Chapter 6
Mutant Relationships
"You say you're lookin' for someone
Who will promise never to part
Someone to close his eyes for you
Someone to close his heart
Someone to will die for you and more
but it ain't me, babe
No, no no, it ain't me babe
It ain't me you're looking for, babe"
Bob Dylan.
L et us begin by saying that no matter who you are, Mutant, Settler; genius, simpleton; attractive, ugly, or just plain average altogether, relationships are complicated. In this chapter we will discuss certain aspects that are perhaps unique to the wanderer's love life and examine some of these in order to get a better understanding and maybe even avoid
some of the potholes that lay on that most bumpiest of roads.
A Mutant's Guide to Mutation
The Lone Wolf
There are many characteristics that define a true Mutant, but one of the universal and undeniable trademarks is the lone wolf mentality. It is part of all Mutants and it is a difficult psychological factor to overcome. So friends, let us begin with a little hard truth: Mutant relationships are hard!
Trying to relate to people, working and making a living while juggling a relationship is a difficult thing to pull for just about anyone. Socioeconomic status, compatibility, time and opportunity, and God forbid the dreaded living arrangement conversation, make it hard for even the most patient soul to be able to deal with an ongoing relationship without the occasional outburst of frustrated rage. Add a dash of financial struggles and unfulfilled dreams to the pot, and you got yourself a recipe for disaster.
Trying to relate to people, working and making a living while juggling a relationship is a difficult thing to pull for just about anyone. Socioeconomic status, compatibility, time and opportunity, and God forbid the dreaded living arrangement conversation, make it hard for even the most patient soul to be able to deal with an ongoing relationship without the occasional outburst of frustrated rage. Add a dash of financial struggles and unfulfilled dreams to the pot, and you got yourself a recipe for disaster.
Now without getting too depressing, there
is an inherent loneliness that comes with the traveler's way of life. It is also what
makes it so romantic.
T here will be love lost ... make no mistake, there will be love lost. The nature of the life makes it unavoidable. This is a hard life to live when it comes to relationships, because most people don't know how to say goodbye. A Mutant's need for travel means that they will always have a foot out the door, this is a hard thing to accept for any partner ... and for the Mutant himself. A life on the road is a life where friends often turn to acquaintances, and acquaintances become nothing; lovers become friends that are hard to see and then eventually you see them no more. Sometimes, Mutant friends become Settlers and the kinship between species disappears. Blood trails the path of the Mutant by the gallon when it comes to most relationships. There will be love lost my friends, make no mistake of it ... but there will also be great loves and incredible adventures.
is an inherent loneliness that comes with the traveler's way of life. It is also what
makes it so romantic.
T here will be love lost ... make no mistake, there will be love lost. The nature of the life makes it unavoidable. This is a hard life to live when it comes to relationships, because most people don't know how to say goodbye. A Mutant's need for travel means that they will always have a foot out the door, this is a hard thing to accept for any partner ... and for the Mutant himself. A life on the road is a life where friends often turn to acquaintances, and acquaintances become nothing; lovers become friends that are hard to see and then eventually you see them no more. Sometimes, Mutant friends become Settlers and the kinship between species disappears. Blood trails the path of the Mutant by the gallon when it comes to most relationships. There will be love lost my friends, make no mistake of it ... but there will also be great loves and incredible adventures.
The Mutant and the Settler
Interraci al Relationships
have an ability to tolerate the bullshit for longer periods of time. Sometimes their patience
and willingness to settle can last them a lifetime. Mutants, on the other hand, have little to no bullshit tolerance. I believe the core difference lays in knowing the outcome of the relationship beforehand. You see, a well seasoned Mutant knows that all things must come to an end. Mutants know that sooner or later they will have to move on, and so there's no use in lying to him/herself, therefore breakups can be accepted with more finesse. Settlers haven't lived this truth time and time again, at least not of their own accord, and so the prospect of "forever"
can seem somewhat more plausible ... their hope blinds them from the truth, and
so the end can be extremely challenging for them to accept. E veryone suffers the same struggles where relationship are concerned, but Settlers
- Mutant Settling -
relationship struggles are amplified for various reasons. If a Mutant decides to truly date a Settler then he/she must be patient and be as honest as possible with the Settler in explaining the Mutant way of life in order for the relationship to have a chance at survival. This isn't as simple as it sounds because at times it can be like trying to explain The Divine Comedy to a clouding of baby kitties . . . lots of cute looks, but little attention and no understanding whatsoever. It isn't anyone's fault, it is simply that most Settlers have no reference point by which to relate.
