1460/The Arrows all get together

The Arrows all get together
Date of Scene:	30 April 2020
Location:	Arrowcave
Synopsis:	An impromptu meeting at the Arrowcave that leads to Vanessa and Thea learning about each other's secret identities. And later on Thea confesses what's been eating at her mood.
Cast of Characters:	Thea Queen, Oliver Queen, Vanessa Carlysle

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Thea Queen has posed:
It was a dark and stormy night.. no, not this time, but it is coming to sun down, and for most, it means the end of the day. Dinner shared, tea, living room chats about the day, and eventually off to slumberland. For others, it's a beginning, a time to get ready for night work or a night on the town. For Thea, it was going to be the latter until she wandered, found her way downstairs into the cave, her brother's 'did you train yet today?' echoing in her ears from the night before.

She had, and she hadn't. It hadn't been enough. The question is, could it ever be enough?

So, Thea's made her apologies to her friend Wendy, that she wasn't going to make it out tonight, and she's in the middle of one of the sword trainers.. bars all around her, and with sword in hand, hitting at them, visualizing the horror from the night before. She's dressed in workout, yoga pants, camisole with a loose shirt over it.. and the only physical leftover is a scratch across her cheek from a branch.

*cling*clang*clang*

The stacatto gets faster, but unlike her brother's practice perhaps, it's more frenetic, less controlled.. almost desperate. She's worked herself up into a sweat, and after a few long minutes.. the noise stops.

Oliver Queen has posed:
It had been a good night. Certainly not dark and stormy! But it was also one where they could indulge in some practice. It was something Oliver had been trying to get Vanessa to do, to develop her own skills since they did not know how exactly her powers worked just yet. And he had not expected Thea to be down here tonight, even if his suspicions that she was picking up the suit again were high. Still, he'd worry with it when they got there.

But he also knew she had arrived home the previous night, even if they hadn't talked, nor on the day after. He wasn't entirely sure on how to take that but maybe it had been a simple outing without anything dangerous happening. He highly doubted that.

"I was thinking tonight we could go through the escrima staffs.." his voice heard as he opens the door that leads down, talking to Vanessa. "Nothing too intense, since it's late but..." he lifts his shoulders but then he spots the lights are already on, then the sound of someone practicing just before silence.

"Hmmm, seems like we will have that talk earlier than I expected." Yes, he had told Vanessa about Thea's idea of returning to being Speedy.

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
Vanessa follows Oliver down. Now that the threat of Yu Phun is gone, there might be less imperative to her to train. But she's gotten a taste of the superhero life, and that's enough that she didn't have to be talked into coming down to do a workout.

The door shuts behind her, the electric locks sealing it in place as she and Oliver move into the underground base. "Nothing too intense? Why, got plans for later that you don't want to be tired for?" she kids Oliver, before she too notes the sounds of someone already training in here. "Not John then," she says, he being the only other person who Vanessa has seen down here regularly.

Vanessa's little nod suggests she knows who Oliver thinks it is. "Well, no time like the present, right?" she says with a shrug and a soft smile. "Shall we?" she's ready to head over towards where the sounds of the training are coming from.

Thea Queen has posed:
The clanging of the bars still reverberates in Thea's ears heartbeats after she stops. Blue eyes stare into the middle distance for a measured pause before catching the faint but telltale *click* of the locks and the lights coming on in the different area of the cave.

"Dammit," is murmured. There are only a less than handful of people who know their way down, and with her luck?

Right.. here we go.

Thea moves sideways around the bars, her hands still holding the workout blades. Setting them aside in order to put them away, Thea sets her tones to the 'I'm fine, how are you?' tenor, a contrived sing-songy, "Just finishing up.." but she's not looking in the direction where she knows he/they are. They. There's another voice that she'd heard once before.

Into the case they go; busywork, really, and finally she looks up and shifts the case to put it back where it belongs. "Hey. It's all yours." Beat. "Hey, Vanessa.." though that second part is said a little.. slowly, and a question mark glance is given to Ollie.

Oliver Queen has posed:
Oliver comes into view, dressed in training pants, a tight t-shirt, just his usual to come down for a night training. Something she does often when not out being a vigilante. Because getting older means constant training to keep up that peak form. "Thea." he says in ways of greeting, taking in his sister's form, expression, tension on the shoulders. A quick survey of the state she might be in.

"Blades tonight, was it?" He asks her in a rather casual manner. A faint smile then.

