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Ned § Video 01 § Day 57
[ The video feed switches on upon Ned's determined face. It's his first video communication; he hasn't been using the network much, but this is an important community matter. ]
Does anyone know who is responsible for these? [ Ned waves a copy of that mysterious flyer which has popped up around town so suddenly. He turns the camera back to his own face, talking directly to his fellow captives. ]
Whoever it is, it seems to me like they are trying to sow the seeds of doubt and turn us on one another. Make us so suspicious of one another so we can't work together. Which makes me think it might have come from the people who are keeping us here. And it makes me think that we're starting to worry them. [ There is an edge of anger to his voice, beneath the surface, if you listen closely enough. ]
But I think they're underestimating us. Gossip? Really? [ He half-laughs and shakes his head in amused disbelief. ] We're all grown-ups here. We aren't going to be- to be manipulated by some anonymous bullies. [ The spite in the way he delivers that last word makes it sound as if he's had some experience with bullies. ] We just need to trust one another, and not let this nonsense come between us. Part of that is... coming clean.
So. Me first. [ Ned swallows, takes a moment to collect his courage. It's a big thing to confess, even if plenty of people already know about it. For all his big talk, honesty is against Ned's very nature. But this isn't exactly a normal place, and at this point, owning up is just a part of damage control. ]
...It's true. I brought someone back to life. [ He exhales, half in relief. It's done, now. No going back. ] It's not like that was a secret. It happened in broad daylight and there were like, a dozen witnesses, so this- [ He brandishes the paper again ] is not exactly an exposé, is it? As for being 'mint-in-the-box', well, I don't even know what that means, so I can't say if I am one way or another.
Does anyone know who is responsible for these? [ Ned waves a copy of that mysterious flyer which has popped up around town so suddenly. He turns the camera back to his own face, talking directly to his fellow captives. ]
Whoever it is, it seems to me like they are trying to sow the seeds of doubt and turn us on one another. Make us so suspicious of one another so we can't work together. Which makes me think it might have come from the people who are keeping us here. And it makes me think that we're starting to worry them. [ There is an edge of anger to his voice, beneath the surface, if you listen closely enough. ]
But I think they're underestimating us. Gossip? Really? [ He half-laughs and shakes his head in amused disbelief. ] We're all grown-ups here. We aren't going to be- to be manipulated by some anonymous bullies. [ The spite in the way he delivers that last word makes it sound as if he's had some experience with bullies. ] We just need to trust one another, and not let this nonsense come between us. Part of that is... coming clean.
So. Me first. [ Ned swallows, takes a moment to collect his courage. It's a big thing to confess, even if plenty of people already know about it. For all his big talk, honesty is against Ned's very nature. But this isn't exactly a normal place, and at this point, owning up is just a part of damage control. ]
...It's true. I brought someone back to life. [ He exhales, half in relief. It's done, now. No going back. ] It's not like that was a secret. It happened in broad daylight and there were like, a dozen witnesses, so this- [ He brandishes the paper again ] is not exactly an exposé, is it? As for being 'mint-in-the-box', well, I don't even know what that means, so I can't say if I am one way or another.
no subject
H-how did you do that?
no subject
[ He turns around, puts two tea mugs down, offers up a bright smile. ] In my world that makes me a mutant. Take a seat.
no subject
[ No, he's not wound up because he's afraid of Charles. It's just that he's been wondering what he is for twenty years now, and the thought that he might be on the right track to some kind of explanation has him fluttery and restless. It's probably a feeling that Charles is used to, from the other mutants he has recruited. That feeling of confusion, suspicion, and the desperate hope that now, finally, he'll learn that he isn't alone. Ned does his best to hide it, smiles back at Charles and holds his tongue for as long as he can. But then he blurts:]
Is there any way to know for certain if that's what I am, and is that even possible, considering we're from different worlds and where I come from there isn't anybody else who is... [ He trails off, but the implicit ending of his sentence is clear: a freak ]
no subject
Mutation generally comes from a difference in your DNA. It's not something to be frightened of. Brunettes have mutated genes. Your eyes are the colour they are because of a gene. It could be that you are just like I am. I'm aware of the differences in the worlds though. Even if it doesn't explain itself through your genes I have no reason to think you shouldn't be allowed to claim the word for yourself.
