𝐎𝑳𝐈𝑽𝐄𝑹⭒𝐐𝑼𝐄𝑬𝐍

i mean,  yes.  elegant elixirs decided that they wanted to train a couple of new bartenders,  and they chose /carly/ to be the one to train them.  can you believe that?  i’ve been there longer than she has AND i /actually/ know how to make drinks.   ( … )   i kind of walked out after that.      [   edena moved her hand to the back of her neck,  as though she had admitted something heinous and was expected judgement.   ]      you’d really do that for me?

@scarredtouch       ───   〝 to   come   work   for   me?      [     he   repeated   her   words,   the   trademark   playboy   grin   written   across   his   face.   during   the   day,   he   was   nearly   an   entirely   different   person.    ]     yeah,   of   course.   we   can   always   make   room   for   you.  〟

 ⠀⠀ of all things edena considered, him being so open with the idea of her having powers wasn’t. it honestly should have been though, because oliver had never openly judged her for anything during their friendship. sure, they gave each other so much shit before he was lost for five years, but it was all in good fun— never anything honestly serious.
             ⠀⠀ she looked up at oliver when he asked her questions, although she didn’t quite know how to properly explain it. she lived with it her entire life but most of it had been secluded from the simple, human act of physical touch. “it depends, i think. the longer the contact goes on, the more memories i have to live through. i don’t know how long you held onto me, but it was enough for me to experience most of those five years you were gone.”
             ⠀⠀ she broke eye contact when she finished speaking, dropping her head in a foolish attempt to hide herself. she didn’t deem it fair that she got to live through his life but she had kept him at arm’s length even now, but what else was she really supposed to do? she’d never told anybody about her gifts, and this was all just incredibly overwhelming. “i know i didn’t choose to.. go through your memories, but i’m sorry.”

@scarredtouch       ✩      he   took   a   few   moments   to   collect   his   thoughts.   it   would   all   make   sense,   the   lack   of   touch,   the   mention   of      lian   yu.   it   was   a   name   he   rarely   used,   even   around   those   closest   to   him.   he   usually   only   called   it   the   ISLAND.   he   had   to   look   away,   running  his   teeth   over   his   bottom   lip.
                  she   knew   more   than   anyone   else   now.   and   he   didn't   deem   it   as   a   threat,   he   knew   her   better   than   that,   but   -admittedly-   it   made   his   gut   twist.   his   history   was   something   sacred.   something   he   didn't   tell   most   people   for   a   REASON.   he   didn't   want   to   see   the   look   on   their   faces   if   they   knew   the   truth.   waking   up   to   a   nightmare   and   holding   his   arm   against   his   mother's   throat..   that'd   had   been   enough   for   him.
                  he   once   again   looked   to   her,   his   eyes   darkened   with   paint.   "how   much   do   you   get?   every   moment?   pieces?   "   he   wondered,   ignoring   the   mention   of   PURGATORY   for   now.

 ⠀ despite the pain still radiating throughout her body, she sat up on the table and pressed her hand to her shoulder. there was no doubt about it that the wound leave a scar. if anything though, she just viewed it as just another thing she would hide from everybody else.
             ⠀ “you know i don’t like physical touch, i’ve never enjoyed that. i appreciated it when you guys didn’t shame or judge me for it but instead accepted me as is.” while she spoke, she turned to face him properly and let her legs rest off of the table. “the reason i don’t is because… i have the ability to see into people’s memories when physical contact is made. despite the fact i’ve been like this since birth, i’ve never gotten any real control over it.”
             ⠀ her gaze drifted down to the floor, an uncomfortable silence filling the air. what would he think of her? “i know what happened to you on lian yu. you don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to, that’s not what i’m asking, but… in case you wanted some sort of proof.”

