I have written and re-written my second/third Hawkeye post about halfway over and over, and none of it is sticking. If I manage to get past this writer's block with the character I'm running headfirst into, I'd love to reapply. But as it stands, I think I need to concede defeat on Hawkeye and bow out for now.
Let me know if you want help brainstorming for Hawkeye. Or I'm happy to see a different concept if you have one.
Jeez, it's really been that long? Time flies after a new year rolls in...Seriously, apologies on that. I'll arrange for a Mysterio post sooner than later; Wednesday tops. Got caught up in some stuff (including a new game I've been looking forward to for a good handful of months finally rolling in), but I'll be sure to get back in the game.
Similar to Web, I've written and re-written my next post about three times and I'm not satisfied with it.
I may skip the intro and try going straight into my first story to see if that helps. I hate handwaving the worldbuilding, but I am just stuck at present.
I've found those early worldbuilding posts are always tricky to find a balance with, so I've transitioned away from them for the most part in favor of introductory vignettes into my character's personal life, followed by immediate action.
Alright, with that, Mysterio is in full swing! Here's to looking forward to the rest of the event, though I imagine we're gonna be wrapping it off pretty soon lol
Hey, I would like to get back into forum RPs after taking an extended hiatus. I can see that this thread is still marked as apply, but I wanted to more directly ask if this RP is still accepting new players or not? If it helps, I do have a character concept in mind, but it is someone who wouldn't really operate in New York City normally so I would need to finagle a reason for them to come over. Also, the character is a villainous legacy, albeit a very minor one that I imagine wouldn't even necessarily show up if I never said anything.
More specifically, I was hoping to take a heroic (or perhaps more accurately, antiheroic?) spin on Flag Smasher, who might genuinely be my favorite Marvel character. I love Flag Smasher because he manages to mix batshit lunacy with an actually poignant anarchist-adjacent manifesto I would find far more agreeable if it wasn't filtered through said moon logic. I think the idealism and the lunacy are both integral parts of Flag Smasher, although since he's usually a villain, the latter wins out. In my interpretation, I'd be leaning more on the former. Flag Smasher would be someone who saw their diplomat father killed, and the rise of xenophobia in Europe* and the world writ large; and decide that the correct solution is to put on spandex to go help migrants trying to arrive safely on shore and beat up neo-nazis and the like. A superhero who is very much political, and actively seeks out a platform for their message on the job, but tries to not lose sight of helping out people in the meantime.
I assume in reference to this RP's Captain America, given that this RP's interpretation just recently resurfaced, it'd make the most sense if Flag Smasher was relatively new on the scene too, with them having some kind of major one-sided rivalry against the First Avenger. Flag Smasher hates Captain America for tying himself up with nationalism, and Captain America is utterly confused why this random hero that should be on his side spends so much energy trying (and most likely failing) to one-up him.
If y'all like this idea, I can try working on it this weekend. I shouldn't have much going on.
*I think Flag Smasher being Swiss is an integral part of their character, given the country's association with international diplomacy and NGOs. Hence me being somewhat apprehensive because we currently don't have any other European heroes yet. But its not like they have to be in Europe all the time either. I'm also going to say I'm not the biggest fan of the MCU interpetation of Flag Smasher, so I'd be mostly sticking to the 616 version for inspiration, although as someone who prefers playing female characters in a vacuum, I might take the genderswap in mind at least.
I finished reading through this a bit and I'm also quite interested in playing around with this setting! Expect a lil something from me as well ^^
Edit: As a Sidenote, has anyone done anything involving Ultron? I didn't notice him being brought up at all in the character sheets but I wanted to check.
I finished reading through this a bit and I'm also quite interested in playing around with this setting! Expect a lil something from me as well ^^
Edit: As a Sidenote, has anyone done anything involving Ultron? I didn't notice him being brought up at all in the character sheets but I wanted to check.
No as far as I'm aware. There hasn't been an official submission for Ant Man. I was thinking of somewhat playing with Ultron but I've tossed that into the bin as far as I'm concerned.
For that matter, currently working on an IM post for the next arc but CNY got me deadlocked alongside several other uni things. It's just sitting there waiting for my ass to get on it.
I finished reading through this a bit and I'm also quite interested in playing around with this setting! Expect a lil something from me as well ^^
Edit: As a Sidenote, has anyone done anything involving Ultron? I didn't notice him being brought up at all in the character sheets but I wanted to check.
