round 3 overflow post

[starkmodistries.livejournal.com]

Round 3 Overflow Post

This post is for Round 3 fills only. We ask that when a round hits 8500 comments, fillers begin moving their fills to this post.

Format:
SUBJECT LINE -- Round #, short description of fic (ex: "Alex/Hank, lab partners")
--- Link to the prompt
--- Text of the prompt

--- Link to the fill
OR
--- Entire text of the fill

EXAMPLE:
Prompt: http://xmen-firstkink.livejournal.com/6437.html?thread=1038472#t2038174

Charles/Erik -- Charles is a bakery owner whose most frequent customer is Erik.

Fill: http://xmen-firstkink.livejournal.com/6437.html?thread=0139482#t4502942

Charles started off the morning the same way he always did...

Comments

FILL: Everyday Love in Stockholm 155/?

[tahariel.livejournal.com]

First up, the fabulous etirabys did this lovely fanart (http://etirabys.tumblr.com/post/18071212142/fanart-for-everyday-love-in-stockholm-he-wonders) for me this week! Thank you so much bb, I love it (and your epic review, OMG.)

We're moving steadily towards the end of Part Four, guys... not quite yet, though (I'm a horrible tease, I know!)


XLVIII

By the end of June they have been forced to introduce identification papers for every citizen, though of course they are no sooner produced than forged; it weeds out the opportunists even if it does nothing for the best-organised groups of human terrorists. Lone vigilantes and glory-seekers’ sloppy ink and poor copies are picked out before they can commit their crimes, and though it fans the flames of the growing wave of discontent and anti-government underground publications it does at least discourage the more casual criminals.

Erik hates it. In policy sessions Magneto argues against it as long as he can - it brings back too many memories, none of them pleasant, and he knows too well the slippery slope, no matter what Charles thinks - but eventually even he is forced to concede that it is a necessary move, if they are to try and quell the violence.

The mutant status field is new. When his papers are issued - on camera, of course, like everything these days, though it seems to make little difference - there is a red M beside his name, within a perfect circle. If he had requested papers for Charles there would have been a blue H instead, in a square.

He doesn’t, of course.



XLIX

He’s popular with mutants at least. Now that the dust has settled enough to get some reliable demographics the remaining population is approximately forty percent mutant, their proportions drastically increased after the massive human death toll from radiation and related complications. New York has become an epicentre for mutants and mutant culture, many of them moving to the city to be closer to the leadership and what they see as relative safety to start building a life for themselves as a new type of people. There are mutant bars, now, and mutant-run businesses filling streets that had been abandoned before, catering to a clientele of every shape, size, colour and need. Specialist tailors with fabric suitable for those who burn particularly hot or cold, or have unusual body shapes; there’s even a mutant cabaret, and mutant street-entertainers, though Erik has little time to go out and see what it is they’re building in the space he’s claimed for them.

It’s not unusual to walk through the park and see a child playing frisbee with himself and himself, or a pack of teenagers showing off to one another the way children of that age always have, but with added extras. They’re young in a way he never got a chance to be, and he cannot resent them for it, not when this is why he fought. That the humans are unhappy, that they feel they are playing second fiddle to freaks just because the mutants are no longer hiding from them, cannot help but be secondary to this.



L

“I think the problem here is one of escalation,” Charles says when they’re sat across from one another over a game of chess, watching Erik contemplate his next move. He’s swirling the glass of scotch in his hand slowly, the amber liquid lapping at the sides of his glass like a wind-roughened sea. “Every time they escalate you’re forced to escalate your countermeasures, so of course they escalate their violence. It’s going to end in tears.”

Erik moves his knight forward to capture Charles’ bishop before responding, catching the piece between his finger and thumb before moving it over to his side of the board. “It already has, for too many people.” He leans back in his seat and takes up his own glass, but does not drink. “Oh, I agree with you. But there’s nothing to do about it, Charles, either we respond and they escalate or we don’t and people die anyway and blame us for our inability to do anything. If you have any suggestions I’d be more than happy to hear them, believe you me.”

Re: FILL: Everyday Love in Stockholm 155/?

[furius.livejournal.com]

If he had requested papers for Charles there would have been a blue H instead, in a square.

So Charles has no papers? 0_o

Re: FILL: Everyday Love in Stockholm 155/?

[mrkinch.livejournal.com]

As I understand it, no one officially knows that Charles is there, or even that he exists. Have I missed something?

Re: FILL: Everyday Love in Stockholm 155/?

[furius.livejournal.com]

Just...the significance of Magneto setting up a society where papers are a requirement but Charles, not only is he hidden, but actually does not actually "officially" exist in society, but just in relation to Erik and Raven. He is now essentially an illegal resident in a state Erik set up. It compounds Charles' isolation, dependent on Erik, and reaffirms Erik's possession of him. It's like an agent going undercover and realizing that once his handler's dead, no one will be able to confirm his identity......

Re: FILL: Everyday Love in Stockholm 155/?

[nekosmuse.livejournal.com]

I caught this too.

Re: FILL: Everyday Love in Stockholm 155/?

[tahariel.livejournal.com]

I'm not intending to reply to most comments until probably tomorrow when I have more time, but I thought I'd pick this one up now.

My specific reasoning behind Erik not getting papers for Charles is pretty much what mrkinch has said, in that while there will technically be papers for Charles, nobody knows where to send them to, because he has no current official residence. If Erik requests papers for Charles, a person he supposedly does not know, that's a connection and a trail they don't want as it will potentially break the secret wide open. It's a practicality thing rather than a control thing, but it does inadvertently (it's not Erik's intention) have the effect of leaving Charles without these papers, yes.

Charles would be able to get these papers for himself if he did leave, by the way. He is entitled to them and there are no arrest warrants out for him, so he cannot be detained by law. (This would however flag up his location to anyone who is looking for him.)

I hope this makes sense - feel free to ask further.