17500/Lunar Colony

Lunar Colony
Date of Scene:	17 April 2024
Location:	Lunar Colony - Earth's Moon
Synopsis:	The first public gathering upon the Lunar Colony of Earth's first base upon the surface of the Moon! Drinks are had, speeches are made, and Lobo suggests a topless bar be added to the construction plans!
Cast of Characters:	Diana Prince, Monet St. Croix, Jon Kent, Lobo, Jean Grey, M'gann M'orzz, Donna Troy

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Diana Prince has posed:
It has been a long time coming for mankind to reach the Moon, with the intention of never leaving it again. Sure, you could count a few examples as the Justice League base as evidence that such a thing had already happened, but the Watchtower was not a public installation, and thus yet more needed to be achieved to claim that Humanity had truly reached its one solar satellite, and made it a new home.

It would seem that day had finally come.

As the first colonists to call this Lunar installation home were finally being brought in. Many different Earth governments were all working together on this facility, and their achievements would go down as truly historic in the endeavor of pushing further out in to space, to make Earth's mark on the stars that much larger. One could say there was quite a lot further to go though... and they'd be right.

Tonight, the Lunar Colony was opening its 'doors' to its colonists, and welcoming them with a public gala event set within a few of the domed living spaces of the facility. With people dressed in their finest Lunar duds, and with the best in Moon foods being served, there was quite a gathering.

A joint operation with such teams as the Justice League, it was very much expected to see some noteable faces within the super hero community as well, with Wonder Woman being a key figure in the entire world-wide collaboration that helped lead to this most historic of events.

Wonder Woman had just delivered an empassioned speech about the future of Earth's space exploration, and how this was equally as much of a major step for mankind as the first step that touched down upon the Moon's surface itself.

Mingling throngs of colonists, scientists, and visitors alike are moving this way and that way as they take in the views of the Lunar surface for the first time through the glass domed viewing areas. High tech features, such as fully operational robotic assistants also move about, guiding people from point to point, and offering information upon request.

Music is played via a live orchestra, and the event seems to be going quite well, at least thus far!

Wonder Woman, wearing a sparkling white dress, with silver adornments such as rocket-shaped earrings, and a necklace of small silver Moons, mingles upon leaving the presentation stage. With government officials abound, and the recent events at the Atlantic Starport still causing great tensions, there is an underlying dramatic tone to the event, as the United Nations still vyes for control of the Earth-based Starport.

There is always some manner of drama to be had, afterall.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
There's always going to be drama. That is why there's enough firepower here to hold off a hopefully bureaucratic turf war. Monet St. Croix has graced this function with her presence, wearing a very lovely dress stylized with ground down moondust crystals in it to give it a stellar cascade effect. Subtle, and yet advertising her resources and wealth.
    She's taking her time sweeping the area, paying attention to Diana's impassioned speech and watching the reactions of the crowd. Just in case something stood out.
    But the music is divine (not as much as the goddess conducting the affair), the food is adequate, and the company fascinating. She goes to walk along, mind darting along as she would enjoy the view, looking across the stretched horizon. The moon did not have Earth's atmosphere, so from it's perspective the stars along the way and the curve of the planet looked strange. An easy distraction to fall into.
    Monet appreciates the festivities, but still is on the alert. They've had too many traumas as of late to let up their guard.

Jon Kent has posed:
Superboy is here tonight. He is dressed in his own slightly modified version of Superman's uniform, nearly identical save for red across the shoulders and upper arms. He is standing a respectful distance from the orchestra listening intently, with his hands clasped politely behind his back. He has a particularly serene expression on his face because he is enjoying something he rarely gets to enjoy: silence. Capable of simultaneously hearing every sound on Earth, he is constantly struggling to filter it all out under the tutelage of his father, who has been through all of that before. But here, on the moon, out in space. Well, it's quite lovely and Jon seems most enthralled by the orchestra playing as evidenced by the hooded, relaxed eyes and a placid facial expression.

Lobo has posed:
Lobo got in cause he's an alien. The easiest qualification at all for showing up at a spaceport. Anybody who isn't obviously human, the security dopes always just assume they're invited or some sort of supergeek. Lobo had thought about throwing on a cape just to add to it but he didn't want to look like a douchebag.

Something about Earthlings - they love fancy parties. Lobo didn't even really think of them as parties - the band always sucked, the clothes covered up too much, and you had to go to the bathroom if you wanted to fry your brain with drugs instead of doin' it openly on the table like a civilized scuzz. This was more like goin' to a nursin' home and watching the old people have a nice time, maybe dance a little. Eat some slop. Lobo didn't mind. He liked slop.

Currently, he's hitting the catering hard, a towering figure in black leather slurping down shellfish at an astonishing rate. He gives out a healthy burp. "These are good bugs," he says to a nearby dignitary.

