2798/Donuts and Coffee: Staples of Surveillance

Donuts and Coffee: Staples of Surveillance
Date of Scene:	05 August 2020
Location:	Central Business District - Starling City
Synopsis:	On a stakeout, Oliver and Vanessa discuss life, the universe and everything
Cast of Characters:	Vanessa Carlysle, Oliver Queen

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Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
The rooftop has a great view of the small building that operatives of China White have been seen frequenting. Three stories tall, compared to the two-story building that is the target of tonight's stakeout. The other building is currently listed as abandoned, but was once home to a laundromat on the bottom story and apartments above.

There's the familiar sound of an arrow with a line attached being shot and secured to a small but sturdy antennae on the roof. Shortly after, Quiver swings into view, the motorized grapple pulling her up the line which she reels in behind her.

In her other hand is a cardboard tray holding two large coffees, with a bag between them with donuts and bagels in it. Once she's freed the grapple arrow, Quiver walks over to the area they've set up near the edge of the roof for surveillance. "Java and snacks are up," she says as she settles down to take a seat, offering over one of the coffees and opening the bag to set it between them.

Oliver Queen has posed:
Being a vigilante isn't all about kicking ass and taking names, dodging danger like it was yesterday's news. Sometimes there's also this, the patient surveillance. The wait until there is a slip up and they can prey on their targets. A game of cat and mouse with deadly consequences if one isn't careful.

Yet tonight the 'game' was still calm, very little movement in and out but the usual takeout..

Oliver is currently settled down on the shadows of that rooftop, the glint of those blue eyes lit up by the faint luminosity around, intent on the street below, the sounds, the lights that come on and off from time to time ... His thoughts strayed for what would happen if they would indeed confirm it was China White. If there was something he didn't want was for Yu Phun to have a successor here ..., but then again these voids of power were always taken by another..

Thoughts come back to the present when Quiver moves in with the tray. "Hopefully not donuts or we will just look like two cops on a stakeout." he murmurs in jest. He takes one of the coffees and asks her.

"Enjoying the night out?"

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
Quiver takes the coffee cup that's marked as having cream and sugar in it already, tearing open the plastic flap in the top and taking a careful sip to not burn her mouth on the piping hot beverage. "Mmm," she says of the coffee. "They did not fail their city," she says with a nod towards the cup and a little grin over towards Green Arrow.

She relaxes back against some of the HVAC unit mounted on the roof, sitting with her knees bent in front of her to rest the cup on. "And I got donuts AND bagels, for those of us watching our girlish figures," she tells him with a wry, joking tone.

She picks up one of the donuts, with cherry icing on top. With the workouts she's been going through, calorie consumption hasn't been an issue for her in the slightest. "You always take me to the most interesting places," she says, glancing around the rooftop. The sounds of the occasional car drift up from below, and somewhere on a street on the other side of the building, someone's playing music with a window open on the warm late summer night. "Did this one require a reservation?" she quips, before leaning over to look down and check on their surveillance target. Lights on. A trio went inside an hour earlier, but no signs of activity from out here.

Oliver Queen has posed:
"Ah-Ah." Oliver replies about the city failing. "It does remind me we still need to find you that catchphrase, don't we?" A brow arches under that domino mask. Turning the tables on Quiver! But then he takes a brief drink from his coffee. A nod. "But I agree. No failing was done tonight." He shifts his position when Quiver settles down against that HVAC, not leaning back on it but instead closer to the edge of the building, still keeping that eye out.

"Bagels?" Foul things! But it will have to do... He makes a face though, just to show the displeasure. "Starling PD here I come then.." he murmurs, reaching inside a bag to take a donut but then he can't stiffle a laugh at the 'interesting places' comment.

"I am known to have quite the romantic side. We start with a nice walk on Starling's rooftops, enjoy the fine weather and later on maybe I will even bring you to a tussle with some bad guys where we can roll on the gravel while dodging gunfire. Fun, mmm?"

"The dress code is a nightmare though." dark-green leathers and a hood? Bows required?

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
A soft gasp is given. "You don't like bagels? This might truly be threatening our relationship," Vanessa says in a shocked tone. "Not even with cream cheese? There's a tub of it in there," she points out to Oliver.

"Of course you're a Starling boy. Bagels are like, intravenously fed to New York City babies from birth, I think," she points out. Then hesitates as she spots the flaw in her own argument. "Not that I'm a New Yorker by birth. But still, you acclimate. What are the big foods in Starling anyway?" she asks him. "Besides the burgers at that place you took me?"

