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Post by Speedy on Oct 19, 2012 22:59:25 GMT -5
Mia flinched as Roy radiated disapproval and annoyance. She was used to being hit when people got that look in their eye, but no such thing happened.
But instead he gently asked her what she wanted to do with her life. She looked down and shrugged. What...she wanted to do with her life? No one had asked her that in three years. How was she supposed to respond?
For a long time she was silent. Then she realized that yes, she did know what she wanted. She just hadn't believed it was possible to achieve until now.
"I want to stop feeling afraid all the time," she said softly, looking up at the vigilante to see what his reaction was.
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Post by Red Arrow on Oct 23, 2012 23:14:32 GMT -5
Roy listened to her, but his gaze was out on the rooftops around them. He had a strange feeling that for now they were safe, that didn't happen often. His hidden blue eyes moved back to her once she'd finished speaking, once she'd said what she really wanted. He smiled only slightly and reached out his hand resting on her shoulder.
"I can give you the means to get there, but it won't be easy and the road is hard and you'll have to do what I say. I don't train just anyone." he told her pulling his arrow from his back and holding it out to her. He wanted to see what size bow she would need, if she so choose to fully commit to what he was offering her. Either way, whether she choose to take up the new life he was offering her, she'd have a place to stay for as long as she wanted it.
He'd take care of her if she became a threat to Lian, but he didn't think that would be the case, perhaps Lian would give this girl someone else to care about, to show her what it was like to care for someone other then herself, to realize what it meant to protect something. He couldn't be sure, but this would be a start, a new beginning for them all.
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Post by Speedy on Oct 24, 2012 18:50:40 GMT -5
The archer's gaze leaped to the rooftops, and Speedy stared in confusion. Why was he looking up there? Ricky's thugs wouldn't come from up there...was he plotting his escape.
The physical contact surprised her, especially since it seemed to be a gesture of affection more than anything. She wasn't used to that. It seemed like the only time people ever touched her was when they wanted to hurt her.
She blinked in confusion as he spoke. "Train me? For what?" She caught on as he pulled out the arrow. She pondered what he was suggesting. Her, a superheroine? A vigilante? She had to admit, it had its allures. She pictured an arrow through Ricky's chest...
That fantasy surprised her. Ricky had been right about one thing...he had provided her with things no one else had. But she guessed she did hate him, even still. She had whored for him out of fear, not love. Or...had she?
She didn't know what normal relationships were supposed to be like, whether they were between families or between lovers. All her life she'd been told she had been beaten and told she was a disappointment...it didn't seem right, but she couldn't really explain what was wrong, either.
"I'm a junkie, a whore, and a street urchin. Why would you want me as an apprentice?" Mia asked with mixed curiosity and suspicion. "I mean....I appreciate the offer, but why me?"
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Post by Red Arrow on Oct 29, 2012 10:20:25 GMT -5
Roy supposed he hadn't been any different when he'd been here, with Ollie offering him the same means. He couldn't be sure really, it had been a long time ago. He shrugged his broad shoulders and pulled his bow from his back as well, and held both the arrow and the bow out to her. He pondered her question and came up with an honest answer.
"I've been where you are. I was given a choice, we all usually don't strive to end up on the streets, doing whatever we can for our next fix. I'm offering you the means to be more than you are, if you want it. Take these and show me you want to be able to turn things around, that you want to make something of yourself."
He told her, as he held out the bow with his fingers curled around the middle holding it out so she'd have easy access to the curve of the wood, the string pressing against the inside of his palm. His other hand held the arrow out to her, with the feathers on the end, the point of the arrow cool against the veins flowing against his other wrist. He wasn't worried, if she tried anything, which he didn't think she would, he'd be able to take her down. He was in no way truly worried for his safety, right now he was hers.
His eyes gazed into her own waiting. "I think you have the potential, the drive to be more Mia, and I'm merely giving you the option, the means to do so, if you want. The offer for my couch still stands until I can get you situated somewhere, if you decide this isn't what you want. No pressure, seriously." he told her, a charming smile sliding along his lips. He wasn't about to mention Lian to her, no that would be a surprise.
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Post by Speedy on Oct 30, 2012 10:14:27 GMT -5
His statement that he had been where she was filled her with curiosity. Well, she didn't know anything about the guy other than he was a hell of a lot tougher than she had given him credit for, so she couldn't really be skeptical. She had no idea about this guy's past or what he did when he wasn't out in tights...but now she was starting to wonder.
"I don't know what you expect of me, or even if I am capable of reaching it. But you clearly took down Ricky without getting so much as a bruise or a cut. That's...pretty awesome." She paused for a moment, mulling over her options. "I...I can't go back now. Do you really think you could teach me...to fight like you do? Ricky wasn't the smartest bastard in the world, but I saw him wipe the floor with plenty of guys."
She looked down. "Look, I know I don't exactly seem like I'm jumping for joy...and I'm sorry if my response isn't what you expected. I've been screwed over a lot. It makes a girl cautious and skeptical. But...I'll give you a shot." She bit her lip again.
She was surprised when he offered the bow to her. Glancing around, she commented, "um, shouldn't we wait to get back to your lair or whatever before we start archery lessons? We're drawing attention out here, and short of killing Ricky and his boys there's no guarantee they won't come after us. Ricky doesn't take well to threats and he's not the sharpest tool in the shed."