The questioning look from Thea does have her look to Vanessa, a nod. "Yes, she is aware of us." and even if he hadn't told her..., well.., his memories are still there.

"So it is good that you were able to meet down here." As for further explanation about it she will let Vanessa tell what she wants about the whys of her knowing, and being down here with him. So instead he asks Thea. "Are you well?"

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
Vanessa Carlysle's face lights up a bit more at the sight of Oliver's sister than perhaps the brother's face does. "Hey Thea," Vanessa says, her smile warm as she flashes that small, maybe slightly guilty smile over at her, that they ended up surprising her like this.

After Oliver mentions of it being good they met like this in the secret lair, Vanessa gives a slow nod. "Right. So, I guess, well, I'll just toss it out there. I've sort of picked up a set of skills like Oliver's," she says. "And, well, the way events have played out I ended up helping a bit. Started with grabbing a mask and bow of his to stop a museum robbery near me that had some hostages. And just sort of snowballed from there," Vanessa offers, watching Thea's expression for her reaction.

"This is all... wow. And I had no idea up until recently," Vanessa says. "Not about you either, though I've been starting to meet Oliver's other associates too, of late."

Thea Queen has posed:
"Yeah, blades," Thea answers slowly, blue eyes drifting from one to the others. "This.. this is a little awkward," is stated. "No offense to you, Vanessa. It's just...

"I'm fine, Ollie. Just partied a little too hard last night, and I'm feeling it today is all." Thea sets on a rueful expression, and turning around, she leans to perch on the equipment table.

"Cool... museum robbery?" Thea looks between the two again, and sets her attention back to her brother, "And you didn't say anything?" Pot, kettle.. that whole thing.

It really is a little awkward. Ollie's girlfriends had been come and go, and this one? Well, moving in was one thing, but bringing her down and having her find out everything that's going on? It's a little harder. "Picking up the bow is easy," Thea begins, "it's the practicing it all the time that's the bitch."

Oliver Queen has posed:
Oliver's own blue eyes, so alike Thea's continue their study. Relentless one could say! Taking in every little cue given. The deflection. "Yea? What club did you go to?" he then questions, pacing forward towards the weapon rack, adjusting a sword there, then a staff here.

His eyes then go to Vanessa, his smile returning and he says, "I wasn't present during said museum robbery. But she handled herself quite fine." was there amusement there though?

"And sure enough, it's awkward. Yet I wasn't sure if you were done with this life or not, Speedy. As for Vanessa's skills though...." he gestures, as if in invitation to Vanessa.

"Do you want to show her what you can do?"

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
Vanessa notes the tension in Thea at the revelation. It makes Vanessa wince a little bit, and she glances towards Oliver with a slightly guilty look at having caused anything between brother and sister. "Well, it... Oliver didn't know. It kind of, snuck up on him," she says in an understatement.

Vanessa looks back to Oliver as he suggests a demonstration. "Sure," she says. She's come down dressed for a workout as well, a pair of tights and then sports top, and she puts her hair back to keep it out of the way as she goes over to pick up a bo staff. "Sort of started with one of these. The drug dealer who was after me to stop me from testifying, his men attacked us and I picked up one of their weapons," she says.

Vanessa begins a kata, twirling the weapon around herself with a lot of skill. It's a kata that Oliver knows, so Thea might know it as well. At the end of it, Vanessa uses it on a practice dummy, striking a few times in rapid succession with it before setting it aside.

"After that, well, we were shooting one time. Roy and Oliver and I," she says as she moves over towards the bows, pausing to look to Oliver to see if she should go on.

Thea Queen has posed:
Thea does have that nick on her cheek that she didn't have yesterday, and it's pretty obvious that there's a touch of tension in the air. Sorry Vanessa! Welcome to the Queen family! "Somewhere in the Village." New York City. "Great food, great beats.." and she lets her voice trail off before she puts voice to, 'booze and drugs'. Why poke that nest? Probably not conducive to toss that up at him all the time. At least she's not promiscuous?

Thea has her back to the table and gently hops up onto the top to sit, hands on her lap. There's still something behind those blues, and only once, as Vanessa is talking about her experience does she look to meet her brother's.

