4502/This Will Go Fine

This Will Go Fine
Date of Scene:	26 December 2020
Location:	Starrware Incorporated, Karen Starr's office.
Synopsis:	Talia visits Karen to invest. Everything goes fine.
Cast of Characters:	Talia al Ghul, Karen Starr

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Talia al Ghul has posed:
It only makes sense that Talia al Ghul keeps track of her son Damian's activities. And with Damian being who he is, it also makes sense that her observations are very distant. And discreet. But eventually the news reached her of her son's failed attempt on Karen Starr's life.

Talia was quite necessarily intrigued by this. After all, she trained Damian quite closely throughout his upbringing.

After a little bit of research into Ms. Starr, Talia discovered that she owns a company. So now, Talia finds herself in Metropolis as a potential, lucrative investor seeking to assess Starrware. Lawyers are called and a meeting is arranged.
Talia waits in the lobby, alone, dressed in corporate finery. The neat business suit is white brocade silk, with an emerald green blouse for a splash of color.

Karen Starr has posed:
    Attempting to disguise Power Girl as a regular person is probably something most would consider an impossible task. However, if we're being fair, Kara Zor-L, now known as Karen Starr, does the impossible daily.

    That's why the disguise is so... Intense. Power Girl is almost six-six in her costume, but in her flats, Karen Starr comes in a few inches under that. An easy detail to miss, and likely the least important. Hiding the rest is where the magic happens.

    It's a combination of authentic-looking padding on the midsection and a compression bra that is doing truly herculean work, but in the end, the figure has a massive degree less curvature. Combine that with a pair of cokebottle glasses, a platinum blonde wig that reaches a good three feet longer than her natural bob cut, de-emphasize everything without any form of makeup and... You get the Cheif Executive Nerd of Starrware Incorporated. The person Damian didn't kill for whatever reason.

    She's wearing a salmon-pink pinstripe suit that is probably a crime against any sort of fashion sense, and when Talia is brought into Karen's office, she's all too emphatic in shaking the other woman's hand.

    "Greetings, greetings! Welcome to Starrware! Sorry for the wait!"

Talia al Ghul has posed:
    Talia's grip is firm and professional, but the CEO's shocking color choice and boisterous greeting throws off her initial assessment of the woman. Or it would for most people, at least. The disguise is good, really it is, but Talia knows that something is going on. She may not be exactly sure what it is, but suspicions are raised.

    Of course that's a big part of the reason why she's here in the first place. Why couldn't Damian kill this woman, after all? Nevermind the question of why he might want to.

    Talia smiles, warmly, her exotic features brightening the room as her hand is shaken. "I completely understand, of course. After all, I'm sure that you are a very busy woman. And thank you for taking the time to meet with me today."

Karen Starr has posed:
    Quite frankly, it's a perplexing conundrum of the highest order. Karen Starr is physically pathetic, despite that she's so tall. There simply has to be more to it- Damian is a murder-genius, So there's no feasible way he couldn't just take this woman out in her sleep.

    "Any time, any time!" she declares, laughing that off in a raucous way that does exactly the wrong things to the eardrums. "Please, come have a seat!" Making her way to a large desk that is cleared of papers already, the monitor of her computer jet black with lack of use for the day.

    "I must say your investment comes at a surprise- both in the amount and timing, but I'm not going to argue."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
    In contrast, Talia moves with all the smooth, natural grace of a wild animal... something between a lioness and a pit viper. She takes her time, controlling the moment while assessing Ms. Starr more objectively. Without the distractions. Yes, that's part of it. The act is good, almost too good. Perhaps a bit contrived, even.

    Talia smiles and settles, almost regally, crossing one leg over the other. "Prospective investment." she corrects softly, lifting an index finger from the arm of her chair. "I represent a group of investors who have a keen interest in the environment. As such, we are very cautious when it comes to investments in technology."