There have been no uses of Ultron. There is a Vision, however.
apologies for the dip in activity. without going into the grisly details, i had a bit of a health scare over january which took some time to address and sapped significantly at my energy. i've got some irl things to get back on top of first, but i should be back with another victor post soon.
apologies for the dip in activity. without going into the grisly details, i had a bit of a health scare over january which took some time to address and sapped significantly at my energy. i've got some irl things to get back on top of first, but i should be back with another victor post soon.
A quick heads-up; I probably won't be posting anytime soon. Woke up feeling sick to my stomach, and that's exactly what I was, given I upended the contents of said stomach for roughly 2 minutes straight. Needless to say, I'm not in a great shape right now lol
I'll try not to be absent for too long and attempt to shoot up a solo Mysterio post eventually
A quick heads-up; I probably won't be posting anytime soon. Woke up feeling sick to my stomach, and that's exactly what I was, given I upended the contents of said stomach for roughly 2 minutes straight. Needless to say, I'm not in a great shape right now lol
I'll try not to be absent for too long and attempt to shoot up a solo Mysterio post eventually
Thank you for letting me know. I'll put a pause on deadlines for you. Don't worry about the event, I'll resolve that. I'll get a short post up advancing the mini-event later this week because some people have been waiting for too long. I'll put it in a direction for it to be resolved. Based on how this first event went, I have a lot of revisions to ensure future events don't drag on. I appreciate the patience of those involved who have been waiting.
Okay, I don't have as long of a workday tomorrow or Thursday, so that's when I'm aiming to get a GM post to move the event along. Apologies to @AndyC specifically for having to wait so long with having his characters tied up in the event that has unfortunately dragged on.
The following week is a vacation for me, which I desperately need, but I'll also carve out some time then to do some maintenance duties and try to encourage some life here. I don't want us to fall into the trap of being too lax, as that's an insidious RP killer.
Heya! So I'm with @Megsychan and @KaiserElectric and I've interested in dipping my toes into this. I'm not really a superhero kinda gal but I'm interested in trying to get out of my comfort zone.
Was kinda thinking of either Ms Marvel/Kamala Khan or Nadia van Dyne/The Wasp. First option for one of the few characters I've actually read before, and the other because I think their design/powers are super cool!
I'm also interested in drawing em when I find the time.
K A R L A M O R G E N T H A U ♦ R E B E L W I T H A C A U S E ♦ S W I T Z E R L A N D ♦ N O N A T I O N
C H A R A C T E R C O N C E P T:
"If we were to erase national boundaries and accept the essential unity of all mankind, the world would be a better place! Earth should not be divided into nations! We are the world! Not a bunch of different species!"
Karla Morgenthau, by all accounts, should not be a superhero. She lacks the mutant gene that would theoretically give her superhuman abilities. There was no freak accident or special serum that gave her freak powers. She even lacks genius intellect to develop technology that is indistinguishable from magic. Indeed, if anything, her mind... well, one could charitably say that not every screw is tightened securely. But that is, if you ask Karla, what makes Flag Smasher special. Other capes get called because of what makes them special or different from humanity. Flag Smasher, on the other hand, is a symbol of what humanity could be, if they would only listen to her. Any idiot could do what she does; she's just the only idiot brave enough to actually try.
Karla was born on September 3rd, 2000, the only daughter of Helmut Morgenthau. The Morgenthaus were historically a family closely tied to the Swiss banking industry. Helmut himself was no exception; he was a high ranking executive for Universal Bank, one of the wealthiest banks in the world. However, shortly after Karla's birth, the once-idealistic Helmut grew sick of the rampart greed and corruption of the finance world, and decided he wanted out of it. Seeking to leave a better world for his daughter than he put her in, Helmut used his connections to become an ambassador for Switzerland. While Karla's family would officially continue to carry a residence in Zürich that they would visit from time to time, Karla would spend most of her childhood living in various different foreign countries.
The experience of growing up across the world impacted Karla immensely. Without the ability to set permanent roots in any particular country, Karla only had her family, particularly her father, as long term social contacts. Karla would make "friends" in the various host countries she was in, but even with the advent of the internet and social media by the time she was becoming a teenager, she never felt close to any of them. Indeed, if anything, she could better remember the other children that would instead hyperfocus on her being a foreigner and bullying her for it. Karla would always feel alien to wherever she was, even Switzerland itself. As a result, Karla would increasingly identify not with any particular nation, but as a citizen of Earth itself. This attitude was, to a degree, even encouraged by her father, who himself dreamed of a world where all of humanity would be unified as one.
