2453/So this is the place, huh

So this is the place, huh
Date of Scene:	14 July 2020
Location:	Verdant - Abandoned Warehouse
Synopsis:	The club has surprises!
Cast of Characters:	Thea Queen, Oliver Queen

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Thea Queen has posed:
So, this is the place. The place that Thea made excuses that she couldn't possibly continue a rigorous schedule of training for? It's empty of all the huge warehouse boxes, clear of all the pallets, of the out and out garbage that had been here and there on the floors, revealing a cavernous, well, warehouse. The steel poles are mounted in the ground, footed in concrete, and the double wrought iron stairway leading to the second floor loft is more readily apparent. The window at the top, at where the office had been, is actually repaired, allowing for light to shine in. There are stil bullet holes in the walls, and chips where arrows might have skittered off, but the place seems to be in step with repairs. Tables with table saws line a back wall, plastics around..

Thea is dressed down, but for her, that's a very stylish pair of jeans, complete with holes properly placed, a midriff t-shirt that shows belly, and a pair of sandals that aren't quite as high as her platform shoes. Her bob is styled, up and away from bright eyes; she's obviously happy here, directing the beginnings of work.

Oliver Queen has posed:
Oliver hadn't been here since the shootout and honestly he was curious on the progress that had been made at the place. Not that he hadn't followed progress in other ways. Because Ollie will be Ollie and he has his ways of knowing what goes on in Starling City, specially with close family. But nothing beats seeing it with their own eyes.

So it's a rather casual Oliver that comes by to visit his sister, also jeans, a dark green shirt and a blazer. Stepping out of the SUV his blue eyes go immediately up to that window at the top before his focus turns to his sister. "Good morning." a finger brushes over one of the bullet holes on the wall then alongside a chip where one of his arrows slipped by.

"Can't say it doesn't have it's charm." he says in ways of jest, a brow quirking just so.

Thea Queen has posed:
Thea grins at the sight of her brother, the humor and the eyerolling all covered in the span of a heartbeat. "Hey, if that was your shot that you missed, I could frame the spot and sell tickets." She heads over to give him a hug in greeting before looking up at him. "Come in, like, really in. I just got the lighting schematics back from the electrician, and I think they're gonna look very, very cool."

This.. this is a slightly different Thea than, when, a week before? She's got her heart into this project, which should bring revenue into the area. And, with locals hired to work here, things may be looking up. That, and well, the mutants had been rescued, from what she'd heard about the pitched battle above NYC. So, that vigil, while not over, is at least getting closer to something she can do.

Oliver Queen has posed:
"I never miss." Is Oliver's easy reply, followed by a very similar eyerolling to Thea's. Everyone knew that after 'You have FAILED my city!', 'I never miss' was a close second! He does give his sister a smirk though before wrapping one arm about her when she comes in to greet him, returning the hug.

The change doesn't go unnoticed, a contemplative look to his expression as he regards Thea, following her further inside the place. "Yea? What are your plans for those lights?" a smile comes to his expression after. He was happy seeing his sister so devoted to a project.

"I can see your touch around the place already though."

Thea Queen has posed:
See, she knows that. Ollie doesn't miss his target; it's one of those things that is sacrosanct. A life truth. Which is why it's fun to tease him about it!

Once out of the hug, she's ready to walk around with the arm slung around her big brother if allowed. She looks up at him first, then lifts her free arm to gesture to the ceiling, "Starred lights, get the strobes in patches around there, there.. and over there. Alex had mentioned that he really liked the idea of the DJ being up top there," she points to the second floor emptied out office area, "So that's gotta be strobed too." Alex?

She exhales in something of a happy tone and nods her head in prelude to a response, "I'm glad. And it's working out. I've talked to some people, and they've been really supportive, too. Like, this might actually work."

Oliver Queen has posed:
Ollie doesn't seem to mind, making his way around with his sister and letting her both lead and point about while explaining how the lights would be. "So you are truly putting the star into Starling." he says of the starred lights. Attention goes to the office up there and he nods. "It's an idea. Thought you might want to use it for your own private office to keep an eagle eye out on the floor." leave it to Ollie to make everything about surveillance and keeping an eye on things.

