Owner	Pose
Oliver Queen	Since his return from captivity, Oliver had spent time resting. He did not seem to show any significant physical injuries or impairments from the time he spent under the sway of Ra's al Ghul, but nonetheless he was given a wide berth by Felicity, Thea, and Moira (who thought he had just spent too many hours with that Vera, who was a bit too close to what Moira remembered herself to be when she was that age). As such, he was in bed and resting after dinner time, while Felicity was focused on bringing back a delicious dinner for him. Who doesn't want bacon?
Felicity Smoak	Not so much a wide berth, but.. a chance to sleep the day. And a chance to get a burger with a surprise visit from Miss Thea Queen herself. Concerns and worries slightly allayed, Felicity has the CARE package under arm, and it's Thea who lets her into the house and whispers conspiratorially that Oliver is in his room. No sign of Moira. With directions from Thea, Felicity looks up the grand staircase and begins the climb. She's still in her spring floral dress, the neckline not plunging, but not conservative either.. with her double necklace. Gold 'chai' and some costume jewelry. In hand, a brown paper bag that shows grease stains dotting it. It's a good burger! A soft knock sounds on the door, complete with, "Oliver? It's Felicity. I brought dinner."
Oliver Queen	"Felicity," Oliver calls from inside. "Please, come on in." He is sitting up in the bed as she enters, and he flashes her a marvelous grin. "My hero, Felicity Smoak." His smile is easy as he watches her, and he moves a pillow to rest behind him. "Please, come in, have a seat." He sniffs at the bar. "And is that Big Belly I smell?"
Felicity Smoak	The door opens slowly, but there she is on the other side, a tentative smile in place. "I didn't want to bother you if you were sleeping. Thea let me in, told me where your room was.." Felicity walks through, holding the bag, and closes the door slightly behind her before she crosses the room to offer up the food. "I.. I got you a bacon cheeseburger with gravy fries." And cheese. All the things that she's not in any way tempted to eat. "I figured the messier, the better. Make you feel.." at home. She smiles and shifts her weight on her feet, "probably heavy and bloated. I'm sorry."
Oliver Queen	"I'm surprised you didn't already have the plans to the mansion and every corner of it memorized." Oliver smiles, intending it as a jest. "That sounds great. I, uh, didn't each much while they had me." He thinks for a moment. "We kind of glossed over that part." He looks to her, and there is still a kind of dopey smiel on his face. "Please, come in, sit. Do you mind if I eat while we talk?" He does seem eager to have that Burger. Clearly that's why his eyes lit up when she walked into the room.
Felicity Smoak	"No," Felicity shakes her head and hands it over before putting a hand behind her to smooth out her dress prior to sitting. She darts a look towards the door, "Still kind of afraid of your mother." As if that would explain why she doesn't have the blueprints to the house? "If I need them, and oh god I hope I don't," she settles her hands into her lap, fingers entwined, "I can get them." She could get the blueprints to Buckingham Palace if she needed them... Pressing her lips together at the mention of really not eating a whole lot while gone, those blue eyes behind lenses watches him, almost searching for something there. She nods quickly, "I thought you might like the burger," is added a bit lamely. Now, she releases one of her hands, in gesture, "Please, eat. It-it-it's fine. I already ate. Mostly. Though I stopped after your sister threatened a wake-up call for training. I'm actually a little concerned she is going to show up at the apartment at 4:45 tomorrow morning."
Oliver Queen	"My mother likes you," reminds Oliver, the same way Thea has. "Stop being scared of her." He slides up a bit straighter and reaches out to take the food, smiling down at it. "And I have no doubt that you could." "One of many things I am happy to see," replies Oliver as he tears open the bag to use it as a tray on his lap. He laughs, and shakes his head. "If my sister said that she is going to be there at 4:45 tomorrow, you better be ready at 4:40." He grins as he takes a bit of the burger, nodding in appreciation as a bit of the grease runs down his cheek. "Thanks for this, Felicity. You always know exactly what I need."
Felicity Smoak	"Because I am completely no threat.." to her son. Pushing up on her glasses again, Felicity does a little half-shrug, "She still worries me." She's not really worried at the moment, and there's no dwelling on the topic. Not unless there's reason and cause, which she's just not seeing right now. "Just the way you like it," and she cranes her neck to be sure it was to her specs. "See? There." Napkins are packed in the bag, on the top and away from the settling grease. "I try. Can't say I always get it right, but there are times.." Her shoulders slump a little, however, to hear about the fact that she indeed does need to expect his sister on her front door step. "Is it too late to get a hotel room somewhere? I think there's a convention in New York or something. There should be."
