meadowlarklogs | august catch-all

( "At Harris Consolidated, We see the wall coming down as an opportunity." The party is fancy, modern, and packed with suits and gorgeous dresses. William commands the room much like he always does in this environment. With confidence.

"For the criminals of Star City to rob the Glades blind," someone asks.

"To reunite the city," William says, gentler, with just a hint of disdain in his eyes.

"I don't think people in the Glades got that memo 'cause last I checked, crime's up 300% since the wall went down."

William would interject, make his own point, but someone else, someone taller and more educated. Well-coifed. Decisive, steps into the fray.

"There's an old saying," this man says, holding a glass of champagne. "There are 3 kinds of liars. Liars, damn liars, and statisticians. You're focusing on the Glades to the exclusion of Star City while net, there's been a citywide reduction in crime." William looks pleased, someone understands. "And, we have the vigilantes who brought down the wall in the first place to thank for that." William brings his glass up with a smile. Somehow, Ian knows -- that's William and his friends.

Zoe , curls short and tight, clad in her fancy dress circles the outskirts of the party and speaks into her comms. "Hear that, guys? We're famous."

"Really," Connor Hawke, black tie not optional speaks as he turns. "Cause it sounds like we got a long way to go."

"Which is why we're here," Zoe says, falling in step with Connor. "to make sure nothing happens to Vasquez." Vasquez, Ian will now realize, is the man with the even temperament and the ideas closely aligned with William's. The man who interrupted the rich man's take. And their mission for the night.

"Woah," Connor says, as he and Zoe come to a stop. "And where do you think you're going?"

Mia , blind and rough around every edge, hair in tense waves immediately moves past them.

"Movement outside. Gonna check it out."

"Negative," Zoe says. "Don't break perimeter."

"Relax. It'll take a sec."

It's clear Mia breaks team rank often, going off on her own. To their detriment?

"Just like Pennytown," William says - to himself, but right in front of Mr. Vasquez.

"What was that, Mr. Harris?"

"Uh - I, I was just saying that the unification money put into Pennytown prevented a potential disaster," he says, covering up his comm mishap Because we listened to each other."

"Well, she's either ignoring you, William," Connor says, across the way.

"For the second time this month," Zoe adds.

"Or the comm systems are failing."

It sounds like they're not failing.

"For the fifth time this month," Zoe, exasperated says.

"It's a new era," William ignores, addressing the crowd. Growing pains are to be expected." He grins, Vasquez raises his glass. William raises his. Just another mission gone awry thanks to his loose cannon sister.

Should Ian choose to, Mia's already wandering the perimeter. William downs the glass in his hand and Connor and Zoe are all glares in the corner.

As dreams go, it's not the most exciting. But, William's been dreaming of the team a lot lately. )

Edited 2020-08-11 15:21 (UTC)

[ This place feels like a stage, a scene unfolding with or without his input. Though he might be dressed for the occasion, his presence doesn't seem to make much of an impact to anyone around him. Walking through the crowd, he may as well be a ghost. All eyes stay up front, nobody reacts to him slipping through like water to get a better look.

Dream logic makes it so that he feels like he belongs here. There is no real confusion, no surprise or disorientation. He recognizes Will's team on instinct, just like he recognizes Vasquez on instinct.

It feels like it's his job, or that he's drawn to Mia's route. In dreams, sometimes the way you expect things to go is the way they go because expecting them manifests them that way. He thinks he should and so he should, subtly smoothing a hand over suit buttons and working his way inconspicuously toward the perimeter.

He falls in line with her casually, glancing around to slyly check for watchful eyes. A hand settles at the small of her back, with nothing but platonic, friendly intentions in the gesture. ]

Hey, sis.

[ He greets, despite knowing he is not, in fact, any blood relation to her whatsoever. There's a deeper implication there that his fuzzy, sleeping mind doesn't piece together or dwell too long on. ]

Can you do me a favor?

( Ian's hand to Mia's back is just the first mistake of many that sends him to the ground. She takes that arm, twists and flips him completely on his back. Ian hits the pavement hard. )

Sure, bro. But I should warn you, most of my favors end in bodily harm.

