11243/Hakuna Matata, Right?

Hakuna Matata, Right?
Date of Scene:	25 March 2020
Location:	Legion Cruiser - Ship Interior
Synopsis:	Drake and Lar talk about the past, the present, and the future.
Cast of Characters:	Mon-El, Slipstream

---

Mon-El has posed:
    Lar is currently on the bridge of the cruiser, perusing reports and scan data in search of anything relevant to the whole Cybertronians on Earth issue. This situation is a bit more concerning to him than he's letting on to everyone else...especially given what Lockdown had said about fuel sources. Was it really true, or was he just saying that to get them to cooperate with him?

Slipstream has posed:
Heading on to the bridge is Drake, giving a loud yawn into his hand. "Hey man!" He calls over to him as he flops down into a seat next to him, poking his nose over into his business. "Whatcha up to? It's still weird you know, living on a space ship." He says with grin to him. "Sometimes I don't know if it's night or day."

Mon-El has posed:
    "Oh, hey Drake." Lar greets with a nod as Drake comes over and looks at what he's doing. He doesn't seem to mind it. "I'm just looking over some scan data, see if we can't learn more about this odd situation..."

    "If you would prefer to go back to your residence planetside, feel free to."

Slipstream has posed:
"Nah. I like it up here. It's way more chill and less noisy than New York. Fewer gunshots too." Drake says as he peeks over at the data, propping his chin up in the palm of his hand. "So, what do you know about these Cybertrons or whatever? Do they always turn into cars? Which I think is weird seeing how Earth invented cars." He admits. "So a bunch of alien cars just came to Earth and was like ... woah! We got cousins or something?"

Mon-El has posed:
    Lar nods. "Fair enough. I do come out to space myself sometimes to get away from the noise." Especially since he has to actively tune out everything he -isn't- trying to listen to most of the time to avoid sensory overload.

    "Like I said earlier, they're a race of what are essentially AI advanced enough to be called sentient. Most of them are militant and they've been at war with each other for millennia. The rest of the galaxy usually doesn't want anything to do with them, given their propensity for destroying stuff."

    "I'm not sure exactly on that," he admits to that last question. "I think they can turn into any piece of technology they can scan or adapt to. So I assume they just adapted to what they saw on Earth."

Slipstream has posed:
"Imagine if one of them turned into a ..." Drake trails off with a lopsided grin. ".. nevermind. Either way, I dunno man. I don't trust either of them. They need to just peace off our rock and go hang out on Jupiter and chase each other.

As he leans back into his chair, he tucks his arms behind his head and gives a flex of his chest to pop a few joints, followed by a noisy yawn. He looks like he could use a good work out to shake everything loose.

"But, screw those guys if all they do is blow shit up. Can we just EMP them or something and take 'em to the recycling bin?"

Mon-El has posed:
    "I don't either, and I agree. I wish they would leave, but it sounds like that won't happen." Lar replies. "That is, if there's a drop of truth to what this Lockdown said."

    He frowns. "But there has to be a reason why his target is hiding here on Earth, of all the planets out there in the galaxy."

    A sigh and a shake of his head. "I wish it were that simple. I can't pretend to understand technology that advanced. I mean, COMPUTO tried to mimic them, which means they may even be beyond Brainiac." Good thing Querl is not there to hear him say that. "Not sure if our EMPs would have any effect on them."

Slipstream has posed:
"Well, get a heavy ass magnet, strap it to a rocket ship and send them off. Science I'm sure still works against them." Drake laughs at hte visual of a couple of Transformers magnetized to a rocket. Team Rocket's blasting off agaaaa---

"Eh. But whatever. It's not like it's Thanos right?" He says with a teasing grin. "But it keeps things at least exciting around here!" Reaching into his pocket, he pulls out a sealed bag of Jelly Belly's and tugs it open, then holds it out to him.

Mon-El has posed:
    "Except you're forgetting the fact that a magnet strong enough to hold one of them would also be strong enough to hold anything -else- metal that Terrans might be using. Or you know, us." Lar chuckles. "Don't underestimate people, though. I underestimated COMPUTO..." he sighs. "You saw where that got me."

    "But who knows, maybe they'll be civil. Maybe they'll work with us. Probably not, given their reputation, but one can hope." He peers at the open bag. "'Jelly Belly'?" He questions, reading the label and plucking one out. "I assume this is some kind of candy."

Slipstream has posed:
"It's the best candy. This is sour cherry." Drake says as he pops one into his mouth to chew on it happily. "It's one of the longest running companies of candy in the States. Based in California where I'm from. My area. I used to take tours of the factory as a kid. Was so bright and colorful."