The mention of an Alex does make his brows furrow, and the way Thea says it... Almost as if he knew who it may be? "Are we talking about that Alex?" a brow arching just so. "Didn't know you had kept contact after ..." he gestures vaguely with one hand. Demon summoning? Weird event? He had yet to exactly figure out what had happened.

Though he doesn't linger too long on that matter, instead chuckling. "I had no doubts in my mind that it would work. Why would you think otherwise?" he touches his forehead to his sister's head.

Thea Queen has posed:
Thea's face glows with that pleasure that he'd worked that whole 'star' angle thing out, and laughs. "Not very subtle, huh." She sideeyes her brother, the amusement plain on her face. She's having fun, and she's putting a lot of time and effort into the place so it's just right.

"I did think about that," Thea concedes. "And if I made a platform by the door, I still wouldn't have a good view of the floor." She exhales in a soft chuff and looks back at the second floor loft consideringly, "It's just so.. center. I mean, I could put a dais up over there, under it, and be able to keep the loft for offices. That way, it's easy enough to see who comes in and out." Sounds like a decision is forming.

As for 'Alex', Thea nods. "That one. We.. uh.. talked." A lot. "He's..." There's a hesitation there before she exhales in a breathed sigh, "different." It's pretty lame, but there's very little that she could say that didn't sound insane. "I'll explain later." She's more than happy to move on!

Thea, when all is said and done, loves her brother. She touches in return, and shrugs, "Like you never doubt yourself." Spinning it back into his lap, just like a grenade. Ha!

"And, on the good side," Thea says slowly, "I haven't seen Mr. Merlyn." She.. runs hot and cold on that. The less 'in her face', the easier it is to distance herself. "I don't think he even knows about the place."

Oliver Queen has posed:
"You make the whole thing mirrored, and darkened of course so people can't see in but you can see out." Clearly Oliver spends too much time thinking on those things. But can one blame him though?! Though at her suggestion of setting up a dais he inclines his head. "It sounds like a good idea as well." he says, "Because you will need a place where to keep your paperwork and otherwise run the place too and ..." a pause as he grins. ".. Sometimes you really need a place to just go and be by yourself. What do you think I use my office at Queen Consolidated for, mmm?" yes, what else would he do there but brood?!

"Everyone is different in a way or another." He presses his lips together but accepts when she tells him she will explain later. No need to linger on that for now. "Just as long as he doesn't bring you trouble."

That grenade tossed into his lap makes him lift a brow though. "What ever made you think I doubt myself?" he asks but there's a little smile there. Yes, he had his moments. And his sister had been a bastion for him in some of those times. "Fair enough though. But you are a Queen. And we do persevere through all those difficulties, don't we?" the little smile that had been present fades at the mention of Merlyn and he comments. "He was at the Hellfire gala. Did you catch up with him?" before adding. "And I am pretty sure he is aware of what you are doing here. He's always kept a close eye on us even if our families aren't .., really close anymore."

Thea Queen has posed:
Thea shakes her head, "He won't. Actually, he's pretty nice. When you get away from the weirdness." Does she even have to say that he doesn't know about their secret? Nope. She's not shared it with anyone.. well, one. And that's for reason. And they're not going to tell; that she knows in her heart.

As for the dais, there.. there it is. Oliver can easily read it on her face that a decision has been made once input has been given. And not from just anyone! But, it's her own fault for bringing up Malcolm Merlyn, and when the masq is mentioned? Thea shakes her head slowly, "No. I saw he was there, but never made it over there. Not really. Wasn't, really wasn't feeling the party thing. I.. might have had a little too much, but short hair comes in handy." That last bit comes out a little ruefully. No one has to hold her hair back when she throws up. Not like Tommy had done for her. "Came with a date, left alone." Her luck! She moves to elbow her brother in the gut, tilting her head sideways and up a little, "You looked like you were having fun, though."

