992/Cat's in the Cradle

Cat's in the Cradle
Date of Scene:	16 June 2017
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	1002, Green Arrow

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Connor Hawke (1002) has posed:
So, when Connor arrived early, he ran into Roy -- who was "housesitting", which probably means he was eating Ollie's food--but that pow wow seems to have broken up. Maybe Roy is hiding in a dark doorway preparing to film what comes next for the Internet. But he did text Ollie telling him somebody was at the house waiting for him.

Connor looks like he should be selling pamphlets, with his smooth-shaved head and his loose monk's robes. He's sitting in a chair in the sitting room at the manor with a cold cup of tea in front of him and from the look on his face it seems to be even odds whether or not he's just going to get up and leave.

Green Arrow has posed:
Oliver, meanwhile, does his best to change quickly in an alley before getting too close to the house, tossing his gear into a safe drop.

He steps into the house quickly but cautiously, eyebrows raised as he looks about for the 'guest'.

"Uh ... hello? Hi? Roy?" Oliver calls out, moving into the sitting room. "Anyone--oh."

He stares at the young man in the robes. "H--hi? Hi. Hi there. Did Roy promise to donate to the Hare Krishnas earlier or something?"

Connor Hawke (1002) has posed:
The young man stands up, and wipes his hands on his robes, before he offers one. "Mr. Queen! Sir." He says. This kid has a grip like a *vise*. And archer's callouses. And features that might look familiar in the mists of the past... African and Asian, like a beautiful girl. And green eyes. And blond eyebrows. Um.

"Hello. My apologies. Roy got a text and had to go pick up his daughter? N-no. I'm not Hare Krishna." He pauses, and then exhales, slowly.

"I'm Connor. M-my mom is Sandra Hawke."

Can you put two and two together here, Ollie?

Green Arrow has posed:
Ollie winces just slightly at the younger man's grasp and takes a step back as Connor begins speaking.

"Roy's daughter, eh?" he asks, his voice quiet, while his conversation partner reveals his identity. "Doesn't he know how irresponsible that is? I tell you, some people just should not be parents."

Then, it seems to hit him.

Oliver squints, staring at Connor. "Sandra ... Hawke?" He pauses. "Sandra. Hawke. Sandra. Hawke?!" His voice shifts through a number of emotional registers, and he drops onto a couch seat, his head in his hands.

"Sandra. Sandra." Oliver looks up to Connor. "I--I--I--" He shakes his head and clears his throat. "I'm sorry, Cameron. This is just incredibly unexpected. Sandra /Hawke/!?"

Connor Hawke (1002) has posed:
"Yeah." Connor's throat has gone dry. "My mom is Sandra Hawke." He pauses, and then sits next to Ollie, and this kid's eyebrows go up, and he gives what might be the world's most uncomfortable smile.

"I'm your son, Mr. Queen."

Connor Hawke (1002) has posed:
And then, he remembers to add, "And it's Connor. My name is Connor, sir."

Green Arrow has posed:
"I just ... I just can't believe that Sandra had a son," Oliver replies, rubbing his face vigorously. He blinks a ludicrous number of times. "Or that she'd name you Cameron. Connor?" he asks as he's corrected.

"Connor. Sorry. Sandra's son. Sandra had a son. /I/ ... had a son. I had a son?" Clearly, Ollie's accepting this easily.

"Connor, do you drink? This calls for a drink," Oliver continues, "for oh-so-many reasons."

He stands and moves to a nearby bar setup, picking up a bottle of whisky.

Connor Hawke (1002) has posed:
"I don't sir. I'm a monk! I was--was a monk. Until recently." He sighs. "I don't need anything, Mr. Queen. Don't worry. I didn't come for money, and I'm not going to stick around. Mom--she told me that your mother--my grandmother, she paid her a lot of money to... vanish. She called it a devil's deal, enough money to move to LA and start her acting career, if she'd just... go. But she never told your mother she was pregnant." He shakes his head.