 ⠀ well… when you put it like that, you’d be the second to last person i’d tell.  [she teased right back, rather enjoying this little chit-chatting session they had going on. it wasn’t often edena got to see oliver joke around, at least not since he’d gotten back from the island, so… it was really nice. she enjoyed it.]  scope out any competition? hunny, i am the competition. no matter what bartender you get, i can guarantee you they won’t be as good as me.  ( … )  i’ll swing by after one of my earlier shifts, see if she’d wanna go on a shopping spree? she used to enjoy them.

@scarredtouch       ✩      c'mon.   the   LAST  person?   you'd   tell   tommy   before   me?     (    he   joked,   taking   a   sip   from   his   ice   water.   soda   was   nice   but   sometimes   something   so   simple   and   obvious   was   the   right   answer.     )     i'm   trying   to   work   on   that.   maybe   i'll   swing   by   soon.   scope   out   any   competition.     (     he   joked.    )     i   think   she   would.   since   i've   been   back  it's   been   nothing   but   hardship   on   her   end.   she   could   probably   use   it.

 ⠀ you’d be the last person to know, but i do appreciate your unspoken offer of protection.  [she offered him a smile as she leaned against the table, truly appreciating the fact that he cared.]  yeah, it’s all right. i can’t blame you for not stopping by, you are a pretty busy guy. but i’m glad you’re all right, as well as your family. aw.. i miss thea so much, maybe i’ll stop by sometime. i do miss the girl’s days we used to have. you think laurel would be up for that?

 ⠀ she did nothing but study everything his body language offered her, even though it was hardly any different than his usual actions. but still, she wanted to know if she could do anything to help him. deep down she knew she couldn’t, but that didn’t stop the overwhelming want to do it anyway. so instead of voicing that, she only sunk into her chair more and averted her gaze to literally anywhere else.
             ⠀ “well, as long as you know.” she spoke as brown hues finally flickered over to the man in green. she had always wondered why oliver chose green, but she guessed that it had something to do with that island he was stuck on for five years. something she didn’t want to ask, something she WOULDN’T ask. that was a boundary that even she wouldn’t cross.

@scarredtouch        ✩      he   knew   she   only   meant   well,   granted   that's   what   EVERYONE   seemed   to   think   about   themselves,   but   the   cloud   looming   over   him   was   too   heavy   to   see   past.   his   shoulders   were   tense,   his   jaw   clenched   tightly   out   of   muscle   memory.   there   was   so   much   weight   stored   on   and   within   him.   it   was   hard   to   so   much   as   / smile /   when   his   lie   didn't   depend   on   it.
                 clad   in   his   suit   of   green   after   an   evening   out,   his   arms   crossed   over   his   chest.   he   sighed,   looking   at   the   ground   for   a   few   beats   of   time.   "i   know.   "   he   assured   her,   at   a   loss   for   words.   he   was   far   from   the   best   at   small   talk,   always   rushing   to   make   a   point.   but   something   about   her   said   she   didn't   mind.   or,   at   least,   didn't   mind   enough   to   change   it.   unlike   felicity,   who   often   filled   the   gaps   with   her   own   thoughts.

 ⠀ she watched him with a curious gaze, her arms crossing over her chest as she leaned back in her chair. oliver queen may have everyone else fooled, including himself, but she had been around him long enough. at a very young age, she learned to look past the words spoken and into the person’s thoughts and body language. this time, it was no different. something plagued his mind, she just didn’t know exactly what it was.
             ⠀ “i won’t push you to talk, that’s never gotten anywhere with you, but… i am here if you ever wish or need to talk to someone.” she offered the man a small smile, as if that would somehow comfort him. while she doubted it would, part of her really hoped that it would.

@CANARYCRlES        ✩      don't   say   that   so   loud.   dig's   not   above   making   TEAM-UP   jokes.   :)   there's   another   one   planned   for   tonight.

 ⠀ an armored heist get out of hand?  i would say this is shocking news,  but it’s not.  you want some help?   ( … )   i’m here to visit while i’ve got some free time,  a luxury that i don’t get often. 