Thea Queen	"The draconian has left the building." So much for getting Felicity to not fear Moira so much. But it's Thea's pet name for her dear mother! It's affectionate, really. In that kind of way in which this house is too small for two draconians under the same roof. (Thea is the other). Her head slithers in to look within and then the rest of her body follows, she closing the door behind her and lets out a sigh. "I swear, it was a battle to keep her from coming to see you. But I convinced her you only need some rest after all the travel.." Folding her arms she leans back against the door, watching with that cat gaze of hers, a look at the burger being consumed then over to Felicity. "You can't run from the training tomorrow, Felicity. I know what you are thinking." maybe she is getting mind-reading powers now! Yet eventually her eyes settle on Oliver and she asks him, "How are you feeling?"
Oliver Queen	"You get it right more often than you think," replies Oliver, allowing his gaze to linger on Felicity. "That's part of your magic, Felicity." A pause. "About what I told you yesterday..." he starts, shifting again, holding the burger. Then his eyes flicker from her to the side. "Hey Thea." A smile to his sister, as he chuckles to himself. "I'm feeling much better. Felicity has taken good care of me, as I'm sure you'd expect." Guess the 'what I told you yesterday' will have to wait until later...
Felicity Smoak	Felicity rises from her perched spot on the bed, her hand sweeping behind to settle her skirt once more. "Thea," does she wound like she was 'caught'? Nah.. she's just in Oliver's room. Where, by the way, she was given directions. By Thea. "Whew.." and there is honest relief. "At the events," the few that she's attended, dateless, "she always seems to look at me as if she doesn't remember who I am. Or if I should even be there." She shakes her head, gives a half shrug and looks back at Oliver, the smile not dropping from earlier. The reminder of training does give Felicity that pause, her mouth open.. and she exhales in a sigh. "Please don't kill me." She can't even do 10 sit-ups, and she's tried. "Maybe a walk around the block?" Walk. Block. The inquiry regarding how Oliver is feeling gains a glance at the man, but when she looks back at Thea, there's something more in that look. The silent, 'he's home, he's fine'. Fineing a spot to reperch on the bed, hands go back into her lap, and she nods, "Fine before you know it. Maybe you can keep your sister company tomorrow morning? At.. 4:45?"
Thea Queen	"Yes, yes. A walk around the block..." Why alarm her prey, ahem, her friend about the training they will do? So Thea just goes along with it and even offers the kind of indulgent smile that her friend and her brother know means anything but what she just said. There will be blood! Well, maybe not blood. But serious training! "And oh yes, you should come too Ollie. A little run wouldn't be bad for you." Besides, Thea would be able to keep an eye on Oliver too in case someone attempted to kidnap him again. "If you can get past the comfort of the bed sheets and that burger.." The look from Felicity is met squarely. Yes, home and being fine. How fine though. There's a lot that remains unsaid, but there's also a lot that can't go without being asked, "What happened, Ollie?" is her tone a bit accusing. Maybe. Or too protective.
Oliver Queen	"Maybe tomorrow," replies Oliver to the training request. "You know, so I can remember what comfort is." He sighs for a moment, and looks to Thea. Who asked the million dollar question. "He runs a world wide cult of assassins. He says that they have been behind major events in history, regime change, etc." He shifts, sitting up a bit more, as his tone grows serious. "For example, he claimed responsibility for the Bolshevic revolution." He thinks for a moment. "He says that he saw the ideas that I've talked about since my return from the Island and that he and I share a philosophy about the world. Which, in a way, is true, but we have very different ideas of how to get there." He looks between the two of them. "He wants to recruit me to his cult." A pause. "Not as a member. He is old, and wants to pass it on to someone else to lead. To me."
Felicity Smoak	Felicity side-eyes her friend, but responds to Oliver's brief protest, "It is tomorrow. Morning. Bright and early. Earlier, I think, than the worms." That those so called 'early birds' eat. Still, she won't argue that he does deserve a little time relaxing. Considering the state they'd found him in. She falls silent, but only for a few moments, as Oliver gives the brief synopsis. As he does, her forehead wrinkles and she's trying to make sense of the words, and their import. "You know, if I heard any of this a few years ago, I'd say that someone is crazy. But now?" She shakes her head, and her brows rise and she looks so very serious, intense, adding, "You said 'no' of course. Which," and her head bobs, "brought you to that abandoned warehouse, and.." Right?
Thea Queen	A cult of assassins. Old as time... That has Thea quirking a brow. With curiosity? Or is it something else? She blinks once. "Same, Fel.." about how she would had reacted if this had been years ago, "But after my encounter with Damien Dahrk...? I am starting to believe these mystical things..." besides hanging out with Asgardians and fighting against Dead Gods. But that's details! "But wait, let's see if I got this right. This cult leader wants to make *you* the leader of his cult? And so he ..., kidnaps you? That's not a great way to get his point across.." or maybe that was the whole point! "But yea, what happened with the kidnapping?" she doesn't go assuming he said no. She knows they have their demons from Lian Yu. Mostly quenched but ..., do they ever die? Not really.. "And yes, it's tomorrow morning." She then confirms, "It will be good for you." Yea, after what he is saying there's no way in hell she's leaving her brother alone.
