840/The 'Hopeless' in 'Hopeless Romantic'

The 'Hopeless' in 'Hopeless Romantic'
Date of Scene:	07 June 2017
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Green Arrow, Black Canary

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Green Arrow has posed:
There's a knock at the door this evening.

Sure, Sherwood Florist is closed. Sure, there are many perfectly suitable places to be wined and dined in Gotham City.

And yet, Oliver Queen stands at the door with a bag in his hand that smells, clearly, of Chinese take-out.

"Anyone home?" he asks with a sheepish smile on his face.

Black Canary has posed:
Dinah Lance opens the door, wearing a green dress. A yellow tulip tucked behind her ear. "Ollie," she states, gesturing for you to come in. "Ah, you did say you were bringing dinner - the table's prepared upstairs." She gestures for you to walk through the closed flower shop, dimly lit by the refrigterators keeping the flowers fresh as she shows you to the stairs in the back.

Green Arrow has posed:
"Well, good evening to you too, madamoiselle," Oliver replies, his face turning a bit pink. "I, ah, didn't want to get your kitchen all messy by cooking here." He coughs, walking in slowly.

"You look incredible," he adds, looking down at his own super-casual green t-shirt and khakis.

"Did I--I chose poorly, didn't I? The take-out /is/ good, I swear." Oliver scratches at the back of his neck as he heads up toward the loft.

Black Canary has posed:
Dinah Lance smiles. "If I know you at all, Ollie, I wasn't expecting a tux. Perhaps I dressed up a bit much, but I thought our first date that doesn't involve sewers, derailing trains, or criminals of any kind can be just a private affair." She takes you upstairs - two plates are sitting on the dining room table with a candle lit in the middle. "Chinese works just fine for me."

Green Arrow has posed:
Shaking his head, Oliver exhales slowly, still grinning. "I'm not sure a pretty bird can--or should--ever shed her feathers. Me, though? I've gotten used to the 'rich boy slumming it' aesthetic." He clears his throat. "You might be surprised at how easy it is to blend into a crowd this way."

Walking to the kitchen counter, Oliver begins removing takeout packages from the bag. "You go ahead and sit. I'll get these dishes prepped. The least I can do, right?" He mutters quietly to himself: "try not to screw /this/ up too, Ollie..."

Black Canary has posed:
Dinah Lance nods as she smiles, pulling up her seat as she watches you, smiling enigmatically. "Don't worry - I have no plans on singing to you today. Though... I am very good at doing impressions. These golden pipes can do more than rend concrete," she muses. "By the way - how did you get to be such a good shot?"

Green Arrow has posed:
"Heh," Oliver replies, taking a deep breath as he pours General Tso's chicken and fried rice onto two plates, garnishing them with egg rolls.

"I once had a really long vacation. Long enough to find the time to practice. A lot," he continues, placing each plate on the dining table. "How'd you build up those pipes of yours?"

Oliver sits down in the empty chair and then snaps his fingers. "Forgot the drinks," he says quickly, and leaps back up to retrieve a bottle of wine from the takeout bag.

He works on uncorking it while looking to Dinah. "Natural talent? Lots of practice?"

Black Canary has posed:
Dinah Lance nods. "Yes. I'll show you my testing ground someday - there's an abandoned warehouse on Tenth Street that I did some work in, reinforcing the walls. Look in there and you think someone was blasting a cannon off. Nope, just me screaming at it." She smiles, and then just after you finish pouring the wine and put the bottle down, she opens her mouth, you hear the voice of Batman growl, "I am the night!" She winks at you. "Sorry, no more stunts. You have no idea how much that simple tool can distract a bad guy around here."

Green Arrow has posed:
His eyebrows raised in surprise, Oliver nods slowly. "Just please ... please ... don't ever prank-call me with that voice." He chuckles quietly and a bit nervously. "I don't think I could take it."

Oliver scoops up the two filled wine glasses and returns to the table, where he sits.

"Thank you for agreeing to have dinner with me. I hope I've at least provided a clear message about the class of person I am." He offers a half-smirk.

"And I haven't even shown you the special gift I brought," he adds before taking a sip of wine. "...it's a fortune cookie."

Black Canary has posed:
Dinah Lance smiles. "A fortune cookie. What Chinese dinner would be complete without it?" she asks. "So - are you as rich as everyone says you are, Ollie? Not that it matters much - I have a comfortable life - even if I retired the fishnets and never 'sang' again, I'd do well in life - though I'd be BORED TO TEARS while doing so." She smiles as she takes a bite.

Green Arrow has posed:
"That depends," Oliver responds with a mouth full of rice. He takes a moment to swallow the food before continuing.

"How rich do people say I am? I'm no Stark or Wayne, that's for sure. But I /do/ do quite alright." He takes in another mouthful.

"So," Oliver asks once that bite's gone, "you go 'out' ... so to speak ... for fun? For a thrill?"

