995/Underground ventures

Underground ventures
Date of Scene:	05 April 2020
Location:	Queen Mansion
Synopsis:	A night of revelations between Oliver and Vanessa, the secret being finally out of him being Green Arrow. But Vanessa's mystery only deepens..
Cast of Characters:	Oliver Queen, Vanessa Carlysle

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Oliver Queen has posed:
After the incident outside with both old and new 'friends' Oliver and Vanessa found themselves back at the Mansion. Some time to clean up and shower, change their clothing. And still there is something that doesn't leave Oliver's thoughts... How was Vanessa able to do what she did? There had been a few things in the past already, small things but ..., together they were adding up to something that he wasn't quite sure he could explain.

He is just finishing getting into a clean shirt, sliding it down his torso, eyes on the window while watching Diggle and the rest coming in after the talk with the police and the bandits having been taken away. "The police will handle it from here." he says, glancing over his shoulder towards Vanessa.

"But we should try and figure out what happened. Has there been any more instances of you knowing something you weren't sure where you knew it from?" He questions, a thoughtful expression to Oliver.

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
Vanessa looks much refreshed after working off the adrenaline from the fight and then the shower. She slips into a pair of comfortable jeans and a black top with a V-shaped neckline. She moves over to where Oliver is, taking a seat with her back to the wall as he gazes out the window.

"Other instances?" she says hesitantly as she tries to think of anything. "Well..." she says, looking puzzled. "I have noticed how quickly I adapted to where things are. Like in the bathroom I kind of know where a lot of your things are even though I don't recall looking in a drawer or cabinet before. I didn't really think of it much of it until you say something though," she says curiously.

She itches at the back of her head as she thinks. "I don't know, I've had just all sort of thoughts going through my head lately but with what's going on here I just figured it was stress. Like I saw that news about your merger with the company in New York and I kept thinking how Stewart must be pleased. No idea who Stewart is though I kept picturing someone with brown hair," she says.

Oliver Queen has posed:
Oliver just gives one last look out the window just as Diggle gets back in, being the last to make their way inside once the rest of the security officers do. Though they will have time to talk later as for now his attention is solely on Vanessa. He turns, resting his shoulder on the side of the window, arms crossing over his chest. His gaze is thoughtful while he regards Vanessa, considering her words. "Knowing where things in a bathroom are I could take as coincidence ..., people normally store them in similar places but ..." and then he pauses, listening to that second part.

He knows he never mentioned Stewart, he was there only in the first trip, with Felicity and Ellis. "Stewart is an engineer at Queen Consolidated. He was very interested in the tech we would be able to produce when our merger was finally done. In fact he has sent me messages stating just that a while ago." his eyes continue to study Vanessa's expression, finding no trace of deception there. Just the mystery that seems to thicken further.

"You also knew about the china wares my mother likes, in fact the story she has told us countless times about them. And your skill with that staff was similar to mine. Well, not similar, identical." a pause. "As if you were reading me somehow?"

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
Vanessa didn't think there was a Stewart, so hearing about him, and that he was involved in the merger, causes her mouth to drop open a little bit. As Oliver mentions he recently communicated to Oliver, a thought dawns on Vanessa that brings about a slightly worried expression.

"Oliver, I'm not sure how I knew any of that. I'm not like, spying on your or anything though," she says. The girl without experience with superheroes, super villains, or the Justice League's mind doesn't at all jump to anything but the most mundane reasons, which she imagines Oliver's thoughts might have started to head towards.

Vanessa rises and moves over to Oliver. "If I were, I wouldn't have told you about it," she says, it take a few moments what with her worry to even think of that bit. Maybe he isn't thinking it then. Vanessa offers her hands to Oliver's. "I don't know what else it could be though. It's not like I'm psychic or something."

Oliver Queen has posed:
Many thoughts go through Oliver's mind now. Could she have powers? Or repressed memories? The latter doesn't make sense, the events are too recent, and the knowledge she has seems somewhat random, or at least without a focus in either his secrets, or business life. As if an amalgam of all he is. "I know you are not." he reaches to take Vanessa's hand when it's offered, taking it up to rest across his chest where his heart is underneath. "Though you have always been able to read me." and the way he looks at her when he says that it seems he welcomes it.