2017 would serve as an important breaking point for Karla. After serving nearly two decades in the Swiss diplomatic core, Helmut would recieve his most prestigious posting yet: the Swiss ambassadorship to the United Nations. Karla, for her part knowing that for better or for worse that he'd be stuck in New York City for the foreseeable future, applied to Columbia University the next year, so she could remain somewhat close to him. Seeking to follow her father's footsteps, she majored in international relations. Karla would note those early university years as the best time of her life; she finally had the security of knowing she'd be in the same place for at least the next four years, so she could actually let her guard down and try to make friends.
However, this paradise was not meant to last. 2020 would be not just a dark time for America, but for Karla personally. The rise of human supremacist Robert Kelly and the "Wide Awake" movement only inflamed pre-existing tensions in the reactionary sphere of the United States. Mutants were, of course, the new scapegoat for conspiracies, but by no means did they fully displace other prejudices. Indeed, the increasing globalization of the world was often derided as a symptom of the mutant problem, as both superheroes and supervillains often freely relocated themselves across international borders, flagrantly defying traditional norms of border security. And when Helmut Morgenthau made statements on the General Assembly decrying anti-mutant discrimination, it made him part of the so-called global elite intending to replace Americans with the mutant "freaks". It wouldn't be too long before one of the Wide Awake fanatics would decide to take matters in his own hand, and shoot Helmut outside of the United Nations building. He died instantly.
The news of her father's passing broke Karla. The only person she ever felt close to, the man who helped shape her entire worldview to see the universal good out of humanity, was murdered-- no, martyred-- for believing in the concept of a universal humanity. For all the talk the United Nations had about universal human rights, it was completely impotent at actually responding to these movements of hatred, throwing the advocates of human rights to the wolves to be slaughtered. The American people electing Kelly shortly thereafter only solidified to Karla that she had no place in the country. She would quietly drop out of university and return back to Switzerland. "Home", at least legally speaking. It still didn't feel like home, but at least it wasn't there.
Of course, even returning to Zürich, problems would rear their ugly head. Europe was not immune to the same developments that were happening in America. Xenophobic attitudes had reared its ugly head into the continent ever since the migrant crisis post-Chitauri invasion of 2010, the start of the Syrian Civil War a year later. Far right wing groups, such as the National Force, started to prop up in Switzerland and elsewhere. Although fringe, their popularity was increasingly growing over the decade, engaging in terrorist acts on both sides of the Atlantic. Indeed, some cells were operating in Zürich itself, a fact that enraged Karla. It didn't strictly matter that the Wide Awakes and the National Force were technically different groups with differing ideologies; they were peddlers of hate and chauvinistic supremacy, and their presence actively took her father away and made the world worse. Someone had to do something about them. And since no one else would, she will.
Inspired by the growing wave of superheroes across the world, Karla decided to put on the mask. Not particularly the most creative person in the world, she settled for a basic black and white aesthetic for ease of construction, and just went out to find the first group of Neo-Nazis she could find and beat them the hell up. And it felt good. Attacking those National Force goons was the first time since her father's death that she felt truly alive. Karla knew she had to keep going. So she did. Whenever she found credible evidence of where National Front, or similar far right organizations, were operating, she'd swoop in to destroy the cell. During such raids, she would go out of her way to iconclastically destroy any symbol of nationalism that she came across, as a way to bring attention to her ideology of a united humanity. Playing into this, as another means of getting eyeballs on her crusade against hate, she created a social media presence of herself specifically in costume. Karla gave herself what she thought would be the most provocative and attention grabbing: Flag Smasher. A name Karla would perhaps somewhat grow to regret, as in retrospect sounds almost villanous at times, but at the moment it sounded cool, and its far too late to change it now.
For the past three years, headlines about Flag Smasher and her fight against the militant far right would dominate Switzerland and the rest of Europe. As she became more confident in herself as a superhero, she would increasingly expand the range of how far she was willing to operate. After all, money wasn't a concern for her; Helmut's death meant his portion of the Morgenthau family wealth went to her. Still solidly in old money, Karla could afford the life of a socialite just through interest of old investments. Regardless, that didn't mean Karla wanted to sit around and do nothing. Around the same time as she started working as Flag Smasher, Karla decided that she could be doing work outside of punching Neo Nazis. She therefore set aside some of her money to form the NGO Ultimatum (once again, going for a provocative but retrospectively poorly thought out name. In Karla's mind, it was an "Ultimatum" against hate, and that sounded cool at the time...), an organization devoted to combating hatred throughout the world via education and public advocacy for minority groups.
