Upon Vestia: Chapter Eleven

She blinked and nodded, "Yea...?"

Merith listened intently, watching Asher.

"I don't know what you two are planning now that everything has changed, but it seems to me that pausing your romantic relationship for a while might be advisable," he said softly. He braced himself for their anger.

Merith paused, before beginning to laugh. At an opportune moment, Vanessa happened to be passing by and paused to look in when she heard that tone of laughter. "Merith? Don't you dare..."

"Oh, but I would. I think the man needs to learn to be more... flexible. Think I could teach him?"

"You wouldn't..."

"I would."

"Oh, no..."

"Oh, yes." The grin spread further across his face.

The woman looked over apologetically at the android. "Good luck, Asher." And with that, she quickly left. Quinn still glanced between Merith and the leaving Vanessa, confused, "What? What's he gonna do?"

Heny held this confuse look, "Merith...?"

Asher frowned. "Look, I'm not trying to attack you, or Heny, in any way. I'm just concerned that Heny may not be ready for a romantic relationship, so soon after her mind was changed so much. Obviously it's both of your decision to make, but I'm worried enough that I wanted to state my thoughts on the matter."

Matt watched the tiny girl, finishing tidying away all the magazines. "Hey, there's a load of supposedly created beings on this ship. Nothing inferior about it. You could argue everyone's a created or engineered being, depending if you believe in that kinda thing." He shrugged. "Who are the Aurum?"

"You think I'd take advantage of her?" Merith's voice suddenly became... lighter, not as barrow-toned. His adam's apple disappeared as his facial structures became softer, more refined and feminine. His clothes were suddenly too big for... her body. With the body of an adult movie star, Female Merith suddenly leaned forward a bit into Asher, tapping his chest as she giggled, "Now now, you really think a pretty face like this would dare harm a pretty face like that?" She motioned to Asher, before leaning in even closer to Asher, just inches from his face, "I think you need to... loosen up a little."

~~~~~~

"The Royal family of the Order of Aurum, the dragon empire. My kind were personal servants to the nobles, because our hands and eyes are tiny but close enough to pick up perfect detail when cleaning scales and filing claws. We were perfect make-up artists."

Heny held this bewildered look as her brain tried to understand what happen.

"That means absolutely nothing to me, sorry." Matt shrugged. "What about you Shane?"

Asher stepped back, watching Merith warily. "I don't believe you would intentionally take advantage of Heny, no. Accidentally, though? It was at least a possibility, and one I wanted to make sure didn't happen. I'm glad we're on the same page."

"That may be that woman that was after Starr" Shane said with a shrug "Remember, I grew up human, I didn't even know there was a dragon empire. How long ago was all of this?"

"Huh? My kind has been in servitude for generations. We still are, really," Sara said, thinking, "But me and a handful of other managed to escape when we met a dragon-not-really-dragon. It was some kind of orb-creature-thingy, kind of like the two you had at the meeting. He said something about a sanctuary in the outskirts of the galaxy, a place of protection from wars and slavery. He helped us escape, but then my own ship and I got separated from them in a spacestorm, and I've been trying to find enough money to make a long search trip for this sanctuary ever since. That was... a little less than a year ago, I should think."

~~~~~~

"Yes, yes we are." Merith giggled, sitting on the worktable and crossing her legs as she scooted closer to the android, "You know~ I used to have a reputation for heartbreaking, but I am trying to get past that. If you want, you could be there to ensure I don't do that~" She winked.

"Orb creature?" Shane asked, interested more now. "What do you mean we have two of them?"

"She must mean Vanessa and... the fox girl?" Matt suggested. "They turn into orbs sometimes, wander about... well.. float about." He looked to Sara. "So you're trying to find your people? Hey, maybe we can help! I mean, teeny people would attract attention if they were spotted right? Maybe someone's seen them. " He frowned, a sanctuary from war and slavery sounded amazing, but it also sounded like some sort of story you told kids. Something false, too good to be true. He shook his head. "If this sanctuary exists, maybe we can find it?"

Heny would, well sit down as her brain tried to compute. It not everyday one hot male mate turned into a equally hot female, she could feel the inner conflict about this.

Asher backed away a bit more. "That won't be necessary," he said firmly. "And I'm not sure what you'd call whatever it is you're doing right now, but please stop."

Shane frowned and nodded, thinking about that "Think it was that fox keeper person that helped free us?"

"You know? The floating green and black one. Whoosh, whoosh!" She flapping her arms, as if she mimicked flying motions. "But I haven't found the ones I escaped with yet... Hey! Maybe one of them, Vanessa-or-what's-it knows where it is!" She suddenly grinned excitedly.

~~~~~~

"Oh, pooh!" The female said, looking cat-like as she leaned back a bit, but didn't wander any closer, "Be a little more flexible, mister bot, I'd think you'd like it... Maybe you'd like something else, too~"

"not a clue, but maybe Vanessa knows something." Matt suggested, nodding to Sara. "As she said. " He looked up at the camera. "Hey Vestia? Is Vanessa busy right now?"

Asher looked somewhat relieved as Merith stopped moving closer, although he was still definitely wary. "Maybe you should go tour the rest of the ship now," he suggested.

~~
"Vanessa's seems to be free at the moment, yes," Vestia would guide them to the anamcara's location.

"The younger one is Quinn" Shane said then sighed and nodded "Vaness is older, she may know more."

Vanessa would be in one of the open gyms, meditating an odd way. Four balls of elemental magic floated around her, one of fire, water, earth and air.

~~~~~~

"Hmm, I suppose." Merith said before hopping off, going to take Heny by the hand before winking and giving Asher a peace sign, "But the offer's always up, sweetie!"

Matt nodded. "Go chat to her, maybe she can help." Matt suggested, looking to Shane. "Keep her outta trouble okay?" And back to Sara "And good luck. "

Shane looked to Sara to bring her with them as they went to find Vanessa "Thanks Matt"