15206/Post Racoon Dino-Rider Trauma

Post Racoon Dino-Rider Trauma
Date of Scene:	22 June 2023
Location:	Arrowcave
Synopsis:	Felicity teleports back to the Arrowcave from Mojo's arena in a racoon onesie, then grabs dinner with Oliver and Emiko.
Cast of Characters:	Felicity Smoak, Oliver Queen, Emiko Queen

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Felicity Smoak has posed:
The Arrowcave isn't exactly bustling at the moment. Oliver had come down to talk to Felicity about something that she hadn't yet given him a word edgewise to be able to discuss with her, because she was in the middle of lamenting the fact that the last upgrade she did just... wasn't working. Which didn't make any sense.

"Do you understand how infuriating it is that it doesn't work? It won't accept the drive because it /says/ it's not encrypted," she was saying, hip propped up against the counter in the kitchen as she stood eating mint chocolate chip ice cream out of the carton with a spoon (all while using the spoon to gesticulate and talking with her mouth full). "But that doesn't make any sense, because I /always/ use protection."

Beat.

"You know what I mean."

Another beat.

"I mean, not that you like.. /know/, yet." Sigh. "I'm just going to..."

And then there was a flash, and Felicity was gone.

No more ice cream. No more spoon. No more Felicity, either. And the freezer door was just left there, standing open where she had been.

It took thirty minutes for there to be another flash. What happened in the Arrowcave during those thirty minutes? Whatever Oliver says happened! Because Felicity has /no/ idea. She was... elsewhere.

When the second flash happened, however, Felicity was standing right where she was. Except, instead of wearing a leather jacket and a pair of nice, dark wash jeans, she was wearing a Mario 3 Racoon costume that made her look a /lot/ more like Mario than anyone might have guessed (aside, of course, from the glasses).

"GET HIM, SMEG!!... Oh."

Yes, that's Felicity screaming in a racoon onesie. No ice cream, though. Apparently she lost that somewhere along the way. She blinks and catches herself against the counter, looking around.

"I'm.. back. I.. don't really feel okay."

Oliver Queen has posed:
Look, sometimes you just need to rant a bit and get things out of your system, that's just how it goes.

Moreso for other people admittedly. Not so much for Oliver. He's more of a repress his problems and frustrations until they explode at an epically bad time. It might not be the healthy way of dealing with things, but it does tend to keep things lively, so there is that.

While he might have ventured down into the 'Arrowcave' for another matter, Star City's archer extrodinaire is content enough to let Felicity get all of her issues out of her system. There is no possibility of getting a word in edge-wise of course and the billionaire vigilante doesn't even try, simply nodding his head occasionally and making quiet 'Mmmmm' sounds. Just to confirm that he is actually listening.

He can be taught.

Things seem to be going reasonably well all things considered, about to run their course. Which, naturally, is when she vanishes in a flash of light. For some people that would be pretty unusual. For good or ill, that's pretty much just another Tuesday in Oliver's life. Not that he takes it all in blase fashion of course. There are not a lot of people with access to their hidden lair afterall, and hardly any that would want to simply abscond with Felicity -- or any of them -- without so much as a by your leave. So Oliver doesn't waste a lot of time fretting or fussing. He instead goes into crisis mode almost immediately. The computer and communication array might not exactly be his balliwick, but he can still put it to good use, hooking into the Justice League systems, reaching out to his allies and contacts, pulling in satellite data from the network the League maintains. He might be a two-fingered typist, but he gets there. Eventually.

But nothing, absolutely nothing. Thirty minutes later Ollie isn't quite so blase about the entire affair. Which, of course, is exactly when Felicity pops back into existence. In a furry outfit.

It is probably a sign of his concern for her that he doesn't even question that. Instead he is out of his chair in a flash, at her side. "Are you alright?" he asks, the concerned note in his words obvious.

Emiko Queen has posed:
Emiko Queen had not been as common of a sight around the Queen estate. Between her duties with the Titans, keeping an eye on Phoenix Towers, and the other odds and ends of trouble a vigilante ex-assassin her age gets into. But the family was still important to her, and she was making an effort to take the time to return and check in on things as she could. And when there didn't seem to be anyone active in the manor, she headed down to the secret lair.