Oliver Queen	There's a frown on his face. "No, he definitely wants me to take over. What he wanted out of this was an introduction. Educating me in what he does, convincing me of the value of his mission." Oliver sighs and sets the food aside, as if somehow his appetite has waned. He did take one bite, after all. "He has been around for centuries, somehow, he claims, and honestly, I kind of believe him. He was telling me all about his grand plan, and how I am the right person to take over, when his daughter came in. Apparently she tried to kill him." Oliver smirks. "They are a lovely family." He looks between Felicity and Thea again. "He is ruthless and willing to spill the blood of innocents to achieve his ends. I told him I would never do that, and he seemed disappointed." A breath. "His daughter came to try to convince me to help her overthrow him. Said that I should take over, and that we could do things /my/ way, without the killing, if i was in charge." Another pause. "But I think she was angry that she was passed over, and so I don't think I can trust her." His gaze turns to Thea. "His other daughter is Talia." Oliver had not gone into much detail with Thea about the circumstances of how he was trained on and after Lian Yu. But she knew some of the players involved - he had told her about Yao Fei, and Slade. He may have glossed over some details about Shado. But he had told her about the assassin, Talia, who had been one of this primary mentors in hand-to-hand combat. "That's how he knew that I was both Oliver Queen and the Arrow. And why he thought I was the right man for the job."
Felicity Smoak	Felicity rises from her seat on the bed, and takes a half-step away. It's not out of fear, or any real negative emotions. It's more confusion, and that need to work out all the information that is coming at her. She shakes her head slowly, probably more in response to her thoughts than anything outward. Soon enough, she's got her opinions and concerns. "No. And 'daughters'? They'll only try to seduce you and do whatever they want anyway, and try to make you their fall guy. I've seen the movies." She shakes her head, "And they're always beautiful." In all, no.. her particular opinion given in Felicity speak is 'no, can't trust them'. 'Other daughter'. So more than one, only one name. "Talia," Felicity repeats. It's something she can go with, something she can research.. something she can.. "Oh no." Oh no?
Thea Queen	"Sounds like a lovely woman ..." A roll of her eyes. At least until she hears the name. Talia. That has Thea let out a hiss. She knows the name. "That bitch?" but for her most of the people that trained Ollie in that island were people Thea didn't like. Except Slade. Maybe. Jury was still out on that. But Slade was training her so ..., that was a point in his favor? "Okay, that is starting to make sense now... And I agree. They will totally murder you if you accepted to remove him." never trust daughters of super villains! Maybe they shouldn't trust Thea either, being the daughter of Malcolm Merlyn. Details though. "And what are the odds that they will leave you alone now that you refused them?" Then she narrowing her gaze, "You refused..., right?" it needs to be asked. Oh no? Her attention goes to Felicity. "I don't like that 'oh no'..."
Oliver Queen	Waving a hand, Ollie tries to settle down both women. "Don't worry, I didn't fall victim to any of their seduction attempts." He frowns for a moment of thought. "Talia seems loyal to her father, but that could just be appearances. Nyssa wants to kill him. But yes, he definitely intends for me to take over. And I think this was a test, and an introduction." A frown crosses his face. "I do not think that it is the last we will see of him. Frankly, I expected to wake up to another test, so imagine my most pleasant surprise when it was Felicity and not..." He trails off. Who was he going to say? "I have to convince them that I am not the right person for the job. And hopefully, they will leave me alone if that proves to be the case. As twisted as it sounds, I believe that the Demon is a man who sticks to his own code of honor, and he seemed to have actual respect for me." He looks to Felicity, saying nothing as she 'oh no's.
Felicity Smoak	Well, the fact that Oliver refused, and //said// he refused is good. Felicity locks her hands together, wringing them a little as Oliver continues. One name, then the second. She nods her head quickly, committing both to memory. Two more avenues to look. Two more to.. "Another test..." and again, her mouth forms that 'oh' and she shakes her head, dispelling any thought that might rise. So close, and if she lost him? Glancing towards Thea as well, there's a moment when she tries to catch her friend's eye before she begins to pace. "I've met Talia." It's a statement. "I didn't know.." She takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly and deliberately. "Maybe they will. Or maybe now they won't leave you alone, thinking that you're the only obstacle they have." Felicity looks down and away, her expression thoughtful, if not a little on the side of concerned. Okay, a lot. "I need more information. A lot more." Which means she'll probably be moving in downstairs. "I'll.. I'll take some vacation time from work. Or, a sabbatical. No, vacation. I still have rent."