( notes for alex, jean, morgana, anya, rogue, babs, and zane )

[Public]

[Charles is in his room, which looks much the same as ever - the comfortable, organized clutter of academia everywhere, along with a couple notable artifacts scattered here and there, like the model prehistoric sea creatures Anya had gotten him for Christmas sitting on his desk - and he looks... good. More or less the same brand of content he's been since he got back from his trip home, although there's a sort of unnatural formality to the way he's sitting and addressing the camera.]

It's been two years and three months since I first made my deal with the Admiral. When I did, I had just suffered a variety of great personal loss. I was depressed, desperately hurt, and incredibly frightened of what the future had to offer for both me, personally, and for my friends and family, and I'll be the first to admit that the Barge wasn't entirely helpful in alleviating those worries.

But I'll also be the first to admit that I wouldn't have what I do now without it, and I know I'm not the only one who can say that. I also know that to some of you, I'm likely sounding like a broken record, but as this is the last time I'm going to have opportunity to say something like this for the time being, [And his smile falters a bit at that, because he's said it, he's leaving, he has to go home.] I just want to tell you that what you're feeling right now - the fear and the anger and the sadness - is all legitimate. You are allowed to feel upset, you're allowed to feel defeated and trapped, but it will get better. You will get past it. You will walk away from this and have a future you deserve. And at the end, this is worth it.

[He means it. He's been tortured, hurt, killed, watched friends die, lived a dozen different lives, been blamed for the actions of other counterparts, and a hundred other things, and he has a future to return home to.

That's made it - all of it - more than worth it.]

I'll be leaving tomorrow morning, if anyone's got any last minute business they'd like to address. It's time. [And he feels badly about that, because he'd wanted to stay longer, but he knows he'll always find a reason to stay, and... he really can't. He misses Erik, he misses Raven and the others, and he wants to get the school up and running. Do some real good in his world. He can't do that here.]

And if anyone's got anything to pass along to Tony, Erik or Raven, I'd be more than happy to drop it off.

[Private to River]

I hope you take up Jean and Rogue's offer to learn more about your gifts. If you're ever in need of a place to stay after your time here has come to an end, we'd be happy to have you.

[Private to Crichton]

I know you're probably tired of me meddling in your business, [It's mostly a joke!] But I know Jean would be more than happy to be a resource you can turn to in dealing with Harvey. I'm sorry I couldn't do more while I was here.

[This post comes within minutes of the flood announcement, because Charles knows something is wrong the second it hits, even if he's still distracted and furious (with himself and the Barge, and their entire desperate situation), and it's that fury that he grips onto instinctively.

It's been what's fueling him for years. Even if he knows now how badly he'd screwed up, it's still a crutch that feels more often like a weapon he wouldn't be able to fight without.

He's in his room, and for anyone who remembers his counterpart on the other Barge, he's not dressed strangely, necessarily. Or, at least, you're probably used to seeing him walking around in the dark cape, maroon jacket and slacks, black boots and gloves, especially in his early days on the Barge. There's an unmistakeable crackle of telepathic energy for anyone on his access filter, enough to cause a uncomfortable headache and getting worse.

There's no hiding his fury in his voice or his expression because suddenly the only thing that's really mattered to him in the last twenty four hours is gone, and one of you is clearly responsible for it.]

You all have two minutes to tell me what you did to Erik before I make you rip yourselves apart.

[It's a threat he fully intends on carrying out, is fully capable of carrying out, but it's also one he can be talked down from relatively easily. He just doesn't realize it yet.]

[Charles is back, and while he doesn't look any different - he doesn't look older, he's got the same hair cut and navy blue sweaters - there's still something different. He seems... happier, more enthusiastic than he's been in a long time before Erik graduated.]

Well, I'm glad to see the ship hasn't burned down in my absence. [And if he sounds mildly surprised about that, can you really blame him?

Anyway, moving on.]

I'm very happy to report that things are moving along quite smoothly at home. Erik says hello, [Or some variation on that to some of you, let's be serious graduation didn't suddenly turn him into a super fluffy fun guy who particularly cares about 90% of you.] Although he remains fairly adamant that he's absolutely not coming back in this lifetime, if at all possible.