But boy, is it quite the sight that she walks in on. The younger of the Queen archers just pauses, watching the events unfold. Giving Felicity the time to get through her... episode, and Oliver to respond. They can have the moment. Before she finally asks the question that's probably on the mind of everything that's here.

"Why is she dressed like a raccoon dog on a bender?"

Felicity Smoak has posed:
"I'm.. not sure yet. Is it /really/ hot in here?"

With Oliver at her side, Felicity had a tendency to list towards him like a sinking ship in her unbalanced state, and her hand came up to touch her forehead.

She was going to smooth her ponytail, but instead her gloved hand/paw brushed over furry costume between two ears and her eyes got suddenly much wider, pulling that limb back to look at the brown fur along her arm.

That was their moment. Then came the question about the racoon dog on a bender, and Felicity's eyes rose to Emiko, forcing a unsettled smile onto her purple-painted lips.

"So.. this /might/ just qualify as the weirdest thing that's happened to me, recently." She paused, looking up at Oliver. "I was just riding a robotic triceratops that shot flames out of its nostrils, trying not to get /killed/ by motorcycle gang of.. sharks."

Her eyes shift to Emiko and then back to Oliver again, eyes pleading.

"Does the name Mojo mean anything to you?"

Oliver Queen has posed:
Under other circumstances, this is the kind of thing that could make one a little concerned about someone's mental state. But the fact of the matter is that htey live pretty irregular lives where the strange and outright bizarre happen on a fairly regular basis. That tends to make one a little more accepting about this sort of thing.

Besides, Oliver has no watched Felicity both disappear and reappear in a flash of light. And with her reappearance she's wearing a racoon suit that she most definitely was not wearing when she vanished. He's also ninety-nine percent sure that it is not something that she would normally keep in her closet. That's a pretty good percentage.

Either way, the Emerald Archer rests a hand on her back, offering a measure of support, expression still concered as she is quite clearly trying to recover herself.

Which of course is when Emiko arrives and makes her pointed observation. It's not that Ollie wasn't thinking it of course. But it's a sad day when he's the diplomatic one in the room. Shooting his sister a warning look, he straightens a little, trying to guide Felicity over towards the nearest chair. "I can't say that I've ever heard the name before," he admits. But he tends to focus a little more on grounded threats. "Why, is this 'Mojo' responsible for what happened to you?" he asks, just a hint of anger leaking into those words. There aren't many risks he won't face, but he doesn't take well to the same when it's others put in those situations. "Maybe there's something in the League's database."

Emiko Queen has posed:
The look is enough to get Emiko to realize that she maybe could of phrased that better, but what was said was said. That point of the matter is dropped and the conversation moves on, once Felicity does provide an explaination. Or what passes for it. Is it an explaination when it starts causing more questions than answering them?

"That... is a peculiar scenerio, no arguing that." She gives a short shake of her head. "It is not familiar, no." She keeps a fair distance from the pair, not out of lack of concern, but not wanting to inadvertantly make the moment any more awkward than her previous blantant remark. Oliver knows Felicity better and be a better comfort than she could. "... Though if it qualifies only as the weirdest thing -recently-..." But she doesn't question farther, again, to avoid making another faux paus of words.

Felicity Smoak has posed:
Felicity doesn't fight Oliver when he starts to guide her, but she does look /very/ funny in the racoon costume with the tail waggling along behind her. She looked like she should be holding a sign for a video game store or something.

She does catch the look that Oliver gives his sister, though, and smiles a little bit more. "Hey..." Eyes shift to Emiko apologetically. "It's okay. It kind of describes how I feel right now."

Back to Oliver. "They were chanting it. And.. Shazam was there. He was fighting like me, though." She was furrowing her eyebrows like she was trying to remember a dream.

Blink, back to Emiko. "Wait.. you said racoon dog." Blink. Blink. "Am I /Mario/?!"

It was hard to tell, on the surface, if that was a good thing or a bad thing. She was smiling, but it was sort of hysterical. And by that point, she'd made it in front of the chair, but she hadn't sat down yet, and her cheeks were flushed pink.

"Seriously.. is it /really/ hot in here? Can you guys help me out of this?"

Was she wearing anything underneath it? Who knows!

