A Political Spirit [Oliver]

[Deleted]

Glancing at the clock, Aria smiles to herself when she sees the time: 11:28am, or exactly two minutes before her scheduled lunch meeting with Mr. Oliver Queen. Timing is very important - if he's waiting for her, she can't arrive too early or it will look like she's too overly anxious for this to go well. He may interpret that to mean that she has few other backers and therefore would be investing his money unwisely if he contributed to her campaign, or that she's desperate enough for his money to do what he says. On the other hand, she absolutely cannot arrive late as that would indicate that she's unreliable and unable to keep up with her commitments. But two minutes early should be completely perfect.

Also completely perfect is her outfit. There are many factors to consider beyond the usual concerns about the place and time of day. The Rose Cafe is considered to be a very nice place at any time of the day, so a dress or skirt is a given. And as her sources indicate that Mr. Queen is quite fond of ladies and that can probably be used to her advantage, she of course had to choose something very feminine over the strict business attire she wears for situations when she's demanding to be taken seriously. On the other hand, this is a business meeting and not a social call, and she at all times must make sure that everything she wears is completely proper even in the eyes of her older constituents - even if she's only planning on being seen by Mr. Queen and whomever happens to be at the restaurant, you never know when the paparazzi will strike - they're tenacious. So she's wearing a very professional looking white pencil skirt with white pumps, but a very flowing, flattering floral blouse with sleeves that end at the elbows - perfect for spring, and for reassuring the eyes that the conservative cut of the outfit is hiding an excellent figure.

As they approach the Maître d', Ami steps ahead to speak with him, confirm their reservations, check to see if Mr. Queen has arrived yet, and to make sure that the table is well positioned. She'd specifically requested a table that was semi-private - somewhere they could talk easily without the noise of too many of the other patrons, but no so secluded that you can't see the rest of the restaurant and lose the ambiance. It's a very richly decorated place - the rose theme very apparent. Hearing that Mr. Queen is not here yet, Aria follows behind her assistant at a sedate pace, pretending to take in the atmosphere when she's really mentally gearing herself up for this meeting. If she can convince Mr. Queen to part with enough money, he could provide a huge boost to her campaign funds - which hopefully wouldn't be too difficult. Based on what she's heard of the man, she can't imagine that he's interested in her Republican rival winning.

"Is this acceptable, Miss Lloyd?" Ami asks very politely when they're shown the table. Miss Shizuka has proved to be a very good choice in assistants for that reason - always very well behaved and demure. Probably because she's from Japan. She's not Aria's only assistant, but she's the one to bring if you don't want any attention taken away from yourself and yet wish to be treated like royalty.

"Yes, thank you, Ami," Aria replies after glancing over at the table and it's surroundings. Yes, this should do nicely! She doesn't know if or how many people Mr. Queen will bring with him, but if the four chairs currently at the table aren't enough she's trusts that the restaurant staff can easily fix that. For now she simply takes a seat and idly peruses the menu while she waits for the other party to arrive. Meanwhile, Ami opens up her briefcase and pulls out a small laptop, opening and sorting through the files she may want to have handy for Aria. These sorts of casual meetings can sometimes be unpredictable, so you never know what you may need. And as they say, fortune favors the prepared.

[bowman]

Tapping the wheel of the Aston Martin was the only thing Ollie had to entertain himself while the car was at a stand still. His long, muscular fingers from using the bow allowed him to wrap his fingers all the way around the thin wheel to the other side. The traffic had been bad for the last few miles, slowing down to a near crawl. The spring sun bounced off the dashboard and into his eyes, heating up the warm leather while doing so. Ollie relaxed back with a sigh, resting one arm upon the rest that joined to the window. The other arm was extended, still perched upon the wheel ready to go. His brown leather shoe was also resting upon the pedal, ready for the off. For as soon as that light changed from green he’d be off like a bullet. Or so he thought.

He couldn’t even listen to the radio, not with Felicity tampering with it. She was stretched forward from her seat, with only the belt holding her back. First Gotham Radio playing something from the eighties, some popular song but it wasn’t on long enough for Ollie to recognise it. Then onto Gotham Rock and finally GC Smooth, the local jazz station. A saxophone was playing, along with a slow drum beat. “Just choose one!” Oliver broke in, startling her. She left go of the dial and collapsed back into the seat with a sigh that matched Ollie’s. “You know I can’t stand being in a car with out my tunes and Star City FM has them all! I get stressed with out them. You don’t understand, I’ve been on a plane for four hours to get here. Four hours! I’d like to listen to my music!” She exclaimed at the top of her lungs, catching the eye of those walking past. Felicity turned to look back at them. “What?” She asked in an annoyed tone. They didn’t respond. Ollie looked out of the window again, sighing once again at this journey.

She’d been like this all the way, from the airport earlier this morning. Ollie was at the breaking point, she obviously hadn’t had anyone to chat with on the flight, and thus she’d been unloading it onto her tired Boss. The problem she had at the check in desk, the service on the plane. All of it. He shook his head in disbelief, that one person could talk so much. Although she had her positives, like the fact that she was a very well informed woman, learning much about those Oliver would meet with, in this case a Ms. Lloyd, a Woman Ollie has great interest in. He was something of a liberal type, always voting for the Democrat party. Since his time on the Island, Oliver’s began to understand the problems of the lower classes, problems that he thinks she can fix.

