15668/Many Unhappy Returns

Many Unhappy Returns
Date of Scene:	21 August 2023
Location:	Oceanfront Boardwalk -- Metropolis
Synopsis:	Namor comes ashore to see if there has been any progress on his urgent requests made to take the issue of water pollution seriously. Instead of the Justice League, he finds Roy Harper waiting for him. Amazingly, the surface world is not at war with the Kingdom of the Ocean. Yet.
Cast of Characters:	Namor, Roy Harper

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Namor has posed:
NIght lays heavy over the oceanfront of Metropolis, almost everyone having cleared out from the Boardwalk full of it's games and rides and attractions. The city might not slumber, not truly. But it is queit. Peaceful to some extent. Though that does not matter to every onlooker out there.

The quiet, dark waters of the Atlantic ripple and are slowly parted by a tall, imperious figure who walks towards that shoreline, a faint scowl on his face. This is hardly the worst place that the surfacers call home. It is better then many in truth. But it also is the heart of their power in some respects. And while he might not bring destruction -- or at least the attempt with him this time, it does not look as if he brings any good will either.

Roy Harper has posed:
Metropolis might be quite with it being the middle of the night and the boardwalk overlooking the ocean might be all but deserted. But it's not completely deserted. It is almost as if the man that emerges from the ocean nearby was expected. Anticipated. Maybe it is just a matter of knowing him. More likely it's the fact that the Justice League and other organizations keep a pretty close tab on things, specifically to head of threats.

While it does not seem that a tsunami is coming with the King of Atlantis, he does find a reception party waiting. It isn't a whole lot of a party either, but there is a redheaded young man sprawled out on a beach blanket close to the wooden piers that stretch out over the water, a composite bow cradled on his lap. He is casually blowing bubbles with his gum, smacking it loudly when it bursts and chewing it up some more before blowing out yet another bubble.

He doesn't seem surprised or daunted to see Namor. He just gives him a little up-nod and a casual sort of wave. As if he sees people emerge from the ocean all the time.

Who knows? Maybe he does.

Namor has posed:
If Namor is surprised to see the red-headed archer waiting for him by the boardwalk, he likewise gives no sign of it, striding slowly towards the waiting man until the rolling tide just barely covers his feet. Before he takes that next step those wings at his nakles start to flutter, lifting him up ever so slightly so he does not actually have to set foot on the ground, starting to hover over.

That imperious stare falls on Roy, as haughty and commanding as ever and he makes a point of looking over the young man with a certain bit of distaste, lip curling at the bow clutched there. "So, you are the one that they sent to deal with me this time? Perhaps I failed to make a proper impression with my last appearance," he sneers.

Roy Harper has posed:
If Roy Harper is particularly concerned with the disdain cast his way by the King of Atlantis, he certainly doesn't show any signs of it. He does at least slowly rise to his feet when the other man floats across the sands towards him, a brief, amused smile filtering across his expression. It probably won't win him any points either, but then that does not seem to be a particular concern of his and he makes a point to blow anoter sizable bubble with that gum before smacking it back.

Then, abruptly, he pulls out a kleenex from one of the pouches on his uniform and spits the gum into it, tucking it away. "Call me Roy," he offers with a smile. "Or Arsenal. Or Agent Harper if you'd like," he suggests, continuing on. "I mean, technically I haven't officially earned that last one yet. I'm still just a recruit with SHIELD, but I consider it pretty much just a formality," he suggests with that boundless confidence -- or is it arrogance -- of youth.

Namor has posed:
None of that seems designed to put Namor inot a better mood and the line of his mouth settles into a firm, angry line as he looks down at the insolent archer before him. For a moment he only stares, that imperious expression unchanging. But when it does not seem to gain him anything he eases back, just a little though there does still seem to be something a little irritable about the flapping of those ankle wings.

"If your people were aware that I was coming, why is that you, of all people, are here to greet me?" he asks at last, seeming to give in to the fact that Roy is just not going to volunteer anything on his own. And since he genuinely does not seem to be interested in bringing another tidal wave rolling in -- no matter how much the surface world deserves to have the filth they've dumped into his kingdom returned in kind.

Roy Harper has posed:
Admittedly, the redheaded archer does have something of a skill to annoy others when he puts his mind to it. He is not above poking and poking until his opponent makes a mistake and lashes out. Perhaps underestimates him due to his youth. Or the fact that unlike so many of his peers, he doesn't actually have any powers.

But this time he doesn't do anything but stand there and grin. Though some might consider the fact that he refuses to answer any questions something of a response as well. A particularly annoying one. It certainly seems as if Roy is fully content to try and draw out the moment, to see exactly how far he can push the King of the Seas but he finally gives a small shrug and something that might vaguely resemble an apologetic smile. "I believe you ran into the Flash the last time you were up here. He's... a little busy at the moment. So he talked to a friend who talked to me and asked if I could greet you when you came ashore," he offers up.