[Which kind of begs the question of what the hell is he doing back here, but that's for him to know and you guys to find out at some point maybe.

And with all that said and done, he sobers a little, although he's still looking pretty upbeat and generally pleased.]

I've spend two years on this ship, and in that time, I've had too many people tell me some variation of "you can't change your future", or that I was wasting my time putting my faith in someone who's too incompetent to ever do anything right, and I understand where all of that stemmed from. It's incredibly easy to lose hope here, especially in regards to both those things, and if anyone tries to tell you you're weak for doing so, they're wrong.

But it does work, and you can change your future. This place has done everything it could to drag me and the people I love under, but we've still managed to overcome it, and you can, too.

[And he means that, seriously. He's got the proof to back it up now, too.]

For any new arrivals, I'm Doctor- or I suppose it's really Professor Charles Xavier, now. I'm a warden, I'm a telepath, [Mutant and proud, right?] and I'm one of the wardens in charge of the garden, if anyone's interested in lending a hand. I'm also available as a counselor for anyone - warden or inmate - who feels they need someone to talk to.

( Spam for Jonah )

[Charles is considerably less composed than Erik was when he clicks on his comm and addresses the Barge. He's happy, but he's spent so long waiting for this to happen, has spent so long here being put through literal hell, listening to people tell him time and time again that it was hopeless for them, that they weren't going to be any different and while he'd never really believed them, it's still good to know that those people had been wrong, that there are going to be challenges in the future but they'll be able to face it together, he won't have to be alone, and he can't stay on this ship for a second longer. Not right now.

So he's smiling, desperate relief radiating off him in waves. His face is still flushed, his eyes a little red, but he absolutely doesn't care less that it looks like he's been crying because this is what he's been waiting for for two very long years.]

I have to go. [And again it hits him that he can go home, that they're going to fix this and he lets out an almost disbelieving laugh.] There's a very urgent matter I need to attend to back home, and it can't wait any longer.

[And there's a part of him that's terrified they'll go back and this will all have turned out to be some kind of cosmic joke, but sounds more excited than anything else, to go back and hope this plays out the right way this time, that they're finally getting their second chance.]

I can't- [Some of the excitement fades, and he takes a breath before continuing.] Knowing the Admiral, I can't promise I'll be back, obviously, but I'll try. I intend to come back.

In the mean time, try not to get into too much trouble.

( Notes for Alana, Alex, Jean, Anya, Morgana and Zane )

[He's been here long enough to witness this event two previous times, and it's always been strange, and often a little upsetting. More than a little, actually. But it's hard to resist knowing that he might be able to hear from people back home he hasn't seen in far too long, so he does eventually click on the feed to see who's out there this time.

He's sitting at his desk, and is fiddling with a little plastic figurine of a weird looking bug creature. (The others are on the desk nearby.) He smiles]

This is [There's a fraction of a second of hesitation as he debates at the last second whether or not ] Dr. Charles Xavier. If Sean, Hank and Armando are out there, I would very much appreciate hearing from you.

[Although he will also take calls from anyone else as well. c:]

( Backdated Spam for Alex )

[Public Video]

[Charles is in the garden, which he still has very reliably looking after since Ivy's departure with the assistance of several others. There's not much to do with most of the ordinary outdoor plants right now, what with it being January, but it's still a nice place to come and think and make sure the snow hasn't hurt anything too badly.

He's been out here for a while, properly bundled up with a wool coat and fingerless gloves, but his cheeks are red and his skin's pretty pale, so obviously it's still pretty cold outside. Still, he looks cheerful and genuinely excited when he launches into what he has to say.]

While farmers and herders had understood the benefit of selective breeding for thousands of years, the actual mechanisms governing inheritance were almost completely unknown. After people began to develop more sophisticated microscopes and started studying cells, they became more interested in discovering how a trait is passed from parent to offspring, and the first man to get it more or less right was a relatively unknown monk named Gregor Mendel. He crossbred pea plants, and his work helped scientists finally understand how hereditary actually works. [So basically, it's awesome.]

I know it's a bit early to plant peas out in the garden, but I thought it might be fun to try and recreate his experiment in the spring, if anyone's interested in seeing some very basic genetics in action. We could start a few plants in the greenhouse, first, and move them out here once it gets warmer.