Oliver Queen has posed:
Truthfully, Oliver does not exactly play a lot of video games. It's a matter of time. There's only so many hours in the day. While he is not exactly the most diligent overseer of Queen Consolidated business affairs, he tries to be a little involved, at least in the projects that interest him. And of course, there are his nocturnal activities as well. They kind of dominate his day to day as often as not.

But that wasn't always the case of course. Once upon a time he was a very different person. And that Oliver? Mario 3 was totally his thing.

Leaning back a little, he takes a slightly closer look at the costume that Felicity finds herself clad in, lips pursing thoughtfully before he gives a scant nod. "You know what, I think you very well might be. Are you feeling a sudden need to check out the cave's plumbing? Are you going to start wearing your pants low enough to show off your butt crack?" he asks archly.

Okay, he has tried to not make jokes, to make light of her situation. It had to be pretty traumatic, by the sounds of things. But he can't resist. He's pretty much as bad as his sister, though perhaps that stands to reason. They're family.

At her request, Ollie starts looking for fastenings or a zipper. "Mmmm, little help?" he says, glancing over towards Emiko. "How did they get you into this thing?" he mutters quietly. "You know, under other circumstances it might be a little weird to be asking my sister for help undressing you," he points out, the corners of his mouth twitching ever so slightly.

He's probably not helping.

Emiko Queen has posed:
Emiko Queen had been keeping a fair distance but when Oliver asks for help after Felicity complains about being too hot (in the actual temperature sort of way) she does walk over to help investigate the costume or whatever it is to get it off. "I don't know. You asking, maybe. But it's arguably less weird for one lady to help another with her wardrobe," she replies in the best fake serious tone she has. Which is pretty darn good, really. But the way she smirks a bit is good indicator it's more joking. And trying to not look like she's feeling the other woman up while helping Oliver try to find a zipper or other closure.

A little at Felicity's expense, but also because some humor can help calm a situation. Seems to be a Queen trait to a degree.

"Have you tried pull the head down, like a hood?" A pause. "In spite of my previous 'bender' remark, it may be more likely you're having a heat stress reaction."

Felicity Smoak has posed:
/Are you going to start wearing your pants low enough to show off your butt crack?/

"Don't sound so hopeful," Felicity snarks, narrowing her eyes at Oliver. "Although, now that you mention it, I do have a sudden craving for spaghetti carbonara."

The zipper wasn't super easy to find, but it's there. It's thin and barely noticeable, running from right under her chin to the middle of her navel, hidden under a layer of fabric that makes it nearly seamless. She's turned to face Emiko, at this point, so she'll get there before Oliver does. If the groping bothers her, it doesn't show. She just seems to want to get out of the stupid thing.

/How did they get you into this thing?/

"Actually, I don't know. I sort of appeared in a tube. And then this happened. And then everything just sort of went.. crazy?"

/Have you tried pull the head down, like a hood?/

"Um.. no, actually," Felicity says, as if the idea really hadn't occurred to her. "I was sort of too busy trying not to die up until this point. I'm thinking it probably doesn't help that my dinosaur was breathing fire, either."

And then she tried to do exactly that, reaching up and pushing the head back off. It stretches a bit, but then she's wincing like it got caught in her hair, just holding it in place. "Oliver! Help!"

Oliver Queen has posed:
The whole thing is quite the elaborate process really. If nothing else the suit certainly seems to be of particularly high quality. Whoever this 'Mojo' might be, it would seem that they don't skimp on the costuming budget. So while emiko busies herself with the front of the outfit, Oliver searches the back, though he does not seem to be having a great deal of luck.

"After we get you out of this thing, we'll see what we can whip up," he says gravely. "I mean, I suppose we could pop out for a quick bite, but most decent Italian places have a bit of a dress code," he points out mildly. "And yes, I hate when my dinosaur breathes fire. Such a nuisance," he chimes in, his search paused temporarily when it seems that his sister finally has a bit of success.

Of course, the Emerald Archer has never actually ridden a dinosaur, flame breathing or otherwise. He's starting to feel a little left out.

