13738/Al Ghul Family Matters

Al Ghul Family Matters
Date of Scene:	03 January 2023
Location:	The Narrows - Miagani Island
Synopsis:	Ras casts Talia away. Damian offers her sanctuary.
Cast of Characters:	Talia al Ghul, Damian Wayne, Jon Kent

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Talia al Ghul has posed:
Damian had not heard from Talia for the better part of a week. Whether that was normal or not was in the air. She had been in the room that Bruce had set aside for her in the Gotham Royal, no questions asked. . Then gone for three days. Then having sent him a letter requesting to meet. In shaky, shaky handwriting.
    Talia's fingers never shook. When threatening someone. When dancing. When doing anything with a blade. Yet her cursive, writing in Arabic, was unsteady. Sloppy.. Requestin ghe meet and with a direct address given. Sloppy beyond reason for her.

Damian Wayne has posed:
     Damian had received the letter while he was trying out his new suit, with the assistance of Jon, he couldn't just push him away when it came to this latest episode of All My Al Ghuls.

  "Mother...never writes like this. Something is wrong." He commented, giving the letter another once-over. There hadn't been time to change to the Robin costume again, so he opted for a field test. "She said to meet in the Narrows, I recall the area she mentioned.

  So from the safety of one of the ancillary caves, Batwing took flight, well, not flight actually. But there was a decent amount of speed grappling and gliding going on. Under the cowl of the new suit, Jon could see that Damian was indeed enjoying this sojourn.

  Damian lands on the rooftop with a gentle tap, thanks to the glide wings, approaching Talia slowly.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
And there is Talia. Looking agitated. F idgety. There are small bits on the rooftop that are little disruptions of the dust and gunk atop it htat are indications of her having been -pacing-. Whatever it is hasn't quite terrified her, but has definitely agitated her.
    Shew ould glance over at Damian, her posture suddenly relaxing and at the same time even more worried now. She would force herself to look calm. "YOur grandfather has not.. Done anything to you, has he?"

Jon Kent has posed:
"This is the woman you told me about, right? Talia?"

Either way, Superboy follows. While Damian glides and grapples along, Jon flies. A red and blue suit with an emblazoned S and a fluttering cape. He goes sa bit slow to keep pace with his friend as they move through the city. He doesn't ask to carry him. He's learned that lesson.

He lands on the rooftop beside the other boy, and he offers a warm smile to the older woman. He stays quiet, though. This is a personal matter, and he's here to support Damian, not get in the way. So he brushes his fingers back through his dark hair and glances about at the other rooftops.

Damian Wayne has posed:
     Damian's cowl gives way where his mouth is, looking much more like Bruce than ever under that cowl.

  "Mother...what is going-" His head rears back, the question about Ra's catching him off-guard. "Grandfather? No. I have not seen him in months. Why? What are you not telling me?"

  Damian's eyelets squint a little, his thinking face, his mind going a mile a minute thinking of what kind of thing could Ra's have done this time. Especially if Talia is worried for Damian in regards to Ra's.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would close her eyes over, "I went to some areas I know that had.. Supplies left. Merely some things to supplement me while I was here." She had been intent on staying. For a time. "They were gone. Emptied. I had.. Checked some other areas outside of the city where I.. Knew some of.." Our's were. "They did not respond to me."
    Talia doesn't panic. She's not terrified. But she's -confused-. "I cannot contact anyone."

Jon Kent has posed:
    The boy in blue stays quiet. He walks over to the edge of the rooftop and sits on it, sweeping his cape around to idly toy with the hem. He glances over at the two, looking a bit worried as he focuses primarily on Damian and his reactions to the situation. He's learned how to read his normally stoic behavior over the years.

Damian Wayne has posed:
    Little mouth movements, just like Batman, they speak sentences about what the person behind them are thinking. In this case, after his normal frown stretches down just a small amount more. Then there was a change in his face, once Talia finished her story. It was something the two would have heard countless times knowing Damian. >TT< the sharp tut of his tongue taking in air between gritted teeth. "Ra's would be the only one who could make the entire League cut off communications with you. But to move caches is...he did not even do that when I went to Father's..." He doesn't like where the logic is going, but it wouldn't have been the first time Ra's has done something drastic with his family.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would close her eyes, "HE would be the only one that could do such a thing. Small ones. No signs they were ever there. Representatives. Contacts. They ignored me." Talia knows how to go about things subtly. She would hiss and bite at her tongue. "FOrgive me. I knwo not what your grandfather does. I know not.. I jus twant to make sure that you are safe. W hatever his game is." Those words are honest.

Jon Kent has posed:
    Jon stays silent for now. He can tell his friend is distressed, but he'll wait to talk to him about it in private. For now he lets the two work through it from his seat on the stone railing of the rooftop, facing them.

