7071/So, is it like... a Martyr Complex

So, is it like... a Martyr Complex
Date of Scene:	25 July 2021
Location:	Clarice Ferguson's Quarters
Synopsis:	Clarice and Mystique talk about morality.
Cast of Characters:	Clarice Ferguson, Raven Darkholme

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Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Not too long after the meeting in the conference room - Clarice had invited Mystique over to her room, the room as plain as ever, with two small additions. One was the novelty 'Campbell's Soup' mug that Lydia had given her along with her bouquet of flowers when Clarice was injured. She'd replaced one of the pots for her plants with the mug. The other was a sequined top hat, sitting on a corner of the desk, since she hadn't quite decided where else to put it. Clarice herself was seated at her desk with her table in her hands, a look of concentration on her features as she slowly and painstakingly reads to herself - mispronouncing many of the words and having to try multiple times before she figures some of them out. But she's trying - she really is.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Knowing she is expected, Mystique knocks once then opens the door very slightly to offer a, "Just me." Before slipping into the room.

She'd been in Clarice's room a couple of times, and each time it had been the same, much like her own remained the same. The Campbell's cup was nothing major and distracting, that hat however draws her attention for a moment.

"Interesting choice," she offers, indicating the hat. "You should wear that."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Robert gave it to me," Clarice explains simply. "I wore it to the Rocky Horror Picture Show so I could pretend I was..." It takes her a moment to remember the name, but she gets it in the end, "Columbia."
    She sets down her tablet - gesturing to the only other chair in the entry area, and turns in her chair to face Mystique with a small smile. "Thanks for joining me. I just-" She sighs quietly. "The same thing's come up, a couple times now, and I was just- it's got me a bit worried, so I was hoping you could set my mind at ease," she begins.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique sits herself on the end of the bed, crossing one leg over the other comfortably.

"Colombia, really? You'd make a better Magenta, but to each their own."

She cants her head a little as she rests her hands in her lap, "If I can put your mind at ease Clarice, I will. What's troubling you?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "All this talk of 'jail' and going on 'trial' lately," Clarice says bluntly. "I mean - you did say that if you were arrested - I should come get you out which- well, I'll be honest, put a lot of my fears to rest. But are you serious about letting the legal system of Genosha put you on trial? Because I only see three outcomes here. If you were sentenced to die, you turn into some sort of martyr figure that would incite the more extreme elements within the Cause, which I don't think would work in our favor. If you were freed - it would incite our enemies that it had obviously been a show-trial and nothing more. Or you get locked away - for a long time. I'm not sure how any of those options serve what we're trying to accomplish," she says flatly.
    "...so what gives?"

Raven Darkholme has posed:
A soft ahhh passes Mystique's lips and she offers a slow nod, "Okay, I see how that would concern you."

Take a slow deep breath, a smile touches her lips. "I fully intend to let the courts of Genosha try me for my past crimes, but only when my work is done. When Mutants and humans are equal in every way and all this hate is gone, I will present myself to those courts for trial." She lifts a hand to stop Clarice from interrupting, just in case she was considering it.

"I don't foresee my work being done for several hundred years Clarice, but when it is done, if I have not been pardoned for my crimes, I will stand trial for them in a mutant court and whatever verdict is given, I will accept. That is justice, that is law, that is how it needs to be."

Adjusting her legs, putting both feet flat on the floor she continues. "The only court I will accept is a mutant court, so if the humans arrest me, hell yes break me out, but it can't be both ways. I can't seek redemption for my past mistakes without admitting to them, and by admitting to them, I have to take responsibility for them. To that end, Genosha's courts will some day either pardon me, or condemn me."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    Clarice doesn't attempt to interrupt - she listens intently, a serious look on her features, though what little tension had been lurking there slowly eases before she offers a nod of understanding. "Well. By the time mutants and humans are equal in every way - will there even be 'mutant courts' and 'human courts'?" she points out bluntly. "But- yeah. Okay. I guess that makes sense enough." She lets out a sigh before she adds, "Not that I have to like it, very much. I mean, we've both of us committed crimes. Any legitimate court that got its hands on us? Would have to convict us."
    She shifts in her seat before adding, "I'll admit, even if I don't like it - I admire that you'd want to face up to your crimes eventually. I fully intend to keep running form mine," she remarks with a wry smile.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique chuckles softly, "And you should Clarice, you should. You didn't lead other into those crimes, you choose to commit them yourself. I took others, and lead them into multiple crimes, and probably will again and again, but the truth it... I've murdered numerous humans who likely didn't need to be murdered. I made things worse in my attempts to make them better. I have to own up to that."

She glances toward the hat again, watching the way the light plays off the sequins. "If there ever comes a time that we all kumbaya, it won't matter if it's a mutant court or human court, but in Genosha I'm pretty sure it will remain a mutant court. That's why that is where I will go. I could easily take a face and live out however many life times I get to live, but that wouldn't be admitting to the wrong I've done, would it?"