Oliver Queen has posed:
Oh yes, Ollie knows all about short hair being the best where it comes to drinking. He had his set of wild years afterall. And if he had long hair back then ..., he has made sure most of those pictures have been burned away. "You weren't feeling the party thing?" that makes him look down at Thea, perhaps wondering if there's a doppelganger on the loose that took over! But he nods his understanding. "And what was wrong with your date anyway..?" But then he is caught unaware with the elbow on the gut. Abs of steel though! Or so he hopes....

A grin comes to his features when she mentions he having fun. "I was." he admits. "Just danced the night away, it was good not to worry with anything. At least for once..."

"So disappointed that my own sister didn't give me the pleasure of a dance though." A disapproving tsk. But it's clear he is joking.

Thea Queen has posed:
Thea shakes her head, "Nope. And he ditched me." Her eyes narrow when she looks at her brother, "You didn't pay him off, did you?" She's only half-joking there. Wouldn't put it past him!

Still, that grin that rises on Ollie's face is mirrored easily on hers. "Well, I'm glad. And I wasn't about to cut in on your hot date. Someone's gotta be your wingman, right?" She offers a light shrug after that oh-so-innocent comment before she looks around the place again.

"I did get to meet people, though. So wasn't a total loss. Probably won't see them again unless the club has another party. Too busy for anything else."

Oliver Queen has posed:
"I mean, I would have. If I even knew who your date had been." And in that at least Oliver seems to be honest about! But then he smiles at Thea, "But no, I wouldn't do that even if I knew who it was. Doesn't matter, their loss I suppose."

The laugh that comes after is a good-humored one. "Wingman, eh?" that makes him shake his head. "I don't recall your support at the party too much. Or were you just flying so below the radar that even I didn't notice it, mmm?"

"Now that you are a business woman all contacts matter, and at the hellfire club you are playing with the heavyweights. It's a good thing to meet and perhaps even find potential business with many there. But never let your guard down. They do not play around." his tone gaining a bit of a serious tone there in the end.

Thea Queen has posed:
"Yup, their loss." Thea's quick and easy enough to agree there. She's a great catch! Really! Only, no one is biting. Ah well..

The smile turns into something a little more smug as she tilts her head sideways, blue eyes canted upwards. "I was in silent flight. You know how many girls were looking at you?" She whistles theatrically, "All of them. Well, not all, all, but you and Mr Wayne had more than a few eyes following you. I had a looooong night shooting them down." Really? "Was pretty messy." She's kidding... probably. The reality was that she was pretty much drinking the whole night, got a little stumbly, and left to throw up. But what makes for a better story?! "You didn't need my obvious support." So there!

She offers up a 'so there' smile before she shifts back down into work mode, taking advice as it's given. It'll be for her to keep or get rid of, though from him? She'd probably keep it, much to Mother's chagrin. After all, who is the successful business.. person? Ish? "Right. I've found the people I did meet were very nice. I guess dad was liked there." Robert. "It wouldn't hurt to talk to more people there. Or at least try and meet them when I'm not so drunk that I can't remember their names anyway?"

Oliver Queen has posed:
"Nice story..." Is Oliver's reply at that 'so there' smile in the end of it all, clicking his tongue but he's amused at least, even if he knew there were lots of holes in that story! (And hopefully not made by shots on the women looking at him that night!). "But fine.., wingman." and he lets that rest for now.

"Are you looking for my blessing in doing that?" Oliver cants his head to the side, thoughtful. "All I can tell you is to be careful." no comment on whether Robert was liked there or not. He really wasn't sure of that, but then again he had never been too into the Club as it was now. And in the past it had mostly been used for his wild parties when he was still a young man.

"And if you need me to introduce you to someone .., well. Feel free to ask. But for some reason I think this is something you want to venture into by yourself, isn't it?" much like how the club was mostly her project and Ollie was .., the wingman!

Thea Queen has posed:
"That's my story, and I'm sticking to it," Thea finishes. She nods once, definitively, underscoring her new job title and description. "After all, keeping strange people away from her big brother is a little sister's job."

