6068/Time travel in Gotham

Time travel in Gotham
Date of Scene:	28 April 2021
Location:	Robinson Park - Miagani Island
Synopsis:	Thea and Zee meet in Gotham and go explore an old Scottish Castle!
Cast of Characters:	Thea Queen, Zatanna Zatara

---

Thea Queen has posed:
Sometimes it all still feels like a dream, or is it a nightmare? Discovering who her father was a bittersweet type of shock, for she never really felt she *belonged* wherever she was... Or whoever she was. It brought some peace, but also questions. Like, who exactly is Malcolm Merlyn? Clearly not one of the good guys.

So time had been spent getting her club going, or at least the barebones of it. There was still a lot of work to do and if anything Thea could really get focused when she wanted to. But even that turned into feeling like she was suffocating. She needed a break. Away from Starling City and her life.

And so here she is. Gotham. Gloom and doom? She is used to the dark, having been deep down that rabbit hole in the past. Sure, she is past that now, or is she? She still feels those tremors sometimes on her hands. When temptation comes. Drugs, alcohol. There was a lot that could be said about getting over addiction, but one thing that everyone knew was that temptation stayed. Those thoughts were on her mind while she walked down the steps near the Finger Castle. It felt nearly like time travelling, going back in time to when castles swords and kings were prevalent.

The sound of the amphiteater was close by, a play in session, but Thea had chosen the loneliness of the castle at this time.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Oh, the things Zatanna could probably say about Malcolm Merlyn. They may be related by one degree of separation at the Hellfire Club, though possibly one of the rules of Hellfire Club is not to talk about it. An opportunity then to speak no evil and share no evil? Be as it may, Zatanna goes jogging along the path leading from the West Flower Street urbarail station to the castle. Hard to believe the park's castle is actually real, but the stones are bonafide.

Besides, it makes an excellent place to hide from any inclement showers that so often pour down on Gotham at the drop of a hat. She checks the partly overcast sky, watching the clouds thicken with a raised eyebrow. Perhaps the dark, dank city noted for living under a noir sheen will prove everyone wrong and stay sunny. Her trainers strike the concrete with a steady beat. Hair swinging behind her in a ponytail, she doesn't look like the Mistress of Magic so much as an Italian girl sporting top-notch yoga pants and an open-backed shirt in an attempt to fight against the curse of calories. Pasta does no one any good and her figure is a selling point. So much she suffer. It beats remodeling bathrooms or bedrooms, or worrying about her wardrobe. The castle rears up, its smattering of tourists and locals loitering nearby.

A food truck would be there, if it could get access. No doubt someone's willing to hawk tacos or Bat cookies at the lucky few. Water's all she wants, slowing as she approaches the more densely populated path (read: more than one person). As she looks out for anything that passes as a source of water other than a fountain. Her bottle is empty. Spotting Thea, she gives her a bit of a berth to make sure they don't collide.

Thea Queen has posed:
The Hellfire club! Let's not even go there ... She is a member too, all because of her family, and brother. Because of course. The Queen name has always opened a lot of doors for her, even if it has also been a source of pain and despair. Are things better now? Maybe.. She takes in a deep breath, one hand reaching up to her wavy bob hair and running through it, eyes just a touch absent.

In a way she feels she should be back at the Verdant, working on it, getting it up and running. That responsibility that is so characteristic of her tugging at her. But she really can't. She needs her time away. She re-focuses again. Sounds of steps nearby? No, someone running. It gets those instincts running, this is a dark place and .., she is sort of alone out here isn't she? Rookie mistake. She should know better now, specially after the training she has underwent with Slade.

She makes a show of reaching up with her water bottle for a drink so she can look over to who it may be. Some tension there and ..., ah, it's a runner. The tension visibly appears to leave her.

And now she wishes that water inside her bottle was bourbon. But she manages a smile to Zatanna at least. Does she recognize her? A bit out of her environment, but there's something about the face...., mmmm. Which means she does stare a bit.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
The Queen name holds much more prestige than the Zatara one in most fields. Unless someone wants to deal with celebrities or entertainment, industrialists go so much further in life. Almost unfair! Someone might actually get ahead in life if they had all the money in the world, but name recognition comes with its downsides. Zatanna isn't hard to identify with her hair back and no sunglasses on, but some people find the fishnets and corset indispensable. At least she's not wearing a hoodie or sunglasses. Those would make her next to immune to being spotted.

The stairs rise in front of her and she takes them one or two at a time. The slowed pace becomes a laborious walk, hindered by a small hitch from cramping, fatigued muscles. Hand going right to her inner waist, Zee massages out the discomfort. Best way to look cool, act like nothing's off at all. "I promise not to run you over," she calls out to the woman seated and lost in her own thoughts.

She understands the hazards of being a woman alone, even in a park in broad daylight. "Just me here." She holds up her water bottle. "Do you know if there's a vending machine? I hate to even suggest one should be here in a castle. Such a horrible connection between the cutting edge and old world, but you never know?"

Thea Queen has posed:
Granted, fishnets and corset would had helped immensely. Gosh darn it! She has seen this face. Maybe at one of the clubs of before, or even the Hellfire itself..? Something with her brother and ..., oh....