[Private to Steph]

[This message comes after he's come back inside, and he's more or less gone from enthusiastic science geek/teacher to calm, supportive voice of reason. He wears many hats.]

I'm sure you're aware, but Dr. Banner asked me to touch base with you after the holidays if I hadn't already heard from you per your agreement to begin speaking to a therapist. Since I hadn't, I thought it might be time to touch base.

Raven is in a coma. I'll be bringing her down to the infirmary momentarily.

[Erik... has also been in a coma, but considering his intense dislike for infirmaries of any kind, Charles has just left him in Erik's room and been keeping an eye on him. And... hasn't really told anyone, sorry.]

If anyone has any need for her in the mean time, I'd be happy to do what I can to fill in for her.

[Private to Loki]

That goes for you as well.

[Hey Barge, you know what you were in the mood for?

I hope you said a history/Earth culture lesson, because that's what you're about to get.]

As I'm sure a good portion of you are aware, tomorrow is the fourth Thursday of November, which means some of us will be either celebrating or thinking of past celebrations of Thanksgiving.

[Stick with him, he'll explain for people who have never heard of this before.]

There's an interesting amount of misleading assumptions surrounding the tradition of Thanksgiving. For those of you who aren't familiar with it, [There are, after all, a lot of people who don't come from Earth as he knows it, and a decent amount of those weren't here last year.] it's a holiday that traditionally commemorates the celebration of a good harvest held by early English settlers and the native American Indians in 1621.

There's a popularly stated "fact" that Thanksgiving as many of us know it was first "invented" by the 16th President of the United States - Abraham Lincoln - after a woman wrote to him insisting that the feast between the English and American Indians be remembered with a national holiday, but in reality, people across the country had been and were celebrating long before he declared it a federal holiday in 1863. Several presidents before him - including George Washington and John Adams, the first and second president respectively - had declared a national day of thanksgiving, and the Continental Congress had done so before the United States had been officially separated from Great Britain. There's even well documented evidence that days of thanksgiving - which could include feasting - were held in Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in America, years before the "first" thanksgiving was held in 1621.

I'd also like to point out that - to the best of what I can determine with the help of the library on board - that while tomorrow is Thanksgiving, tonight is the first night of Hanukkah. Jewish holidays rotate throughout the Julian calendar year because the Jewish calendar is lunar-solar, unlike the Muslim calendar which is almost entirely lunar, and the Christian calendar is almost entirely solar. I won't get into the math - I've probably already bored you all enough as is - but between that and the fact that the Jewish calendar doesn't account for a solar year being 365.25 days long instead of 365, this means that this particular combination won't happen again for several thousand years. Fascinating, isn't it?

[He is being 120% serious, don't hate.]

( Spam for Erik )

[There's a hard edge to Charles' voice that's just not present on the normal Barge under just about any circumstance, and he sounds somewhere between amused and disgusted.]

I wish I could say I was surprised to hear that so many of you are considering breaking down the Admiral's door in the slim hope that they'll be able to inherit his position, [And everyone should know exactly how he's heard that.] But in case anyone's forgotten, most roads to the Admiral end in vaporization. With the death toll barely operational, is that really a risk worth taking, just to instate your own fascist regime on this creaking wreck of a ship?

[This is directed at wardens as much as it is directed towards any inmates hoping to get out of here.]

Take off your blinders. What better way to lull the more power hungry or desperate amongst us into a false sense of hope than to suggest that door offers anything more than an excruciatingly painful end? Murdering each other to get at it is just going to save it the bother of killing you itself.

[Spam for Erik]

[Supplies are - and have been - running low for quite some time, and while Charles hasn't always been the best warden, getting what he wants has never been a problem. Ever. It's better not to ask how he comes by what he does, even though most people probably can guess, anyway.

He's never made what he can do a secret. Not here.

And his priority now - and has been, for longer than he feels comfortable admitting even to himself because it could be dangerous for both of them - is making sure that no matter what happens - because he is far less optimistic about their situation than he might lead others to believe - that Erik still has food and medical supplies and whatever else he might need. Erik has been and probably always will be his Achilles' heel, and he's already had to prove - more than once - just how far he's willing to go to protect him. It's a weakness too many people know about, and he tries to convince himself that he doesn't care, that it's better that they know what they're risking when they try to start trouble with the inmate.