Jean Grey has posed:
Diana had been so gracious to come by the school the prior week and invite Jean in person, so... well, can you really say 'no' to Wonder Woman?

Among a crowd that includes astronauts and a few actual aliens, for once it doesn't feel out of place for Jean to be dealing with 'space.' While the X-Men have been involved in the Starport and may now be swept up in its emerging dramas, the greater universe beyond Earth is still very NEW to most of them. And not everyone is enthusiastic. Indeed, Jean had invited a certain someone as her +1... and it says a LOT when 'Space? Again? Ah hate space!' beats out a long-standing desire to get Wonder Woman's autograph... Maybe next time!

So Jean gets to enjoy the grandeur of the Earth from orbit by her lonesome. She has a sparkly emerald-green dress since it's a showy sort of gala get-together, and now mingles as the orchestra play on and fancy little hors d'oeuvres make their way around. She seeks out Diana directly, for starters.

"I love your earrings! And that necklace. Wow. I wish I'd thought of something like that." She casts a canny glance side-to-side and then... wait, were her own earrings little stars a second ago? Well, now they are! And they even glow a little. "There. Now I don't feel under-dressed."

M'gann M'orzz has posed:
M'gann had debated on whether to show up in her human guise or not, but determined that if humans were going to be pressing into space and trying to colonize off-world.. then it would be best to let them get used to seeing beings that are not human.

Auburn hair in an elegant updo that's held in place by a large 'radiant sun' comb that's tucked neatly at the back of the twist. Green skin is on full display. Her eyes have the black sclera and red irises of her people. The gown is a simple affair, sleeveless, black, and floor length, with the identifying red X following from the straps of the dress, along the edge of the decolletage, criss-crossing over her stomach, and then following the edges of a slit in the skirt that allows her to move freely. Tasteful black heels accompany the outfit.

Approaching Wonder Woman, she offers a warm smile, "This is an excellent turnout. I'm glad that I could attend." Catching sight of Superboy out of the corner of one eyes, she offers a quick smile and wave towards thim before giving the same to Monet, then finally back to Diana.

Diana Prince has posed:
With a drink pushed in to her hand by a colleague of the Starport, Diana is laughing at what they commented to her before they depart to track down other membrs of their team on site today. With some of the mingling bodies parting, Diana spies Jon standing off to the side like a pillar of strength and resolve, just like his father. though Diana knows the House of El's family line well enough to see a few underlying emotions in how Jon's facial expressions come across. She is beside him in a moment, and offers him a bright smile. "You look nervous..." Diana quietly says to him. "You should mingle a bit, it will help take your mind off any inner questions." She says this advice in a caring fashion, mere moments before Jean comes to her side, causing Diana to regard her. "Oh, you made it. Delightful!" She fires back, before laughing lightly again, and noting her own jewelry for a moment. "Yes, simply wearing some lovely pieces that were donated to me by a young friend back home in Manhattan. She's very eager to see her work 'go down in the history books' at this event, as she said." The Princess notes with a glimmering grin, before she glances around Jean. "Did you come alone? No Professor? Xavier? I would have assumed he would be quite interested in this." She reaches out to touch Jean's arm softly. "Still though, I'm glad to see you, Jean."

M'Gann garners Diana's attention, and with a slight grin remaining on her red hued lips, Diana also seems pleased to see the woman in her natural form. "You look radiant, M'gann. I might just make you a spokesperson for all of our endeavors here." She states in a little playful way.

Lobo is greeted by a server from the dining staff, setting down a full platter of a wide variety of food from Parisian chefs. The server questions Lobo in French, raising an eyebrow at the man in leather, before offering him some small morsil of unidentifiable food. Is it good? That might be hard to say until one eats it to find out!

With Monet passing by, Diana offers a wave toward her. "Your dress is lovely, Monet. I am glad you were able to attend tonight too. Have you seen Kara about, by chance?"

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Monet St. Croix would bow her head over to Diana in passing, pausing from looking off across the horizon, a quick mental query sent to Jean to confirm the other telepath wasn't picking up anything. Shaking her head at Diana, "No, I have not spoken to her in some time." Monet's normal passive face is gone for just a moment and then there's a small bit of pain which quickly vanished back to it's normal neutrality. "I haven't seen her since the.. Incident." With the other-dimensional Kryptonians and whatever thier long term schemes were. Another reason that space seemed so full of terrors.

Among said terrors would be Lobo along the buffet line. A quick mental snark is sent over towards Jean <<He seems like someone that would get along quite well with Dukes.>> By 'Dukes' she meant 'Fred', aka the unmovable Blob. Pausing right then as M'gann did her exchange over with Jean, and M's lips would light up in a sincere smile. A rare enough thing.

