Warren and Crystal - On Being a Mutant
Feb. 21st, 2011 12:25 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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xp_logs(Backdated.) While Warren discusses Angels Clinic with Crystal, the topic shifts to the idea of being a publicly known mutant.
"So, between Jean-Paul showing me around, and Jean talking to me about the Angels clinic, I've been getting to know District X rather well." Warren had been filling Crystal in on his adventures in District X - the clinic's need for funds, and the small business loans scheme he'd been talking to Jean-Paul about. He wasn't making a big deal over the fact that he was working with Jean-Paul, but considering he'd harboured a long-standing dislike for the other man, it certainly was unusual.
"Everything is still in development - I've got my accountant sorting out a trust for the clinic, and I'm still working out the loans idea. But it's all pretty exciting."
Crystal nodded. "I have not spent much time in District X since this summer," she told Warren, "but it is an area that holds much interest for me. The space itself might not be large, and it holds only a small population, but the fact that such a large percentage of the residents are mutants when compared to most other places in the world... it is amazing. And I will be more than pleased to make my own additional contributions to the Angels Clinic." Donating to charities that helped with mutants was not at all something new for Crystal, and she enjoyed helping those who gave aid to mutants.
"It doesn't get a lot of attention, unfortunately. There are still places that haven't been touched since Day Zero, and there's so much to do." He shrugged. "It reminds me how easy I've had it - my dad might hate the fact that I'm a mutant, but he never disowned me or cut me off. I was lucky enough to go to Xavier's, then to college, and I can hide what I am, albeit not very well. Not everyone is that lucky."
"I, too, have been quite fortunate," Crystal replied. "I grew up in a family of mutants, a claim that I am sure can be made by very few people in the world. My parents, sister, aunt and uncle, cousins... whether or not we had manifested yet, we all knew the day would come for each of us. For us, being a mutant was, and still is, something of which we could be proud. As far as you know, you are the only mutant in your family, yes? Your father might not be pleased about your gifts, but I assume that he does wish to lose his only heir." She shook her head. "The way he thinks is a shame. You should not have to hide your true self from others. I spent a decade hiding my abilities, and now that the entire world knows that I am a mutant, I feel free. I can remember the days of using my powers only when other mutants or a few trusted non-mutants were around, and I would never wish to go back to those days."
"I think if there were any other kids, it would be different. He doesn't want to see the company in any other hands, so." He shrugged. "Sometimes I wonder if it is worth it to keep him happy. I don't need his money, there are plenty of law firms that would have me in a heartbeat, even if I was publicly known as a mutant." His lips almost twitched into a smile. "And let's not talk about how painful the harness is, shall we?"
"Are you thinking about going public?" Crystal asked, thinking about what that would mean for Warren and his life. "Do not get me wrong, I believe quite firmly that whatever they look like and no matter their station in life, no mutant should have to hide his or her 'genetic status.' For someone like you, though, such a change would come as quite a shock to some people, and I am sure that your father would be quite displeased. I know that quite a number of people were surprised when the royal family of Attilan made our announcement, but at the time we had just been cut off from the rest of the world by being transported into another dimension, so I suppose it was not quite the shock it would have been at another time. Of course, I do not know when, or if, we would have made such an announcement had we never lost contact with everyone not on the island.
She smiled a bit. "You do not have to wear that awful harness in Attilan. No one speaks out against mutants in public there. To wish harm upon mutants is the same as wishing harm to the entire royal family. Saying 'Death to mutants!' is saying 'Death to the king and queen!'" There were many reasons that Crystal loved her homeland, and this was one of them. While Attilan had been known to be a mutant friendly country long before people knew their royal family contained mutants, things were even better after the citizens had the chance to not only know the truth, but flourish under the temporarily mutant-run regime.
"If only the rest of the world was like Attilan," Warren said with a flash of grin. "Don't get me wrong, sometimes I understand why humans are scared of mutants, with some of the things we can do - and what some of us have done. But how often is it any worse than what humans will do to themselves? I don't understand it," he finished with a shake of his head.
"But then - I don't know how people will react if I came out. I know my dad would be furious, and he's on the verge of a heart attack as it is. And there are people who are stupid enough to care that there's a mutant at the helm of a company, but at the same time, why should it even matter? All I do is fly. There's nothing much about that to give me any sort of edge when it comes to anything. Other than having not having to drive everywhere." He sighed, taking a long drink from his glass.