The lights turned to green and Oliver was quick to react, speeding off down the road. His eyes looked to the clock, 11:29; it might be a close call. The Café was just down this road, not far now. Placing the wheel between his knees, Oliver wrapped a blue tie around his white collar, applying the tie at the last moment. The suit he chose matched the tie. It was navy coloured jacket with matching trousers, with a waist coat to match. The tie had white stripes around it, matching the blue in a fashionable manner, for a man who only really wore suits. There it was, down the street. Not far now. It was quite a pretty location for a meeting like this; usually it was in a cold and dreary building. He hoped that she wasn’t like that; he always liked his meetings to be as informal as possible. The car shot up outside of the Café at last, with both of them bolting from the car. He really did hope that she was a little more tidy and precise than he was. Entering the Café, they broke the quiet conversation, alerting everyone that they’d arrived. The man at the door shook his head and approached them, clearing his throat. “Can I help you?” He asked, trying not to shout at them. “Nice place.” Felicity said while correcting her thick black glasses over her nose, while also swiping her blonde hair over to one side. Oliver gave her ‘The Look’ and she quickly stopped talking. “Yeah, I’m here to meet a Ms. Lloyd?”

[Deleted]

"Mr. Queen, I presume?" the Maître d' asks dryly, not bothering to wait for a reply before he's already instructing one of the waiters to escort the man and his guest to where Ms. Lloyd is waiting. It's just as well that the woman asked for their group to not be seated too close to anyone else - if this man can cause such a commotion simply coming in, one wonders what he's like while eating...

Aria hasn't been settled in for long before Ami quietly says, "He's here." Looking up, she sees the man they're here to meet, recognizing him from pictures, being led in their direction by one of the waiters. Closing her menu and placing it back on the table, she stands up from her seat and smiles at him when he comes near. "Mr. Queen, it's so good to finally meet you!" she says warmly, offering her hand to shake, "Thank you for coming - the traffic wasn't too terrible, I hope?" Ah, the pleasantries - how much she despises them! Not that you'd be able to tell by looking at her, as she's gotten to be quite the expert at them, but they waste so much time. If they're weren't key to establishing a comfortable rapport, she'd skip them entirely.

"Please, have a seat! We have so much to talk about," she adds, gesturing to the two available chairs before returning to her own, "Oh, and this is my assistant, Ami Shizuka." Ami simply looks up from her laptop and gives a polite nod to both Mr. Queen and the woman with him as she's introduced, remaining in her seat as her boss does all of the greeting and welcoming as if overly occupied by what she's doing on her laptop. Though her eyes do shift briefly to the waiter who brought Mr. Queen here to make sure that he's not planning on wandering off. Fortunately, he seems to know his business - they'll be ready to order drinks within moments of everyone being seated, even if it takes longer for everyone to decide what they're eating.

[bowman]

Before Oliver had the chance to respond, the waiter extended his arm out towards the rest of the café, inviting them both to follow him. Walking past the tables, a few people’s eyes glanced up from their food, inspecting him as they went past. They muttered a few things as he passed them, nodding with a smirk to a few as form of greetings with out opening his lips. As soon as he passed, a few would confer about his identity, with them mainly recognising his face, with only a few placing the name to it. Before the Island, he was quite well known among the citizens of America, known for his play boy antics in Star City, however his shipwrecked status would have affected his image.

After passing a few tables, Oliver arrived at the table where Ms. Lloyd and her assistant were standing, ready to meet them. Felicity peaked out from behind Oliver’s wide shoulders, peeking to see those they’d be meeting with. She didn’t speak yet just pushed her purple glasses back up her nose. Unlike her boss who was used to meeting influential types, Felicity had never been to one of these meals. Her facial expression said it all for her. Ollie just gave her a quick reassuring smile to her, which went some way to pick her up. The Billionaire turned back from her, as they approached the others. Maintaining the grin upon his face, Oliver accepted the hand, shaking it firmly. “Oh thank you, the pleasure’s ours, Ms. Lloyd.” So far so good he thought, although he began to wonder why he was worrying about this being a success, it was his money after all.

Oliver, being the gentleman he always is, removed Felicity’s chair for her, before pushing it forward again once she’d sat down. Felicity’s face was a mixture of confusion and embarrassment with a smattering of satisfaction. He then proceeded to his own seat, sitting down upon it, facing Aria from the other side of the table. “Oh no, the traffic was fine. Nothing we couldn’t handle.” He smirked and turned to Felicity, who was opening up her laptop upon the table, placing her USB stick into the port. “Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Shizuka.” Oliver gave her a quick nod, before his own assistant made quite a loud cough, interrupting his greetings to her. “Oh and this is Felicity, my….well she’s just Felicity.” Her face turned red and her nostrils flared, giving Ollie a quick stare. He just beamed back at her, knowing she’d kill him when they got back to the car.

The Waiter stood patiently next to the table, waiting for the order. “I’d just like a glass of red wine, thanks.” Ollie wasn’t sure what to get, in fact he hadn’t even glanced at the menu, social drinking like this had never been his style. “And for the Ladies?” The Waiter asked, with his note pad firmly in his hands after scribing down Oliver’s beverage. Felicity’s eyes bounced up from behind the screen of her laptop, eyeing the Waiter. “You don’t do herbal tea, do you?” He responded with a quick nod. “Then I’ll have one of them, I’m not paying.” She laughed before looking around the table, seeing that no one had found it amusing, so she reclined back into her seat, out of view.

[Deleted]

As he introduces Felicity, Aria gives the woman a quick glance over. Someone needs to get her an etiquette book and force her to study it, though it won't be Aria. No, it's poor etiquette to critique someone else's etiquette to their face, so she'll keep that opinion to herself. Or possibly gripe about it to Ami later. Either way, certainly not the sort of person that Aria would ever hire.

Then again, the employee seems to somewhat match the employer. While not as glaring as Felicity, Mr. Queen's own behavior is on the shallow side of proper. Oh well, she doesn't have to like him, she merely has to convince him to give her some of his money. Though, unfortunately, one thing that makes that more likely is a spirit of camaraderie fostered by similar tastes. "I wouldn't mind some red wine myself, actually," she tells the waiter with a smile, and the moment she's finished ordering Ami simply says, "Water." And it's no surprise to her that her assistant at least is remembering that she's here to work and not overindulge herself.

