futurology | video | username: merlin

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video | username: merlin

[It's the first time that Merlin's broadcasted a video of his own, normally content to just poke his nose into others. He's sitting at a table, chin propped up on his fist, the universal pose of Deep Thought.]

I've been thinking a lot lately. [And that would be the point where Arthur would inevitably have something to say about that. It feels...odd, being able to continue without interruption. And not in an entirely good way.] About the humans and the goblins, but mostly about those who found themselves caught in-between. It's difficult, living your life in secret, wondering where you fit in, if you fit in at all.

[He's getting that wounded bear face again, a long expression with sad round eyes.]

I'm not trying to excuse anything terrible that's been done. By anyone. I was only wondering if anyone else knows what it's like to feel like an outcast.

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Where I come from, we have a whole group of people the rest of society considers outcasts. Mutants.

That's the second time I've heard that word. [Though it sounds like his world has a larger number of them.] Why are people so afraid of mutants?

Second time?

[ Despite himself, Scott can't help the faint note of hope in his voice. That maybe there's another mutant, and maybe one he knows. Maybe even one of his teammates. What he wouldn't give for Hank or Warren or Bobby right now.

Or Jean. ]

It's— well, it's a little bit complicated. Mutants are basically people who are born with the potential to develop what you could call "superhuman" abilities. People who can read minds, people who have wings or can change their appearance whenever they want. Anything. Every mutant is different. But up until a certain age, they look like everyone else. Like ordinary humans, I mean, with human parents who never suspect their son or daughter's anything but an ordinary human too.

Yeah. There's someone else. But it doesn't sound like there's that many of them where he's from.

[Merlin listens, so that he has a little bit more of a definition to put with this new word. Some of it sounds like magic. Some of it sounds...strange. But he understands simply being born different very well.]

And parents really turn their backs on their own children?

Well, yeah.

[ Scott thinks of Bobby's family. Who will never want him back, never want him to come back, because what Bobby has can't be fixed. You can't try not being a mutant. ]

They're ashamed of it. Or afraid. Or embarrassed. Having your family turn their back on you isn't even the worst possible outcome. People get killed.

[ And he really, really wants to ask who the other person is, but if they're another mutant— he's not sure they'd want to talk to him. Or would be happy to find Scott Summers asking after them, even the younger one. ]

There are groups actively trying to eradicate mutants.

There was a purge in my world, just before I was born. Similar things....they might've happened.

[He'd never really thought about it before.]

Do they ever fight back?

Yeah. Some people do. Sometimes just to protect themselves or other mutants from getting hurt. Some people go further.

[ People Scott doesn't have much respect for. ]

Some people think they should conquer humanity before humans can wipe out and oppress mutants. Not that it accomplishes anything but making the rest of the world even more scared of them.

[ Magneto. ]

That sounds startlingly familiar.

[He thinks of Nimueh, of the other sorcerers who came to Camelot seeking their revenge, seeking to rule. It's just as bad in his opinion. It fuels Uther's hatred, it proves him right.]

We can't let that happen here.

To...the goblins? The recruits?

[ Or is there some threatened group he somehow hasn't taken note of yet? Even Scott Summers can only pay attention to so many things, and he thinks the politics here are a lot uglier than they even seem on the surface. He's quite sure he doesn't fully know what's going on. ]

To anyone. The humans, the goblins, us. Every group seems hated by someone.

Because they don't really see each other as people, I think. It's easier if you don't think of them as people, just them. Easier to justify hating them and what you'll do to them if you draw lines in the sand like that.

So if we want to fix anything, we'll have to start there.

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video | username: merlin

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