Jon Kent has posed:
Even for one who has regular, unrestricted access to the presence of Superman, being approached by the legendary Diana Prince is a Big Deal. When Jon notices her walking closer he clears his throat, tugs once at his uniform to make sure it's not mussed, and stands a little taller. "Yes, ma'am," he says to Wonder Woman. "Thank you for allowing me to attend." His parents would not be pleased if he didn't treat Ms. Prince with the utmost respect.

He catches Mgann's wave and he smiles back. A friendly, familiar face! Leaving his nesting spot near the orchestra, Superboy approaches the martian. "Hi, M'gann," he says to her warmly. "I was hoping I'd see you here. Did you have any trouble finding the place?" he asks with a humorous glint in his crystal blue eyes.

Lobo has posed:
Lobo continues to talk to the security guard assigned to him. "Look, meatball," Lobo says, putting a massive albino arm across the man's shoulders, veins bulging in the musculature in a somewhat disturbing fashion. Czarnian physiology is very big on veins and striation. That and big sharp teeth. Weird since most of them were more of the intellectual types. Lobo's the exception - most especially in the sense that he's alive.

"I'm the last o' my kind, y'know. Czarnians. Well, I do got a kid, chip off the ol' slab. Nasty little thing. A biter. Cute though. You single, meatball?" he asks, ruffling the security goon's hair. "Actually, I gotta be honest, I ain't sure you're her type. You got a job, fer one," he says.

"Speaking of jobs," he says, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a printed piece of paper with an alien's face on it. It looks like dot matrix printing. It was hard to get something state of the art that would work on a spacebike.

"You seen this guy? Cause you tip me off, he comes through here, I will cut you in. Ten percent. All in Spacebucks." Which are definitely a real thing and not something Lobo made up.

M'gann M'orzz has posed:
"Thank you, Your Highness, I thought it best to 'come as I am', so to speak," M'gann offers with a faintly amused smile. This isn't her REAL real form, but the dignitaries and politicians are ready for that. This at least gives them a more comfortable exposure to an alien that isn't TOO far off from their own appearance. Blinking in surprise, she's quick to recover, "I will make myself available to you in whatever capacity you need. If I can help to keep things working smoothly, then it will be an honor." And it will let her put some of her classes to work!

Turning at Jon's approach, her face lights up and the friendly smile takes over, "Hi Superboy. Of course, I couldn't miss this for the world." She chuckles at the humor, then shakes her head, "The day I have that problem, you'll have a much larger problem on your hands." Lobo's antics draw an amused glance, though she does dart a glance towards Diana, lifting a brow in question at the very... standout... appearance of the Czarnian.

Jean Grey has posed:
"I wouldn't miss it," Jean fires back. "As for the Professor... well, his girlfriend IS an alien Empress, so this is sort of old-hat for him at this point," Jean offers, as an excuse for Xavier not being along with her, although it's obviously a joking one. "He would have loved to have come, actually, but he's flying to a conference. Some important talks that might have to do with your-" She catches herself, shakes her head. "Well, it's a party on the MOON of all things, we shouldn't get bogged down with the problems down on the surface."

It's hard for the Starport conflict not to hang over things. So she keeps it positive!

At that point, they get joined by one of the actual aliens. "Oh, that's such a pretty dress. Miss Martian, isn't it? We barely got a chance to have proper introductions the last time." The 'last time' being at the scene of a horrible scene of interstellar carnage. "Jean Grey." She glances sidelong at Diana, and back. "Nice that we have some representation for our 'nextdoor neighbors,' such as it is, at an event like this. What do you think? How's Earth doing catching up?" Her grin indicates that she's well aware of just how far behind humanity is. It's not like every alien they meet doesn't rub it in, -especially- the afforementioned feathered in-laws.

Monet's tele-page has her glancing over to watch Lobo at the buffet line, and her brow furrows. <<As long as he's eating and not trying to conquer the Watchtower again.>> This thought soon carries over to her talk with Diana. "Nice to see old enemies turned house-guest."

Diana Prince has posed:
When the other's reacting to Lobo causes Diana to regard him from afar, she's quick to show a small smile before she quietly speaks on him for the other's benefit. "He is the father of a Justice League member," she explains. "though we have a tumultuous history with him, I believe he is just requiring time to settle in to our ways... Perhaps if we open a Roadhouse in New Mexico he might enjoy the dining aa bit more though." She states that last part with a sly grin.

Glancing toward those around her, and lastly to Jean again, the Princess is quick to nod her head ever so slightly. "I will admit, too, that this is... an important step for the Starport to repair some of its reputation across the world. As you all are no doubt aware, some of the tension has been reaching a breaking point there-in. But." She sighs softly. "this is the Atlantic Starport's first offered destination away from the surface of Earth, and in to the reaches of space beyond our atmosphere. It is a milestone for mankind, but it is a milestone for the combined efforts of my people, and our wonderful allies in the Wakandans, and the Atlanteans also."