The horror, however, at even the consideration of being set up by Ollie! Thea takes a couple of steps, disengaging herself from his side to wander to a work table and lean against it, her hands to her sides; she's open, and happy in the conversation. "No..." the word is drawn out and exits quickly. "Besides, we don't go to church and so you don't know any altar boys." You know, those who are studying for the priesthood? "So, no. I can find someone, as long as you don't chase them away." Which means, she'll be dating them a month before she even mentions them. Sort of like her friendship with Alex!

"But, I will be careful when I go to the club, I promise." Thea makes that mark of an 'X' across her heart. "I think if I talk to Ms Frost, she'll be able to give me what's going on." She likes Emma! "I might even talk to Mr Merlyn there," in neutral territory! "Won't mention the club, though. Just, something in general." Of course, the chances are better than even that curiousity will pique, and Malcolm isn't stupid.

"But, c'mon.. I have more to show you. This.. this bit might be useful to you." Pushing off the table again, Thea holds out her hand to her brother to lead him towards what appears to be a door. "There's an accessway to tunnels. Found it while I was looking at the plans of the place."

Oliver Queen has posed:
A brief moment of confusion, then a rather amused smirk when Thea goes on a small tirade about not wanting to be set up with altar boys. He doesn't interrupt, nope. Just listening in with that kind of big brother patience (Yet the truth is ....) "I meant introducing you to people in the Hellfire Club." And then she gets his more open smile, the one reserved for his sister. "But thank you, I will check out altar boys from the options." mental note.

The mention of Ms. Frost receives a slow nod from Oliver. He knew the woman only briefly. "As long as you keep your wits about you." though then at the mention of Merlyn he simply gives one of his grunts. "Well, you are a big girl now." which also means he won't be telling who she should or should not see.

But then curiosity takes him when Thea leads him down towards a door. A brow slightly arched. "Tunnels?" that -does- peek his interest.

Following down alongside his sister he grins. "How big enough are they to make them your own cave?" a tease to his tone.

Thea Queen has posed:
"Then that's fine." Thea doesn't move in the 'if they're rich and cute, I'm all for it' circles. She was raised rich, and the thought simply.. isn't there. There are simply expectations, and the Hellfire Club certainly can accomodate if need be. It's a rarified strata of personnages there, and one that the youngest Queen can navigate... given some of that help as offered by big brother. Blue eyes narrow playfully menacingly, however, as the thought of altar boy creeps up, thanks to her!

"Stop that." It's almost a little sister whine. Almost.

Thea's pleased to have gotten Ollie's attention, though, and as she pulls open a door that obviously used to have a lock on it, and has one replaced which she opens with a *flick* to the tumblers. "Tunnels down under some of the buildings in the immediate area, anyway," she explains. "Might be useful for you. I haven't explored them all yet. But if you're in an explore-y mood, or John?" A smirk rises to her face as she walks across the threshold and there is a stairwell leading down before them. No lights work as of yet as she flicks on the switch, and off again. "See? Thinking of you."

Oliver Queen has posed:
Not being the type to press on a joke too much Oliver does indeed let it go.., for now. Just a small, internal cackle at picturing Thea with an 'altar boy'. As they start to move forward, close to the stairwell, that attention appears to spike up. Unexplored tunnels ... Well, that does sound adventurous!

"Could be a reason on why they were using this warehouse." He muses. "If they knew of these tunnels. I wonder if they lead anywhere." He folds his arms together, those gears in his head already turning at the potential on how they could use this. Another place of gather? A backup cave? The possibilities were immense.

"Dark and moldy.. Just my kind of places. How did you know?" A grin. "Don't suppose you got a lantern, we could go have a walk down there." he steps closer to the edge of the stairs, looking down into the darkness.

"Whatever we do with this place though, we will have to make sure to have it disappear from the official records." The cave, of course. Not the club!

Thea Queen has posed:
"I've already worked on how to keep it from being too noticed by my decorating." Trompe d'oeille.. fooling the eye! See? Thea's smart; she actually is. She just rarely uses it to her advantage is all. "Pretty sure it'll work." Barring that?