Still, his smile is reassuring, there seems to be no doubt there on those eyes about this. No this does not appear to be a deception, or a ploy, there is something else ... "You could be a psychic and not know it yet. There are many people with powers, it doesn't mean they realize it just yet. Often it comes late in their lives." seems like he knows a lot about superpowers!

"What about before we met? Had you ever felt anything similar?" He brings Vanessa to him if she allows, so she can rest against his chest.

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
The relief that Vanessa feels when Oliver shows his trust in her is undiminished cannot be understated. The moment made her realize how a look of distrust from him could have crushed her so utterly. She moves forward then, pressing herself against Oliver lightly to hug him.

"I'm about the last person in the world to be psychic," she says. "If I was my life wouldn't have been the mess it was before we met," she says in self-recrimination. She considers about before they met. "No, I can't think of anything at all like this before. I've never felt so close to someone as I do you, Oliver. Could it be something about that, about my feelings for you? Or... ok that wouldn't explain how I used that staff today," she says hesitantly.

Oliver Queen has posed:
One of his arms moves about Vanessa to keep her close to him then when she moves forward to hug Oliver, keeping her close and warm. A silent message that no matter what this may be he will be there for her. Always. Something on her words does spark him though. "It could be that. You have told me about never really getting close to someone before." and then he considers. No, not exactly that. "Or rather, there's never been someone you -wanted- to know about in the past, at least in the manner you do now." yes, that seems to make more sense.

Though he can't help but smile too about her being the last person in the world that could be a psychic. "I bet you'd not be the first to say that if you indeed were. But you are right, it doesn't explain how it translated to you knowing how to fight with the staff." no, there's something more here than simple mind reading if it was that.

"Come, I think it's time that I showed you something." he says, as if he has finally made a decision.

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
Vanessa ponders the situation. She really can't believe there'd be something 'special' about her. Her own view of her self-image, while she does a good job of not projecting it when she doesn't want to, just doesn't have room for her being special in such a fashion.

"Maybe we could test it somehow? Is there a skill I wouldn't be good at we could try? Like, beer pong. Oh wait, I rock at that already," she says, injecting a note of levity into the moment.

As Oliver tells her that he wants to show Vanessa something, she nods to him and slips her hand over into his to let him lead the way. Thinking perhaps he has an idea along the same lines as what she had.

Oliver Queen has posed:
"Do you? And why haven't I seen those skills in action yet, mmm?" Oliver replies with that same levity, squeezing her hand under his large one while he starts to lead them downstairs. Not that he actually knows what beer pong is! So much he is missing apparently ...

"For us to test this I feel we will need context, a context that will help in prove whether or not there is something going on. This skill you demonstrated with the staff, and also with the bow when Roy was around, it isn't just being good." because well, he isn't exactly arrogant, but he knows how good he is for a human, it's what has been keeping him alive, and able to be part of the justice league too.

He leads downstairs, towards the library, past the main room and to a more secluded part of it.

He reaches behind one of the shelves, a click and then an opening becomes visible in-between the shelves.

He starts going downstairs, apparently there is an underground room of sorts to the Queen Mansion. He takes in a breath, not really many people that he takes down here and he feels as if this is a turning point, that he is taking her fully into his life now, without any barriers, letting her know exactly who he is, with the good and the bad.

They reach a door in the end of the stairs, a keypad nearby where he inserts a code. "I should had shown you this already."

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
Of the bow, Vanessa considers but says, "I just wrote that off to a pair of lucky shots," she says of her two bullseyes. After which she stopped, figuring she could only go WAY downhill from there. Like completely missing the targets in front of Oliver and Roy.

The library gets a curious look, Vanessa's eyes going to the books and perhaps thinking he's going to test her on some book she's never read but that he knows very well. Only the reality is far different.

A slender eyebrow goes up as the secret passage is revealed. "I... suppose if I had a house like this, I'd have one of these too," she says. Though probably just thinking it leads off to Oliver's mancave of the normal variety.

She follows along down the stairs. When they reach the bottom and she sees the keypad, her eyebrow goes back up again. That's a fancy lock for trying to keep his favorite beer from Thea. She looks to Oliver, Vanessa's expression curious, but not seeming to suggest she feels he was withholding anything, anyway.

Oliver Queen has posed:
"Luck has nothing to do with shooting a bow." Oliver murmurs, and he would know! "Specially two bullseyes like that." he adds, glancing over his shoulder at her, grinning. Yes, it took him a looong time until he could do that, longer than it did Roy, but then again the boy always seemed to have that natural knack to it.

