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Post by Felicity Smoak on Jan 31, 2014 21:47:49 GMT -6
"Not really!" She offered with encouragement, "Not unless you want them too. You could tell Thea, she could be of help to you, but that is up to you." She still wasn't sure she completely understood why he wasn't telling some people about his memory, but that wasn't something she was going to protest about. This was Oliver--and no matter what Oliver it was he didn't like weakness in himself. That she understood.
"There one other person who know about your . . . hobbies, but unless she comes back to town, we really don't have to worry about that." Helena. His ex who had aimed an arrow at her head, and forced her to hack the FBI data base so she could find her father and kill him. " . . . . though if she does, I call dibs on Diggle." Felicity shivered thinking of all that could mean, and then shook it off. "Are you going to tell anyone else?"
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Post by Oliver Queen on Feb 1, 2014 10:26:31 GMT -6
She had suggested telling Thea the truth, and Oliver had considered it. He knew that if there was anyone else he was going to tell, it was going to be her. He had originally thought of telling Laurel, but after hearing his recent history with her from Felicity, he decided against it. So Thea was the only other person, but at the same time . . . he didn't want to burden her with that. "She's going through enough already," Oliver concluded. With their mother's trial and Tommy's death -- which he kknew was affecting Thea as well since she was close to Tommy -- he didn't want to give her one more thing to worry about.
"I don't plan to tell anyone else right now," he decided, though knew that might chance depending on how much he was able to pull off not remembering things. Felicity spoke of another person who knew of his 'hobbies' and he didn't fail to hear Felicity refer to her as a 'she'. Oliver wasn't sure he wanted to know . . . but knew that he had to. "What's my history with her?" Oliver asked, making his tone and demeanor casual when he asked the question . . . but he was already uneasy about someone else coming and potentially revealing his former ego to the world.
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Post by Felicity Smoak on Feb 1, 2014 17:20:44 GMT -6
Felicity hoped he would trust Thea because it would help bring them closer. It had cost him last time to keep things from her, and while they had gotten closer, they were not as close as they could be had he not been this other person at night--and sometimes in the day. Still, with everything Thea was going through at the time, she understood why he had not. Why he was protective of her. "We should really talk about Thea sometime. A lot has happened this past year between you two, and before long they might come out on their own." Meaning Thea's drugs, and car crash, and drinking.
But he had asked about Helena. "Helena knows. Your ex." Who was nearly crazy in her hate for her father who wasn't dead yet. "The history there is very . . . . complex, and gets into what you don't want to talk about. The short story, her father was a very bad man. He killed the man she loved, and she wanted him dead for it. You tried to help her past that, give her purpose. However instead she killed people. Hurt people." Felicity paused and her face looked hesitant, "McKenna included."
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Post by Oliver Queen on Feb 1, 2014 18:32:38 GMT -6
Felicity told him that they would need to speak about Thea. He worried for her, and could only imagine how she was coping with everything. The loss of their father. Also losing a step-father. Their mother in prison. And of course, Oliver's disappearance. She seemed to be handling things well, but he also knew it wasn't like her to show too much weakness. That would be a conversation for later though, since Felicity went on to explain the answer to his question, regarding Helena. She knew about him being the Hood . . . and she was his ex-girlfriend. Well, that wasn't a very good combination. He listened to the story, finding it sounded like some ridiculous soap opera, but apparently that was his life. His expression slightly changed when she mentioned that Helena had hurt people, including McKenna. He remained silent for several moments, thinking back to what Felicity ahd previously told him about her.
"Helena is the one who shot her, isn't she," Oliver said in a quiet voice, though already knew the answer. And something told him that it was his own fault. It couldn't be a coincidence that his ex girlfriend shot his current girlfriend at the time. Why was it that all the people he remembered were the ones getting hurt, and all these knew people that he had no memory of were thriving. It just made no sense, and Oliver didn't know how to deal with losing those who he remembered being close to. McKenna included. While they had never been serious -- years ago -- he had always liked her. And knowing that she had gotten severely injured because of Oliver's inability to protect her from some vengeance seeking crazy ex . . . made that ball of guilt in the pitt of his stomach, grow even more.
