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[calmyourmind]

No? This one then, perhaps? Honestly. They should include a manual.

[It's just audio at first, muffled and distant, interspersed with the beeping of pressed buttons and the confused ramblings of a man far beyond his league with this kind of technology.]

Or a pamphlet of some sort at the very least. Maybe an explanation of my whereabouts. I don't suppose that would be too much to ask.

[How were you supposed to accomplish anything on this device? Where were the wires? ]

Is anyone there? Hello? I think it's on now. I believe it is. Sorry. I appear to be a bit lost. If you're there, please respond. My name is Charles Xavier and it is really very important I get back at once. The situation-

[There are a few more beeps from the buttons and a camera feed clicks on as well, aimed to the dirt and debris of the ground.]

Oh! Well, that did something. What is this little light for? 

[The video jostles a little more and with another button press the entire feed goes dead.]

Comments

[voice, no video, because sob collar]

[radars]

Your name is... what?

[Voice as well because Video, how does it work?]

[calmyourmind]

Charles Xavier.

Sorry, can you tell me where we are?

[voice]

[radars]

[ And what does he even say. He wants to ask a few questions like, how old are you, what's your life been like, because it's immediately obvious what this is. It may not have been, had he not already met an Erik who is decidedly not the one he knows. ]

Ah.

Hmm.

Not really.

[voice]

[calmyourmind]

Well, then. I don't suppose you would know how I could go bout leaving this place? Or at the very least, who it is that has...

[Well now, there's a question, what exactly would he consider this to be?]

Kidnapped, for lack of a better word.

It's just, I really was in the middle of something, and it is of very great importance I get back as soon as possible.

[voice]

[radars]

Were you.

[ Freaking. Out. ]

Well, you're out of luck. No one's managed to get back.

You don't happen to know a man named Erik Lensherr, do you...?

[voice]

[destinytobehere]

Yes. What is it?

[voice]

[calmyourmind]

Ah, hello.

[Charles pauses, deciding on where to start with the mass of questions he had.]

Could you tell me where this is?

[voice]

[destinytobehere]

An alien planet. Presumably on the other side of the universe from Earth.

[voice]

[calmyourmind]

I'm sorry, did you say an alien planet?

[Charles looks remarkably torn between disbelief and absolute wonderment. If they really were on another planet it would be both absurd and fantastic. If only because it was so very impossible.]

audio;

[lehnsherr]

[There's a delay between him starting the feed and actually talking. Having that other Charles around is more than he wants to deal with. But if this one is from another place too, well...]

It's Erik.

[Another pause. How to do this.]

I need you to tell me how we met. How long have you known me for?

audio;

[calmyourmind]

Erik, thank god.

[The events on the beach are shoved out of his mind in favor of dealing with the here and now, and if he has been kidnapped, then it is good to know that Erik is here, somewhere. Because surely together they can find a way to get back, if the others are not here as well.

He makes a face at the phone, and though he hasn't sorted out video yet, there is confusion in his tone.]

What do you mean, you were there. I had to jump into the Atlantic to keep you from drowning yourself, [Because no, he was not letting Erik forget that he did, occasionally, need Charles' help.] I should think it was a memorable enough occasion.

audio;

[lehnsherr]

[His relief is all too clear, despite any attempts at keeping it hidden.]

Memorable to the two of us, perhaps. But it seems that ship was capable of bringing alternate versions of yourself here. Thankfully, you don't seem to hate me anywhere near as much as the other Charles seems to.

[And then there's Raven. But that can wait. For now, he has his priorities laid out for him.]

Are you still near those pods?

audio;

[calmyourmind]

Yes. I was hoping to get a better idea of where this was before venturing out.

[There's a moments pause at the mention of alternate versions and he clears his throat.]

