Meeting of all interested students

[valentine-tart.livejournal.com]

Beka submits the following invitation:


Any student wishing to discuss how ALL students armed, unarmed, magically armed, technologically armed, genetically armed, can work together to provide a safe atmosphere for ALL students and staff, while still allowing EVERY student to feel whole is welcomed to a meeting of the minds.

Please. People. Let's work together the way we did this weekend.







ET remove Beka's temper fit. It's irrelevant.

Comments

[valentine-tart.livejournal.com]

I think I'd like you to be. We haven't met properly. I'm Beka Valentine. Space gunbunny from 3500 years in someone's future. Never can figure out whose. I have nanites that make my hair change colors at will. At some point in my future I'm going to be cybernetic (don't ask me how I know because it confuses me) and I really don't like people who abuse people who are weaker than them.

I know that's rather a windy way to introduce myself. But I've talked too much today, and I think people are confused about what I think. I want everyone to be whole. Whatever that means to them.

[alchemy-4-arson.livejournal.com]

Roy enters and walks over, hearing Beka introduce herself. He nods to both girls. "Roy Mustang. I also want to see some calmer debate about this."

[valentine-tart.livejournal.com]

"Pleasure to meet you, Roy. I think we could all use some calm. Me not least of all." She smiles wryly. "I have a bit of a temper, if you hadn't noticed."

[alchemy-4-arson.livejournal.com]

He grins a little. "I had, a bit. But you're hardly the only one here with a quick temper, so don't feel too bad. I'm afraid my sense of recklessness is actually much stronger than my temper-- I'm more likely to do something foolish for the hell of it than I am to get really upset at people over small things."

[valentine-tart.livejournal.com]

She grins back. "Well, recklessness can get you killed. Not likely to kill anyone else if you're not leading a team. As for my temper, it's quick, yes, and rather hot. But I do try not to be an idiot. I simply find I have little patience for people who think they know what's best for me."

[alchemy-4-arson.livejournal.com]

"All that my recklessness has gotten me so far is detention once. Then again, not something I want to repeat." He cringes a little at the memory of Professor Dream's idea of punishment. Sadist, that man.
"But doing something for the hell of it or out of boredom isn't the same as rash reckless when leading a team, which I disapprove of completely. I've never led a team before, but I expect to in the future, and getting myself or them killed will not be agenda. Tell me, do you have any military experience? Conventional or otherwise."

[valentine-tart.livejournal.com]

"That's a more complicated question than you know." Beka sighs. "According to Future-Beka, don't ask because I really don't know, someday I'll be second-in-command on a High Guard sentient warship. She's shown me things I did...I'll do. And in that future, yes, I have military experience on a galactic scale."

She shakes her head slowly. "It's odd, because it's not really like a memory or something I know. It's more incipient. Like I can almost touch it. Almost be it. Crazy, huh?

"Now, though... no, not really. We have no military." She sounds bitter. "It would only get wiped out. We have whatever it takes to survive."

[alchemy-4-arson.livejournal.com]

"The poll's pretty close on the registration of magical powers issue, but it seems an overwhelming majority want registration on the guns. What do you think about the replies so far?"

[valentine-tart.livejournal.com]

I'll have to look. Personally, I'm against registration of magical powers, genetic enhancements, and other things people can't control. I'll register my weapon because someone else could use it.

[phases-of-kitty.livejournal.com]

I'm Kitty Pryde. I'm from here - sorta. Same time, different dimension. I'm a mutant. In my world, some people are born with special abilities. Mine is to "phase" - I can walk through walls.

[alchemy-4-arson.livejournal.com]

"Nice to meet you Kitty. I'm from from a different dimensional as well, I believe-- though mine's a lot different. Same land geography, completely different political structure and technological development. In my world people use not only mechanical technology but also alchemy-- the science of changing one thing into another through expended energy. Here it seems to be regarded as an "ability", though it's really just a learned tool.

You can walk through walls? Handy. I can make holes in walls, walk through the hole, then put the wall back as it was with no change-- but your way sounds much faster. Can you go through floors too?"

[phases-of-kitty.livejournal.com]

"Wow, that sounds fascinating. I'd love to talk to you about the science of your home dimension sometime.

