably are a lot of stories of getting into danger. Even if he does hope Happy Harbor has helped in stem some of that more .., rebellious nature. Oh, who is he kidding? He knows the boy will always be a rebel. The mention of Vanessa makes him grin. "I like her as well." well, from the other weekend seems like it's a lot more than just liking. But he leaves it at that too.

"You have been putting up weight." Oliver notes, moving in, sticks against sticks, getting into that 'dance' with Arsenal. One they have done in the past many times, even if with different weapons, or the same. The counter blows are parried, these are his bread and butter afterall, apart from the staff and sword which are the others. But with a sword Roy might just be his equal, if not better by now.

"And what have you thought about it?" He asks, not that he stops, moving in again, swing swing, then a blow that goes lower instead of higher. Always good to test the young man's reflexes. While he is making questions too. Just to make it harder.

Roy Harper has posed:
Roy Harper shrugs his shoulders, "Was minding my own business when some mole people decided to break out of the street and attack everyone in the square because Mr. Moleface wanted Reed Richards' attention. Met his daughter. She's pretty cool." He grins. "Watched a guy try to play literal whack-a-mole with a telephone pole." He neatly dodges the next attack and then brings in one of his own, a quick combination to deflect and bring a strike around designed to whack at Oliver's wrist. But it's neatly parried. He doesn't expect to land many if any blows with these weapons, though. But then, that's the point. Can't get better if you always stick to what's safe.

"Are you calling me fat, Ollie?" Roy says with a flash of a grin as he dances back a bit, regaining his footing. His sword is definitely his best melee weapon, and he's very good with it. But he will always love his bow the best. Still, there's a reason he's calling himself Arsenal these days. But then his expression sobers and he says, "I've been clean since I've been at Happy Harbor." It's been almost five months now. "And I've been training."

As for what he's been thinking about the future, that requires a lot more thought, and he's pretty busy trying to make the reflex checks that Oliver is throwing at him to banter at the same time. The lower blow catches him on the thigh when he isn't fast enough to counter it, and he dances a step or two back to get a little distance and reset his focus. "Do you mean am I going to keep up the mask and all of this?" He nods, "Yeah. I'm not stopping any time soon. And.. I met somebody who wants to get into it, and I want to make sure that if they do, that they stay safe," he admits.

Oliver Queen has posed:
"Everyone always wants Richards' attention for some reason." Ollie does sound amused about it though, even as he goes through the sequence of blows. For him it seems to come as second nature, considering how long he has trained with these weapons. Maybe that's part of the lesson too. Train until those weapons become an extension of oneself and no thought needs to be spared for it.

The question about being fat brings Ollie to attempt a straight kick at Roy's stomach. Maybe just to test how fat the boy is! If he hits or not, well. Maybe depends on how attentive Roy is. Though he continues, "Good. You don't regret going there then?" he asks. Was he asking that because he wasn't sure? Or did he fear having made a mistake? Regardless, he seemed to at least care enough for it.

The hit on the thigh makes him dance back though, pointing to that leg. "Focus." but he is then surprised when Roy mentions having someone wishing to get into it. "Sometimes our drive is found through others. Maybe that was what you were lacking here." he muses. "Still, if at any time you want to bring that person here.." he lets that invitation hanging there.

Roy Harper has posed:
The escrima sticks are definitely not an extension of Roy's self. They're practiced, but he needs to put a lot of thought into it, the movements not as natural to him as swordfighting or archery. Where he is a picture of easy grace with a bow, and deadly with a sword, he's definitely more reactionary with this set of weapons and that's easy for Oliver to see.

The sudden kick catches him off guard and Oliver's foot collides with his midsection, causing him to stumble back and barely catch himself from falling over, letting out a cough and a breath. "Cheap shot," he laughs, though, taking it good-naturedly. He's definitely not fat. It's all lean muscle, even if it's still on a seventeen year old frame that isn't quite done growing yet. He shakes his head, "Nah. The school's alright. And I've met some good people there." He smirks when Oliver tells him to focus. "I'm focusing," he mutters.

