The Tail Of Taekook

28 -Speeches

"Social change isn't something we have to fight for. It isn't something we have to wait for. It's something we strive to achieve, through campaigns and peaceful debates. Why? Because we don't want the world to break apart. We don't want the world to shatter to pieces just because it doesn't work exactly how we'd like. We don't want the system we put in place to be unstable, and crumble under the first stresses it ever gets. That would ruin it all."

Namjoon glances over at me as he finishes his part of our communal speech, a sort of half smile on his face, as he knows it's my turn to speak next. This is the biggest thing we've ever done as BTS, and I couldn't be prouder of us all. Our followers somehow managed to corral together and attend this meeting without anyone knowing, and we're more than a little grateful for that. This is our chance to talk to them, after all.

"There will be people that wonder what we stand for. There will be those that think that nobody else agrees with our ideas. There will be people who just don't care about anything except themselves. We are here to change that. Submissive people and dominants alike shouldn't have to suffer in society. It should work for everyone. Status shouldn't determine whether you treat somebody else with respect. It shouldn't stand in the way of progression, as it currently does."

"Equally," Jin chimes in, sending me a cheerful smile, "we shouldn't hate people for being who they are. Take my mate and I, for example. We are both males, but that shouldn't stop us from being happy together. It shouldn't stop people from supporting us and respecting our relationship as just as important as a relationship between a male and female, or between two females. Identity is something people search for years to discover, and it's constantly changing. That's just the way life is. We can't stop the world from turning. It doesn't work like that."

"Those with less power or more power should treat each other as equals," Jimin says, smiling at the crowd in front of us. "The very fact that you're all here proves to us all that there are those who believe in equality and in fair judgement. No matter who you are, or who you love, everyone has a clean slate when they're born, and that shouldn't be taken away based on the colour of their tail or their skin, or the language they speak."

Jungkook raises his right arm, pointing over at a rock on the side, before swimming over there calmly, lifting a starfish to show us all. The expression on his face is so focused and yet caring, that my heart skips a beat. He looks over at me, as if sensing it, and smirks for a moment, a fond look in his eyes.

Fuck, I love him.

"The inhabitants of the ocean are not our slaves," he says, glancing up at the crowd, who are watching him curiously. "They are the ones who have looked after us for generations, and they have been here for millennia, before we were even born. The problem is that most people forget that. You can't ignore the truth, however. If these creatures didn't accept our presence, if the ocean decided not to help us, we wouldn't be here today. We need to remember and appreciate that."

He returns the starfish to its place on the rock, gently placing it down as if it's made of porcelain. "Communication isn't necessary for respect. We should understand that they have routes and instincts too. They shouldn't change for us. That's just not right."

"You may wonder how you can support us, and what we stand for," Sapphire says, as Jungkook returns to my side, "and the answer to that is very simple. Your presence here today is enough to tell us that we aren't the only ones who believe that social change is needed within the mer world. But we need to get more people to see what we see, and understand what we do. Your job, as ARMYs, is to spread the word of what BTS stand for, and to pass our message on however you see fit. Just don't start getting into fights, that's all we ask."

"We aim to look towards a brighter day, when meetings like this don't have to happen, because the world is good enough for everyone to live in with happiness," Hoseok says cheerfully, his signature smile clear on his face. "We want the ocean to be happy with how the mer live. With your help, we can get there. It will take time, and it will be difficult. But it is possible, if you are willing to be with us every step of the way."