2264/Side notes

Side notes
Date of Scene:	29 June 2020
Location:	Hellfire Club
Synopsis:	Slade offers an ear and some advice that is taken.
Cast of Characters:	Slade Wilson, Thea Queen

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Slade Wilson has posed:
Socialites drink, dance, and generally party the night away at the Hellfire Club Masquerade. Fiddling while Rome burns? No, not really...seizing on to life and hope in dark times? Seems more charitable, but in this case likely closer to the truth.

Slade's not big on life and hope, though. Not always great for business.

Still, there's a certain obligation to the amount of money he has, and his "colorful" career makes him a novelty to some of the folks here. The most annoying ones he's managed to scare off, thankfully without violence, but he knows he'll always have to deal with a certain degree of hushed whispers and pointing from those "in the know." It doesn't really bother him much. But for now he seems to have found a tiny modicum of quiet and privacy in the ballroom, tucked in a corner alcove with a snifter of cognac. He sips occasionally, watching the ebb and flow of the crowd. For the moment no one particular catches his eye. He's not even really sure what he's looking for. He knows Oliver is here. He knows things will be...tense...if they meet, but they'll probably avoid a fight, at least. It's just not a confrontation he's overly prepared for at the moment. He should have known better...a realization that also fuels a bit of a dark mood.

Thea Queen has posed:
Thea'd excused herself for a fair bit; feeling under the weather, as it were. No food, lots of alcohol in a short time, but thankfully, she's used to it.

Thankfully?

Well, it makes recovery a little more understandable, and she's back, feeling like garbage, but still able to put on a good front. That's what socialites do, right? That's what Queens are supposed to do. Smile pretty.

Thea is looking for the more innocuous food items, things that won't immediately insist upon coming back up the minute they're swallowed. That, and a glass of soda water is perfect. No headache yet, and she's carrying her little plate back to a small table to nibble. So far, Thea's not made any real appreciable contact with her family, which could be considered out of character for her?

Maybe?

Slade Wilson has posed:
Slade finishes the last of the sweet liquor and sets the snifter on the tray of a passing waiter. /Now/ he spots Thea, who is a person of at least passing interest. He's just been stewing over not having a plan and suddenly it's time to improvise. What drives him to wander over and seat himself, without further ado, across the table from Thea? A sense of remorse, knowing that he took her father's life? It was a mercy-kill, no need for remorse, right? Curious to see Oliver through someone else's eyes? Maybe. Or perhaps he's just bored and curious to see what Oliver's sister is like.

Now, Thea has grown up in high society. She knows there's no shortage of older men preying on younger women, people who think their money means they are beyond consequence for a grabby hand here, or a leering stare there.

There's none of that in Slade's gaze, mostly because it's focused on Thea's face, and it doesn't linger, being broken by a small, amused smile.

"You look like someone that's rethinking some of their recent decisions."

Thea Queen has posed:
This gent checks most of the boxes, as it were. Appearances in Thea's world really is everything, and certainly there is a hint of preying, but she's been pretty isolated from such things, and when people like the guy she'd spoken to before shows? She's pretty perceptive.

Not so much when nursing a pre-hangover, though. Still, Thea looks up when Slade approaches, and she gives something of a pained smile, shaking her head briefly before she winces. "No regrets," is murmured. A chuckle sounds from her, but it's a great deal more self-deprecating than amused, "Rethinking? Maybe."

Soon after, there's that polite society mask that can be more obscuring than the masq mask that was removed at midnight. "I'll be fine. Waiting on my ride now." Just in case that was the next question.

Slade Wilson has posed:
"No regrets." Slade doesn't say it in a way that sounds entirely like an affirmation, "Tall glass of ice water before bed and some stiff coffee and more water in the morning. Usually worked for me back when I was closer to your age." He adds, "But for all that lack of regrets, you also look like someone who's tossing those drinks back for more reasons than just having a good time at a party."

Maybe that's his angle, the concerned would-be-AA sponsor? Except then he keeps talking.

"There are better ways to channel whatever it is you're bottling up."

Thea Queen has posed:
Thea sits back heavily with a soft *whoof* sound, and her jaw sets. The remedy is very close to what she and her friends had shared years ago, but also forgotten along the way. So, not to sound unappreciative, she smiles tightly and nods. "Yeah.. that sounds like.." and her hand lifts to her stomach briefly as a spasm hits, and continues, ".. I'll think about that later."

It's the rest of his words that strike that nerve, spoken so.. fatherly? Matter of factly, but..?

Thea shakes her head, carefully so as not to dislodge any of the spider webs that might cause a new bout of retching. The seltzer water is reached for again and cradled in hands in her lap, and she looks down at it for a long second before a decision seems to be made. It's a more determined Thea that looks up, even if she is still a little green around the gills.

"I just can't." Her voice is low as she continues, "There's a hole in the ground, and .. it's just a party here?" She's sounding something like a 'suddenly aware spoiled rich kid', and she knows it. "I can't just sit here. I.. I can't fight, I can't do much of anything, but.." She shakes her head. "It's not right. So.. there's an apartment building I was considering on buying."

