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Post by Oliver Queen on Dec 24, 2013 22:09:49 GMT -6
 Oliver was not sure why he was so surprised to see them. He shouldn't be. Part of him wished they had not come, part of him was relieved and glad they had. He didn't know which part of him was more dominant. The time he had spent upon his return on the Island was nothing compared to the five years he had spent on it. This time, it was void of torture, fighting, brutality . . . but not pain or loss. For with him, came his failures. With him, came the emotions felt over Tommy's death. And while he still did not feel ready to return to Starling City, he knew he had no choice. He was not going to bring back The Hood, but he was going to be there for his mother. And for the company. For his family's sake.
He had become quite a light sleeper ever since getting ship wrecked here all those years ago. So when he heart the slightest movement, he opened his eyes. By reflex, he slowly and quietly reached for his bow and an arrow that was nearby. He raised his upper body and looked around their makeshift camp. Diggle was there sleeping soundly, but who he did not see was Felicity. Panic suddenly filled him though he kept a calm and composed demeanor. He rose to his feet, clutching his weapon of choice and carefully exited the abandoned plane, ensuring not to wake Diggle in the process.
He stepped outside, his eyes scanning the dark surroundings. He had grown accustomed to seeing in the dark, but not only relying on his vision; he heavily relied on instinct and his senses too. He did not see her, and that was making him all the more concerned. Had she gotten lost? Stepped on another land mine? Encountered another danger of sorts? He knew she must have willingly left the plane, yet that did not guarantee her safety once she was outside of it. And if anything happened to her, because she had come here to get him . . . well, that was yet another unforgivable failure on his part.
He walked deeper into the woods, though not too far before he heard a slight rustling among the trees. He instinctively armed, raising his bow and arrow ready to release if need be, aiming it toward the source of the sound. He stood completely still, controlling even his breathing, as he waited for the figure to come into view.
Location: Lian Yi
Time of Day: Night
Timeline: During 2.01
Tag: Felicity Smoak
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Post by Felicity Smoak on Dec 24, 2013 23:22:55 GMT -6
There was no ladies room on the island, or paper for that matter. Awkward. Where did she wash her hands? She had woken up with a . . . need . . . and gone to handle it. Now she was bending at the river, washing off her hands. Assuming that it was ok to be this close tot he plane. Oliver would have said something if not. Standing Felicity rubbed her hands on her pants before walking back, pausing to look up at the stars, while thinking about how they looked brighter out of the city.
Felicity looked back where she was going just in time to see an arrow come around a tree and aim at her face, and then she scream in a breathless sound of someone trying to scream but having no air to allow sound to escape. It was cut short when she noticed the face behind the arrow! "Oliver!" Putting her hand over her pounding heart, she reached out to touch a tree. "You were going to shove that in me! . . . . . or not shove but shoot. Not that you would. You have control. Which you learned here . . . . " STOP!
"You scared me!" There!
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Post by Oliver Queen on Dec 25, 2013 10:15:00 GMT -6
Soon enough, he came face to face with the very person he had set out to find. Clearly he had frightened her and when he saw it was her, he immediately lowered his weapon, slinging his bow behind his shoulder and closing his eyes for a moment, hold back saying something. He then looked at her, taking a few steps toward her, as she began claiming he was going to 'shove his arrow in her', which of course he wouldn't have done. Yet he could understand her alarm. She was on an island in the middle of no where. Unaware of what could lurk around -- which was exactly why she shouldn't be out here in the first place. "Felicity," he said, his voice in an attempt to calm her down, yet also held slight disapproval with her being out here alone.
"You shouldn't be out here by yourself." Never mind the landmines, traps, and getting lost . . . there was also wildlife like wolves that wandered about. "What were you doing?" He furthered inquired. What was she doing out here and this time, and why had she not woken him up to go with her? Or at least wake up Diggle. One of them, both would be better! Oliver had already lost one close friend back of his inability to protect him, he was not going to lose another. Especially when he was right here.
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Post by Felicity Smoak on Dec 25, 2013 22:36:03 GMT -6
She knew that she should not be out here, but some things you didn't ask you hot boss to take you to do. ONE of these things was going to the ladies room. There where others but that one was at the top of the list. Not that she had a list, but if she did it would be. "I had to take care of something . . . . personal." Hint hint.
"I know but we are like right out side your crashed plane. Or island home." Whatever he might want to call it. She didn't think anything could happen this close to his plane home. Wasn't this the area he would have kept safe from mines and whatever else was here. "Why are you out here . . . and armed. . . or arrowed."
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Post by Oliver Queen on Dec 26, 2013 10:16:21 GMT -6
Oh . . . well, Oliver could certainly take the hint. Subtlety wasn't exactly Felicity's strong suit. Which he actually found quite refreshing . . . sometimes. Perhaps amusing was the more correct term. She pointed out that they were still near the plane, which did not make Oliver feel any better about her being out here alone. So when she asked him what he was doing out here, he did not feel the need to hide his answer. "I was looking for you." Making sure she didn't fall into one of his traps. Or step on another land mine. Or get lost. Or cornered by wolves. But vocalizing all these things would not help anything. He was not about to scare her even more about being on a remote island.