And he does, his attention back on the fighting moreso than the conversation, that is until Oliver offers to let him bring them here. His brows go up. "Really?" That seems to surprise him, and in that moment he once again lets his guard down.

Oliver Queen has posed:
"Just making sure you weren't getting a weak gut from getting fat." Oliver quips back at the cheap shot comment. Though indeed there is still one big difference between them, Oliver being made of pure muscle honed over the years, while Roy is still getting there. Of course that he is only going down from here though! 35 years old. A deadly age for a vigilante that only uses their wits and skill to survive.

"Maybe you are not just focusing enough as of yet." Does he mean just the fight? Something else? Who knows! Some more blows are exchanged but then he notes that guard down. And sure, Oliver being Oliver he will take on that chance. He has never been the kind-hearted teacher. Maybe a remainder of what he suffered back in that island, how it shaped him. And also wanting to make sure those that train with him survive no matter what. And so he moves in with the sticks, aiming to attempt to hit him squarely on the chest.

"Yes, really."

Roy Harper has posed:
"Uh huh," Roy says. But he'd expect nothing less from Oliver. It's part of what he respects about the man. Sure, he might hate it sometimes when he's bruised and aching from taking those shots that Oliver doesn't hold back. But he wouldn't be nearly as good as he is at seventeen if he didn't train hard and learn from those shots. In a real fight against an enemy, they sure aren't going to pull their punches.

The shot to his chest collides forcefully and this time it does actually knock him back over onto the ground where he hits hard with a thump, though it's also with a practiced roll and curve of his body to spare the impact to his spine, taking it more with a slap of his arm and hand to the floor. He holds up a hand in defeat, lets out a breath, and lets his head fall back onto the ground as he tries to catch his breath.

Oliver Queen has posed:
"Not bad.." Oliver says of that roll and tap to avoid the impact. He was approaching to continue the 'training' but at the request to stop he accepts it with a nod, both sticks held out with one hand and he extends one hand to help the young man up if he so wishes. "Sometimes we need to go down before we can learn how to stand on our own." he tells his former pupil.

"And yes, if your friend is serious about this life I can be of help. This is not a life one should choose lightly. Not that I am saying you or your friend are, but I'd like to take a look at them." he concludes. Yes, most likely to also make sure it won't be a liability that gets Roy killed. He has a few ways of scaring people out of this life as it stands!

Roy Harper has posed:
Roy Harper takes the extended hand and uses it to hep pull himself back up to his feet. He's a little winded from the blow to his chest but seems no worse for wear. "Sometimes you need to go down to learn how to do it properly so you don't break your neck." He grins a little lopsidedly. But now that he's back on his feet, he collects the sticks, twirling them a bit, still unused to their balance, but seeming to appreciate the training.

He takes a breath then, and nods, and says, "You've met him. It's AJ." His friend from school. "He's really pretty set on wanting to be a hero and using his abilities to like, do good." He continues the practice with the sticks, using them to stretch and work the muscles of his wrists and arms.

Oliver Queen has posed:
Was there a suspicion about it? Because Oliver doesn't seem too surprised when Roy mentions it's AJ. "I suppose there was a deeper reason for you to have bonded in such a manner than simply karate lessons." The man rolls his neck slowly, muscles loose, he moving over to the weapon stands. Placing the sticks there. "Do you think this will be a good life for him? There seemed to be an innocence to his eyes." one that these two have lost a long time ago.

But then he turns to look at Roy fully. Asking him. "What kind of abilities does he have?"

Roy Harper has posed:
"Well, uh, the bonding.." Roy laughs and rubs a bit at the back of his neck. "We're.. kinda dating.. maybe? I'm pretty sure we had a first date.." But it's Oliver's question about whether this will be a good life for him or not that has Roy sighing and giving the sticks another twirl or two. He studies them as he answers, his expression becoming much more sober. "He's so /good/, Ollie. Like painfully good. And innocent." Which makes him sigh a little as he gives the sticks another twirl, then walks them back over the rack to put them away. It's clear he's got a lot of thoughts and feelings about that in particular.