There are more aliens within the crowd than just M'gann and Lobo as well, wich suggests that indeed some of the refugees that have been living on the Atlantic Starport's landing platforms have been invited to attend the party tonight.

They do seem to be getting along quite well, for the most part, as they explore the residential domes of the newly chrissened Lunar Colony.

"So, which of you should I put down for interest in a living space within the Colony?" Diana asks, grinning toward Jean, and then glancing toward the others.

"They're lovely, I promise.. and the further we develop the facility, the nicer everything will get."

She raises her drink up to her lips, as she watches some of the refugee aliens passing by Lobo... internally hoping that none of them have a bounty on their heads that he recognizes...

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Lobo is not a threat, but a being of interest (being isn't speciesist, right?) but so long as he behaves is to be tolerated. Monet St. Croix goes to slowly twist her head over as she hears mentions of 'bounties' and swivels her attention over to Jean for a quick assessment - read his mind for details or not so long as there are no disruptions?

Her attention wanders, glancing off into space, and the construction over of the starport. She looks across the surface of the moon, correlating it's presence on Earth down below. Those places before in the skies where the Shi'Ar had attacked from, years ago. When thinsg sometimes felt like months. How much had changed. Even for something that she perhaps had not even been a participant in.

Monet looks melancholy as she gives a nod over to M'Gann. <<Let us hope that events here stay quiet>> Sent along to the green shapeshifter. Another benefit of being up here - transit was rather expensive, so protestors would have a -very- hard time getting up.. And the United Nations would be too cheap to offer up a competing analogue. Still..

President Luthor, in all his rhetoric might. Monet goes to finish off her alcohol, tempted to go for a refill. Ugh, why did formal events for ceremonial occasions have so many stressors with them?

Jon Kent has posed:
Superboy's gaze shifts over to Lobo while he talks to M'gann. "Who is that guy?" the caped young man inquires of his green-skinned friend at a low volume. "He looks...out of place." And /that/ is the closest Jon Kent gets to criticizing someone. "He's asking questions like a bounty hunter looking for someone." You don't have to have super hearing to pick up what Lobo is saying, even in a crowded room like this.

His gaze shifts to Diana, Jean, and Monet. Other than Diana Prince, he doesn't know any of them but he assumes they are important to not only be here but to be hanging out with the host. If any of them catch his gaze, he gives a warm, polite, somewhat shy smile. He's here reppin the House of El tonight, so he is sure to be on his best behavior.

But he can't help but look back at Lobo again. There is something about the brash, loud Czarnian that intrigues Superboy, not unlike how someone can't look away from a car crash.

Lobo has posed:
Lobo sees Superboy look his way and makes a fingergun at the Boy of Steel, "So, is that Big Blue's kid? Who's the mama? Is it Princess Pants over there or did he manage to knock up a human? He probably knows my kid. Imagine if me and Mr. Underpants became in-laws. That'd be fragginhilarious!" he says, smacking the security guard on the back so hard the man starts coughing.

"Don't look at me, I didn't bring no weird germs."

The aliens seem to pass muster, although Lobo does shove the picture of the fugitive in question at a few of them. "You sure you ain't met him? He's a real slimy bastich. Looks like your type," he says, narrowing his crimson eyes at one before finally letting him move on. Seeing Diana and the others gathered, he raises a gloved hand in greeting, "Yo, Dubs. No hard feelins, ya dig? A job's a job."

Donna Troy has posed:
    How many times has she been to the moon before? Donna's not entirely sure. Three, four, five? Something like that. Given how close it is, perhaps she should take the opportunity to do so more often. There are whole other solar systems she's been to about as often, and the moon is really just there. Basically part of the neighborhood. The issue of course is that there's just not that much to do on the moon. The Watchtower or a bunch of craters, up until now that's been pretty much the extent of the Moon's attractions.

    Up until now. Now there's a lunar base with /people/. A civilian settlement. It's still early days, but surely before too long there will be restaurants, galleries, bars, all the normal interesting things that make a place worth visiting. And probably crime. Oh yeah, that's something you can't really get away from for long even if you go quarter of a million miles away. Donna's quite sure that before long she'll be back up here lassoing some criminals. For now though? It's a celebration, a party. Time to relax and dress up.

    Or not, because relaxing and dressing up seems to be something that happens to other people. Donna is armed and armored as if she's expecting trouble, which is only slightly stretching the point. Partly it's that she has armor which while fundamentally Amazon in design was build using technology from Man's World and with more than half an eye on making something spaceworthy, but mostly it's because she doesn't trust the universe not to throw a curve ball. Or SHIELD, possibly.

