Roy Harper/Red Arrow (i_can_hit_that) wrote in dc_heroes,
@ 2010-11-11 14:03:00

Entry tags:

Wild Night
Lian was so happy to go spend the night with Dinah for 'Girls-Only' night that she almost forgot to hug and kiss Roy goodbye. He couldn't help but feel a little miffed at that, but it was good to see his daughter happy all the same. They'd spent a couple of months together, just the two of them; having his little girl feel smothered wasn't what he was shooting for.

He thought about hitting the streets tonight, but it was early yet and he was hungry. Lian had also refused his offer of dinner, since Dinah was making chili. So Roy drove home, changed into a black button-down shirt, some slacks and black dress shoes, and headed out to Top Gun Bar & Grill in Coast City. He loved the place and hadn't been there since he returned to the States. Hal used to hang out there a lot as well, so Roy thought he might catch up with him there if he waited long enough.

Hal rarely left the bar without company and Roy had to admit that he wanted to watch the master at work again.

He parked his Ford Explorer and killed the engine, then got out and walked into the bar. Seeing a pool table open, he decides it wouldn't hurt to get his game back in gear, and starts racking the table. He orders a Coke and some chicken wings to start, then gets to work on perfecting his shot.

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	ace_in_a_skirt 2010-11-12 06:13 am UTC (link)
	Maybe he really did like a girl who spoke her mind. If nothing else, Zinda would be able to say she spent a nice evening with a nice guy. "I say we check out those Sam Spade movies." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	i_can_hit_that 2010-11-12 06:26 am UTC (link)
	"Sounds good." he says, offering a hand to Zinda. Roy decides that, while Hal didn't show up, this is as a good a way to end a night at the bar as any. He'll pay for his drinks and food, then lead Zinda out of the bar. They'll get in his car and head up to Star City. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	ace_in_a_skirt 2010-11-12 06:58 am UTC (link)
	Zinda didn't hesitate as she took the offered hand. "Is your little girl there?" she asked when they were underway. It didn't hurt to double check and she could do friendly with kids. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

i_can_hit_that
2010-11-12 07:05 am UTC (link)

"No, she's not. She's spending the night with her aunt for "Girls-Only" night. Practically jumped out of the car while it was still moving and told me to go when I dropped her off." he laughed.

Roy gets them on the freeway and they're in Star City inside half-an-hour, pulling up to Roy's brownstone and parking in the garage.

Roy gets out and opens Zinda's door.

"This is the place." he smiles. "There's beer and popcorn upstairs."

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	ace_in_a_skirt 2010-11-12 07:14 am UTC (link)
	"There are times when you boys just clutter up the place," she said, grinning. She got out of the Explorer. The last half hour had been a lot of fun. "Sam would turn up his nose at beer, but there's a reason why I learned to order beer in thirty different languages. I need to be sure I get one no matter where I land. Looks like a nice place from the outside." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

i_can_hit_that
2010-11-12 07:25 am UTC (link)

"You can order beer in thirty languages? You just became my new best friend." Roy laughs, leading her upstairs.

The inside of the apartment looks just as good as the outside, but looks like a cross between a bar and a waiting room of sorts. There's a pool table in one corner with an actual bulls-eye set up near it. There are arrows sticking out of the bulls-eye.

The couches are black leather and there's a big screen TV on the wall. Next to the television is a rack full of DVD's. Roy heads directly to it and finds all of the Sam Spade film and sets them on the coffee table.

"We've got beer, water, orange juice, Vodka, Tequila and Scotch. I didn't realize I still had the last three left over from a party a few months ago." Roy says.

"You choose and I'll start the popcorn." he says.

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ace_in_a_skirt
2010-11-12 07:32 am UTC (link)

"Every pilot does. A beer, a bathroom and a place to bed down for the night."

It was definitely a man's apartment, all ready for a football party. She could probably find a handful of takeout menus in in the bar too. The arrows jogged a memory; they were significant if she wanted to spend some time worrying at it, but since she didn't, she dismissed it and went to the bar.

As hard drinking as she could be, Zinda opted for a couple of beers and was sitting on a sofa looking through the DVDs when Roy returned with popcorn.

"You weren't kidding when you said you had the whole set on DVD."