So he's returning to his friend's room with lunch. He'd been able to get his hands on a can of soup, some bread that isn't quite stale, apples, cheese and - most excitingly - alcohol that wasn't made from fermented god-knows-what in someone's bathtub. He doesn't bother knocking - his friend knows he's here, and the door swings open before he can even reach out to touch the doorknob, which gets a small, wry grin out of him as he steps into the room.]

Thank you.

[Private to Raven and Alex, post spam]

[Despite... everything that he's feeling right now, Charles' voice is as cold and businesslike as usual when he clicks on the feed.]

We need to speak.

[ooc: So Charles' detailed au history is available here! with a cw for brief discussion of wrongful institutionalization. The short version is that he's Magneto, which means he takes no one's shit and is bitter, ruthless, and a-okay with using violence to get what he wants and protect what he has. He's also done a lot of yelling about mutant rights and is way more fast and loose with his telepathy.]

As surprising as this might sound- [And he's somewhere between wry and not-quite-self depreciating, but also not-quite-I don't really care how ridiculous this might sound.] I do, actually, agree with what I said in my last address to the network, even if I'm not currently operating under the delusion that I'm the 32nd President of the United States.

I say it might be surprising, but that's honestly probably just for the newcomers, because this isn't anything I haven't said before. I've been quieter about it in recent months, and I know there are people who won't agree with me, and might even be angry with me for suggesting that we have a responsibility to each other, because I know discussions of community building and learning from example often isn't a popular topic, here.

But in the wake of truly terrible events - like the ones we've witnessed recently - we have to remember that this is a place that requires all of us to meditate on our responsibility to each other and the community at large. And revenge and defeatism often isn't as productive or fulfilling as it might seem.

I know how difficult this might be for some people to hear, because God knows I've been in that place myself often enough over the last two years, but I can promise, going down that path isn't worth it. The sooner you realize that, the better off you'll be.

[Private to Chris]

[So, this is maybe a little awkward. It's not like Charles and Chris have exactly been on the best terms (or really spoken much since Charles told him not to brutally fourth wall people way back when), but he's not really good at just sitting around when he might be able to help someone.]

I'm assuming you've already been approached with quite a few viable options in terms of navigating the Barge, but I've got a motorized wheelchair Tony designed for me if you're interested. [And as if the fact that it's designed by Tony Stark isn't enough...]

It's also capable of flight.

[There's a sort of graininess in the sound quality of the recording, like you're listening to - for those familiar with the technology, anyway - a radio. How Charles is accomplishing this is totally your call.]

My friends, [And that's where it really becomes apparent that something is up, because instead of the posh British accent you've all become accustomed to, Charles is speaking in a perfect American accent - specifically, one common to the upper class of upstate New York - and doesn't seem to notice there's a difference at all. He speaks slowly and deliberately, but with undeniable charisma and interest, like he's trying to make sure everyone can understand every word he says because they won't have a chance to hear this again.] This is not a fireside chat on violence. It is a talk on our continued security as a community; because the nub of the whole purpose of keeping this as safe a place as we can make it is to keep you now, and other people later, and those who come after us much later, out of a last-ditch battle for the preservation of whatever order we have here, and all of the things that matter to you and to me and to ours.

This week, in the face of the crisis we all faced, my mind goes back to seven months ago in the night of all out crisis. It was a time when both wardens and inmates were punished through the actions of one person, and I well remember that while I attempted to give aide to those unjustly imprisoned in Level Zero, I had before my eyes the image of all those so deeply affected. Once it had been resolved, I tried to convey what the best course of action was moving forward, and what it meant in our daily lives. Tonight, I want to do the same thing.

We have a responsibility, to this community and to each other, to protect and support those that need it, and to dole out punishment when we see fit. But we also have a responsibility to understand that revenge is not the best or only solution in the face of such terrible acts of violence, and that we must set an example, so that others might come to accept that truth as we do. We must be the great arsenal of democracy.