    There are however no signs of that so far. Donna has been doing the rounds to make sure -- outside the dome, which is why she's missed all the speechifying. She's back now though, and enters through one of the exterior airlocks, doffs her breather mask and joins the party. She grabs a drink and makes a bee-line to Diana. "There was a suspicious-looking object, but it was just a boulder," she tells her sister with a grin. Nobody's really expecting anyone to try anything today, anyway. It would be pretty dumb to do so when you know there's going to be a bunch of capes in residence. "Speech go well?"

    She leans back to slake her lunar-wandering induced thirst, giving quick nods to those around she knows, and a wink to Jon. "/ehrosh :bem ,jon,!"

M'gann M'orzz has posed:
Turning a smile towards Jean, M'gann gives a wry chuckle, "Sadly, often the case when I meet new people. I'm M'gann M'orzz. It's a pleasure to meet you." Her gaze sweeps back over the crowd to watch Lobo for a few moments before asiding to DIana, "I know Xiomara, we were roommates at Happy Harbor. Admittedly, she was not a fan of her father then, but that was a few years ago, so if they've arrived at a better place, then all the better. The stories she'd told weren't very flattering." This provokes another small chuckle, "Then again, I suppose similar could be said about me if caught in a tense or bad situation."

Leaning in slightly towards Jon, she murmurs softly, "That's Lobo, Xiomara's father. They're the last two Czarnians alive. They're rough around the edges, but good to have in your corner." Then she's smiling once more at Jon and tilting her head, "Would you like to meet them? I can introduce you if you like."

To Monet, she simply offers a mental impression of calm. She isn't worried.

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean's answer to Monet, of the thinky-kind? << Be nice, M. It's a party. Don't worry about the scans, try the crab cake thingies. They're delish. >> Important things!

As for Lunar living?

"Oh, no." Jean holds up her hands in a defensive gesture when Diana starts pitching her timeshares beyond the atmosphere. "I can barely get my fiance to agree to giving up her current cheeto-dust covered room. There's no way she's going to come and live on the MOON, when I couldn't even get her up here for a party." She turns to glance out one of the windows to survey the impressive, if starkly bleak cratered landscape beyond. "It does sound like it might be some kind of solution to this refugee situation, though."

Despite her earlier promise to avoid darkening the party mood with serious talk, things can't help but seemingly veer that way. "Being honest, having gone through what I have with my own people... I think it will be a losing battle to try and settle the refugees on Earth. Forget whatever laws, treaties, agreements, organizations. They won't matter for this. They'll never let it happen." Her voice is suitably stern, a little grim, in saying this. "The world's governments are still coming to terms sharing a planet with other humans that are just ever so slightly different from each other."

"Actual aliens?" She glances briefly toward M'gann, as if in apology for what she's going to say, and then back to Diana - and perhaps to include Donna as well, since the advice she's giving may apply to all the Amazons. "In numbers beyond a few celebrity superheroes? They'll fight you for it. Mark my words on that - I've lived through the Sentinels and the violent militias and everything else."

With Lobo approaching, she briefly pauses the more serious talk and puts on a friendly smile. Her knowledge is second-hand here, but Diana? Diana knows everyone!

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana does possess super hearing, and thus she's able to hear pretty much everything Lobo had said. She does see his greeting, and she does return it with a nod, and a warm smile for him. She does know a lot of people, but this particular fellow she only knows of, more than really knows personally. She raises her drink in greeting toward him too, before she takes a sip of it a second before she looks toward her arriving sister, happy to see her in full armor and readiness... because you nevr truly know in this world, what may come next.

"I am glad you helped get to the bottom of the rock threat." She coyly says back to Donna, before she nods softly. "The speech went well. President Luthor is expected to give his own here later tonight. I believe he is actively touring the facility as we speak..." She states of the American President, for those who didn't know he was on hand here today for this auspicious occasion.

Jean's response has her showing a slight grin, as well as a nod of understanding. "We're hoping to build up a number of powered personalities who call this place home, or even home away from home, to build confidence in the safety of the facility. But with the Watchtower being a relative stone's throw away, the security is high all the same. We do hope to further increase that comfort level, with features such as more entertainment options, and even security shields not unlike those in-use at the Starport back home. Those have proven to be a very effective tool, even if their technology is not open source to pull from whenever we wish... But, times are ever changing, and technology is ever evolving."

Diana shows a slight grin toward M'gann, and Jon. "Please do introduce him.. I would be curious to know how Xiomara feels with regard to him today in fact, sadly I don't believe she made it to this event..." Diana notes, glancing around for the as to mentioned daughter of the Lobo, but to no visual avail.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Ah yes, president Luthor will be here. That will likely lead to friction. Monet St. Croix gives a mental-sigh equivalent over to Jean <<Very well. I have expectations however.>> Then again, Jean is from Boston. If you can't trust a New Englander about crab cakes, who can you? Monet goes to take a moment to separate from the group to head over towards the buffet to get some of those proferred things, and a drink refill.