"What ended up happening to her?" Oliver asked. Meaning, was her father dead? Who else had she hurt? Could he expect her to return? And if so, what should he expect from her? While he knew he should focus on the fact that he had tried to help her, all he could think of was the fact that he had failed in doing so . . . and people got hurt because of it. That was the gist wans't it? Seemingly the story of his former life? Faling people, and them getting hurt. What a miserable life he had lived. No wonder he hardly ate, or did anything else for that matter.
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Post by Felicity Smoak on Feb 1, 2014 19:23:13 GMT -6
"Yeah, she was the one." Felicity confirmed, "The last we saw of her, she went to QC and made me hack the FBI's data base to find her father. Then went there to kill him. This was a while after you two broke it off." A month or so maybe. "McKenna got their first, and went in. Helena shot her, and then disappeared. McKenna went to stay with her sister, while recovering."
She looked down at her food and kept speaking, "Sort of my fault. Had I just lied about where her father was, or gotten you there sooner then you might have stopped it." Though the arrow Helena had aimed at her hindered her lying skills, she had seen Oliver after McKenna broke it off and had decided that this one she should have handled better. She'd learned that day to better watch what she said and did.
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Post by Oliver Queen on Feb 1, 2014 20:18:01 GMT -6
Oliver was listening to the brief summary of what had happened; of how McKenna had gotten hurt. It was all so . . . insane. Insane to think of all the people around him who were getting threatened -- or doing the threatening -- and who were getting hurt or worse. The life he remembered had none of this. No tension, no death, no . . . anything so dark and depressing. What the hell had happened on that island to make him come back and embrace this kind of lifestyle? "I may not remember what happened, but something tells me it wasn't your fault," he told her. It was his, and he knew that even without the memories to recall each incident and the way the events unfolded.
"It's ironic, how you say that I saved so many people, when I couldn't even save the ones closest to me." He didn't want her to rationalize that for him, or justify it. He was simply speaking words that came to his mind, ones that helped determined his decision to not return to that life. Maybe that way, people he was close to would no longer get hurt. He wouldn't be putting a target on their backs. "At least you don't have to worry about having to lie anymore," he said commenting on her last words, slightly teasingly, trying not to dwell in his own thoughts and express everything that was running through his head right now.
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Post by Felicity Smoak on Feb 1, 2014 20:36:08 GMT -6
She was not about to let him think poorly of himself. "Thea had a drug and drinking problem. She rebelled against her mother, she partied hard and fast. She got high and crashed her car, nearly got herself killed." It was a hard truth to hear, and one hard to see with how she was now, being very adult and grown up. Felicity didn't know Thea well but she was proud of her for how far she'd come.
"Oliver saved her. You. Not . . . the other you. You." She wanted him to know that, and she didn't use the name Oliver to talk about the other him but to remind him that HE had done it, not the Hood. "Oliver kept her clean. Oliver kept her out of jail. Oliver got her help. You did that. You might think you failed in protecting the people closest to you, but Walter, Thea, Diggle, Me, and even McKenna are all alive because you never once gave up on us. You have always put us above any cause you were working on."
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Post by Oliver Queen on Feb 1, 2014 22:21:31 GMT -6
Oliver was doing all he could to guard his emotions and expression, but knew he was slipping a little. To hear all that had happened to Thea, all she had been through . . . made him feel sick. Made his heart ache for his baby sister who he hadn't been able to protect or be there for. They had always been close, so he couldn't even imagine how five years of his presumed death made her feel. That was all he could think about; was failing her and those he clearly cared for . . . rather than what good Felicity was trying to remind him that he had done. She listed off people he had saved, but what about people he hadn't? What about Tommy? What about how much he had hurt others? He had to be accountable for that, even if he couldn't remember it. It was why part of him wished he could turn himself in to atone for his sins . . . and at the same time, didn't want to put Thea, his mother or his friends through any of that. So all he could do was remain silent, letting the words sink in, trying not to let himself unwravel. There was a lot he could handle hearing, but anything concerning Thea . . . well, that was his weak spot.
"What's Roy like?" Oliver asked, knowing it could seem like a random question. But he had very specific reasons for asking. One, being the main reason, which was that he was of course protective over Thea and so often disapproved of anyone she dated. But now that she was spending a lot of her time with Roy, Oliver wanted to know more about him. And he knew he could rely on Felicity giving him an honest answer. The second reason he asked, was because he didn't want to debate his failures. He did fail, and he didn't deserve to be told otherwise. Even though he appreciated Felicity's attempt to convince him that he had done all this good, he could only focus on the flip side. So instead, he wanted to know about Roy, unable to ask Thea about him without slipping by asking something he should already know and thus revealing his loss of memory.