As he eats the dark red candies, he chuckles at the memories for a moment before he shakes his head, glancing out the window to stare into space. "I miss my mom. She used to take me. I wish she never left.. or at least took me with her." He sighs out heavily in his chest.

Mon-El has posed:
    Lar nods, giving the one he'd picked out a try. "Heh, it is good. I'm not surprised it's been around for a long time."

    Then the conversation moves toward -that- topic. The hard one...family. "Did you ever hear from her again?" he asks, his thoughts going back to his own difficult experiences with family.

Slipstream has posed:
"No. Dad hit her a few times too hard and she said she was sick of his shit and she was leaving. She just left. One bag and that was it. Probably went to her mom's in Oklahoma." Drake says as he continues to stare out the window, shoulders drooping. "I loved her so much. I just .. wished she loved me .. as much as I did."

Wrinkling his nose upwards, he waves his hand in the air to try and clear it away. Shoo bad memories. Shoo. "It doesn't matter now though, right? I got all the love I need right here." He says as he butts his shoulder against his. "Got the brother I always wanted."

Mon-El has posed:
    Lar gives Drake's shoulder a squeeze. A gentle one, hopefully. "Well, you know how I feel about my own family." he says with a sigh. "But who knows? Maybe one of these days, you'll get reunited with her. Maybe you'd find it in yourself to forgive her. I'm sure she'd accept it if you did. Not sure I could say the same for mine, though."

Slipstream has posed:
"I don't know if I'm even mad at her. I just want to know why." Drake says as he offers him a quick smile on his face. "But, it doesn't matter now. That's my past. Hakuna Matata, right?" He blows some hair away from his face. "I think we have totally different family issues though, but at the end of the day, we gotta focus on what's best for us. So, anyways, enough with the Drake pity party." He chuckles. "Besides big robots, what else is on our agenda?"

Mon-El has posed:
    "Oh, well even better then. Maybe you'll find her one day, and you could ask her then." Lar replies. "We could even help you do that, if you wanted." After all, 31st century space craft technology, and all that. "That's true." he admits at the part that their family issues are very different.

    He moves back over to the console at the last question. "Uh..." he seems uncertain about the answer. "N-nothing, really. I don't know if anyone else is still trying to find Brainiac...but I figure he wants to be left alone for now."

Slipstream has posed:
"Maybe he and Lyle are off on some type of weird alien honeymoon." Drake says as he gives a twirl on the chair, then hops up to his feet to follow after him. "You know, we could always do another recruiting event. Didn't we interview a guy once who was a yodeler?" He asks with a grin. "I bet we can find that guy and give him a second chance."

Lobbing in another jelly bean into his mouth, he chews on it happily as he savors the sweet sour taste of candy. "Do you at least feel better though from the other day when we talked? At least a little bit?"

Mon-El has posed:
    Lar looks up from the screen and peers curiously at Drake. "Huh? Which moon is that? I do not recall any moon, planet, or planetoid in the Sol system called 'Honey'. Unless you have been studying the galactic community more than you said you would. Did Querl say something to you about that before he left?"

    He considers the suggestion about another recruiting event. "Maybe, but I doubt we'd give 'the Yodeler' a second chance. Still, maybe at least Grail won't decide to show up." he makes a face at the thought of her.

    Another sigh at that last bit. "I don't know, Drake. I guess. I think this sort of thing is something I'll be in for the long haul, but you've been a huge help for sure. I just hope that someday, somehow, I'll be able to reconcile with my family."

Slipstream has posed:
"Geezus, Lar. Turn a damn TV on at least once in your life and binge on junk so you can at some point catch up with us. Honeymoon is a vacation that two people go on when they get married, or when they wanna bang like rabbits for awhile and not deal with other people. You know they were dating, right?" Drake says with a laugh.

Taking out another jelly bean, he flicks the bean about his fingers a bit as it travels along his knuckles. "Why do you want to reconcile with them? You don't need their approval. You are your own man now. A hero. They should be on their hands and knees trying to get you on their good side."

He flicks the bean towards him, chest high in a lazy arc, as if one was passing a basketball.

Mon-El has posed:
    "Oh." Lar says when Drake explains, his face flushing a bit in mild embarrassment at his lack of knowledge of Terran culture. "Hey, I didn't grow up here like Superman did. And I spent a thousand years in the Phantom Zone." he says, smirking with mock defensiveness. "It takes a toll on you, when you're stuck there for that long. Plus, I haven't exactly had the best of luck when it comes to dating...you know this." It's the truth, really.

    "I know I don't -need- their approval. But that doesn't mean I don't want it. The truth is I'm eventually going to have to take responsibility for leading my people. You know, since my parents decided to make -me- the heir to the throne instead of my brother. They..." he sighs again. "They need someone who can show them a better way. That's why I can't be with Kara. That's why I can't just forget about them. That's why--" He shakes his head. "Never mind, you wouldn't understand. Lot of politics."