Once the waiter wanders off to find their drinks she picks up her menu as if to browse through it again, but her attention goes back to Mr. Queen. "Is this your first time at the Rose Cafe?" she asks curiously, "It's been one of my favorite places since I discovered it when I moved to Gotham about eight years ago." And oh, how many lunches she's had here! And yet very few dinners - around the time of the summer solstice the days are long enough for her to manage going out to dinner at a reasonable hour without risking lingering until dark, but at any other time of year that's a huge problem. Which is unfortunate because dinner is usually much better than lunch.

"So what do you think of Gotham?" she asks, her tone growing curious once again. Based on her casual manner you'd think that she's not in much of a hurry to get down to business, but she's actually doing so now. She simply doesn't think that Mr. Queen would appreciate harder tactics - one can explain why one is worth being helped into office through a very casual conversation just as much as a more demanding one, and the former is much more pleasant.

[bowman]

Oliver undid the top button of his navy coat, as was customary when sitting down wearing such a coat. Although not leaning back fully, both his feet were rose off the floor slightly, edging him back on his chair. While one hand was upon his lap, the other was placed upon the white table, tapping it lightly next to the set of forks on the right side of the plate. His eyes hadn’t left her, Aria Lloyd, the Woman sat opposite him. Usually meetings like this didn’t go well for the one trying gain funds from Oliver, although he preferred to keep a level of informality which he hoped would calm them. Yet she showed no signs of anxiety to leave as quickly as possible, she was the master of this situation; a seasoned pro. To her, he could be just another pointless billionaire with more money than brains, although she’d probably be right in Oliver’s opinion.

This wasn’t his first meeting with a political figure such as her; in fact it was one of his only redeeming traits. Ever since College, where he got his degree in journalism, Ollie has had a taste for politics and politicians, although had no plans to work as one. Perhaps that’s why he preferred the democrat party, to match his growing liberal view point. She seemed like the best candidate for this City that needed a strong politician to keep it going through bad times, something that Gotham had a lot of. “Yes it is. I haven’t been in Gotham long, only a few months. It seems like quite a quaint little café for such meetings as this.” He smirked and stroked his beard with one hand, before giving Felicity a glance. If only he could get an assistant like Aria’s, quiet and smart. Not loud and brash, although he can’t complain, he’s basically the same.

“Gotham’s different to Star City, much different. It’s more Gothic, more enclosed. Although I like the architecture and people, they’re good to have with stood all of ‘this’.” He was obviously referring to the rate of crime in the City, along with the apparent state of Super Villains which flooded Gotham. The Waiter came back over to the table with a silver tray in his hands, which had a bottle of wine, a glass of water and a steaming cup of tea upon it. He lifted each drink off and placed them down before each of them. The wine had already been opened, so Oliver just had to pick it up and pour it into the two glasses that came with it. “Cheers.” He said once he’d poured them, tapping his glass of Aria’s with a smirk. The Waiter left once Oliver had asked him to return in five minutes, so that they’d have time to choose their meals.

“What’s your view of crime in the City? Do you think the GCPD is working to the top of its game, what with those vigilantes swooping left, right and centre. Hard to tell who’s a crazed lunatic and who’s Batman.” Oliver laughed and took a sip from his drink, looking at Felicity after bringing up the topic of vigilantes, to which she gave a quick glance back to him. He wanted to know where she stood upon the Superheroes in the City; he could hinder his own actions if she thought them a problem. At least he seemed to create the idea that he was against them, to see how she’d react against his view, or side with it.

[Deleted]

This is actually Aria's first time running for political office, not just under her current identity but ever. But it's not her first time seeking political office or even obtaining it - she may have spent the last couple of centuries focusing more on the business world, but before that if one aspired to power one simply had to kill the right people and take it. The idea of putting herself into the position of power has always appealed to her in any century. And while she supposes that there are parts of the world where one could still get away with gaining power through conquest, the whole concept of allowing the peasants to choose who tells them what to do has taken over most of the world that she'd want to have power over.

And she's still getting used to that shift - her solution thus far has been to put herself in strong business positions, as there's a lot of power to be held there, though she decided this time to try and see if the power of a politician is more to her liking. It's hard either way though, as the strongest positions these days seem to be given to people who have spent decades working for it, and she doesn't have decades to put into one identity. Which is why she so misses the days when one could grab power quickly and easily with the right tactics. Though at least many of the skills that she obtained over the centuries do translate over very well in spite of society's changes - if she seems to be a seasoned pro at politics, it's because she has many centuries worth of experience at manipulating people into giving her what she wants.

She smiles as Mr. Queen comments on the cafe. "I like to bring people here - it's very quiet, especially at this hour, so you don't have to compete with anything else if you want to actually talk to the people you're with. Not to mention that the food is quite delicious," she explains further, "And, as this is your first time here, I should note that they're most famous for their salads and seafood - though I've yet to be disappointed when I've drifted to other parts of the menu."

Though she listens very attentively with a serious expression as Mr. Queen explains his thoughts on Gotham, her only reply is to say, "Yes - Gotham is a very tough city, for good and for bad." Though his answer does tell her a lot about Mr. Queen as a person. She smiles as she accepts the glass from Mr. Queen and taps it against his, taking a small sip before setting it back down - she can well imagine that a lot of women find this guy charming. Not her, though. But she's happy to pretend otherwise, especially if he proves to be generous with his money.

Having already perused the menu and already familiar with the place, she doesn't need to look at it now. But of course she's happy to give everyone else as much time as they need - it's doubtful that this meeting will go the many hours it would take for her to be too troubled about the time. Instead she focuses her attention on Mr. Queen's question. "Hard to tell if Batman's not a crazed lunatic himself," she remarks first with a small smirk, though the rest of her answer is very serious, "But I have two views on the subject: the idealistic one and the practical one. Ideally, all the policing is done by the police in full compliance with the law - vigilante justice is outside of the law and should be neither necessary nor tolerated. However, as a practical issue, these vigilantes are appearing because these individuals do not believe that the GCPD are doing an adequate job. And they may even have a valid point - while it may have improved significantly under Commissioner Gordon, it's a well known fact that there's still a lot of corruption among the police force. And it's only natural for people to not trust them as long as that's the case. Therefore, if the situation is to be improved the primary focus must be on removing corruption, as well as enhancing their capabilities in light of the capabilities of many of the criminals. If these vigilantes actually follow the principles they claim to stand for, they'll retire when they're no longer needed. If they don't, then they'll prove to be criminals themselves." She offers this answer very rapidly, not really having to think about it - presumably because she's given that very question a lot of thought before.