We have no excuse for defeatism. We have every good reason for hope - hope for peace, yes, and hope for the defense of our well being and for the building of a better community in the future. Let not the defeatists tell us that it is too late. It will never be earlier. Tomorrow will be later than today.

[Open Spam, throughout the flood]

[Thorough the floor, Charles can be found in all of his usual haunts - the library, the dining hall, the common rooms, he might even stop by the infirmary to see if he can lend an extra hand. But there's definitely something different today, and it's pretty much immediately noticeable.

Namely, for the first time in over a year, he's pushing himself around in a wheelchair. On top of that, he seems to have switched out his usual sweaters and collared shirts for a pretty fancy looking suit and tie, and has found a pair of glasses somewhere. He's also got a plush Scottish terrier on his lap, and will keep up with the American accent if you engage him in conversation like this is all perfectly normal.

He also might start trying to sell the New Deal to you. Sorry about that.]

[It might surprise some people to see that Charles has some mud on his shirt, which is clearly the result of having some of it thrown at him, versus from falling on his face. His daemon, Hypatia, isn't in frame, but she's obviously not far and is currently in much the same state.

He looks... well, irritated probably isn't the right word for it. Exasperated might be better.]

I understand that everyone's very fond of their war games, but I think we'd all appreciate it if you kept any mud slinging activities safely away from noncombatants.

[And then a wry smile spreads across his face.]

That goes double for any adults playing along.

[YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE.]

[Spam]

[Charles and Hypatia have always been a little bit unusual amongst the academic crowd from Jordan College. They're friendly and active and eager to get out and do research and get involved with people of all walks of life, instead of being content to just stick to the stuffy, closed off world of some of the other scholars. So while they can both certainly be found on the college grounds and in the library, it's just as likely to catch him out on the streets of Oxford doing research.

His particular area of interest has always been understanding and raising awareness and tolerance towards other cultures and ethnic groups, so he's just as likely to be at a society party exchanging stories with explorers and business men as wandering the markets, browsing the wares and talking to street children.

But his most common haunt - as long as they're in town, anyway - is visiting with his best friend Erik and his family, either just by wandering Oxford with him or dropping by the family longboat for dinner, as he's done ever since he was a teenager. He's by no means been adopted as Gyptian, or anything close to that, but he's been working to improve relations and general attitudes towards them amongst the non Gyptian population, and so anyone with a particular interest in that would likely at least know his name.

And then, of course, he checks in on his cousins Nathan and Alex occasionally. Never mind that Nathan is actually older than him and probably doesn't need looking after.

Most of the time, anyway.]

[Filtered from Alpha, Riddick and Creed]

I've got Rogue. I'm bringing her to the infirmary, and I've been able to flush out Alpha's handiwork. She should be back to normal once she wakes up.

And for the record, I'm more than willing to do the same for anyone else who's been affected.

[Private to Ned]

Any luck determining who the remaining victims are?

[Spam for Raven, backdated to after Zane's been healed]

[Once Zane is out of the woods and taken care of, and Charles finally feels like he can leave him to recuperate without feeling like he's abandoning him, he heads back to his room to wash up and change. He throws out the sweater - actually, he's almost considering throwing it over the side, because even if he could get all the blood off of it, he doesn't want to wear something that feels - and looks - more like a bandage now than an article of clothing.

He's so tired of this. He just wants his little circle of people to be safe, to stop having to deal with the reality that they're probably never going to be, no matter where they are.

It's an exhausting reality.

Once he's cleaned up, he throws on another sweater and just takes a moment to breathe, rubbing his temples with the pads of his fingers. This entire thing is just one giant headache, and he wishes it was less of a liability to just reach out and immediately find the other damaged people.]

[Spam for Touko]

[Charles heads to the library when Touko's shift is ending, just as Anya requested, and he's not... really sure what he's getting himself into. Obviously what Alpha's done to her needs to be reversed, but Anya's not wrong about how traumatic it can be, when you might like the person you were now more than the person you would have been without the tampering. It's not a simple matter of knowing that someone like Rogue or Riddick would be better off not getting homicidally angry.

Fortunately, it doesn't take long to find her.]