    She tilts her head a little, lifting a brow. "And before you suggest to me that technology advances society, let me remind you that was precisely the argument that was used during the coal age and the industrial revolution."

Karen Starr has posed:
    Karen offers a couple of nods, but raises both of her hands up. "Ah! Caught me red handed! Always gotta assume the deal's already closed, huh?" she states, offering more levity, and more laughter.

    "As do I!" This declaration is practically shouted, as if the person Talia is speaking to has little control over the volume of her voice- which matches the profile of Karen Starr as a nerd not born to fame and fortune, but finding it by luck and/or talent in excess. "Well, have an interest in the environment, that is." Adjusting her suit a moment, she leans back in her chair.

    "But it does, you see." Holding up one hand, "I know you've heard that before, just like you've said. Sometimes, the people saying it are co-opting it for nefarious means, but I do need to state that without coal power and the industrial revolution, we wouldn't have made the leaps and bounds in technology that we have today. Certainly, the impact on the environment is terrible and terri-fying-, but I feel like this may have been the mistake we -had- to make to even know it could be made."

    Dropping the hand, she sets them both palm-down on the desk. "But! That does not mean that we can do anything but account for the amount of damage that was done in getting here, and further, we absolutely cannot use any of these statements to feign ignorance or innocence. We are neither, and here at Starrware, we're making great strides in not only clean energy- to reduce our impact- but in experimental measures designed to -repair- the damage that's been done, so that we can not only be neutral in our impact, but actively and directly beneficial."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
    Talia smiles at Karen's protest, her amusement undisguised. She steeples her fingers together, looking every bit a woman who is accustomed to being in charge. "Yes." she replies succinctly. "Coal has brought many things to modern civilization. Shall we start with the Black Lung or air pollution? Neither of which were directly your fault, of course, but I believe the point is there."

    At that point she listens to Karen's exposition on clean energy and repairing environmental damage. Okay, then, so Damian was not on a mission for his grandfather. Once Karen gives her a break, Talia tilts her head a little and asks in a lower voice. "I am curious about one thing, Ms. Starr. As a potential investor, it is easy for me to see just how closely Starrware's success depends upon your personal involvement. Therefore, your personal security must be paramount to ensuring the company's ongoing success. And I understand that there has been some concern very recently."

Karen Starr has posed:
    Karen offers an affirming nod. "Sure, we can start there, I suppose. Or, alternatively, we can start with how the black lung has taught us an enormous amount about how the human lungs operate. We can talk about how the real crime there is that once we stepped on that landmine- in a minefield that we as a species did not even know was there- there are those that refused to account for it. We can talk about how similarly, once we found out that burning coal was worse for the environment than burning wood for fires that we'd been burning as a species for thousands of years, lobbyists specifically petitioned to stop regulations to make these things either more safe, or against the law. We can talk about the difference between discovering a problem, and refusing to solve it. We can probably do that all day."

    She's smiling, almost vacantly, when Talia mentions a breach in security- specifically, her personal security. Now, Talia has no way of knowing this, but Damian's presence was, in the end, not something she wanted or was interested in mentioning to anyone else. His attempted assassination was supposed to remain secret. Hence, the following denial.

    "Pardon? Security is always a concern, but it isn't any more of one now than it was weeks or months ago."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
    Talia keeps her fingers steepled, watching the other woman with casual scrutiny. She arches a brow, ignoring Karen's protest. "Are you telling me that you are -not- concerned about the recent attempt on your life, Ms. Starr? Because as a potential investor, I most certain am concerned."

    She lifts a hand, then. "And please, do not trouble to deny it. I have a broad network of information sources. And while the details were not complete, if one attempt could be made then others are sure to follow."

Karen Starr has posed:
    Karen lets out a quiet sigh. She reaches over to a portion of her desk, and places a single delicate finger upon it, speaking then suddenly to thin air. "I think this meeting's going to take longer than usual, so hold my calls for now."