"Sometimes I think I should just say - screw it. And not bother to hide anymore. Damn the consequences."
Crystal frowned. "Warren, do not try to sell yourself short to me. 'All I do is fly'? First of all, that is not true. You did not simply grow wings when you manifested; your entire body changed to adapt to them. Your eyes, your lungs, even your skin... not everyone who manifests changes to accommodate that which would not be found as part of a baseline human. Secondly, someone is a mutant no matter what powers he or she has, or what the person looks like. 'Visible mutant' and 'passer' indeed! Am I any less a mutant than you are because the outside of my body does not contain a visible sign of my abilities? Do you consider yourself to be less than a mutant than I am because your abilities revolve around wings, not an 'active' long-distance power?"
She shook her head. "People who do not like mutants do not care what a mutant can or cannot do; the very act of possessing the x-gene is offensive to them. Do not think for one moment that if you reveal yourself to the public that it will matter to people that you cannot cause the ground to shake or start a fire with your mind. You are a mutant just the same as I am a mutant. Admittedly, I do not advertise the extent of my powers to the public, but it is enough that they know that I am a mutant and can control the wind. My outward appearance may not give me away as being a mutant, but I do get recognized by people, and while there are those who are pleased to meet me, there are also others who are less than pleased to discover a mutant in their midst. I do not wish for you to hide, but I do hope that when the day comes that you choose to leave your harness behind forever, you do so knowing what it is you will be getting into. Do not make the decision lightly, Warren. Think about it, plan how you will carry this out, and know that whether the public accepts you or rejects you, I will be here for you."
Warren blinked a couple of times when Crystal's speech started, before settling in to listen to her. It didn't surprise him that this was something she was passionate about - when it came to being a mutant, she was one of the most open and proud people he knew, without being annoying and obnoxious about it. When she finished speaking he smiled ruefully, inclining his head to acknowledge her point.
"You're right, of course," he conceded. "I can't help but think it's inevitable that it will come out one day - my wings aren't exactly inconspicuous, and someone will look too closely and it will all unravel. So maybe I should be the one to announce it to the world, as a pre-emptive strike." He flashed her a smile. "And take the consequences as they come. With you by my side, I'm pretty sure I could face anything."
"So, between Jean-Paul showing me around, and Jean talking to me about the Angels clinic, I've been getting to know District X rather well." Warren had been filling Crystal in on his adventures in District X - the clinic's need for funds, and the small business loans scheme he'd been talking to Jean-Paul about. He wasn't making a big deal over the fact that he was working with Jean-Paul, but considering he'd harboured a long-standing dislike for the other man, it certainly was unusual.
"Everything is still in development - I've got my accountant sorting out a trust for the clinic, and I'm still working out the loans idea. But it's all pretty exciting."
Crystal nodded. "I have not spent much time in District X since this summer," she told Warren, "but it is an area that holds much interest for me. The space itself might not be large, and it holds only a small population, but the fact that such a large percentage of the residents are mutants when compared to most other places in the world... it is amazing. And I will be more than pleased to make my own additional contributions to the Angels Clinic." Donating to charities that helped with mutants was not at all something new for Crystal, and she enjoyed helping those who gave aid to mutants.
"It doesn't get a lot of attention, unfortunately. There are still places that haven't been touched since Day Zero, and there's so much to do." He shrugged. "It reminds me how easy I've had it - my dad might hate the fact that I'm a mutant, but he never disowned me or cut me off. I was lucky enough to go to Xavier's, then to college, and I can hide what I am, albeit not very well. Not everyone is that lucky."
"I, too, have been quite fortunate," Crystal replied. "I grew up in a family of mutants, a claim that I am sure can be made by very few people in the world. My parents, sister, aunt and uncle, cousins... whether or not we had manifested yet, we all knew the day would come for each of us. For us, being a mutant was, and still is, something of which we could be proud. As far as you know, you are the only mutant in your family, yes? Your father might not be pleased about your gifts, but I assume that he does wish to lose his only heir." She shook her head. "The way he thinks is a shame. You should not have to hide your true self from others. I spent a decade hiding my abilities, and now that the entire world knows that I am a mutant, I feel free. I can remember the days of using my powers only when other mutants or a few trusted non-mutants were around, and I would never wish to go back to those days."