Slipstream has posed:
"I think you being with Kara though is probably better for both of your people. It would show unity between two families. You and her can both assure the other side that the bullshit can drop and you all can live in peace and co-exist. I think what you're doing is making a million excuses of why you can't be happy because you're afraid of being let down." Drake points out to him, flicking another jelly bean at his friend.

"You also don't need to lead your people. Not if you don't want to. There is /always/ someone else next in line, whether it's by blood or by force, or by vote. You can do whatever you want, Lar. Take initiative if need be. Just say you don't want it and get the people to vote on a new leader that they trust. I also don't care about politics. I'm an anarchist at heart." He jokes.

Mon-El has posed:
    "I've always appreciated your optimism, Drake." Lar chuckles a little and catches the jelly bean. "I know it sounds simple, and maybe it is. But it's definitely not as easy as you're making it seem. Putting a long history of prejudice behind us isn't going to just happen with one marriage. I just don't know if they're ready for that yet."

    He slumps a little bit at that last bit, staring at the ceiling. "That's just it. I'm not sure how I feel about it. On the one hand, I don't want the responsibility, but on the other, I know it would be selfish of me to refuse. They are my people, and if I want things to get better, if I want them to -be- better, then how can I abandon the opportunity to do something about it?"

Slipstream has posed:
"You wouldn't be abandoning them if you are setting them up for success by allowing them to /decide/ for themselves. Like an actual democracy." Drake says as he gives a twirl in his seat, taking another jellybean into his mouth.

"But nothing is easy, Lar, but if you do not try, then you will always be trapped in this never ending unierse of what ifs. Either you get off the toilet and pull your pants up, or you squeeze your cheeks and drop a deuce. You can't just keep sitting there not knowing what's gonna happen." He's so good at using toilets for confidence boosting. "Look, easy question to ask. Do you still love Kara, yes or no?"

Mon-El has posed:
    Eyes widen a bit at the idea of basically changing the entire system of government. "You're suggesting I tell them to change the entire system?" It is odd, in light of all the crazy and bold things he's done as a Legionnaire, that he's so hesitant when it comes to challenging the status quo at home. The past is a complicated thing.

    "I--" he stammers a bit at the question about Kara. "Of course I do..." he admits, averting his gaze as if ashamed to say it. "I'll never stop loving her..."

Slipstream has posed:
"Yes, I'm asking you to think critically and do what is best for your people. You obviously do not want to lead and to be honest, I'd hate to see you the President of Candy Land with the lack of confidence that you have." Drake says bluntly. "You're having issues just leading this team. So there is no way you can effectively lead an entire nation and not go crazy. So, talk to them. Ask them what they want to do. If they have people in place that can lead and ensure your people will be safe, then go with that. Test it out. Give them a chance to be independent."

Drake takes another jelly bean out of the bag. "And once you have that in place, you tell Kara that you love her. Tell her that she's the most beautiful star in the sky and you want to be her partner in life and go around flying about Metropolis punching robots in the face. The world needs a Superman right now, Lar." He says, pointing a finger at him, then air-draws an S right over his chest. "And Kara can't do it by herself. She needs you. Just like you need her."

Mon-El has posed:
    Lar runs a hand through his hair. "I don't know, maybe by the time that time comes, I'll be older and wiser. Maybe I'll know what to do, and maybe you're right. If they're ready for a change by then..." he sighs. "I guess...I was always afraid of challenging the status quo when I was growing up, as much as I hated it and as much as it was wrong...and it seems like I still am, but I don't know why."

    "I have already told Kara that. But I also told her I can't be with her. And I'm pretty sure she -doesn't- need me."

Slipstream has posed:
"She's pretty burned out from being the only Super in Metropolis. She's trying to fill large shoes. I talk to her every day." Drake puffs to himself as he spins a jelly bean along the table in front of him. "She could use a friend at her side out there, someone that isn't made of glass and can pretty much get beat up by high school cheerleaders." He points to himself. "So, why don' t you reach out to her and tell her that you want to help her out. That way you two can hang out together more."

Mon-El has posed:
    "I...guess it can't hurt to offer." Lar says with a long sigh. "I just don't want to make things hard on her." He knows she has feelings about it all, too. Baggage. "And I'm pretty sure high school cheerleaders would have a hard time hitting you at all. So stop with the self-deprecation." he smirks.