The quick exhibition gets an accepting nod, her head bobbing, her short brown hair moving freely. "Cool. You met Roy. Good kid. He needs work, but I think he'll be okay." Thea smiles, the expression a little tight, "Not sure if you'll think this new-found ability a blessing or a curse in a month or so. I know I have a love/hate relationship with all of.. this." She puts a hand out to cover the area, the room, the equipment. "Still, it gives me a chance to hang with Ollie."

Oliver Queen has posed:
A thoughtful ummm comes out of Oliver, his eyes roaming over Thea's form. Then focusing on that nick on the cheek. Sure. But that 'ummm' was so neutral though. Could go one way or the other (hint: He is not buying it). But he doesn't press it further just yet.

So instead he watches Vanessa go about the kata, one he is rather familiar with as well. At Vanessa's look she nods, "Go ahead, might as well put it as part of your practice." he says about the bow shooting.

"Believe it or not, Thea, he has been shaping up his life after he got into Happy Harbor. He will come visit again soon I am hoping. And his help was instrumental in taking down the drug dealer that had been plaguing us for a while now." And yes, there is still that lingering tension between brother and sister. Is it ever gone though? Well, there are times of truce. Not that it seems this is one of those times.

"Dancing got a bit rough?" He then finally asks about that nick on Thea's cheek.

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
Vanessa picks up a bow and a quiver, sliding the latter on. "I guess, I was already at risk before, with, things going on around me. I'd say now I'm probably better off. So, I hope it'll be a blessing," Vanessa tells Thea hopefully.

She walks over to a spot with the targets far down the room from her. "Yes, Roy seems like a great kid. And he had our backs when they came after us," she says. Vanessa has noticed the mark on Thea's cheek as well, but doesn't ask about it.

Instead she says, "I've been trying to decide, now I don't have to hide from drug dealers, what to do with myself. Oliver mentioned you'd given though to opening a club somewhere, or something like that?" she asks.

As she talks, Vanessa checks the arrows and the bow. When she's finished she begins drawing and shooting. One arrow after another in a fluid motion, much like Oliver does it. The arrows clustering together in the bullseye until it is just a mass of feathered shafts all stuck in the target together.

Thea Queen has posed:
All those missed opportunities; everyone able to go out with Ollie but her. It's true, though.. they've got an interesting dynamic, and one she still dances around. She's grown up, he's.. different. And their shared losses. (And then there's mom.)

"Really, I'm happy for him. At least someone is shaping up."

She is quietly impressed with Vanessa's kata; it looks well practiced, whether or not it is! "Turned into a mosh pit." She attempts a smile, "This is where I say, 'you should have seen the other guy'." She does lift a hand to touch the spot, however.. "Another day, I'll be able to cover it with foundation."

Glancing back and forth, Thea waits for the 'robin hooding' before she nods, "Mountain, Mohammed.. I figure that it might help. I just have to figure out how, where, and.. stuff."

Oliver Queen has posed:
Yes, Oliver stops himself from confirming what Thea said. That at least -someone- is shaping up. No need to stir the pot further. And he still recalled the half roast-beef sandwich. So points for Thea for that. "Look, Thea. You know you can talk to me about everything, right?"

Though then he focuses on the club part. "We had talked a bit about it. Vanessa is looking to get into a business and ..., since you had mentioned it in the past. Could be something. But I will let you two discuss it on your own when it comes to it. I don't want to influence both your decisions." He says with a faint smile returning to his lips. He lets some of that tension leave him, even if he isn't too sure about that mosh pit.

"Good shots, Vanessa. And yea, as you can see she can very well handle herself." even if so suspiciously close to what Ollie's own skills seem to be!

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
Vanessa Carlysle returns the bow to the rack, leaving the arrows for now but she'll retrieve them in a bit. "Thank you," she says to Oliver as she moves back over to the brother and sister. "No obligation to. But I've poured a few drinks before, and have some time on my hands. Oliver and I were talking about Queen Consolidated as well. But, if you'd consider it at all helpful to have someone else helping out, I'd be willing to do what I can," Vanessa tells Thea.

She moves over to a table and slides up onto it to sit. "Can't say I know much about the how and where parts, but actually helping with a place once open, I could probably do something," she offers to Thea.

Vanessa glances towards the door to the cave. "Why don't I go and grab a couple of drinks, some Gatorade or something," she suggests. And more time for brother and sister to talk.

