sirenspull | text; Wednesday afternoon

Yes.

If it would help to yell I'm alone.

You're alive.

You're alive, after killing someone I know, sending my friend into a depression, lying to everyone, and holding my son and doing god knows what to him, and you're sorry.

What's in the file.

What is it you think I lied about? Because, honestly, I'm remarkably bad at it.

And if you want to know what happened to Sam while he was in the DR - there are video logs with audio. Ones which cannot be tampered with. All you ever need do is ask to see them. I didn't - wouldn't - have done anything to hurt Sam. I liked him.

Reviews of various school policies, curriculum, teacher to student ratios, enrolment requirements, bus lines, etc.

If you know anything about my world then you know my entire life has been surrounded by liars. I can't trust you, I'm sorry. Not anymore. You sold yourself as a respectable, caring person for so long and you abused my trust and the trust of anyone else willing to put their life in your hands.

I appreciate your condolences, and the file. Thank you.

You're welcome.

Something you may wish to consider Mary - what is 'respectable' is not universal. We each come to this place with our own cultures, our own rules. Whether we assimilate or not, that past informs who we are.

Unless you are counting lies as Lucifer does - that, to conceal anything is a lie - I did not, nor have I ever lied to you. I did not mention I ruled a country back home. I did not mention I was the commander in chief. I did not mention the multi-decade career as a general, or the wars I've waged. I do not consider these lies. In time, they likely would have came up in conversation. I simply felt no need to make an attempt to lord around titles which have little to no meaning here. Any crown one wears at home has virtually no baring here.

What I did do is give freely of my talents, time, training, and experience to all those of this island. I opened my home - many times - to any and all in need of shelter, be they Newcomers or MAN members. I invited perfect strangers into my home and offered my protection to them from other guests, solely to be a good host - Crowley included, only to be often responded to with disrespect. I took on children not only not my own, not members of my people - either of them, but those from other worlds and cultures entirely, and have cared for them as best I have been able. I do not know what you consider respectable and caring in your world. From mine, I have been nothing but.

Now however, is truly not the time to discuss such matters. If you wish to, however, you know how to reach me.

You betrayed the trust of everyone who put their faith in you. The fact that you willingly took on so much responsibility for so many lives and well-beings, and then murdered someone who refused your hospitality, just poses even more frightening questions. What if I had been disrespectful? What if Cas had? You know what angels are like.

It wasn't about refusing hospitality. Unlike some, I do not feel the need to air personal business to the Port in general.

Castiel and the other angels are different. They are higher on the ladder than me - if they were to be disrespectful guests, they would be asked to leave. Forced to, if civility failed. Otherwise? I would never raise a hand to any of them. Well. Gabriel just that once, and frankly, he deserved it.

You? The other people of the Port? There are extremely few I hold to that standard. Because there are few who are my equals, in terms of what it is we are and the rank we hold. And raising a hand in anger or vengeance to those who are below your rank is dishonouring yourself.

[Mary wanted the truth, that was what she was getting - had Crowley been a footsoldier, Magneto would have ignored his lack of manners. But for one King to be disrespectful to another wasn't something Magneto was willing to let go. He didn't care if he was liked, he cared about respect.]

Rank. Equals. Well, it's good to know that you give everybody around you the respect they deserve. This isn't the military and in the civilian world you don't rank people like that.

What makes you think an immortal King of Hell is anywhere near your "equal", anyway? You're human or close to it. He's not in Hell. There aren't any ranks here, so you don't need to start your measuring contests.

It isn't a matter of military. My parents grew to adulthood under a King, and I routinely deal with royal courts myself. It isn't about rank, it's about station and social hierarchy. I understand such matters in the United States are far more causal but that is not the case for the rest of the world, much less the rest of the universe.

Actually, I'm further from Human than you would believe. Not that I expect you to understand - few outside our world do. It isn't an insult among those of us not Human to be called something other than Human, we can be different and still be equal - which we should be, even if sadly we've had to fight our entire lives for it.

As for why I believe he's my "equal" - I don't. I believe I am superior. But then, my seven year old student is his equal, after all our darling demonic sorceress ruls as Queen of Limbo. And with little exception - something a child is capable of excelling at, even an exceptional child, causes me to question the abilities of someone of such as age as he.

But, ruler to ruler, we are on equal standing - and I expect equal respect.

What makes you superior to anyone? You just told me we should be equal.

There is a different in equality in terms of Rights and equality in terms of hierarchy.

He obviously considers himself better than you. And given that you've misrepresented yourself and lied and manipulated in more sinister ways than I've ever seen him do, I might just agree with him.

But I wouldn't. I know that we need to check our ideas about hierarchy and ridiculous class bigotry at the baseball field.

If you think you're superior to the people around you, then you and I have nothing more to say. I want nothing to do with a man like that.

The only 'misrepresentation' I have presented is to present myself as a cabinet member rather than ruler. Which is fairly common, for security purposes. I haven't lied - as I said, I'm actually fairly bad at it and it simply creates liabilities I do not have time for.

And honestly, Mary, you are far more intelligent than this. The best manipulators never get caught.