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Post by Felicity Smoak on Feb 1, 2014 22:33:06 GMT -6
He didn't seem to see him as she saw him, and she wished that just once--for just one moment he could see himself as even half of how she did. If he could for even one moment then she didn't see how he could go back to hating himself. Because she loved him. The other Oliver. His boldness, his giving of himself, the way he walked and talked and worked. This Oliver was more carefree, and less closed off but they were still the same man in some ways.
She wanted him to be happy. Instead she seemed to only be making him sad. She was a link to his past. The one he wanted to forget. Maybe in order to forget his past she had to let him go? "Roy is a good guy. He is from the glades, and got in to some trouble before Thea but they've reformed each other in a way. He has a job now, and stayed mostly out of trouble." She left out his trouble now was beating thugs who were hurting people.
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Post by Oliver Queen on Feb 1, 2014 22:48:17 GMT -6
He was a troublemaker from the Glades? That didn't sound good. But . . . Oliver saw her with him. Saw that she was happy with him. And when he wasn't here, he knew Roy was the one she had leaned on. He may never think anyone was good enough for Thea, but her happiness was all that mattered to him. "That's good," Oliver said absentmindedly, as he was filled with so many other thoughts. "At least they're happy," he concludd. At least someone was happy! Somewhat. The situation with his mother was severley hindering that. He didn't want to talk about this anymore.
He was still trying to process and deal with everything Felicity was telling him. He had wanted to push aside the topic of the vigilante, but knew that in order to be updated with his life . . . talk about his alter ego was inevitable. If all this had convinced him of anything, it was that he had made the right choice in not being The Hood again. He looked at her, forcing a small smile on his lips as he wanted to say something to divert the topic. "What about you, are you seeing anyone?" He asked, turning the subject onto her because . . . well, it seemed like a safer subject. And, he was genuinely curious too.
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Post by Felicity Smoak on Feb 2, 2014 10:39:03 GMT -6
One moment she was trying to talk up Roy and the next she found herself surprised enough to drop her fry and nearly knock her drink over. Where had that come from?! She gave a nervous laugh, "what? N-no. Of course not." Of course not?! "I mean....not of course not! I could be. But I'm not."
And it was time to stop talking. Now. Because she was telling why she wasn't seeing anyone--because se was socially awkward. "Are you?" That was stupid she knew the answer. "I mean your not. Of course your not." NO "not of course your not--you could be." 3.....2.......1......
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Post by Oliver Queen on Feb 2, 2014 12:29:36 GMT -6
His questioned seemed to make her uncomfortable, and he wasn't sure why that was. They were friends after all, right? He was at least relieved for her reaction for it lightened the mood a little, and allowed him to give a small teasing smile, clearly enjoying her awkward reaction. She said that she wasn't seeing anyway . . . her specific phrasing rather interesting. For it seemed like it would have been fairly obvious that she wouldn't be seeing anyone, and he wasn't sure why that was. Before he could ask though, she turned the question onto him, asking if he was seeing anyone.
Was she asking if he had met anyone while away? Or if he had met anyone at the club for the one night he was there? He wasn't sure. "Not that I'm currently aware of," he said, still smiling. She didn't seem to give any indication that he was seeing someone and he was fairly certain she would have mentioned that fact, especially since it would be nearly impossible to keep his secret of his memory loss from someine. "But you seem to know more about me than I do, so am I? Seeing anyone that is," he asked teasingly, for he had a strong feeling the answer was no, but it didn't hurt to make sure. And, to playfully tease her.
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Post by Felicity Smoak on Feb 2, 2014 17:54:20 GMT -6
He smiled at her, and she felt her belly have butterflies. His was smiling. He sometimes smiled, but for some reason everything felt lighter then before. Easier. And she wanted him to do it more. SHE wanted to be why, even though she was having doubts that he could move on while being her friend. Or that they could even be friends.
"Not that I know of." She admitted, and bit her lip as she looked down at her food. She had always had this crush on him, and after working with her Oliver she had fallen in love. Even while he dated other people, she had been his friend first. Felicity had liked McKenna--though she had only met Helena after Oliver had broken up with her, and she didn't like her. But supporting him, didn't mean she wasn't jealous. "But I've not seen you in a while, before the other day. I don't know what you were up to all that time."
