13433/Moving Forward

Moving Forward
Date of Scene:	04 June 2021
Location:	Roof, Titans Tower
Synopsis:	Lar, Kara, and Owen discuss some of the pain in each of their pasts.
Cast of Characters:	Mon-El, Supergirl, Captain Boomerang

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Mon-El has posed:
    It looks like Lar will be seeing Kara on the roof of Titans Tower again. He had texted her earlier, asking if they could talk. Now he's waiting for her in the picnic area near the pool, getting restless and wondering if this had been a good idea after all.

    He didn't want to create unnecessary tension in her life...but he also missed her terribly. As in missed the times they'd spent with each other, just the two of them commiserating over being strangers on a foreign planet, or sparring or having ice cream or...having a class on how to fold tissue paper without destroying it.

    Sometimes he wonders if she's still somewhat upset at him, deep down. But anyway, it's too late to bail out now.

Supergirl has posed:
Kara Danvers is a little late in arriving, even with the super speed and flight and all that. And it's not like she overslept or anything either. Rather, it was a last minute emergency at work where 'emergency' has become a household name with her Devil Wears Prada lookalike boss who made her stay back extra late today

Soo when she arrives, she's still in her mild mannered Kara Danvers attire consisting of a white slightly too oversized blouse and black knee length skirt and pantyhose, hair pulled back into a ponytail and glasses resting on her nose.

But at least she came right? Even if she's a bit late? "Hey, Lar! Sorry I'm late! Work shenanigans!" she waves and hurries to join him once she sees him.

Mon-El has posed:
    Lar pats the seat next to him at the picnic table he's sitting at when she comes over, his eyes fixed on her. It's...been a while since he's seen her in her work attire. Well it has been a while, in general. Not counting last week, anyway.

    "I mean you didn't think I'd condemn you for keeping your priorities straight, did you?" he replies, a bit teasingly.

Supergirl has posed:
Kara Danvers is glad she didn't wear her tacky tweed jacket at least..Not that she couldn't survive some pretty extreme temperatures as it is, but extreme heat isn't particularly comfortable all the same.

"Well, you know me, gotta take care of the little things first, right?" she smiles and nods, settling down on the bench across from him. "How've you been, Lar? It's really been a while."

Captain Boomerang has posed:
Getting off his shift at the Movie Theater, Boomer changed his clothes, doing what he could to get the smell of popcorn off his face. Seriously, it was like the air was different. They didn't have a shower on sight, but he made liberal use of the employee toilet sink, stripping down to his trousers so he could wash his upper body, getting the smell and grease and whatever else was in the air off his skin as best he could. Then he re-applied deodorant, cologne, and re-dressed in his civvies.

For most people, that would mean a long walk to the subway station, and a then a connection to a bus, and then another... and so on. But for Captain Boomerang, who had recently discovered the advantages of less than standard transit, made a bee-line to the bus, catching it while it was in motion, but he held onto the back, rather than being part of it. He was letting the bus move him along on his skateboard while he caught his breath.

He would repeat it, short busts of speed followed by quick rests while holding onto a moving object, until he had made his way towards Titans Tower. Although not a member, he had been put on the regular guest list with the computer system, and Kara had mentioned going there after work.

A few minutes later and he would be at the top of the building, stepping out of the elevator, seeing Kara and Lar sitting at a picnic table. "Hey guys," he would say, as he walked over to the vending machine near the pool, putting in some coins and getting himself a Dr. Pepper, "would either of you like something?"

Mon-El has posed:
    Lar watches Kara as she sits down across from him. There is a pause, his gaze on her face, before he finally nods. "Yes, it has been. I wouldn't have been away from Earth for that long if the rest of the galaxy would just keep itself in order." he says with a slight smirk. "But you know how it is." he shrugs. "I guess I've been all right. I...almost forgot how much I've missed you. Almost."

    When Owen comes up and greets them, he looks up at the Terran. "Hey Owen. How've you been? Thanks for the offer, but I think I'm all right."

Supergirl has posed:
Kara Danvers smiles and shrugs, "Yeah, I know, time sure can be funny that way. Especially when you're out in space, you tend to lose track of time..I guess I can see the appeal of flying around in a spaceship, exploring the galaxies like that Star-Lord guy and his crew do.."

