13586/Kryptonian Arts and Crafts

Kryptonian Arts and Crafts
Date of Scene:	16 December 2022
Location:	Palace - Themyscira City
Synopsis:	Alura meets Monet and they discuss deep deep topics.. which was a prelude to Monet telling Alura she is dating her daughter. Only one pottery wheel got broken.
Cast of Characters:	Alura In-Ze, Monet St. Croix

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Alura In-Ze has posed:
Alura is committing a crime. Or, it would be if she were on Krypton, if Kryptonian society still existed. She, of the thinkers guild, is making art. The terrace has lovely vines growing over it and several pottery wheels, foot activated, arranged in its shade.

Seated before one on a stool is Alura, her hands messy, her hair tied up, her fingers digging in to the clay trying to make a cup, or a bowl. This, she has decided, is an excellent way for her to get better at controlling her new strength.

The results so far speak for themselves - terrible. But she has a smile on her face, a dash of clay on her cheek, and her tongue poking just a little out the corner of her mouth as she tries to master one of the most basic forms of pottery - a circle.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would have been staying on the island for a few days to check in on Alura. Having given her sometime to adjust, Monet has decided that this is a good time to be around her while she's working. Monet's attempts have been more visually oriented. Painting with some of the natural plants on the island as paint. Her own work is..

Less than emotionally inspired and more something that's a work of logic. And far, far from interesting to look at, being simply some extremely tightly compressed lines forming a series of mathemtatical notations that are quite boring to view even if one happened to know what they were doing.

She would glance over at Alura, "You are enjoying yourself. That is the important bit." She says politely.. Still making sure to be enough meters away to not risk being splattered over with goo. She had to keep her dignity after all.

Alura In-Ze has posed:
Alura chuckles almost conspiratorially, "It feels like I'm breaking the rules. I'm terrible at it - but there's no one to tell me no. In fact, everyone here tells me yes." She frowns a moment as she loses control and concentration and the clay deforms in to a mess. A chunk of it goes flying off the wheel out of her reach.

"And now we start again," she says and cleans her hands in the messy clothe hanging front the side of the wheel. Rising, she gets another blob of clay and some water and begins anew.

"Art, on Krypton, was very regimented. The artisans guild had perfected aesthetics. Sculptures, paintings, fashion, music.. everything they made delighted the ear just so. Not too little. Not too much. But simply being here on Themyscira? seeing all these new things. They put in to question and doubt the wisdom of their guild."

"If I'd been seen doing this on Krypton I'd risk losing my status in the thinkers guild and no doubt be publicly called out from the artisans guild for crossing the lane." She looks over to Monet, "Are you an Amazon? you don't really look like them."

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix chuckles, her smile a bit fake but the attempt is real. Emotions are not her strong suit, after all. "Take your time. You're working in an unfamiliar medium. It will come more naturally in time." Monet's advise would be interrupted by her moving enough out of the way to avoid the flick of goo going past her.

"Put less pressure onto it. Just a small amount at a time. Slow down the speed. That will be less prone to hvae it erupting right off." There's the attempt! Not that M's way was any better.

"That is stifling. Cultures which historically repressed artistic expression and endeavors while having limitations established by the state on Earth, or any species expresses stagnation at best and too often dictatorship."

Monet continues, "The Amazons have lived in isolation for millenia, yet still maintain their sense of expression despite their small numbers. It is.. Impressive."

Alura's question would get a quick shake of M's head. "I am a.. Pupil of the embassy. Not an amazon by adoption. I am a mutant. Homo Sapiens Superior. An offshoot of the genetic majority of the planet, Homo Sapiens."

Alura In-Ze has posed:
Alura looks up at the advice and smiles. But the judgement of Krypton has her chuckle. "Don't judge another species by the standards of humanity," she states which should be a given as mutants are different enough to humans already. She gets the wheel going slower and resumes massaging it.

"A mutant. Named because humanity considered you a mutation of themselves? I would hope your people would come up with a better name in time. Sticking superior on the end is likely to cause unrest with the humans."

Scientist brain, she can't shut it off, even as she's trying to do art. "What makes a mutant different to a human then Monet? and why choose to learn from the Amazons?"

