3820/Your place isn't entirely horrible.

Your place isn't entirely horrible.
Date of Scene:	14 October 2020
Location:	Verdant - Abandoned Warehouse
Synopsis:	Thea and Alex catch up in the club she might be building.
Cast of Characters:	Thea Queen, Alexander Aaron

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Thea Queen has posed:
The Verdant.

It's not much further along than before, but it's cleaned of its dust; having laid untouched since Thea'd had left a month, two months ago now? There are signs of work once more. More sheetrock is in place, the PVC piping is laid for electric lines, routes drawn on the walls for the mapping of neon and the like. The 'office space' up on the second floor is cleaner; some remodeling has also been done recently, as hinted by the 'new spackle' smell that permeates the expansive room.

Within the building, Thea's at a table, papers before her. She's //finally// coming back down (for the moment) to run financials. Can she afford it? How will she afford it? Staff isn't even considered (yet) in her calculations.

The youngest Queen is dressed 'down' for her. Certainly no night out on the town. She'd obviously started out on a run and ended up in Starling City? Her jacket is over a chair, bobbed hair is a little mussy, and she's in yoga pants and a middriff workout shirt. Sneakers, that previously she wouldn't have been caught dead in, adorn her feet. Keys to the building are beside her, on the table, as is bottled water. She's just recently gotten there, apparently.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    It was rare that the blond youth had made his way out in this direction. Rare that he would set foot upon the bullet train that led across several cities as it wove its way Northward and from station to station. Though for Alexander Aaron he did make the trip now and again, usually when off to see his father in Jersey, as that was where the deity chose to put down what roots he could.
    Yet as the train passed through Starling City on its way back home that he smiled to himself as they pulled up to that station on the edge of the district. Remembering visiting and chatting with Thea about her efforts to set up the club. What happened with that? His thoughts wandered as the train slowed as it pulled into the station, his hazel eyes drifting toward that city's skyline. Was it open already? He hadn't gotten a call or a text in a while. And he had naught save time...
    Which led to him choosing to slip out of the train when it stopped, hopping down the steps a bit or taking them two at a time. Over his shoulder was a backpack and his hands deep in the pockets of his jeans. Today's t-shirt was a simple red t-shirt that proclaimed happily, 'STARK EXPO '76!' Placed over the image of a space needle-like tower.
    Eventually his steps would lead him to that old warehouse that had been cleared out by the Arrows. Only now...well it did seem a bit more cleared up. He tested the door, and if it was open he'd wander on in.

Thea Queen has posed:
It is certainly open; not much in the way of security there, then?

The lights burn a little brighter than they had, and with the sound of the door opening, the brunette turns her head to the sound. There's a slight edge to the way she looks, there's an added intensity in that 'friend or foe' decision that flickers and is gone before she offers a warm smile.

"Hey, you," she begins. The words sound the same Thea, but as she rises, there's a .. less soft impression. She's toned to the point of looking.. firm, and her posture is a touch more put together.

Closing the distance between them, she'll give him a hug, if he'll allow for it.

"How're you?" From the sound of it, Thea actually means it.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Hey," His smile comes to him easily, those hazel eyes meeting hers as his gaze then drifts over her form only to return as she steps in for the hug. He'll return it, strong arms holding her tight for a moment then stepping back as he leaves one hand gently on her shoulder. Eyebrows rise as he looks her over more blatantly and then says, "You are looking, fit. Man I go away for a few months and you come back all sharp."
    But then he smiles and lets his hand ease away as he turns to look over the place, what's been done to it, hands settling on his hips as his gaze wanders. "I figured you hadn't tossed me a mail or anything for a bit, so I'd check in."
    Then back to her he quirks an eyebrow, "How's it going?"

Thea Queen has posed:
Thea gives a tight hug, one reserved for those favored before they break and she turns around in a slightly theatric 'show off' of her less than usual fashion sense. Normally, she's a whole lot more put together. "I've been.. training." Working out? No. It's far more than that.