While using her slightly enhanced hearing to keep track of the conversation going on while letting out a silent sigh of agreement that anyone with enhanced hearing could tell. Humanity was so effective when it came to loathing. Unbidden, her eyes turn in the instinctive direction of another, far smaller citadel in orbit.

Now she rejoins the rest of the group, walking over and giving a nod to Donna and to Diana. "How is Kara doing?" SHe would inquire. Since Diana had asked her earlier! So Donna might have something more up to date on it.

Jon Kent has posed:
Superboy smiles warmly to Donna. His eye light up with delight to be addressed in Kryptonian. "/ehrosh :bem/" he replies back to her in kind. He sizes up her battle gear and nods approvingly. Although peace-loving, Superboy can appreciate a good scrap or, at the very least, being ready for one.

"Xiomara?" Superboy says curiously to M'gann. "From the Titans? That's her father?" He looks like he might be a bit on the fence in terms of wanting to meet the man, but when Diana encourages it, Superboy can't help but smile a bit. "Okay, yeah, sure. Let's do it. Maybe we can challenge him to arm wrestling," the young, caped hero says with his humorous tone.

Lobo has posed:
Lobo looks back and forth between Monet and Diana and Donna. "Lotta sisters. Yer daddy must've liked your mama an awful lot," he says.

"Yer new place is real shiny and spiffy, yer Highishness. Real big time. Just add a few slot machines and maybe one o' them topless dance clubs on the premises and you'll have me comin' back for more. I ain't in the need o' lodgin' quite yet, but if this place becomes a bustlin' hub o' intergalactic commerce - the kind that develops an underground economy capable o' supportin' a bounty hunter in the style to which I am accustomed - well, then I might think about signin' some papers."

He snags a bottle of wine from a nearby table, casually lifting it up, pulling the cork with his teeth and spitting it back onto the tablecloth. "Thanks for the victuals. Much obliged," he says, taking a long, straight swig of the red. "You see my young 'un before I do, you tell her the ol' man ain't dead yet. I'll be seein' her comin' along soon nuff."

M'gann M'orzz has posed:
M'gann offers a quick smile towards Jean and gives a small shake of her head. There's no offense taken, Jean isn't wrong. There's a reason why most of M'gann's life on Earth happens behind a mask of humanity. People are just fine with an alien that's flying around saving folk, but having one for a next door neighbor, well, that's a whole other kettle of fish.

Turning towards Jon, she smiles, "Alright then, lets go for introductions." She leads the way, approaching Lobo and offering up a quick smile, "Hello. From one nearly extinct species to another, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm sure you already know his father, but this is Superboy. Superboy, this is Lobo." She looks back to the Czarnian with a quickly offered, "I schooled with Xiomara for a time when we were both new to Earth. We've never met, but I've heard plenty about you." She won't say how much was good or bad... that would be rude!

Donna Troy has posed:
    "I wouldn't bet on it Jean," Donna says with a cynical smirk. "People are acting hastily and in panic, and doing things they can't really justify. Right now the mood is that people are panicking about an invasion of alien immigrants. How long is it going to be before some countries start figuring out that they'll get a technological leg-up if they choose to be alien immigrant friendly?"

    "The UN has no charter to override domestic policy. A ban on alien immigration would require that, and that's when the diplomacy fails. You think America going to hand the UN sovereign oversight over domestic policy? Not a chance, if Luthor doesn't want to be lynched and hanged from a lamp post. And watch the Dow Jones tank if they try to claim the legal right of seizure of private space industry assets. That would trigger the biggest recession in 20 years. This will blow over."

    There are no lamp posts on the lunar base, so Lex Luthor's probably safe right now. Donna briefly considers going off to find him and repeat that wake-up call direct to the president himself, but thinks better of it. Best to do that through proper diplomatic channels.

    "Kara is... Kara..." Donna tells Monet with a faint smirk. It seems like the safest way to put it right now given Kara's current affairs, and Monet knows Kara quite well enough that the simple words tell a story.

Jean Grey has posed:
Advice from Lobo on how to spruce up the Lunar accomodations (to the effect of 'Blackjack and hookers'), does a fair bit to help Jean turn from the somewhat serious topic back to more frivolous ones. She grins, and again looks toward Diana in consideration, albeit this time with a bit of a put-on sly expression. "He may have a point. Kids these days, with their smart phones, is something as boring as just 'the moon' really going to excite them? It's just a big rock in space. You gotta -sell- this place."

She is obviously joking.