Now, it is 2023. Karla Morgenthau, representing Ultimatum, has been invited to speak to the General Assembly. Karla normally would have hesitated to return to the same building her father was killed outside of, but, it also represents a chance she has to investigate a lead she has in Manhattan against National Force. Reluctantly, she packed her bags and took a flight to the Big Apple, where her duties as both Karla Morgenthau and Flag Smasher are about to meet together...
C H A R A C T E R N O T E S:
I want to make it clear before I start listing things that Flag Smasher ultimately doesn't have superpowers in a traditional sense. Her strength is within the capabilities of a baseline human, there is no healing factor she has, etc. Rather than saying "none" and moving on, though, I thought it'd be more useful to list important resources she has whilst superheroing.
Martial Arts Training - When Karla was fifteen, her father was stationed in Tokyo as the Ambassador to Japan. During her time there, she expressed an interest in learning martial arts. With perhaps more money than common sense, Helmut provided her a private tutor to train her how to fight. This "tutor" was, unbeknownst to either of them, Arashi Wakayama, one of the Masters of Silence. Seeing potential in the young woman, he most likely intended her to eventually induct her into the organization (which would require binding one of the warriors' souls to her body), but the Morgenthaus ended up leaving Japan before any such opportunity could happen. Regardless, Karla learned a lot in those few months, and she credits it for her effectiveness in hand to hand combat.
Charisma - Karla might not be the smartest woman in the room, and sometimes not even the most stable, but she often can be the most charming. Being an ambassador's daughter means that she had ample opportunity to practice her own rhetoric. However, more so than her ability to flatter, what really sets her apart is her ability to speak her mind with absolute confidence and conviction. Combined with her posterity for theatrics, both as Karla and as Flag Smasher, the Swiss woman is slowly but surely building up a social movement that is buying into her ideals.
Multilingualism - Due to moving around from country to country, Karla was expected to learn many different languages over the course of her childhood. Karla's own immediate family were primary German speakers. As official languages of her home country, Karla was also expected to pick up French and Italian (especially French, due to its prominence in international diplomacy). English, being the main international language used in the 21st century, was an obvious language Helmut had her learn as well, and Karla would probably say its the language she's most comfortable with outside of German. Due to her extended time in Japan, Japanese was another language she had to pick up, even if she is admittedly rusty with it by this point. These don't even fully represent the languages she has attempted to learn throughout her life (such as Russian or Chinese), but they get increasingly less fluent from there. Needless to say, if it is a major world language, Karla could probably have at least a basic conversation in it.
Wealth - As much as Karla is embarrassed by the privilege it gives her at times, she is rich. Undeniably so. Running out of funds is something that she will almost certainly never have to worry about as a hero, particularly since she's more comfortable relying on her fists than fancy gadgets. Additionally, her connections to the Morgenthau banking clan means that a lot of that wealth is surprisingly liquid, and due to the secretive nature of Swiss banking, easier to move around as needed. This doesn't mean she wants to engage in financial crimes just to fuel her superhero lifestyle, mind you. Just that... its always a possibility, as needed.
Ultimatum - Ultimatum represents the work Karla Morgenthau does outside of costumed superheroing to further her goals in combating the rise of xenophobia and organized hate groups. While more active in Europe, Ultimatum does have a presence in America. On both sides of the Atlantic, Ultimatum primarily serves as public advocacy group for disadvantaged groups, such as migrants, LGBT individuals, and mutants. No one in the organization is aware of Karla's dual identity other than Karla herself. Instead, they view Karla mostly as the funding source for the organization, with her slowly handing day to day functions to "more qualified" individuals. Of course, Karla is doing so not because she doesn't enjoy the work, but so that she can focus on being Flag Smasher.
Captain America and Red Skull - The first is a PC, and the second is one of Captain America's listed NPCs, so check out Captain's sheet for more infomation. Because Flag Smasher is one of Captain America's legacies, I assume that she would be tied to these two in some fashion. Given that I have Flag Smasher and National Front as enemies, and National Force is supposed to be a front for Hydra, I assume that she's been doing work to oppose Red Skull in Europe, even if the two may or may not have directly met (I imagine she was fighting more one of his lieutenants, see below). I'm open to discussing this further as needed. As for her relationship with Captain America himself, as I said in my prior post, I imagine Flag Smasher in this canon has a one sided rivalry with Captain America which is not, in any way, actually reciprocated back, but I am open to discussion on this as well.