[ And so there he is, being introduced to the asphalt. He grunts out a pained noise, teeth gritting tight for a second until the flash passes. To his credit there's no squabbling around down there. No flailing. Just chillin' on the ground with the wind knocked out of him, lifting one knee and trying to make the cartoon tweety birds go away.

Not literally, but you get the picture.

He just... speaks calmly, but with with hoarse and audible strain. ]

Thank you for opening up and sharing a part of yourself with me, that's really-- great--

[ It does sort of falter off there at the end of great, and then he slowly starts... lifting up on one elbow. ]

I really feel like... we're bonding, you know. Really... coming together, you and me.

( Who is this guy? Did he just follow her out of the party? This is perimeter check, not get hit on by an aerodynamic beard. Not that he's not easy on the eyes. )

Bonding. ( She laughs. ) Are you the distraction? Is this about Vasquez?

( William's collective consciousness hasn't quite grasped the dream part of the events replaying. )

I'm-- with your brother.

[ So, the aerodynamic beard is definitely not hitting on her.

He finally manages to get some words out in a normal cadence. Feet on the ground, gravity submitting to his desire to stand.

He's getting old. He knows now that he is getting old. ]

I don't really know... anybody else in there, so no, I'm not... the distraction.

[ Dusting bits of gravel out of his palms, thank you potential future sister in law, it's lovely to meet you. This will sound great over Thanksgiving dinner. ]

You're with William?

( She eyes him warily. With him, her raised eyebrow asks.

But, she doesn't wait for an answer before she turns back toward the building, not talking to him anymore. )

Say what you want about my ignoring you, William, but I don't invite exes without asking. ( No offense, Ian. All she's heard about is the ex. She looks back at Ian. ) Trust issues, right?

( But, she'll offer him a hand - oh, well, he's already on his feet. )

You shouldn't be here. What did it? Was it his whole Harris Consolidated thing? I've seen his charm in action and even I don't get it. ( She tosses her hair to the side. )

Mia. ( Mia turns to William who's now outside, too. ) Vasquez isn't the target. I got this.

( Mia questions him, gives Ian once more look and then heads past Ian back inside. ) It won't matter anyway. This mission fails. ( Is that anyway to talk to someone who's in your dream, William? ) ...I may need the blanks filled in.

[ Perspective shifts, and the dream implants memories that weren't there before but now seem like they've always been there.

Trust issues. Yeah, that's not much of a stretch. It makes unquestionable sense that he's an ex, and he fucked it up. Not even a flicker of defending himself, no protest crops up.

If this were reality, he'd still be shaking off the pain. Probably would have cracked his head on the pavement nice and hard. Dream logic has it all fading into something distant, irrelevant.

This mission fails, he doesn't know what that means or how to take it. Fill in the blanks, he doesn't know which blanks he's filling.

Instead, he ventures a bold and shocking observation. ]

I don't think your sister likes me.

[ Probably fair. You know. Trust issues ex and all. ]

( Mostly, it's Mia taking what she's heard from William in bits and pieces and running with it, but, the fun thing about a dream is how it sets you in its' own reality and holds you there. )

She doesn't like anyone. She barely likes me. At least right now. Then. This happened. ( Help him catch up. ) And you were not here. How are you here?

[ He's a little bit fuzzy on the edges. Not lucid dreaming right now, just along for the ride as the story tells itself.

How are you here? ]

Wanted to see you. Took an Uber.

[ Hold your awe at his mystical travel prowess. ]

Got the feeling I needed to talk to your sister, then she karate flipped me into the dirt. It's going really well so far.

( Weirdly... flattering. But, he gets a roll of the eyes on his direction for his efforts. )

You're lucky all she did was karate flip. Are you okay? ( He finally closes the distance between them, leaving the team inside. He brushes his palm along Ian's arm, finding his eyes. ) Uber?

Yeah, I'm fine, I got really lucky and landed on my spine.

[ He's supposed to feel bad about something, and he does. Puts a little strain in his brow, a little tension in his approach, but he'll take the touch all the same. ]

What's wrong with Uber?

