fourteen ➢ video + various private messages

[patheticvillain]

[Video clicks on: Cassel looks decidedly calm, leaned back against the white wall of his bedroom. Which he's not, but he's been thinking about this for a while - especially after fourth wall day - and he wants to pick people's brains.]

I never finished high school. This is not a political science lesson. Don't call me on my basic misunderstanding of the democratic process. I just have some questions.

Where I come from, people who can do [the briefest of pauses] magic are illegal. Or - performing it's illegal. And it has been for a hell of a long time. The problem is that you don't know if you can do it or not until it manifests, all by itself. You don't know if you can do it until you've already done it, by which time you're already a criminal. Surprise!

I don't know the order of history where you people are from. But for us, these laws have been in place for, like, a hundred years. Which is when things started getting bad. Some big-deal government asshole in a suit and tie tells you you're a criminal for doing something you can't help doing, I guess you just think: sure. Why not. I'll be a criminal.

Explain the point of this to me, somebody. Do people really not think this shit through? Maybe people just really want to have a bad guy. I'm okay with that answer. [He kind of believes it himself.] I'd just really like to take a survey, since nobody's asked a moral question for 0.5 seconds and I haven't had the pleasure.

[He goes to switch off the feed, and then remembers something.]

Oh, and if anybody else has similar crap to share, yadda yadda. We're building an environment of mutual un-der-stan-ding on this cruise. [Eyeroll, and feed cut.]

filter | kon + charles

I'd like to get started on this memory thing. Whenever you both have time. Kon said it was cool but he wants to sit in.

private | zane

You know that feeling like you're about to do something incredibly stupid? I have that. [He's so pissed B(]

Comments

Private

[mistconduct]

Are you trying to say you're secretly Harry Potter?

I'm just asking. It's cool if you are.

Private

[patheticvillain]

I've been putting makeup on the scar this whole time. I'm sorry.

Private

[godsays]

Think through it first.

What do you want to do?

Private

[patheticvillain]

I want to drop Megamind down a well.

I feel like this is probably a bad course of action. Also? No wells around here.

[themissingpiece]

I'm not really sure what you're asking.

Some of us just have shitty luck and end up in debts to the wrong type of people, then we end up doing their dirty work for them whether we like it or not. That'll make use criminals or even the bad guy, depending on what hoops they want us jumping through.

[pause] Where I came from, there were people who were just that bad. The worst one I met got his wires crossed when he was a kid, his daddy messed him up bad. Turned him into something nightmares are made of.

[patheticvillain]

I mean why do people take people they're scared of and put them in a box that says don't touch, then get surprised when there are consequences?

You put an animal in a cage and hurt it, it'll bite the shit out of you. I'm asking why that happens. I'm not talking about people who are legitimately evil, like that guy.

[warisart]

You have heard the assertion that the victor writes the history books, yes?

[patheticvillain]

Yeah. That's pretty much the situation I'm talking about. I never had much to do with that kind of victor, though.

Why?

[halftheman]

Hot-ticket item back home. Costumed criminals very common, especially in certan cities [ Says the 'costumed criminal' that's sitting back in his divided desk, with his divided face. ] Those with powers slightly more rare. Have league that deals with them if they're really big.

Law's a mess. How do you regulate inborn ability? How do you regulate gained ability?

Simplest answer: Lock them up, throw away the key. Rarely works, but they try it often enough. Lots of people embrace it. Make it a part of what they are, like you said.

Would have hated dealing with it, as D.A. Could give a fuck less now.

[patheticvillain]

[He raises his eyebrows at the face. And the words.]

You're not even curious about it? Not that I blame you. Mostly I think it's boring as hell, but. People seem to eat and drink this shit here.

[deadliestviper]

There always has to be a bad guy if there's going to be a good guy. People want to see themselves as heroes and in order for that to happen, they have to cast someone as the villain.

[patheticvillain]

[Oh, you're speaking his language. This is very nearly a smile.]

That's what I always believed.

[most_feared]

I usually stick to the idea if you get a bunch of people together that don't know how to think independently, you end up with one big communal idiot. A person is stupid, and people are dumb, panicky animals.

If it makes you feel better, Slick, I didn't graduate either.

[patheticvillain]

I don't know that many people who know how to think independently.

[And that just makes him grin.] Yeah? And look where you got yourself. Space prison!

[youwillgotohell]

[Wow Cassel, your future world sounds exactly like hers and that is awful. But when she clicks on her video, there's just a very bitter little smirk in the corner of her mouth.]

They need a villain. How else would they know they're so good?

[patheticvillain]

[Aww, Morgana, he's missed you. He grins.]

Exactly. Even if they have to create one artificially.

I'm fine with being it. Worse things have happened. I just wish they'd admit it, you know?

private

[fridgetothefire]

Hominids in general aren't built to think to things through when they're reacting out of fear. It's a good thing when you need to run away from tigers without deliberating too long over the direction. Not so much when it comes to setting policy.

private

[patheticvillain]

So who should set policy?

private

[forgetyourusedtobe]

you know, i think when someone mentions they're a vampire, it's at that particular point most people mention that they can do magic, baby face.

don't give me that 'you never asked' bullshit either.

private

[patheticvillain]

i'm a really shy person secretly. i just couldn't bring myself to admit it to you.

[ukan]

People need 'bad guys'.

There's no way not to have them. People just feel safer when they can define them clearly enough to feel like they're going to always be the good guy as long as they don't do that.

[So this is Cassel. Huh.]

[patheticvillain]

It's kind of hilarious to me that only inmates are giving this incredibly obvious answer.

[routemistress]

What Kay said. What Anya said. People are frightened of what they don't understand and they're often stupid. I've been a criminal most of me life - not for 'aving powers the rest of my people 'adn't got, just for... For needing to make up me own mind about what needs doin' and what I need to do about it.

Well, and for a few other things, but mostly that.

[private/Cassel/Zane]

'Ey. I've got a lifespan bigger'n some planets and I still feel like life's too short to get in rows with some people 'ere. I did notice you two on it though. Proud of you.

private | zane + iris + cassel

[patheticvillain]

I fight with a lot of people, Iris, you're gonna have to be more specific.

[Yes he is playing dumb why do you ask.]

[Filter]

[wedonot]

I'm likely available whenever you two are.

[And he has Feelings about the rest of this post, but. He will focus on this first and then say something. B(]

[Filter]

[an_abomination]

[More or less in the same mind set as Charles. While he would like to touch on both topics, he knows how important getting the mental therapy sessions going is for Cassel, so he focuses on that.]

I'm free for the next few hours. We could get started now.

[bodilesswarrior]

[Barbara's chin is on her hand, brow furrowed slightly. There's a slight, impressed smile curving her lips.]

General rule: it's a lot easier to fear the unknown than try to understand it. Monsters are easier to deal with than people.

It's not rational. That's why legality doesn't always equate to morality - the laws are made by people, and people get scared. They get spiteful. They get stupid.

private

[patheticvillain]

Spiteful and stupid are the two words I associate most with people, honestly.

[He switches to private, and. Squints at her.]

Why're you looking at me like that?

[burnmythoughts]

People are always afraid when you can do something they can't. It's a lot easier to just - give into that, instead of treating people as people.

It seems to me like criminalising magic was more of an excuse than anything.

[A wry smile.] Under 'similar crap' - being a mutant isn't really illegal, but no one really cares if you're run out of town for it.

[patheticvillain]

What about if you're hurt for it?