617/Nothing like some time off

Nothing like some time off
Date of Scene:	18 March 2020
Location:	Queen Mansion
Synopsis:	Roy comes to Queen Mansion for the weekend, meets Vanessa and they talk during lunch. The conversation veers towards an archery 'challenge'. Just to take the rust out, of course.
Cast of Characters:	Oliver Queen, Vanessa Carlysle, Roy Harper

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Oliver Queen has posed:
Queen Mansion.

A place of old memories for some, good and bad, all mixed together as it's always been where it comes to Oliver Queen and the people he relates with. To others a place to look forward to the future in. To Oliver though, it's simply home. Like Starling City.

Oliver went a few days ago to Happy Harbor, to check on Roy, having found him at the library with one of his new friends. Some of the old tension appeared to had been cleared and they eventually arranged for a weekend that Roy would spend there at the Mansion.

And the day for arrival has finally come. He has been speaking with Vanessa about it, "His name is Roy Harper. He used to live here in the city. Well, here." he gestures to the mansion. "But then we decided it was best that he'd go to a boarding school." well, it was mostly his decision really. Still, something unspoken is there on his tone while he speaks with Vanessa, awaiting for Roy to arrive.

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
Vanessa stands near Oliver as he's waiting for his friend to visit. "I'm sure you'll be able to build on old times. The good ones," she tells Oliver encouragingly. She reaches over to rest a hand on his shoulder, fingers curling over the top of it from behind as she uses that touch to show him support.

"So you two are pretty close? I can... actually I don't even know how I can tell, but I can feel it," she says with a soft laugh. "Probably in your expression," she says. She's been noticing that lately, that she seems to be able to read Oliver's thoughts or feelings about things far better than she's ever done with anyone else before. But then, that doesn't seem all that odd to her. Everything else about her getting to know Oliver has been a first for Vanessa Carlysle as well.

Roy Harper has posed:
Roy Harper arrives! He'd texted to say that he was on his way. And eventually he turns up, dropped off at the Queen Mansion with a skeptical look from his Uber driver. He gave the guy a grin and a small eyeroll before hopping out and heading up to the front door. He wears a pair of faded jeans and red chucks with a dark red sweater on and a leather jacket, a dark red baseball cap pulled down a bit over his red hair. He slows as he comes up the steps and just takes in the place for a moment.

He hasn't been gone long. The schools is new. His presence at it is new. But it definitely feels different than it did when the decision had been made that he would leave and go to boarding school at Happy Harbor. He'd been angry. There had been words, and tension, a lot of tension that had been building and erupting for some time. But now? Now, he pauses, hands in his pockets and looks around, drawing in a slow breath and letting it out just as slowly, before he turns and heads inside. It's home, after all. He wasn't locked out (to his knowledge), and so he just, opens the door and walks inside, unless he discovers that he can't for some reason.

Oliver Queen has posed:
Casting a glance over his shoulder Oliver reaches up to rest fingertips atop Vanessa's hands, comfortable there with her, a smile given to her. He considers her words for a time. The good ones, yes there were good ones. A lot of bad too. Still, he missed the young man, even if he may not have been the best of father figured he could had wished for.

"We are close. A lot. He had been going through a rough time when we met, and so was I. We helped each other." He admits, in a way that perhaps he'd have difficulty telling Roy.

"But he seemed to be doing very well when I visited him at the school. I am sure you will like him." Even as he smiles when Vanessa says she can read his expression. Not many that could.

At the door there's something new, two tall guys, security guards, one of them talking to his earbud when he sees Roy come out. Then a nod for Roy to go ahead. Whatever Ollie was talking about when he mentioned some trouble back home seems it was serious.

Inside there they are, waiting. "Hello, Roy." he extends one hand to greet the young man.

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
Vanessa nods and smiles at Oliver speaking of how close he and Roy are. "I can really tell. Glad you're getting some time back together now," she says to Oliver, before noticing the security are taking notice of something. "Looks like he's probably here," she says.

Vanessa stays to the side a bit as Oliver moves to meet Roy, letting the two greet each other without her interrupting. She's in her mid twenties, with dark hair with lighter highlights. Wearing a pair of jeans and a nice sweater, the young woman has a bit of a warm elegance to her demeanor that comes from her postures and expressions.

That expression right now is a warm one as someone that Oliver cares with is coming back into his life. Vanessa crosses her arms now she doesn't have Oliver's shoulder to rest one on, but her smiles keeps the posture a welcoming one.