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Post by Oliver Queen on Feb 2, 2014 18:43:43 GMT -6
Well, that was good he supposed. Meaning that whoever he met now, wouldn't expect him to act a certain way that he had before -- a way that he no longer remembered. She had said that she hadn't seen him in a while so didn't know what was up to in all that time. There was only one thing that Oliver was up to, and that was grieving over Tommy's death. That, and trying to understand why he couldn't remember much of what happened. He had been piecing things together, doing research, trying to find out what he could . . . but he still didn't understand and wouldn't understand, how he had lost all his memory. And of course the most daunting question, would it ever come back. Not wanting to talk of how he had been mourning Tommy, he kept the subject to, whatever it was on right now.
"I didn't meet any one these past few months," he told her. He didn't do serious relationships well, although from what Felicity told him about his relationship history . . . it seemed he was improving in that regard. "Which is probably a good thing, considering everything I came back to," he said in a lighter tone, rather than one that truly made him acknowledge what 'everything' really entailed. Laurel was the last person he remembered being in a serious relationship with . . . hell, they were supposed to move in together. How drastically things had changed. "I don't remember ever doing serious well," he admitted, speaking aloud his previous thoughts of not really knowing how to be in a serious relationship.
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Post by Felicity Smoak on Feb 2, 2014 20:02:58 GMT -6
Not seeing anyone! That was comforting. Deciding not to think on why it was comforting, she knew it was time to change the subject. Looking down the tried to breath in a long breath to make sure any blush would be gone by the time she looked up at him again.
When she did she smiled and changed the subject to something safer. "With all your free time, with only having one job you can find a hobby now!" She teased, and realized it was a clear change of the subject. Avoiding it. "Maybe find something to do besides tormenting IT girls on your bike." Though truth be told, she loved it.
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Post by Oliver Queen on Feb 2, 2014 20:10:46 GMT -6
She suggested that he find a hobby, and Oliver knew he would need to. One that was a bit more productive than whatever his past hobbies had been . . . maybe. She went on to say something other than tormenting her on his bike. "Are you saying my driving was torment?" He asked, pretending to be offended but making it very clear that he was just teasing her. "Come on, it wasn't that bad," he added, as if trying to get her to admit that she had actually had fun on it. Most girls did anyway.
"I'm actually surprised that I didn't offer you a ride on it sooner," he said. Meaning . . . his former self. Why hadn't he again? He had no idea. He clearly still used the bike since it was in good condition and was serviced and everything. So why had she never been on it before? Why had he never offered a ride? Didn't the two of them ever do anything fun, or was it all just work? "Makes me wonder what other pleasures I've deprived you of," he added, a hint of flirtation in his voice.
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Post by Felicity Smoak on Feb 2, 2014 21:24:24 GMT -6
Oliver Queen almost sounded like he was flirting with her but Felicity Smoak knew that could not be true. He didn't flirt with her, and didn't ask about the love like because he was interested. Oliver and her were friends of a more platonic nature. Buddies---eww that word sounded as awkward as she felt around him sometimes.
"I am not deprived of any pleasures . . . " There was a babble coming! She could feel it! Reaching for her drink she quickly downed half of it to keep her mouth shut. "I have pleasure. I have a lot of pleasure!" Suddenly people at tables around them turn to stare at her and she closed her eyes. In a softer voice she continued, "Our friendship was never about having fun in free time. We never just hung out. It was more serious then that. Clearly we wouldn't be friends if you hadn't needed me. But because you did, we could be."
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Post by Oliver Queen on Feb 2, 2014 22:10:37 GMT -6
Oliver looked at her as she emphasized the fact that she had pleasure. She was very adament about that in fact. Enough so that people turned to look their way since her words, well . . . held its own suggestive implications. He could only smirk, smile with amusement as she seemed embarassed by the fact that she felt rather strongly about having her own pleasure, and lots of it! She seemed to calm down a bit as she lowered her voice and went on to say their friendship wasn't based on having fun and free time. That sounded a bit sad. More so when she said that they wouldn't have been friends had he not needed her. Well, that sounded even sadder. But they were friends now weren't they? And didn't they plan on remaining so?