He took another step toward her. "Felicity, next time wake me up," he said in a more gentle voice. He didn't have to watch her, but he could still be near her. Besides, it was not as if he slept anyway. He had come here to get away from everything, not for peace of mind. This place of all places gave him no ease. "Have you done what you needed to do?" That was the best way he could question whether she was ready to go back, or needed another moment. Either way, he was not going back without her -- even if it was not that great a distance to the plane.
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Post by Felicity Smoak on Dec 26, 2013 16:32:20 GMT -6
Did he really ask her if she was done? Felicity prayed she didn't blush, and would have made a snarky comment about it but could tell he was worried. She had not forgotten about his expression that one time where he told it it had been five years and nothing good had happened. The memories for him here had to be bad but he still came back here when he felt he failed.
"I was on my way back," Her tone softer, and almost reassuring in a very subtle way. Oliver wasn't the type to let others give him comfort, because while he escaped the island, he still thought he needed to be one sometimes. "I was just looking around. It's pretty here. Never really been out of the city." So this was far as she'd ever been from home.
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Post by Oliver Queen on Dec 26, 2013 19:39:29 GMT -6
At least she hadn't planned on being out for that long. Still. It felt better seeing that she was alright, rather than just assuming it. She then commented on the island, stating its beauty. Had it not held so many painful memories, Oliver would be inclined to agree. It was indeed a beautiful place, but it had been filled with so much danger, so much suffering and pain . . . that any beauty it may have otherwise possessed was tainted with the dark memories it contained. "Well you're a long way from home," he stated. If she had never really been out of the city, then this was really out of the city.
"Which I do appreciate," he added, aware that he had not seemed happy to see them when they first arrived. Something that Felicity had quickly picked up on, and something he had quickly rectified. "But trust me, you wouldn't want to be here longer than a day." It was too much. Too, deserted and lonely. Exactly why he had returned here by himself. "Come on. Let's head back." He didn't want her to have to discover any of the lurking dangers that he had made a mental threat of.
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Post by Felicity Smoak on Dec 26, 2013 20:23:07 GMT -6
He said she wouldn't want to be here more then a day, but he had been here for three months, again. "Then why did you come back?" She asked, looking up into his face as best as she could. The one bad part of the island that she was picking up on right now was that there was no street lights to let her see his face. She couldn't tell what he was thinking clearly, and she missed that. Felicity like to think that she had learned to read him, and learned to understand what was happening in his head sometimes--other times he was still a mystery to her.
"Nothing good happened here, and you came back." They knew why, or assumed they knew why. Even still she wanted to know. He had failed, but he could have gone anywhere. Why here? "You could have really gone to Europe, or anywhere. Why did you come back here?" This was like his personal hell, and he came back willingly.
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Post by Oliver Queen on Dec 26, 2013 20:30:53 GMT -6
Oliver paused when she asked why he had come back. She was one of the very few people who knew just how much the island had changed him; how much it had done to him. She was right in her words, and he stood by having said them: that nothing good had happened here. And anything that had, ended only in more pain. Shado, being the example foremost on his mind. Yet another death that he was responsible for. Along with the hundreds of people in the city. And Tommy. Oliver remained silent for several moments. Part of the reason he had come here was to get away from everyone. To not be found. To be by himself. But there was also a specific reason he had chosen a place that haunted him.
"Because this is where I deserve to be." He wasn't looking for someone to offer him sympathy, or tell him that Tommy's death was not his fault. It was. He knew it was. He failed his best friend. Nothing good had come from his crusade. It had ended in unimaginable tragedy. So yes. This island, this . . . hell, was exactly where Oliver belonged.
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Post by Felicity Smoak on Dec 26, 2013 20:58:00 GMT -6
His words made her head spin and her heart break. That is what he thought? Oliver who put everyone before him. Oliver who fought and bleed for the city, and for people. Oliver who had saved her on more then one occasion. Who tried so hard to save anyone he could, and really took it upon himself to do it alone . . . . felt he deserved to be here?
She took a step back out of surprise but then took two forward. "That's not true." Her hand came out to rest on his upper arm. "Oliver no one deserves to be here. I don't even know a tenth of what happened here, but even I know that it's not something you'd wish on anyone." Expect maybe Malcolm. "You don't deserve this. No one does."
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Post by Oliver Queen on Dec 26, 2013 21:23:33 GMT -6
Her hand on his arm gave him an immediate feeling of comfort, just as she always did. Something about her presence, never failed to comfort him, even when he knew he was undeserving of it. Even when he appeared to be rejecting it. He only wished he could accept her words as easily as he accepted her touch. He gave a very slight smile, though it was lacking in joviality. "I appreciate that, Felicity." Even if he didn't believe it. He believed she believed it. But he was not going to exempt himself from blame. It was all the words he had to offer, looking at her, and trying to find something else to say yet all other words seemed to fail him in the moment. Had it been under any other circumstance or perhaps had it been a different time, he would have known what to do with this kind of silence and close proximity. But because it was now, and because of his mindset, he couldn't.