Sure, think of Oliver and you reach the conclusion. It's Zatanna Zatara herself, member of the Justice League. So of *course* that's where she knows her from. Oliver wouldn't shut up about how Zee had him fly during the attack on Metropolis. And yes, she got damn jealous about it even if what she conveyed to her brother was just an eyeroll of appearing bored so he wouldn't keep up with that and just make her even *more* jealous, but it also showed her the world could be a marvellous place, full of magic.

Big brothers and them having all the fun, mmm?

"Thank you for that.." For not running her over? Or something else. Maybe that too! Her eyes do twinkle a bit and yes, it seems to show she has recognized the other woman. Yet even if eyes betray her the expression she bears is a poker face. "My mind started to wander a bit." she explains, but then at the question about water she looks around, thin lips pressing together.

"I only saw some back by the play. Yet I did not want to see Brutus killing Caesar again.." a bit of a grin and she extends her own bottle over to the other woman. "Feel free to drink from mine if you want." she offers, elegant fingertips holding the bottle up to Zee.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Fishnets and a corset would be a great big help, but anyone running in those is a fool! There cannot be anything worse for moving. The corset constricts breath and shifts around weirdly. Fishnets are cold! Freezing legs must be avoided too! Brrrr.

With a merry little wiggle of her bottle, she goes right up to the castle entry and peeks inside. Hopefully there might be something interesting in there? Not too likely, but a girl's hopes never fade. Nope, no vending machine. No hope there of bottles or a fancy filtration system hidden away for needy runners. Too bad for her, though she doesn't quite need to cheat. Instead, she looks over to Thea with a bright smile teasing up at the corners of her mouth. The lush richness of delight is a fruit to sample.

Big brothers? She wouldn't know, sadly. Just her in the world.

"Oh? You're welcome." Habit reflexively wills her to answer that way. "Though I promise, I won't intrude on you and your thoughts. Taking in the performance from afar?"

Thea Queen has posed:
With her water bottle not being taken Thea instead leaves it by her side. Easy to reach too if the other woman wants! And then she leans back on her seat a touch. "Somehow, I feel like that's something you'd be able to do." she letting out an amused laugh. Because of course she would be able to do so! "I am Thea." she then offers easily. It's always been easy for Thea to make friends, or just introduce herself out of the blue. It also meant she got all the bad companies when she was younger. Curses of being who she was.

Though when she says that name those eyes mirror in that same kind of intensity that are often found in the more stern Oliver Queen. Specially when she then adds, "Thea Queen." again she bringing her fingers up to brush over her hair. "You are Zatanna, aren't you?" so much for running without being recognized, Zatanna!

As for the play. "Something like that.., I have seen it before so, I needed something new, and I had never been here in the castle itself." she lets out a soft breath. "It's like going back in time, isn't it?" she says of the Scottish Castle surrounding them.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Not to be rude, but no need to put Thea out. Zee might have hangups about sharing or it's just common decency. She taps her bottle and looks at the remnants inside, and then murmurs under her breath as she leans around the crenellated wall glorified by a few pretty glazed pottery bricks. "elttoB, llif." A swift command easily interpreted as Italian or another language in a low murmur proceeds to do the unnecessary but proper. Fresh bubbly water gets topped off inside the vessel quickly. Nothing like an at-will call!

But as there is never something for nothing, she looks around for the ubiquitous donation boxes usually found in places like the castle. One is pretty nearby, and she produces a few folded up bills from her pant pocket. "Hey, Thea. Lovely to meet you. You got it in one, that's me." She pokes the $20 and the $5 into the slot atop the box. Hopefully no one breaks in before the donation is claimed.

"Have you ever been to a real castle? This one looks fairly accurate to me. no dragon, no maiden in a tall pointy hennin, but maybe a few armoured knights around. Maybe even a /dark/ knight?" It's a terrible joke but not at her coworker's expense. She likes him. "Strangely atmospheric or breathlessly spooky?"

Thea Queen has posed:
Okay, that's a nice trick. Magic? Certainly magic. Those expressive eyes turn a touch wider as the actual magic is done in front of her. Or sort of, a bit on the side. But she can still spot it! Observant! She is also thankful she *never* learned magic. Or her booze would had never ended. That would had been bad. She chuckles a bit to herself, perhaps imagining how that would go, hand picking up her own bottle for a swig. "I would say it's a lucky guess but .., having a brother that thinks the world of you helps."

There, putting poor Ollie on the spot.

That last question makes her mmm, expression crunching up in a thoughtful manner. "Not a real, real one. Certainly none with a dragon." she laughs in that easy manner of hers. "I would hate to be a damsel in distress too." those days are long gone behind her.. Or so she hopes. But she knows the meaning Zatanna puts in it. Dark knights? Oh certainly, this is their turf, "Hopefully we won't have a dark knight prowling about today though, it'd mean there'd be trouble brewing. Still, you are right, he wouldn't look out of place here." she says, "This is his city after all."

"But I would go with breathlessly atmospheric. Gotham has this deep melancholic touch to it, doesn't it?"

