video;

[lehnsherr]

[it's automatic now; to make a call out that's meant only for a certain telepaths mind. a yell of tell me you're back. tell me you can hear me. please, before it's gone completely. his mind wiping blank in a way that only a person who spent half their lives around telepaths would know how to do

now, he turns his attention to his network device. it's different to his last one, but similar enough that he has no trouble navigating his way through it. the draw of the ship is too strong for him to leave the area yet. so when the video cuts in, the metal hull, gleaming in the sun, is all too clear]

Glory. If this is your doing, congratulations. You got me.

[his face may look familiar, but there are differences there. his hair is slightly longer, styled differently. he seems more relaxed than his other self. even his voice differs slightly. the undercurrents of german are less pronounced. but it's still clear that he's spent a lot of time speaking another language entirely. (hebrew, to those who can tell).]

We've already discussed this, so if you wouldn't mind, I have work to do.

[he adds a ping here to the few people he cares about; to hope summers, snape, caffrey. even givens gets a message sent through. but they're all bouncing back, and that leaves him...confused. annoyed. angry]

Will someone tell me what's going on here? Is this the city playing tricks again, or...

[there's some muttering under his breath then; hebrew now. if anyone listens closely enough, they may register the word ha-satan amongst it all. yes, he's talking about that satan]

I want answers. Now.


ooc; to you pesky telepaths: you're welcome to pick up on that first message. he knows how to project his thoughts well enough to make it rise above the usual surface thoughts people have. he just can't direct it to one person :|b

Comments

[lehnsherr]

Regardless of where he chooses to stay, it's likely he's going to need either yours or the other Charles' assistance.

[the rest though, well, he's already used to being singled out as a criminal. but still, he'd rather know than not.]

Myself in particular?

[abetterway]

We'd be happy to give it.

[She wouldn't normally speak for Charles, but she doubts he'd mind very much, in this instance.

Then, again, she hesitates.]

Erik - the other Erik - caught the attention of the Authorities.

[lehnsherr]

So I've heard.

[though from the sounds of things, jocelyn was closer to his alternate self than the other person who replied. hopefully that means she has the answers he really wants.]

What happened?

[abetterway]

[She takes a moment to make her thoughts clear and strong - not clouded with grief, brittle with helplessness.]

He attempted to rally people against them, over the network. At the time we didn't know for certain if they were watching it or not.

I believe he intended to face them alone, regardless; to bring them down on his own head. He didn't expect a response like this.

He -

[She cuts herself off, then. A moment later and the voice is back, desperately steady.]

His mind is gone.

[lehnsherr]

[there's no response at first. though eventually he manages to send across a trace of...something close to empathy. he's lost people before. both charles' were taken away from him. he's come back from the dead himself. while he may not like it, loss has become a common occurrence around him, so he isn't surprised to know it's the same for his alternate self.]

The ship is full of people. He may be in there somewhere.

[abetterway]

[There's a sense of appreciation in return, weary but sincere.]

The ship simply happens to take him back while the Authorities are hunting for him? That would be quite a coincidence.

[And yet there's an ache of hope in her chest, now.]

...But it is a possibility.

[lehnsherr]

[he'd point out the fact that no one stayed dead in bete noire if he had any sign that the same stood true here. or if he was at least capable of saying it carefully.]

With three different versions of yourself here, it's doubtlessly just a matter of time before another alternate of myself arrives.

[because xaviers seem to have a habit of attracting lehnsherrs, no matter the universe.]

[abetterway]

[She smiles at that despite herself.]

It would only be fair.

[lehnsherr]

I suppose I should offer you my condolences in advance for that.

[xaviers are far more manageable, afterall]

[abetterway]

[A wave of warm amusement.]

I look forward to it, actually.

[She sobers, then, grim and stern.]

Assuming, of course, you refrain from absurdly reckless stunts.

[Don't you dare die on me again.]

[lehnsherr]

[it's a promise he can't exactly make. but if he keeps the tone light enough, well-]

And leave somebody else to keep an eye on the three of you?

[abetterway]

[She notices that, but when she shakes her head, the fond smile lingers, warming her thoughts.]

Of course.

How is Charles doing?

[The Charles he had found. To think - three of them, again.]

[lehnsherr]

One of you may have more luck working that out than I do.

[he isn't a psychologist, and he doesn't pretend to be. all he has to go by are past experiences with those whose minds were damaged by the humans to sought to contain them.

and then his own...decline.]

[abetterway]

Whenever he's ready.

[She'd like to meet them as quickly as possible, preferably at the house, but she won't push. Whatever struggles Charles is facing, she knows better than to force help on a person.

And she knows better than to force anything on Erik.]

[lehnsherr]

I'll contact you once he's decided what he wants to do.

[there's an unaired suggestion to keep an ear out for him. it wouldn't be a network call if they ended up coming to stay with jocelyn and the others.]

[abetterway]

I'll be here.

[Meaning she'll keep her mind open, listening for that call.]

...Be careful, Erik.

[lehnsherr]

When am I not?

[wait. don't answer that.]

[abetterway]

Shall I start a list?

[Too late, but she's smiling again.]

[lehnsherr]

If you start, you may never stop.

[because, yes, he knows he's a little quick to act sometimes.]