"Oh? What would you do with one of these..?" Because now he is curious, wondering at the type of secret underground room she'd want to have. But well, he is mostly also stalling. He has come to terms with it already but those years in the island, what he had to do to survive has brought to him a sense of self-preservation, of survival, that tells him he should never reveal this deeper part of his life to anyone.

Yet after he takes in a breath he opens the door. It's dark inside, only the sounds of servers working far away in the middle of the room, along with a few lights. Large ones too. He reaches inside, turning a lever up to light up the place, slowly it starting to be revealed...

The room opens to a large entrance, wide, in the center there is indeed an elevated place where various chairs are near computer stations, state of the art too. Yet one's attention may drift further to what are weapons in display, bows, ammunition and the superhero suits surrounding that large center room. One is clear to be Green Arrow's, though there is Arsenal's old one too and a few others from the members that have been part of Team Arrow in the past.

"I am not just Oliver Queen, Vanessa."

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
"Probably a massage table. Mani-pedi available on demand," Vanessa says with a laugh. "And a TV with- get the f- out!?" She actually gets a sight of what it contains then. At her first glance she took it to be something related to Queen Consolidated.

But as they move further in she quickly sees the weapons, and then the costume, which is what draws her comment. Vanessa looks around at all, but walks over to stand before the Green Arrow costume. "You were in New York. And... have talked about stopping the drug dealers in Starling..." she says, as things start to fall into place.

Vanessa turns away from the costume to look to Oliver. "You're the Green Arrow? The one that was in the penthouse?" she asks him, her face difficult to read.

Oliver Queen has posed:
Oliver lifts his brows when Vanessa curses yet he isn't too amused. It's a big step for him to reveal this and it shows in his expression, more solemn. He closes the door behind them when they come in, that 'click' that shows they are once again alone. As the lights continue to load up and show the rooms it can be visible a training room to one side, with that rather familiar salmon ladder, his tools of the trade on other rooms, the zip lines, the various types of arrows. There's even a cell of sorts! Because bad guys need to be interrogated sometimes.

He walks with her to look at the Green Arrow costume, inclining his head as if confirming her suspicions. "Yes, I was the one up at the penthouse." he tells her, blue eyes turning to look at her expression, unable to discern it. Does it worry him?

"It was also part of what led me to leave so soon that night at the diner. I have been following this group for a time." he explains. "Though the last thing I wanted to do was to put you in danger."

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
Vanessa looks at Oliver with that hard to read expression for a few moments, and then she moves over to him and slides her arms around him. A long, tender kiss is given to him. "I know you didn't mean me to be in harm's way. And, you saved me from him, as I recall," she says. "And you were there for me after I got arrested too," she notes.

Vanessa brushes her hand up Oliver's back. "And I've meant everything I've said about the time with you having been the best part of my life," she tells him. She pauses a moment, glancing to the side. "Though, my life has really been a long string of crap, so don't let it go to your head TOO much," she says, breaking out in a teasing grin. But her eyes show just how serious she is about what her time with him as meant.

She glances back to the costume. "So, how did you end up... a superhero?" she asks him. "And... oh. Wow. So I was fighting with a staff as well as Green Arrow?"

Oliver Queen has posed:
The moment that Vanessa approaches and places those arms around him some tension appears to leave Oliver, a weight off, returning the kiss in a tender manner. He reaches up with one hand brushing it down Vanessa's face. "Let it get to my head? It only makes me want to make sure I will continue to live up to those standards in the future we build together." he leans over, placing a kiss to her cheek, intimate.

A glance to the costume again, then back to Vanessa. "That could turn into a long story. Though it involved my time in that island, and what I had to do in order to survive." his lips pressing to a line for a moment. Remembering it always brings certain parts of his life that he'd had done well forgetting ..

"It opened my eyes to what I could do, in how I couldn't just let my life go to waste. So I chose to pick up this life, because I wanted to make a difference."

Then a faint grin. "And yes, you were fighting as well as me. Which reminds me..." he points towards another room where practice targets are, along with a few bows in display. "... lets see how good you -really- are with a bow."

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
Vanessa stays there in Oliver's hug while he speaks of the island. "It sounds like something I'd like to hear about. I avoided asking too much, didn't want to make you have to relive things," she says, having mainly been thinking about his father at that point. "But, if it's something you'd be ok with sharing? I'd like to..." Vanessa says and then trails off.