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix smiles over at Alura sadly, "I do not define it by the experiences of humanity. I define it by the Shi'Ar, the largest and most powerful star empire that exists within the galaxy. Repression of a culture and strict definitions seem to be universal." Monet would quickly retract her statement.

"Forgive me, you are correct." Alura's movements over on the clay would have M nodding. "Much better."

"The standard definition of mutants is that we are born different genetically. There can be very small changes, such as someone whom has a wholly different skin color.. Or those much more powerful, that can control the weather, read minds, fly.. It is a broad term for those whom are born with enhanced abilities." Born with, rather than changed. Alura's comment had Monet laughing gently. "That is the technical term that defines us genetically. The sub-genus of species."

Thoughtful, she spoke again. "Mutants are ostricized from many parts of the world. Often hated and feared." She returns to her sketching, which consists of at this point a series of expanding symbols representing an extending Fibbonachi sequence.

Alura In-Ze has posed:
Alura's hands remove themselves from the clay and she lets the wheel spin freely as she hears about mutants and their abilities. "Really now..." she remarks in surprise. Her science brain getting interested in such large variation.

"And none of the humans exhibit the ability to fly, read minds, or control the weather, yet with seemingly small variations in their genetics they gain these fantastical powers?" She looks up at the sun through the shade of the vines which is powering her up bit by bit each day.

"Throw in the confusing concept of magic that Donna told me about. This planet is not at all what I was expecting for my baby. Jor must not have known - if he did he certainly didn't share this information with us."

She starts to work the clay again and pumps the wheel ever so gently, then waits for it to slow back down again because she pushed it too hard. "Hated and feared. For what? being a higher standard deviation from the community norm? that is very narrow minded. A smart species would appreciate and applaud your capabilities, not shun them."

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix's sketching would slow down, as she pauses and considers how to reply. There's a persing of her lips as she considers. A rare visible display of emotion. Even with this being a very familair subject.

"not universally." The difficulty of explaining to someone not from Earth but not in a way to prejudge from her own biases. "Base humans do not normally have such abilities. There are many that have different ones. GEnetic alteration being a source of empowerment is on display of others, though they are separate species. Inhumans.." Eternals.

Considering more, Monet's tone grew grimmer but calmer. "There are millions of mutants. Each whom had different abilities. Different strengths. We bring out the worst fears in humanity. That anyone can be powerful." And better. Better than they are.

"Earth has tens of millions of empowered beings of different origins and types. Mutants are the most commonly encountered and theoretically the most numerous." The mention of 'her baby' would draw out a rare smile. "She is amazing.." Voice happy.

"Hated and feared for having powers. That anyone could be one. Your neighbor. Someone passing in the street. Humans have a strong, almost instinctive drive to hate and fear what is different. Prejudice and hate define us as a species." Mutants were still an offshoot of humanity.

Alura In-Ze has posed:
Alura squeezes the clay too hard and it becomes a mess very quickly. It was the way Monet was talking about the prejudice inherent in humanity - that her child was sent to this planet to live amongst these people. Her expression is one of grave concern.

"They aren't all like that, are they?," she has a tinge in her voice that may be this planet is not going to be so great to live on. Not that she has much of a choice in the matter. Her daughter is here and there is no where else to go. "Kal grew up here and he seems very well adjusted."

"This must be part of why there are secret identities? Do you have one too? I'm not sure I can just make up an explanation for who I'm not out of the blue like that. I'm very truth oriented."

Monet St. Croix has posed:
As the clay sprayed, Monet stayed in her position. "Start again, a little more smoothly. IT's fine to take a break as you work with it. Move your fingers up and down while you rotate it to get an idea for how the pressure effects it." Advise given.

Shaking her head, long hair waving. "No. Not everyone. Far from it. The most vocal members. Humanity has a.. Very difficult history of tolerance. Of prejudice. That goes back through all recorded history." Eyeing her sketch. Finding it not up to her standards. Disposing of it. Facing Alura fully and sitting.

