Owner	Pose
Oliver Queen	If the hope was that New York might offer up something of a break from the usual routine in Star City, well, that might not have exactly come to pass. To be sure the little vacation that Oliver and Felicity managed to sneak in while waiting for all the necessary preparations for the Phoenix Towers initiative to be put in place was certainly lovely -- in so very many ways -- it did not exactly take long for them to settle back into old patterns pretty quickly either. Habits that include long nights out on the streets for Oliver -- or under them, in this particular case, at least as of late -- and equally long nights at the computer for Felicity. The one small compensation? At least when the work is done and it's time to finally seek out bed, they get to do that together. As far as compensations go, Oliver would definitely rate that pretty highly. Still, time together is at something of a premium and while they might have been able to take in a few sights, even their days tend to be rather busy. Afterall, Felicity has a business to get off the ground and Oliver has taken a much more hands on approach with the refurbishment of the Phoenix Towers then he does with most of Queen Consolidated projects. Somethings though call for a step back, no matter how busy they might be, and with Felicity's birthday, well, it seemed like a good opportunity to do just that. Not that he really needs an excuse to spend time with her of course, but it is a pretty good rational to make everyone else back off for a time. And while there is certainly no shortage of things they could do in New York either, you only turn thirty-four once. It's a good enough reason for him anyway. So giving her very few clues of just what he might have in mind, he hustled her off well before noon, arriving at the airport to be whisked away to the waiting Queen jet. Only when they are settled, when the plane is in the sky and the sparkling waters of the ocean are beneath them does Ollie finally lean forward in his seat, small grin curved on his face. "Look, I know you're busy. Maybe even more then me right now. And while your birthday should be all about you, I'm going to be just a little selfish and have you to myself for the day Miss Smoak," he teases. "I'm putting an ocean between us both and any distractions. We're going to while away the late afternoon and evening in Paris and I've left instructions that unless the world is ending, no one is to bug us." Hopefully he didn't jinx it.
Felicity Smoak	Those first days in New York were ones that Felicity would remember for the rest of her life. During that time, they ticked more romantic 'never have I ever' boxes than she ever expected to experience in her lifetime. Confident in her own abilities and self-possessed of her own goals and desires, she'd never been the type of girl to lose herself in a guy, but it was impossible not to lose herself in Oliver Queen. The New York penthouse was something out of a dream, a fantasy, or a romance novel itself. Oliver had spent more money than she'd ever seen in one place acquiring it and using her designs to secure it. She had everything she could ever need there, including Oliver himself. And though she'd never mentioned it to him, there was a moment during those first few days when she felt the fear of leaving New York behind. She loved Star City. She loved that Oliver loved Star City. But returning there would mean the fantasy was over. She'd be going back to her tiny apartment. He'd be going back to his mansion. And every time she thought about it, she felt a little pang of emptiness. So, she chose not to think about it. That was a concern for another day. What she hadn't expected was anything elaborate for her birthday. Oliver was busy. Batman was dropping out of the shadows and stealing his bad guys. They were still figuring out the extent of the tunnel system. Yes, she wanted him to acknowledge it, but with like... flowers. Maybe a cake and a card. She hadn't told him that. She /wouldn't/ tell him that outright. She might drop a few /hints/ leading up to the day ("I can't believe I'm about to turn thirty-four.. I'm getting old. *cough*"), but there were no expectations. All she really wanted was another day with Oliver. So, when the overnight bags are packed and the car is taking them to the airport, Felicity is perhaps understandably nervous. She knew he was aware it was her birthday. She knew it was /about/ her birthday. But why it involved his private jet was beyond her... until he offered the closest thing to an explanation his smug smiling, self-congratulatory face had given her all morning. He'd been so pleased with himself the entire time that she wanted to strangle him for keeping her out of the loop, but it was a good anticipation. They sat in the plush, leather seats of the jet with a small cocktail table between them as the jet sailed along at its cruising altitude, Felicity with a short glass of Diet Coke already sitting in front of her. At the mention of Oliver being selfish, her smile touched her eyes behind the lenses of her glasses. "I think we're pretty safe in calling this one a win-win," she said. But when she said it, she still didn't know the destination. It isn't until Oliver says the word 'Paris' that Felicity's brain seems to sort of.. short circuit. Where had she thought they were going? Back to Star City to celebrate in the mansion? Somewhere south on the east coast? /Paris/ had obviously not been in the list of possibilities. "We're... going to Paris?" She blinks, going from absolutely stunned stiff to practically vibrating with anticipation. "The one in /France/? With the Eiffel Tower? Not the little one in Las Vegas, right? I grew up just down the street from that one... plus, if we go anywhere near Nevada, my mother's going to expect a visit. Ever since I told her that we started dating, she's been hinting at wanting me to buy her a plane ticket to visit, and as much as I love you, I'm not sure that I'm ready for you to experience... my mother." Sidetracked, she blinks. "Wait.. so we're going to /Paris/? For my /birthday/?" She loved Oliver. She knew he was a billionaire. She'd seen the mansion, the cars, the motorcycles, the planes, the secret lairs. But sometimes, Felicity just... forgot.
Oliver Queen	While Oliver might have been a little grounded in the aftermath of his experiences on Lian Yu, that doesn't exactly mean that he lives in the same world as everyone else. He is a highly trained vigilante who puts his life on the line on a regular basis and has financial resources that the vast majority can just dream about. He's not likely to every be 'just people' though at least everything he does out on the streets keeps him a little more aware of what's actually going on, of all the ways he can help put those huge reserves of cash to better use. It's not nothing. But it does have a way of simplifying some things in his life, of being able to make the occasional hasty decision. While a few days away in Paris might seem a little extravagent, perhaps even a little too traditional, Oliver knows that she hasn't been. While she might not have any great expectations from him in the plans department given how busy they happen to be right now, he's hardly going to let it pass. It is probably all a little dramatic, refusing to tell her exactly where they are going, only giving her a vague sense of what she should pack. But then again, he has the Queen Consolidated corporate card at his disposal. It's not as if they can't pick up anything the happen to forget. So despite it all, they are airborn, winging their way over the sunlit ocean below. And while Ollie expected that she would be a little bit excited at least, it is a relief when Felicity is so very excited. Despite the time away from work, despite not being around the rest of their friends. Something simple might have been good too. It would have been more pragmatic, certainly. But he can't help but want to give her something special. Something different. Even if it's not strictly necessary. So he leans over that little table between them, that half-smile lingering on his expression. "The one in France," he agrees. "I mean, I could have invited your mother to come anyway. I guess it wasn't entirely fair to ask you to celebrate your birthday without her, but..." he teases lightly, before reaching across that table to take her hand in his own, fingers entwining there with hers and giving it a gentle squeeze. "I figure we can stay a day or two. But if something really pressing comes up there is a JLA teleporter in the city. We can get back to New York in a blink of an eye if either of us really has to," he allows. But like he said, it had better be the literal end of the world. "So think about if there are any absolutely most-does while we are there and I'll try not to keep you locked up in our suite the entire time," he teases. He did only say he'd try.