"Of course, much of that would be up to Mayor Hill and not myself even if I'm elected to the House. However, Gotham isn't the only city with this or similar problems, which is why I intend to encourage legislation designed to assist states with many cities whose police force is in need of a severe overhaul," she adds with a smile, "And perhaps add in some accountability for those who fail to do so as this has become a very serious issue not only nationally but worldwide, and it should have been addressed already."

[bowman]

The waiter shuffled back towards the table, a notepad firmly in his hand with a pencil in the other. He stood by the table waiting for those who were eating to pick there meals. Picking up the menu, Oliver glanced over the lists. He couldn’t ignore her advice; he’d have to either have seafood or a salad. Having eaten many a sea creature upon his stay on the Island, Oliver now has quite a taste for all dishes that included shrimp, clams or any other type. Rolling his finger down the page, he lightly tapped the meal he wished to order. “If Ms. Lloyd says the sea food is good, then I’ll have to take her word for it. I’ll have grilled marinated shrimp with pasta, please.” Once he’d placed his order, he folded the menu shut and placed it back down before him.

Felicity’s eyes shot up to the waiter then back down to the menu. With her long pale fingers, she opened the red menu and pursed her lips as she thought about what to choose. “Hmm, something with chocolate on. Ooh, I’ll have the gateau, yes that looks great!” No starter, no main meal just straight to the desert for her. The Waiter rolled his eyes at the request but still scribbled it down any how. He now only waited for the two others to pick their meal. Oliver picked up his wine glass and listened intently to her response. In fact he was a little shocked by her view on the vigilantes and it got him thinking. When his mission against crime ends, then what? Does he just bury his costume and equipment in the back garden and hopes no one finds it? Oliver doubted that many heroes would hang up their capes if asked.


“You raise a good point with the GCPD. Perhaps when Batman first appeared on the scene, he put fear into the corrupt, as they’d know that someone from outside of the law would hunt them. In my home City, when it’s hero appeared the Police took a very different stance against him. Deeming him the Hood, they attempted to hunt him, claiming him to be another criminal. They might be right. Yet in my personal opinion, I think that if the Police Force needs to salvaged, then they need to start to trust superheroes. Superman is an integrated member or the law enforcement in Metropolis and their Force is operating just fine.” When he first appeared all those months ago as the Green Arrow, the Star City Police Department didn’t welcome him with open arms although he did have a different take upon fighting crime to Batman.

“I also think that Gotham has a very distinct class of criminal, one that’s rarely found in other Cities. I don’t like to call them this but Super Villains seem to target this City.” He laughed when using the term Super Villains; it made them sound like baddies from a comic book. “I don’t think the Police Force is trained to deal with the random acts of terror that the Joker rains down, where as perhaps a vigilante is.” Ollie then sat thinking about what his next question could be, he’d need to quiz her views upon the City and what she’d do to solve its problems. “I understand that Arkham Asylum is the City’s main Prison for the criminally insane. Besides Blackgate for the sane ones. Are these facilities adequate to hold this new type of Criminal? Many a villain has escaped from each Prison, usually creating a high death toll. Do you think this it down to the state of the Asylum’s staff and equipment or the inmates themselves?”

Oliver looked over to Felicity and opened his hand to her. “Can I have the files on Arkham?” She clipped open her bag and took out a brown folder with the Asylum emblem in the top corner, passing it over to her boss. Oliver thanked her and proceeded to open it up, inspecting the contents. It contained the last report on Arkham Asylum. It was a review of the staff, the technology and the methods used by the Doctors. Although the rate of cured patients was adequate, there have been a number of large break outs by the more volatile inmates. Closing it, Oliver passed it over the table to Aria, so that she can inspect it herself.

[Deleted]

When it comes to her turn to order, Aria takes all of her own advice by saying, "I'll have the crab salad, with a side of steamed rice." And as she folds her menu, Ami quietly requests, "The smoked eel, please." The waiter quickly writes down their orders and collects their menus before disappearing in the direction of the kitchens, leaving them free to talk without his hovering, at least until their food arrives.

Which will take a bit of time - it seems like the fancier a place is, the slower the service is. Of course, both the atmosphere and the food here are significantly better than any place where they're in too much of a hurry to put the food in front of you, so in Aria's view at least the extra time is worth it. Of course, given that she's practically immortal she has nothing but time, and since she doesn't actually need to eat to live (though she does get hungry if she doesn't) she can certainly afford to be picky.

After giving the explanation of her view on the GCPD with so little thought, the way she listens to Mr. Queen's response is completely different. Reciting her political stance is easy - handling potential disagreements with it is the hard part. So she listens very carefully as he explains his own viewpoint, taking mental notes of the things she needs to comment on. Fortunately, it doesn't seem that anything he says is in any real disagreement with the position she's taken - she needs only clarify a few points.

She takes the file about the asylum that he hands to her, and she quickly skims the first couple of pages but is quick to comment, "Ah, yes - I've seen reports about Arkham before. Their track record is truly terrible." She shakes her head at it before passing it back over to Mr. Queen, "It's true that the problems don't begin and end with the GCPD - Blackgate and Arkham are also in great need of increased funding as well as increased oversight to ensure that the money they're given is being used properly. They need better buildings, better equipment, and better training for their staff just as much as the police do thanks to the changing face of crime. Some cities are already coping quite well, but others such as Gotham are not and need to be helped and encouraged to follow their example.

