2456/That's the Dangerous End

That's the Dangerous End
Date of Scene:	14 September 2017
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Shiva shows up at Oliver Queen's Super Secret Place and learns a bit about archery
Cast of Characters:	Green Arrow, Lady Shiva

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Green Arrow has posed:
    Hiding out from the investors. That's what his son has always claimed about the man whenever he's caught him not in the mansion that his family has owned for years, or the yacht, or the Summer home. It's a condemnation reserved for whenever Oliver Queen is found in the city of stars in that old two story brick townhouse that taller and longer than it is wide, somehow crammed in between two other townhouses in that block as if the architects were trying to figure out how to make a one family home into three... which is exactly what they did.
    But it had its own charm, it's what drew the man to it and the woman he had been seeing at the time. It had a homey feel to it, down to earth, and it was cheap... which was a big deal at the time. So why does he keep going there? Well, it is a place he can hide out from the board. But it also has an equally yard in the back that is entirely too thin for any sort of garden... but it's a perfect place for a big target with a weather worn plastic bullseye wrapped around an old bale of hay.
    It's that target that's drawn him back out here tonight, in the hint of the Autumn chill of the weather that seems to sneak up on the people of the city. This time of night there's a faint drizzle from the sky that does naught save give a hint of a sheen to the surfaces of the world, barely a misting but enough to cause his shots to pull left. He's out there, bow in hand, a leather quiver of handmade arrows sitting at his feet even as on a tree trunk he's got a six pack of beers settled. At times he'll stop, take a sip, then take aim and let an arrow fly...
    For him... it's relaxing.

Lady Shiva has posed:
    As he works on relaxing, he isn't alone. There is someone watching, taking note of his every move. Shiva stands just inside the house and regards the movements, so practiced that they are a single motion instead of multiple steps to make the whole. While it is a skill she knows the basics of, she has never taken the time to conquer it as this man has. Her knowledge of martial arts is like his knowledge of archery. He probably has forgotten more than she knows of the skill set.
    It is time for that to change, which led to her seeking him out. There were a variety of ways to approach him but here, he is alone. He seems to like it that way. His place of recluse from the world outside. His reasons are his own but his habits can be figured out if one takes the time to do so. Shiva has time and patience.
    The sound of the back door opening will be heard as she walks out carrying a glass of orange juice in her right hand. She's dressed in her normal attired instead of her 'work' clothes, including her trench coat. She stops just outside the door, knowing he will react to her presence and prepared to do what she must to avoid being perforated.

Green Arrow has posed:
    Over his shoulder he looks and she can see the puzzlement in his knit brow as his blue eyes sweep over her. For a moment he looks taken aback, but then in the next instant she can see him making peace with it rather quickly. Since, to be fair, the last time they had met he had bargained with her, which would presume a later contact. Probably something along those lines that has her here. He's not exactly a master martial artist so she'd have no care to fight him...
    Unless someone hired her.
    But he eyes her for a moment, lifting his chin slightly. Then he comes to whatever conclusion that ends with him giving her a nod and turning back to the target. "Shiva," He says in way of greeting, granting no inflection nor further classification. To speak further would offer a positive or negative vibe to it and it's way too soon to presume.
    The bowstring is drawn with an almost inaudible creak from the bow as he brings it up, takes aim for a moment... then lets loose with a subtle twang and /phfft/ as the arrow strikes home in the target. He doesn't split the previous arrow, since hey these thing are hand made. Instead he's making each successive shot just an arrow's width higher than the last, and so he has six arrows in the target all two centimeters above the last.

Lady Shiva has posed:
    "Mr. Queen," Shiva responds once he has turned back to the target. She watches the next shot, seeing how precise each of them is located. It's artistry. Deadly but beautiful. Something she can relate to in many ways. She doesn't apologize for disturbing him as that would imply she cared about him being put out or not. Instead, she walks forward until she is standing next to the stump with the beers. They get a glance before she looks back to the man. That precision, even with alcohol in his system. It's inhuman.
    "I wish to collect on that owed favor." She gives a moment then continues. "I wish to use the bow as you do. With a semblence of expertise instead of simple skills." Perhaps he will feel that sort of trade isn't equal but in her mind it makes sense. Skill for skill. She used hers to assist him, he can do the same. Although she is no fool. She knows to learn his skills will take time--and perhaps she will owe him.