Before they can unzip that costume, the hood of it becomes tangled in Felicity's hair and once again, Ollie is put to work, trying to get a good enough vantage point to see the tangle and work it free. "Hold still, we'll get you out of this," he assures her. "I need a pair of scissors," he says quickly, though his hands keep on working to untangle the mess as gently as possible, finally tugging that hood free with a minimum of pulled hair. "Kidding. No need to cut your hair. This time. I can't make any promises though if this becomes a regular thing for you."

Emiko Queen has posed:
"Honestly a dinosaur that breaths fire is the least weird part of that entire incident you described," Emiko remarks.

She finds the zipper once Felicity turned in her direction more. The flap is almost invisible with how well it blended into the costume itself. "Here it is." It takes a little work to get her nimble fingers under and lift it enough to actually get the zipper undone. "They really did not want this to come off easily."

Felicity Smoak has posed:
Everything was going fine until Oliver said 'scissors' and then Felicity flinched and actually made both getting the zipper down harder for Emiko and the hood off harder on Oliver, pulling her own hair in the process.

"No! I swear, Oliver, if you come near my hair with scissors there aren't enough arrows--"

The hood is finally free, and then Felicity is back to being a frizzy-haired bottle blonde, still in a ponytail (though it's more slouchy and messy than high and smooth, by this point). Emiko gets the zipper down, too, revealing a /lot/ of clothing underneath.. no wonder she was getting hot. She was still wearing her leather jacket, tank top, jeans and boots. The same outfit Oliver had seen her in before she left.

/...if this becomes a regular thing for you./

"Look, I'm fine with you staring at my butt, but I am /not/ dressing up like a racoon for you, so you can put that thought right of your mind."

Once they've essentially freed her, there's a lot of wiggling and squirming as she shrugs out of the sleeves and the legs, stepping completely out of it and quivering.

"Okay, /that/ I'm not super excited to repeat ever again. If I ever figure out who Mojo is with his stupid teleporter, he's going to get a piece of my mind."

Once that's done, though, she's stooping to pick up the pile of discarded costume, tucking it under her arm because, whatever she might have said, she obviously wasn't about to throw it away.

"Thank you. Both of you." She fans herself with her free hand. "I'll do the spectroanalysis on this later. There's Marco's. I mean, I know it's not really a place that billionaires tend to hang out, but their carbonara is /so good/..."

Oliver Queen has posed:
Sometimes Oliver is just the architect of his own troubles. Well, probably more then just sometimes. As often as not, at the very least. By suggesting that he is going to have to cut off her hair though, he really didn't help things, that's for sure.

Still, in relative short order the situation is resolved and the furry racoon costume is finally removed and set aside, a little smirk playing over his features as he looks it over. It's a little easier to smile about the whole thing now -- at least for him -- though if he should ever run across this Mojo person they just might get punched in the nose. If they have a nose.

"But you make a very cute racoon," the archer says mildly, the corners of his mouth still twitching ever so slightly. "But that's fine. I'm sure we can find you a jaunty plumber's cap for you to rock. That might be almost as good," he proposes, probably not serious. Hopefully not serious. Sometimes he's a little hard to read.

"And you're welcome. I'm just glad you made it back safe and sound, though I'd feel better if we knew how it happened and how we might keep it from happening again," he admits. "But under the cirumstances, and now that it doesn't look like you're cosplaying a rodent, I think I could probably treat you both to dinner. Treat both oif you," he adds with a smile for his sister.

Emiko Queen has posed:
Emiko Queen rolls her eyes a bit. "Raccoons aren't rodents. Or pandas, despite what some people call them." They don't even look like one, she has no idea where the 'trash panda' insult even comes from. "Though they can be a pest, so I guess your confusion isn't unwarrented, Ollie." Don't take the correction personally. She hangs out with a few animal lovers (and animal people, and people that turn into animals) and they'd never forgive her for letting that mislabeling go by.

"Though if I ever have to go undercover at a video game convention I know who to ask for a loaner," she jokes. Not like it would fit her smaller half-Asian build properly. "A meal does sound like a good idea. She probably could use it after being through... whatever that was."

Felicity Smoak has posed:
"Mmmm. Flattery is not going to get you out of the conversation we're going to have later about your infatuation with plumbers," Felicity muses, eyes twinkling with mirth as she leans in and up to place a quick kiss on Oliver's lips and then smiles sweetly at him.