"Secret identities exist for very much that reason. To protect friends and family. To give a sense of normalcy. I.." How to best describe how the X-Men operated? "I do. It is known to a few within the Embassy."

Alura In-Ze has posed:
Alura wipes down her hands and folds one leg over the other. She considers Monet. She looks young but she's not quite sure if that's the measure stick she should use for humanity, let alone a mutant.

"Kara goes by Supergirl. Kal by Superman. What about you? is it safe for you to share that with me? Also, what are your abilities? don't answer if I've stepped on a cultural landmine there, but it's just my innate curiosity."

She patpats the clay flat and scrawls a Kryptonian ideograph in to it representing Curiosity. She holds up the soggy clay for Monet to see. "Curiosity. It's a hallmark of the thinkers guild. I have a lot of it, sometimes to my detriment."

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Age is but a way to define the passage of time. Not experience. Or wisdom and maturity. Monet would fully face Alura, sliding up one knee over the other and her palms on her lap after wiping them.

"I go by M." Just leaving it at that. There didn't seem to be anything else to it. "I have flight and strength, hardly on the level of your daughter or Kal. I have limited telepathy. I train with the Amazons to.. Better use my strength to protect others since I am nowhere near as strong as many." Compared to people that could lift continents.

Monet viewed the clay. "You are wise. Never stop thinking and learning. Which.." Alura no doubt knew far better than she did. A quick look of apology flashed on her face. "I do not know your language, do you mind explaining that?" A gesture at the symbol. But hadn't she been speaking in Kryptonian when they met?

Alura In-Ze has posed:
Alura looks surprised again, "But don't you know Kryptonian?" ...no of course she doesn't. She did a mind thing. A weird mind thing. Something like magic but perhaps not. A mutant ability. She twists her lips a little and then nods her head.

"Okay. Let's try and break this down shall we--" and thus begins a fairly lengthy discussion about Kryptonian language and ideography. The stem of thought, the curve of perceived versus known knowledge. The trait of the youthful mind and the evolution of these constructs through time.

Alura is more than happy to go in to great depth on this and though it all makes a kind of logical sense, at the end of the day it's just a nice looking set of strokes and curves and flicks that make up a symbol representing Curiosity. Much like any language really.

"It's a very very old language. We don't have any historical records of having a multitude of languages like Earth has, but I'd guess we once did. Kryptonian has long roots in to our past though."

Monet St. Croix has posed:
And Monet is fascinated. Alura receives total attention as she goes into her long winded explanation. Monet soaks up everything. Very sentence. Every contour. Every explanation of the language, it's structure, it's syntax is filed away and analysed. The girl looks incredibly happy, just listening and occasionally asking a question as she needs to.

Monet listens attentively and then goes on, "Earth only has a tradition of recorded history back a few tens of thousands of years and widespread isolation in cultures based upon regionalism and climate. Until the last hundred thousand years or so most lived a purely nomadic lifestyle. We have not had permanent settlements for a long duration. Species which have lasted for longer durations tend to have much more centralized insitutions. Presuming we survive long enough, hopefully within a few thousand years humanity will develop such traditions."

Monet considered.. "Your planet had a very stable population for a long time and was isolationist, I believe? That would lend itself to stability and development of such a strong central cultural identity. The Amazons have lived separate from the rest of humanity for a few thousand years. Not the most effective basis for comparison.."

Alura In-Ze has posed:
Alura looks pleased. "You catch on fast," she comments and then puts the ruined clay aside and gets a new ball and some water. She's going to make this dang bowl if it kills her. Wetting and massaging it she starts again.

"I see. I was told humanity was technologically young. Yet when I get here you are touching the edges of space and delving in to advanced technologies. Then I hear you have people who can do the impossible and that magic exists. I may not be able to help myself when it comes to studying this place."

She motions to herself, "Let along me and my fellow Kryptonians and our reaction to Sol. That is going to require a lot of study and diving in to historical archives. Perhaps some of the locked ones - I was on the high council, I have access still. But it's wise not to put too much stock in to records that were sealed for a reason."