It would seem I have already met him. I am not sure why he would hate you, but no, Erik. I do not hate you. [Even after the events on the beach as he remembered them. The echoes of that splitting headache still lingered. But he did not hate Erik. He did not even truly blame him. He was just disappointed. Both in Erik and in his own inability to convince him not to go through with it. Perhaps also a bit hurt by the lack of trust. But none of that mattered right now.]

I take it you know where those are located, then. Would you meet me here?

video;

[shifter]

[Just this face, because she was about to say something, but then kind of got tongue-tied, and so here she is. Because Charles is right over there and yet here is a man with his face calling himself Charles Xavier on the screen, and so--

Just give her a second.]

video;

[calmyourmind]

[Without a verbal response, it takes Charles a moment to realize the video has come on, but he has begun to figure the video settings out now and he's returning the look with a curious one of his own.]

Ah... Hello?

video;

[shifter]

Hi.

[Yes, well done. Excellent start. Raven's trying to remember everything Erik Lehnsherr told her that first day, about the Charles and Raven from his world, how different things were. It's... overwhelming, to say the least, having that Charles right here in front of her.]

I, um. Hi.

[skjgbdfgkdfgb

Just clearing her throat and furrowing her brow, yes, look how collected she is now. So collected. The most collected.]

My name is Raven Darkholme. Though I believe you know that already.

video;

[calmyourmind]

Of course I do. It was just a surprise to see you here as well. And you've done something different with your hair, I see.

[Well, she had been awfully concerned with her looks lately]

How nice. It looks lovely on you.

[He smiles, and it's genuine and natural and he wishes she were there so he could wrap his arms around her and forget all of this for a moment. Just be with his sister, and Erik, too. Now he had to find out what was going on even sooner. If this place was dangerous, then Raven would be in danger, too. And he refused to let anything bad happen to her.]

Are the others here, as well?

permatext

[relativistic]

last thing you remember.

permatext

[calmyourmind]

[Well that's... actually not that odd of a question, comparatively.]

Standing on a beach in Cuba, I suppose. Why? Who is this?

[relativistic]

fuck, that's not even the right thing. [there was a charles a while ago that he met in a version of the world; seems like there's a whole bunch of hit and misses he's encountering in this reality, and shit's inconsistent as fuck. dimensions are weird business. some days, wesley gibson wishes he was a super intelligent astrophysicist instead of the best goddamned assassin in the world. but only sometimes.] but whatever. time is a stupidly inconsistent bitch.

as for the name, you call me wesley. don't bother for a last name. i'm like madonna or cher. [wait does he even know those people. he tries to remember what erik told him which year he arrived at when he met him. 60's, wasn't it?] or -- fuck, you're probably missing the cultural joke here. this is sad.

[calmyourmind]

[As expected, the reference is completely lost on Charles and leaves him even more lost than he was originally. Whoever this is, they are confusing and apparently a bit unfocused.]

Well, Wesley, I am not sure what you were expecting, exactly, [Or what he was talking about. At all.]

But unless my memories have been tampered with [Seeming unnervingly more possible by the minute] I am quite certain it is right.

[buckingauthority]

[There's two of them. Which means...cylon. Her face is pretty much saying it all.]

Frak it all to hell. Nice one, exposing that you're a model.

[She'll be heading out now, with her crutch, headed to track down the two of them, no matter how long it takes.]

Keep the lights on.

[Is she planning murder? Why yes she is.]

[calmyourmind]

I'm sorry, what? I think you may have me confused with someone else. I have never been a model.

[buckingauthority]

[Starbuck's heading out towards the Alien ship, it'll take her a while on foot, thanks to her injury. She switches to audio. It's still public, though, so others will be able to hear her ranting.]

You're a frakking Cylon, don't bother trying to deny it. I saw the other guy. How many of you are here?

[calmyourmind]

I really have no idea what you are talking about. I think you should take a moment to calm down.

[Maybe Cylon was a term for mutant that they had here? If that was the case, he could be dealing with a bit of a problem. Did the people who brought him here want him, or just mutants in general? That was a possibility. One he hoped was wrong.]

What is a Cylon?