Quickly enough, though, she's moving over to collect a HAZMAT bag from one of the cabinets.

"I'll see what I can find on Mojo and.. mysterious disappearances. It's probably just going to turn up a bunch of restaurants run by drug dealers, but maybe somebody knows something.. OH! And.. There's Shazam. I'm not exactly sure how to like.. call him. But, I'm sure I can figure it out."

Bag open, costume dumped, sealed.

"And Emiko's right. Not a rodent."

The fact that Emiko wants to join them makes her smile a little bigger, and then she touches her hair. "Yeah, my stomach is growling so loudly that I'm worried it might audition for a role in a horror movie. I need to.. freshen up, apparently. But then I'll be ready! Two minutes!"

And then she's headed for the bathroom, where she keeps and extra supply of brushes, hair ties (much to everyone's chagrin), cosmetics, tooth brushes..

Oliver Queen has posed:
"Look, they really know how to work a wrench. What's not to like," Oliver retorts, keeping a straight face. He's pretty good at that, all things considered.

"And I know that racoons aren't... you know what, nevermind. Consider me educated on animal families. I'll be more careful in the future," he says sardonically, returning that kiss briefly before turning towards his sister. "You jest, but a surprising amount of incidents happen at those things. Now you're going to have to dress up like a racoon and I'm going to get the pictures," he promises.

Oh yes, they will be his. And they will be shared quite widely in the similar circles that they operate.

"Okay, sounds like a plan. It will give us a chance to bring you up to speed on the Queen Consolidated project in New York. We closed on the property, but we've run into a few snags," he calls out after Felicity before starting for the lift, glancing back towards Emiko. "I'm thinking that we might have to spend a little more time taking care of it then I had originally planned."

So probably not a routine financing problem then. No, this has the distinct air of costumed business.

Emiko Queen has posed:
Emiko Queen folds her arms across her chest in one of her usual postures of defiance. "You are more than welcome to -try-, brother dear." First you've got to get her into a costume. Then manage to get pictures of someone that's an expert at stealth. Have fun with that challenge.

Felicity goes to clean up, and the conversation drifts from family retorts to more serious business. Of both the company and the vigilante sorts by the sound of it. Emiko tilts her head towards Oliver, mmming softly. "You'll have to elaborate on the details of these 'snags'. Not that we didn't anticipate complications when you decided to get that building out of that scumlord's hands."

Felicity Smoak has posed:
Felicity was kicking herself the whole way to the bathroom for walking away from the 'work a wrench' comment and /handing/ that dueling victory to Oliver. She even made a little 'grr' noise to let out a little of her frustration.

Then she was gone, but it didn't take long for her to re-emerge, ponytail smoothed back into place, makeup fixed, glasses adjusted. She snags her purse on the way past her desk and slings it over her shoulder.

"Okay, team. Who's ready to binge eat carbs?"

Big smiles for them. Questions about the snags and the project would come, but she'd save them for dinner.

Oliver Queen has posed:
It is a quick ride up the lift and out of the secret lair, and only a short jaunt to the waiting car. Then a far to quick ride to the aforementioned Marco's. Larely because Oliver pretty much weaves in and out of traffic like a maniac, never slowing down and on more then one occasion seeming to pull in front of another vehicle with only inches to spare. It's not like they're in an accident or anything, but it's not the most relaxing trip ever, though he never seems to have the slightest concern that he's going to clip another car.

Plus he almost surely had to win some award for making such great time, right?

Marco's is not a hole by any means, but it's not exactly what passes for fine dining either. All of which is to say that there is little trouble in getting a table -- or in this case a booth -- tucked near the back of the restaurant. A broad window lets in the fading light of late evening and gives them an oh so scenic view of hte parking lot -- and the railroad tracks beyond.

The ambience might be a little lacking too. But the food really is pretty terrific.

"Once they're settled, Oliver idly plays with the glass of water in front of him, idly wiping away some of the condenstation that has begun to gather there, rolling down the side. "So... New York..." he begins quietly.

Emiko Queen has posed:
Emiko Queen slides into the booth and settles. It may not be the most stylish of places but they were mainly here for food and talk, so it's actually a better choice than the sort of big fancy establishment you'd expect to see a rich boy and his extended family take a late meal in. For her it's simply a treat in them being together to eat out, something she'd almost never get to do while growing up in the assassin clan.