"I just wanted to meet you, to say hello, and to--you deserve to know. And... maybe... give you this." He reaches down onto the coffee table, and picks up a picture he'd left there.

It's him, at 13 or so, on a beach, in a Ron Jon t-shirt holding a surfboard. And this kid has a *mane* of long golden Prince-Hair (Queen hair?) running halfway down his back. "When I shaved it before I left for the Ashram, mom cried for hours."

Green Arrow has posed:
"Wow. I ... sorry, Cameron--Conner. Again, sorry." Oliver rubs his face again.

"I'm trying to take this in, I really am. It's just so unbelievable. And my own mother /knew/ this?!" he asks heatedly. "Oh, wait," he says, processing the new information. "Okay. That's at least one less thing to burst a blood vessel about, I suppose."

Oliver quickly pours a drink, downs it, and pours another. He waits a moment and then drinks that one, too. Then, he refills his glass and walks back to the couch.

"I ... I'm sorry I'm not more articulate, man," Oliver says, setting his glass on a coffee table. "This is just--wow." He looks at the photograph. "Looks like you had a fun childhood. How long were you at the monastery?"

"Also," he adds, shaking his head, "wait a seceond. If you're my son--and I'm not saying that 'if' to try and deny you or anything--then why not stick around? I mean, I'm kind of a big deal. You could be taken care of easily..."

Connor Hawke (1002) has posed:
"Oh, since I was 13. So about five years. I was getting into a lot of fights in school." Connor quirks his mouth, and says, "And the beach was one of the only places where I WAS happy. Surfing... that was the last time I went, I think? And I was fighting with Mom. Cutting classes, not coming home, sneaking out. So she got fed up and told me I was going to this religious school. I figured I'd bail, you know? But when she took me there to look at it the first time, I saw the monks and it just... it clicked."

He rubs his scalp, slowly, and then he says, "Oh. Well I mean I don't want to be a bother, Mr. Queen. I figured I'd just say hello then figure out what I'm going to do next. Maybe I'd try and find a job, maybe I'd go back to California, or find a way to go to Japan for awhile and study a little more."

Green Arrow has posed:
"Boy," Oliver says, staring off into space with a sigh, "this is /something/, isn't it?"

He takes a deep breath and then exhales slowly. "Look, Connor," Oliver says, turning to gaze at the boy, "I've screwed up a /lot/ in my life. Like, a /lot/ lot. A lot." He puts a hand on Connor's shoulder.

"If there's one thing I've learned, it's that you have to try and take the opportunities life presents you--otherwise, you're wasting your talents and gifts." Oliver looks around. "I think it's fair to say that I have plenty of gifts that should be shared."

"Don't feel obligated to say 'yes' right this moment," Ollie says, sipping his drink. "But think about it. I mean, you're my son! My son. I have a son." He shakes his head, but a slow grin creeps across his face while he does so. "So much to catch up on..." he mutters.

Connor Hawke (1002) has posed:
Connor gives a little smile. As if he can't believe his luck. "I'd... I'd like that, Mr. Queen. I can work for my board. I can clean, do household chores--whatever you need doing. I, uh." He pauses. "Honestly? This is more than I could've asked for." He casts his eyes away. "I need to go to the hostel and get my duffel bag. I don't have a lot, I haven't even had a chance to go out and buy some--ordinary clothes." He drops his elbows on his thighs and looks down. And his stomach growls. Grrrgrowl.

Green Arrow has posed:
"Alright," Oliver replies, still grinning. "But first things first. And first is food."

He's already on his cell, tapping away to get an order of /something/ submitted. "Delivery in like ten to fifteen minutes. In the meantime, you should raid the fridge for snacks. There should at least be a bit of ice cream left."

Ollie points a thumb over his shoulder toward the kitchen.