Thea Queen has posed:
"When there's something to say," Thea mutters. Still, her head quirks, a question rising to her lips, "Queen Consolidated?" She looks at Ollie; bringing her into the corporation? Sure, she doesn't have a pony in that race (she doesn't work there, doesn't have anything to do with it, really, other than benefit from its profits). This is moving.. quickly. Which is really strange to her.

"Club's about my speed. I know something about them." Though, she'll be around enough to make sure it's .. clean. For the most part. "Sure, I can always use the help."

Vanessa offers her services to get drinks from upstairs, and Thea smiles at the other woman. "Thank you.. I appreciate it."

Watching Vanessa's departure from the Cave and upstairs, Thea waits for a long moment before she looks back to Ollie, "Serious, huh? Never saw you like this. I mean, gotta be. Just wanna hear it from you."

Oliver Queen has posed:
A smile is given to Vanessa when the woman volunteers to go get drinks. He understands it too. He watches her go for a time and then finally settles his blue gaze back on the sister. "There is always something to say." sure, way to not let go of the bone. But that's Ollie. Where it comes to family or people close to him he can be protective. They have had their losses afterall.

"I just don't want you to get hurt, Speedy." He then tells her after a sigh.

The question if it's serious makes him slowly start to smirk, "Look, just because I was a playboy in the past doesn't mean anything. Yes, it's serious. And there is a lot more to Vanessa that you still need to find out. But all in due time, when she is ready." a glance towards the exit again. "Talk to her sometime, just the two of you. You will see what I mean. Even if you may not trust my judgement right now."

Thea Queen has posed:
Thea sits in silence for a long moment, her hands lifted into her lap to look for something to do. Fingers entwine, and she bounces her hands on her thighs in consideration. After that hesitation, she shakes her head,

"I don't think I can do it. The whole.... thing." Hurt be damned.

A tight smile rises to her face and she gives a single-shouldered shrug. "Sure, it'll be fine. It'll get me used to the fact that I'll have a sister in law. I'm sure we'll get along fine."

Oliver Queen has posed:
"I am sure you both will." Not that Oliver didn't expect some bumps along the way. But that is life. How fun would it be if everyone just got along perfectly. And the Queen family had never been that epitome of stability.

But his focus is then on what she says, not being able to do 'it'. A small frown and he approaches his sister. "Sit down with me." he offers, settling on the training mats in front of her slowly. Chairs? Overrated. And they are by the computer area anyway.

"And tell me about what you can't do."

Thea Queen has posed:
Welcome to the Queen family? It doesn't put the 'fun' in dysfunctional, but it works for them. Eventually, at the end of the proverbial day, things are... reasonable.

It just takes awhile to get there is all.

Thea sighs as she slides off the table and wanders over to the mats. In a single, fluid motion, Thea sits down cross-legged. She's still got form, ability and grace... able to do it without hands out to stabilize.

"I .. I just can't do it. I mean, I can shoot. Can I robin hood like that? Only with some good practice. Can I still get 13 arrows off in 30 seconds? Heck yeah.." Something she's proud of. "And I can kick serious butt.." Like on the 'dance floor'? "But.." she shrugs and looks down, her eyes unfocusing for a secon before she lifts them again to her brother's, a decision made.

"I can't watch a person die."

Oliver Queen has posed:
Once Oliver sits down on the ground he pulls his legs to him, feet tucked against him, relaxedly, his elbows resting on his knees. He watches Thea's form. Yes, she still had it. She always would most likely. Training was a big part of it, but she was also a Queen. and there were things that just came natural in that family.

"Your prowess was never in question, Thea." For some reason he knows that is not what is worrying her. If anything she had always been quite confident in what she could do. Proud even, and sure she got into trouble when she let that confidence turn into overconfidence.

So he waits for that last revelation. People dying. He had done his share of that in the past. Killing. But he could understand why she couldn't. "Noone should have to watch a person die." he finally says after a time. "Was that what happened? Tell me about it." he gestures with one hand, no judgement in his tone.

Thea Queen has posed:
Thea shifts, tucking her knees up, feet flat on the foor, her arms wrapping about her legs. Here, she sighs, and smiles a bit ruefully, and can there be a little bit of an apology in the tone, all without apologizing? She is a Queen, after all. Mostly. Heh..

"I went out last night, to the City. I was doing my own drug tracking... and no, not in that way." Just in case. "I saw the guy I was looking for at a show in Central Park." She shakes her head, the images coming back in something of a flashback. "I got him lured away, and.. disarmed him. Did the whole spiel about how I was gonna take him in.. or thought I did.. or was gonna.."