"It can be now," he suggested. Since he wasn't going to be The Hood anymore, they would have more time to do everything she had just said they didn't: hang out. "So, what would you like to do? Where would you like to go?" He asked, clearly planning this out so that she knew he was actually serious about it. "If you don't pick something, you'll have to rely on my ability to surprise you." And he would. Besides, he still needed her because . . . right now she was the only one he could talk to. Which was a selfish reason for needing her. He knew it was more than that, because he genuinely felt close to her. They may not be working together or stopping crime together, but that didn't mean they couldn't casually spend time together, and actually have fun.
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Post by Felicity Smoak on Feb 2, 2014 22:22:22 GMT -6
He asked her to pick something, or somewhere and she paused feeling surprised. He wanted to hang out? Really?! It seemed odd to think about hanging out with Oliver and not doing anything. It was hard to see Oliver not doing anything! "What do you mean?" She asked, hoping she was not misunderstanding.
Because it was one thing for him to say it, and her think it. He could mean pick something to do near here, or something right now or he could later and they would try to plan something. So somewhere? She couldn't completely afford to miss work and so somewhere right now, but the idea was pleasant.
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Post by Oliver Queen on Feb 2, 2014 22:36:46 GMT -6
She asked what he meant and he wondered if it was really all that shocking. Apparently it was, based on what she had told him and her clearly surprised reaction. "I thought it was pretty self explanatory," he said teasingly when she questioned the true meaning of his words. "What's one thing that you've always wanted to do?" He asked. "Go Sky diving? Bungee jumping?" He continued to tease her with these options, knowing they were a bit out there.
"Or we can do something less intense. Go to a movie? Dinner at your favorite restaurant?" He was giving her options to let her know that he was making an effort to spend time with her. That he valued her in a way he couldn't explain, and maybe it was because deep down inside, he could feel that strong bond they had. Orn on a more shallow note, it was because she was an extremely attractive woman and he was all for spending time with a beautiful lady. Either way, the bottom line was that he wanted to spend time with her, and not let the darkness of the past cloud what could be a brighter future.
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Post by Felicity Smoak on Feb 2, 2014 22:41:18 GMT -6
He teased her and she smiled brightly while shaking her head in a mock fearfully reaction, "Nnnooo! Nothing dare devil like! I have had enough swinging over twenty story drops with you that I need! No more!" She didn't even realize she had let something slip, as she was too caught up in his asking her to hang out with him!
"I need time to think!" She told him, trying to think of something cool and fun for them both to do. Nothing that he would get bored with, and nothing too scary for her. "Oliver Queen asking you to hang out with him is a big deal. I got to pick something just right." She admitted. "I will let you know as soon as I can think of something we'd both enjoy. . . . whatever that might be."
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Post by Oliver Queen on Feb 2, 2014 22:55:25 GMT -6
She mentioned something about a twenty story drop . . . but Oliver knew better than to ask. He was well aware that it had something to do with his Hood days and he was not going to bring the conversation back to that. He was trying to move it forward, trying to progress, trying to steer clear of any more depressing topics of conversation. So he focused on her next words, saying that she needed time to think and that apparently him asking her to hang out was a big deal. "Is it?" He asked smugly, adding an air of mock arrogance to the statement, though he was just continuing to be playful with her. He liked seeing her smile, and he liked seeing that they were capable of talking about something other than his past vigilante ways.
"It shouldn't be. You seem to know me pretty well, so you shouldn't feel intimidated," he continued to tease. She then went on to say that she would let him know whenever she thought of something. "Your times up for suggesting something," he said, not having had set straight forward guidlines for this whole thing. But, he wasn't going to wait for her to think of something because he had a feeling it would take time for that to happen, and he wasn't someone who liked to let things drag, or prolong themselves. "Which means, I have the honor of planning our first official night of hanging out." He wasn't going to say date, since she had seemed really turned off when he'd tried to kiss her in the office. But, time would tell whether that would change. And even if it didn't, he was indeed just content to spend time with her.
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Post by Felicity Smoak on Feb 3, 2014 21:34:07 GMT -6
"Second official night." She told him, smiling at him after being surprised by him saying he would plan their hang out night to come. "Tonight is the first." Of more to come! Maybe they could do this! Maybe they be friends! She just . . . had to ignore all the parts of him she loved. She just had to forget her Oliver.
This would be easier for him then her, but she wanted to help him, and wasn't ready to lose him even if it would be easier for him to forget the past that she had told him he forgot. She took another bite of her food, and then looked up at him. "So what are you planning? Nothing to scare the hell out of me I hope."
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