"You know, when we took the ne Blackbird out on its shake-down flight from the Starport, we ended up at... I want to call it the Shi'ar equivalent of Las Vegas. Well... Maybe Atlantic City." That's what spacers call a 'sick burn.' "Totally wild place. You could take a few pointers, though. Maybe put up some neon signs like they had, bring in some entertainment and vendors, you know. Really make this place worth a visit." This is all incredibly facetious, with the unbelievably glorious vision of Earth scene from space in the background!

To Donna, she can only hold her hands up, signaling her uncertainty. "Maybe. I hope it doesn't escalate any further. But our experience has shown a tremendous willingness of people to put aside both law and order and any sense of logic or forward thinking when it comes to this stuff. I've been in those crosshairs, and I was born a couple hours from New York City." Definitely not Boston. "Aliens from lightyears distant? It's a whole different equation. There were protests for the Shi'ar treaty, and that was the minimum of 'we recognize each other's existence.' Immigration is a whole different level."

Diana Prince has posed:
Outside of the massivew viewing windows, the Lunar landscape stretches on far and wide, with Earth sitting off in the greater distance amongst all the tiny stars. A voice overhead announces softly that there are arriving Lunar pods descending from the Gateway Station above, and that those who wish to view their arrival at the landing domes, should proceed to the southern viewing windows for the event. Many such hopeful viewers do begin to take the arms of their dates, and proceed toward the windows, while others remain near the food or the dance area to enjoy the party atmosphere instead. Seems some people just get bored quickly of such marvels.

Diana is listening to the back and forth conversation between Jean and Donna, when Lobo's appearance has her averting her stare toward him. His words cause a reserved smile to spread across her crimson hued lips, as she adjusts her drink from her right hand in to her left. She steps toward him to offer him her hand for a shake, should it be a custom he is familiar with. A glance leaves her eyes from his, as she looks toward Jean once more, her smile spreading in strength before she looks back to him. "I will make those suggestions to our colony planning team." She says in a friendly tone of voice, before she offers him a light nod. "I am glad you made it though, your daughter has become a valuable member of the Justice League's team, and we're honored to have her as one of us." She motions toward M'gann and Jon. "As M'gann here has said, she knows your daughter well, and this is the son of Earth's Superman. You two might have a lot more in common than one might think." she states, chasing a little introduction there for the two.

Diana regards Donna and Jean again, overhearing their back and forth. She moves to step beside her sister, leaning over to her and placing her free hand upon Donna's shoulder. "You are tense. You should find a little peace and comfort soon." She sspeaks lowly to Troia, sensing her sister's dutiful ways perhaps getting the better of her on this stressful day of events.

Monet St. Croix has posed:
Urge to beat Lobo rising, Monet St. Croix makes herself relax as she settles for glowering over at him. She is, however, not a Kryptonian, so her glare is nowhere near the levels, implicit or literal, of melting through someone's head. It's not really intimidating.

As M'Gann and Superboy go to exchange greetings with Lobo, she maintains her glare while crossing her arms at him.. Another twitch of a smile going up from the banter between Jean on Shi'Ar Vegas (but alas what happens there does not stay there) and Donna talking over the political armageddeon that would be the US doing what the UN wants it to.

The last bit of simple words gets a nod from Monet in agreement.

Jon Kent has posed:
As M'gann introduces him to Lobo, Superboy holds out a hand for a shake. Although he is slender of frame, that hand can pack a lot of whallop, and one might almost imagine that the glitter in his eyes is him wondering juuuuust how strong this big dude really is. The young. They can sometimes be needlessly competitive.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," Superboy says with all the politeness he would show if Clark himself were here in the room observing. "I don't know your daughter real well but we've met and I know of her. She's very respected among the Titans and the Justice League. You should be proud, sir."

It's so incredibly rare to see a sly grin hinted at on Superboy's features, but there it is nevertheless.

Lobo has posed:
Lobo nods and raises the wine bottle at Superboy, "Yeah, most o' your kind are dead, too, huh? Fancy the chances so many end up on this weird nothing rock. I ain't figgered out what's so special 'bout this place yet. But some parts of it ain't bad - too much ocean, though. I ain't that fond o' swimmin'. Makes my ears pop."

"Say, I don't suppose there's a place around here I could have myself a smoke? I know it ain't much in vogue with Earthers no more, but it ain't like it's gonna do me no harm. Hell, cancer's scared o' me - I got the higher body count."

Donna Troy has posed:
    Donna gives Jean a little one-shouldered shrug. "The idiots have an easier time when it's a national rather than an international issue. Laws are more easily ignored if they're only your /own/ laws. In the international arena there are very different self-interests at play, and honestly nobody wants a bunch of Amazon diplomats pointing out to China what the consequences of this folly are going to be to /their/ interests. There will go on being protests and complaints, but nobody's going to go to war over this."