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Post by Red Arrow on Oct 31, 2012 16:22:37 GMT -5
Roy gave a slight nod of his head. "I'll teach you, but you can't quit. It won't be easy, but I think you can do it, if I didn't I wouldn't be pushing you." he said as he pointed at a wooden flower box, it was filled with dead flowers and it would seem that it wasn't used. He looked at her and then back to the box, as he took a few steps closer to her.
"Apartments aren't ideal for weapons training. I'm just trying to see if the bow is too big for you. I just need you to shoot this one arrow and then we'll head home." he told her, as he shrugged off her concerns about Ricky, no that man was no threat to him, no all the real threats were the super powered villains and other costumed wackos, he could fall under too.
He stepped back allowing her to take the shot, he would take her home and get the necessary things she'd need, he was pretty sure Ollie kept a few shorter bows on hand. He'd talk with him soon, maybe give him a call. He'd cook dinner and Mia would be able to take a shower, she'd have to wear some of his clothes, but he thought it would be fine. She'd get to meet Lian. She'd go shopping in a few days, or the correct answer would be they would be. He knew these first few days would be tough. He'd have to keep an eye on her, as she detoxed. She wouldn't be doing drugs anymore, that was one thing that would be happening immediately.
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Post by Speedy on Nov 4, 2012 14:18:26 GMT -5
Mia tilted her head, uncertain of the man's words. What did he mean she couldn't quit? But she had to admit that getting revenge on all the people who had hurt her...well it held an appeal to her. And the archer had been right about one thing- she certainly held no love for the oldest profession in the world. She only did it as a means of survival. A shot at doing something different with her life? She'd take it, and to hell with the risks.
She couldn't argue with the man's logic- she could understand why he wouldn't want someone firing a bow and arrow around his place. But doing it in the middle of a crowded street didn't seem like a brilliant idea, either. Ignoring the fact that there was the risk of her hitting someone...well, she figured that if there was something that vigilantes and hookers had in common, it was that they didn't like to linger in the open.
But the archer directed her into another alley and pointed at a flower pot. Mia nodded and raised the bow...but as soon as she tried to notch the arrow, she realized shooting a bow wasn't as easy as Robin Hood made it look. She found that as she tried to notch the arrow, pulling back on the string caused it to veer away from the curve of the bow.
She also realized how much strength it took to draw a bowstring. Clearly, archer dude works out a hell of a lot more than me. Not that it's that hard.
She put a finger from another hand to steady the arrow, but when she released it, the arrow made an awkward-looking leap before tumbling to the ground, nowhere near the flower pot.
"Um, I guess I'm gonna need a lot of training," Mia muttered.
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Post by Red Arrow on Nov 10, 2012 0:15:13 GMT -5
Roy gave her an easy smile and his hand moved to rest on her shoulder. She had actually done a lot better then he'd been anticipating giving she'd never handled a bow and arrow before and the bow was a little too big for her, she'd need at least half an inch to an inch shorter than the one he carried and a lighter arrow, it wasn't terribly heavy, at least not to him, but he'd grown so used to it that it was easy to forget that things were often different for others and no everyone was like him.
He reached out his muscles flexing in his arm as he pressed his warm fingers around her shoulder, giving a firm reassuring squeeze. "You'll get it, for that being your first time, that wasn't bad." he said his other hand taking the bow from her and placing it across his back. "Let's head home."
As he wrapped his arm arm around her shoulder, along the edge of her upper arm. He did it send a message, a silent one 'she's with me, and you better keep your distance'. Roy unlike Ollie aka Green Arrow, he wasn't much in the public eye, he was but usually on missions with the League, he didn't very much go on patrol, he did but it wasn't as often as he should or probably for as long, but he had a daughter now things were different, things changed. As they passed the arrow, that was still worth something, he picked it up as they passed it sliding it into his quiver.
He lead them to his apartment, it really wasn't terribly far, a few blocks nothing major. "I hope you don't mind, their is another person staying with me, you'll meet her when we go in, she's nice. I don't think you'll have any problems with her." he said causally on the elevator ride to his room.
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Post by Speedy on Nov 15, 2012 22:05:32 GMT -5
She gave the red archer a searching look, trying to decide if he was being sincere or just trying to make her not feel bad. She was only beginning to grasp how difficult to master a skill like archery really was. She wanted to be good at this, hell, to be good at anything at this point.
But it had been a while since anyone had said anything nice to her, too. Besides, like, comments on her tits. So maybe even well-intentioned pity was a plus from where she was standing.
She gave a glance at the red archer as he put an arm about her and talked of heading home. She realized she was placing a lot of trust in a stranger she had met just a minute or so ago. But what was the alternative? She knew what was waiting for her back with Ricky.
But her intuition said she could trust him. Of course, long ago that intuition had also said she could trust Ricky.
"So what do I call you? Red Archer?" She turned to him with a look of suspicion. "She? Don't tell me you have a whole place full of messed-up runaway teenage girls?" Then she realized how that sounded. "Sorry, I...never mind. Didn't mean to sound like I needed to be the center of attention."
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