Reaching for his hand, Thea is ready to slowly wander to show the little things. The lines for the neons, the covered, delivered as of yet unlit signs for the place proclaiming it 'The Verdant', she's showing it off.

"It's been a rough couple of months," Thea admits. "I was in a pretty bad place," and her features reflect the brief introspection before she offers something of a wan smile. "Things are better. Not the best they could be? But better."

Turning to look at Alex, however, her head cants and she nods approvingly, "You're looking good too. How're classes. You're going... right? To college? Like you said you were?"

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Well," There's a tilt of his head given, then he nods and smiles a little with no small hint of wickedness as his lips curl so meanly. "You look good. I mean you're still painfully short. But good." His smile broadens as he teases her, though makes sure he's out of casual swiping range before he offers those words.
    But then he has his hand taken in hers and he allows himself to be led about with such pomp and circumstance, as this is truly her kingdom and she rules here. He observes the club nodding to the signs as she speaks.
    "Oh?" Then his features turn somber as she mentions her being less than happy. "What happened? I mean..." His smile is there but wan as he offers, "You coulda called if you wanted. I coulda, I dunno, beaten someone up or gone shopping with you or something."
    Then her later questions he nods a little, "Yup, still, been a good year so far. I am kicking butt." He says that, but not with a huge amount of enthusiasm.

Thea Queen has posed:
"A lot of it was family," read: Oliver. "No beating up my brother."

"I think we are finding our balance. It took a lot," and Thea barks a soft laugh and squeezes his hand. "I wish it could have been solved by a little retail therapy. In a way, I suppose I did, but I was buying the wrong stuff." Her drug habit had resurfaced.

"I had help getting away from it all, though. A man named Slade Wilson. He is actually a member of that other club." The Hellfire. "The masquerade they had months ago now was when I met him." Another smile is offered, and she seems to end it all with, "So, I'm back to a training regime. Running. More archery work. Everytime I think I get ahead, though.. I learn something new from mistakes." Some are more painful than others.

Her head cants with his own update, and her eyes narrow to look at him. "Uh huh... why don't you sound more convincing?" She gestures with her hand encouragingly, "Care to try again? Or... tell me what's going on?" She'll be happy to lead him to a table where they can perch.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    They make that trip around, wandering and walking with it ending near that table, though he sort of sits on the edge of it, his arms folded over his chest as he smiles. "Nah seriously, it's not that big a deal. I'm doing fine, but still sort of..." He waggles a hand one way and then the other, "Trying to figure out if it's really for me. I feel like in twenty years will it be a good thing that I graduated or will I even remember it, ya know?"
    That said he shakes his head, "But the Hellfire Club is kind of fun, I was pondering going to that masquerade thing but didn't have a date." Though, to be fair, he didn't keep track of it too much.
    His brow furrows, "What are you doing for training? Sounds..." His gaze drifts down to her figure, the loss of body fat apparent, the tone and definition. He chews on the inside of his cheek thoughtfully. "Effective."

Thea Queen has posed:
Thea listens attentively, her head dropped slightly and canted sideways to watch him. She sets up beside him, settling into that lean, before she bobs her head in a nod. "It kinda is," is said slowly, "I mean, I think you should, if only for opportunities later. Meeting people, getting connections?" A shoulder lifts and a breathy laugh is chuffed softly, "I mean, I never went. Probably should have, but it's not really in the cards for me. I.. would not call myself a success story." is announced finally.

"You'll remember it in twenty. I mean, I know you'll still be around then. You'll even be old." Hee..

That night? "The Masquerade," Thea quietly reminisces, "I had a date. He skipped on me, which was fine. I ended up so drunk, that I was out back for half the night. Slade found me at a table, trying to recover, and gave me some pretty good advice." Brows rise on the fact he didn't have a date, however, and she reaches her elbow out to nudge at him, "You? No date? Really? You so weren't trying." Like, at all.

