813/A Veritable Treasure Trove

A Veritable Treasure Trove
Date of Scene:	05 June 2017
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Green Arrow, Corusca

---

Green Arrow has posed:
Another night, another gala on the grounds of the Queen Mansion in scenic Starling City.

Tonight, however, the gala's purpose is simultaneously for charity and for a potential investment opportunity. It's the best of both worlds!

"TOWARD A SMARTER STARLING CITY" read a number of banners hanging about the mansion's porches.

A small army of waiters maneuver through the crowd of schmoozers, deftly offering hors d'oeurves and champagne.

Oliver Queen similarly weaves his way about the clusters of attendees, shaking hands and clapping shoulders, smiling all the way.

"It's incredible, isn't it?" he asks one couple. "Integrating smart technologies into the very infrastructure of Starling...it could launch us even further into the future."

Corusca has posed:
    Miranda Madsen, daughter of Martin and Madaline Madsen and darling of the finance industry. For all that she's in her mid 20s and doesn't claim a degree from any famous university, she has made a number of shrewd investments that has placed her firmly into the camp of the financial sharks for which her father was well known. Sadly, Martin Madsen passed away from a heart attack and Madaline has only rarely been seen since having retired to Nova Scotia.

    Wearing an off the shoulder and vibrantly emerald green cocktail dress, Miranda arrives at the party fashionably late. Her luxuriously full golden blonde hair is left loose and wavy across her shoulders today rather than up in a severe bob that she occasionally does at business meetings. As she passes her stole to the coat check man, she steps beyond the foyer and takes in the surrounds. Her bio pic does not do her justice for her presence immediately draws the eye.

Green Arrow has posed:
As Miranda arrives, Oliver catches glimpse of her from the corner of his eye, and for a long moment, he forgets the content of the conversation he's currently in.

With a laugh and several blinks, Queen flags down the nearest waiter and offers a snack to his guests. "Apologies. So much to keep track of. Please forgive me--I hope you'll find these shrimp and grits servings suitably enjoyable."

He moves toward where the woman had been standing, looking about for her.

Along the way, he's stopped and finds himself engaged in brief bursts of phatic communion. "Evening." "Welcome, welcome." "So glad to see you." "Hello there!"

The entire time, he's seeking out the woman in the green dress.

Corusca has posed:
    Miranda parts the throng even as she enters it. A glass of champagne is taken from a passing waiter as though it were meant for her all along. There are familiar faces here though none would recognize her. "Miss Maycott, hello." She smiles winningly to a woman who recognizes her out of politeness. "Mister Thompson, how is Rainy Day? I understand he ran well this year." Flustered, the man acknowledges his horse with confused pride. All the while, Miranda flits from pocket of conversation to another.

    Eventually, she alights near to the orchestra and plucks a cracker with a smoked oyster from a passing waiter. There is a sense of negligent boredom about her and yet she manages to look genial all the while. Her shimmering aquamarine eyes seem to be hunting the crowd for.. someone.

Green Arrow has posed:
The blond millionaire finally manages to get close to Miranda's location, adjusting his coat jacket as he approaches, a glass of champagne in his own hand.

"Excuse me," he says, flashing a smile. "I couldn't help but notice you have me utterly outclassed fashion-wise. I came to pay proper deference."

The man nods his head and makes a short, polite bow. "Oliver Queen at your service. I'm pleased you could make it, but I confess I don't think we've met before, Miss...?" he asks, brows raising with the final inflection of his inquiry.

Corusca has posed:
    Miranda turns to face the blond approaching her and looks him up and down. She returns his flash of a smile with a more demure offering, "Deference? My but the pedestal is suddenly very tall. What ever will I do up here?" She regards the bow a moment then offers him a hand that he might lay further flattery upon it.

    "Madsen. Miranda Madsen. And you, Oliver Queen. Quite the expose you've put on here. But aren't you worried that advances in technology will only serve to disconnect people from one another?" There's a brief moment where she might allow a response but then adds, "And yes, I realize the internet and smart phones allowed for communication on a scale the likes of which never occurred before but I don't mean communication. I mean connecting."