"And thank you, for coming." Because he had not shown his gratitude for that. Even if he disagreed with part of their reasoning for coming here, he knew she had gone through a lot to come. "I guess you can cross off sky diving from your bucket list," he said, surprised at himself for being able to even make a mere joke right now. Then again, in Felicity's presence -- and even Diggle's presence -- it was easy to let his guard down to his hard exterior, once in a while. But of course, not for too long, especially around her.
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Post by Felicity Smoak on Dec 27, 2013 21:16:11 GMT -6
He didn't dismiss her words, but she wondered how much he believed them, because he turned the conversation in another direction. He was good at distracting people, but she had been watching him do it for so long that she could tell when he was trying it with her. She also knew when to let him, and when to refuse. Today she'd let him.
Pulling her hand back, she smiled. "We're friends, Oliver. I'd have come sooner, but I had nnooo idea where this place was. Took Diggle a bit to find it. My job was to--" She moved her hands and wiggled her fingers like she was typing "-to use your credit card to fund it." She laughed awkwardly as she was basically telling him she'd hacked his bank account.
He joked about her skydiving, and she put her hand in front of her face as if to hide for a second before looking back up at him. "And puking on the beach, and land mines . . . peeing in the woods . . . too many firsts for one day!" She joked back, letting the moment be lighter. She guessed he's not given himself too many of them of late.
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Post by Oliver Queen on Dec 27, 2013 21:30:31 GMT -6
Oliver was grateful for the subject change. She and Diggle were rather good at that. Sometimes they would push him to talk, other times they knew he was just not ready. Right now, was the latter. "Well lucky for you, my family can afford to fund this kind of project." He couldn't say that he was joking because . . . well because his family was incredibly wealthy. But he said it in a lighter tone, trying to move past any dark subjects that may be broached. "I'm surprised it took you as long as a few weeks," he added, this time with a more teasing tone. He had come here because he didn't want to be found, but he knew that if anyone was capable of finding him here . . . it was Diggle and Felicity. And they had not failed in meeting his expectation.
He gave a bit of a smile as she spoke of having too many firsts for one day. "I'm going to let you in on a little secret," he began, as he leaned forward toward her. "When I came onto this island for the first time, I also got sick." And he had stepped on a landmine but that story was a bit more complicated in terms of how he had gotten there, and how he had gotten off. Talking about Slade wasn't exactly a topic Oliver wanted to broach right now. "It happens," he added as further reassurance for her having gotten sick and stepping on landmines. "This place isn't exactly known for its convenience." To access and to reside on.
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Post by Felicity Smoak on Dec 28, 2013 8:48:50 GMT -6
He wasn't mad about her hacking, which was good! She hadn't expected anger but didn't know what he would think after so long. "I tried to beat you to the airport, but Diggle said to let you have some time." But time had turned to months and he gave in and let them look for him. Then go find him to bring him home. While waiting she had spent her night's making some improvements to his hide out.....with his money.
When he admitted to being sick on the beach she smiled as if to laugh but then it faded when she realized that that admission alone had to be hard for him with the memories and how he didn't like to look weak. "Thank you." For everything. After a pause she continued, "I'll get him back. Diggle didn't tell me we were skydiving down until he was pushing me out the plane." She moved to lean in and whisper as if they were in a room filled with people and could be over heard. "I think he forgets I can find embarrassing photos of him online."
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Post by Oliver Queen on Dec 29, 2013 22:13:52 GMT -6
Oliver was rather grateful for being given this space. While he knew he would not have disappeared for another 5 years, he still needed time to . . . deal with everything. Including Tommy's death which he still was having difficulty coming to terms with. He kept hoping that he would return to Starling and see his best friend standing there with that infectous bright smile on his face. Felicity didn't owe him an apology, but he gave a small smile anyway, which remained in place as she went on to explain the unexpected sky dive and then how he forgot that she could find embarrassing pictures of him. "Sometimes I even forget," he said, only half kidding. Her capabilities should never be underestimated, and he found it rather amusing when others were astonished by what she could do. After the second or third time she had helped him, he had called her remarkable. Yet that didn't even begin to cover how incredible her skill was. And well, how incredible she was.
"Diggle did use the element of surprise on you. I guess it would be fitting for you to return the favor." By using her skill that Diggle apparently forgot, which . . . Oliver could indeed see happening. His smile however faded when another thought came into his mind, as he grew a bit more serious upon this new subject matter. "How's Thea?" He inquired. His beloved sister. He hated leaving her but also knew that if he stayed, he would have just worried her. And been useless. She was close to Tommy too, and with everything going on with their mother . . . well, he wanted to hear from Felicity how she was doing. At least she had a companion -- even if Oliver didn't approve of him . . . it was a big brother thing.
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