[ As if that matters in the slightest. ]

Nothing. You shouldn't be here. We're -- in the middle of -- ( He looks back. ) They're not after Vasquez. ( Old memories fuse with current events and he finds Ian again, hand still on his arm. ) We're not really here, are we?

[ A chip in the teacup, spiderweb cracks. We're not really here. It slowly filters in. ]

Oh.

[ A beat. ]

Shit.

[ As though William's broken the illusion, a glance back the way they came shows all the lights out. The place is empty. There's no one else. ]

I guess not.

( He looks back seeing the same scene, the lights gone, only the street lights to illuminate them. He lets go then, taking a step back. )

I heard this can happen but I've never done it, or, had it done to me. You're... in my dream, aren't you?

I've done it... twice?

[ He says, shoving his hands into pockets that aren't suit pockets anymore. They're cable-knit sweater pockets, with patches on the elbows.

Lets Will take his step back, neither advancing nor retreating. Dreams are wildly personal and usually uncomfortable things. Or they're sex dreams, which this one does not seem to be. ]

I think this technically makes me the man of your dreams.

Edited 2020-08-13 07:14 (UTC)

( Dreams shift. Constantly.

They're in the Arrow bunker all of a sudden, the team coming in from the entrance including Will? Because that isn't trippy. They're arguing about Mia going off script, about the team they say they are.

And then they're not.

William and Ian are alone again. )

I'd have had a comeback but. ( Interruptions. ) You think you want to be here? Were you thinking about me?

[ Things begin to meld together; it's no longer solely Will in this nebulous dreamscape. Some of Ian begins to slip in, too. Subtle, barely, there's still definitely a dominant skew in Will's direction.

It's there, though, in the form of a cabin door on one wall. It doesn't really fit in with the rest of the theme of this high tech batcave, but it isn't a glaringly obvious attraction, either.

There's also a braided, multi-colored oval rug underneath their feet, faded by sun and smoke. ]

Maybe.

[ A light, blithe answer. ]

I'm a sleep, so. I don't know. I didn't even realize I was dreaming until you dunked on Uber, I don't remember what I was dreaming before this.

Uber wouldn't pick us up here or drop us off in Star City.

( Not with the unrest and the crime and the Deathstroke gang. )

And it's a lot more high tech now. ( Ian probably couldn't afford it? Is that a slam? ) Do you -- is there something you want to see? Since this is like a trip through our memories? Any William greatest hits you've heard about but you've been dying to view?

( But also, say no, because why would you? )

[ Star City is such a weird name. It sounds like that level in Mario Kart where you have to try not to fall off the rainbow road every single time but you definitely fall off the rainbow road every single time.

He will have you know, William, that he makes a great salary as an engineer and a lecturer at Berkeley. Unless high-tech ubers are like Maseratis or something.

But anyway, since Will's apparently cool with it, he takes a look about the place and ambles around with his hands in his sweater pockets, scoping it out. ]

Hey, if you're offering. I'd love to see the staples. Senior prom. First kiss. Most embarrassing memory.

[ A little wryly, because he doesn't expect Will to actually agree to most of those. ]

Edited (weird phrasing i keep missing idek) 2020-08-14 20:27 (UTC)

( It is more dangerous than Mario Kart. The Glades also isn't exactly catchy, is it, Ian? )

I don't remember a lot about being a kid. Being kidnapped. ( He tilts his head at that. Is that how dreams work? Think of something and they're in the boat Prometheus holds a twelve year old William on, floating in front of the island of Lian Yu. He threatens his father, Oliver Queen. And the explosion sounds, the island going up in flames. ) That's Prometheus.

[ Skrrt record scratch rewind. ]

Hold on-- you got fucking kidnapped?

[ That seems like the kind of thing he should've known before now.

Except, well, it doesn't, does it? Considering he's been adamantly keeping things shallow as hell for his own selfish reasons.

A boat (he hates boats), an island, the face he remembers from the first time meeting Will in person. ]

august catch-all

| for ian

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