Green Arrow has posed:
    "What?" He asks her as he turns his head slightly. Oh there's a small haze there in his eyes, a hint of tipsiness as he's had a few, though they haven't affected his aim at all. Still, it perhaps lets him be a little more free with his words as he adds, "Shiva..." He sets the bow down, setting the end on the toe of his shoe as he rests his hand upon the other, stance looking curiously relaxed. "You... are gonna be disappointed."
    He says that with some measure of conviction even as he reaches down and picks up one of the unopened beers, twisting the cap off as he supports the bow with his forearm. "I mean, hey. It's a flattering thing when the world's authority on chop socky and all wants to take a few lessons. But how often do you see me running around with a partner?"
    He waits for her to start to answer then cuts her off as he murmurs, "I mean there was Speedy, but he sorta came to me already being pretty darn good. I just gave him a few tips here and there. But like teaching someone? Actually teaching them? And giving them an idea of technique?"
    He shakes his head and tilts the bottle back, taking a few swallows and then letting breathe an 'ahh,' of satisfaction. He sets the now half-empty bottle down on the stump.
    "Yer gonna be grumpy that there's just some guy behind the curtain and no mystical all powerful wizard."

Lady Shiva has posed:
    The slight furrow to her brow is the equal of a frustrated scream on a normal person. It's a mar in her usual zen aura. "I do not believe you are a wizard nor do you have some powers that allow your skills," she says as she sets her glass of juice on the stump next to his beer bottle. She picks up the bottle he just placed there and examines the remains in the bottle before tilting it up and breathing in the scent. That furrowed brow dips even further. "How do you put that in your body willingly?" she murmurs as she puts the bottle back down.
    "You gained your skills through practice. As I gained mine. I simply wish to get some...tips? That is the term. In how to improve my own skills. I can hit a target but not with that level of precision." She motions to the target.

Green Arrow has posed:
    She'll see his eyebrows lift and his eyes widen as he draws a breath in between clenched teeth as if he had just stubbed his toe, but it's not a physical failure and perhaps more a mental one as he tries to figure out how to explain this process to her. A hand comes up to rub at the back of his neck as he steps around to face her fully. "I was making a reference to the Wizard of Oz? You... I mean, buncha people go looking for a magical wizard guy only to find... you know what, nevermind."
    Ollie waves off her condemnation of his sweet friend booze. Instead he holds up the bow and tosses it towards her, letting her snatch it out of the air as she most likely is wont to do. It's an old thing, handmade, a length of old wood that was carved from a felled tree in the Canadian wilds. It has some notches in the haft, and the bowstring might not be the finest thing as some small fibrous threads are clearly frayed near the ends.
    "Shiva, you're a master of the physical body. You have a gift. But it also came to you fro learning, training, studying. You most likely have an encyclopedic knowledge of every technique you've come across, the proper body positioning. I imagine when you throw a punch it is all muscle memory sure, but you have a reason for every single bit of tension in your body as you do so. Am I wrong?"

Lady Shiva has posed:
    The reference is completely lost. No chance of recovery so good he just gives up on it. As the bow comes her way, Shiva reaches up a hand to easily catch it. She turns it in her hand, examining the way it is constructed, the bowstring itself, she even runs her fingers over the notches in the wood. Nothing is said as she listens to his words but when he asks his questions, she lifts her dark gaze from the bow to look at his face again. She moves forward so she is closer to him, within reach of the hand-made arrows resting in the quiver.
    "At this point in time, yes, it is muscle memory. There was a time when I had to learn though. To start from scratch. Thankfully my mind allows me to retain physical skills once I have performed them. Thus, what I learned later becomes rote. I strive to find more to learn. Open hand techniques I do not know are few, though I seek them. Thus, I have chosen to pursue weapons in addition to. As a friend told me, there is much more to learn."
    She looks at the quiver and draws forth an arrow. It is nocked then she draws back, a smooth motion. She holds it there a moment then releases and the arrow flies to the target. It is in the bullseye but just barely so. She frowns. A mighty expression for the woman who usually shares nothing. "That is unacceptable." She turns to him. "You have no advice to offer?"