Helmut Morgenthau - Karla Morgenthau's father. Ex-Swiss ambassador to the United Nations. Deceased, but his legacy still lives on through his daughter. Not a day goes by where she doesn't think of him in some sense, and she considers her entire superhero career as a means of trying to avenge and honor his death.
The Morgenthaus - This refers to Karla's mother, along with a litany of uncles, aunts, and cousins who are all still very much alive. Represented together, they represent an incredibly wealthy and influential family within the world of international finance. Ironically, most of them have a low opinion of Flag Smasher, viewing her as a rabble rouser who threatens their wealth and stability, but they still very much love Karla herself. If any of them made the connection Karla is Flag Smasher, none of them confronted her about it.
Arashi Wakayama - A member of the Masters of Silence, a secretive order of reincarnating warrior souls who engage in mercenary work in Japan. Arashi is the current host of Inazuma. Sees potential in Karla, and thus trained her during her time in the country. The two have not talked since she moved out of Japan, but that could possibly change in the future.
Columbia University Students - The friends that Karla made in Columbia University before she dropped out. Since this is her first time returning to New York City since her father's death, I assume they could have a place in the story as minor characters. One idea I had was to use the names of the MCU Flag Smashers as the names of her old friends, but I don't think they'd be particularly based on them otherwise.
Dr. Johann "Faustus" Feinoff - A respected psychologist by day, but under the surface, he leads the far right terrorist group known as National Force, a neo-nazi organization active in both sides of the Atlantic. Trying to expose him and taking down his organization has been the long term mission for Flag Smasher for the past few years.
S A M P L E P O S T:
One of the first things to strike Karla Morgenthau is just how big New York City is. She's no stranger to large metropolitan areas, mind you. Tokyo was even larger, and she spent nearly an entire year of her life there. But its still been quite a while since she has stepped in such a densely compact urban center. Nothing in Switzerland even comes close to comparing to the sheer size of New York City, and even if she was allowed to expand the scope to Europe as a whole, only Istanbul and Moscow are really in the same league. While Karla can say she has visited Istanbul a few times as part of her work on migrant advocacy, and she has vague memories of Moscow as a child, its not like she often goes to Turkey or Russia as part of either one of her jobs. London and Paris, two metro areas she would say she is more intimately familiar with, are both smaller than those two cities, let alone the Big Apple itself.
But Karla knows, deep down, its not the size of the city that is intimidating her. If she was back in Tokyo, back in Istanbul, or even in some large city she hasn't visited like Chongqing, she wouldn't feel the dread that she felt walking down alongside the East River. There was something about Manhattan-- New York City as a whole-- which made her feel dread. Unfortunately, she knew exactly why. Even if the woman wanted to think of practically anything in the world that wasn't that, images of hearing the news for the first time kept rushing into her head. It's been three years, yet walking down the same avenues she used to go with her father, it felt like that tragic day was practically yesterday.
The woman took a deep sigh, her heels clattering against the pavement. She needed to keep it together. If nothing else, Karla knew her father wouldn't have wanted her still this despondent over his death. If anything, he'd be proud of her, for finally being invited to speak to the General Assembly. It's not exactly the same path he took to get a spot on the floor, but she did it! And that isn't even mentioning the litany of clean-up work she has done as Flag Smasher. Yeah, punching through hordes of National Force goons won't bring her dad back, but they sure as hell will make people think twice about joining up with hate movements! It's bringing the world together, one clocked fascist at a time!
For a fleeting second, Karla smiled. Yet, it still, at best, felt bittersweet. The smile faded an instant later; no amount of pep talk she can give herself is going to ever make New York City not feel like Death's domain to her. She needed to do what she needed to do in the city, and then get the hell out of here. Of course, that is a lot easier said than done. The meeting she was having with the General Assembly wasn't until a few days from now. Karla figured she was going to have an emotional reaction returning to the Big Apple, so she wanted to give herself some time to acclimate. The last thing she wanted to do was to have these intrusive thoughts while on the physical floor itself. Better to have it now, instead, so she can process it in a lower stake environment. That's why, after checking into her hotel, Karla decided to take a walk towards the United Nations Headquarters. It'd have been a bad idea to have the day of the speech be the first time she saw the building since... then. Once again, better to let the rush of emotions happen now.
