14590/Family Shenanigans

Family Shenanigans
Date of Scene:	02 April 2023
Location:	Queen Mansion
Synopsis:	Emiko makes fun of the size of Oliver's head. Oliver isn't as young as he once was. But in the end, family is still more important than rivalry.
Cast of Characters:	Oliver Queen, Emiko Queen

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Oliver Queen has posed:
Oliver is sitting in the reading room with a book called The 48 Laws of Power. He has one leg up on an ottoman and the knee is snuggly wrapped in multiple ice packs. At 38 years old, his body doesn't handle a night of patrolling like it used to. He flips the page, deep in concentration on the book. On the end table next to his seat is some sparkling water.

Emiko Queen has posed:
They say old habits die hard, and in many cases they aren't wrong. The Queen Mansion was one of the safest places in Starling City to be, but that didn't keep Emiko from occasionally giving the property a once over. Just to be sure. Just to keep her own skills honed in making sure it stayed that secure. Which is what eventually comes to her walking past the reading room and noticing Oliver was there. So she steps in and comes over to lean on the back of the chair. Almost immeadiately her eyes catch the ice pack on one leg. "Someone had a long night."

Oliver Queen has posed:
Casually flipping the page, Oliver allows a slow smile to cross his features. Despite the power and fear he wields on the streets and in the boardroom, here, in this sanctuary, his mien and tone of voice are soft and relaxed.

"Hello, Emiko," he intones gently. "I think age is catching up to me. I watch Tom Brady out there at 45 keeping up with 20-year-old players, so maybe there are a few years left before you guys put me in a home?" He looks up and flashes a genuine smile at his sister.

Emiko Queen has posed:
"We could try... Getting you to -stay- there, that would be the hard part," Emiko teases back. There's the tone of snark in her voice, but there is also genuine concern behind it if one listens close enough. "Pro atheletes also get an off-season. Crime fighters aren't so lucky. That and, while he may run several 100 yards up and down a field, he's not doing it across rooftops. In the dark."

Oliver Queen has posed:
Shutting the book, Oliver sets it on the end table and takes a long drink from the sparkling water. The Queen patriarch draws in a slow, deep breath and exhales. His expression and tone of voice sobers a bit. "I'm not out of the game yet, but the writing is on the wall, Emi." Then, perhaps to prove something to himself or to Emiko or to both, Oliver slides the ottoman aside and stands. He begins a slow pace around the room.

"You, Thea, Roy, and Connor are the future of Starling City," Oliver says, looking directly at Emiko. "That's on the streets and in the boardroom. I'd like you to start taking a more hands-on approach to Queen Consolidated. I have a project coming up that I'd like your assistance with."

Emiko Queen has posed:
Emiko takes a step back as Oliver rises from the chair. She watches as he paces, still favoring the less sore leg. The list of names makes her frown a little. She hasn't gotten to know some of them as well as she has her half-brother yet. But the moment quickly passes. Family was still family, extended and otherwise. Sometimes she wasn't entirely sure of her own place in it yet, but she did her best at being part of it.

"I don't want any favors just because we are family," she remarks when he brings up helping with the company, ".. But I am curious what my illustorious brother could want my assistance with, go on."

Oliver Queen has posed:
Eventually Oliver stops to "casually lean against a piano." (Translation: His knee hurts like hell but he doesn't want to show it.) He folds his arms over his chest and quirks up one side of his mouth in a small smile. "I am illustrious, aren't I?" he teases. "And I'm not offering any favors, I'm saying that all of you need to have a hand in Queen Consolidated. Whether I age out of the game or get taken out with a lucky head shot, I want to know that this city is in good hands."

Oliver pauses for a few silent moments, allowing any energy in the room to calm. "There is a slum lord in New York in Hell's Kitchen who is a particularly nasty piece of work. There's a law firm out of the Kitchen called Nelson and Murdock that has been trying to shut this guy down for months but he knows the law and skirts the line perfectly. Queen Consolidated is going to invest in some New York City real estate and buy this guy out. But first we have to attend a community meeting headed up by Nelson and Murdock. We need to..." Oliver makes a casual, circular motion with one hand. "...show them that we're no threat. Having someone I can trust with me will be a huge boon."

Emiko Queen has posed:
Emiko smirks a little to herself. Sometimes she had to pat his ego a little, even if it was teasing him at the same time. "Reel in your ego a little and your big head wouldn't be such a tempting target," she retorts with a bit more teasing. A little family humor to offset the serious thought of him being put out of action, for good or otherwise. Some light hearted ribbing before Oliver gets to the meat of what he wants to say.

Emiko sits on the arm of the chair he had previously occupied while she listens. Then feigns a sad expression. "Aaw, you don't want your little sister assassin to just remove him from the picture for good?" It gets a beat pause before she holds up her hands to show she is only joking. Mostly. "No, you are right. Wrecking this guy through the very system he's exploiting and beating his own game is much more just. I would be more than happy to assist. Then we can watch each other's backs."

Oliver Queen has posed:
Oliver bends a bit to unfasten the velcro of the ice wrap, then he removes it from around his knee. A small laugh escapes his lips. "Don't get me wrong, Emi, there *definitely* would be some sense of satisfaction unleashing your wrath on this scumbag, but I've made promises about killing." A small shadow of concern does cross his features. Emiko is a force, and not one easily influenced or controlled.

"Anyway," Oliver continues, "It's a good chance for your face to be seen involved in legitimate Queen Consolidated business." A small shrug. "And I feel safer when you're around."

Emiko Queen has posed:
Emiko had been trained from a early age to kill... and taught by her -real- family that it was not the ultimate solution it had been made out to be. Just because she could, did not mean she should. Sometimes resisting it was really hard after how it had been engrained. But she had the support she needed between family and teammates to keep on the straight path she walked with them.

"A shallow satisfaction." She flicked her fingers through the longer side of her bangs. "Men like this deserve to to pay for what they've done, to live with the consequences and regrets. That is real justice." She smiles a bit more when he says he feels safer with her. It means more to her than most realize to hear it. "I can be your security, Ollie. Just don't try to put me in a suit behind a desk."

Oliver Queen has posed:
Holding up one hand with two fingers extended, Oliver intones, "No suit and desk. Scout's honor. I'll reserve that punishment for myself. But Queen Consolidated doesn't belong to me. It belongs to Thea. It belongs to you. It belongs to Roy. It belongs to Connor. It belongs to all of us. It's our legacy and it's how the world will judge the Queens long after *all* of us are too old to prowl the streets in pajamas anymore." He allows himself to go silent for a few beats as he peers at Emiko imploringly. "Please help me to shape it into something worth remembering." Then Oliver sneaks in a grin. "Even if it's just part-time."

Emiko Queen has posed:
"Part-time," Emiko repeats as she rises from the arm chair. "Because some of us are still plenty young enough to be prowling said streets until it's too early to be awake," she adds with a wink. Then gets a bit more serious again. "You are entirely right though, brother. I should be more involved in this side of the family as well. To make it something we can all be proud to leave behind our time."

Oliver Queen has posed:
Exhaling a sigh of relief, Oliver stands up straight again. "I'm going to go shave and shower. Nelson and Murdock should be calling anytime now for me to go meet with them. It would be perfect having you as a fellow representative of the family and the business." Oliver turns to start walking out of the room, but then he stops and turns back to Emiko. "Just...promise me that you'll kill as absolutely few people as possible." He winks at his sister then turns and heads out of the room.

Emiko Queen has posed:
Emiko holds up two fingers in a mimicry of the gesture Oliver just used. "I promise, on the honor of our ancestors," she replies, mixing a 'scouts honor' of both parts of her heritage.