In this most common of scenarios the Mutant is
the one trying to accommodate his lifestyle to the one
of the Settler. This is a difficult thing to do but it is doable, maybe (I wouldn't know), and happiness can be accomplished if both parties are honest and
patient with one another.
N ow when it comes to relationships between Mutants and Settlers, the common The trap of comfort in the arms of a warm
body is the glue that can hold a Mutant in place for a
spell, perhaps longer, but the nature of the beast
will eventually force the feet to move and eyes and mind to wander. Be honest and
courageous with those around you, and most of all be honest with yourself about who you really are, and accept the mutant blood that runs through your veins. We are all slaves
to the power of comfort. Don't let yourself become too comfortable, it will eventually consume and define you. A Mutant, like all other creatures, must make compromises and sacrifices in order to survive. But beware of sacrificing your identity for the comfort of the familiar and the safety of the mundane, for if you do it enough you might end up masking yourself as a
Settler and there is no worse torture than the hollowness and craziness of the in between. Remember and accept what you are, and you are not one of them.
Time with loved ones is precious for the passerby because time with them is
always short. A veteran Mutant can say goodbye with grace, because he/she has said it
a thousand times before. Though this can seem charming to the settler at first,
it is also the very trait that when used on them will make them despise you.
People can love an honest monster, nobody loves a lying saint.
"Shop for security over happiness and you will buy it, at that price"
Richard Bach
- The In-betweeners -
The complications of mutation are many and can vary from person to person. But sometimes a long lived Settler that tries to become a Mutant gets lost in the "in-between," never choosing a side
and forever lost.
These creatures can
be dangerous to both races and to themselves in that they have no loyalty or sense of kinship. Neither Mutant nor Settler, existing somewhere in between, they become parasites to both species alike. Lost in the shadows and without purpose they are the sociopath/mentally handicap distant cousins of the true Mutant, and once these creatures are lost it is nearly impossible to get them back once they've lived this parallel life for too long.
Stay away from them my friends, they'll feed from anyone who will give them attention
and not only show no gratitude in return but bite the hand that feeds them.
and forever lost.
These creatures can
be dangerous to both races and to themselves in that they have no loyalty or sense of kinship. Neither Mutant nor Settler, existing somewhere in between, they become parasites to both species alike. Lost in the shadows and without purpose they are the sociopath/mentally handicap distant cousins of the true Mutant, and once these creatures are lost it is nearly impossible to get them back once they've lived this parallel life for too long.
Stay away from them my friends, they'll feed from anyone who will give them attention
and not only show no gratitude in return but bite the hand that feeds them.
- Settler Rising -
Perhaps the worst option to consider when looking for a long lasting inter-species romantic relationship is that of The Settler Rising. Being with a Settler as they begin their transformation to become a Mutant. All bullshit aside, this is the worse thing that a Mutant can do him/herself. | |
As much as you may love them I advice against ANY MUTANT considering this option. Remember what was said about "newborn Mutants" in chapter one?
"The beginnings of mutation are always hard.
Life gets confusing when there seems to be no anchor to your ship.
In the beginning of the transformation, it is difficult to distinguish your true emotions
from the sporadic emotional outburst of your mutating condition.
Think teenage hormonal rage on meth-amphetamines."
I wasn't joking or exaggerating about this beginning condition. If you are a Mutant you
should now take a second to remember your beginnings. Yeah, not pretty! The statement above is very real and you should stay away from this kind of relationship. It is doomed to fail and the seasoned Mutant will always be the one hurt in such a situation. Love will have nothing to do with it nor will it be able to salvage it. It is a matter of chemicals and experience. The new born Mutant will not be the same Settler you once knew and cared about, and they may
not always see you in the same light once their mutation has begun.
"The beginnings of mutation are always hard.
Life gets confusing when there seems to be no anchor to your ship.
In the beginning of the transformation, it is difficult to distinguish your true emotions
from the sporadic emotional outburst of your mutating condition.
Think teenage hormonal rage on meth-amphetamines."
I wasn't joking or exaggerating about this beginning condition. If you are a Mutant you
should now take a second to remember your beginnings. Yeah, not pretty! The statement above is very real and you should stay away from this kind of relationship. It is doomed to fail and the seasoned Mutant will always be the one hurt in such a situation. Love will have nothing to do with it nor will it be able to salvage it. It is a matter of chemicals and experience. The new born Mutant will not be the same Settler you once knew and cared about, and they may
not always see you in the same light once their mutation has begun.