    Her attention then turns to Talia. "You're going to have to pardon me again, but while I not only have no idea to what you're referring, I now have to wonder what you're really here to do. I'll have you know that I won't be intimidated. You're not the first beautiful woman that's tried to get one over on me, and you won't be the last."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
    Talia brought no weapons to this meeting, neither overt nor hidden, and yet she carries herself with the utmost confidence. "Please, Ms. Starr." she replies. "The question really is not one of -whether- or not an attempt was made on your life... that much I have confirmed. It would appear that your personal security was quite adequate to the task." And she actually does look pleased at that, for some reason.

    "My more pressing concern is the source of the attack, as well as the motive. In my experience, surviving one failed attempt is really only a guarantee that there will be others. I assume that the young man escaped?"

Karen Starr has posed:
    Karen leans forward, reaching up to her glasses, and with her eyes closed, plucking them softly from her face and setting them onto the desk. The wig still breaks up her features enough that the disguise isn't compromised, at least for the moment.

    "Oh yes, my personal security. Absolutely up to the task." Reaching down after massaging the bridge of her nose for that spare moment, she brings her glasses back onto her face.

    "I assume he spoke to you after we let him go?"

Talia al Ghul has posed:
    Talia shakes her head slowly at the question. "He did not, actually. In fact it is unlikely that he is aware of my knowledge of the little... misadventure. Unlikely, but not impossible. Whoever sent him, you are dealing with an extremely intelligent, extremely capable young man."

    Talia waits for a moment, then adds. "You would do well not to underestimate him. Why did you not deliver him to the authorities? The police, or even Interpol."

Karen Starr has posed:
    There's a little chuckle that Karen gives at the end of that. "Oh, okay." she begins, letting loose a small after-chuckle. These are not the same laugh as before. "So, let me be clear." she states, tapping another section on her desk. The sound- almost silent, but not quite- of the door actively locking can be heard by anyone with especially keen ears.

    "He wasn't -sent- by anyone. He snuck into my apartment to murder me because I pinched his cheeks at the Stark Expo. I didn't deliver him to the authorities for reasons you're probably going to surmise soon, and what's interesting about all of this is that only two people- that I was aware of- knew about his attempt. I haven't told, and never intended -to- tell, anyone involved with Starrware that I wasn't killed by a Child Assassin."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
    Talia -does- notice the activation of the security lock, her brown eyes brightening somewhat at the realization. Her smile widens a touch as well, and she gazes at her hostess more intently. She laughs. Softly. "You pinched his cheeks in public? Yes, that would certainly be reason enough. At least in His eyes. But I don't need to tell you that Damian is no ordinary child, either."

    Talia unsteeples her hands, then, relaxing noticeably and resting them upon the arm rests. "I am his mother, you see. And now that we have established my interest in the boy, perhaps you could share your own."

Karen Starr has posed:
    Karen offers a small shrug, at that. Idly, she leans on her hand, which has curled into a casual fist to make it easier. "Yes, and I wonder where he gets that? The idea that it's acceptable to break into someone's apartment and try to murder them for the sheer act of being just -slightly- embarrassing."

    "I know who you are." Karen professes. "I've honestly known well before you even walked in here. I couldn't refuse the meeting, but until a bit ago I thought it was just a matter of insane coincidence. My interest in your son? My interest in your son comes from the fact that a -child- broke into my apartment and tried to kill me, and before you answer my previous question, I know -exactly- where he gets it from. I can't imagine what's been done to him, but I can sympathize... And you come into my office and lecture me about the morality of coal?"

Talia al Ghul has posed:
    Talia shakes her head slowly. "Understanding his actions and condoning them are two very different things, Ms. Starr." she replies. No, the fact that Damian failed simply means that he was not ready. That he was sloppy.

    His father's influence is probably to blame.

    "We certainly view the world through different moral lenses." Talia adds. "Do not judge the boy based on a single act. No, you -cannot- imagine how he was raised. Be glad of that. But I am not here to apologize for him, either."

