EIGHTY TWO ✖ VIDEO

[wedonot]

[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.]

Comments

Voice

[fireincarnate]

[She recognises him immediately; remembers seeing him through wary, lonely eyes.

She sticks to voice, for now. He'll trust her more, maybe, if he thinks she's Pyske.]

Erik went home. He's all right, I promise.

Voice

[wedonot]

[He'll realize at some point, but right now, he's too distracted to question whether or not she is Psyke.] When? How?

Voice

[fireincarnate]

[She's silent, for a moment. It's difficult, and complicated, and she doesn't know if there's anything she can say that will make him feel better.]

This is - it's the mirror of the Barge you remember. Erik was an Inmate, and he graduated.

Voice

[wedonot]

[His telepathy still feels like an out of control hurricane, but even though he still wants to lash out, he can tell that she's telling the truth.] How long has he been gone?

Voice

[fireincarnate]

[She can feel his power, lashing and whipping; it's an effort not to meet it with fire.]

About a month. You - our version of you - left with him, but then he came back.

[darknessb4me]

You don't remember what you did? That is funny.

[wedonot]

I remember perfectly well. [Because he's coming from a point where he does remember getting into a scuffle with you.] And I'm more than happy to do it again.

[darknessb4me]

Clearly you don't, if you can't figure out what became of Erik.

[wedonot]

And clearly you're just begging for me to find you and turn what little brain you have left to liquid.

[darknessb4me]

[Arthas' reaction to this is to laugh warmly, as if this is a clever joke he's being told.]

Do you hate me?

Still voice!

[fireincarnate]

[Tight and tense.] Don't.

Still voice!

[wedonot]

Obviously Arthas has forgotten what happened the last time we crossed paths. I'm more than happy to reeducate him.

video

[darknessb4me]

Worried about me? Or him?

[strangehistorian]

You are here as a result of a flood, I'm afraid. This is an alternate timeline.

[wedonot]

I don't care. Where is he?

[strangehistorian]

Jean is telling the truth. He graduated. He is safe.

[wedonot]

When?

[youwillgotohell]

[Wow that is a headache and also truly bizarre. It's staring at a familiar face that is still different in a thousand possible ways: he is Charles, and he is not, and she remembers that other Barge, too. It turns her stomach to be reminded of.]

You're making my head hurt.

[wedonot]

[There's a flash of regret and guilt that wouldn't have been summoned out for basically anyone else, and he makes an effort to shield at least her from his telepathy. She's the last person he wants to hurt, although his voice is still rough and angry when he finds it.] Where is he?

[youwillgotohell]

Gone. [He graduated is on the tip of her tongue, but that wasn't a good thing. Not there.

She turns the feed private.]

This isn't you - this isn't your Barge.

private

[wedonot]

Then what is it? [She's different, he can tell even with just the fleeting contact he's had with her mind, and there's a temptation to just look and find out immediately, but. He won't do that, not to her.]

[hearrrtofgold]

...Dr. Xavier?

[wedonot]

What? [He sounds... more or less calmer by now. Still pretty angry though, but that's basically this version's norm.]

[hearrrtofgold]

[Good, but this is still not a positive development at all. Duke treads lightly, wondering where the hell this is coming from.]

Did you find your friend?

[wedonot]

[It's complicated. B( He'll apologize later. B(] He apparently left a month ago.