Roy Harper has posed:
Roy Harper studies the two guys outside the door, wondering perhaps for a moment or two if they're going to turn him away, or challenge him. When they don't, he gives them both a nod and then heads inside to see Oliver and his companion. He takes a step forward and takes the offered hand, giving it a single but friendly shake, before taking a half step back again. "Hey," he says, the teen studying Oliver for a moment or two, as though trying to read him, himself, getting the impression there's definitely trouble if there are people standing guard outside the door. Then he looks over to Vanessa and offers her a smile. "Hey," he says, "I'm Roy."

Oliver Queen has posed:
There is perhaps some tension visible there on Ollie's shoulders, perhaps not just at the guards outside or whatever may be going on. But he understands that look well enough. "Yea, finding we need a bit more security these days." the way he says 'we' appearing to mean both him and the woman he is standing with.

Today he is in that classic casual clothing of his. Being at home means no stuffy suits. So it's just a pair of jeans, a shirt. Just comfortable clothing. In the same way that he seems rather comfortable with Vanessa at this time when he gestures in her direction.

"This is Vanessa Carlysle. She is staying with us now." and by the smile he gives her, and how his hand touches her shoulder it seems to mean due to more than just the security outfit outside. "I was just telling her of the visit I did to Happy Harbor. I enjoyed it, and glad you were making some friends. How is AJ anyway?" he asks, but then steps back to let them greet each other and talk as they will.

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
Vanessa smiles back to Roy as the introduction is made. "Really nice to meet you. Oliver was telling me good things about you," she says to the teen in a warm tone. Her glance goes to the security as well. "Yes, Oliver's kind of helping keep me safe," she comments softly to that, and giving Oliver a warm and grateful look as well.

"So how is Happy Harbor? I've never been out there but the name always made me picture it as somewhere nice. Sort of like that town that Truman lives in in the Truman Show," she says, her soft laugh suggesting she knows it's probably nothing like that. "Are you getting close to graduating now?" she asks Roy.

Roy Harper has posed:
Roy Harper nods his head about the security and though his expression doesn't change a lot, Oliver would be able to note the slight tension, the concern, the way that he studies both he and Vanessa as though looking for some clues as to what might be going on. When Oliver explains that Vanessa is staying, he nods his head, clearly perceptive enough to read the body language alone without that confirmation, but seeming to appreciate it. "Yeah? Well.. that's cool. Welcome, I guess, sort of." His smile turns a little bit lopsided, given that she's been there and he hasn't, it sounds a little odd.

He then slides his hands into his pockets and shrugs his shoulders, "He's good. I don't think he was expecting you to turn up." He grins a little wryly. "I hadn't told him, uh, who you were. Just, you know, about you.. in a ... non-specific sort of way." Very vague, that. But it's clear he hasn't spilled any secrets to AJ. There's a glance toward Vanessa, then back to Oliver. A silent question, as though trying to determine what he should and shouldn't say in front of her.

When she says that Oliver was telling her good things about him, both brows go up just a little bit in surprise that he can't quite smooth over or hide as easily as he might like. "So uh, you guys gonna tell me what you need keeping safe /from/?" he asks after another moment or two, opting not to ask what Oliver's been telling her about him, for the moment.

"Happy Harbor's alright. It's a town. The school's nice enough and full of people weirder than I am, which makes me feel damn near normal." He flashes a grin then that is entirely mischief. When she asks if he is getting close to graduation he hakes his head. "I've got one more year to go after I finish up this one."

Oliver Queen has posed:
"That's fine. Uncle, uh?" There is some amusement there on Ollie's expression, but then again he is getting old enough for that. A brief sigh that leaves his lips. Damn age. Then a gesture. "Come on. You hungry?" he asks, perhaps at the two of them, starting to pace over towards the kitchen.

The neutral tone with which he speaks, and how his gaze lingers on Roy seems to tell there's still one secret left between him and Vanessa though. A rather important one most likely. But he's never been someone to be too upfront about that secret.

"Some trouble with drug dealers that have been trying to push into Starling from what I hear. They were also working over New York a while back." a gesture towards Vanessa. "It is where we met." and then a smile, perhaps recalling that meeting.

Yet then he adds, "And you'd better make sure it's only one year." because yes, he knows Roy can stray sometimes! And a bit of judgement on that tone of his. Though he does amend himself a little when he adds. "Would like to see you around more often."

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
Vanessa gives a small nod at Oliver's explanation. "A couple of rough guys who want to ensure my silence," she says quietly. "And, one white knight who has been keeping me safe," she adds towards Roy with a smile that she then casts towards Oliver as he moves into the kitchen.

She moves to help him. "Famished," she says in a bright tone. "Did you eat on the way out, Roy?" she asks. "Oliver has actually been cooking, in case you want that to inform your answer one direction or the other," she says in a conspiratorial tone, but loud enough Oliver will definitely catch it.

She has a grin for him though as she looks back to Oliver and then goes to the fridge. "What would you all like to drink? Iced tea? Juice? Soda?" she asks as she checks inside the fridge.