Monet St. Croix has posed:
And M would oh? "Humanity is technologically young. Though htere have been groups and individuals which have rapidly advanced our understanding in pockets. Mister Stark, Doctor Richards, Von Doom of Latveria, President Luthor.. Earth has a great many whom have rocketed our understanding in recent decades. Extended.. Contact with more advanced star empires has lead to further.. Exchanges."

Another laugh. "You will have very much to study here. Hopeuflly enough to keep you going. I like you very much. Too few are so inquisitive and willing to learn." The talk of sealed records has her full on interested. "Would they still be accessible in some form or anotehr if they had survived? Would there be automatic backups?"

Humanity's position amongst the stars was precarious - at least from what M knew. "Magic exists." SHe says that with -total- annoyance. Science follows rules when you understand it. Magic.. Does not.

"One learns by doing. Try it enough times and it will come to you." That is the way working clay goes. Or any skill.

Alura In-Ze has posed:
Alura gets more clay on her clothes as she pulls back her sleeve to show the bracer on her arm. "Yes. I have the complete archives right here. We don't ever delete things, that is a mistake. We curate them accordingly. Children are taught at a young age the ettiquette of knowledge; that is, not to endlessly create variations but to instead represent them as an algorithm."

Alura just went off in to the deep end of a culture and technology that simply does not have an analogue on Earth. But such cultural differences are bound to happen when they come together. She looks back to the clay and shrugs to Monet a touch.

"Artisans of the guild have a life time to perfect their arts. I haven't done anything like this since I was a child. I'm not in any rush to reach passable, let alone perfection. This is more a matter of me learning to measure and control my strength. It keeps growing every day and I feel guilty about braeking cups and plates. I broke my door handle yesterday."

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Data, lovely data. "If it is not accessible, are you able to decrypt it? There are a great many security and computer specialists on the planet. I'm sure that a few of them would be able to gain access to anything restricted." Monet's seen what Kitty can do. And Kitty is far from the best hacker on Earth.

"Forgive me for my disagreement.. But all things cannot be defined purely in a logical or mathematical context. That severely limits expression. Akin to evolution. Many branches. Many fail. THe ones that succeed improve over time and become universal to the species." That to her is an institutional failure. But far from important. Another look of apology goes over her face at a criticism such a short time after she said she wouldn't!

Controlling strength.. "That is difficult. There are.. Ways to mitigate it, to make training easier. I know that there are some ways to lower the.. Power of Kryptonians for short periods. Perhaps one of them might be useful to help train?"

Alura In-Ze has posed:
Alura looks a touch amused at Monet's insistence. She shakes her head, "Of course it can be. I have been learning what mathematics exists on this planet already and it is inconsistent and incompatible with itself. That's normal and does not detract from the utility of mathematics or logic. These are tools, you see, and you must learn to use them liberally rather than religiously."

"After all, it's merely a form of compression which can be created automatically with the right kind of reductive analysis. We get our children to learn to do that so they understand the process - but as adults we let the computers do it for us. There's an art in finding what already exists instead of reinventing it, after all."

She looks a little curious at Monet's interest in restricted information. "I can access them. There's very little reason to though. But in situations like this I'm going to spend more time than I ever have combing through the restricted archives."

Monet St. Croix has posed:
The look of apology shifts to amusement again. "That is my own assumptions rearing thier head once more. I believe that I have a great many prejudices, the same with the rest of humanity." Mathematics.. Oh, something she had knowledge of and could respect but there was far more than she could ever fathom. Much as she might wish to.

The elaboration receive an affirmation. "That makes far more sense. I had not considered it from that angle. Thank you for explaining." Was the great M admitting that she was wrong and someone else knew better?

"There is a reason why things are locked away. You are on this planet now, I believe you said that files here were restricted. The best time to discover why and if they apply to your circumstances." Again a very human thing!

Alura In-Ze has posed:
"It will be strange," Alura says plainly, "to live in a society where information is ... wild? is that the right word? not lacking curation though it certainly must be. But where a statement of fact given is not trustworthy."

She taps her flips thoughtfully leaving a smudge of clay upon them. "You see on Krypton a lie from government was high treason. Instead, they were very thoughtful about what not to say, what not to discuss. I believe that this approach ultimately was unhealthy."