    It's then that she takes a half step towards him, not quite entering his personal space. "I mean the visceral bonds that we form when we speak, read body language, and are actually in the presence of another sentient being." Her eyes twinkle.. and then she sips her champagne. "It's a lost art you know?"

Green Arrow has posed:
"Oh, I imagine you'll find it perfectly comfortable, madame," Queen replies, taking a sip of his champagne. "In my experience, technology brings people together. Some might say /that/ happens too much, too easily, and too dangerously."

He shrugs and smiles as she moves closer. "We're hoping that this program will realize the best of what's possible and avoid the worst. If there's one thing the last few decades have taught us, it's lessons about what /not/ to do with digital technology."

"Of course," he continues, leaning forward just slightly, "I must say I /do/ still prefer the analog approach, all things considered. But I'm not going to press my own personal preferences onto anyone else."

Corusca has posed:
    "No?" Miranda seems disappointed and resumes a more socially acceptable distance. "Some might find that disappointing." She gives a glance to the orchestra again. "Take the players, for instance. Live. With instruments made by hand. Playing with passion. I dare say I would prefer that to analog playback any day. And, to that point, you seem to be pressing that preference simply by having them rather than playing Tchaikovsky over the rather expensive media equipment you have here."

    Miranda looks back to him and offers a little shrug and a sip of her drink. "So what is the occasion tonight? I received an invitation and.. I'll be honest.. I didn't read it. I just happened to be on the west coast and thought I ought to pay my respects to the captains of industry."

Green Arrow has posed:
"Ah," Queen replies, chuckling. "I meant analog as a contrast to digital. The orchestra, for example, is certainly 'analog' in that sense." He sips his drink again, his complexion a bit pink.

"I hope you'll forgive the confusion I've caused. The occasion, madame, is a hybrid charity and investment celebration. Queens Consolidated, in collaboration with S.T.A.R. Labs, is going to 'smart-ify'--for lack of a better term at the moment, I apologize--Starling City. This means automation, networked link-ups for city services, and so on." He clears his throat.

"There will be a lot of people potentially affected who lack the resources to integrate into such a city easily," Queen continues. "We want to make sure they don't get lost in the shuffle. That they don't experience further hardship--and, really, we want a better life for them all in every way possible."

"It'll be a lot of work. A /lot/ of data passing through the city's infrastructure." He places his glass on the tray of a passing waiter. "We also need to protect the citizens by protecting their information."

Corusca has posed:
    "Speaking of work.. aren't you concerned that there will be a lot of jobs displaced through this automation?" Miranda inquires with a gesture 'at large' with her champagne flute. "Not everyone will have the savvy to qualify for the IT positions opening up to maintain that sort of job or even the specialized electronics knowhow to serve in a more physical capacity." She finishes her champagne before setting it aside and further inquiring, "Or is the charity portion of this event to aid those now unemployed by these advances?"

Green Arrow has posed:
Queen nods and shrugs. "It's possible. Hell, it's even probable. I think the real question before us is going to be: should we punish Starling's citizens for being alive?"

He shakes his head. "I'm hopeful that this we can use this to spring-board a simultaneous push for universal basic income for everyone in the metro area. Unlike most CEOs," Oliver adds, "I don't feel like I should reap the sole benefit for work that can benefit everybody."

"I'm not sure everyone who /can/ help will be on the same page from the get-go. So, yeah, we'll need some charitable support, too. At least at first. Is that so unreasonable?"

Corusca has posed:
    "So long as you're aware of what is going to happen and are willing to deal with those consequences?" Miranda offers a little shrug. "I imagine that depends on how fast you lend aid to the people in need. Their perspective is going to be a little more.. raw.. when compared to your own, after all. They will be the ones becoming homeless and desperate to care for their families. I might recommend that you have these programs in place before you pull the proverbial trigger." She takes a deep breath, lifting her bussom a little as she looks around. "The more.. things.. we have.. the less we value them. The poor know the value of hard work. Every thing they earn right down to the hand sewn blanket is cherished. Now? People throw away old phones."

