Silence is something Charles has grown accustomed to long ago. Though he is quite the talker in his own right, he has always found that he is most himself when surrounded by silence. It's the sound of a quiet night studying, libraries, and the understanding that lingers when two people know each other so well that words are unnecessary.

When Erik finally speaks, Charles knows exactly who he means by 'they', no telepathy needed. "Not much, I'm afraid, but it was all consistent. That people have seen what I'm like years from now and I'm still running our school, though it has expanded considerably." No one has told him the more difficult things yet, though he can tell there's something most have been hiding.