She breaks out in warm laughter at Oliver's idea of a romantic night out. "Oooo," she says as if finding this description attractive. "Well. What girl could say no to an offer to get physical at the end of a night like that?" she teases. She does reach over though, resting her hand lightly on Oliver's warm. Letting just the simple contact convey her feelings. "Bad guys up to anything while I was gone?"

Oliver Queen has posed:
"I like to live dangerously." Oliver replies. About the threaten to their relationship, that is. Because if the choice comes between bagels and Vanessa..... Who knows!!! But then there's the mention of cream cheese. Hmph. Fine..

"I shall eat one." He concedes. Because of the cheese of course. But he's still reluctant of course. But then as she does on about bagels being the New York thing he grins at her. "In Starling, mmm.. You get the burgers, of course.." but then he needs to give it a thought. Is there really a varied choice in Starling? "I mean, you know how I like to cook so..., it all depends on mood. I don't believe there's this type of foods that different cities rely in." but then he can't help to toss in a jab to New York. "But one thing we aren't known for is fast food so .., that's a plus? Yet what this tells me is we need to go out for dinner more so I can show you."

He sits back against the HVAC machine afterward, large hand wrapping about Vanessa's and he squeezing hers. "Not a lot. They got some takeout delivered. Chinese." fine, maybe he's got his own flaws on his logic too. Fast food in Starling!

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
"Hrm, figures. I wonder if they like our Americanized Chinese," Vanessa says of the order. Not all, but quite a few of the men they've identified as being connected to China White, are Chinese men. "I was reading something lately, about how Chinese who emigrated early on had to make due with different ingredients than they were used to back home, came up with new flavors and dishes, and that's a big part of how our version of Chinese came into being that differs from the authentic."

She takes a bite of the donut and peers over the edge of the roof again. It'll be her turn to be the primary watcher in a bit, judging by the clock over on the edifice of a nearby bank.

Quiver's eyes swing back to Oliver. "Life is very different with you," she tells him, looking thoughtful even behind the mask and with the hood up. "In really good ways. And I'm not even talking about the people shooting at me part," she says. Then pauses in thought. "Though, you know, maybe that isn't much of a change from living in New Lots. Though now they actually aim at me."

Oliver Queen has posed:
"Well, they did as you did. Acclimated to a new place, adapted their food. It makes sense with all that difference in ingredients, yet you can find a few hidden gems that go for the authentic feel still." Oliver states, continuing on with the eating of his own donut. The bagel would wait (maybe forever!). And with Vanessa taking point on the observation it also means he can relax some, one leg crossed under him and the other up to his chest.

"I could say the same." He replies. "Life has been quite different ever since we crossed paths." a grin, leaving the 'for the better' to be written on his expression instead. An hard thing considering how often he can be so inexpressive. But there it is.

"I always knew you were a thrill-seeker. Just didn't know how much. The problem is when they upgrade from shooting to laser'ing at you or using whatever powers they may have." a sigh. "The world is changing a lot from those early days when it was just the JL around.."

"It's a dangerous life though, in a perfect world I'd prefer you not to be involved, or my sister but ..., it is what it is."

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
Vanessa finishes off her donut and sips at her coffee which has cooled to the perfect temperature now. As warm as can be but still be drinkable. "Now statements like that are what tempt me to go rummaging around in your memories," Vanessa teases. She's been pretty good about that generally. Things she sees and hears trigger those memories, and usually when she brings something up to discuss from them, it's pretty easy to pick out want made her become aware of them. But she hasn't shown Oliver any signs of peeking into his past just to do it.

Vanessa looks down at her cup. "Speaking of that... I was thinking. There's this therapist. Enhanced guy. Doctor Samson, maybe you've seen his ads? I thought maybe I might make an appointment to go talk to him. It's not even really, all of this. But the whole... you know, seeing what's going on with mutants in the world? And, even if only four of us know I am one too, well... it still hits home kind of hard sometimes when I think about it. I just figured, he probably has some experience there. Might be good for me to talk to."

Oliver Queen has posed:
"Now, now. Keep it nice." Oliver says in a joking manner back to Vanessa. In a sense though he appeared to trust Vanessa with that closeness, even if there were secrets, the darkness inside, that he'd prefer she didn't see. A thing he hoped she'd never glimpse at one way or the other. Not that it was enough to make him hesitate about the connection they shared.

He goes quiet when Vanessa mentions wanting to go to a therapist. It makes him press his lips together, thoughtful. "I know of him." not that Ollie would ever admit needing a therapist or going to one. "If you think it can help I see no reason not to try it. I have never been the type to open it up in that manner with a therapist so..., I can't tell you if it will be a good thing or not. But perhaps opening up to someone else can aid you." he reaches over, briefly squeezing her shoulder.