Green Arrow has posed:
Oliver nods and taps his chin with a finger. "Good point. I'd love to unveil the social and civic infrastructure first. How would you recommend talking everyone else with the means to make it happen into realizing it?"

He offers a wide grin. "Of course, with the kind of advice you're giving, I should just start cutting you a check as a consultant. Unless, that is, you'd rather the money go into these infrastructural programs..."

Corusca has posed:
    "I'm afraid my family isn't heavily invested in construction and the like.. but I do have some influence in financial circles." Miranda muses a moment. "I'm sure we could work with the city to find funding for training vouchers. It would be best to train the workers first then transition them to the new systems. This way there's no interuption in employment and you don't have to throw money into housing and the like. It's less disruptive overall."

    Miranda takes a moment to look Oliver over. "So why this push towards technology? Do you own the patents on it? Looking to make a killing from the government dollar?"

Green Arrow has posed:
Oliver's eyebrows rise in surprise as Miranda notes her connections, and he nods. "Impressive," he admits. "That would probably work well."

"As far as I'm concerned," he continues, "I'm not really out to make a profit--that is, not on the backs of others. Maybe it's unbelievable to hear, but I genuinely /do/ want to help lift everyone up. I've grown less and less comfortable with life as a 'have'."

He scrunches his face a bit, squinting with one eye. "You know what I mean? To take, and take, and not give back ... it just doesn't feel right."

Corusca has posed:
    "No?" Miranda seems skeptical and glances around at the people enjoying the party. "I'm sure that you'd have a limit. Much as the rest of everyone here would. Give until you feel it.. then.. no more." She purses her lips in thought then looks to Oliver. "There are days I wonder why I come to these parties. I'm just reminded why I don't and why I am so tired of money." Her eyes seem to regard him with a weariness that suggests a maturity far beyond a woman in her 20s. Then she smiles and the twinkle in her eyes is back. "I'm sorry. I'm being a debbie downer at your gala. I do wish you well in this endeavor. You seem to have a good heart."

Green Arrow has posed:
"Nonsense, you're no downer," Oliver responds, a smile on his face. "Really. You'd be surprised how much /any/ interaction that doesn't involve shameless schmoozing is welcome. So very, /very/ welcome."

He flags down a waiter. "Have, ah, a ... pig in a blanket?" he asks, grimacing slightly as the carried platter comes into view. "Actually, don't let me hold you here. There's much better company to be had."

Oliver chuckles. "I'll do my best to get in touch with you soon about your ideas. They really are remarkable."

Corusca has posed:
    The offer of a pig in a blanket merits a laugh from Miranda and she covers her mouth quickly, a blush forming on her face. "Yes, thank you." She reaches out and plucks a toothpick sausage from the tray and eats it. For some reason the whole thing is striking her as hilarious and so she looks away to focus upon the band, the crowd, a piece of art.. nothing to see here but a desperate attempt to regain her composure. She clears her throat and settles herself, running her palms down her sides.

    "Mister Queen, if there had been better company to be had here I would have found it by now." Miranda returns sincerely. "But I'm remarkably hard to reach so.." She reaches for her small purse and takes out a cell phone that's more like a notepad. She taps at it with her fingers then looks to him. "Email? I don't do business cards, sorry."

Green Arrow has posed:
"Email works, absolutely," Oliver replies, even as he reaches into his own jacket to retrieve a business card. As she notes her preference, he slips it back into the jacket's inside breast pocket.

"These days, it's probably best to reach me at 'oliver@queensconsolidated.ca'. It's a bit less embarrassing than the email address I used when I was younger," he says with a laugh. "But that address will remain a secret for now."