Ms. Fukawa? I was wondering if I could talk with you for a minute.

[Private to Zane, later]

[So. You're not on his item anymore. Which means either you've been reassigned, or.]

I have a potentially strange question to ask.

[Private to Felix]

Where's Zane?

[It's not accusatory so much as worried. And when there's no response for a long, long time, the worry really just gets worse.]

[And Public, once Felix hasn't responded and Dean's post has gone up]

[Charles is not panicking. Not at all. But he is definitely Not Happy, and panic is probably not all that far off, because people going missing on the Barge is never a good thing. Ever.]

Zane and Felix were experimenting with Zane's allomancy, and they seem to have gone missing. [Andddd... he doesn't. Really know what else to say. Which is apparent in his expression and voice and just. Everything. Because he really does not know what to do.]

If anyone has any information about the effects of pure lead when ingested by an allomancer- [Kelsier. Vin. Marsh. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?] Please let me know.

[Private to the Admiral]

May I have a set of keys to the greenhouse, please?

[Public]

Since Ivy's left, [Vanished, really, he probably shouldn't use the euphemism even though it's impossible to know if this is permanent or not.] I've asked the Admiral to give me keys to the greenhouse. I hope no one minds.

[He doesn't... actually know all that much about gardening from a first hand perspective, but he feels like someone owes it to Ivy to make sure the plants are well cared for.]

[Spam for the Garden]

[The problem with this plan is that Charles doesn't really own clothes that are good for gardening in. He's got clothes he wears to run in, and spar and fight in (which is still sort of strange to think about, because he still hasn't really made peace with the idea of being a fighter), and the rest of his wardrobe pretty much screams frumpy professor or at least "I haven't gone shopping for clothes since the 1950's" to any modern observer.

So he's kneeling in the garden pulling weeds after he makes his brief announcement, wearing a borrowed pair of gloves and getting dirt all over an old pair of slacks, but he doesn't really care. It's good, to be outside doing something productive and methodical, and it helps make the recent losses and the lingering presence of the flood easier to bear.

He knows he should be checking in with people - his family especially, because it seems like they've been hit particularly hard recently - but at the moment, it's easier to carefully uproot the weeds and replant them somewhere where they won't choke the life out of the other plants.

Considering how much Ivy had cared about everything that grew here, he doesn't want to kill them if he can help it.]

[Open Spam following Port]

[It's a little distressing, how easy it is for things to return to what passes for normal around here, because Charles finds himself sliding back into routine more quickly than he'd like to think he might have. Admittedly, that's probably better than it's been in the past, but it's still strange to think about.

He spends a fair amount of time hovering around the infirmary, checking in on Jean and Barbara and Rogue and trying to be useful where he can be. He's not a doctor - well, not that kind of doctor - but he definitely is fairly well versed in first aid, not to mention just being someone to talk to or listen if a patient needs it. He's also still attending meals in the dining hall instead of holing up by himself somewhere, and although sometimes he'll have his nose stuck in a book, he's more than willing to put it down and be social.

There's also his regular morning (and afternoon and evening sometimes, if he feels like it, which generally means he's overwhelmed and in need of an outlet) run in the CES, and he does actually make use of the CTS too, now that Arthur is gone and Babs is in the infirmary. He needs to keep practicing somehow, after all.]

[Filtered away from Creed]

Mark brought this up and I thought it would be worth mentioning: as we're the only two on board trained to counsel others, if anyone feels they're in need of someone to talk to in light of what's happened, [He figures clarifying in port is fairly unnecessary, everyone knows what's going on.] We're both willing to make ourselves available to listen or discuss the matter confidentially with you.

( Private messages for Alex, Anya, Morgana, Zane, Kelsier, Raven and Creed )

Zane murdered Touko Fukawa earlier this evening, and he's going to be held under house arrest in his room for a week. If anyone has any questions, feel free to direct them to me.

[Warden Filter + Erik]

Erik, Alex and I are going to be guarding the door. If anyone else is interested in taking a shift, let me know. [He figures Kelsier at least might be interested in knowing what's up. B(]

[Private to Cassel]

Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?

[Private to Chromie]

I'm trying to get him to talk about why it happened. Once I have more information, I'll let you know.