wedonot | SEVENTEEN ✖ VOICE

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SEVENTEEN ✖ VOICE

[Warden Filtered + The Admiral]

[Charles honestly feels like he should have addressed this months ago. But Erik got paired and he was maybe hoping Parker would get what the problem was, here, and give him the benefit of the doubt and just give him stuff back, but that obviously didn't happen and, yeah. He's waited too long, and now he feels guilty he didn't do it earlier.

He hasn't talked a lot with people about who Erik is to him - because really he doesn't talk much about himself at all and the whole best friend/arch nemesis thing is still new and decidedly unpleasant for various reasons - and he isn't really planning on going into detail now but. This couldn't wait.]

I understand that this isn't the sort of thing wardens have much control over unless they're actually assigned to an inmate, but I'd still like to petition the Admiral to give Erik Lensherr his powers back, at their full ability, as soon as possible.

[And he is very well aware why in light of his most recent post that might get some raised eyebrows, but.] I know most of you are aware by now that we're mutants. Humans, in our world, have started to evolve to develop unique gifts. We're not entirely sure how or why - it's my field of research, and there's been some discussion that it's the result of entering the atomic age - but the fact is, we were born with these abilities. We've learned to control them and use them responsibility, and we've had to hide what we really are from most people in fear of how people would react to knowing people like us exist. When other humans do become aware of what we're capable of, they've often responded with fear, or taunting, or with plans to turn us into little more than a sideshow, or creatures to be experimented on. We've spent a lifetime trying to hide who we are and learning control to protect ourselves and others, and control or abuse of power really isn't an issue at this point in our lives.

Erik has a much darker view of mankind than I do, and it comes from a lifetime of witnessing the darkest parts of humanity. Coming here, and being told that he's a prisoner, and being denied a fundamental part of his being, repeatedly, despite already having control and showing that he isn't an inmate to be concerned about is just making things worse, and I'm concerned that without getting his abilities restored, we're all running a larger risk of damaging his ability to make any progress at all here, which is something I can't watch happen. [He might have accidentally paralyzed him and kind of gone off the deep end a little, but Erik is still his best friend/hetero life partner. :c] This isn't just some parlor trick or a luxury he can learn to live without. It's a part of him, as much as much as any other sense or facet of a personality is.

Anyone who has an ability or biological make up that differs from the human "norm" understands how violating it feels to have it stripped while in a port. But at least we have the guarantee that in a few days, we'll be back to normal. Erik - and other inmates like him - don't have that luxury, and after everything we've been through I, personally, can't endorse. Not after this long. Not when he's done nothing to prove he can't be trusted with it, and not after what we've all been subjected to already. Being stripped of your abilities is [And he kind of hesitates before using the word, because he is still decidedly Not Okay with his paralysis and talking about it with other people. He ends up spitting it out almost like he's aware of how potentially ironic his choice in words were, almost self depreciatingly funny.] crippling, and I can't imagine being in the position of the inmates on board who've been denied full access to things that help define them.

[And yes, maybe it's a little selfish that he's only asking for Erik and not for everyone but. It's Erik. And it's easier to start small and he's still kind of a selfish person.]

I'm obviously telling the wardens as a whole, but I'm addressing this to you as well, Admiral. Assuming you're listening. If you actually care about the well being of those under your care, you'll take this under serious consideration. We don't know how long it will take for him to get reassigned, and I'm not letting him wait for another six months just because he doesn't have a specific warden working with him.

[Added Later: Private to Tony]

Now that we've all had some time to cool off, would you mind telling me exactly what was going on with you and Erik? [He feels like he's got a decent enough read on you to know that's not really 100% normal day to day behavior and just what the hell was that, bro.]

[Added Later: Private to Steve]

I am so terribly sorry for what was said, earlier.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Dean sees you there with your epic bromance, Charles. He's just not in the mood for it, so he goes back to sulking instead of responding.]

[Dean, your epic bromance is a lot more functional. :C]

[. . . seek help. Winchester bromance is so dysfunctional it cancels itself out. Can't imagine worse.]

[You two at least work on the same side pretty much all the time. :C]

Useless Comment

surfaceshine - 2012-06-10 03:08 (UTC) - Expand

Why only him? Why not my inmate? Why not Arthas Menethil?

