15759/Mutant Town Hall Meeting
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| Mutant Town Hall Meeting | |
|---|---|
| Date of Scene: | 31 August 2023 |
| Location: | Genoshan Embassy - 3rd / 4th Floor |
| Synopsis: | Lorna invites mutants to a town hall to air out their questions and concerns and get answers direct from the queen. |
| Cast of Characters: | Lorna Dane, Lydia Dietrich, Caleb Dykstra
|
- Lorna Dane has posed:
A day after Lorna Dane declared all mutants to be citizens of Genosha and the world is still trying to learn what exactly this means and how to react. Lorna has done a few interviews on the news, and with a reporter or two, but nothing quite so bombastic as the announcement yesterday.
There were several mutants that openly asked what she meant, and she has been trying to do face to face meetings with anyone she can, but with a few recommendations from her aides, she's holding a 'town hall' meeting in the Genoshan Embassy.
Day of the Town Hall, and several mutants have been hand invited by various means. Some reached out to via twitter and DMs, others with written letters and mail, still even others were sent calls and text messages. It's a fairly open thing and many have bene invited, and are being allowed into the Embassy, and shown to the upper floors with press or invited badges attached to commemerative lanyards. Not a lot of pomp and circumstance, but enough to make people feel this is something that has had some thought given to it, and towards them.
Lorna steps up to a glass podium with a small Bob Barker mic in the middle, so to appear to not be hidding anything from who she wants to think of as 'her people', or more or less, she wants them to think of her as THEIR queen. She wears a simple sun dress over a swollen belly, but nothing as strict or fancy as a dress suit, or pant suit, anything like that. She's comfortable, respectable, and refined. "Good afternoon, I am pleased to see so many of you here." Lorna begins as she steps around the podium to stand in front of it and tries to be as inviting as possible to questions.
The Queensguard are present, men in tight black and white suits, many with ear pieces in, and are standing in the corners of the room, with two extra near the front of the staged area, looking quite alert, but with orders to not be impossing enough to prevent any mutants from stepping up and asking or speaking their minds.
"I suppose I should start with an open floor, anyone with any questions or comments?" Lorna asks, clasping her hands before her belly.
- Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia is here, mostly to get a feel for what the Mutant populace in Bushwick think about their new status of Genoshian citizens. Today she's wearing a pink floral sundress, much like the Queen's, with strappy sandals. Her curly hair is worn free, with it down to her shoulders, and as always the starfield of her power constantly surrounds her.
Technically, she believes she still holds dual citizenship from the time she was working with the Brotherhood, and that came with a tangle of legal paperwork to get. That and the fact that she's been //very// active in organizing and maintaining order in Bushwick had gotten her an invite.
She scowls as she begins to ask her questions. "As noble as this gesture is, wouldn't trying to register every mutant as a Genoshian citizenship be something of a logistical nightmare? Wouldn't other governments have to recognize our citizenship as Genoshians? How would you even begin to enforce this without starting international incidents?"
She looks out over the crowd as they begin to murmur amongst themselves. "I'm sorry," she says, though whether or not this is directed to the crowd or to Lorna herself is unclear. "I don't mean to rain on anybody's parade. I just think..." she lets out a little sigh. "I think that as noble as this gesture is, I can't see how this is anything but that: a noble gesture."
- Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"So let's say I'm a mutant", a voice breaks, "With your statement of sovereignty over mutants, I would be Genoshan now?"
The voice is that of a young man, who Lorna is likely to recognize.
"And, if some anti-mutant group came after me, would that make it an act of agression against a sovereign nation?" Another question, "And what if, in my self-defense against such a faction, their members happened to be killed, would it strike as act of international aggression?"
More towards the back rows, Caleb, who's been invited here, has taken an interest in the mutant matters.
- Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna looks over towards a familiar face with a soft sort of smile washing across her puffy features. "Logistical nightmare, oh for sure, it's not going to be easy to get the paper work squared away, but we'll make sure it gets squared away, and we'll make sure you, or anyone else trying to exercise their rights as a Genoshan are safe while doing so." Lorna says, that toothy smile remaining as she shrugs her shoulders, "And don't twist my words, we'll have people helping and doing most of the paperwork. Not the everyman who's busy with other, more important things."
Turning to face towards the voice coming from the back, Lorna lifts her chin, but doesn't do more than that to try and look at the person talking, and recognizes the young man she started talking to yesterday, "Ah, let me clarify, yes, you are Genoshan if you choose to accept it, and if some anti-mutant group came after you, Genosha would view it as an act of aggression from that individual or group and we would take care of your safety first and foremost while also reaching out to the proper channels to get that individual or group brought to justice." Lorna pauses to take a breath and continues, "And if you take action to defend yourself, Genosha wouldn't stand against you, it would be up to the other nation in this situation to view this as an act of international aggression." Lorna takes a moment after this to clarify.