"I think if there were any other kids, it would be different. He doesn't want to see the company in any other hands, so." He shrugged. "Sometimes I wonder if it is worth it to keep him happy. I don't need his money, there are plenty of law firms that would have me in a heartbeat, even if I was publicly known as a mutant." His lips almost twitched into a smile. "And let's not talk about how painful the harness is, shall we?"
"Are you thinking about going public?" Crystal asked, thinking about what that would mean for Warren and his life. "Do not get me wrong, I believe quite firmly that whatever they look like and no matter their station in life, no mutant should have to hide his or her 'genetic status.' For someone like you, though, such a change would come as quite a shock to some people, and I am sure that your father would be quite displeased. I know that quite a number of people were surprised when the royal family of Attilan made our announcement, but at the time we had just been cut off from the rest of the world by being transported into another dimension, so I suppose it was not quite the shock it would have been at another time. Of course, I do not know when, or if, we would have made such an announcement had we never lost contact with everyone not on the island.
She smiled a bit. "You do not have to wear that awful harness in Attilan. No one speaks out against mutants in public there. To wish harm upon mutants is the same as wishing harm to the entire royal family. Saying 'Death to mutants!' is saying 'Death to the king and queen!'" There were many reasons that Crystal loved her homeland, and this was one of them. While Attilan had been known to be a mutant friendly country long before people knew their royal family contained mutants, things were even better after the citizens had the chance to not only know the truth, but flourish under the temporarily mutant-run regime.
"If only the rest of the world was like Attilan," Warren said with a flash of grin. "Don't get me wrong, sometimes I understand why humans are scared of mutants, with some of the things we can do - and what some of us have done. But how often is it any worse than what humans will do to themselves? I don't understand it," he finished with a shake of his head.
"But then - I don't know how people will react if I came out. I know my dad would be furious, and he's on the verge of a heart attack as it is. And there are people who are stupid enough to care that there's a mutant at the helm of a company, but at the same time, why should it even matter? All I do is fly. There's nothing much about that to give me any sort of edge when it comes to anything. Other than having not having to drive everywhere." He sighed, taking a long drink from his glass.
"Sometimes I think I should just say - screw it. And not bother to hide anymore. Damn the consequences."
Crystal frowned. "Warren, do not try to sell yourself short to me. 'All I do is fly'? First of all, that is not true. You did not simply grow wings when you manifested; your entire body changed to adapt to them. Your eyes, your lungs, even your skin... not everyone who manifests changes to accommodate that which would not be found as part of a baseline human. Secondly, someone is a mutant no matter what powers he or she has, or what the person looks like. 'Visible mutant' and 'passer' indeed! Am I any less a mutant than you are because the outside of my body does not contain a visible sign of my abilities? Do you consider yourself to be less than a mutant than I am because your abilities revolve around wings, not an 'active' long-distance power?"
She shook her head. "People who do not like mutants do not care what a mutant can or cannot do; the very act of possessing the x-gene is offensive to them. Do not think for one moment that if you reveal yourself to the public that it will matter to people that you cannot cause the ground to shake or start a fire with your mind. You are a mutant just the same as I am a mutant. Admittedly, I do not advertise the extent of my powers to the public, but it is enough that they know that I am a mutant and can control the wind. My outward appearance may not give me away as being a mutant, but I do get recognized by people, and while there are those who are pleased to meet me, there are also others who are less than pleased to discover a mutant in their midst. I do not wish for you to hide, but I do hope that when the day comes that you choose to leave your harness behind forever, you do so knowing what it is you will be getting into. Do not make the decision lightly, Warren. Think about it, plan how you will carry this out, and know that whether the public accepts you or rejects you, I will be here for you."
Warren blinked a couple of times when Crystal's speech started, before settling in to listen to her. It didn't surprise him that this was something she was passionate about - when it came to being a mutant, she was one of the most open and proud people he knew, without being annoying and obnoxious about it. When she finished speaking he smiled ruefully, inclining his head to acknowledge her point.
"You're right, of course," he conceded. "I can't help but think it's inevitable that it will come out one day - my wings aren't exactly inconspicuous, and someone will look too closely and it will all unravel. So maybe I should be the one to announce it to the world, as a pre-emptive strike." He flashed her a smile. "And take the consequences as they come. With you by my side, I'm pretty sure I could face anything."
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