Fraser and Jean-Paul (Nov. 13)
Nov. 13th, 2014 10:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
om_red posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
om_mainFraser talks to Jean-Paul regarding the Canadian registration act.
Fraser felt out of place in the TA hallway and wondered if he should have texted or called before coming to find Jean-Paul. Unfortunately, he'd been thinking so hard about the Canadian registration announcement, that he hadn't consider if showing up unannounced would be untoward. Too late now, as he was already here. Hopefully Jean-Paul wouldn't mind the visitor. He knocked on the door, trying not to look as anxious as he felt.
Jean-Paul was at the door in a moment, looking a little rumpled, but that seemed to nearly be his default state these days anyway.
"Bon soir." He offered Frasier a grin. "I assume you are looking for me and not Simon?"
"I suspect Simon is probably downstairs right now," Fraser admitted. "Yes, I was looking for you. I was wondering... are you free to talk? There was something on my mind, and I'm afraid you might be the only one who'll understand."
Jean-Paul stepped aside and ushered Fraser in. "I assume this is about the Flight program?" He hadn't forgotten their conversation that summer, where Fraser had expressed some admiration for the concept.
"It is," Fraser admitted. "It's just that... well, I know you're not a fan of the program itself, but the registration act doesn't necessarily mean that all known mutants would be required to join their teams. I was thinking... I mean, I always thought I would join the RCMP, like my father. One requirement for becoming a cadet is being of good character. If I do plan to do this, it's my civic duty be honest, including about what I am. I was thinking... I should probably register my status as a mutant. Maybe this winter when I go home for break."
Jean-Paul frowned and took a seat on the edge of the bed. "You're starting off from the position that keeping your genetic status to yourself is inherently dishonest. Why?"
Fraser blinked. "Well, if it's procedure before applying. It's not something I'm ashamed of. I assume this is useful information, like knowing someone's blood type in an emergency."
"I would say are giving our government too much credit. The people who came up with these laws were the same ones who are willing to keep kids on the same team with an unstable juggernaut and a murderous psychopath. To assume that they put these laws in place for any reason save resource harvesting is a stretch, I think."
Fraser frowned thoughtfully at that. "You honestly think they're the only people behind these laws, and that there aren't other parties concerned? It seems such a large gesture if so few people are involved with the outcome. I'm sure there had to be a great debate, before putting such a thing into motion nationally. I admit, it sounds very much like stamping your passport with profiling information, but if it sounds that obvious to me then I'm sure someone had the same protest when the law was put forward. They would never have agreed to this if it was blatantly harmful. I can't believe that. At least... Well, not us first. I know that the world isn't harmless. I'm not completely naive. There has to be a reason they thought this was important."
"And if the concern of those parties is the welfare of the greater population at the expense of the civic freedoms of relative minority?" Jean-Paul kept his voice level. "Almost all of the mutants in the world to date are kids or just barely adults in the legal sense. We're utterly unrepresented in out governments, and our numbers are only going to grow. The historic reasons for signaling people out along racial and ethnic lines are always tied to control of that population." Or worse. "So I don't for a moment think our government would hesitate to throw us under a bus if it meant keeping us easier to track while making themselves look good."
Fraser was deflating quickly. "How do we make the situation better, if we're not part of it?"
Jean-Paul tried to ignore the dual tug of empathy and unexpected homesickness that Fraser's question sent right to his heart. "We are a part of it. This is happening in our home. But I do not think our government is going to be an ally in this, not at all. So we do what we can outside of that. I have a platform to speak out against the registration and the structure of the Gamma Flight program, at least. And at the risk of sounding too much like a big brother, you do not have to make your choices today. You are only sixteen. You can wait and see what happens with this whole thing before you decide one way or the other."
Fraser considered that quietly. "I can give it more time," he finally said. "But I won't be able to wait forever. This will always be part of what I am. It's my world as well, dangers and all."
"And I'd like you exposed to as few of them as possible."
Fraser lips quirked at that. "I could say the same to you."
Jean-Paul snorted. "Well, I'm already in it knee-deep, non? Too late to do anything for that. Besides, it's older brother's prerogative to turn into a smothering jackass."
Fraser wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to express how much those words meant to him. They seemed to come so easily to Jean-Paul, but he could also tell that it wasn't just a tease, and he did think of Fraser as a form of family. "You can smother," he allowed. "And I'll find a less overt way to express my concern."
"Deal." Jean-Paul rose from the edge of the bed and stretched. "Come on. I'll mitigate the smothering with a late night snack, how's that?"