"After we eat, we can go get your stuff. I'm not going to make you do chores, though. We've got some father-son catching up to do. That should be relatively time-consuming. Although," Oliver adds, scratching under his chin, "I'll have to spend quite a bit of time working."

"I don't know how much you know about me," he says with a light sigh, "but it takes a lot of time and energy to stay on top of business in this city. And I try to stay on top of it."

Connor Hawke (1002) has posed:
"Oh. I don't eat refined sugar." Connor says. "Or meat."

"That's okay. I'm just... happy to be here, Mr. Queen. I'm happy to meet you... I'm happy to get a chance to know you." He blinks back tears. How was he expecting this meeting to go? You'd ask him if he wanted money then throw him out?

Green Arrow has posed:
"No meat, eh?" Ollie says. "No worries. Starling's got its fair share of granola types. Just let me get a second order made real quick." He spends a minute tapping through options on his phone again.

"Hey, man, I hear you," Oliver chuckles, patting Connor on the back. "Life's a weird thing, you know? I spent too many years as a completely self-centered dick. I try to be past that point now. I'll admit--I'm /not/ always past it. But I try to be. What kind of dad would I be if I were to treat you as anything other than a son?"

He smiles a warm smile. "That's just no kind of person to be. But maybe ... just maybe ... we'll get you to reconsider refined sugar before too long."

Connor Hawke (1002) has posed:
"That reminds me, Mr. Queen--do you have a gym? I didn't get a chance to work out today, and if I don't, I'll have to double-time it tomorrow." Health nut, eh? He gives a quiet smile. "It's important to stay in condition, and I did get a lot of great walking in getting here, but you know--every day ground isn't gained, it's lost, right?

Green Arrow has posed:
Oliver furrows his brow for a moment. "A gym? Yeah, there's one at Queen Tower, for sure." He chuckles. "I mean, there's a Bowflex or something in one of the guest rooms, but I don't really use it that often."

He stands and puts his glass on the bar. "I like to run through the park, myself. And we've got a pool on the grounds. Cardio's important, right?" Oliver cocks his head to one side. "I've had a few personal trainers tell me that. But they never seemed to appreciate refined sugar, either."

Connor Hawke (1002) has posed:
"Oh, well--" He says, "Do you mind if I go outside and run through some excercises really quickly?" He gestures. "Yeah. Master Jansen was all about what he called the holistic life." He straightens up. "I'm not really worried about it, I just--" He says, "I'm *hella* worked up right now, and I should bleed off some of this nervous energy." ...Though it's subdued by that monk's mien, Connor is a Cali boy. He practically exudes it.

Green Arrow has posed:
The older man nods and gestures to the door. "Yeah, sure thing. Of course." He holds up both hands and looks around. "Mi casa, su casa, right? Oh, that reminds me."

Oliver snaps his fingers and points to his temple. "Don't let me forget. We need to get you a spare key so you can actually enter and leave when you want. But--I'm slowing you down. Go burn off that energy, man!"

He refills his glass. "Maybe I'll come sit out on the porch and just soak in the fact that /I/ /have/ a /son/," he says, blinking again. "Crazy."

Connor Hawke (1002) has posed:
Connor nods, and gets up, and he walks outside. Once outside, in the moonlight, he sheds the outer part of his robe, revealing that the kid is muscled like a *panther*. Muscled shoulders ripple as he sinks into a kneeling position, and then bows onto his forearms, his head touching the ground. That done, he stands, going through forms. Though it's all more like one motion, as the kid twists through stances, motions that would begin a throw, and strikes so fast his fists are hard to follow.

Green Arrow has posed:
For his part, Oliver sits in a rocking chair and drinks his whisky. The entire time, he alternates between shaking his head in surprise and grinning and laughing to himself.

He sends a few texts and watches the progress of the dinner delivery.

"Is that, uh, tai chi?" Oliver calls out to his son. "Lookin' good, man."