    She uncrosses her legs, as if preparing to rise, then decides against it. "There is something about you; something you are hiding. It's a very good act, of course, but it is an act. Damian failed to kill you, and yet you locked the doors a moment ago. Do you seek to prevent my escape, after you already let my son go? Do you consider me to be the real villain here?"

Karen Starr has posed:
    "Absolutely." Karen begins, reaching up again to her glasses and slipping them off of her face. She takes that moment to stand up and move towards the window of her office, looking out over the city of Metropolis. A mere floor above them is her penthouse apartment, the tallest point in this section of the city. Where Damian tried to kill her. As much as it may have ended up comedic, there's still plenty that bothers her. Bothers her /immensely./

    "I locked the door because I have some questions. When you answer them, because you cannot leave this room until you do, it'll be more believable that the door is locked." She has not yet looked back from the window.

    "In the end, maybe it wasn't your direct doing, but you've effectively murdered a child. I don't judge Damian for one act, but I want you to be /very/ aware that he, in every sense of the word, tried to kill me. He didn't even hesitate, as far as I can tell."

    Though her hair still hides her face, Karen's head does turn a bit to face the other woman. Idly, her fingers delicately unbutton the jacket of her suit, and untuck the blouse, as if she's preparing for things less savory. She DID just tell an assassin that she can't leave the room until some questions were answered, after all.

    "The first question is whether you had an active hand in the /tortures/ it takes to make a child that doesn't even know what a child -is.-"

Talia al Ghul has posed:
    Talia watches as Karen rises; she watches without moving herself. "Ms. Starr, I have no doubt that Damian tried to kill you. He did it quickly, and without any sign of remorse. I know this because yes, it is how he was trained. You were not, yourself, raised by assassins, so I do not expect you to understand Damian. Or me."

    Her gaze lowers as fingers work the button the suit jacket, a dark brow lifting curiously.

    "Damian's conception, incubation, and upbringing were all my father's idea. If you know who I am... TRULY know... then you would understand that I had as much say in matters as the boy did."

Karen Starr has posed:
    "I understand well enough, thanks." Karen snaps back, "I don't have to have been raised by assassins to understand the nature of what was done. Just because I don't know the methods doesn't mean I can't observe the outcome. A fifteen year old boy attempted to kill me in my sleep without any sign of remorse, just like you said. I'm supposed to just be... Okay with that, because the circumstances are different?"

    "And yet, he's in Gotham, trying to be different than he was raised. Trying to rationalize one last murder because of the pain my existence caused him. Did you even know he'd fallen for someone?" Karen asks, callously. "I don't suppose that matters. What matters is whether or not you're doing the same. You can imply what you like, but he's with his father. Why did it take fifteen years?"

Talia al Ghul has posed:
    Talia's gaze narrows when Karen mentions Damian's father, fingers gripping the arms of the chair now. "Why did it take fifteen years for Damian to meet his father? No, Ms. Starr, that is not a question that I am required to answer. Not to you."

    She pauses for a moment, then. "But you had other questions for me, I believe. Or will you be calling Interpol first because I'm a bad parent?"

Karen Starr has posed:
    Karen exhales slowly, listening to that- and noting how the other woman responds. "I guess not. Probably a question for -yourself- more than anything. I suppose you have better things to do than be lectured."

    "I'm not going to call Interpol, I'm not sure what I'd tell them at the moment. He's already with his father, so with any luck, the damage you've done can be, at least somewhat, undone."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
    Talia steeples her fingertips once more. "He is with his father because I permitted it." she declares simply. "Damian is a child of two worlds, and he needs to understand that if he is to understand himself. At some point he may need to choose which path to ultimately walk, but not right now."

    The woman smiles, then.

    "But at any rate, Interpol does not make a habit of getting involved in child welfare cases. If you have any further questions for me without lectures or editorial commentary on parenting, now is the time. Otherwise, I do have other appointments."

