The sound of footsteps made Felicity glance up from her work. She was surprised to see Oliver and Diggle entering the library- a quick glance out its long floor to ceiling windows confirmed that it was in fact still light outside and so far earlier in the day then it usually was when they returned from their patrols.
"You're back early," she remarked, keeping her tone neutral.
"It was unusually quiet out there today," Oliver explained, dragging a chair over to where Felicity was working and sitting down. Diggle followed suit a moment later. "So we decided to call it early."
"And we came to find you," Diggle put in, "because we need to discuss our next move and Oliver felt that discussion should include you."
"You're part of this now," Oliver said, "at least as far as I'm concerned, and you should have a say in how we do it."
"And you are agreed?" Felicity asked, turning to Diggle.
"I don't know about that," he replied, "but following Oliver's lead has gotten me this far. I intend to continue doing it." Felicity nodded. Turning back toward Oliver, she asked "How did you know you would find me here?" She gestured expansively to indicate the library around them.
"I didn't, really," Oliver admitted. "I guessed. I thought someone who could draw power from words would want to spend a lot of time surrounded by them."
"That's quite the astute observation," Felicity said with a smile.
"Not really," Oliver replied, shrugging off the compliment. "My friend's father, he was a mage. Well, not trained, but he had the aptitude. I remember he spent most of his time either in his study or in his library, surrounded by books." There was resentment in his tone, like he thought he should have spent that time doing something else. Felicity decided not to comment on it.
"Getting back to the matter at hand," Diggle cut in, steering the conversation back to its original topic. "What should we do next?"
"I see no reason to deviate from our usual routine," Oliver said. After a pause, he amended, "For the time being."
"Are you saying you don't think the lack of activity out there today indicates some larger pattern taking shape?" Diggle asked.
"I'm saying it's too early to tell whether that's the case or not," Oliver replied, "but we should keep an eye out in case it does in fact indicate a larger design at work." Felicity listened to this back and forth in silence, having nothing to add. As it was, Oliver and Diggle had gotten so deep into their discussion that they seemed to have forgotten she was there.
"And what of you, Felicity?" Diggle said, startling her. Apparently, they hadn't forgotten about her after all. "Have you anything to add?" Felicity shook her head.
"Nothing that pertains to this," she said. "I haven't participated in your patrols and I don't think I'd be much help on them anyway. After all, I have no skill for combat." Diggle nodded.
"Still," he said. "I would hear your counsel." Oliver nodded his agreement.
"I have some things I'm working on," Felicity said, indicating the books and notebook in front of her, the quill and ink set beside them, "but at the moment nothing sufficiently developed enough to be put to practical use. It's all just theory right now."
"But give me the rest of today," she continued after a brief pause, "and I might have something that one of you can take on a test run tomorrow. We'll see." Oliver and Diggle both nodded. Diggle got up from his chair, dipped his head to both of them in farewell, and left. Oliver didn't move.
"Was there something else you needed, Oliver?" Felicity asked, pulling one of the books on the table in front of her towards her. She dipped her quill in ink and prepared to resume her studies.
"Nothing else I needed," Oliver replied. "Just something else I wanted to ask."
"Oh?" Felicity asked. "And that is?"
"What's it like?" Oliver answered with a question of his own. "Magic, I mean. My mother's prejudices made the subject taboo in our household, but it's always fascinated me."
"And you couldn't have asked your friend's father about it?" Felicity asked. Oliver shook his head.
"He wasn't exactly easy to talk to," he said. "Too wrapped up in his own head." There was that resentment again. Felicity realized that it wasn't resentment for Oliver's sake, but rather for his friend's. She sighed.
"I don't know if I can explain it, Oliver," she said. "I don't know if you'd understand."
"Try me," Oliver said. His expression was open and curious. There was a gleam in his eyes that made them seem even brighter blue than usual."
"When you're out there," Felicity said, "in the forest, doing what you do, do you ever draw an arrow from your quiver and feel like it already knows exactly where it wants to go and all you're doing is helping it get there?" Oliver nodded.
"I'd never have thought to describe it that way," he said, "but yes."
"Okay," Felicity replied. "That's what magic feels like to me. Like the power in the words I hear and read is just lying in wait, ready for me to direct it where it wants to go."
"What happens when it wants to go somewhere that isn't where you need it to?" Oliver asked.
"I convince it otherwise," Felicity replied simply. "It probably sounds silly, but that's the best way I can think to describe it."
"It's not silly at all," Oliver said, shaking his head. "I don't think you could have done a better job of explaining it so that I could understand." Felicity ducked her head, a smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. She returned to her studies at last, and for a moment the only sound was the scratching of her quill as she took down notes.
"Felicity," Oliver said in a soft voice. She felt his hand on her arm and lifted her eyes to his.
"Thank you," he said. "For helping me understand.
"Of course," Felicity replied, feeling a blush warming her cheeks. After a moment, she said, "You should probably get to bed, Oliver. No doubt you'll need the rest tomorrow."
"I'd like to stay and watch you work, if you don't mind," Oliver replied.
"Alright," Felicity said, though privately she wondered why. It wasn't like she was doing anything particularly interesting.