Connor Hawke (1002) has posed:
"Aikido!" Connor says. "I live and breathe O Sensei's teachings. He saved my life, even though he died long before I was ever born." Connor looks around, and in lieu of a staff, he grabs a rake, and man, could this kid mess someone up with a rake. He has it spinning so fast it's hard to see it in his hands. As he goes through movements, it becomes clear Aikido is the heart of his style, but there's Karate in there, and Judo. "I studied Kyudo archery at the Ashram too, but my bow's locked in its case at the hostel."

Green Arrow has posed:
"O'Sensei, huh?" Ollie asks. "I'll admit--I didn't expect there to be an Irish monk at an Ashram. Learn something new every day."

He perks up, however, when Connor mentions archery. "A bow, you say?" Oliver's eyes twinkle. "Where's the damn delivery? We need to get your stuff here, stat!" He slams his empty glass down on the porch railing.

"I don't know if you know this, but I'm an amateur archer. I really want to see what you can do with a bow," he says with no small amount of excitement in his voice.

Connor Hawke (1002) has posed:
"Oh." Connor laughs, embarassed, leaning on the rake. "I'm good? I've been told I'm good. But I was never a natural with it. But Master Jansen said that since I struggled with it, that I should work hard to master it. So I did. It--grew on me." He shakes his head, and rubs his face. "Now I feel embarassed."

Green Arrow has posed:
Shaking his head, Oliver waves a hand to punctuate his disagreement. "Nonsense, nonsense," he says. "It's just ... if your old man's good, too, maybe it runs in the family."

As he says that, Ollie stops to ponder something. "Maybe...maybe," he says quietly.

A delivery car comes around the corner and begins up the drive to the manor.

"Connor," Oliver asks, "you ever driven before?"

Connor Hawke (1002) has posed:
Connor blinks, and looks faintly taken aback. "...Go-karts?" He says. "I didn't get a chance to get my license at the Ashram. Being cloistered ... other monks went and did all the shopping. So no, I never learned. I guess I should learn?"

Green Arrow has posed:
"Kid," Oliver says, stepping off the porch to approach Connor, "you're about to have one hell of a lesson."

He waves to the delivery person getting out of their car, bags in hand. "That smells awesome," Oliver says. "And both orders there? ... Yes, great, thank you," he continues.

One hand provides a credit card and the bill's sorted out.

"For the moment, you'll just want to observe while you eat. I'm about to do some serious multitasking. Now ... which car do you want to take?"

Oliver begins walking around the side of the house toward a large garage that houses several sports cars, motorcycles, and SUVs.

Connor Hawke (1002) has posed:
Connor's eyes widen just a touch. "I..." He pauses, "...Wow." He looks at the different vehicles, and then finally he lets out a sigh. Connection to material things is supposed to be a sin. But Connor looks like he's about to propose to that '69 Porsche 912.

Green Arrow has posed:
With a cackle, Oliver approaches a small box in the garage with a security panel and types in a code. It opens, revealing car keys. He nabs the Porsche's and walks to it.

"You eat in there, make sure not to let a single crumb drop. Like it was your own," he says solemnly before winking. Ollie thrusts the bags of food into Connor's arms and slips into the car.

"Now," he adds, "let's go get your stuff."

Connor Hawke (1002) has posed:
Connor pauses, and says, "Oh, no. I'd never eat in this car. I'll wait." He slides into the passenger seat, and he buckles up. He hasn't put his over-robe back on. "Wait--" He says. Then he pauses, and sits back. "Uh. Ok. Well I have a t-shirt in my bag at the hostel."

Green Arrow has posed:
"Well then," Ollie replies with a grin, one eyebrow rising. "Let's make this a memorable first father-son outing."

Then, he revs the engine, brakes squealing before he peels out of the garage backwards, swinging the car around 180 degrees. The car races off down the Starling streets.

Ollie shouts: "To family ... and beyond!"