Her eyebrows furrow a little bit. "Was there a... sinking boat there? Like a big one. A freighter?" she asks him. "I was dreaming about one. In a cove, kind of rocky shoreline around it, grey skies," she says with a frown.

When Oliver motions towards the practice targets, Vanessa finally lets go of him. She walks over hesitantly, not looking at all sure about this idea. "It was just two lucky arrows," she tells herself. She looks at the racks of weapons, and rather than picking up one of the normal bows, she picks up a retractable one that fits in Oliver's quiver. She looks at for a second and then gives it a little swing forward as she hits the studs that cause it to suddenly extend into it's normal shape.

Vanessa stairs at with a small frown before looking back to Oliver with a questioning look that she knew how to do that.

Oliver Queen has posed:
"I will." Oliver promises, he had already taken the decision to show Vanessa his whole life. This was another part of it, an important one too. When she speaks of the freighter he blinks. That's very, very detailed to be just a guess. It makes him take a breath, reminding the memories of it. Though it also seems to confirm his suspicions, that she indeed appears to have some kind of ability. "There was." yet he leaves it at that, not the time yet for them to go there. Right now his focus was on Vanessa and what was happening to her.

He walks towards the practice targets, over to pick one up and bring it waaaay back from the others. When he returns and sees her with the retractable bow he grins. "One of my favorites. And as I told you before, no such thing as a lucky shot. Not like that."

Oliver places a quiver on a table, near Vanessa. "Don't think too much about hitting the target, just trust your instinct Vanessa." he advises her, but he also makes no motion to help her set up or show her the motions. He just folds his arms and takes a step back to see what she will do, attentive.

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
Vanessa moves over and stands looking at the table. She takes out an arrow. Before when she shot with Oliver and Roy, he'd given her a few spoken instructions to help her out, but then just let her be. They'd seemed to help, her form was good.

This time she looks at the arrow, and then down at the target. SOOOOooooo much further away than the last time. Vanessa fits the arrow into the bow, knocking it on the string. She stands just sort of looking at them. Feeling bow and arrow together. Then she looks up at the target, draws the arrow back, and unlike most novices who hold it forever trying to aim, until their arm gets wobbly, she just pulls back, aims and releases in a smooth movement.

The arrow hits the bullseye. Vanessa stares for a moment and then picks up the quiver, sliding it on over her shoulder and taking another arrow from it. She looks down the range, draws and shoots. Another bullseye.

Vanessa draws one after another, smooth, conservative motions that get each arrow knocked and drawn in a single fluid sweep of her hand and released. The arrows all cluster in the bullseye, except for two that are just slightly outside of it, though there isn't too much room left on the bullseye by the time she's done with the quiver.

She lowers the bow, gaping. "Felt like I'd done that thousands of times," she says.

Oliver Queen has posed:
Oliver keeps his eyes on her, the way she looks at the target, then the arrows. On how she just shoots without hesitation, much like he does, the posture, the technique, it's all there. Perfect in that form of hers. He watches in amazement, nodding each time she hits a bullseye, "As your trainer I must say you have improved quite a lot, Ms. Carlysle. I wouldn't had done any better." because well, he wouldn't .. but he says it with a sprinkle of humor to his tone too.

He approaches her then, going around to stand behind her, one hand to the young woman's shoulder. "It was like watching myself, much better looking though. So yes, you have a power Vanessa. That's the only way I can explain it. How it works though, we will have to find out." a smile and he places a small kiss on the side of her head.

Vanessa Carlysle has posed:
Vanessa stares at the bow, looking from it to the target full of arrows, then back again. She draws in a slow, deep breath and then lets it out before finally looking to Oliver as he comes over and rests his hand on her shoulder.

"I don't get it, Oliver. It's just like... something I don't have to think about, my body just knew what to do," she says. "A power? What to... to know where you keep the Q-tips? To know your mother's china stories. And copycat your... your bow and staff skills? How would that even work?" she says, moving a hand to her forehead.

Oliver gives her that kiss to the side of her head, and Vanessa looks like she could use it. She leans her head over against him, and lowers the bow, retracting it without even thinking about it, and then sliding her other arm around him.

"So... what do we do from here? Do we see a doctor or something? Or... are there doctors for people with powers? I guess there must be?" she asks.