Slade Wilson has posed:
"You can't fight now. But you can learn." Slade replies easily enough, but he falls silent as she continues. "An apartment building? I don't follow, but enlighten me." That took a swerve for the not-expected, but he can adjust. "What's important is moving forward. Push past whatever crap has been holding you back and become something stronger than you are now." Says the guy with a phone book full of hangups about his family whether he admits it or not.

Thea Queen has posed:
Thea nods, and she cants her head consideringly. "An apartment building. The entire neighborhood is gone, but out in Starling City, we have The Glades. I figure if I start by buying an apartment, can give some mutants a home somewhere." Joining the fight, one huge loan at a time.

Her gaze moves back to his face, her expression a little quizzical. "I don't know who to fight. Where or what the target is. I mean, I really don't know." She pauses before straightening again, and sets the seltzer back on the table.

Her gaze is a little straighter as she swallows back the 'yuck' feeling. "I'm Thea, by the way. I'm pretty sure we haven't been introduced."

Slade Wilson has posed:
Slade extends a hand, "Slade." First name for a first name, fair exchange. If accepted his handshake is firm, dry, and warm, and held precisely the amount of time to be polite and not a moment longer. "So...low income housing for mutants? Is that what you're talking about?" His tone isn't immediately derisive, at least. "I'm no expert on the property management field but I suspect there's a lot that goes into that sort of thing. Permits and inspections and all that business." He shakes his head, "My apologies, not trying to discourage you. If it's a clear goal, seems like it's worth working towards. As for fighting..."

He shrugs, "You don't always see an enemy coming. Sometimes it's not a bad idea to be ready for the moment you /do/ know who or what the target is." A slight, wry quirk of his lips before he adds, "You look like a fighter though." He gestures with two fingers towards his eyes, even if one is covered by a patch, "It's the eyes."

Thea Queen has posed:
Thea does, indeed, extend a hand, but she at least wipes it on her dress before extending it. It's warm, small, delicate bones, but it's not a dead feeling. There's something there.

Once she retrieves her hand, Thea nods. She's used to 'Mister' and such, but this works for her, for the moment.

As the considerations start to get piled on, there's that post drunken realization that maybe it won't be .. as forthcoming and as quick as she'd want. She looks a touch on the disappointed side, but not defeated. Not by a longshot.

It's the rest that he says that holds Thea's attention. "I don't even know who they are," is admitted again, but it's sounding less of an argument. She chuffs a breath; the first sound of a soft laugh this evening. Brows rise and she tilts her head, her expression showing the interest. "Really? Because I'm not feeling it."

Slade Wilson has posed:
"Maybe you don't have them yet. Or maybe they're not your enemies as much as the enemies of people close to you, and you just have to worry about getting stuck in the crossfire." Slade shrugs slightly once more, "Like I said, sometimes you don't see them coming."

Slade grins once more, "You may have kicked yourself a few times tonight. It happens. Wake up tomorrow and get to work and you're still fighting. Turn off that alarm or crawl back into a bottle and you're still holding yourself down."

Slade chuckles, shaking his head, "Maybe your problem is that right now, your biggest enemy is yourself."

Thea Queen has posed:
Thea nods, "It feels like..crossfire. Or, like I'm fighting the wrong fight? Pouring out an ocean with a teaspoon." She exhales and retakes the glass of seltzer and sips at it as she considers how to explain.

"I have a club. Well, okay.. a warehouse. It's going to be a club in order to try and help get The Glades moving. Somewhere for people to go. It used to be a spot for dealers, but they're gone. But, that doesn't feel like anything against.." and she waves a hand in the general direction of 'out there'.

Thea shakes her head, "This was just.. maybe a bad response." There's the first admission, all without an AA meeting!

Slade Wilson has posed:
"So a Club and then you want an apartment building." Slade shrugs, "Well, I'm no club manager, but if it all feels like too much, like I said...grit your teeth and punch your way through." Slade pauses, then looks mildly amused, "Probably don't want to punch the Housing and Urban Development guys when you have to deal with them though. That might get you in trouble."

Thea Queen has posed:
Thea actually laughs at the quip, and it manages to reach those eyes. "I'm sorry, Mr. Slade." It's courtesy! "It's... thank you for talking to me." She waves in the general party direction, pulling in 'everything'. "Believe it or not, it helped."

She smiles tightly again and looks back at the bar. "Didn't you have friends there?" She'd noticed, at least body language. They seemed familiar with each other, even if she had no idea who they were. "You did a good deed for the night."

Slade Wilson has posed:
"Professional acquaintances, you could say." Slade adds, "Wandered off to enjoy more of the party. Ended up doing a good deed. Rather uncharacteristic of me, I'd say." He chuckles, "But you're welcome. But I should let you have some time with your thoughts, and be on my way. A pleasure meeting you, Thea. Maybe we'll run into each other again one of these days." He rises to his feet and extends a hand once more, shaking firmly, and then heads back off into the crowd.

He's still not entirely sure what game he's playing here yet, but he'll be damned if it doesn't feel like some cards have been drawn.