Roy Harper has posed:
"Should I have gone with Dad?" Roy asks Oliver with both brows raised. If Oliver had been 18.. it's feasible. Unlikely, but not outside the realm of possibility. He nods when asked if he's hungry though. "Yeah, I could definitely go for some lunch. I skipped the cafeteria since I knew I was coming .. home." There's a faint hitch there, as though he's not one-hundred percent certain that this place is still home or not. He seems to note both the tone, and the gaze, and reads it for what it is, giving a slight nod to himself as they begin to move toward food.

There's a slight wince when Oliver mentions drug dealers. And he glances over toward Vanessa, studying her for several long moments, curiously. "You guys met in New York? Where'd you meet?" He decides to opt for that, considering it a 'safeish' topic. He can't help but snort just a little and says, "That's Oliver, Mr. White Knight, himself." He smiles a little bit amusedly at Vanessa and says, "Nope. My choice stands. Lunch me." He finds a spot to lean up against the counter while Vanessa moves to the fridge and says, "Iced tea, please." He does have some manners, even if he's still wearing his baseball cap in the house.

Oliver Queen has posed:
Yes, Oliver cooks! But that's no surprise to anyone anymore. As they near the kitchen the scent of spiced chili with meat can be smelled. He'd figured Roy might had skipped on a meal and since he's a growing young man, well, nothing like some chili. "I will have some iced tea." he answers Vanessa, moving to check on the food. "Ok, think this is just about ready..." he goes over to get some plates and put them on the kitchen table. Apparently they will be eating there.

While working he answers Roy. "At this little diner, mmm, what was the name again?" his eyes going to Vanessa. He was too focued on other things at the time to remember the name apparently.

Yet the cap doesn't go unnoticed, Ollie's blue gaze resting on Roy just a moment, then up on the cap. Again a bit of that judgemental look on his expression.

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
"Three iced teas it is," Vanessa says as she gets glasses and adds a few ice cubes which clink about as she drops them in and they settle. A pitcher of iced teas is retrieved from the fridge and she fills the glass before bringing them over to the table.

Vanessa answers Oliver with, "Fred's Diner. Best blueberry pie in the city." She smiles and tells Roy, "He was just Oliver that night. Or Oliver Just as I called him." Vanessa moves to take one of the seats at the table then as she leans over towards Roy to say, "And he left me. Without a word. I was in the ladies room and came out and woosh, he was gone, disappeared," she says. Though Oliver explained that long ago, it doesn't stop Vanessa from giving him a hard time about it as she looks over towards him, eyes bright.

Roy Harper has posed:
Roy Harper notices that look and he glances up at the cap, smirks, and takes it off, running his fingers through his hair to give it some semblance of straightening before he says, "Food smells good." Then he folds his arms lightly, leaning against the counter while Vanessa recounts the tale of Fred's Diner. He can't help but smirk just a little bit and say, "Yeah? I'm guessing he had a good excuse, since there was definitely a second date." She's here, after all. He grins and pulls away from the counter then to move over to grab some silverware to help carry it over toward the table where the plates are set while Vanessa gets the iced tea. Not something he'd usually do, but he seems to be making an effort.

Oliver Queen has posed:
"That's right. Fred's Diner." Oliver replies with a faint smile. He certainly did remember the pie, just not exactly the name. But in his defense he never got to meet Fred. He starts serving up the plates for each. When Vanessa mentions the way he had to leave he meets her eyes, that same brightness there before his attention goes to Roy. He says. "Just business that couldn't be delayed." in that tone of his that is telling on what kind of 'business' it was. The pointy arrowy kind!

"Fate was kind enough to get us to meet again." Well, let's call it fate .., but he smiles nonetheless.

Once the silverware is set and the drinks are as well he gestures for them all to sit, "And now here we are. I am hoping this threat disappears soon enough. I have reached out to a few connections to see if we can get this handled soon. I am not too interested in living with security at my doorstep 24 7. But what about your time in Happy Harbor? Are you doing well there?"

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
The young woman smiles over to Oliver and nods. "There was indeed a second date, though Oliver came... well, not so much riding in on a horse to save me, as walking up the poorly lit stairs of my apartment building," she says, the last part in a tone of frustration at the building's sorry state of maintenance.

"Well, hopefully once the court matter is done there won't be any more need for it," Vanessa comments about the security. Again though her eyes have a warmth as Oliver has put up with all of this, as has his family, for her protection.

Vanessa looks back over to Roy and asks, "Yes, how is school there? And are you considering what you want to do once you graduate?"