"I argued against repeating that process in Argo City and the outcome was the same. I believe that I have learnt a valuable lesson - that the machinations in the background have little to do with your own choices and actions. There is no right answer, only righteous motivations."

Monet St. Croix has posed:
This is something she knew. "On Earth there are a vast number of sources of information. Public, private, individual.. Government, business, personal.. So many. Impossible to curate them and narrow them down. It is a skill in some ways to determine what is legitimate and useful discourse and what is useless. One that is taught poorly." If she were someone other than M she might be more polite.

"And it was the government that determined what was rightful and useful, and what was best to keep under.. Wraps? What was not said or stated was not illegal after all. Controlling the discourse and the flow of information.." Well, that was more standard in a dictatorial regime. But that was left unsaid.

The further flow of comments from Alura would receive a nod of agreement from M. "The machinations we are aware of and the ones we are not are both as dangerous. And a total free-flow of information means that one has to scythe through it to narrow down to what is good. A waste of time all too often that could be spent doing more useful things."

Alura In-Ze has posed:
Alura senses there's some underlying misunderstanding going on here when she discusses truth and discourse. "Do you know the fundamentals of knowledge verification and source signature theory?" She pauses.. no. She nods her head slowly. Earth is not there yet.

"On Krypton, everything is recorded. You cannot make up a falsehood and claim it to the world because with very little effort people can see for themselves whether it was true or not. Source signatures mean it's impossible to fraudulently construct a narrative that didn't happen."

"Without it, there could be no trust, not in a government, not in science, not even in art. The mediators guild, what I think perhaps better translates to religious guild, did was walk that complicated line. Their lives were dedicated to the preservation of truth. While the thinkers guild? we dedicated our lives to the discovery of truth. The artisans guild? the expression of truth. The fighters guild? the defense of truth."

She wiggles her fingers in the air, "Though I'm over simplying it. Truth is just one of the core virtues of Kryptonian society. I think perhaps we've talked enough about what once was. We're here now, on this world, and what is .. is."

Monet St. Croix has posed:
That explanation flies far over Monet's head. It's obviously so before her expression smooths over. "There is.. Nothing like that on Earth." OR in other off-planet cultures, at least that she's had experience with. Not that she has much.

Her mind can obviously be seen trying to process and comprehend such a thing, and how it would work on a planetary and cultural level.. Failing. "Thank you. I was.. Not aware of that or how to put it in perspective." Now for a very, very hard and separaet thing.

"In the.. Given you have been truthful with me, I must.." Her face was uncomfortable and contorting for just a moment. "I am romantically involved with your daughter." Out in the open now.

Alura In-Ze has posed:
Alura crushes the clay and the wheel itself snaps, flinging away from the rotation speed. The look of bewilderment on her face says it all. That was the last thing she was expecting to hear from Monet about her daughter. One of the Amazons nearby stops the rolling chunk of stone with a foot and gives Alura a slightly amused look. They all know what her body is going through.

She shouldn't have been so surprised - Earth was chosen because of how compatible it was with Kryptonian physiology. So why not get to know the locals like that? She lifts up her fingers in question.

"Just so we're clear here. Do you mean socially, romantically, or sexually?," because for a Kryptonian these are all three very different things.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
The crash makes Monet wince over then as she would look over at the woman, and then let out a sigh, "Forgive me for having put that less than tactfully." Monet holds her hands out in front of her to show her helplessness.

"We care for one another deeply. She.." How does she put this? "We know one another's pain." So the first two. And for the first time M's voice turns fully timid in response.

Alura In-Ze has posed:
Alura is not surprised this explanation doesn't clear things up. Kara was too young to date back on Krypton but here, and without supervision. Well - at least this Monet has an inquisitive and sharp mind. Her eyebrow ever so slightly raises though.

"That is certainly a poignant intimacy," she says as tactfully as she can. "I.. don't quite know what you expect to hear from me in regards to my daughter and you - this is between you and her. But thank you for sharing. It casts things in to a different context."

She motions to herself and Monet, "You wanted to get to know me because it would give you insights in to who Kara is? I assure you she is a very driven and intelligent woman."