"He teleports. He's fast, and agile, and he can fight. But he's real green at it. Just starting to learn. But he can like.. hop from place to place so long as he can see it." He turns and looks over at Oliver. "I think he wants it bad. I think he's strong enough to do it. But he needs training."

Oliver Queen has posed:
"That is not entirely surprising either.." Oliver says when he mentions they are dating. Had he noticed the vibe right at the start when he went to Happy Harbor? Maybe it was the simple fact of seeing Roy actually smiling. Yep, that gives it away. Yet when Roy confirms about the innocence he nods, a grave look to him. "And you want them by your side because you know one way or another they will go down this path." in a way it mirrored much what he felt about Vanessa.

"Might as well be with your guidance." The mention of teleporting does finally surprise Ollie though. That's a useful thing for sure. But he will have to make sure about the boy's mettle with his own eyes. "Bring him here sometime and we will see. There was no innocence to you when you came to me all those years ago. You knew what this was about." a pause and then he asks. "Have you had a direct conversation with him about whether this is the path for him or not?"

Roy Harper has posed:
"It was a surprise to me," Roy admits with a faintly wry smile. He's never actually dated anyone before. "It wasn't even meant to be a date, just.. you know, a movie, because.. see.. He was real sick as a kid and they didn't think he was going to make it. Then he got better. But he spent so long sick he's got this whole list of normal-kid stuff he wants to do to like.. make up for lost time. He keeps it in a notebook." He grins a little lopsidedly. "So.. I wanted to take him out to a movie and stuff.. start checking off some of those boxes. He's got stuff on there like going to museums and he's just really set on LIVING, you know? DOING stuff. And he feels like he's got to use these powers that he's got, and to do good with them. And yeah, he's going to go down that road one way or the other. I want to at least.. be there for him, give him a good shot at it."

He looks up at Ollie when he mentions Roy's own lack of innocence and he grimaces a little. "Yeah. I uh.." He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. "I don't want to fuck him up. He's... to good for me." He'd definitely not been innocent, and he still wasn't, and relapse is a thing that could happen and he knows it. But he's trying. "Sometimes I think I should you know, stay away." But at the same time.. he's been.. happy, actually happy.

"Yeah, it was pretty direct. I mean.. it was just a first conversation about it. And I hadn't told him that I was out actually you know.. doing what we do, until then. But it probably wouldn't hurt for him to have it with somebody he's not, you know.. seeing."

Oliver Queen has posed:
Listening to Roy speak about the boy's history makes Ollie quirk up a brow. But it also makes sense to him on why they had that connection, the kind of contrast between the two. The innocence versus the gritty reality. He finds himself smiling. "No, I don't think you should stay away, Roy." he reaches over placing one hand on the young man's shoulder if he doesn't flee.

"Maybe he can help you in the same way that you are helping him. It seems like a good thing for you just as much as it is for him." The man says in that solemn manner of his.

Those last words do make him nod. "I can have that conversation with AJ if you so want. Least I can do." Then he walks over to go fetch a bottle of water to take a long drink out of it. "Now, swords."

Roy Harper has posed:
The two are in very sharp contrast. AJ's innocence and earnest goodness is definitely the flip side to Roy's sometimes very jaded and gritty realism. "He promised to help me stay on track at school if I help train him with weapons," Roy admits with a little wry smile. "He's uh, been kinda good for me there." He doesn't move away from the touch, seeming to appreciate it. "It could be, yeah. I hope it is." There's still that doubt, a doubt that probably won't go away any time soon. He knows he has his flaws, and he fears them hurting others. He nods then and says, "I'll bring him here."

He gets his own bottle of water and downs most of it in one long drink and then nods his head, a grin rapidly returning to his features at the prospect of using a weapon he's really good at. "Swords," he agrees with a firm nod, ready to spend a good portion of the day training.