She shrugs, "I guess the more power you have, the more responsibilities you bear too..I hope your family aren't giving you anymore grief?"

Kara does seem a little distracted though, as she spots a familiar figure making for the vending machine, which causes her to break out into a smile. "Hey Owen, how's it going? Mind grabbing me a ginger ale while you're at it? I'll pay you back, promise!"

Captain Boomerang has posed:
"No worries, Lar, though, you should try an Earth soft drink. We have a wide variety of flavors. They have candy bars and potato chips," the last part sounding forced, as the Aussie wanted to call them crisps, but he knew that would confuse at least one of the aliens. He would get a Ginger Ale for Kara as requested, not expecting or caring if she got him back for it.

It wasn't like the Titans were trying to make money. This was just to pay for the stuff they stocked. So the prices were very reasonable. He would also get a packet of barbecue potato chips.

Then head on over to the picnic table bench, and take a seat on one of the available spots. Having heard the last bit, he would chime in, "even if they are giving you grief, you have to remember how different it'd be if they were gone, like mine and Kara's." He was trying to cheer up Lar.

Mon-El has posed:
    "I've...had them before." Lar replies to the comment about soft drinks as Owen makes his way over and sits down. "I can see why you Terrans enjoy them." Lots of sugar, but not very healthy. However he doesn't comment about that second part, especially since it doesn't really matter to either himself or Kara.

    And then the topic of his family comes up, and he sighs heavily. Not the greatest segue into the matter he had been wanting to discuss with Kara. But he supposes it works. "Not recently, unless you can count my brother trying to murder Quill and requiring me to stop him." Yes, Kory's boyfriend Quill. "But I guess that's technically them giving -him- grief and not me directly."

    Then a brow goes up at Owen's comment, and he scoffs slightly. "Yes, I suppose you're right, it would have been different, without them. The ones who tried to kill my friends--including Kara--multiple times, and raised me to hate everyone not from Daxam and especially Kryptonians. Which I -still- would, if I hadn't met Kara." he says, his gaze going back to her.

    "Speaking of Krypton, I've always wanted to ask you about this, Kara...what exactly happened? I know it's not an easy thing to talk about. But I was always taught that Kryptonians were too cowardly and selfish to do what they knew had to be done. And I believed it until I met you. Of course, I read history books much later, but it's not the same as hearing it from the source."

Supergirl has posed:
Kara Danvers smiles and nods to Owen, taking the drink and cracking it open, taking a long chug. "Ahh, sugary goodness with a pop! Can't say no to that!" she grins. Although that smile is slowly starting to fade a bit as the conversation gets more serious.

"Peter Quill? Oh...Geez.." she sighs and shakes her head. "I'm sorry Lar, they seem to be giving you so much trouble. Even now. I mean..Why can't they just leave you alone, let you live your own life, away from their influence?"

She bites her lip as mention is made of the traumatizing event that had happened a few years ago, but is still fresh in her mind, shaking her head and drawing in a deep breath. "Well, I'm glad you're not like them.."

Ahh and there it is. Talk of her own doomed planet. She just shrugs, not really wanting to remember. "Not much to say really, unstable sun, planet go boom. My parents and Kal's tried to warn them, but they wouldn't listen. Kal and I were lucky to escape."

Captain Boomerang has posed:
Owen's metabolism enabled him to deal with the sugar without incident. So it was just rotting his teeth and the other assorted negative effects, but long term health problems were a small price to pay for a short term sweet tooth, or so the majority of the human race seemed to think.

He would offer the bag of potato chips to Kara, in case she wanted some, then Lar, in case he wanted some, if there were any left after that, he'd have one himself. A lot of the time people say they don't want, but borrow from others. Next he cracked the lid on his Dr. Pepper, and took a nice long sip. It tasted so good against his tongue.

Sensing family was a sore spot, Owen did his best not to dwell on the subject of family. It was an issue for him as well, though his being the absence of one. Though he couldn't help but ask, "hmm, are you sure that Quill didn't do something to warrant an attempted murder?"