"I do not, however, believe that trusting in vigilantes such as Batman is a viable option, however," she adds, allowing her tone to become firm, "But it's not because I don't believe their intentions are good, but because their actions place them so firmly outside of what is legal. I'm not especially familiar with the methods of Star City's self-proclaimed hero, but Batman is quite fond of ignoring the Fourth Amendment completely, and that's hardly something that the law can ignore. If we tolerate that, it undermines the very principles our country was founded upon. But not every one of these masked 'do-gooders' is alike - Superman being an excellent example. It's well within the rights of any citizen to stop crimes in progress and rescue people in need of help if they're capable of doing so safely, as well as assisting the police when asked. Those heroes who refrain from stepping beyond what the law allows them to do are indeed a great help. But even the way that Metropolis manages their affairs isn't perfect, which is where the little Bill I've been working on comes in."

She gives a vague gesture in Ami's direction, and her assistant, who had been expecting this from the moment that the conversation turned to the vigilantes, quickly fishes a document out of her briefcase. A very, very large document - the stack of papers she hands to Aria is as thick as a small book. And as she takes it from Ami, Aria handles it with an air of pride - this thing will hopefully be what gets her into the Governor's Mansion once her term in the House is over. "You can read it if you'd like, but I assume you'd prefer a brief summary?" she asks with a smile when her attention shifts back to Mr. Queen - her 'little Bill' isn't so little...

[bowman]

Taking back the folder from her, Oliver passes it back to Felicity. She quickly removes it from him and places it back with in her portfolio of files much like it. He then turned back to Ms. Lloyd, placing both hands together before leaning forward onto the table, the locked hands upon the neat white cloth. His eyes bounced around the other tables for a moment, checking upon the others getting served. A few ate away steadily, their eyes locked down upon their food with little to no conversation. They were sat in the corner of the Café, away from the more pleasant customers. Some sat laughing by a window, knocking their glasses against one another’s as a toast of sorts. A slight smile crept upon his mouth, as he gazed quickly over them.

Turning his focus back upon those on his own table, Oliver first commented upon their respective meals. “I’ve tried crab before, it’s quite nice. Although I was put off them when to catch them I’d have to chase them up and down a beach for hours.’ He laughed, remembering how hard he found catching food when he first arrived on the Island,’ It makes you respect a warm meal a bit more though.” Rubbing his hands together, he eagerly awaited his meal, grasping his glass to take another long sip. He drank the last of it down and picked up the bottle, refilling the glass slowly. It was evident that he was in no hurry to continue with this line of discussion, showing that he’d come around to it though.

“Arkham is in a bit of a state, just like the rest of Gotham as it would appear or else I doubt we’d be having quite the same conversation. Where the vigilantes are concerned, I in my personal opinion find them as a necessary evil, one most in this City need. When I was younger, before Batman or any other heroes in capes were around, I can remember Gotham. At Gotham University, I did a degree in journalism meaning I spent a lot of time inspecting stories from through out the City. It wasn’t pretty. The Roman strikes here, Falcone hits back, Loeb is scandal. So many things wrong with the City, corruption, violence and no hero. The GCPD was in a worse state than now, much worse.” Oliver sat, telling her things she would likely know already. He was doing so to build up to his point.

Taking another swig from the cold drink, he began once more with his story. “But as I’ve came back into society, I know that something’s changed. If it be Gordon’s campaign against corruption or what Dent once did, I’m not sure. I just know that Batman played a part in it.” Once more, Felicity took out another folder, this one a light brown shade. She handed to Oliver who in turn spread it out upon the table. Across it was a chart that showed the crime rates around the time when Batman appeared. The bar was rising, and then began to drop dramatically over time. Oliver perched his finger upon the line, looking over at Aria. “You can’t deny that he’s had a profound effect on the population, striking fear into the corrupt and evil. If Gotham was a better City all those years ago, there would be no need. However I find he gave the needed push to get the people going, even if he is a ‘criminal’.”

He folded the paper away, placing it before Felicity to deal with once more, just before he was passed one from Aria. His eyes ran over the many pages that made up its size, glancing back up to her face. “I think I’d prefer the short version.” He grinned and laughed slightly, trying to ease the conversation from this serious topic.

[Deleted]

Aria listens as Mr. Queen talks of Gotham's past but, as he suspects, she already well aware of what he's saying. She may not have been in Gotham very much during the period just before Batman's appearance, but she was (under another identity) living in the city before that and did catch herself up on what she'd missed in the meantime. But if Mr. Queen feels it's important to say things they both obviously know, she'll let him, and she idly sips at her wine as she does so. She's not drinking it very fast, however, and still has half a glass full when she sets it down to give the charts that he pulls out at least a glance. Obviously, she's seen such things herself before, so she mostly just needs to see exactly which statistic it's tracking to fully understand his point.

But it's not a point she fully agrees with, though she tries to keep her tone mild as she comments, "It's true that Batman has had an effect, but if you're saying that you believe that the drop in crime is largely his fault I can't say that I agree. I believe that it may be due to him, but it may also be because of many other factors. Personally, I give Commissioner Gordon most of the credit, but of course Batman, Dent, and many other things played a role. And I don't believe that it's actually possible to look at such a complicated array of interactions and say what the exact effect of any one part of it was. So perhaps Batman's influence was the greatest - but perhaps it was negligible, or perhaps his influence is the direct cause of all these super-criminals who didn't start to appear, in Gotham at least, until after he did. But I also believe that's a philosophical question that we can agree to disagree on if we have to, as I think that you're likely to be quite happy with my plans for such cases regardless." And hopefully that will satisfy him - she doesn't much enjoy arguing issues with people who she's unlikely to convince or be convinced by.

