11219/A Problem-Free Philosophy

A Problem-Free Philosophy
Date of Scene:	21 March 2020
Location:	Santa Cruz
Synopsis:	Drake doles out some much-needed encouragement.
Cast of Characters:	Mon-El, Slipstream

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Mon-El has posed:
    Beaches, boardwalks, and bikinis. And cotton candy and shopping, of course. Just as Drake said. Some Legionnaires have decided to take some shore leave, after the craziness with COMPUTO.

    Lar himself didn't exactly feel like trying to enjoy himself, but if anyone needs it most, he probably does. Dressed in regular street clothes and hands shoved into pockets, he walks along a beach boardwalk shopping strip, not looking at all as happy as everyone around him.

Slipstream has posed:
Once the pair of best friends separated from the others, Drake glances up at Lar and gives a squint of his eyes. His shoulder rams up against his roughly to try and jar him out of his current state. "Hey dude. Okay, what's really going on here? You've been all mopey Lar again. Like Kara two point oh or something. What's wrong? You wanna get some chili dogs?"

Mon-El has posed:
    Lar is indeed jarred from his thoughts when Drake nudges him a little roughly with a shoulder. He sighs deeply. "I'm sorry, Drake. I know I haven't been very much fun to be around lately." he admits as he finally looks up at his friend. "I understand if you're getting frustrated with me because you've probably heard this before. But it's just--" he exhales again, shaking his head. "I can't shake the feeling that ever since I got here, I've done nothing but screw up over and over again..."

Slipstream has posed:
"Holy shit snacks you are a broken record." Drake says as he sighs out loudly. "I don't know if I have the emotional fortitude to try and convine you how amazing and great you are, and that this is just all in your head because you got confidence issues that you don't need to have, since you're a freaking legendary superhero from the thirty-first century. That's the quick and dirty version. You feel better?" He says as he gives him a kick at the leg fondly.

Mon-El has posed:
    "Ugh, I know. And I knew you were going to say that." Lar admits. "Look, I'm sorry. I don't know what it is with me. I...thought that once I got my memories back, everything would be fine. Everything would be fixed. But -nothing- is. I almost got Kara killed. And Rokk. And you, twice. Tried to fix my family situation and ended up nearly destroying an entire planet. And now I've driven Brainiac off of the team."

    He stops in front of a food stand selling cotton candy and popcorn, staring at it a moment before sitting down heavily on a bench nearby. "Yeah, I know. You're right. Broken record."

Slipstream has posed:
"You're like a broken record of an album I'd never want to listen to. You are the Nickleback of broken records." Drake says. "I'm not dead. Rokk isn't dead. Kara is not dead and the planet is not blown up. You didn't drive Brainiac off. The dude is a dickhead who's super smart who will also come back after he finishes contemplating his belly button." He turns to the booth and orders a large cotton candy and a pair of chili dogs for the two of them. "You need to learn how to brush your shoulder off and move forward. Hakuna Matata."

Mon-El has posed:
    Lar rubs his face. "I know I have to, but I just can't and I don't know why. After the last time we talked, I thought I had made progress, but--I don't know. Being stuck in COMPUTO's mental prison was...agonizing. Almost as bad as the Phantom Zone. Almost. I knew it was using me to wreak havoc on everyone, but no idea what was going on. I was just trapped with it, and myself brooding over how I could have let something like this happen."

    As Drake comes back with the food, he arches a brow at him. "What's a Nickelback? And 'hakuna' what?"

Slipstream has posed:
"I was stuck in a time prison and I had my world ripped in two. I know all about that, buuuuut... I could have dwelled on it, but you wanna know why I didn't? I had you. My best friend." Drake hands the cotton candy over to him. "Nickleback is a band from the nineties. They get mocked a lot because their songs all sound the same."

As he starts to unwrap a hotdog, he clears his throat. "Hakuna Matata! What a wonderful phrase. Hakunta Matata! Ain't no passing craaaaaze! It means no worries! For the rest of your daaaaays! It's your problem free, philosophy! Hakuna Matata!"

As he sings out loudly in a raspy falsetto, he fingerguns at a couple of people who look over his way, laughing. They know the song.

Mon-El has posed:
    "But it wasn't your fault..." Lar mutters. "It was mine." The prison, that is. He takes the cotton candy, peering at it but not quite digging in yet, then watches Drake burst out into a strange song. Huh. Must be very popular on Earth, as the other Terrans all seem to know it, too.

    "As was this whole business with COMPUTO." So that was it, he thinks everything is his fault. He smiles as Drake finishes the chorus, but only a little bit. "Thanks Drake, but it's just not that simple."

Slipstream has posed:
"It is that simple because that is what heroes do. They bounce back from a fight and then stand in front of the crowds with their chest puffed out and cape billowing in the background." Drake says as he takes a bite of his hotdog. He gives a lick of his lips, clearing away some of the chili.