    Donna's eyeing Lobo with faint curiosity while the political discussion takes place. Crush's dad, huh? "There's a small Russian lunar station about forty miles east of here that has been abandoned for a few years. Nobody there to complain if you fill it with smoke," she suggests. "Just be careful. I wouldn't trust their oxy mix to be stable, you might blow it up when you light up."

    Diana's sympathy elicits a broad smile from Donna, as it always does. "I'm fine Di," she says, giving her sister's hand a squeeze. "All good." Diana's probably a better judge of Donna's state of mind than Donna is, so if Diana senses tension it's probably there even if Donna isn't really feeling it. "I was thinking of spending a few days back home soon though. Maybe you'd like to join me?"

M'gann M'orzz has posed:
Now that M'gann has done her good deed and introduced Jon to Lobo (surely nothing bad will come from this!), she meanders her way back towards the others with a pleased smile on her face, "I think tonight has gone very well, all things considered. No international incidents, no attacks, nothing has exploded, caved in, or imploded." She's not drinking the hard stuff, but she'll get herself a tonic water and lemon to sip on while taking a quick sweeping look around at the all the delegates and politicians and the refugees mingling.

"I don't know that I'll get a house on the Lunar base, but if you branch out to Mars, put me down for a nice little place somewhere."

Jean Grey has posed:
"You can... probably just find an airlock?" Jean suggests to Lobo.

To anyone else, that might seem like a terribly impolite, downright mean thing to say. But in this case, it's... a fairly practical suggestion! Donna seems to have the same idea! And with the idea of there being other locations out there worth exploring, Jean finds herself turning back to Diana with her own alternate suggestion for some entertainment.

"Have you thought about surface tours?" It's not quite Kryptonian pole-dancers, but it's a thought. "You know, get some high-grade suits, surface rovers, a few astronauts as drivers. I feel like 'you can do dune buggy on a lunar crater' might be a pretty hot seller. Let everyone off to hop around at some point. Obviously there'd be safety regulations to work through, but it doesn't seem implausible."

Of course, much like the suggestion to Lobo, many the people here are probably capable of enjoying things much more easily than all of that. "That's for the folks that need all that stuff, of course." She grins. "Are we 'allowed' out? I kinda just wanna go out and look around. I suppose I could change out of the dress, but I don't really -have- to..."

Jon Kent has posed:
It's time for Superboy to return to Earth. He offers one last smile to Lobo and a polite nod before he walks over to Diana Prince. "Ms. Prince, thank you for inviting me. Please don't hesitate to call on me if there is ever anything I can do to support your efforts here." He gives a polite nod to the other dignitaries present.

Lastly he turns to M'gann. "Don't be a stranger. Let's grab lunch soon, okay?"

Superboy leaves the room and winds his way through the station. Some partygoers might get to see him outside actually standing on the surface of the moon. With all the gravitas and dignity of someone of the House of El, he lifts off the moon's surface and rockets toward Earth.

Diana Prince has posed:
Many of the faces up near the viewing windows, are now producing their cell phones (yes they even work up here this far from Earth! the magic of science is astounding.) They begin to record the arrival of the Lunar pods, signalling more colonists, visitors, or just attendees to the events taking place within the colony.

Diana shows a soft smile toward Lobo, and a nod toward the offers of what he can do to find a place to enjoy a smoke. "It might be wise to do as they say, though the air filtration systems are top tier, and in most secluded places it shouldn't be an issue. But yes, we will have designated areas for that coming soon, as we know it is not entirely fallen out of favor amongst our people. Not yet anyway..." She states, showing a hint of a grin.

Her eyes dart back to Donna, and she shows a knowing smile. "I wish I could in the next few days, but it might be a little longer than that before I can have a moment of peace again... there is a lot in motion." She even shows a bit of wear at the idea of it, but ever unflappable as she is, Wonder Woman is surely up to the stress and challenges.

Jean gets a slight grin too. "You're welcome to explore to your heart's content. The air lock system is monitored by Justice League protocols, but you would be on the access list, and thus should have no problem making your way through the hatch check points. Just make sure to let the on-duty technicians know your name, of course."

She looks toward those around her still, and laughs softly. "We do plan for 'outdoor' activities for those who are not able to simply stroll across the dusty surface as though it were a walk in a park back home. I think many are looking forward to the Moon Cart races, and Moon Golf too, of course..." Is she joking? Probably not. People love playing in low-gravity environments, since the colony itself is utilizing artificial gravity tech built in to the floors beneath one's feet.

Many of the guests begin to pull back from the viewing windows, as a commotion fills the room. From the eastern corridor, an entourage is arriving with President Luthor at the center of it. His swagger, and confident stride making him stand out amongst the rest of the people gathered around him.

"Seems our next speech giver has arrived." Diana quietly notes, as she raises her glass of bubbly up for another sip.