It's not just about abusing powers, Mr. Xavier. I don't know Mr. Lensherr, but there are some among the population who really should not have an easier time of hurting people.

I don't know your inmate, and I'm not going to stop you if you want to restore her abilities. And while I'll fully admit I don't know Arthas well, the fact that he used his powers to lash out and attack others means I'm not going to ask for his abilities back or expect anyone else to do so either until he proves he won't endanger the lives of others.

But I do know Erik. And I know that he was in port, with his full abilities, and didn't go on a rampage, slaughtering humans because he was angry and lashing out at the Barge, or whatever it was Mr. Menethil thought he was accomplishing. He knows restraint, he can control himself and his abilities, and again, denying him what is fundamentally him is just making him angrier and more likely to snap the longer it's kept from him.

Edited 2012-06-10 03:19 (UTC)

Satsuki's not getting her abilities back, no. I'm just wondering why the impassioned plea on his behalf and not hers.

I know what it's like to feel... Well, I know what it's like. I've been in ports. At least none of you have ever been a dog, as far as I know. But I'd rather expect the same treatment, if I were, for example, a violent criminal, and the only reason to let me out was the fear of more violence.

Because, as I said, I don't know her, and you're the one responsible for making that judgment call. She has an advocate. I do know Erik, I can see the damage it's doing to him, and right now - and until he gets reassigned - the only person he has to step into that role is me.

I appreciate the point you're trying to make, but you really don't understand what he's been through. I know that might sound unfair without giving details, especially given your experiences, but the only reason I even come close to understanding where he's coming from is because I've been inside his mind, and I can promise it isn't the same experience either of us have had trying to "fit in" with the rest of society. Keeping his abilities from him indefinitely is a mistake.

Edited 2012-06-10 03:35 (UTC)

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scentbombed - 2012-06-10 03:39 (UTC) - Expand

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wedonot - 2012-06-10 03:39 (UTC) - Expand

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wedonot - 2012-06-10 04:37 (UTC) - Expand

You know, I've always given my inmates some sort of chance eventually when they proved that they were more interested in helping than hurting people.

And by people, I mean everybody. The one time I offered to help him he addressed me with contempt.

Even that's backfired on me. I don't think I can support this until I actually see him on this ship caring about the safety of others rather than his own well-being. I haven't seen that yet.

He isn't going to care about the safety of most of the people on board until he feels he has a reason to. Again, he doesn't see this as therapy, or somewhere to sit down and really examine where he might have gone wrong in the past, it makes him feel threatened and like he's back in an incredibly hostile environment he'd thought he'd gotten away from.

And one time isn't every time. I obviously don't have the details of what happened between the two of you, but I can assure you, he does care about the well being of other people, and I'd rather focus on that being fostered instead of giving him more ammunition to justify how he feels right now.

Honestly, people like you writing him off this quickly are just as much a part of the problem as not having his abilities restored. [And Charles isn't really asking permission from other wardens so much as expressing his intent/explaining what he's doing and taking responsibility for it if it blows up in his face, so. >>]

Edited 2012-06-10 07:11 (UTC)

I'll have you know, I've nearly been biting my tongue bloody to keep from giving him a piece of my mind. Parker's last inmate tried to have her- [he grunts. No, this won't get him anywhere.] I've not said a fucking word to him. I even had the decency to say this to you privately.

And I appreciate it. And I understand that you cared about Parker, and that she and Erik didn't exactly get along. This isn't meant to be a reflection on her wardening ability or her as a person, and considering I'm doing my level best not to judge her too harshly for what she's done, I'd appreciate it if you'd lend Erik the same courtesy. We don't have all the facts on either side of this conversation.

[Filtered to Charles & Admiral]

most_feared - 2012-06-10 07:40 (UTC) - Expand

[Filtered to Charles & Admiral]

wedonot - 2012-06-10 07:46 (UTC) - Expand

[That... was a careful culmination of having nothing to do for the past few weeks, being without his AI, losing the suit and bots he'd built in Gotham, not enough booze in his daily diet, talking to Pepper and realizing she wasn't, in fact, actually there, and hey. Threats to the homestead.

Steve kills punching bags to let out his anger, Tony lashes out with words and actions.]

