2014.01.24 - Teach Me, Love Me

Although Kate Bishop had set up a 'base' at an Bishop-owned warehouse, complete with arrow-making equipment for their specialized tools, Roy Harper wasn't about to introduce Cissie King-Jones to the safe-house just yet.
So the Sherwood Florist was agreed on so that Cissie could pick up the various type of arrows she'd been requesting in an upgrade to -her- equipment.
And when the knocking comes, whether by window or door, it would be met by a young half-asian girl, one that looked less like Roy unless one observed the crooked half-grin or the set expression on her face. "Who're you?"
Daddy had warned her to not let anyone in unless they gave the secret password: Please.
Whether or not he'd told Cissie that was another thing, though.
And Arrowette is standing there, full get-up, and stares a bit. It takes a few blinks, and after peering behind Lian for Roy, she then bends at her knees to get more level with the girl. "Hi," she says with a shy smile. "I'm Arrowette. I'm looking for a red head named Roy, he talks faster than he thinks. If he's here, could you let him know I came to get a lesson about trick arrows?"
Arrowette doesn't even think to ask to enter with a child at the door, not like she expected one there anyway! She's really cute though!!! The child that is.
"What's the magic word?" the little half-Asian girl replies, her lips set in an all-too-familiar way, folding her arms across her chest, making no motion towards unlocking the door. Never mind that she had a bow and arrow and was dressed up like one of -them-, nobody was getting past -her- watch. Daddy had been very strict about that.
"Umm...open seseme?" Arrowette looks a bit confused. "I'll wait here, can you go tell Roy?" It doesn't hit Arrowette at first what the girl is asking for, literally think of a 'magic word'.
Getting Roy wasn't happening, not without the Magic Word.
Fortunately, at least, hearing Lian now at the door, Roy comes out to stand in front of the door, looking curiously back and forth between his daughter and Arrowette.
"Daddy, she didn't say the magic word," Lian Harper pouted.
"... well we can't have that, can we?" Roy replies, barely concealing a smirk.
A pause, then her eyes narrow. "You know, I'm not particularly liking you so much right now. I can't believe I admired you all these years," Arrowette grumbles, arms crossed over her chest. But when she looks back to Lian, she relaxes more. "Alright sweetie, what am I saying the magic word for, or to get?"
"Sorry, I'm trying to teach my daughter manners here," Roy grins now.
Lian, however, beams, holding up a hand and then rubbing it across her chest. "You need to say 'please!'" she exclaims, as Roy unlocks the door to let the girl in.
"We've got to have a talk about you showing up in costume, Cissie," Roy adds as he closes the door behind him. "Cissie, my daughter Lian. Lian, this is Arrowette."
"Not Cissie?"
"You know the rules about costumes."
"Hi, Arrowette!" Lian greets enthusiastically, her attention turning back to the young archer.
"Oh, -that- magic word. I'm sorry Lian, I should have thought of that. May I come in please?" Arrowette makes a point to smile for Lian, though she does glare at Roy when he uses that name. But then back to Lian she smiles, "It's an honor to meet you Lian." Actually, she's nervous now that she thinks about it. Around a kid? She realllly wants to punch Roy now. Then again, he may not know it's her fault Dr. Money died. She looks up and down the street nervously and up along the roof tops.
That Roy did some digging far enough... well, he'd made his own share of mistakes, so it wasn't like he was going to condemn -her-. Not that he'd bring it up, no.
"It's okay! Daddy said not to let strangers in without the magic word," Lian beams.
"That's -password-, sweetheart. You were supposed to get me if you see strangers," Roy grins, ruffling Lian's hair as he motions to Arrowette. "Come on in." Dressed as he was in civvies and Lian being what she was, Roy walks towards the basement, adding, "You can take the mask off."
"Thanks," about coming inside and she does, closing the door behind her and locking it. A nervous habit. She has several. She smiles again at Lain, "He's right, you shouldn't open the door to strangers. There are bad people out in the world, and you are too precious and sweet, we just want to keep you safe." But she then moves to follow Roy, "Umm..that's alright. I don't take it off unless I'm home," or not in costume. There is a clear line there, but it's for her mom's protection, and she doubts she be stopping here knowing a kid visits, worried to lead bad guys there. Yep, best not to think about it! Cissie doesn't need a panic attack! That would suck, Roy would really think her incompetent then!
"Can...you not use my name? I have reasons to protect my identity. If it was just me, I wouldn't care, but...I have my reasons to keep a secret identity." Harder to do when you are registered, but Cissie can't change her past.
"All right... Arrowette," Roy nods. Whatever her reasons, it ran deeper than he'd thought. He'd have to talk to her sometimes about just what he'd found out while checking into her past...
"Okay, Arrowette! I can keep a secret," Lian beams, as she takes Arrowette's hand and runs/leads towards the Special Hidden Room where the trick arrows were manufactured.
It turned out to be almost equivalent to a mad scientist's lab. Plenty of flower preservatives were useful enough to make arrow things as well.
"What do you think?" Lian beams, as proud as if she'd been an archer herself.
Alright, Arrowette's heart bursts a little. She isn't used to being around kids a whole lot other than her work as a Gold Medalist with her tours and community service. She likes them though, a lot. She trails after Lian obediantly. "Thanks Lian, that means a lot to me," she says quietly.
Soon enough, Arrowette is looking around, "This...is so much cooler than using a folding table," in a two bedroom apartment that she shares with her mom. She gives Lian's hand a gentle squeeze. "Thanks for sharing this with me," and she can't up but grin. "I really want to learn a lot, so I can better help people." The words ring sincere, not just to say stuff to a little kid. "Do you like arrows too?"