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "No - it wouldn't," Clarice agrees. She smiles sadly as she adds, "I hope you're wrong about how long it's going to take. I really hope I live to see this world we're trying to make."
    But something in her expression - a sadness, really - says she doesn't fully believe that she will. One way or another - she's unlikely to see that future.
    "So I guess it's worth saying now, just as much as any other time, that- I do admire what you're planning to do. It's brave, and I don't think I have that sort of courage in me, myself."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
She's not entirely certain how to take that. It's a compliment, that's obvious, but Mystique really isn't used to compliments regarding her character. Sure lots of compliments about her looks, her attitude, but never about her strength of character.

A soft smile touches her lips, "Thank you Clarice, but honestly, I think you do. You always try to do the right thing, and that's the difference between us. You try to make sure it's the right thing, I was convinced it was the right thing, without checking to see if it really was."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "...do I though?" Clarice asks quietly, and less certainly. "I mean - if we went to Xavier, or even Lorna, and told them about my 'hunts' - would they agree with that? Rescuing the people that they were hurting, that's the right thing. But the murders?" She shakes her head. "That's just because me and Mister Creed enjoy it. Because I feel better afterwards - but it doesn't mean it's right."
    She gives a little shrug of her shoulders before adding, "When it comes to the //Cause//, though - equality for mutants - then I try to do what's right. Because we have to, to achieve our goals."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique smirks slightly, "The hunts... well no, no one would want to hear about those, or believe that you're doing it. They'd believe it of Victor, but not you, not sweet, innocent Clarice. Very few out there want to believe that you are capable of that, but those are also the people who thing I'm manipulating you."

Now she smiles darkly, "But let's look at this logically. The places you go, the things you do, the local governments of those nations would /thank/ you for removing that threat. It's only in America where they are so wrapped up in their own self worth and sense of justice that these actions would be seen as criminal. In fact, I'll bet if you spoke to some of the governments of these places you go, they'd /pay/ you to remove the threat from their country."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "People don't understand me," Clarice agrees quietly. "Even Lorna. Really, I'm not sure anyone outside of Mister Creed and yourself really know who I am." Except... She shifts in her seat again. "...I showed Robert an article on the hunt in Guatamala. He didn't- I honestly thought that would turn him off of me." It hadn't. What did that say?
    As for Mystique's point about her targets, "We attacked Moathia's military," Clarice points out simply. "So the local government won't always thank us for our efforts."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
She laughs, "Oh Clarice, if you're attacking the military, then clearly that's a time when the people of that country will thank you. There's always someone who would thank you for your actions, and there will always be those who get pissed off by it. You have to decide for yourself which is more important."

"Let's look at the up coming mission as an example. If the local police knew what was going on in there, they would in fact try to do something about it, but human police aren't equipped to deal with mutants. So you can bet if the police raided this 'camp', the humans there would turn the mutants they are controlling on the police so they could escape, and it would be the mutants who got killed. That sound about right to you?" She pauses a moment for a nod or shake, then continues. "By us going in instead, we save the mutants /and/ capture the humans for the police to deal with, with the exception of one of them that is. It's a win-win, but no one will thank us. They will say we were vigilantes, only interested in the mutants, etc. etc. etc."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "Just because there's someone who would thank me, does mean that what I'm doing is morally right. I know enough to understand that. You and I both know that Mister Creed and I aren't killing because we have no other option. We're killing because we enjoy it," Clarice says simply. "And that //isn't// right. I just try to at least put it to some sort of use. And that is nothing like going after these- these monsters that took these kids.
    "But even there," Clarice points out firmly, "If I really wanted to do what was right? If there is a Magistrate there? I would drag him back to Genosha, to go on trial. Rather than planning to torture him to death myself." She shakes her head. "I don't always do what's morally right. I know that. I don't think there's any pretending that I do. Not between us."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Mystique shrugs slightly as she stands up. "Who says what is morally right Clarice? Who defines it? A society that we aren't allowed to be a part of? IF we aren't a part of it, why should we bend our morality to match it? If you look back through history you will find that morality changed to match whomever was in charge."

Walking to the door she pauses there. "Stop questioning what you based on morality, good and evil are subjective. A few hundreds years ago they burned woman at the stake for being witches and claimed it was moral. Fuck morality, do what's /right/ and that's all that matters."

Clarice Ferguson has posed:
    "If you really feel that way, Raven - then why turn yourself in one day?" is Clarice's parting shot.
    She lets out a sigh, and pushes herself to her feet, pacing the length of her room for a few moments. She should- she'll go back to the training room for a little more practice, and then a shower, before she'll try to continue her homework.
    Maybe fit a meal in there somewhere.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
The door is opened, but Mystique looks back at Clarice, "Because I didn't do what was right. Those people I killed, they didn't deserve to die in the way they did, and in the process I risked the lives of others, many others, innocent people, including Lydia. No... I didn't do what was right, and that's why I'll pay for it some day."

Stepping through the door, it closes behind her and she leaves Clarice, probably with a large number of new questions.