"I was supposed to tell you that the Flash has relayed your message. And that he and his friends will do everythign to make those in power understand just how serious it is," Roy says by means of explantion. "They're good people your highness. You can trust them."

Namor has posed:
For a moment anger bluntly shows on his face and the King of Atlantis takes a step closer to the redheaded youth who so arrogantly stands before him before he brings that anger under control. "Good people. Trust them. And yet they cannot even do me the courtesy of meeting me in person. Despite knowing the havoc that I am capable of unleashing upon this world? Despite the fact that I lay claim to seventy percent of this planet? These are the individuals that I should put my faith in, are they?" he asks, lips curling into a small sneer at the end of that.

It doesn't seem that the ruler of Earth's oceans is having an easy time doing that.

Roy Harper has posed:
Really, Roy can muster up some small sympathy for Namor's position, surprising as that may seem.

He doesn't always feel the need to pick and poke and generally make like a jerk. This isn't really how he wanted to spend his night either. He was fairly certain that the other man was not going to be all that happy to see him. And he did, in point of fact make that point plain to Oliver.

He was, however, ignored.

Roy can understand that as well. There are a whole lot of problems in the world right now and a limited amount of time and number of heroes to deal with it all. So sometimes, like this particular evening, someone is going to be disappointed.

"I sympathize with you, your highness. Really I do," Roy says earnestly, though that defensive grin that he wields like a weapon might make it a little more difficult to believe his words. "But there are a lot of problems going on out there these days and believe it or not, you might be the most reasonable and patient of those that some of these surface heroes are dealing with. So if I could again, beg your indulgance a little longer."

For someone who thinks diplomacy is a four letter word, it's really not that bad an appeal.

Namor has posed:
For a moment Namor offers no reply, perhaps a little too incredulous to do so. Understandably so.

It's difficult to say whether it is more offensive to suggest that he is impatient and unreasonable -- or that he is not nearly so bad as some of the other threats out there. Which is either a backhanded compliment or a backhanded insult. Either way, not all that great.

Nor does it help to be basically told that he just doesn't pose a great enough threat to be taken seriously. The sheer, audacious gault of that!

Which in fairness is not what the redheaded archer has actually said. But then Namor is rarely patient or reasonable, not when it is something that he is passionate about. Not when it is something that he is angry about. And he is certainly working himself into a good, raging anger at the moment.

"So I am to take a number and wait in line for my concerns to be dealt with?" he asks lowly. Dangerously.

Roy Harper has posed:
He could be wrong here, but Roy is starting to think that Namor isn't at all happy.

He is also beginning to think that Barry and Oliver have sold him a big line of goods when they assured him that the King of Atlantis would show a measure of diplomacy. That he could be patient and reasonable. They certainly sounded convincing.

But now that he is standing in front of the other man Roy just really isn't feeling that. And he really doesn't want to be standing at ground zero of provoking a war with Atlantis and the ocean-dwellers of the world. This kinda sucks. And seems horribly unfair.

Especially since he was supposed to be out on a date tonight. Instead, this.

There's just no justice in the world.

Especially when dealing with mentors. Ugh. The worst.

"I mean, I would never put it that way your highness," the redheaded archer offers up.

But yeah. That's basically it.

Namor has posed:
For a moment Namor just stands there.

The dark makes it difficult to truly make out his facial expression and it is surprisingly devoid of anything obvious. Which might even make it a little more intimidating. Certainly it doesn't suggest anything good.

Then the King of Atlantis simply turns on his heel and begins to stride back into the waves. And does not offer even one single word as he disappears beneath the surface.

Make of that what you will.

Roy Harper has posed:
For his part, Roy is pretty committed to making of that nothing good.

It's difficult to see how having arguably one of the most powerful men on the planet simply get up and walk out without so much as a goodbye, without any suggestion that peaceful negotiations will resume at some more convenient point in the future could possibly be construed as a good thing.

"Your highness?" Roy calls after the departing man, watching as he simply walks out into the surface rolling up on Metropolis' waterfront. "Sir? Should I tell them that you'll be in touch?" he calls out one last time before NAmor simply vanishes from sight.

Then Roy nods his head and turns around, starting to walk back up to the nearby boardwalk. "I'm just going to tell them that he'll probably be in contact soon and that he's willing to wait patiently in the meantime," he says to himself with a firm nod.

That could be the truth right?

Still, the redheaded archer shoots the odd look back over his shoulder towards the ocean as he goes. Just to make sure that there is no tidal wave rolling in to wipe the City of Tomorrow off the map.

He'd probably take the blame for that. Totally unfair.