"I do!" Lian exclaims. "Daddy won't let me learn archery yet," she adds with a pout.
"You're not ready yet, and it takes a lot of responsibility," Roy comments. "Plus, you're not allowed to be outside past your bedtime."
Stepping up to a workbench, Roy grins, motioning to it. "So what'll it be? Got any chemistry experience?"
"Why not?" Arrowette glances over at Roy curiously. "It's really tough, and you can hurt while practicing, but...well, guess it's your dad's choice," and it really hits...this really is Roy's kid! Her mom pushed her as soon as she could hold a bow and arrow to learn, so things were very different for Arrowette. "Lian, you do realize learning archery is different from superheroing, right?" She's just checking to make sure she understands!
As for Roy's question, Arrowette says, "High school level? I sucked at it," she confesses with a winch. "School isn't my strongest point, but I'm trying," even going to college. She works hard, she just isn't book smart. "If it's something particular, I usually learn it pretty good, if it's theory and equations, not so much."
"Yep, I know!" Lian exclaims. "Superheroing I can't do without -lots- of experience and Daddy says he'll let me do it when I'm old enough to understand boys." She makes a face. "They're icky, but Daddy says that just means I'm old enough yet."
"Spirits willing, that'll be never," Roy mutters under his voice. In a louder tone, he grins. "Well, I didn't graduate myself either, but the basic idea is pretty much that this compound plus that compound makes -that-. If you can cook or follow a recipe, you're in good shape. Okay, look at that recipe there..." Roy has a book of schematics out and starts using it, pointing out ingredients here and there. No, he wasn't -going- to just give her the trick arrows. Just get her to understand the principle enough that she could do more than perfume and lotions...
Arrowette then whispers secretly at Lian, "Honestly, I think they are icky too, but I do understand them," and she winks with conspiracy to Lian!
But then Arrowette clears her expression when she looks at Roy, trying to appear innocent! She heads over to look at the 'recipe', and she nods. She actually pulls out a notepad to jot down some notes! Yep, she's a note taker!
It doesn't take too much thought. Finding a way to keep the explosive stable -until- the tip of the arrow impacts, breaking up the chemical compound with the other part. (Lian was told to play -very- far away while Cissie was doing this part.)
Fire arrows were fairly simple as well.
But it was the net arrows, the hook arrows, and other such that displayed a fair bit of engineering that might be undoable without the proper equipment... which was when Roy mentions Hawkeye. No not the male one, the female one. She might well be able to help...
Arrowette is nervous too! But success brings a giant grin to her face! She's excited, and happy, and so proud of herself really! The engineering bits Arrowette seems to catch on quickly. She isn't a natural tinker, but she's comfortable with this and experimentation. Though Roy's net arrows are more effective than her own. She grasps these more quickly, especially when she figures out the proper equipment rather than make-shift equipment that...we won't talk about how she makes hers. Lots, and lots of naughty language is involved. "Wow, I never knew this could be so easy!"
Though at the talk of Hawkeyes, Arrowette mmms, "Really? I haven't really spoken with her before, but I'll keep my eye open for her."
Easy with the right equipment. Having the right equipment, on the other hand, might have been -just- a tad beyond Cissie's means.
Which was why Roy was going to introduce her to Hawkeye.
"Well if you do, hang around Central Park." Roy smirks a little bit. "Tell her Arsenal sent you."
And before long, Lian is back at Arrowette's side, pestering her about just -what- kind of arrows she had, and what they were like.
Although, for some reason, Arrowette's arrows were -far- more interesting to the young girl...
"I'll definitely do that, but wait a second. She doesn't secretly plot against you and you aren't setting me up, are you?" But Arrowette then grins.
Then Lian is there to distract Arrowette. Wait till Arrowette shows Lian the mascara one! Roy is going to FLIP! But there are giggles, and the young heroine doesn't mind being distracted by Lian and paying attention to her. "And this is the perfume one. I shoot it in people's faces to make them sneeze and burn their eyes, or to make them stink so bad due to overkill on perfume you can track them anywhere! Same with the stain area, can't get this stuff off your skin! It really does stain, easier to identify even if they try changing clothes." Common household items made useful. That was Arrowette's motto! "Even the mascara one I can use to leave marks behind if I'm in an unfamiliar area so I don't get lost, and saves me from having to get my phone out for GPS." The girl is creative to say the least.
And before Arrowette thinks better of it she says, "I don't wear make-up but rarely cause I'm always exercising, but if you want, we can have fun one night with it. It's kind of fun to just dress up for fun, even if you don't go anywhere." Oops! First, she is promising to spend time with the girl. Second, offering to put make-up on her! Arrowette glances over Roy while looking quite guilty.
Before Roy can answer that, Lian keeps talking, going on about her arrows.
It doesn't take long before Lian -volunteers- her father.
"Daddy can play with us! We can put it on him and..."
"No."
"But..."
"NO."
Lian's lips quiver.
"... No."
Lian pouts.
"... nnnno....."
A giggle from Arrowette, and even she gets into it with a pretend pout, "But Daddddddy!" She totally went there! Blue eyes looking up at Roy forlornly! "But it would really help smooth out your complexion." Flutter of lashes. Totally overdone, overkill, but Arrowette isn't trying to be serious. She is being absolutely silly. And maybe adorable, but definitely silly. Lian looks waaaay cuter at it anyway.
"... nnnnnnnnghhh"
Category:Log