no subject
If mutation always runs in families, like brown hair or brown eyes, then I'm not one. [ He thinks that perhaps he isn't a mutant, after all. His parents were perfectly normal. But then it occurs to him, with a strange sort of surprise, that they might not have been. It isn't as if he knows all that much about them. Ned takes the mug of tea and cradles it between his hands, pushing away the troubling thought that, in addition to knowing very little about the origins of his power, he doesn't know all that much about his origins, period. ] ...Probably.
[Then again, if the rest of what Charles said is true, does it really matter? Charles has hit upon it neatly. Of course, Ned would like proof of what he is and why he is it. But what he needs more urgently is a name to call himself. An idea, a category, so that he is one amongst many, rather than a solitary aberration. Still, Ned hasn't given up on the idea just yet. He thinks of another complication, asks a leading question ]
So you've been telepathic since birth? [ The nine year gap has always been a troubling wrench in the works, for Ned. He knows that his powers didn't start before then. He's certain. He touched plenty of dead things as a child. Ate pot roast, pressed his cheek into his dad's leather jacket, jumped in mountains of autumn leaves with Chuck. ]
no subject
[ Shaking his head. ] Most of my research has been on mutation, but until very recently I knew that only I and one other person had a specific kind of ability. I had hoped of course, but never found someone else. From what I can tell a power doesn't really kick in until something happens to make it - puberty or a traumatic event.
no subject
[ Even if Charles weren't telepathic, the accuracy of that description is written all over Ned's face. He sets the mug down, stares into its contents as if suddenly fascinated by the sight of tea. The day he discovered his powers is closer to the surface of Ned's mind than usual, after the events of the previous day. He thinks of Digby, dead on the road. Of Charles Charles, sprawled on the grass, the hose still running. His mother, on the floor of the kitchen, not breathing. ]
[ Yes, he thinks. If trauma is enough to kick-start a mutant power, then his is most likely a mutant power. Though it's hard to untangle the two: did the trauma cause the power, or the power cause the trauma, or both at once? ]
That sounds about right.
[ Then he remembers, belatedly, that he is sitting across the table from a mind reader. That in all likelihood, Charles might have seen, or heard, or sensed some of what had just flashed through his mind. Now the uneasiness comes; there are really some things he would rather keep private, if it's at all possible.]
Do you... can you see everything I think? [ He does his best to make it not sound like an accusation. If it is something Charles can't control, well, they've all been there. But if it is, Ned thinks he'd rather have the option of putting a few places in his mind off-limits ]
no subject
[ A gentle smile. He understands, of course he does. Ned has every right to be concerned. He thinks of the CIA, of his mother and how strange she found him, of Erik telling him to stay out of his mind. ] I've found certain ways to control it in recent years. I can block most things out. Of course, if you start shouting with your thoughts I might not have any choice.
[ Hands curling around his mug. ] You needn't be afraid, Ned. There is nothing at all wrong with you.
no subject
That's an awfully big thing to say, considering you hardly know me.
[ He would like to believe Charles, he really would. Maybe if he were younger, if he'd met him earlier on, he would have been able to accept it. But Ned's been alone with his self-loathing for a long time, and a reassuring word or two aren't going to wipe it all away. He doesn't really feel like talking about his self-esteem at the moment; not when he still has so many questions about mutants. ]
So if different mutants have different powers, have you ever met anyone with mine?
no subject
[ He lets Ned's self deprecating comment slide for the moment. ]
no subject
When I was a kid, I used to imagine I'd find other people like me. [ He takes a sip of his tea before he finishes the thought ] It's a little surreal for it to really be happening. Good surreal, though. Definitely good.
no subject
Where I'm from, we're trying to find the others. We've been working towards bringing mutants together, helping them, guiding them.