Roy Harper has posed:
Roy Harper nods when Oliver mentions business that can't be delayed. He knows well enough what that means. He settles in to his seat at the table and lifts his glass of iced tea, taking a sip. His eyes flick from one to the other and back again as they talk. Though when the attention shifts back to him, he shrugs his shoulders and says, "It's alright. The place isn't bad. Met a few people." But when Vanessa asks about considering what he wants to do when he graduates he finds some point on the floor to study that becomes deeply fascinating.

"Uh, haven't thought about it all that much. Gotta actually graduate first and I've got another year after this one," he stalls, fiddling a little bit with his fork with the fingers of one hand, turning it over in place before he straightens it and pulls his hand away.

Oliver Queen has posed:
Oliver appears to understand that well, the choices Roy is going through. He nods slowly. "You have time. And it will be your decision on what you want to do. Though as you know you will always be welcome here, no matter how much you may think this is your home still or not." his tone is rather direct, perhaps more then the usual, noting that indecision on Roy.

"I thought it was important for you to see other perspectives other than mine though. Hopefully that much I wish I am accomplishing at least." he picks on his food a bit, taking some in to his mouth. Some chewing and then a look to Vanessa.

"Roy has always been quite the enthusiast athlete. Always thought he was going to do something related to sports." Well, maybe extreme sports! Then he asks. "We should check later on if you are still in shape or not, been keeping your training up to date?" he asks with curiosity.

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
Vanessa tries the chili tentatively, having been forewarned about how spicy Oliver likes to make it. She seems able to handle it without having to guzzle her iced tea, so mission accomplished there for the cook.

A sip of the cool iced tea follows it up, Vanessa holding the glass as she listens to Oliver and Roy. As Oliver starts telling her about Roy's athletic endeavors, she smiles and looks over to the teenager. "Oh? What all do you play?" she asks him. "If you two wanted to play something after we finish eating, I'll happily play cheerleader, if not get in there and mix it up with you," she says in a light-hearted tone.

Roy Harper has posed:
There's a nod for Oliver when he says that Roy has time, and perhaps the slightest flicker of gratitude for that, as well. It's clear that he's not entirely sure what he's doing, and this whole being in school and actually focusing on school is a whole new experience for him. "Maybe I'll go to college," he says, a little hesitantly, "Though.. I don't know for what yet." Then he grins, "I'd do sports but I don't think the school has any teams. So yeah, most of my working out is kind of improvised. You can always test me and see if I've still got it." He grins at Oliver then, apparently accepting that challenge.

He takes up a spoon and takes a bite of chili, and then another one. He likes spicy food, so even if the chili is spicy it likely has little affect on Roy's palette as he grabs another bite, and then another. He glances between Vanessa and Oliver when she asks what he plays and he says, "Uh.. archery. Though I also play a bit of baseball. Skating. Been taking some kickboxing lessons. Fencing." Not really fencing, but he doesn't come right out and say swordfighting. "But if you play something, we could always do that? What sort of sports do you like?" he asks Vanessa.

Oliver Queen has posed:
As everyone knows the cook is always immune to the spiciness of their own food, though Oliver does comment. "I should had been a bit more heavy handed on the spices.." then a brief shrug, continuing on to eat it out for a bit. He looks towards Vanessa, "You are taking it well." as if trying out that chili of his could often be quite the ordeal for some. He smiles warmly at her then, "Have you ever shot a bow before? We could do some light training out on the backyard.."

A glance to Roy. "Think I still got our old bows somewhere. Sounds good?" his smile showing teeth when he adds, "Wouldn't want you to start getting rusty afterall."

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
The brunette gives a little shake of her head. "I was never much for team sports. Played basketball when I was young but my uncle didn't like having to take me to practice of the games, so I didn't even last the season," Vanessa says.

"Archery? That's an interesting one." Vanessa takes a few more bites of chili as she looks between the two men. "Skating I'm game for too though don't have any skates. But if you two want to shoot bows that sounds like it would be fun. Just keep me from shooting anyone," she says with a small grin.

Vanessa finishes up her bowl, washing it down with more iced tea. "Ok, that is a little... warm," she says as the spice catches up with her by the end of the meal. "But it was good Oliver," she tells him.

Roy Harper has posed:
"It's good," Roy says to Oliver when he mentions going a little heavier on the spices. "I mean, it wouldn't hurt with more spices, but it's good like this." He nods toward his bowl. Obviously he's being honest because half the bowl is already gone and the rest is following swiftly after. He wasn't kidding when he said he was hungry and skipped lunch, it seems. "You do?" he asks, about the bows, and then he grins a little, "Yeah, that sounds good. Wouldn't want to get rusty."

"If you ever want to shoot some hoops," he tells Vanessa, "I'm totally down for that, too. Though I'm not great at basketball." He grins at Vanessa and adds, "Just don't shoot while we're pulling them out of the targets and we should be alright."