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
A nice trick and definitely magic; really, she has no reason to hide the fact it is considering her reputation and the League make her, well, a known celebrity magician. Zatanna wiggles her nose as though she might be from Bewitched. Good idea not to pick up the craft if prone to booziness.

"None with a dragon? Boo. Here I hoped there might be something exciting like that. Maybe we can pay for a chalk art dragon to jazz it up a bit. Imagine how that might turn out?" With their luck, probably getting scales drawn on a wall and an actual chalk dragon attacking people. Wouldn't be very good to deal with, certainly.

"Is your brother that much of a fan? I'm touched. In a good way, too!" Her hand waves and she breaks into a laugh. "But let's have this between you and me, something special you can share and make his jaw drop. No damsels or dragons in this castle. Have you gone inside and taken a look around?" The opportunity is offered without complaint, and she gives Thea the chance to take her up on it or not. A sip of her water is perfectly indulgent.

Thea Queen has posed:
That nose wiggle makes Thea bring her hand up to brush on her own, as if she had just gotten this itch to do just the same. Because she did. It's a known fact, they are like yawns but WORSE! So wiggle it in front of Thea and it's a done deal that she will be mirroring soon after. But then she is laughing. "You speak of dragons as if they'd be common occurrences." she says with a shake of her head. "No dragons in Starling City unfortunately.." Well, there's a gang or two with that name. Maybe three. Do those count?

"My brother? He certainly is, when he isn't brooding..." Seems like it's a common thing about vigilantes... Not that she shares the name. Not yet at least. No need to be putting the man more in check than she has. Instead she appears to turn curious about that offer. Something to share? Those large expressive eyes twinkle with mischief, not one to refuse offers of magicians.

"I haven't, but would be up for it." Boldly going forward where no other Queen has gone to before. She gets up to her feet, picking up her water bottle and starts walking closer. "What was on your mind?" She asks, one arm wrapping about her own waist.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
Yes! Nose wriggle just like Zatanna. It's infectious like a laugh or yawning. Nothing might happen right off the bat, but keep trying and possibly something will. Being a giving sort of person makes the black-haired magician more than ready to spread a little cheer. "I grew up on tales of castles, dragons, and pasta. You can't blame me for wishing we had a chance to talk to one when I find the single castle in all of Gotham. I suppose I could do what they did here. Looks like someone bought the whole thing from Europe and brought it over? Or they copied it." It's unclear to her without some kind of commemorative plaque or historical sign to go by.

"Are you sure Starling City is free of them? I think some of those coffee shops have people curled up with their coffee like great dangerous serpents." Her grin widens. "Do you think you can trust that? We should take a look all the same, if you'd like. Maybe we can find something better hidden inside. Treasure! Or a bowl of free mints."

Free candy counts for something?

Thea Queen has posed:
Lucky Zee! Tales of castles and dragons. As for Thea? Not something as bright.. But she finds herself grinning a touch, watching the black-haired magician, "Sounds like a lovely upbringing." because it really did, the wide smile on her lips almost making her cheeks hurt. She hasn't really smiled much as of late!

Her interest was already peaked though, and exploring was something she certainly would never deny. Adventure! That's in her blood. Both Merlyn and Queen. So with a bob of her head she is of agreement, "Free mints are a treasure all in itself." she says.

She takes a step forward, closer to the walls of the castle, a glance then to look at the other woman, "Any place we should explore first? With you being the one that *knows* how a proper castle should be." another laugh.

As for her, she will be the squire to the magician. Or is it the apprentice to the magician? One of those!

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
"Bit of a good one, for certain. It had its high points and lows. I'm fairly certain that your own must have been happy, I hope?" Good way to put her foot in it but Zatanna takes the chance on that one. Just in case. The smiling needs to be encouraged.

With the possibility of picking her way through the castle in the lead, she shakes her head. "Not a clue. I suppose we could start here, can't we? Let's just go in whichever direction until it runs out?"

The best way to quest, without a map! She would totally fail in D&D.

Thea Queen has posed:
That's a good way to put the whole finger in the wound. Or in this case foot! It does bring that smile on Thea to falter some and again the hand up to brush over her hair, which also serves as partially hiding some of her expression. Talk about habits! "Lots of lows." she admits back to Zee. The not-belonging, the drugs. Oh, she could do a list or two. Still, she knew she had all the chances for a privileged upbringing. "But ..., getting back out of that. One day at a time, you know?" the smile isn't as deep now, but it's still there.

But without a choice of path from Zee to go through it means they shall let chance decide. It's fine with her, and she didn't even bring her red shirt uniform today. A good thing. She knows what happens to red shirts during random explorations.

Steps start to bring them towards the open entrances to the castle. No guards, giving way to a large receiving hall of older times. Of course there's no furniture, only those empty halls that with each step there's an echo, showing both how immense it is but also how empty it is as well. It's thankfully free of graffiti or junk too. Clearly this is a well-tended park and castle.

As for Thea, she takes in a breath, closing her eyes briefly while they move through the halls. "Makes one wonder what kind of tales were crafted in these halls, Zatanna, doesn't it? So much of the past we have forgotten already..." she sighs wistfully, arms wrapping about her waist.