"So, how come Daxamites hate Kryptonians?" He had recently looked up some information on the Outsiders computer, which got a lot of its Intel from the Batman computer, which in turn was linked with the Justice League, and... it was quite detailed. "Aren't sectors 1760 and 2813 pretty far apart? Isn't the universe big enough for the both of them?" A lot of what he read made little to no sense to him. There were so many subfiles. And for all he knew, the information in those various databanks was inaccurate. Space wasn't exactly his forte.

With Kara biting her lip at the mention of Krypton, he would bring a comforting arm around. "If your parents Lar really are that way, I'm glad you're not. And Kara, I can't say how sorry I am. I could never have any frame of reference. But, you have friends here. We'll always be here for you." His hand rubbed, hoping it would sooth some small part of the pain she must be going through at the memories popping up.

Mon-El has posed:
    Lar sighs at the question of why his family can't just leave him alone. "Because they elected me as heir." And it was also why he couldn't--well, why he'd decided he couldn't-- be with Kara. As much as he loved her. "And our people are expecting me to lead them eventually."

    He doesn't pay much attention to the potato chips getting offered, his attention focused on Kara. "I would be just like them, Kara. If it hadn't been for you." he says softly. "They blamed it all on Kryptonians, you know that. The fact they can't go home. I kept trying to tell them that things would turn out okay eventually, that the surface would recover, but no one believes that I've been to the future." Not that it was an easy thing to believe.

    His brows go up when Kara doesn't seem to have much to say, despite how much must have happened. How complicated it had to have been. He exhales sharply. "But--why do people like Dru Zod say that your family was to blame?" He asks, alluding to a conversation they'd once had with the general. Well, an argument, more like. "Surely, there has to be more to it. You didn't feel like...they could have saved more people if they hadn't been so focused on their own children?" Not that he's trying to villify them, but his parents had done a similar thing, and it always ate at him.

    Another long and drawn-out sigh at Owen's question. "Daxam was one of Krypton's earliest colony worlds, as it was the nearest planet habitable by Kryptonians. Same system, even. When Krypton was destroyed, the debris and fallout from the explosion caused considerable damage to my home, rendering the surface uninhabitable. At least for a while." And Quill? He groans at that. "I never said he didn't do anything to warrant the rage. He slaughtered many vulnerable Daxamites on the edge of Nova Corps space a while back. I didn't agree with his actions either, but revenge never gets anyone anywhere good."

Supergirl has posed:
Kara Danvers smiles faintly at Owen's touch, seemingly comforted by his nearness. "Thanks. It's okay, really. No point in pining over the past. It's not like I can change history anyway. Best to focus on the present, right?"

And she continues to grow increasingly uncomfortable with this topic. But maybe it helps to talk it out. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Just..Well couldn't you change their minds somehow? I don't know. It just seems like a complicated mess. There's got to be a way you can use your new position for peace, when the time comes. But until then, it just seems you're being used as a pawn and that doesn't seem right. It doesn't sound like you had any choice in the matter, even. You should'nt be bound to a world of xenophobic violent murderers."

As for her part, she grits her teeth. "My father and my uncle tried to warn the people, they didn't listen. Their simulators predicted that the instability in the planet was minor, that it would go away, eventually, that it would stabilize. They thought my family were trying to incite a riot, create panic and fear. I dont know why Zod would say that!"

The last part seems to have her quite upset though, clenching and unclenching her fists. "That's not fair, they did the best they could..If the authorities had only listened, maybe they could have got more people out in time. They did what they could with what little time was left." She ponders something, leaning back in her chair, taking a sip of her drink. "I suppose there were other details, it was a pretty stressful time. I wasn't privy to everything that went on between them.."

Captain Boomerang has posed:
"Heir to the family business, a country, or... oh." Owen said, figuring out that Lar was the heir to the throne of the Daxamite Empire. "Quite the responsibility, but when you do succeed your parents, you can implement real change, right?"

A lot of the talk of the past, families, it was stuff Owen didn't know about yet, like this Dru-Zod. Or that Star-Lord was a mass murderer. The guy didn't seem like a mass murderer to Owen when they had met. Yeah, he decided he would listen and keep his mouth shut about this. Anything he might say would likely come across as uninformed at best.

He smiled back to Kara as she seemed comforted by his nearness. "Right, all we can do is look ever forward. Learn from the past, but the future is what's important." Especially with how uncomfortable she seemed with the topic at hand.