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	i_can_hit_that 2010-11-12 07:38 am UTC (link)
	"My favorite series of movies, these are. I might even have them memorized." Roy laughs, passing her the bowl of popcorn while he puts the movie in. Soon enough, the movie is going and Sam Spade is on the screen in black&white. Roy dims the lights and opens his beer, relaxing next to Zinda. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	ace_in_a_skirt 2010-11-12 06:22 pm UTC (link)
	Black and white movies were Zinda's favorites. They were familiar and made her feel less out of time than anything made after color film came along. She was happy to relax on the big leather sofa with Roy, enjoying the beer and dipping into the bowl of popcorn every so often. "You got a fedora too?" she asked halfway through the movie. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	i_can_hit_that 2010-11-12 07:12 pm UTC (link)
	Roy grinned. "I do. I bet you can't guess who I was for Halloween last year." He takes another sip of beer as the movie comes to his favorite part, where Spade meets up with the bad guy. "Women back then were pretty awesome and didn't subscribe to a lot of the crap that today's women do." he comments. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

ace_in_a_skirt
2010-11-12 07:41 pm UTC (link)

She eyed him speculatively. "You were Bogey, weren't ya?"

She shook her head. "Don't you believe it. Yeah, they were awesome, but they had different crap to deal with when it came to how women were supposed to behave and what they couldn't do. A women didn't go into bars alone because then she was no good and deserved what she got. She didn't go home with a guy, even if she could kick his butt around and make him sorry if he did something she didn't like. And she had to do it all in a skirt and high heels because wearing pants meant she was a good-time girl and 'no better than she should be'."

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i_can_hit_that
2010-11-12 08:56 pm UTC (link)

The way Zinda talked about the struggles women during that period almost made Roy believe she lived through it.

"Yeah, I don't believe in those kind of generalizations, but they did happen. " Roy says, finishing his beer. "I don't want my daughter growing up thinking she's less of a person or a woman because of what she wears or the fact she can defend herself."

He looks over to Zinda.

"And no, I was Spade last year. I was Bogart the year before and Elliot Ness the year before. Can you tell I've got a thing for suits and fedoras?" he asks, grinning.

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	ace_in_a_skirt 2010-11-13 04:51 am UTC (link)
	"All good ones," Zinda agreed with a grin. "It's pretty silly, but what's wrong with doing something that makes you happy and hurts nobdoy? Nothing, that's what." She took a few more kernals of popped corn. "Sounds like you got a good handle on what you want for your kid." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	i_can_hit_that 2010-11-13 05:55 am UTC (link)
	"Yeah, I've got a good handle right now, but let's see if that plan survives contact with adolescence and adulthood." Roy chuckles. The movie ends sometime later and Roy kicks back again, looking to Zinda once more. "So, what kind of gun is it and how good are you with it?" he asks her. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	ace_in_a_skirt 2010-11-13 06:18 am UTC (link)
	Comfortably buzzed, shoeless and nestled into a corner of the sofa, Zinda's expression didn't change. "What gun?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	i_can_hit_that 2010-11-13 06:28 am UTC (link)
	"The gun you keep tucked behind you at the small of your back." Roy says lightly. "I'm tend to be pretty aware of the whole 'concealed carry' thing, since I've done it myself. I was just curious if you're a gun-nut or if you like having it for protection." he says. "I have a few myself, but I subscribe to a few older methods of self-defense." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	ace_in_a_skirt 2010-11-13 06:40 am UTC (link)
	"Sig," she said. He cuaght her without ever touching, so Mr. Might-be-Fancy got a straight answer. About the gun, anyway. "I like to be prepared. Never know if I'll run into somebody I can't take in an unfair fight and I don't intend to lose." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	i_can_hit_that 2010-11-13 07:57 am UTC (link)
	"Fair logic, Zinda, and I don't blame you. Sigs are nice guns." Roy nods. "You ever try your hand at archery?" he asks. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	ace_in_a_skirt 2010-11-13 08:05 am UTC (link)
	She shook her head. Blond bangs danced over her forehead. "I leave that to the guys with big shoulder muscles. I like my gun, and my fists when I have to use them." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	i_can_hit_that 2010-11-13 08:09 am UTC (link)
	"Wanna go a few rounds?" he asks, half-jokingly. There might even be a coy raise of a copper eyebrow. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	ace_in_a_skirt 2010-11-13 08:13 am UTC (link)
	"You'd hit a girl?" she asked with a mock gasp. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	i_can_hit_that 2010-11-13 08:17 am UTC (link)
	"No, but I'd sure as hell take some liberties if she lets me 'attack' her." Roy grins. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	ace_in_a_skirt 2010-11-13 08:28 am UTC (link)
	"How about if she does the attacking first? What sort of liberties does she get?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	i_can_hit_that 2010-11-13 08:30 am UTC (link)
	"It's rare that I meet a woman brave enough to attack first. She'd have try it and find out." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	ace_in_a_skirt 2010-11-13 08:38 am UTC (link)
	"Have a hard time meeting women, do you? And you with those big, muscly shoulders, too." Zinda pushed at his foot with her bare toes. "Can't imagine it would be much of an attack if you know it's coming." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)