I can walk through walls, floors, anything. I don't make holes - I just pass through them. Except if I go through electronics, I short them out, so I have to be careful."

[valentine-tart.livejournal.com]

Beka smiles. "That's pretty cool, actually. Does it hurt?"

Beka shakes her head. "Sorry. That probably wasn't a very appropriate question. I just... it's cool. It's probably not cool in your world, anymore than me being someone an Alpha-guy could want to breed with is cool in my world. For what it's worth though, I think it's pretty outstanding."

[phases-of-kitty.livejournal.com]

"No, it doesn't hurt. And it's okay to ask questions," Kitty smiles. "A lot of people are afraid of mutants in my world, and a lot of that fear comes from just not knowing what the heck is going on. My teacher at my old school always said that communication was the key to resolving many differences. He was big on educating people about mutants. So, ask me whatever you want."

[valentine-tart.livejournal.com]

Beka smiles back. "Yeah, communication is important. I guess I'm mostly curious because of the whole 'mother of a genetically advanced race' thing. The Nietzscheans don't have 'powers' like you do, but they're faster, smarter, stronger, deadlier. And apparently they get that from my genes. So, I don't know. I mean, it's cool being able to do stuff like what you do.

"I can't see any reason why the fact that your genes make you different from other humans should make you terrifying or bad." She shrugs. "As long as you're not eating humans or laying your eggs in them to provide food for growing larvae, or hurting people who can't protect themselves, you're good in my book."

[phases-of-kitty.livejournal.com]

Kitty's eyes widen in shock at the thought. "No!" she says. "Ew! And my old professor taught us to protect people who couldn't protect themselves."

[valentine-tart.livejournal.com]

Beka smiles grimly. "Ew. Exactly. The Magog are fiends. But Future-Beka tells me even some of them eventually become allies. I have a hard time believing it, but... I'm learning to give everyone a chance."

I wonder if Kitty would be a good person to ask to help me with protecting the unarmed students?

[phases-of-kitty.livejournal.com]

Kitty nods. "It could happen. At home, our enemy Magneto has helped us out a couple of times. Very few people are truly evil, so if you can find common ground you might be able to change their minds." She grimaces at a memory. "And some of the truly evil people I've met have been 'normal' - without any powers at all. They still did a lotta damage, though."

[valentine-tart.livejournal.com]

"Yeah. I thought Angelus was my enemy, but we've found some weird common ground. And he killed a hell of a lot of zombies."

Impulsive, because she's Beka Valentine, and instinct has saved her ass more times than she cares to count, Beka asks, "Kitty, I've started talking to some of the students who choose not to be armed, and some of the students who are just too meek to protect themselves. I've offered them my protection. Not like a gang, but in the 'you'll have to go through me to get to them' way. Would you be interested in helping me with that?"

[phases-of-kitty.livejournal.com]

"Gosh, yeah," says Kitty. "I could teach some've them how to fight, if they want. I learned a lotta unarmed techniques at my old school, and you don't have to be big or superstrong to hold off an enemy until help can get there."

[valentine-tart.livejournal.com]

"Fantastic." Beka smiles. "I don't know if they'll want to learn the defense, but... I think it'd be a good thing, you know, a gunbunny and a ... what's the right thing to call what makes you you? ... working together this way. I wonder if we could find one of the mages with battle skills to help." She snaps her fingers. "Alanna. Or Illyana, but... that might be awkward for you, if what 'Yana told me is true."

[phases-of-kitty.livejournal.com]

[ooc: What did Illyana say? I just took over the character and I haven't had a chance to catch up with her.]

[valentine-tart.livejournal.com]

[phases-of-kitty.livejournal.com]

"I'm just a girl," Kitty says. "And I don't mind working with Illyana. I know things are kinda weird right now, but back home she's my best friend, so I'd like it if we could work things out."

[valentine-tart.livejournal.com]

"Fair enough. A girl with some pretty cool talents." Beka smiles. "Illyana's good people, but I've got to tell you, I don't know if this version is as...selfless as your version back home. We can try. She might do it just because I ask. And I'd like to see you two work things out too. I care for her very much."