The guy's a dick. And for the record; he started it.

[And Charles wants to put both of you on time out, that doesn't mean he's actually going to be able to do it.]

I saw you were talking with Pepper, and I know these first few weeks have been difficult for you. But if you're still wondering about why you're here, I'd suggest going back and reviewing how you handled that situation and thinking about how it could have gone differently.

Lashing out at other people isn't going to get you what you want, here. I'd like to try having an adult conversation about what's going on so we can come to an agreement that works best for everyone.

Nothing like talking with one of your best friends- [~~almost girlfriend~~] -and realizing it doesn't matter what you say or do, because they're not actually here.

[He just sort of flops back in his chair, scowling and rubbing at the back of his head in annoyance. Fine. He can play the adult conversation game]

Alright, fine. Let's look at the facts, here. I arrive on the barge, he instantly butts in, calls me human. Inferior to his mutant self. Which, for the record, I don't give a crap about. Wanda's the same, right? And I get on fine with her. Because she helps and doesn't proclaim her superiority over me.

Fast forward a bit, we're dealing with the whole mess of settling in, that mess of a city happens - port, whatever - I get my suit back, knock around some zombies, and then find my ass back on deck with nothing I'd managed to rebuild over the last few days. Yeah, I get it, just how the Barge works.

I'm not an idiot. [He smirks] Genius, actually. Steve Rogers - Captain America - is from my world, he worked with my dad. Every kid from the forties through the eighties knew about the comics, the stupid old movies. So I keep tabs on him. And look, Charlie, I get it. Concentration camps, everyone's read the horror stories, no one wants to think about actually going there.

And I might not be Captain America but it's still my goddamn country to protect. And I've been doing that in every way I've ever known since I was a kid. My best friend is in the army, I've known good kids in the military. I've worked side by side with them for twenty years, now. The government sucks, yeah. I've had my own run-ins with them. But this country works.

I, at least, have enough balls to not just ignore the fact that he said we deserve more punishment. You're... what was it. Sixty two? You haven't had to give a press conference in front of a wall with the names of 58,261 dead soldiers carved into it.

[If there's one thing he knows, its the damn numbers.]

No, I haven't. But you haven't lived through what he has, either, you're both getting defensive and coming from places where you feel vulnerable, and that's where the issues lie.

Erik's a friend from back home, and we're both mutants. Actually - and I'm not one hundred percent sure of it, since there isn't really a definitive way to prove this sort of thing - I believe you and I come from fairly similar worlds. I grew up reading those comic books and I've heard of Stark Industries before. But that's besides the point.

In our world - and potentially yours, too, if they are indeed similar or the same - mutants are forced to live in hiding, in fear that they'll be persecuted or turned into government projects if they told the public what they're capable of. We've spent our whole lives hiding who we really are from others, fearing what might happen if someone were to discover what we're capable of, and Erik's been through more than most. His rage isn't directed at America, or at you, it's at anyone he feels might put him in a place of vulnerability and oppression again, which is exactly what the Barge is doing.

I appreciate that you hold the American military in such high regard and respect the sacrifices of those who have served and given their lives for their country, but goading him about what he's been through and what he's going through now is just making matters worse. If you actually give a damn about the well being of your countrymen, you won't taunt him and push him closer to the edge. Erik is a good man, but being here has made him worse and I'm not going to let you take out your own frustration with your situation on him, or anyone else.

You don't want to think about actually going there? You're lucky you've never been in a situation where that's actually happened to you, where it's just been something you've read about in a textbook. [He's getting maybe a little angrier, if only because it's even harder than usual to try to pretend to be objective on this front. He wasn't there, his life had been worlds different from Erik's, but he had seen the memories. They're a part of him now, too, and he knew no one could fathom it unless they'd been there, and having it casually tossed around is pushing buttons he's never really run into before.] And I'm sorry you've had your fair share of difficulties in life, but I can say with confidence what he's been through is far worse than attending a press conference and needing to come to terms with the fact that your company built weapons.

[That said, he makes a conscious effort to reign in the anger more, trying to go back to just discussing this instead of letting it get too personal.] I completely understand how difficult being here is, but lashing out at strangers isn't constructive. We need to find something else for you to turn to if and when the mood strikes.