Damian Wayne has posed:
     "All contacts? That /would/ be only something he can do. Not even I knew every contact he had...and I was second in rank to you." Damian made himself walk away...moving closer to Jon than before. "Oh...Mother, this is Superboy." He commented, realizing he did not introduce his friend. "So, either Ra's has cut you off along with what I could presume was myself too. Or he is making a play for something and you are not involved. Either way...it's concerning."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would twist and clench her fingers, "Yes. Only he could." She would take a breath. "Only he could." And Talia trembles. Ever so lightly. SHe's seen Ras play games. Great and small. Games with her.. This has thrown her for a loop. "Ah.. A pleasure to meet you, Superboy. Forgive the timing.."

Jon Kent has posed:
    "Nice to meet you, ma'am," the boy offers with a friendly smile. "I'm sorry to hear about your family problems. I wish I could help." He shakes his head at Talia's apology. "You're fine."

Damian Wayne has posed:
     Damian raises his head to the two, inhaling deeply and exhaling through his nose. "I am indeed fine." Spreading out his arms. "As you can see. But it is what he plans that makes me uneasy. You know too that if Grandfather did anything against me, he would know and you would too. I would not exactly go down without a fight." the corner of his mouth upturned, just a bit at that.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would nod over at Damian and twitch her lips upwards in a smile, "I know. But he is playing a game here. I.. Do not know what it is." Her tone unsure. "I don't want you caught up in it. You've made too much of your life on your own. I won't have my actions risk that."

Damian Wayne has posed:
     A moment passes while Damian gives it a think. But he does come to a conclusion. "My allegiances are with you and Father." Even after how he was raised, but that was Damian. "And you know where to contact me should something bad happen." He didn't want to make assumptions, but he did have a light go off in his head. "Have you mentioned this to Batman?" He asked.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would shake her head over to consider, "I have not. I do.. Not have a consistent way of contacting him. And I needed to confirm it for myself first. I do.. Not want to draw your family into whatever this is if it is one of father's games. I did not want to make assumptions until I was sure." She would take in a breath.
    "He has.. Discarded me."

Damian Wayne has posed:
     Damian looks uneased at that last statement. He looked back to his mother and nodded. "Be that as it may. I am here." It was pretty close to him actually saying I love you to her. But it did come from a loving place.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would close her eyes, "I know, Damian. I.. Do not want to leave." Much the same. She goes to take a hand up to rest on his shoulder. "I.. Wish I had been what you had deserved."

Damian Wayne has posed:
     Damian turns his head sharply towards Talia and talks with gusto, his words every bit as enthused as he ever had been. "Then do not leave. You -are- my mother. You can look back on what you did and think that way, but do not live in what wasn't. And make what was not, what is. You -are- one of the fiercest warriors I know. If the League comes knocking on Gotham's door, you stand up with us and fight them back. That is how you can be what I deserve."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
And Talia is.. Hesitant. "I.." She is unsure. She is uncertain. Jon can tell it with his enhanced senses. Damian can tell it with how she moves and how she looks. She tenses. Uncertainty. A line to be crossed. Something that she cannot take back. It comes out as a soft whimper.
    "... Please."

Damian Wayne has posed:
     Damian looks to Talia and gets closer to her. "Please what?" He asks, getting closer, he cannot take off the helmet in public like this, but she would know her son's pale green eyes were looking through her.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would close her eyes, "Please, I.. I will go with you." That sort of trembling in her is difficult. Talia does not like being reliant on others. Or their charity. This.. IS painful.

Damian Wayne has posed:
     Damian holds out a hand to Talia, and holds onto it. "I can summon a car...this suit is not ready to be seen by the others." He offers, plus he guesses his friend will have questions needing answers.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would smile a bit, "For now.. I appreciate the sanctuary. I also presume that for now grandfather has just decided to cast me aside. Not neutralize me."

Damian Wayne has posed:
     Damian reaches up to his left gauntlet, his holographic red display popping up and some 'buttons' pressed. "It will take you to the cave, I will meet you there." He offers, looking to Talia. "And if he does try to neutralize you, I will stop him." His cowl closes again, as the sounds and roar of the Batmobile approach a convenient alleyway.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would nod softly, "I know. Thank.." She would watch gently at the approaching Batmobile. "Thank you, my son." She would look over her shoulder, then up at Superboy. Then go to grip Damian over in a tight hug.

Damian Wayne has posed:
     Damian returns the hug, and gives a nod once it is over. "You are my mother. Do not forget that."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul would sniffle, "And you are my son. I could never forget that. And you are the best, most worthy thing that has come from our family."

Damian Wayne has posed:
     Damian would see his mother off before rejoining with Jon. "Lets...get back to that cave." He offers, removing a grapple and fires, pulling him up to gain altitude.