"I really am looking forward to a collaboration with you. I'm hopeful that the city will thrive as a result. And when I say 'the city,' I mean its people. All of them," Oliver says, punctuating his statement with another smile. "I'm glad you seem to think the same way."

Corusca has posed:
    Miranda taps that into her pad and saves it. As she's typing, she arches a brow. "You said that already. Twice in fact." There's a lingering amusement showing as a faint smirk but then she's pressing enter. "There. You also have a test message from me so you can send a reply whenever you like." She looks up from the device and tucks it away. "So what is it you do, Mister Queen? When you're not hosting galas and developing super tech?" A beat. "Fascinate me."

Green Arrow has posed:
"Well," Queen replies with a chuckle and a shake of his head, "clearly it's not practicing stump speeches and sound bites--or doing so successfully, anyway."

He raises his hands, palms up. "I don't know. I try to stay fit. Lots of running and other exercise. Hiking. Archery. Kayaking. Conservation activism. Admittedly," he nods, "the kind of leisure-filled life that comes with money and privilege. At least, under our current socioeconomic paradigm."

"How about you?" he asks, cocking his head slightly to one side. "What do you do to fill your time?"

Corusca has posed:
    "I do a lot of reading." Miranda offers after some reflection. "I'd say live dangerously but that's a relative statement. I'm not in the military so you won't see me holding a rifle or any some such." There's a musing with knitted brow. "I parachuted onto a friend's balcony in Manhattan recently." She shrugs as if that's no big thing. "Swimming. Lots of swimming. It's how I stay fit and out of the limelight at the same time. That and the carb free diet. That you just broke by the way." She gestures at the waiter who had that dastardly blanket around the pig. "That's another three laps, you know."

Green Arrow has posed:
"Hey, now," Oliver says, putting his hands up before himself in protest. "I knew nothing about the diet--don't go blaming me for it. Although..."

A smirk creeps halfway across his face. "We /do/ have an Olympic-sized pool here on the grounds, if you're really feeling the need to work off the snack. Usually, it's empty except for a very different flavor of party. I doubt this crowd would feel comfortable getting /that/ drunk..."

Corusca has posed:
    Letting her clutch dangle at her hip, Miranda arches a conspiratorial brow as Oliver mentions the pool. "Oh?" She steps closer to him and drags a fingertip up his chest until it twirls at his bowtie. "I could really stand to get away from this lot." She all but coos. "Is it a.. big.. pool." She emphasizes the word big. "With a diving board? I like diving.. deep." Again, a sultry emphasis on deep. She tugs on his bowtie and unties it.

Green Arrow has posed:
Starling's favorite wealthy playboy swallows a lump in his throat before composing himself. "Uh--yes, actually! Two diving boards. And a hot tub for relaxation after catching up on the day's exercise."

He grins and extends a bent arm to Miranda. "I don't suppose I can offer to lead you there? I'm pretty certain the carriage house has a selection of outfits for guests. Perhaps we can even make it interesting and compete."

"I have to admit, though," Oliver adds, "I'm far more a fan of the relaxation than the exercise, when push comes to shove."

Corusca has posed:
    Miranda takes a step back and looks down at the bent arm being offered to her. She sighs. "So close." Her phone is ringing Mozart. Taking it from her clutch, she looks down at the number then swipes to answer, "Frank! Hello! Yes.. I have the numbers. No.. hold on a moment Frank." She taps the mute button. "I'm sorry, it's Frank." She offers him an apologetic look that suggests he should know who Frank is.. even if he doesn't. "I'm afraid you'll have to cool those jets, Oliver." She gives a pragmatic smile then taps the phone, holding it to her cheek as she meanders off into the crowd.

Green Arrow has posed:
Offering a polite wave and nod, Oliver slips off his bowtie and clears his throat.

"Well, Ollie," he mutters to himself, "maybe that pool would do wonders right now regardless..."

He begins briskly walking off toward another area of the Queen Mansion grounds, acknowledging various guests as he moves by but doesn't stop to chat.