Indeed, in the distance, she can already see the collection of all the world's flags, blowing in unison in front of what could be considered the de facto capital of the world. In a way, the plaza represented the fundamental issue Karla had with the United Nations. While it was the closest thing internationalists like her had to an organ that represented humanity as a united species, the way that it is presently designed means that it never will. After all, what is the United Nations, other than a united collective of nations? It was designed specifically with the concept of the nation-state in mind, using it as the building block for humanity. It envisions a humanity where people are still thinking of themselves as American, as Chinese, as Swiss; and it envisions these nearly two hundred groups as being inherently different from one another! And since these differences are then institutionalized on an international level, there is no actual movement done in practice in establishment a universal world government. None of the world governments want to surrender their sovereignty, so nothing has meaningfully changed since the end of the Second World War!
Trying to compartmentalize humanity into different groups, instead of recognizing the fundamental truth that all humans are one people, would have been bad enough on its own. However, to add insult to injury, the way that the United Nations operates in practice, certain nations are given privilege over the rest! That is, of course, the five members of the Security Council. Those five nations-- America, Britain, France, China, and Russia-- set up a system in 1945 that effectively gave them permanent control of the international system. Sure, the specific governments representing these nations have come and gone for a few of them, but that's not the point. The point is, the Security Council, not the General Assembly, is the organ with actual decision power, and those five nations decided only they would have a permanent voice on that council.
Therefore, when Karla sees the plaza becoming closer and closer in her eyes, she can't help but grow more frustrated. She can't see the array of the world's flags as a symbol of unity. It is actually a symbol of how divided the world still is! If humanity truly was as one, there would only need to be one flag: the flag of United Humanity!
Karla could feel her fists clenching while her thoughts continued to race in her mind. Just thinking about how poorly managed the world's attempt at internationalism makes her want to explode. She has half a mind to just walk down right to that plaza and tear down each flagpole herself. Of course, even if she was in costume-- and she wasn't-- making a symbolic gesture against the entire international order would be inviting a target on her back that she really didn't want. There is other ways to get change in the world that isn't effectively suicide-
"MUTIES WILL NOT REPLACE US! YOU WILL NOT REPLACE US!"
Karla's train of thought came to a screeching halt. Her mind had been so focused on the plaza in front of the United Nations Headquarters, that the woman failed to notice the people next to said plaza. There appeared to be a small gathering of people shouting various anti-mutant slogans, while parading similar picket signs. One individual was even handing out pamphlets to whoever passed by. Truthfully, Karla wasn't entirely sure exactly what the United Nations was doing this time, but did it really matter? There was a section of those Wide Awakers that vehemently hated the United Nations because they weren't as racist towards mutants as their president was. The fact that they got their Mutant Control Act didn't satisfy them; the entire goddamn world had to follow their oppression. And who knows, maybe they'd want the US to leave the UN anyways on top of it. You never know.
Regardless, Karla now has a situation on her hand. She could just be like a normal person, and briskly walk past them and go about by her day. After all, that is what the overwhelming majority of people near her are choosing to do. There is zero benefit from engaging with these kind of people. It's not like anything she could say would change their minds. But, at the same point, if she just walked away, then she wouldn't have been Flag Smasher, now would she? It's just not in her nature to just consider these kinds of people to be someone else's problem. As a member of the human species, dealing with intolerance was her responsibility. Plus, if something comes out of this, perhaps Karla could post facto justify it as intelligence gathering, or something like that. But truthfully, even if it was a dead end... she just wanted to interrupt them anyways.
"I couldn't help but hear all of you shouting," Karla said nonchalantly as she approached the protesters."Do you mind telling me what's going on?"
One of the protesters gleamed back at her. "Certainly, miss! We all here are red blood patriots, from all around the country. And we're trying to protect our constitution and our land from those globalist thugs!"
Another protester chimed in, "The global elites are inviting a bunch of foreigners to speak about how much they love those freaks of nature, more than they love honest, hardworking folk."
"They got a bunch of people from across the world, like that Morgenthau bitch from Ultimatum."