Still? Training. "I'm going on timed runs. And not just an 'I have to beat the clock' sort of thing. These.. have consequences." Run.. fight.. run.. always moving. She smiles wanly, "I feel better. Not as .. mooshy."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Hey, I've been singleish for a while now. I've gone out a couple times, but nothing serious." Even as she nudges him with that elbow he crinkles his nose at her, "Mainly dealing with some repercussions from some of the craziness that went on before."
    The blond youth smiles and shifts to the side, then nudges a chair out for her to take a seat if she wants, though he seems comfortable on the edge of the table himself. "Though someone ditched you on a date while you were drunk?" Alexander's head tilts to the side and away as if trying to look at her from another angle, and none too pleased about it.
    "That sounds like a supremely shitty thing to do." He nods slowly and she can likely imagine him picturing her there in the Hellfire Club of all places not entirely with her faculties in command. "But good you met someone to help you." Slade Wilson, big help.
    "Consequences though?" He cocks his head the other way, she seems to be getting a fair amount of incredulous looks. "Like no cheat day consequences, or like... punched in the kidney consequences?"
    Since clearly, Alexander knows consequences. Considering the training he endured.

Thea Queen has posed:
Thea wrinkles her nose in humor as she echoes, "-Ish." She's teasing, though she asks, "Who is the 'ish' girl?"

To hear of 'repercussions', however, the younger Queen sibling exhales and looks at him, "I might be a mess, myself, but I'm always willing to help out." Though, truth be told, she really wasn't in a position to help herself, let alone someone else. Willing is one thing!

She does take the seat, a slouch done immediately, sneakered feet on the edge of the table, with very little 'pooch' of belly as she does. Her arms cross lightly in front of her, and with a little bit of pressure, she pushes back on the chair so it's leaning on its back legs. "Actually, he ditched me before we all really started drinking. It was after, so.." Okay, the guy was a jerk, but she probably didn't help it much!

Thea shakes her head quickly, in prelude to a response, "No.. more like the 'kidney' thing, but not really? It's more the 'I hate you', thing. Or the, 'I thought you wanted to learn' thing.. and then the 'run, fight until exhaustion and you want to die' thing." To look at Thea, really look.. there's more than physical softness that's been lost. It might be in her tones, in her eyes, but she's harder around the edges all around?

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Mmm," He says as he looks a her, and for now he does not mention the 'ish girl' even as he places his shoe upon the edge of her chair, so they create a small triangle with her feet on the table, and his foot on her seat. "That sounds kind of tough, but..."
    His lip twists a little, "You still seem to be, you know, you. Which is nice. Just a more fit you. A lot of people when they go into boot camp come out of it like some crucible thing." His eyes drift down and he crinkles his nose at her putting her feet up beside him.
    "Just I sort of fell in love with the Thea Queen good gal who tries to do good even though she's a lil flawed. I'd hate to see you lose that." He says love with a smile, perhaps not meaning the whole deep romantic love, but says it easily as if meaning that area above friendship that isn't quite living life together forever love.
    Then his brow lifts, "Even if it's given you a killer bod, girl." His lip twists.

Thea Queen has posed:
Thea shakes her head, and there's a lift of a single shoulder as he shifts his spot; now, they're in contact, but casual and easy. There's decidedly a comfort there. Her face screws up slightly as she considers before, "I'm.. I feel different. Like, the things that mattered to me, really don't. And the things that do matter to me? They're really, really important, if that makes sense? Like.." There's a long pause, then, "I don't really party anymore. So, the club isn't what it kind of started out to be? Like, when your parents would say, 'As long as you drink at home and don't drink and drive, that's okay.'. This was supposed to be a 'home' like that." There's that pause again, and a chuffed breath of frustration as she shakes her head. "That doesn't sound like what I was trying to say, but.. I guess it is?"

The chair creaks a little when Thea pushes against the table, setting it back, and forth. "I was an emotional mess. Like.. a real mess." Thea laughs at herself at that, self-deprecatingly. "Made me do stupid things. I'm.. I'm trying, but that's hard to fight. But, at least I don't throw up at the sight of blood anymore."

