[Friends Filter]

[Charles sounds tired - and anyone who was in the infirmary right after port ended might have noticed him hovering while people tried to help Zane - but otherwise, actually pretty okay.]

I know we're all exhausted and in need of some relaxation, but if everyone wouldn't mind letting me know you got out alright, I'd appreciate it. And if there's anything I can do for any of you, don't hesitate to let me know.

[Spam for Erik]

[Getting his telepathy back felt like he'd been unblindfolded, and while he had noticed the change immediately, in the first minutes back on the Barge, he hadn't had time to appreciate it. The focus was instead on saving Zane's life, and it wasn't until he was stable and unconscious that Charles had the time to reach out with his gift and reassure himself that they were back, they had made it out, and so had the people he cared about.

He'd checked on the kids first, reassured himself that they were in one piece and mostly in need of rest before anything else, and reassured them that he just needed much of the same before looking for Erik.

It's not difficult. His mind had almost instinctively wrapped itself around the familiar presence as soon as it had been established that Zane would be alright, and so Charles catches up to his friend as Erik's coming down from the deck, a relieved smile immediately stretching across his face as he gets his first good look at him.]

This might be the ultimate instance of the pot calling the kettle black, [Because he knows he's got some cuts on his face and other minor injuries from their time in port, too.] but you look like you're about to fall over.

[ooc: Filter includes but is not limited to the immediate X-Fam, Zane, Merlin, Arthur, Morgana, Anya, Pietro, Barbara, Tony, Kelsier, the Emperor, Ivy, and even you, Felix. Basically anyone Charles is friendly with or would have reason to check up with, idk I'm always bad with these filters and end up forgetting someone. /o\

Also, feel free to spam him if you want! He'll probably be pretty unconscious for the first day and a half afterward, but will be up and around after that.]

That was a bit of a rougher landing than usual. Has anyone been keeping track of who's gone missing? [An official head count of who fell overboard and who got lucky seemed like a good idea, in theory.]

[Private to the X-Fam]

I was thinking, considering our history with this sort of thing, [And yes, he's including himself in this, but he's allowed to >C at you kids/Erik for not being safer, too even though Erik's been pretty good at not doing stupid shit like almost getting strangled/beat up/stabbed to death, good job Erik.] it would probably be best to establish some kind of telepathic link to make sure we can still communicate with each other and call for help if necessary.

[Or, you know, stick together, that would be good, too.

And yes, he is planning on going out whether you guys are or not because SCIENCE!!]

[Open Spam]

[It's probably ridiculous, to venture out into a port, especially considering his history with this sort of thing, but he has his telepathy and gear to survive underwater - thankfully no gills - and that's good enough for him.

He's a scientist, and despite past scares - anything involving the Vanquish was safely boxed up out of sight, out of mind for the time being - he does get a little stir crazy on the Barge. There's only so much reading and revising and chess you could stand before you wanted a change in scenery, and so he'd left the ship, and started exploring. He can feel the hum of intelligent minds somewhere out in the blackness, but they seem distant and largely nonthreatening, so he doesn't bother them, even if he keeps a mental ear out, just in case.

Just because he's willing to take a risk doesn't mean he's going to be stupid about this.

While he doesn't wander too far from the light of the Barge, the ruins end up interesting him more than the wrecks. He's no archaeologist, but he's still got questions about how this city wound up on the bottom of the ocean, and he's careful in handling any artifacts, generally just brushing off grime rather than picking them up and playing with them.

And maybe mentally chattering to Erik occasionally about anything particularly interesting, or any theories he might have about it. Maybe Atlantis really was real in this world, wherever it was.]

[ooc: Feel free to play with the timeline a little if it works better for you/your character, I don't have anything super specific planned for Charles for this port, so multiples/fuzzy time/etc. is totally cool with me. c:]

[Right around the time when the scientists start attempting contact with people on the station again, Charles is jerking awake and trying to figure out who, exactly, is trying to communicate with him, because it's weird and unfamiliar and therefore vaguely invasive while at the same time piquing his curiosity - the station had seemed abandoned, and he hadn't been stupid enough to not check if the people were all just hiding somewhere, so either they were shielded from his telepathy or they just weren't there - so he's up and awake and trying to figure out what's going on, carefully scanning the area again.

But the only people he can really sense are the others from the Barge, which is still troubling, because the sensation of someone mentally nudging him isn't going away, so he fumbles for his communicator, switching it on to see if anyone else is experiencing the same thing.]

Is anyone else awake? Who else is sensing that? [There's a very, very faint sound of laughter from somewhere, a burst of static, and then a short pause while Charles stares suspiciously at the doorway for a few seconds before speaking again.]

I don't- [There's a long burst of static, which occasionally dies off enough to get a syllable or so of whatever Charles is trying to say, but it's unintelligible.] but they're not here. [And the feed shuts off.]

[Anyone viewing the hologram will notice Charles looks a lot less... well dressed and put together than usual. While he isn't really rocking the Goth chic of some of the other inhabitants, this general ensemble isn't something you'll ever see him wearing back on the Barge. He's also standing up, because this counterpart swapped out his damaged spine for a new one, and is currently working off the debt by being a Repo Man who is pretty chill about his job and is partnered up with his bff Erik.

He smiles a bit, seeming fairly normal and casual about the whole thing, and clearly not bothered about the environment or oh god, someone is coming after my organs thing.]

Bit strange, isn't it? Everyone says they know what they're getting themselves into when they sign the contract initially, but as soon as the deadline on payment approaches, it becomes "I don't remember" and "you must be wrong", "this can't be happening". [He laughs a little flatly, somewhere between a little amused and disbelieving.]

What else were they expecting, honestly? You don't find quality goods lying around in the street. And I have it on good authority we're doing our best to accommodate for everyone's needs.

Perhaps people should be sure they understand what they're signing before going under the knife.

[He finishes the recording by humming a few bars of the GeneCo jingle, which - if you strain your ears a bit - is playing distantly in the background on his end before the feed cuts.]

[ooc: Because I am an icon junkie, I will be replying with unreservedly throughout port. c:]

[So, it's taken a little bit of effort to actually pull himself together enough to make this post without appearing like he's about to start actually panicking. Waking up with a hangover in a hotel room you've never seen before is bad enough, but upon realizing he can't even sense the minds of others around him, let alone reach out to contact them in any way is almost like realizing he can't feel his legs for the first time again.

His first thought, really, is to contact Erik, but that's not an option he wants to pursue. Maybe. At least not when he's feeling this powerless (literally) and vulnerable. So instead, after pulling it together enough to sound somewhat presentable, he posts to the Barge in general.]

Is it standard for abilities to be reduced when the Admiral drops us off in port?

[Private to Erik AFTER MUCH HESITATION AND INTERNAL DEBATE and a bit later than the first part of the message]

Are you alright?

[Spam for Iroh]

( Here there is spam. )