Here, Thea falls silent before, "Someone got my attention, and this.. thing.." Her face screws up like she's about ready to throw up again, and she shifts her position to try and make it a little less.. uncomfortable. As if that was possible?

"Something flew down and ripped out the guy's stomach.. and it smelled like.. death."

Oliver Queen has posed:
Just the briefest squint of his eyes, Oliver regards Thea with some attention when she finally comes clean on what she has been up to. But no judgement there .., not yet at least. He listens, solemn, letting her say her piece. Taking out a drug dealer seems fine on his book.

But when he begins to listen to how wrong things went he leans forward. "Something?" he does makes a mental note about it. Central Park. A murder. He will follow it up through the police reports he can access. And then he'll get more details. Hopefully.

"Did it attack you as well?" He questions, eyes going to that nick on her cheek again. Now he is getting angry. Not with Thea though, oh no, at whatever had her witness it.

Thea Queen has posed:
"Some //thing//," Thea repeats. "It was cold.. dark.. and it was wierd. Like.. grave dark. And I know what that looks like." Ish.

It didn't come after me, no. There was a guy there. It was what distracted me. I.. I think I told him to get away when I jumped back. But," she shakes her head in an attempt to dislodge the webs regarding the event last night, and her face screws up at the thought, and the past nausea which threatens again. "The guy.. the kid didn't seem like it was all a problem. That's when I.." There really isn't a better way to put this, and she sets it out there between them, "...ran, and came home." And proceeded to throw up for the next hour.

"Seriously, all I want to do is to figure out how to forget that. How to get the scream out of my head, the smell.. the blood. I'm not sure even drugs could do it." How's that for honesty?

Another exaled sigh exits the little sister, "You're the only one that knows. Other than that blonde kid.. teenager." Could have been a young adult!

Oliver Queen has posed:
Ollie's methodic mind is already going through loops on how to find out what happened. A killing right in the middle of Central Park? Some creature? Something is afoot. "Do you think you'd be able to describe this kid you saw?" he then questions. "Maybe we can do a sketch of him, then run it through our database." as for the creatures, he lets that go for now, no need to press, and he doesn't want her retching up again.

And yes, perhaps he may sound heartless when he tells her to remember the kid's face. But she's a Queen, and he won't let this go easily.

He even ignores the mention of drugs. And how she used to forget through those. Instead he gets himself out of the ground and approaches his sister, dropping down on a knee to pull her to him if she lets him.

Thea Queen has posed:
Thea's still for a moment before she nods, once, twice, in both acknowledgment and understanding. She gets it. She's not a kid anymore. She's a damned adult, and a Queen. It's just.. there are days when she wants to hide, hide knowing her brother is around for her, to keep her safe, even if it is some happy illusion.

But that //thing//.

Looking up into his blues, she shifts so she can not only accept the hug, but return it. She needs it, she needs to feel that he's there. It's just going to be a little harder because she has to share more. Easy to share with his wingman, but.. Vanessa is different. It's another adjustment.

"I don't want anything to happen to you either. Tell me you won't do anything alone?" Now who is who? "I can do it if you're there." Whatever 'it' may be.

Oliver Queen has posed:
"I am not going anywhere.." Oliver says in an assuring manner to Thea. Yet it's also somewhat vague.. Not going where? She knows he will always have her back. As for doing things solo .., well, those Queen aren't that different where it comes to doing things their own way.

But he is content to keep her there for a good moment, holding on and letting her know he is there with her, "You are the best Speedy a brother could ask for." He then finally tells her, with just perhaps an hint of teasing to his tone. Maybe to spark her a bit out of that low mood she is in. Or to veer her thoughts away from what happened.

Thea Queen has posed:
Thea holds on to him a moment more before her hold starts to lighten. She whispers, "I'm the only Speedy you know. And you weren't saying that when I got the roast beef before you." She is able to suck it up, and tease him quietly back. She's not fully 'there', but the reassurance does wonders for her. "I'm trying. A lot of stuff I say, I don't mean." She loosens her hold a little more to move to give him a kiss on his cheek. "You need a shave," comes next. "I'll leave you guys alone so you can teach her how to train right. I'll just be a train wreck." Playing on the words.. and they're not far off.

"Besides, I gotta call Wendy and tell her I'm not going out tonight. I.. gotta wash my hair or something."