Karla blinked incredulously. Did they... did they not recognize her? She's not sure whether or not to be insulted by the mistaken identity. She worked very hard on her outreach on social media, thank you very much. If they're going to curse her out like that, the least they could do is curse her out to her face! Still, she could work with this. After all, if they don't come in thinking that the redhead is their enemy, they're going to be less likely to completely dismiss everything she's saying, right? And with their inhibitions lowered, even if Karla couldn't shame them into ending their protest, perhaps she could get useful information out of them. Maybe.
"Hmm? Who are you talking about?" The woman couldn't help but grin a little as she let the con continue.
Without missing a beat, what Karla assumes is supposed to be protesters' ringleader responded, "Some self-righteous, stuck-up bitch that tries to stick her nose into problems that don't involve her or her little international woke squad."
"I thought the Swiss were supposed to be neutral," another chimed in, chuckling at their own joke.
Karla wanted to correct the protester badly. She was Swiss only by technicality, a concession to the legal system that governs international travel, and taxes. Otherwise, Karla wasn't a member of any nation, but a member of the one human race.
"What's wrong with that?" Karla asked cautiously, carefully trying to not give the game away. "No country is an island, America included. The problems faced by the United States, likely have some equivalence to problems in Switzerland."
There was a brief pause. No one in the crowd was expecting the professional-dressed woman to care enough about what they were doing to articulate any kind of retort, mild as it may be. A few seconds later, though, the ringleader smirked whilst dramatically clapping his hands together.
"You're not wrong, miss. But not for the reasons you'd expect. The globalists operate everywhere, and they will attempt to replace humanity in every country." The man paused, his grin slowly starting to fade. "I assume you're not American, right? You don't sound like you're from here."
Part of Karla wanted to mess with these ignorant buffoons by rattling off some random European country, like Austria, or Bartovia. It's not like they'd know the difference between them and a Swiss accent. But, ultimately, there isn't a real reason to lie to them. She's already a public figure, and if they figure out her actual identity, and then realize she was lying about where she was from... well, it'd be a minor headache to sort out online if someone clipped it. Not a major inconvenience, but enough that it wouldn't be worth risking it.
"Switzerland myself, funnily enough. Small world."
The ringleader chortled. "Yeah, small world indeed."
"And you don't know about Morgenthau?" One of the other protesters interjected bewilderingly.
Karla mocked indignation. "Do you think it'd be reasonable for me to expect you to keep tabs on every American, just because you're American?"
The protester allowed Karla's response to mull in her head, before reluctantly nodding. She stepped back, allowing for the leader of the protest to continue his spiel.
"Well, miss. Even in Switzerland, the globalists plot to genocide the wh-"
The man awkwardly paused, before continuing, "human race away. You know how it goes. First they normalize the replacement by creating a migrant crisis. Flood your continent with economic opportunists, like if we all weren't scarred by the Chitauri. They call you a racist and a Nazi for wanting to protect your own community, and attempt to ostracize you from polite society if you attempt to speak up. And for the migrants themselves, they couldn't care one bit about what happened to them. Leave them in tent cities to die. They want all of us dead anyways."
Karla, at the very least, could agree on the last point. The lack of any comprehensive international response to help integrate those displaced in the past decade is a criminal act of the developed world. However, the woman is not convinced this man is saying that in good faith. Sounds like he's just using them a cudgel for whatever conspiracy theory he has planted in his head. Indeed, if that slip up at the start is anything to go by, he probably actually would prefer if they all died.
"Now, those globalists next step is to replace humanity itself with these mutie freaks. More useful idiots for whatever perverse shit they're up to. And easier to control, given how unstable they are. You trust an emotional sixteen year old with the power of a god? You trust them with control over life and death of millions? You think they're mature enough to not let themselves get manipulated by those in power? We already seen these globalists will lie to our faces about Iraqi nukes for their thirst of oil. But mobilizing an individual with the power of an army is much easier than mobilizing the army itself. You only gotta convince one person. The regular guys like us? We'll become irrelevant, much like the neanderthals. It will no longer be our Earth."
The man's face grimaces, as his eyes stare darts at Karla. "But according to Morgenthau and the other globalists, if you say that out loud, you're no better than a Nazi. They primed you to look down at anyone who thinks present society is worth preserving. We should just lay down and die, apparently."
Karla couldn't help but roll her eyes at the man's explanation. The whole idea of the mutant replacement theory is hinged around the idea that mutants are inherently different than a normal human, that they are, for whatever reason predispositioned to go crazy just because they have superpowers that they struggle to control. But of course, that's complete hogwash; the only reason mutants go "crazy" to begin with is socioeconomic factors. Those with good support networks and an outlet to develop their powers in a safe environment have remarkably good outcomes. But since mutants are often feared and rejected from society, and are forced to deal with their power development largely by themselves with no safety provisions, that is the cause for tragedies and subsequent mutant radicalism.