Karen Starr has posed:
    Karen isn't smiling. "Yeah. Let's call it two worlds. That's a good way to put it, spares feelings." she notes, offering a small roll of her shoulders. "I think- No, I hope, you mean to say that he is with his father because you're hoping he won't choose the path that Ra's al Ghul wants him to. I think you mean to say that you 'allowed' him to leave because you hope that he'll continue to be Damian Wayne."

    Hands clasped behind her back, Karen continues to mull over what to ask. "So what was the point of coming here? To find out what I knew? To try and finish the job? To find out why he didn't? Please, enlighten me."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia smiles wryly at Karen's speculation, at the hands clasped behind her back, at the shift in her demeanor. The mask is torn. Yes, that is something of what she came to see. Something, but not all.

    "The fact that Damian was unable to complete what he started is less a statement of his capability and more a statement that his target is someone extraordinary. You know his father's name as well as my father's, which is something known to only a small circle of people. And yet you are not one of Bruce's."

    Yes, she is here on recon.

    "But please rest assured that I am no here to, as you say, 'finish the job'. Damian is more than capable of doing his own dirty work, and of accepting the consequences of his failure. I am more curious as to why he failed."

    And she cannot ask the boy directly.

Karen Starr has posed:
    Drooping her head for a moment. "That's not very reassuring. Be advised that Bruce doesn't know. Frankly, I'm not supposed to. I'd appreciate it if it wasn't mentioned." she notes, turning back towards the desk, and taking the steps to return to it.

    "There won't be any consequences." she states, firmly, directly, and harshly. "I want to make that explicitly and directly clear. There /will not/ be any conequences. I don't know whether you have any part in that, but if you do, I want you to take that statement to heart."

    Her blue eyes are piercing- as if they can see /right/ through a person.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
    Talia responds with an almost-absent hand wave of her own. "It is, as you surmised, Ms. Starr; the boy acted on his own. I have no more interest in addressing his petty slights, real or perceived, than you do. Neither can I control him, also as you surmised. I suggest that you deal with him directly next time... and there will likely be a next time... and do not treat him as a child."

    "But if you expected me to charge in here with a mother's righteous wrath, then you misjudged me. Damian is in his father's world, now, not mine."

Karen Starr has posed:
    "Good." Karen agrees, "I won't be dealing with him directly, unless he has more questions for me that apparently only I can answer. Likely this time it won't be predicated upon murder." Picking up her glasses, she slips them onto her head again.

    "I judged that you'd care only for how and why he failed to murder. I judged correctly. That you've let what happened to him happen tells me everything I need to know. Clearly, 'his father's world' doesn't include you. Whether it's my place or not, I think that may be best."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
    Talia rises at the last. Smoothly. Calmly. But it's clear from her expression that she really wants a weapon in her hand right now. Preferably something edged. And heavy.

    And yet she keeps her head up, and she smiles. Is it pride? Some secret knowledge? "You are correct, Ms. Starr. It's not your place." she replies. Simply. Almost dismissively, as if this woman were beneath her.

    "I believe we are finished here, unless you would like to exchange insults."

Karen Starr has posed:
    Karen knows that look. She stands alongside Talia, her expression flat, and her glasses just low enough on her nose that her eyes stare right into Talia's without passing her gaze through the lenses. "Please." is her only verbal response to that murderous expression.

    "Honestly, it may be more my place than yours, but yes." she offers, touching again the same place on her desk, which unlocks the door.

    "I kinda would, but you can leave."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
    Talia inclines her head, albeit slightly. "Perhaps some other time, then. There is more to you than you let show through this mask, but your place is not at His side." Whether hers is or not, apparently this woman does reserve the right to judge.

    Turning on her heel, Talia walks calmly to the door, pausing when she touches the handle. "Good day to you, Ms. Starr."