- Mutant VS Mutant -
It is a sad thing to say, but in the end I believe that Mutants can only really date other Mutants. Inter-species relationships tend to turn bitter and devoid of connection, and the connection to start with tends to be flimsy at best. The psychological gaps between the species stand for reason, polar opposites and all that, but it is also what causes the initial attraction. For you see, every Mutant has a longing for the permanent and the security of setting roots, and every Settler has the hidden Mutant gene that makes them wish they could fly away and leave it all behind. We desire what we don't have, and so we find poetry in those who have what we so long for. But once confronted with the reality of our desires the fantasy quickly fades away, and both Mutant and Settler alike find the others' life to be a hallow shell of an existence. The core aphrodisiac in the love potion that initially sparked the relationship
spoils to the very poison that inevitably kills it altogether.
That standing true, relationships between Mutants are also challenging. Timing is essential
in all relationships. Mutants, unlike settlers, are in a constant state of flux that keeps them like monkeys on cocaine, always looking for something to do, somewhere to go, and forever horny. So in order for you to find a suitable long term Mutant mate, the traveler must find a partner that is not only in a constant state of "controlled change" but controlled change that is in resonance to his/her own. Otherwise, the gray monster of boredom and strife
will show its sad ugly face, and the Mutants will have to part.
spoils to the very poison that inevitably kills it altogether.
That standing true, relationships between Mutants are also challenging. Timing is essential
in all relationships. Mutants, unlike settlers, are in a constant state of flux that keeps them like monkeys on cocaine, always looking for something to do, somewhere to go, and forever horny. So in order for you to find a suitable long term Mutant mate, the traveler must find a partner that is not only in a constant state of "controlled change" but controlled change that is in resonance to his/her own. Otherwise, the gray monster of boredom and strife
will show its sad ugly face, and the Mutants will have to part.
Change is at the heart of every traveler and the key to growth in any partnership is growing together. Like the grass needs the rain, Mutants need change in order to survive and thrive. In all relationships you either grow together or grow apart. This growth can only happen if both parties accept the truth about themselves and each other. Both parties understanding that one day it will end. |
Finding a suitable Mutant mate while living the Mutant way of life is improbable,
this is the reason why Mutants mostly have lovers and not full functioning monogamous relationships. But this isn't to say that it is impossible. Wolves can be loners as well as pack animals, and two wild wolves can not only learn to hunt together, but they can thrive together. Through each other's strengths they can reach further heights together than either one
alone ever thought possible. Together they can shake the very foundations of the concepts
of love, passion and connection, and like an untamable whirlwind take
the world by storm that so belongs to them.
Hunt on Mutant friends, one of our kin is out there waiting for you.
this is the reason why Mutants mostly have lovers and not full functioning monogamous relationships. But this isn't to say that it is impossible. Wolves can be loners as well as pack animals, and two wild wolves can not only learn to hunt together, but they can thrive together. Through each other's strengths they can reach further heights together than either one
alone ever thought possible. Together they can shake the very foundations of the concepts
of love, passion and connection, and like an untamable whirlwind take
the world by storm that so belongs to them.
Hunt on Mutant friends, one of our kin is out there waiting for you.
When the Winds Change
From the dark mucky waters all Mutants sprung, and to the onyx waves we shall return.
The sea is mother to us all and one day she will claim back her beloved offspring. A last cold embrace to remind us of the humanity we left behind so long ago.
When a Mutant sees the dark waters of change he wishes to be consumed by them. The rain, the winds, the soothing rocking of the waves are daggers to the heart that remind the Mutant that it won't be long before the Settler mask disintegrates to salt and dust and the Mutant inside claws its way back up to the wheelhouse with luggage in hand and the knowing grin of approaching departure.
The universe expands and contracts, things are born and others die; in the end, all things
are but temporary. Understanding this truth can help one deal with the changes that come with every winter, but knowing it can build a shell that can keep one from experiencing the world in all it's splendor. Don't let your innocence suffocate inside too hard a shell young Mutant. Remember there is good all over this most facinating of blue pearls, and everyone has a story to tell. Smile and part the curtains to let the light shine in, can't rain all the time.
The Wandering Mutant
"Remember, people can love an honest monster, nobody loves a lying saint."