"I think you're looking at this all from the wrong angle, if I can be blunt. It's not an issue of crazed mutants coming to kill us all. It's a matter of failed educational and social services that push people, mutants included, to the brink-"
"Ugh," the ringleader interjected, "Spare me that commie bullshit-"
"I listened to you talk, sir. I appreciate it if you give me your time too."
The man rolled his eyes, but did not make a further attempt to interrupt. Encouraged, Karla continued, "Thank you. Now, as I was saying, I don't disagree with you that individuals developing godlike powers seemingly at random can be a threat to society. But trying to pretend that they're not humans, or claiming that non-mutants and mutants are locked in some kind of Darwinian contest for survival helps nobody in crossing that gap. No matter how much the existence of mutants might make you feel uncomfortable, the fact of the matter is that the mutant gene exists, and will continue to produce new mutants for as long as it remains active."
"You have two options, then. The first option is to realize the distinction between mutant and non-mutant is arbitrary. Stop treating them like enemies, and give them the help they need to live their lives in peace. No one is asking you to like them, mind you. But by providing them a safe place to develop their powers in peace, by not making them feel like persona non grata in their own communities, you massively reduce the chances that they threaten you. Much like how going to school helps us in our outcomes in life, and help develop our own skills and maturity. If you just abandoned your children to their fates, you'd also likely see half-feral children ripping each other apart."
"The other option, of course, is to engage in some kind of eugenics program to wipe out the mutant gene. But if you seriously wish to advocate for that, be prepared to be compared to, and treated like, genocidal Nazis. Because that is what you'd be, if you wanted to kill everyone who could potentially pass down the mutant gene. Any other solution is a half measure; it is the natural and understandable tendency for the oppressed to seek freedom by any means necessary. No amount of Mutant Control Acts will break the resolve of mutants. You are going to have to accept them as your equal and everything that entails, or you are going to have to kill a lot of people to make them go away."
The crowd of protesters were stunned silent. They had no idea how to respond to Karla; they were not expecting anyone to actually come out and attempt to retort their core rallying cry. Of course, Karla wasn't naive enough to confuse their silence with acceptance with her arguments. If they're out there picketing the United Nations for her appearance in the General Assembly in a few days, they're likely very committed in the Wide Awake movement, and it'd take more than one conversation with one random woman they just met to change their world view. But, perhaps, Karla could walk away giving them a powerful seed of doubt.
Taking their stunned silence as an oppritunity to disengage, Karla started to head back towards her hotel. There was nothing left for here at the Plaza besides bad memories and their legacies. Even if she wanted to advance the cause of fighting hatred, there are bigger fish to fry than a protest she encountered by chance. Groups that would require her to ditch her dress and put on the spandex and cape instead. Wasting her time here wouldn't accomplish anything but stroking her ego. Mind as well just get back to the hotel and think out the rest of her trip to New York City.
However, before she could fully get away, the woman from earlier spoke up. "You... You're Karla Morgenthau, aren't you?!"
Karla turned around to wink, before taking a brisker stride away from the chorus of angry shouting that started not a second later.
P O S T C A T A L O G:
This section is not necessary, but a procedural listing of your linked posts will make it much easier and more convenient for all involved.
Hi everyone! I did not forget about this RP. Firstly, I had some of the worst weeks of my life happen to me, vis a vis having to deal with my university loans not getting dispersed. That ended up occupying a lot of my free time, and dampered my mood to work while it was hanging over my head. Secondly, as you can probably see from the writing sample... I might have gotten carried away with my application in some areas. I just, really loved this concept, but I'm afraid it sounds kind of shitposty on the surface, so I wanted to really articulate that no, this is serious, and I intend to play this completely seriously. So I ended up writing a 14 page application, in which half of it is just the writing sample. I assure you, my actual work in this RP will not be this long, and hopefully therefore not take as long.
I'd like to credit @ButteryIcarus for helping me make the sheet by keeping me focused. In particular, the art was by her. She also produced this piece, which is based off of a scene from my writing sample (particularly when Karla is internally monologuing in front of the flags):
So yeah, if you're still willing to take me, this sheet's ready for review.
