eachdraidh | 001; visual; seelie

Entry tags:

001; visual; seelie

[ It troubles Medusa to have to do this: to admit to what she doesn't know. But she doesn't have the luxury of trying to remain proud. Her people need her. ]

Greetings, fellow shard-holders of the Seelie Court. My name is Medusa. Where I come from, I am the queen of a people known as Inhumans, in a kingdom called New Attilan. I speak to you today to ask you for your help, and for whatever information you may have.

First, if you have heard of us— the Inhumans, our city of Attilan— or our allies the Fantastic Four, the Avengers: I would speak to you. I would know how long you have been here, where you were, what you were doing when you were taken, what you have learned since. It does not matter if we knew each other before. If we share friends in common, then you may consider yourselves friends of mine.

[ Until the moment in which they prove themselves false. But Medusa carries on as though this hasn't occurred to her. See how answers, and if there are enemies who come out of hiding. ]

If you are an Inhuman, of any tribe or city— know that you can always come to me for aid. The time for petty and superficial differences has passed. We are one people, and as one people I will defend you and stand for you as I would any citizen of New Attilan. Should we ever leave this place, you will always be welcome there.

[ This, too: she has ways of knowing who might pretend to be one of her people as well. But if they're here, others besides Kamala...she needs to find them. ]

Second, I would like to hear your opinions on what we've been called to do. Tell me what you think of this war, and of your experiences. If you fear reprisal, speak to me privately and I will keep what you said in strictest confidence. I will come and meet you anywhere you desire. You see, I cannot pledge my allegiance and my willingness to serve before I know who and what it is I pledge for. To stake myself is to stake my kingdom and my people, and I cannot do so lightly.

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People are afraid of what they don't understand. It's why all of us use masks and code-names and don't let civilians know we're heroes.

I am not unfamiliar with either of those concepts. They are unfortunately traits that the humans of my universe also possess.

[ Dick she's been doing this longer than you've been alive. Although, to her, all of that code-names and masks is a uniquely human requirement. That's not why the Inhumans do any of that. ]

But that is not the fault of the misunderstood. Nor is it their responsibility to compromise themselves to make other people more comfortable.

[ He shrugs and sighs, propping his chin up with one hand. ]

Didn't say it was. Still... It's a thing that's prevalent. You can't change human nature overnight. You just gotta...ease them into it. Them, us, whatever. Humans.

[ These are the conversations she hates having with humans. ]

Yes, I've heard this before too. And everyone else is asked to wait, and tolerate hostile acts and attitudes without being tolerated in return. Truly an effective solution.

Whoa, I didn't say I condoned it or that it's okay. My mentor and I, we're both totally human, no superpowers at all. We get just as much flak as the rest of our teams do. [ Sometimes more, because for all that the other members of the League are more physically powerful, Batman and Robin keep a close eye on Gotham. Maybe if they had superpowers, people would feel less grumpy about it. ] All I'm saying is that it happens and I don't blame people for being scared. For every one that speaks up against us, there's at least one person who supports us. We're doing good, making a change for the better.

It's important.

[ There's an argument to be had there. There's much to be said about important, and what it means to different people, and how the actions of the other depends on which side you find yourself on. And that the people he defends are just as much other to her people as her own is to them, and her own...well. They are rightfully scared, too.

But it seems unproductive to have it with someone who has very little power to make decisions, at least in an actual argument form. And now Medusa's beginning to put other pieces together. The picture they form displeases her. Of course, she's not his mentor, so it's not her decision to make. ]

How old are you?

Fourteen.

[ And immediately he braces himself for the inevitable protest. You'd think he'd get less of it, now that he isn't nine anymore, but it seems like people still have a problem with it. Which, admittedly, if he'd seen someone else his age getting into the kind of trouble he tossed himself into daily, he'd have put a stop to it, but still. There's definitely a defensive note to his voice as he continues: ]

And I'm good at what I do.

I did not ask you to editorialize or offer justifications.

[ She's gonna smash Bruce's face into the floor if she ever meets him. Believe it. ]

How long?

Over five years.

[ If he hadn't been dragged to a different world, it'd be coming up on six. It really wasn't hard to figure out what Medusa was asking, anyway, even if she hadn't been explicitly clear about it. ]

I was lucky.

Edited 2015-08-18 04:56 (UTC)

Yes, you have been. You are still here.

[ Hale and hearty and at least not permanently debilitated. ]

But I am sure you mean something else entirely.

Yep. Still being here's skill as much as it was luck. More skill than luck, actually. But I meant like-- If I didn't do what I did, I'd probably have ended up getting myself killed 'cause I'd probably still be doing the same thing, only with a lot less training and backup.

That is pure speculation, at best. And I have grave concerns as to someone who would agree to undertake training a child to such an end.

Better trained and out there than not trained and out there.

Perhaps, at fourteen. But nine? Nine, and training to be a vigilante? I am sorry, but no. It should not happen. It has to be a choice, an informed choice.

I made the choice. [shrug] And maybe I wouldn't be so supportive of anyone else doing what I did, but I'm glad I got to do it. I love it.

[ But that's not a choice that can be made at nine.

There's a strain of hypocrisy. She's been responsible for a gaggle of children, some of whom were certainly around the age of nine. But there was a difference. They'd always kept the children out of danger, at the Future Foundation, they didn't allow them to go to the front lines. They never allowed the children to put themselves in danger if they could help it. ]

Of course you do. And you are no child or subject of mine, so who am I to gainsay you?

[ She doesn't improve. It actively makes her upset. And angry. Throttle-his-mentor-until-he-passes-out angry. Everything about this is unhealthy and unacceptable and wrong...but it's not his fault. ]

[ He sighs, and there's a moment of wishing this wasn't a conversation he was having through the lockets. It always sounds worse than it is when there's a distance; at least in person, Dick looks capable (even if he still looks younger than he is) and people tend to stop doubting once they've seen him in action. ]

That's not what I meant. ...But the truth of the matter is, it's important to me. To who I was and who I am.

[ It's not a question of capability. She knows so many children who are capable of things adults could only dream of. And the Inhumans no better than anyone the costs of making these decisions for their children, before they can make them for themselves. ]

I believe you. That is not a matter of dispute.

...Right. Thanks.

For what?

For accepting and understanding, even if you don't agree.

There is little I can do about it.

[ Even the Queen of the Inhumans can't make the past change to suit her whims.

Would that she could. ]

Yeah, but you could've made a big deal out of it. So I'm thankful you didn't.

[ She doesn't have the luxury of being overly expressively emotional about everything. ]

Be that as it may. This is war. That is a very different thing from being a costumed adventurer. You should speak to Hercules immediately and adjust your strategy and training accordingly if you intend to do anything about anything here. Or, should he become unavailable, speak to me and I will arrange something.

[ Even if she has to do it herself. She will do it herself. ]

I... Yeah, okay.

[ He doesn't know that he wants to change the strategies and training he has, but can't deny that she's right. A full-scale war like the type brewing here is different from the sort of things the Team and League fight. ]

Thanks. I'll keep it in mind.

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