She picks up her own glass of water, takes a sip from it, then sets it back down and leans back in her spot. "Yes, do fill us in." Her demeanor is casual, but those that know her know Emiko is never not listening, or watching her surroundings.

Felicity Smoak has posed:
Felicity hadn't really gotten used to Oliver's driving. She wasn't sure she'd ever actually get used to his driving, but she had learned to trust him. It had always terrified her, even just watching him as Overwatch, but being in the car was always such a realistic recreation of a video game.

At the restaurant, was one of Felicity's favorites. Only got to eat /at/ the location as a rare treat, but delivery orders placed before they closed were always amazing for late night ops in the Arrowcave. She slides in next to Oliver and tucks her purse in under her, crossing her legs and sticking a straw in her glass of water.

"Okay. So, yeah. What happened? I thought we had everything figured out?"

The glass comes up from the table, one hand on the glass, one on the straw, and she's drinking as she's listening.

Oliver Queen has posed:
Picking up the glass, Oliver idly swirls the water within, the ice cubes clinking against the side quietly as he does so. It's not like complications weren't expected. Expanding the Queen Consolidated project of buying up real estate in rougher neighborhoods and helping to improve the buildings without resorting to the common tactic of renovictions to gentrify the area -- and not incidentally, greatly increase rental fees -- has always had a few issues, even when it was just limited to Star City. Taking it beyond the confines of their home base was always going to come with a few complications.

"I was out there last week to meet with the tenants and their lawyer. Mmm, a MAtthew Murdock. It went about as good as could be expected really. They were obviously pretty nervous about the situation, but I made it clear that no one was going to get kicked out an that their rents weren't going to go up for at least a couple of years while we brought the building up to code. The financing is all in place, and I think the tenant association is even going to be a help," he sways quietly.

That would be the good news then.

So what's the bad news? "But from what I can see the crime problem is a lot worse then we bargained for. Not something that I think we can count on the local authorities to clean up either. I think we're going to have to take a more personal hand in things, see if we can root the whole thing out," he says, lowering his voice just a little. "It might be more organized then your standard street crime too, which would add another layer of complication."

Emiko Queen has posed:
"So what you're saying is local law enforcement has pretty much given up on the neighborhood," Emiko surmises, keeping her tone conversational but low enough it's not going to converse any farther than their table. "Considering just the surface problems we saw with drugs and carjacking, that there is a deeper oganization profiting off the misery and desperation is not too surprising..." A pause as she sips more water. For the sake of public appearances she doesn't make any of the snide remarks about it not being the first crime boss she's had to make life miserable for, but she's definitely thinking of it.

Felicity Smoak has posed:
"That doesn't sound so bad."

Of course, Felicity said that bit after the 'good news' segment of the story.

"Oh." Followed the rest.

Her eyes shifted over to Emiko, her lips twisting into a frown at the mention of local law enforcement giving up.

"And I'm guessing there's no one else local that we can reach out to, either? Sort of.. our investment, our responsibility kinda deal?" She pauses, looking between them. "So, are we... establishing a satellite office?"

It was one thing to run the tech side of things out of pretty much anywhere, but Oliver and the other arrows needed faster access to gear than, 'Excuse me, I need to run back to Star City and grab another bow, I'll be right back.' Not to mention, if Oliver was about to be spending a lot of time in New York, he'd have one bottle-blonde in tow unless he somehow managed to win a huge fight. Because, she wasn't about to sit idly by while he was out risking his life.

Pointedly, Felicity's gaze shifts back to Oliver, most of that communicated fairly clearly by the conviction in her eyes as she took another sip of water.

Oliver Queen has posed:
"I don't know that they've given up. But they don't seem to have the resources to do what needs to be done. And I'm not sure they have any idea that the problems might run a little deeper then they appear to on the surface. They might nad the odd corner dealer or mugger and pat themselves on the back for a job well done. But it's not rooting out the heart of the situation," Oliver admits with a small frown.

He's had his... troubles with local law enforcement before -- once again, at least somewhat self-inflicted -- and he's learned not to dismiss them just because they can't do what he and his friends and family do. They're coming at problems from very different ways afterall.