Monet St. Croix has posed:
There's a look of uncertainty over her face. A rare look of.. Unworthiness in M's eyes. "She is the best woman I have had the privilege of knowing. She is too good for me. I can only be.. Thankful that she deems me acceptable. you are her mother. you have the right to know. She has.. Helped me find peace."

The timid smile would go outward again. "Among.. Other things. You are an amazing woman. I.. I can see where she drew such strength and drive of will from."

Alura In-Ze has posed:
Alura starts to note just how on edge Monet seems to be. Telling her was clearly a big step and one she worked up to with small talk about planetary governance and truth authentication. She nods to her and smiles.

"She's my little Flamebird," though that name holds a slightly different meaning to her now that she's been remembering strange things from the Phantom Zone. But they are discussing one of her absolute favouritest things in the whole universe.

Wiping down her hands in water and with a clean towel, she motions over her gauntlet and a litany of holographic Kryptonian symbols hover above it. Approaching, she takes a seat next to Monet and holds out her arm, touching and motioning with her fingers.

A holographic video of a young girl appears in the air, glittering in silver and gold amidst the bright sunlight above. It's Kara, though it'd be hard to tell. She's clearly more child than Monet knows her. The hologram is of Kara running along a long curved corridor that windows out in to a court yard of a sky scraper. There are a lot of other young kids running - this seems to be a race.

Little Kara runs her little legs off as fast as she can but ultimately comes in 10th. She jumps around cheering regardless and all the little children hug each other in congratulation.

"School athletics day. Kara was seven," she says with a smile to Monet. Sharing this memory with a stranger who loves her daughter. It seems appropriate. "What you don't see is the day before when she was fretting over this race and getting angry that she didn't practice enough."

She motions in the air and a still hologram appears of Kara hugging a man, Zor-El, "And here is her father calming her nerves. When we are young everything seems to dire and critical - which is why parents have to be there for them, to help them through these tough times. It is the mark of a good Kryptonian to do the same for others. I am pleased Kara could do that for you."

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet truly wanted Alura's approval. To make sure that her.. Mother was accepting of her. And that she was worthy of Kara. That was what was at Monet's core. A need of approval and worthiness. Buried very deep so that even a telepath might have some difficulty prying it out. And yet there it was, out in the open for all to see.

Her timidness turns to a smile once more, not quite as broad as earlier but now it is sincere. Flamebird? There is a story behindt hat for sure. But a private one and something between Kara and her mother.

Monet shifts to get a better view, the explanation of the syntax of Kryptonian, the quick instruction pulled from Donna's mind giving her some degree ot understand it now - or at least to idetnify the pictographs and have an idea of thier references.

"It is always most difficult. The effort, and the panic no matter how much one has prepared before the event. One is never ready no matter how much they feel they should be. And.." By the look on her face, the talk of 'parents' is not something she grasps.

A lack of a relationship with her own. "She.. Has helped me when I was at my darkest. I owe her so much."

Alura In-Ze has posed:
Alura doesn't mince words. If Kara feels something for Monet then it is clear to her. "You owe her what she gave you. Help others," she says with a smile. It's the reason she had to face off against her old friend Dru-Zod even when Zor-El begged her to stay and help him instead. But he understood - even if the argument hurt at the time.

"If you want to know what it is my daughter wants from a person, it is a person that puts others first. You couldn't make her more upset faster than to accept injustice when you can do something about it."

She waves over the device shutting it off. She's shared enough of young Kara with Monet for now. Rising she pats Monet's shoulder, "I need to go find the Mistress of Clay and apologise for breaking her pottery wheel. It was a good talk Monet."

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would bow her head, "Thanka you. It was a pleasure to get to know you as well. And you are.. Right, on a great many things." Helping others most of all. It is reassuring to know that. "It mayu be some time again before I see you. I must head back to the city shortly. Thank you for spending the time to speak with me. I wish you the best of learning and the process of discovery." Alura is given a low bow from M.

"And it is a start. You will learn to work with clay and from there other things. I wish you best progress in learning how to control your strength."