"We can't control what others do, only what we do, and as the queen of Genosha, I aim to keep Genoshans safe across the globe." She says with an open gesture with her hands going up, inviting to all those present.
- Lydia Dietrich has posed:
"Alright," Lydia says drawing out the word. "So it's up to each individual mutant to seek out their respective Genoshian embassies in their countries in order to apply for citizenship? What about those who are in rural areas who wouldn't have access to the embassies? Are you going to set up a website that people can use to do this?"
"I just..." she huffs out a frustrated breath. "I want this to work. I want every mutant citizen to be safe. But the cynic in me can't help but think that this is all going to fall apart upon implementation or as he noted," she says nodding to Caleb, "give governments an excuse to start international incidents against Genoshia."
- Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"So, the Friends come after me, now a mutant-slash-Genoshan on the run", Caleb replies. "I protect my family, Friends go bye-bye-see-you-in-the-next-life-not", the tone sounding there like there could be some issue regarding similar circumstances, "and now I got the whole U.S. Army and F.B.I. on my tail as I make a dash and beeline for the nearest embassy, wherever that is." He pauses, "I get to the city block where it's supposed to be, but the place is teeming with undercover agents, and they are blocking the access to the embassy." He shrugs, "What would Genosha do?"
- Lorna Dane has posed:
"I know it doesn't sound as fool-proof as any of us would like, but we are starting this process and will continue to improve upon it long into the future." Lorna says towards Lydia, and then smirks, "In fact we do, we have a website set up, and a slew of rapid response teams ready to act in an emergency should something need to be done urgently." Stepping another step forward, Lorna raises her hands to try and cut off any further questions there, "Look, we understand this will upset many people, and many countries, but with things like the up coming HR-485 bill and many other pieces of legislature going on around the world, I felt it was in the best interest of mutants to offer a haven, a near literal safe haven for us to have, and to be able to run to in order to save ourselves and our future generations."
Lorna is feeling a weight on her shoulders again, that tingle of fear crawling up her back and nesting in a knot between her shoulder blades as she strives forwards, "I'm willing to meet and work with other countries, but I can only inact what I feel is best for homo superior in my own country." Lorna explains and then with a look to Lydia, hoping that answers her questions she then lowers her hands and invite Caleb to continue his own questions.
"Look, we already have teleporter technologies to get to and from Genosha, have for a while, but if you feel like the U.S. army and FBI are going to roll out because you defended yourself from a bigot or a group of bigots, then Genosha will do everything in it's power and with our own personal powers to get you safe and grant you asylum before we do anything else regarding the U.S. and it's branches of military."
Lorna then starts to walk deeper into the crowd, a nod given to her guards, who move and adjust to the situation, but don't restrain the queen or the people in the room, just close enough to act. She approaches towards Caleb, and in a quiet, maternal tone asks, "Are you in trouble now?"
- Lydia Dietrich has posed:
Lydia folds her arms and nods. "I've been to Genosha. It's a nice place to live. I know a lot of people wouldn't want to uproot their lives, but if HB-485 gets any more traction, I won't blame anybody who goes." She shakes her head, "Not that I think the bill has any chance of being signed into law."
"For me, I'll continue to help out where I can, and if that means helping people pack, then so be it." She lets out a little chuckle, "Baruch can carry a //lot// of luggage."
- Caleb Dykstra has posed:
"You could say yes, just not mutant-related", Caleb replies after a moment's thought. "Let's just say there's a reason why I'm wearing this over my head."
He tilts his head just a couple degrees in the direction of a more endeavouring amateur streamer that seeks to get a better view of the hidden face for the likes. "One step closer, and your stream will get a nice view of your tonsils." And, if the room temperature doesn't grow cold enough - for the streamer's point of view, that is -, he completes it with the sentence, "I /promise/ you."
And the streamer, does perhaps the most sensible thing, which is backing off.
- Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna nods with Caleb and then looks back to the Streamer with a lift of her eyebrow to indicate that maybe this isn't the best time to be filming, or recording. Then a glance to Caleb, "I get your stressed, and I understand that times are tough and even hiding your face. Trust me, I get it, but everyone here is alike in that we're all mutants and about to be going through some tough, touchy, shit, so I might recommend asking gently before offering threats." Lorna says, reaching a hand out to try and calm Caleb with it on his shoulder. She's soft, gentle, matronly, and definitely sweeter than most would assume Mangeto's daughter would be. At least in this moment.
"We're all going to help each other and protect each other. I'm not saying you all have to love each other and what not, but lets try something new that the humans never seemed to get a hang of." She says stepping away but making sure a Queensguard keeps an eye on Caleb and then offers to help him with his non-mutant related problem.
"Of course no one wants to move, or change their lives, but I'm offering a safe place to go when the world continues to do it's best to uproot you or force you to not be who you are. We're not defects. We're not malodies. We're the future."