Slipstream has posed:
"I mean, I'm definitely faster than them, but have you seen their legs? They can kick high. You teach a cheerleader some karate she'd be unstoppable. Like ... Black Widow, or .. um.. name another normie superhero chick who's a badass. It's like that." Drake says with a grin, then pops another jelly bean into his mouth. "You feel better at least or are you even more confused?"

Mon-El has posed:
    "The past is something that I have always struggled with. As much as I've flown in the face of all these monstrous threats, when it comes to baggage from home I deflate." Lar admits. "It's up and down, but lately with some of the stuff that's happened, it's been worse. But like I said, I've always appreciated your optimism...we all need a dose of that at times."

Slipstream has posed:
"That is why I'm the morale officer. Also, you can look at it from this perspective. Technically, your issues are in the future. You're currently living in the past. So, all that drama is future Lar's problem. Current Lar can mack on Kara and show off his sweet moves." There's a chuckle from the speedster.

Mon-El has posed:
    Lar rolls his eyes, laughing. "Ugh, I told you that's not how it works! The Daxam I grew up on is not 31st century Daxam. So it -is- in the past. All the superheroing that I did with the Legion is the part that's in the future, technically, since they rescued me out of the Phantom Zone."

Slipstream has posed:
"Whatever, just tell them that you are future Lar and you can't deal with current Lar issues." Drake waggles his brows. "I'm sure that won't be too confusing for them." He is obviously yanking his chain at this point. "So, you gonna call Kara or am I gonna call her for you and then put you on speaker and then you'll be on the spot and all flustered?"

Mon-El has posed:
    "Sure, sure. That makes total sense." Lar says wryly. "I'm sure it'll go over -so- well."

    "I will, all right?" he insists. Because he totally would be all flustered. "It doesn't have to be right this second."

Slipstream has posed:
"Okay, not this second, but soon! I got a playdate with her tomorrow. We're gonna do a patrol together and I got her macarons from the famous cafe in New York City. Anything you want me to pass on to her while I'm there?" Drake asks as he twirls slowly in his chair, throwing another jelly bean up into the air to catch it with his mouth.

Mon-El has posed:
    "Yes, it -will- be soon." Lar assures him, looking somewhat exasperated. "I promise."

    "Uh...not really. I'll just...see her when I see her I guess."

    He watches Drake play with the candy, and smiles a little. "Hey, thanks for uh...telling me what I probably needed to hear. I'm glad we've been able to be there for each other."

Slipstream has posed:
"Of course. You are my brother, so I'm always here for you, even if it's just to drive you crazy." Drake catches the jelly bean between his teeth, then chews three times and swallows. Popping out of his chair, he leans forward to wrap his arms about his shoulders to give him a strong hug. "I'll tell her you said Hi at least."

Mon-El has posed:
    Lar returns the hug carefully. "Yeah, hopefully one of these days I'll actually figure out how to not be afraid of my past any more..."

    He turns back to the console he was using to search for data on Cybertronian presence on Earth. "What was that thing you were saying the other day? Hakuna something?"

Slipstream has posed:
"Hakuna Matata." Drake sings out. "It means no worries, for the rest of your daaaaays! It's our problem free, philosophy! Hakoooooonaaaa Matataaaa!" He gives a speedy blinking twirl on one foot, then pulls up the music video from The Lion King on the holovid with a wry grin on his face. "My favorite Disney movie when I was a kid. My mom said this was the best movie from her generation. "

Mon-El has posed:
    Lar grins when Drake breaks out into song and dance. And even pulls up the video. He was hoping the Terran would do that. Which was why he asked. Not because he actually didn't remember. But Drake doesn't need to know that!

    He watches the video for a bit before sort of passively going back to the search. "I wish I'd gotten to watch fun stuff like that when I was younger." he says wistfully.

Slipstream has posed:
"You still can. Take an hour out of your day to do something fun. Tonight? We're gonna watch the Lion King, and cry over a guy named Mufasa and cheer when his brother Scar gets his shit kicked in." Drake says as he flops back into his bucket seat and launches the movie. " Yo, ship, make us some popcorn." He yells out, then looks over his shoulder expectantly. "We need a popcorn machine in here." He grunts out.

Mon-El has posed:
    "Yeah...maybe. Maybe once this problem with Cybertronians blows over." Lar says absently, his attention more focused on the search now.

    The ship doesn't just suddenly spawn any popcorn. But Lar chuckles scoffs slightly. "Sorry, no popcorn machine yet--though that is something COMPUTO might have done if it had worked the way it was intended to..."

Slipstream has posed:
"Yeah, yeah. Okay, sit here and watch the Circle of Life while I go get us some popcorn from the kitchen." Drake says with a grin as he presses play on the movie. Up comes the sun. Animals. A young lion being thrusted into the light by the hands of Rafiki with loving parents looking on.