There's a pinkening of her cheeks at the 'fell in love' thing, and she has that 'awww' expression, and there's a genuine, honest smile that rises to hear it. "I was a lot flawed. But, I'm trying. And I'm sorry I didn't call earlier. You're actually one of the few friends, actual friends, I've got."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "I can understand that," He says as she tells him how she felt about the place, and about the club. His head tilts to the side as he considers the room again, as if pondering the surroundings from a different time frame, how she felt about them then... and now.
    "When we first met," He smiled a little and looked at her sidelong, a hand reaching over to rest on her ankle and give a gentle squeeze, "I got the feeling you were..." He bites his lower lip thoughtfully as the word escapes him, though it takes him only the space of a few heartbeats to track it down, tree it, and then tell her. "In transition. You know? You seemed to be here and there, and looking for things. And..."
    He shakes his head but doesn't go on. "I could kind of see it. You were reaching in like all the directions at once. S'why I felt it was like. Well, it's why I told you about myself, and why things might be a bad decision, right?"
    He squeezes her ankle then refolds his arms over his chest, "But sounds like you're figuring things out, and there's no harm in not knowing what to do with your old toys, right?" He grins, and motions with a nod to the club, "Do something with it that you want to do now. Turn it into a gym, or your new home away from home, or something."
    Then he nods as he looks away, grinning a little. "And don't fret about not calling. Me, I got all the time in the world. Immortal and all that."

Thea Queen has posed:
Alexander is perceptive in ways that perhaps others don't give him credit. Or, can craft words now that before he seemed reticent to express. He's got Thea's attention, most certainly, and she watches him as he speaks; his hands, the expression on his face that his words give him.

"You're right," she nods, fully in agreement. "It was because I didn't really know what was going on around me. There were whispers, but no one would say //anything//. So, I'm stuck with people lying to me, thinking that somehow they were protecting me from things." Thea's voice lowers and she offers drying, "No drama like family drama."

As Thea talks, now, her hands are gesturing a little, here and there, her words open and plain. She's lost the hurt in them, though. There are no tears shed anymore. It's like.. the past is gone, done.

"Now, I know what I'm doing, what I'm supposed to do. And some of that?" Thea shakes her head, "Ollie doesn't like it. So, we don't discuss it." There's a pause before, "No, not //that//." She doesn't want her friend to get the absolute wrong impression of her!

"As for the club? I'll still open it. The Glades needs it. Somewhere safe. Secure. I just won't drink and I won't allow drugs in." Her 'home'. "And I'm //not// immortal, so I'll be sure I talk to you more before I'm gone." That last bit? Said with a smile.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "That's good then." His lip twists up as he looks toward the ceiling once again, then nods a few times. "Alright, I think I've seen enough. I'm gonna go hop the train and head back into the city." The Other City.
    He slides off the table and kneels on one knee to slip his arms around her and give a gentle hug, sparing a moment to kiss her on the cheek and then lean back. "It was good to see you, hopefully we can catch up again soon. Go do something, make bad decisions." His smile twists wry even as he moves to get back to his feet, patting her shoulder a little as he rises. "You got my number."
    He tells her that with a smile as he starts to turn away.

Thea Queen has posed:
Thea's two front legs to her chair *thunks* to the ground, pushing her forward, and remarkably into his arms for that hug. She's more than happy for that kiss on the cheek, and she gives him one in return. Once he leans back a little, she lifts a hand to brush against his cheek and jaw. "Yeah.. I'd like that. We'll catch up and do something, and probably make a few bad decisions." There's a wistful smile on her face, and as he moves to go, patting her on her shoulder, she looks up and nods.

"Yeah, I do." Now, she rises from her spot, but leans on the edge of the table that he vacated. "I'll call you when I'm in the City." With that, she walks around the tables, and there's the one with all her financial stuff on it. She looks down at it, sighs.. and looks thoughtful before settling in again to get a little more work done.