"So, you can keep being a sad kicked puppy who boo fucking hoos about every single thing in life and constantly dwell on the past which isn't even relevant anymore, or you can step up and be a hero and a leader. One that is supposed to inspire this team to victory, not constantly worry about you, and second guess your decision making." He says with a nudge to his shoulder. "We need you to pull out of it. We also need you to just talk to us. If you are worried or upset, don't shut down. Be honest with us, let us support you. It's what a family does for each other."

Mon-El has posed:
    Lar huffs and straightens up a bit, putting the cotton candy down. "That's exactly what I'm trying to do. What do you think I'm doing, I'm talking to you right now, telling you exactly how I'm feeling! And no, it's -not- that simple! It's not just about the past, because it -keeps- happening! Over and over again!"

    He stands up, his eyes glowing crimson slightly. "You said your father used to beat you, do you think that if you went back in time and told yourself to stop dwelling on the last time he abused you, that you'd just perk up and say 'Yeah! It's in the past, it's irrelevant! That is, until he does it again!'"

    He exhales audibly again, the glow fading. "I--I'm sorry...you just don't understand. But I shouldn't expect you to. I'll--I'll get it figured it out. Eventually. As long as someone else doesn't get into my head again, I guess."

Slipstream has posed:
"No, Lar. If I went back in time, I'd take a baseball bat to his head and I'd give him the old Barry Bonds treatment, over and over and over again. I'd turn his head into a pinata." Drake says as he rolls his shoulders a bit to pop the joints. "But that shit is in the past and I don't dwell on it anymore. Wanna know why? Because I made something of myself. I became an Overwatch champion, adored by billions of gamers. I pulled myself up from the ground to glory because I believed in myself. I let all the pain and anger that my dad put on me, and I put it into something else. Something healthy."

He gives him a nudge to the shoulder again. "We aren't perfect, Lar. You, me, Captain America. None of us. Heroes are not invincible, perfect beings. We have flaws like any other creature in the universe. We make mistakes, sometimes the enemy beats us."

"And the thing about you talking to us, it has to come from you once in awhile, and without you dodging the topic, or us having to drag you to Santa Cruz and surround you with cotton candy and beaches. Just be like... hey Drake, I wanna talk to you. Or even Rokk, or ... well, not Imra. Okay, so just me and Rokk. We're sane."

Mon-El has posed:
    Lar groans and sits back down again. "I just feel like I have to have everything together for the team. I see you all enjoying yourselves, believing in yourselves and celebrating the victories--and I don't want to ruin it by spilling all my problems all over everything. If anyone should know what to do, it should be me. I'm the 'illustrious' leader after all. But I don't. Never did, ever since I got here. My memories were restored, but...maybe I'm just not the same person I used to be."

Slipstream has posed:
"Good. Don't be the old person you used to be. New day, new life, new era, new Lar. Wear skinny jeans if you want." Drake says as he gives him a grin. "I'm not the same Drake either you know. I got a six pack, became an Avenger, got married to your hot cousin in an alternate reality, and now I'm a Legionnaire and I got a magic ring that makes me fly. Why don't you just be the Lar you /want/ to be? We're gonna accept you no matter what, because we love you."

Mon-El has posed:
    Lar peers at Drake when he suggests -not- trying to fill the shoes of pre-time trap Mon-El. Which were pretty big shoes to fill, let's be honest. "Yeah, I know. You're definitely not the same. But I hope you like who you are now, Drake. I'm just not sure I could say the same for myself." he admits with a sigh.

Slipstream has posed:
"Of course I like myself." Drake says with a grin. "I get to hang with my best friend on his superhero team and save multiple worlds, or at least fetch pizza and cotton candy for you guys." He leans in to bump him again a few more times with his shoulder. "I like you, Lar. You're my hero. You're my brother. I'd be dead a few times now if it wasn't for you. You've made a huge impact in my life."

Mon-El has posed:
    "Good." Lar replies, smiling a little bit more this time. "I like you, too. You always put up with me when I get down, and when it would make sense to -not- want to be around me."

    "I'll...get this figured out. I just need time, I guess. And you." He plucks gingerly at the cotton candy, pulling out a string of it. "Are you sure this is edible? It looks like mattress stuffing."

Slipstream has posed:
"It's delicious magical mattress stuffing." Drake says with a grin. "But, Hakuna Matata, right?" He says with a drawl in his throat as he reaches out to pluck some off the stick as well, then sticks it in his mouth.

"So, after this, we're gonna go on rollercoasters and then we're gonna do a terrible job of flirting with girls in bikinis. You're my wingman."

Mon-El has posed:
    Lar watches Drake eat the candy, and does his best to imitate it. There are certain ways certain Terran cuisine is supposed to be eaten, he knows this. "Hmm...yeah I guess it is pretty delicious. I hope it isn't actually magical, though. I hate magic."

    He nods at the list of activities Drake has planned. "Sure...sure, let's do all that."