Green Arrow has posed:
    A few steps carries him to her side and at the least she can read in his body language that there's no malice in his manner as she takes up the stance there, nocks, draws. It's all perfectly mechanically fine. She's studied enough, learned enough. A hand lifts to slightly touch her forearm, then the other slightly moves her shoulder forwards a little. "See, you've got it covered."
    He steps back and spreads his hands, "Now, I suppose you're waiting for me to offer you some technique, or insight, or something like a secret that lets me do what I do, right?"
    A small grimace touches his features as he leans back against the fence and folds his arms over his chest, "What I do next? I hit the target. That's it." His lip curls slightly, "I mean, I aim, I wait til I am sure I'm going to hit and then I loose. It's sort of a... zen thing." His lip twitches a bit at telling her about zen. But in most ways it's entirely true.

Lady Shiva has posed:
    "There is more to it." It's a statement, not a question. In her mind, it isn't that simple. There is something there in his mind. She's just unsure why he isn't sharing it.
    She draws back the ararow, held perfectly in place, no strain from holding the pull. All very mechanical. The adjustments he had just shown her are taken into account. A shift of her arm. A touch forward with the shoulder. The physical she can understand and copy.
    Yet, his last words hold her attention. That is a place she goes to when she is using her current skill set. She's never tried to apply it to archery. After all, archery isn't something she's used very often at all. A few times back with the League but she preferred to use just her hands. It is why she avoided all the fancy chi manipulations that some few in the world could utilize. It wasn't pure skill. It was parlor tricks. Effective perhaps but still tricks.
    She closes her eyes and takes a breath, holding it for a moment. That meditative state is there when she reaches for it, instantly granting peace to her instead of frustration. She lets it carry her and that aura becomes almost palpable. A moment later she opens her eyes and the arrow flies. It thumps into the target, right next to his in the center. "Zen," she murmurs with a faint smile as she looks over at him.

Green Arrow has posed:
    A glance over to the target and he looks momentarily taken aback. But then he looks back towards her with his lip curling into a half-smile as she surprises him as well. "See, that's it. Everything else..." He offers as he affects a subtle shift in the tone of his voice like some intergalactic smuggler, "Is just a bunch of simple tricks and nonsense."
    He steps forwards and lifts a hand, and should she allow him he'll take the bow back to sling it over his shoulder, then starts to clean up some of the empties around him, tossing them into the recycling bin with a glassy clink. "So there you go, you're a costumed archer now. Feel free to put on a uniform of all one colour and take some sort of catchy name, like Purple Protector or something."
    That said he starts the slow walk down towards the end of the yard, moving to collect all those arrows from the target once he gets down there.

Lady Shiva has posed:
    The reference goes over her head again as Shiva allows him to take back his bow. She moves to the stump and takes her glass, sipping at the orange juice within while he cleans up empty bottles. At his suggestion abut being an archer, she smiles faintly and shakes her head. At least she can recognize that as humor. The concept of her being a costumed anything is rather amusing. True, she seems to be on the outskirts of those very beings but it isn't something she has partaken of in her own life. Her only costume is simple, adorned by a sash and nothing more, matching the skills she prefers to wield. "I believe I will need more practice before donning purple attire," she murmurs.
    Her gaze is locked on him as she pulls the arrows from the target. Then she turns, walking toward the back door with her glass in hand. "Although it is not what I had expected, I thank you, Mr. Queen. I will consider our bargain complete."

Green Arrow has posed:
    Stopping halfway down range towards the target he turns around and walks backwards, spreading his arms wide with the bow held light in his left hand. "What? That's it?" He walks a few steps, "I'm off the hook easy as that?" He shakes his head and turns back around, starting to yank out the wooden shafts from the hay bale target, wiping the arrowheads against the pants leg of his jeans then turning back around as he slides them home in the quiver one at a time.
    "I figured you'd hassle me for a few weeks at least, keep trying to spy on me, find my secret chili recipe." Ollie shakes his head and smirks a little but he starts the leisurely stroll back. "Man,"
    "It's almost anti-climactic."

Lady Shiva has posed:
    That brings Shiva's attention back around to him before she goes into the house itself. "If you disagree, then so be it." Then she disappears through the door and the sound of water running can be heard. She was even nice enough to rinse out her glass before leaving it in the sink. She emerges from the door and heads to the gate that will let her exit the yard instead of taking the same path she did to gain entry to the property.
    "Since I wish you to attain a properly climactic ending," she says flicking her gaze to him. "You still owe me. We will speak again in the future."
    She heads out the gate.