Instead her focus turns to her little pride and joy, and her smile broadens slightly as he asks for the short version of it. "This Bill lays the groundwork for many reforms that I believe anyone with any sense believes are well past due. Times are changing, and the government has to keep up with it or face the consequences of trying to operate with outdated laws that don't address the needs of the citizens. Some local governments have already gotten started on these issues, but this will bring it to the federal level. And I should stress that it's very basic - it doesn't attempt to answer all the issues, especially since many of them are highly controversial and it will take some time and debate for the necessary laws to be agreed upon. Instead it simply lays the backbone for such laws by establishing a few basic principles that aren't meant to be too controversial - we want this to pass through Congress without it being shredded down to nothing, after all.

"First of all, it attempts to address the issues raised by the influx of metahumans and aliens. It establishes both of those groups as protected minorities, similar to the laws already in place regarding race and gender, stating that they have the same basic rights and cannot be discriminated against. For metahumans it does acknowledge that some of their abilities can be very dangerous, but reaffirms their right to live and work just like anyone else if they're able to keep their abilities under control. And for those who can't, it requires state governments to develop programs for dealing with such people in a way that ensures the safety of both them and other citizens but as humanely and granting as much freedom as possible given the circumstances.

"For aliens - or to put it more properly, sentient beings from outside of our planet - it broadens many of the laws currently in place for people from foreign countries to explicitly include them, for example granting them the opportunity to obtain citizenship. And most of the laws already in place for handling situations where someone arrives in this country accidentally, for example, are perfectly adequate for the same situation where the person in question happens to be from outside of the planet instead of simply from another country.

"Now, as for vigilantes..." she pauses here and glances at Mr. Queen because she suspects this will be the part of most interest to him, "The basic problem that the government has always has with them is the issue of authority. It's not whether or not they do a good job that's the problem, it's that they are putting themselves into a position where they answer to nobody. If a police officer, for example, kills someone in the course of their job, the death is investigated to be sure that it had been necessary. If it was, the officer is free to continue on, and if not he is punished not as a murderer but in accordance to the severity of the mistake that was made. If a vigilante kills someone, on the other hand, we're expected to simply sit back and trust that the right thing was done because they said so. You can see the problem with that, can't you? Even with organizations like the Justice League who claim to be self-policing, who do they answer to? Here in the United States the government, including the justice system, is supposed to be in the hands of the people - not a powerful few no matter how good their intentions are.

"Therefore, this Bill addresses the issue of costumed crime-fighters in a more heavy-handed fashion, but it's also a compromise that gives them the freedom to do what the law can allow without contradicting itself. It basically increases the ability of law enforcement officials of a certain rank to essentially deputize whomever they please so that the person can act with the same authority of a police officer. On one hand, the person's identity does not need to be known for this to happen, but on the other they must be officially given that privilege first, that only authorizes them to do anything that's legal for a police officer to do, and if what they do is called into question they're expected to submit themselves to investigation. And if they're found to have broken the law, depending on the severity of the crime they may be required to reveal their identity to the local authorities, though again depending on the severity that information may be kept confidential. And while I'm sure that every self-appointed hero won't be completely happy with that arrangement, the one huge advantage is that it would allow them to work within the law," she says, finally finishing her long explanation of the even longer document. And, having said all of that, she sips her wine waits for the all too likely questions - she did explain it all rather fast, after all, and it's a lot to absorb if you haven't spent years working on it like she has.

[bowman]

Oliver didn’t expect any of this. He thought this candidate would want to open a new hospital here and there, improve living conditions for the poor. Listening intently, his eyes continued to glance over the large file before them. While she speaks, Oliver picks up the folder once more and opens it, inspecting what she was saying in finer detail. Like many in this day and age, Ollie understood that many extraterrestrials have arrived on Earth, knowing a few such as Superman and Hawkgirl. In the past there’d been very little done in order to protect them as a minority, he wondered if this plan would give them the respect that they needed. He turned his attention back to the start of her many responses, upon the subject of Batman’s effect. “You’re right in saying that many of the villains have only appeared after he arrived on the scene, but if he were to leave now we’d still have them to deal with. We can’t change that and I wonder if the police have the ability to combat them alone.”

The Billionaire sat forward to show his deep level of interest in her plans for this City. They seemed like ideas which could change a great deal, for the better he hoped. “Metahumans are appearing in great numbers these days, some wanting to do good, others not so much. How do you think some of the less cooperative ones will take to being classed as a minority? Some might no agree with getting classed as a minority group, wanting to be integrated into a larger part of society, to blend. Will the Metahumans be required to reveal themselves so that you can protect them?” The Young Man was very enthusiastic about this plan, it was a superb idea. One that he was willing to fund if she required it. Metahumans need rights to, they needed protected by the law. These questions were just to put his mind at rest concerning some of the problems that policing this scheme might have.

“The same can be said about Aliens. Like you say, we have to realise that we’re not alone out there in the Galaxy. We need to put across to other species the idea that we’re not to be feared, so perhaps welcoming them into our planet with citizenships might be a great idea. Providing them this opportunity might promote this City as one of freedom, where all can live as long as they have something to contribute to their area. But what about the idea that some Aliens have been on Earth for years? Hiding in plain sight. I’m sure Superman was on Earth before he was a hero, and must have a secret identity when not flying about. Will he need to reveal his true self to the World?” Clark definitely looked like a human, might he be alienated if this bill forces him to come out into the open? Oliver hoped it posed no problem as such.

“I support the idea of Superheroes helping out. For all their negative points, I see that they want to help and do so the best way they can. The main problem people have with them is that they aren’t policed, like you say. I this idea is a good one, but before it works I think you should approach perhaps Batman or Superman, to discuss with them the idea, to see if they have an alternative solution. But I do think that this scheme is one of the most promising I’ve seen yet. They’d be able to continue, knowing that they’re doing it with in the law. It gives them great publicity too, which is a good thing for once.” As a Superhero himself, Oliver knew how the people saw them. Some think that they’re wild and as bad as those they fight. This plan to change their views for the better.