@CANARYCRlES       ✩      armored   heist   got   out   of   hand..   what   are   you   doing   here?

@nepophisto,⠀   &&. ⠀⠀"well,   if   you   ever   get   the   opportunity,   i   hope   you'll   write   me   about   it.   "   he   hummed   in   understanding.   few   things   excited   him—-   but   seeing   others   excited?   that   always   brought   joy   to   the   elf.

@SORCERYSTORMS 
            
            ،، Afraid not. ” With a slight dismissive wave of his hand, Demaris let out a sigh. ،، I haven't ventured much outside of Waterdeep before recently. They're more for tropical forests, and we're a /bit/ shy of the Jungles of Chult. ”

@nepophisto,⠀   &&. ⠀⠀"merely   a   foot   tall?   my..   how   fascinating.   have   you   seen   one   up   close   before?   "   he   wondered,   eyes   wandering   for   a   second   as   he   tried   to   picture   it.

@LUXTENEBRlS,⠀   &&. ⠀⠀that   so?   i   happen   to   enjoy   yours   as   well.   :)   (  ..  )   yes,   demaris   certainly   has   his   quirks   im   learning.      (     he   agreed   fondly.   truthfully,   there   wasn't   a   soul   within   this   group   he   disliked   in   any   manner.   too   focused   on   the   joy   of   having   a   family   again.   perhaps   not   forged   by   blood,   and   perhaps   not   forever,   but   a   family   of   sorts   in   and   of   itself.     )

(  nym did everything with an air of gentleness.  he was a healer, not a fighter.  he tried to resolve every issue without violence—  which didn't usually work, given what he was.  but he continued to try, anyway.  it translated into even the smallest of things, like plaits in alec's hair. )  you can try your best,  ( he teased, smile obvious in his voice. )  i do quite enjoy your company.  you are quite smart.  demaris is, too, but.. he is, ahem.. touchy.

@LUXTENEBRlS,⠀   &&. ⠀⠀(      he   was   sure   his   hair   hadn't   been   handled   with   this   level   of   delicacy   since   he   was   young.   his   mother,   may   the   gods   bless   her,   had   been   the   one   to   do   it.   she   too   liked   his   hair   long..   perhaps   that's   why   he   couldn't   get   himself   to   cut   it.   his   looked   closest   to   hers   out   of   all   his   siblings—-   firey   and   warm.      )      well,   i   hope   i   can   do   him   justice   as   his   temporary   replacement.      (     he   jokes   softly,   his   gloved   hands   picking   at   his   clothes   absent-mindedly.      )     yes,   im   sure   they'll   find   something   good.   :)

@frctellone,⠀   &&. ⠀⠀alec   waved   off   his   worries,   his   gloved   hands   falling   back   at   his   sides.   "i   do   have   faith   in   you,   but   nevermind   it.   i   do   not   wish   to   burden   you.   im   content   with   being   a   listener.   "   he   assured   him.   "especially   if   it's   your   music.   "   :)

@SORCERYSTORMS 
            
            He gave a small laugh at that. ،، I'm sure you would have an easier time learning from Icarus. Gods know how I even managed to teach him anything. My thoughts can oftentimes be so scattered— I wouldn't even know where to start. ”

݁⠀ ⠀.̲.̲.̲⠀ ⠀:⠀ ⠀@frctellone ,      alec   took   note   of   this   but   he   didn't   comment   on   it.   he   knew   an   avoidant   gaze   when   he   saw   one.   "well,   i   certainly   enjoy   your   music.   that   makes   you   a   musician.   "   he   offered   a   smile.   he   remembered   what   it   felt   like,   to   be   so   unsure   of   your   talents.   but   he   was   certain,   after   hearing   vile   play,  that   he   had   talent.   "perhaps   you   could   show   me   a   thing   or   two.   i've   always   wanted   to   learn.   "
                    (  . . .  )         and  it   worked