You may believe we need to check such ideas at field - but as Sectors 11 and 3 show, hierarchy and social status are, in fact, the only thing which matters here. If that were not true, you wouldn't have needed to apply for citizenship. Newcomers are at the bottle of the social ladder, citizens higher up. However, please do not misunderstand awareness of social status for class bigotry, but again, I understand that is concept far removed from American culture.

Mary. It is not a matter of being 'better than' - that is not what I mean by superior. I have no problem dining with other rulers and no problem sharing a cup of coffee off the back of a roach coach with a hammer hanging from my hip while hanging drywall with other trades. But I do understand that dealing with those such as Kuchiki and Unohana, or Ella and Loki at times - and yes Crowley, means dealing with a different set of rules - and breaking those rules does have consequences.

It is entirely not my fault is Crowley decided not to pay attention. Kuchiki is far younger - though much more experienced - and he read my standing within minutes of speaking to me - as I did theirs. Even young Ella did, and she's barely more than a child.

That is a skill you acquire as a ruler - to identify others of equal standing. Because we must use guises when we are in hostile territory. The other thing you do not do, is drag innocent bystanders into personal feuds. Or at least those who rule successfully do not.

But is not about being "better than".

Oh, so Crowley deserved to get tortured and murdered? Because he broke rules you probably never discussed with him, and that's the natural consequence? Don't insult me and call it conversation. Don't roofie me and call it romance.

Being a ruler isn't like being a blonde or having diabetes. It isn't something that lasts forever. You aren't a ruler. You can't just act like one and expect everyone around you to follow those rules. Did Crowley even know that about you? Maybe he looked at you and just saw one more arrogant mortal like everyone else who's ever called a demon to a crossroads and thought they could get away with it.

You killed him, but I haven't heard you do anything but make excuses so far and give me half of a story about your daughter that doesn't even make sense.

I haven't tortured anyone in the Port.

[Because no, he doesn't consider what he did to Crowley to be torture.]

Being outside my country doesn't strip me of my title, Mary.

If he did? That mistake was on him. Perhaps he should learn from it.

And as I've said before - you are one of the people I will discuss things with. But in person.

First you tell me this isn't the time to discuss it, then you escalate the conversation with things I can't possibly let go, then tell me you won't talk about it except in person.

Being disrespectful and making wrong assumptions are all in the normal range of decent social interaction. Committing murder? That isn't. You can't even make the comparison, or make this his fault. Not unless he did something to actually deserve a torturous death. By the way, why should I believe you when you say you haven't tortured anyone? You're making excuses for your crimes and putting the responsibility on everybody else. I have no reason to believe you. Crowley doesn't try to manipulate me. I know what manipulation looks like. He's too acidic to try and too cavalier to care. So again. No reason to believe you, and how dare you make this your victim's fault.

Your title and ten cents can buy you a phone call. Like it or not, you have to check pleasantries and politics at the door. It doesn't matter here, nobody cares, and what you were at home doesn't mean anything in this life. For some of us, Siren's Port is the only home we get, so kindly don't ruin it with your ridiculous prejudices about worlds that don't belong here.

[He wonders if she can feel his brow tic via text.]

I said it wasn't, so that you could drop the matter for the time being if you wished. And yes, there are a handful of topics I will only discuss in person.

And if he did, why should I tell you? Nothing between he and I involves you, or anyone else on this island.

How many times do I need to tell you - I do not, as a matter of course, lie. Although we both know several individuals who would be able to tell you if I was.

You keep saying no one cares. Again, check Sector 3, check the Network. Plenty care.

They care about in-Port status. Nobody cares about who you were at home. If you were a king or a god there, then that gets left there. All you are here is the extent of your relationships with people. You might have been both, but here you're almost nothing based on your connections with people. Being a Newcomer is about community, not status. I thought you of all people would appreciate that.

Murder is a crime against the state and against society. What happened involves everyone.

According to you. It's not a universal idea.

And what being a Newcomer is about varies. As I said, I went beyond my duty to my fellows.

And, once again, it might be.

Or have you never killed something sentient?

So you'll go above and beyond for people who kowtow to you and who you think are on your level, but if they have the audacity to be independent thinking beings without doing you any wrong, then they deserve to die?

Stop it. What I used to do was about protecting the innocent. Who did you benefit by killing Crowley? Your ego doesn't count.

If I wanted people who kowtowed to me, would I be speaking to you at all?

Innocent by whose standards? By what law?

Don't do that. It's a dishonest way of trying to manipulate the flow of the conversation away from the original point. Honestly, Michael? I don't know about you and me. What are you going to do if I keep disrespecting you? Murder me? Or am I not worth your time because you don't think I'm superior enough?

Answer me this: did Crowley do anything specific to you to deserve to die that horribly?

You aren't being disrespectful, so the question is entirely moot. However if you were to be, for utterly no reason, and after being warned to stop? No. For many reasons, none of which I would doubt you believe, solely because you clearly don't understand what I mean when I speak of superiority.

And, once again. If you want to ask - ask in person.

No. Answer me here. You've fed me enough excuses here, I know you can give me a straight answer, too.

It's not refusal to give you a straight answer. It's refusal to speak one way or the other on a traceable medium.

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