While he spoke, the waiter had returned with their dishes. In fact there was a group of them, each carrying a meal in their arms. Oliver’s shrimp dish was placed down before him on a neat white plate with steaming pasta surrounding the beautifully placed shrimp. Picking up the napkin, Oliver folded it out over his knees, picking up his fork and knife after. Felicity who had been quiet for most the conversation, playing solitaire upon the lap top, did the same and prepared for her meal as a slice of cake was set down before her, covered in cream. “Wow, looks great.” She chirped as he used her small spoon to chip as piece off, eating it slowly to saver the taste.

[Deleted]

If she knew that Mr. Queen had thought that her goals would be much smaller, Aria would have found that hilarious. Perhaps it may have been in her nature to aspire to something small many centuries ago, but in that time she's accomplished all of such things that she could ever want to - some of them multiple times, even - so it's no longer in her nature to be satisfied by accomplishments that are too small or too easy. But as for his further comments on Batman she merely shrugs as she doesn't wish to argue that point and besides they're down to pointing out facts that neither can dispute and only marginally represent an argument for their own opinion.

It's when he starts asking questions about her Bill that she starts to take his words more seriously. If she can convince him that it's a good idea, that alone will probably be enough to encourage him to be quite generous to her campaign. "I can't imagine that any metahuman would object to these measures, no matter how they may feel about them. It simply establishes that they're to be treated with the same fairness as any other person. I'd imagine that the people who would object to it instead are those right wing elements who view such people as abnormal and frightening. While in many areas it's already the case that the law is treating metahumans respectfully, there are other areas where a metahuman has the valid concern that if they were to reveal themselves they'd be kidnapped for study by some laboratory by those who claim that such a person is not really human and therefore has no rights - if some of the more troubling rumors are true that includes some branches of our own government - it's a legal gray area that needs to be fixed. It's my hope that in doing so such people will be able to reveal themselves in perfect safety and not have to hide themselves in fear, though presumably if a person still prefers to hide their abilities they have no need of such laws to protect them since everyone who knows them will presume that they're not a metahuman and treat them as such," she explains carefully, hoping that she's adequately addressing his concerns.

This questions about the aliens cause her expression to become even more thoughtful, as the issues he's bringing up are actually a lot trickier than simply recognizing metahumans as equals. "Well, first important point, this Bill is not for the city of Gotham, it's for the entire country at the federal level. I'm actually not aware of what, if any, local laws have been established for these groups, but this would supersede them as well as any laws passed anywhere else in the country. Secondly, the issue of aliens who have been around for quite some time is definitely a tricky one, similar to the question about what ought to be done with the millions of illegal immigrants. Though in this case it's made even more complicated simply because the logistics of deporting an alien back to where they came from renders that idea impractical. But as much as people hate the word 'amnesty', I'm hoping that they'll accept the idea in this case simply because the law has been completely silent about aliens so until this passes there was no legal way for them to be in the country. Therefore any alien who can show that they haven't just barely arrived will be able to apply for citizenship without consequence - any punishments for an alien hiding in the country would only apply to those who start to do so after the Bill passes. The question of those such as Superman who may choose to not reveal themselves and gain full citizenship status is not easily answerable - though I'd imagine that in his particular case, should his true self be found out he would immediately be offered a pardon simply in recognition of the great service he's already given to the country and the world," she explains, again hoping that he'll be satisfied with that, "Keep in mind that technically any alien in the country except in the off chance that one was actually born here is already considered illegal and has no way of fixing that. In this Bill they're given a way of fixing that - they can still choose not to, and in fact that wouldn't change anything for them from how things are now."

As he makes his last comments she nods easily, glad to hear that he likes her plans. Excellent! And she's quick to nod as he suggests discussing her last points with some of the crime fighters. "Of course - the thought had occurred to me, and the reason I haven't done so is that there are many elements of this Bill that are a work in progress and it may end up being changed quite a bit after I introduce it to Congress and they being making changes to it so that it better satisfies everyone. I intend to invite costumed crime-fighters or their representatives to attend many of the discussions so that they may offer their input. Nothing would be more useless to them than to give them a law that none of them want to take advantage of, after all," she says with a smile and a nod.

Even as she's saying that her salad is deposited in front of her, and when she's finished she pauses for a moment to smile at the neatly presented dish. It's a very colorful mixture thanks to the many different ingredients, and she already knows from experience that it's just as delicious to the palette as it is to the eye. Only pausing to put her napkin in place, she doesn't resist the temptation to take a quick bite - especially since she somehow doubts that's the end of their conversation on her Bill and she doesn't know how long it will be before she has to pause to give a lengthy answer to a question - ah, the joys of the business lunch! Beside her, Ami remains characteristically silent as she receives her smoked eel, which has been neatly laid over a bed of seasoned rice, indicating that she's pleased with it by showing a pleased smile. But even as she starts to eat, she keeps most of her attention on the conversation at hand, just in case Aria suddenly needs her to do something.

[bowman]

The food was nice; she wasn’t lying about the shrimp. It was nicer than he remembered, although the taste of the sea food wasn’t his main priority when he was on the Island. Still though, this was a fine dish, one he was enjoying greatly. With his fork, he stabbed one of the shrimp, holding it up to inspect it before devouring it. It looked delicious and it tasted even better. Plunging it into his mouth, he bit a chunk off the small pink animal and grinned with delight as he chewed the crunchy pieces. “Lovely.” He said, swallowing the last part in his mouth. Once he finished the compliment, he continued to eat, still thinking about the bill on the table.

Oliver glanced up from the food, looking at her while she spoke. This bill could either support the acceptance of certain minorities or condemn them to violence from more extreme groups. But it was there right to fight on their behalf, someone had to and this woman seems like the best person for the job. “I can picture many extremist groups not agreeing with this. As you say, some right-wing voters might find it hard to accept this idea. And also, you raise a good point upon experimenting; I understand that some scientists might see this as a great opportunity. But tell me, why would the average person vote for this? Does it help them in any way or is it just down to morals and civil rights?” Ollie enquired, knowing that they are the questions that most citizens would be asking. Although this acts upon morals more than anything, this could provide a boost to the economy in some manner; however that was at the back of Oliver’s mind.