Black Canary has posed:
Dinah Lance shrugs. "Sure. Gotham's a great city to go out at night and find a bad guy to kick the butt of. It's basically my nightly exercise regiment. A very effective one." She smiles. "I'm sure you have your own activities." She smiles. "I forsee this as the beginning of a beautiful relationship. Even if it never progresses past just friends - I'm glad I met you - but I do have hopes for something... more."

Green Arrow has posed:
Oliver nearly chokes on his food as Dinah speaks, and he takes several moments to cough his airway free.

"Ahh...uhh...err...umm," he sputters, his face beet-red.

Oliver begins to speak, but stops himself and chugs his wine before gasping for air.

"Whewwww." He coughs. "Well. Okay. I'll admit..." Oliver pauses and sighs. "I was kind of going for something more, myself. These may not have been the suavest of moves, but...yeah, I was going to build up to it. I like what we've got going on here."

Black Canary has posed:
Dinah Lance nods, smirking a bit at the choking fit. "Yes - we complement each other well in battle. I'm at close range, and you snipe from afar." She smiles. "And I'm sure that your special trick arrows can have a variety to balance the power that is my Canary Cry." She smiles. "It doesn't help that you are a very handsome man too." She glances you up and down as she continues eating.

Green Arrow has posed:
"It's often said that my handsomeness is the most attractive thing about me," Oliver replies, leaning back in his seat and trying to play down his sputtering.

"What can I say, though? I work with my hands. You're quite the dancer. It's a complementary approach." Oliver leans forward a bit, resting on elbow on the table.

"Speaking of complimentary approaches...what if I were to tell you that you're the most gorgeous crime-fighter I've ever laid eyes on?" He grins as he asks his question.

Black Canary has posed:
Dinah Lance blushes faintly. "That's one tall pedastal you're putting me on, Ollie. Careful that it doesn't get out of our reach. You're saying I'm more beautiful tahn WONDER WOMAN?" she asks. "Flatter will get you EVERYWHERE, my dear."

Green Arrow has posed:
"Well," Oliver says, putting a finger to his chin in an exaggerated fashion, "I can't recall offhand if I've actually seen Wonder Woman in person..."

He trails off for a moment and then laughs. "But, come on! She's not even in the same /league/ as you, girl! What can I say? I've got a thing for butt-kickers in fishnets. Especially ones who'll eat Chinese takeout with me."

Black Canary has posed:
Dinah Lance smiles. "Well... technically she is - I'm one of the newest members of the Justice League. Batman actually came and sat right over there a week ago to talk to me. Wow, is he intimidating." She hmmmms. "But... I could put in a word for you if you're interested." You might note something of interest in Dinah's loft - there doesn't appear to be any modern technology other than an used flatscreen TV.

Green Arrow has posed:
"You don't say?" Oliver asks, drumming a hand on the table. "Maybe ... but nahh," he adds, shaking his head. "I'm more of an 'occasional team-up' guy, myself. /Maybe/ a single dedicated partner..."

He winks. "But a whole league of big-name heroes? I'm just a guy with a bow in the shadows. And I like to do my work there, in the dark."

Oliver looks at his empty wine glass. "Want a refill? I seem to be in need of some more, myself."

As he stands, he notices the TV. "You keep things a bit 'primitive' here, don't you? I've gotta say ... I like it."

Black Canary has posed:
Dinah Lance shrugs. "I don't trust technology. There's a quote from one of those Harry Potter books from a few decades back. 'Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see its brain'." She smiles. "It really resonated with me..." She trails off. "By 'single dedicated partner'..." She gazes at you, eyes wide. "Did you have anyone in mind?"

Green Arrow has posed:
"Well," Oliver says, placing his empty glass on the table and leaning toward Dinah, "now that you mention it ... I kind of did."

He glances around. "Her name was right on the tip of my tongue. I remember ..." He squints as if in thought. "... the name was one of a very, very pretty bird indeed."

Oliver leans in a bit closer. "You don't happen to be looking for a partner yourself, do you?" he asks quietly.

Black Canary has posed:
Dinah Lance smiles. "What, are you extending an olive branch?" she asks, smiling. "Well, I wouldn't mind having a partner... one I can talk to. I'm low on the totem pole at the League - it's not lie you can just have a sit-down with Batman and discuss secrets. A true partner... I could."

Green Arrow has posed:
"You could call it that, my dear," Oliver replies, reaching for Dinah's hand.

"You and I could talk and talk and talk, all night long. All day, too, for that matter," he adds hastily, with a wink.

"Somehow I doubt Batman would make such an offer. Plus, he's a high-tech kind of guy. I try to do things ... the things that matter ... the old-fashioned way."

"So," he adds, running a hand through his hair, "what say you and I burn off some of this Chinese?"

Black Canary has posed:
Dinah Lance smiles. "Certainly, I have a private gym in the other room." She looks down. "though these aren't workout clothes. Be right back." She heads into the bedroom and closes the door behind her.