wedonot | THREE ✖ VOICE

Although I still don't understand or particularly appreciate - [Understatement of the year and it's evident by his tone of voice that he's still angry about it.] - the Admiral deciding those of us who aren't human to not know hot to act like responsible adults in port, I did appreciate the support from both those who understood from experience and those who simply empathized.

With a few exceptions. [Pink. :V]

I understand it's can be a difficult thing for someone who doesn't abilities of their own to first accept that other people are capable of doing things like reading minds or manipulating matter without physically touching it, and thus it's difficult to imagine what it must be like to not be able to do that, but it truly is like waking up one morning and discovering you've gone deaf. Or blind. And being told it's happened because you're different and this is a way of "fitting in" is demeaning. Just because our genetic coding or biology is slightly different doesn't mean we should be made to change, or to be treated differently.

I've seen this way of thinking come from a place of fear, because "different" often means "unknown", and generally, people are taught - knowingly or not - to fear things they don't understand. But I can promise you, reacting with fear, suspicion and hostility without first coming to understand others will only give those who are different, and who fear persecution because of it evidence that they are right in striking back just as viciously.

Fear and uncertainty, leaping to conclusions and persecuting those different from you is not the solution to anything, and in a place such as this, based around the idea of redemption and second chances, I'd like to hope people understand this, or come to, if they do not already.

[Private to Merlin]

How have you been holding up? I'd meant to check in with you while we were in port.

[Private to Arthur, after Merlin poofs]

Merlin's vanished. I thought you should be the first to know.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Charles studies him for a moment before carefully reaching out to touch his mind, to see if he's actually telling the truth.

... And within miliseconds, his mind is already overwhelmed by the light and the music and he has to pull back before it deafens him. He flinches and it takes a moment for him to regain his composure because he really, honestly hadn't expected that at all.]

... I see.

[There's a twitch of Castiel's expression.]

That was a poor choice of actions.

Evidently. And now I suppose that old saying about curiosity killing the cat comes back to haunt me.

[headtilt. what about cats?]

That would seem a strange thing for someone who was not an angel to lie about.

We're in a strange place with plenty of strange people.

I suppose.

Why do you talk like you're not human? Simply because you're psychic doesn't change that. Your soul is as human as any.

I'm not human. I'm a mutant. We're what some would call the next step in human evolution. We're a genetically different species.

[Castiel does not look impressed by this declaration. Then, in a skeptical voice]

I see.

You're not capable of surviving for a weak without telepathy? Does this have some kind of effect on your biological functions?

It's like [And here his voice and expression get a little pinched, because he's kind of come to hate this word and the general implication behind it.] being crippled.

[He does not look impressed by this declaration. Then, thoughtfully:]

While I do possess a vast number of abilities, I willingly gave up my telepathy upon entering the barge.

It's all I have. [Even more so since he lost the use of his legs, which is why this hit him particularly hard.]

You value that difference.

I do. It's like I said, losing it was like waking up and suddenly not being able to hear.

I understand. I admit, I felt great relief upon having my Father's strength back.

We shouldn't have to have a part of ourselves taken away because the Admiral doesn't trust us.

[He considers this deeply for a very long time. Obviously, this strikes a chord in him.]

There are reasons to not trust the powerful. Pride, for one.

Meaning we're prideful, or the Admiral is?

Pride is the most stealthy of the deadly sins.

This isn't about pride. It's about being treated with respect. I already know how to conceal myself, I don't need the Admiral leaving me vulnerable without warning under the pretext of us "fitting in" to whatever society we've stopped to visit.