One of the main problems facing a country is immigration, this might only add to the all ready heavy weight of immigrants wanting to enter the U.S.A. As a liberal, Oliver is all for helping those less fortunate to find work and for some moving to another country is a great idea. While talking, he scooped up some pasta onto his fork, dropping them into his mouth. He grinned once again, taking a drink from his wine to help wash it down. The food was coated in a beautiful sauce, which only improved the taste of the meal. “How do you plan on integrating new aliens to the planet? Obviously they might not be able to speak any language on Earth, so do you need special facilities set up in order for them to learn English and other standard things. I’m just worried that they’ll be confused by us, which might cause problems. However I understand that some of Earth’s superhero protectors are not of this world themselves, so perhaps they could be experts upon the different species.”

As he spoke, Felicity turned the lap top around to face everyone else on the table. On it were a few pictures of heroes who were obviously not human. Heroes such as Martian Manhunter and Hawkgirl were on it, with captions displayed beneath their photos. “See, on the right we have Martian Manhunter, Martian is in the name so there’s a very strong chance of him being from the Red Planet. And the other is well an angel. Both are probably not from this Earth.” She turned the lap top back around, typing on it some more, taking intervals to eat her cake. “I’m just saying that they could speed the process up a bit.” He smiled, knowing more about them then he was going to tell her. After all Oliver Queen was just a spoiled rich kid.

“You should take this to the Justice League themselves, as this will affect all of them. And as you say, this won’t hinder them at all. If anything it’ll improve their current status as heroes, they’d have to listen.” Ollie sat back into his chair one more, stroking his beard with one hand; the other was resting upon the plate with a fork in its fingers. This was a radical idea, one which some heroes might not agree with. Oliver believed that it was only a matter of time before the Government tried something like this, one way or another. Better they agree to it now, improving their situation than fighting it, getting it forced upon them in later years. Usually Oliver would be against an idea like this, well at least old Oliver would be. In his youth he could be highly argumentative, he still can be but at least he thinks before shouting these days. He decided that they needed a break from these serious topics for a few moments while they ate their meals; this was supposed to be enjoyable after all. “So what made you come to Gotham then, Ms. Lloyd?” Enquiring out of curiosity to why anyone would wish to make this their home although she was obviously rich, the wealthy do have their perks in this City.

[Deleted]

When Mr. Queen compliments the food, Aria smiles to herself. She can't directly take credit for the quality of the meal, but she did pick the place and is therefore glad that he's pleased - it would have tainted the entire conversation if he, for whatever reason, wasn't.

His first couple of questions cause her to smile and comment, "Well, it all fundamentally boils down to the fact that it's simply the right thing to do - something that I have no doubt the vast majority of people recognize and agree upon. But there are other reasons - think of all the talent being wasted! Imagine a United States where people with extraordinary abilities are in the workforce, able to openly benefit their employers and themselves by doing things more efficiently than the average person. And what about the advances to science and technology that could be realized by those with abilities to do things that are impossible through other means? If anything can radically and permanently cure the current economic slump, that would be it." Her smile grows a little as she adds, "But, again, the more important point is that it's the right thing to do." With just enough fringe benefits for the more selfish minded that they're likely to vote for it too.

As she's the one fielding questions and answers as a general rule tend to be much longer than questions, it's tricky for her to eat during this conversation, but she's nevertheless making progress on her salad by sneaking in bites whenever Mr. Queen talks. She's not surprised by the deliciousness of the meal, as she's been here before and ordered this same salad, but she's definitely delighted by it. So many different flavors, each resting on the tongue separately but also combining in the mind into a delicious whole. She hardly touches her wine though, apparently more focused on the salad at the moment.

"It's not that different from what is faced by immigrants from other countries, actually - it's just taken to a different level when it's not just a different culture but a different species. But it's only natural when one is moving to a new country to seek out what's familiar - immigrants typically move to areas that already have immigrants with similar backgrounds and are therefore able to live among people they understand even as they learn to integrate into the country. Most communities also offer classes for those who are applying for citizenship. I'd imagine it would be similar with aliens. I doubt that our martian and angel friends need the government to tell them that they're help with new aliens is very welcome," she explains, "And if the integration of new aliens proves to be a problem, further laws can be passed - programs can be started, and such. Though there are many obvious examples of aliens now on our planet, the numbers still seem to be small and manageable - if that changes then we'll have to adapt to that. This Bill simply lays out a to build upon while offering a way to legalize those already here."

His repeated insistence that she should contact the superheroes only causes her to smile and restate her first answer, "As I said, I fully intend to invite them to the discussion when it happens - which is not yet. I'm not finished working on it myself, and of course I have an election to win first." But the more enthusiastic that Mr. Queen gets about this, the higher her hopes that he'll be very generous with his campaign donation. Yes, this conversation is going very well indeed.

But she, like him, can get tired of speaking on such serious topics. He's not the only one that she's had to have this conversation with, after all, and there are days that she wishes that she never decided to write the Bill in the first place simply because then she wouldn't have to talk about it. So the question he asks her now causes an inward feeling of relief - at last, they can talk about something other than politics. Or, actually, it's somewhat related - speaking of herself gives other people a chance to evaluate her character so it does have some influence over their vote - but at least it's not so overt. "I was born here, actually," she comments, "Though I was just a baby when we left: my father was killed in a fire - I don't remember him - and it all hit my mother very hard. Which is probably why we moved around so much when I was young - we were world travelers, you might say. I didn't come back to the States permanently until I was fourteen to attend a boarding school in Chicago. I came back to Gotham for school, initially, but I stayed when the board of directors for my father's company - Lloyd's Pet Supply - decided to make me CEO. Their corporate headquarters are here."