Dipping his head towards Felicia, Ollie purses his lips thoughtfully. "I hadn't really consider going quite that far, but it might be necessary," he says slowly. "Maybe we can do something with the basement of hte building itself. I guess it's a pretty big mess down there, sealed off and everything. The locals don't use it. Maybe we can put it to use for our own ends. At least until the situation is stabalized."

It is going to be difficult to truly modernize the building and bring it up to a reasonable standard until they get the crime problem under control.

Emiko Queen has posed:
Emiko Queen nods her head. "It doesn't need to be another... specialized facility. Just a central location we can operate from, store resources so we don't have to repeatedly galavant back home for them." Even if she does have a superspeedster at hand in Bart, doesn't mean she can just send off at a hypervelocity errand on a whim.

There's another pause as her gaze shifts for a moment from her brother to Felicity and back again. "And there is no way you're both going to stay in my apartment more than short term," she adds.

Felicity Smoak has posed:
"I'll pull up the building schematics and see if it.. um.. meets our needs. I need a pretty big pipe." Panic. "For network access."

Felicity's smile thins. But then there's Emiko's point about storage. "You're not wrong. We could actually split things, which might be a better idea. You could have a secure storage facility, and I can have tech running from somewhere else."

Her lips twitch into a smirk at the apartment comment and she looks back up to Oliver. "Where /are/ we staying?" We. "I don't know why, but I guess I just assume that you own a penthouse somewhere in New York because that's what rich people do. Something like that would be plenty of room to work remotely. Otherwise, I know some people over at Stark. They might have space on one of their floors."

She's just finished when a nice older lady comes over to the table with an old school pad and pen.

"May I take your orders?"

"Oh, spaghetti carbonara, please. No garlic bread. I'm watching my carbs." Because irony.

Oliver Queen has posed:
That draws a little snort from Oliver. "You should be so lucky to have us as house guests. I'm an amazing house guest," he asserts.

Which is patently untrue. Lying liars and the lies they tell.

An answer smirk greets Felicia's comment and he quickly takes a sip of his water. "I mean, since we're denied Emiko's guest room and I'm used to a certain standard we could stay at one of the higher-end hotels. But I suppose for a little more privacy I could just rent out a place for a month or two," he muses. That has certain advantages, especially given their unique needs. "If this pilot project is successful and we end up doing more business in New York maybe I can look at getting a second place," he allows before breaking of the discussion as their waitress arrives.

Normally Oliver is fairly health conscious. He almost has to be. But he seems to make an exception today. "I'll have the same," he says before putting on an innocent expression. "It's been a difficult day. My girlfriend almost turned out to be a furry and I let my plumber fetish slip. I need comfort food," he says, the corners of his mouth tugged up ever so slightly.

Emiko Queen has posed:
"Not me," Emiko emphasizes before the waitress can ask 'which one is your girlfriend?'. The poor lady just had to endure Oliver's shenanigans already. "Nor do I have anything to do with him having gone plumb loco." Not that she is any better sometimes, delivering that horrible pun with a perfectly straight face. "I will have the same as well, but with the garlic bread. I prefer to eat my carbs rather than look at them." Between heroing and her regular training routines she has no issue with burning them, either.

Felicity Smoak has posed:
The waitress is scribbling, basically ignoring Felicity's comment about not having carbs. It's Ollie's comment that gets the pen to suddenly stop while she's still staring at the page. Slowly, her eyes lift, looking at him through her lashes, then at the two women at the table.

Emiko's 'not me' and explanation gets a slightly raised eyebrow and a hint of a smirk, adding a couple of notes to the pad. Then she looks over at Felicity -- judgmentally.

"We're still new," she explains to the other woman, smiling and leaning her head over against Oliver's shoulder as if to emphasize the 'awww, how cute' moment between the furry and the plumber-lover. "We're discovering things."

Unsure how serious any of it was, the waitress clears her throat, trying to keep the smile contained and the laughter at the whole table's antics in check. "So, I've got three orders of spaghetti carbonara, one with garlic bread. I'll have it right out."

Once she's gone, Felicity picks her head up again and smile grows. "I like the sound of renting a place for a little while. It'll be like a vacation!"

Beat.