And he grew visibly concerned at her clenching and unclenching her fists. Whispering into her ear, "it's okay, it's all in the past. Remember, we can't affect the past, only the future. What we do from this point on is what matters."

"Given how the situation ended. I doubt we ever will know the whole truth. So much evidence, exonerating, or convicting, was lost. All anyone can really do is honor the people they knew, remember them as they knew them, and work towards a wor... universe, where things can be resolved peacefully."

Mon-El has posed:
    The jab about the rest of Daxam being xenophobic, violent, and murderous stung more than Kara probably meant it to. Lar doesn't blame her for feeling that way, after what they did to her...but still. "I--we aren't -all- like that!" Is what comes tumbling out of his mouth in a rather defensive tone. But then he tries desperately to correct it. "I mean, I'm not the only one who isn't like that, not everyone agrees with the way my family rules our society. They're just--too afraid to speak up. Just like I was..." he murmurs that last bit, averting his gaze momentarily.

    Zod wasn't exactly a friend of the El family, that is for sure. So perhaps his testimony couldn't be relied upon. Still, he wasn't the only one. But suddenly Lar realizes his remark was insensitive even if it hadn't actually been about her. "I--of course I believe you! I'm sure they did. It's just--my parents weren't concerned about anyone except the royal family."

    A pause. "Well, you're right. There's no use dwelling on the past. All we can do try to make the future a better place by doing what we can in the present. I...hope I can change things, when I do ascend to the throne. If I do. But that kind of change is no easy thing."

Supergirl has posed:
Kara Danvers nods slowly to Owen, smiling faintly. "Right. Move forward. It's pretty much the only thing we can do.." she frowns at Lar, even if she can understand the pain he's going through. "I see, I suppose if there are others like you, then you should stay, educate them, give them something to believe in so they don't have to cower in fear. Let the truth be known, you know?"

She reaches out to rest a hand over his, reassuringly, briefly. "I know things didn't go so well in the past, between us. Doesn't mean we can't start over. You know, as friends? We can be an example for all Kryptonians and Daxamites everywhere. Nothing worse than a narrow minded society that refuses to change."

Captain Boomerang has posed:
"I'm no expert on Daxam, like, at all, but I've met my fair share of non-humans, and I'm pretty sure that all sentient life is, on some level, the same. We're all shaped by our experiences. There are those who go along with the group, and those who fight it. I can't see Daxam being any different. If the majority are one way, there's probably a minority going the other, and a group of people in the middle, who just don't want any drama." Owen was trying to come to Lar's defense, "same probably goes for Krypton, for Earth, for anywhere." And Kara's for that matter.

Watching as Kara reached out to take Lar's hand across the table, Owen reached into his pocket and pulled out his camera. The angle wasn't great, since he was sitting next to Kara, but he did his best to get a shot of them both, "sounds like this might be a historic photo. Want me to send a copy to you Lar, just give me an e-mail, phone number, or whatever."

Mon-El has posed:
    "That's what I hope to do. But like I said, change can be hard. And they'd never accept a foreigner as their queen...and especially not a Kryptonian. At least not right now." Lar tells the two of them.

    When Kara places her hand over his for a moment, he turns his palm up and squeezes her hand lightly, a look of longing in his eyes. "Heh." he smiles at that last bit. "Now that's the sort of girl who can unravel an entire upbringing of prejudice."

    At the offer of the photo, he gives Owen a bit of a perplexed look. "Thanks Owen, but we have plenty of pictures that are much more uh...intimate? You know, from...before." He wasn't sure how Terrans handled this kind of relationship business, so here's to hoping he isn't making it too awkward. "I thought she would have told you about our um, past."

    Right, this was already getting too awkward, so he stands up, letting go of her hand. "I should be going. Owen, thanks for putting up with all the weird alien stuff. And Kara...thanks for being willing to talk about Krypton. I know it isn't easy for you." With that, he takes off into the sky.

Supergirl has posed:
Kara Danvers poses just long enough for Boomer to get in a photo shot of their alliance between two nations..But pulls back quickly when Lar says that, smile faltering just a bit. "I'm sure one day you'll find the right person for you. That can make you truly happy." She just leaves it at that, her smile a bit less warm perhaps, watching him go. "Take care, Lar."