"That would be a agreeable," Fraser said, letting them drop more difficult subjects.
Fraser felt out of place in the TA hallway and wondered if he should have texted or called before coming to find Jean-Paul. Unfortunately, he'd been thinking so hard about the Canadian registration announcement, that he hadn't consider if showing up unannounced would be untoward. Too late now, as he was already here. Hopefully Jean-Paul wouldn't mind the visitor. He knocked on the door, trying not to look as anxious as he felt.
Jean-Paul was at the door in a moment, looking a little rumpled, but that seemed to nearly be his default state these days anyway.
"Bon soir." He offered Frasier a grin. "I assume you are looking for me and not Simon?"
"I suspect Simon is probably downstairs right now," Fraser admitted. "Yes, I was looking for you. I was wondering... are you free to talk? There was something on my mind, and I'm afraid you might be the only one who'll understand."
Jean-Paul stepped aside and ushered Fraser in. "I assume this is about the Flight program?" He hadn't forgotten their conversation that summer, where Fraser had expressed some admiration for the concept.
"It is," Fraser admitted. "It's just that... well, I know you're not a fan of the program itself, but the registration act doesn't necessarily mean that all known mutants would be required to join their teams. I was thinking... I mean, I always thought I would join the RCMP, like my father. One requirement for becoming a cadet is being of good character. If I do plan to do this, it's my civic duty be honest, including about what I am. I was thinking... I should probably register my status as a mutant. Maybe this winter when I go home for break."
Jean-Paul frowned and took a seat on the edge of the bed. "You're starting off from the position that keeping your genetic status to yourself is inherently dishonest. Why?"
Fraser blinked. "Well, if it's procedure before applying. It's not something I'm ashamed of. I assume this is useful information, like knowing someone's blood type in an emergency."
"I would say are giving our government too much credit. The people who came up with these laws were the same ones who are willing to keep kids on the same team with an unstable juggernaut and a murderous psychopath. To assume that they put these laws in place for any reason save resource harvesting is a stretch, I think."
Fraser frowned thoughtfully at that. "You honestly think they're the only people behind these laws, and that there aren't other parties concerned? It seems such a large gesture if so few people are involved with the outcome. I'm sure there had to be a great debate, before putting such a thing into motion nationally. I admit, it sounds very much like stamping your passport with profiling information, but if it sounds that obvious to me then I'm sure someone had the same protest when the law was put forward. They would never have agreed to this if it was blatantly harmful. I can't believe that. At least... Well, not us first. I know that the world isn't harmless. I'm not completely naive. There has to be a reason they thought this was important."
"And if the concern of those parties is the welfare of the greater population at the expense of the civic freedoms of relative minority?" Jean-Paul kept his voice level. "Almost all of the mutants in the world to date are kids or just barely adults in the legal sense. We're utterly unrepresented in out governments, and our numbers are only going to grow. The historic reasons for signaling people out along racial and ethnic lines are always tied to control of that population." Or worse. "So I don't for a moment think our government would hesitate to throw us under a bus if it meant keeping us easier to track while making themselves look good."
Fraser was deflating quickly. "How do we make the situation better, if we're not part of it?"
Jean-Paul tried to ignore the dual tug of empathy and unexpected homesickness that Fraser's question sent right to his heart. "We are a part of it. This is happening in our home. But I do not think our government is going to be an ally in this, not at all. So we do what we can outside of that. I have a platform to speak out against the registration and the structure of the Gamma Flight program, at least. And at the risk of sounding too much like a big brother, you do not have to make your choices today. You are only sixteen. You can wait and see what happens with this whole thing before you decide one way or the other."
Fraser considered that quietly. "I can give it more time," he finally said. "But I won't be able to wait forever. This will always be part of what I am. It's my world as well, dangers and all."
"And I'd like you exposed to as few of them as possible."
Fraser lips quirked at that. "I could say the same to you."
Jean-Paul snorted. "Well, I'm already in it knee-deep, non? Too late to do anything for that. Besides, it's older brother's prerogative to turn into a smothering jackass."
Fraser wasn't sure if he'd ever be able to express how much those words meant to him. They seemed to come so easily to Jean-Paul, but he could also tell that it wasn't just a tease, and he did think of Fraser as a form of family. "You can smother," he allowed. "And I'll find a less overt way to express my concern."
"Deal." Jean-Paul rose from the edge of the bed and stretched. "Come on. I'll mitigate the smothering with a late night snack, how's that?"
"That would be a agreeable," Fraser said, letting them drop more difficult subjects.