She has help!

Thea snap-points at her brother as he continues down that same thought path as she had, and still does. "Which means the possible exits out here might be worth looking in to." It's lightly offered, but those blue eyes that she casts up to her brother are anything but. "At the very least, it can help move you from point A to B without being seen leaving the club. Put a spare outfit or something down here?" It'd work!

"I don't have a lantern, but," Thea holds up her cellphone and hits a button on it for the 'flashlight'. "It sucks my battery, though. I just wanted you to see what we," We, "have access to."

Oliver Queen has posed:
"So I noticed." Or not! Such is the beauty of the Trompe d'oeille, the misdirection of our perceptions. But the smile he has on his lips appears to be genuine about the work being put at the club. And he does find himself enjoying it.

When Thea brings out her phone he then does the same. "What a surprise, I have one too." he flashes his own on too, lighting up the stairs and that call for adventure underneath. "Yes, depending on which exits we find. If these are old enough there may not even be an accurate blueprint of it. And here I was thinking I knew all the secrets in Starling..." a sigh. He doesn't fool himself, he knows there's way too many secrets still to be uncovered in this city. Some much worse than others...

"Spare outfits, armory. A base of operations in case our other gets exposed." his calculating gaze studying the walls as he lights them with his flashlight.

"And this is also in the Glades, on the other side of the city from the mansion. It means we can use it to cover more ground, or at least more quickly." yes, he seems quite sold about this thing.

Thea Queen has posed:
Thea's not ready to go too deeply into the tunnels at the moment, and she pauses at the top of the steps. She's more than happy to talk about the potentials //up here//. "They could still be used. That's why I'm not going to far, and," she twists around to point behind her, "New locks."

As Ollie considers the possibilities, Thea really does look pleased with herself as she nods. "Extends your reach." She takes a step back towards the door, however, ready to turn her flashlight off once more. "I have tax maps of the area going back fifty years. Just in case." Though, he's right. The tunnels may not be on any maps. After all, why should they?

"I need to get that door locked up better. And then hide it a little more before we get the decorators in." She'll be working on that //herself//.

Oliver Queen has posed:
Ollie also turns off his light after a little bit more examination of the walls, slipping it into a pocket. He turns as well to look at Thea, then at the door. A nod of understanding, and one that sates his thirst of adventure for the moment. What? He likes to go back to being a little boy and exploring new places!

"Our reach, you mean." He says. And since she was all about the 'we' earlier it does sound fair for him to do that correction! "I see now what's been keeping you so busy though." He steps to the door, back out to the club itself and casts another look around.

"I hear you have a brother good at hiding secrets and places, just in case you need him. He will be reachable." then a look over his shoulder at Thea. "You are doing well for yourself here, Thea. I am enjoying this place."

Thea Queen has posed:
Thea comes through the door again, ready to relock it once Ollie's through. Her head quirks up a little to look at her brother's face, and she grins a touch lopsidedly. "Our reach," she concedes. "Though the first thought I had was, 'Ollie's gonna love this'." And, she's obviously happy that he does!

And the fact that //that// particular bridge didn't get burned the last time they had a //real// heart to heart is always nice. Still, this is truly the reason (and a little more) that she's not training quite as hard as perhaps she should be. "Good. And if it keeps going, we can have an opening by Christmas." She loves Christmas! Decorate the trees, festive lights..

Oliver Queen has posed:
"Adequately pleased." Oliver replies about the 'loving this' part. A brow arching up with brief amusement and with a 'no need to answer back' look. And while the place itself does seem quite good he is happier about his sister finding a path here to follow. One that he can only hope she won't stray from.

Yet as they step out and she mentions. "Christmas." a few months out. Yes, it makes sense. He nods. "No reason that it shouldn't go well from what I am seeing."

His steps start bringing him to the exit, the visit was close to and end. "You should come by to supper sometime. I can scrounge something up for us to eat." he says in ways of farewell. "Thank you for showing me around."