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Wednesday, November 9, 2016, 3:06 AM, Eastern Standard Time - Xavier Institute of Higher Learning, Salem Center, New York, USA
“Charles.”Xavier looked studiously forward, ignoring the presence beside him on the couch as well as the ticker tape on the television screen reading out results. “Chaaaaaarles….”If he perhaps closed his eyes and opened them again, he would discover this was all a terrible dream. A product of some cheese, or perhaps the glass of wine they’d had earlier that night during the election watch party. He must have drifted off on the couch as the tally went late into the night.A thought poked at the back of his mind, bypassing his defenses with its familiar presence.
ChaaaaAAAAAaaaaarles…..
There was a definite sing-song quality to the voice, but in telepathic space the emotions were like colors overlaying the word. Shades of red alarm, and blue smugness making a vivid purple of mockery.
CHARLES!
“Yes, Erik?” Xavier sighed, and finally turned to look at his longtime companion, occasional nemesis, and occasional lover when he wasn’t sleeping on the couch as he would be tonight. Erik’s lined face was contorted into a visage of glee so smug it bordered on demonic to Charles’s jaundiced gaze. The deepening dismay and horror in Xavier’s heart was temporarily displaced by irritation that he suspected would only grow the moment Erik opened his big mouth. “I’m overcome by a sudden and intense need for one of your lectures. Tell me, Charles,” Erik purred. “Tell me about how mankind has evolved since I was a child. Tell me what a great denouncement of the shadows of the past this day was to be. I’m suddenly eager to learn, I have no idea what has come over me.”“That’s enough, Erik,” Charles said, moving to leverage himself into his chair. Of course, like a perfect gentleman Erik leapt to his feet with unsightly spryness and reached with his hands rather than his powers to help Charles into the chair, practically oozing polite care.“Perhaps we should make another surprise visit to the next president’s office, hmm? Surely appearing with a clap of thunder and a flash of lightning will settle this extremely calm and fair man’s unflappable nerves! He will most certainly understand why the mutant cause is of utmost importance if we remind him of your military capabilities. The children could not be in safer hands than those of this upcoming administration!”“We will need to have a strategy meeting in the morning once we are all rested,” Charles said irritably. “This will call for a change in our messaging.”“Did you know he has Nazis in his inner circle?” Erik said in a tone of mocking wonder. “Actual Nazis, in this day and age, imagine! I seem to recall that you labeled them as a dying breed.”“It is indeed alarming, yes,” Charles said, and went to push his wheelchair towards their bedroom. Except Erik swooped in like the most attentive lover known to man, and continued chatting happily as he rolled the chair himself. Charles gave him a look, and crossed his arms as Erik wheeled him down the hall. “If only someone had warned us about the latent instinct for totalitarianism that waits in the hearts of men to crush those different from themselves! If only there had been someone willing to see the cycle of history, the possibility of the resurgence of fascism and anti-minority sentiments!”“Indeed, and if only that man wasn’t also prone to totalitarian instincts and grandiose rhetoric enough to make even a comic book villain blush,” Charles huffed. “Details, details,” Erik said, waving Charles’ words away. “I must say I feel positively outclassed in cartoon villainy these days! If only I had been born in this great country, I could run against him on a platform of mad science and putting tactical lasers on the moon and perhaps steal his mantle! Oh, but even mad science may put off his followers.”Charles said nothing as they arrived at their bedroom and Erik helped him into his bed, humming merrily all the while.Not until they were both changed into pajamas and sitting side by side did Erik’s tone change, Charles could feel the shift in emotion, the mocking colors shading to business-like black and white as he caught Charles’s gaze. His eyes were solemn, the sparkle of mischief snuffed out.“You do realize this changes everything for the foreseeable future, do you not?” Erik said.“Yes, I do,” Charles said, jaw tight. “Sleep well, Erik.” He turned over to face the far wall, and was not surprised at all to feel the light touch at the back of his mind like a goodnight kiss.
I somehow doubt that I shall sleep at all.