"I mean.. not for you guys, obviously. You'll be doing the same thing you do here. Just.. over there. But, at least you get new scenery, right?" Silver lining!

Oliver Queen has posed:
Chances are that any carbs he eats now, he'll be working off later tonight so it's all good. And if it is an unusually quiet evening in Star City, well, there's always the Salmon Ladder. A little splurging should be just fine.

Yeah, the waitress probably didn't really need that explanation, even in jest. But Oliver is just as good at maintaining his composure as the other two in this instance, that faint smile just hovering on his expression non-committally. He's joking. Probably.

"I'm sure there will be a little time for sightseeing," he agrees. He's gotten pretty good at sussing out her meaning, only choosing to take it out of context when it is to his advantage. Or when it's just funny.

"So, I guess it's settled then. We can start looking for somewhere appropriate. Shouldn't be too hard to arrange hopefully." Having massive financial resources and the contacts that come with them does come in handy pretty darn often.

Felicity Smoak has posed:
And Felicity never minded watching him. So, it was a win/win, really. Yess.. eat the carbs. All of the carbs. Work those.. ahem.

"Sightseeing would be fun," she says. "Assuming you mean actual sightseeing and that's not a euphemism for something else, I mean. There's actually a lot in New York that I'd like to see."

And she wouldn't hate having the experiences with Oliver, if that little smile on her dusty purple lips is any indication.

"Aaaaanndd.. yeah. Alright. Good meeting."

But then she blinks.

"Maybe SHIELD knows something about Mojo. Or the Avengers. They're both in New York. I could have them help me look into it..."

Apparently that was still on her mind.

"I seriously thought I'd lost consciousness and I was just dreaming. You should have seen it. The dinosaur I was riding got lifted into the air when the sharks on the motorcycles rode circles around us, and I got thrown off, but I managed to spin around hit one of them with my racoon tail and land on his motorcycle..." She grins. "You would have been proud of me."

Oliver Queen has posed:
There is something to be said in getting out of their day to day for a little bit, getting away even if it is just on a 'work' trip. Sometimes he can be guilty of letting himself get a little tunnel vision when he is focused on something around here.

"I did. I've been to New York before, but there's plenty to see and do. Put together a list," Ollie suggests quietly, still casually nursing that water in front of him. "I mean, I can't promise that we'll get everywhere -- though there's nothing stopping you from hitting a few of your high points without me. But UI'd like to see as many as I'm able with you," he agrees with a smile.

The shift back to Mojo makes him narrow his eyes consideringly, nodding slowly. "It's worth a try. I'm sure meetings can be arranged. OR again, I'm sure we can get access to their databases through the League. Someone, somewhere has to know more about this character," he agrees.

That grin draws an answering one from him. "I'm always proud of you. But yes, it sounds like you acquitted yourself particularly well. I'm sorry I missed it. Almost."

Felicity Smoak has posed:
The blush started at the /I'd like to see as many as I'm able with you/ comment.

Heat rushed up and colored Felicity's cheeks light pink, and her smile had broadened to show off those perfectly white teeth.

"I will," she agrees, the excitement evident in her eyes. Whatever Felicity did, she did it with abandon. She worked hard. She fought hard. She loved hard. And in the case of the latter, she rarely hid either her feelings for Oliver or the way he made her feel when he said just the right thing at just the right moment.

She nodded at the mention of the League.

But then that blush really takes hold when Oliver says he's always proud of her.

"Thanks." It's said quietly, coyly. "I'm glad you weren't, though. There wasn't really enough room for two people on the dinosaur without one of us getting impaled on a giant horn."

Of course, just as she's finishing speaking, the waitress comes back out with the three plates carried in her arms like someone with former diner experience. She pauses, staring at Felicity.

"It.. didn't sound that bad in my head. You kinda had to be there."

Still smirking, the waitress sets down the plate for each of them, making sure Emiko gets the one with the garlic bread. Wishing them a, "Buon appetito," before bustling off.

"Hey, um. Thanks for being there, today," Felicity says before the eating really starts. She's looking up at Oliver with that smitten little smile. "I was really relieved to see you when I got back. And for dinner. It's been nice to get out."

She nudges him gently with her shoulder, and then she's grabbing her napkin to put in her lap. And with that, it's time to dig into the meals!