Upon Vestia: Chapter Thirteen

First topic message reminder :

"Probably," Asher said. "That's the consolation prize."

Yeah, Ethan wasn't sure about that. He was pretty sure he was a jerk, the fact that he hadn't done anything especially unpleasant lately didn't negate that, right? It was a stupid thing to argue about though, so he dropped it.
He blinked at Luka's words. "He shot you, huh? Yeah, that's a good reason to not like someone much. Surprised you didn't return the favor." He grinned, "He's good at making people angry. Merith and Shock melted down so fast when he got pissed at them and verbally tore them a new one, it was really satisfying to watch."

Sawna was somewhere exploring the ship and trying to avoid windows. Yeah, she did not want to make herself weak without cause.

~~~
Shane had woken up and gone searching for Ellie to get her to eat with him again

~~~
Starr had woken and gone to her lab on her shuttle to destroy the blood samples before going off to find Kay. There was something new in her bedroom, an incubator with a couple of eggs in it. Since their population was so low, the other Starr had sent two of the eggs with Starr to this universe.
~~~
Rigel and Dawn were sitting in a lounge, chatting together as they drank tea

~~
Skye and Moone were still chatting together in their room as they played with the chicks again.

"I'll bet." Luka nodded. "Yeah, he was there to kill our captain, our medic and Vicky." She shook her head. "Funny how things turned out. Long story short, Dawn took pity on him and Vicky took a shine to him, so now we're stuck with him." She rolled her eyes. "At least he's vaguely useful. I haven't shot him back because i'm better than him." She nodded and folded her arms. That and escalating things just seemed unnecessary and dumb.

---

Kay was avoiding people again. Not that he was overly difficult to find with Vestia's cameras everywhere. He was avoiding people, not actively hiding. Starr would find him sitting in an unused cafe doing a crossword.

Ellie's emotions about being home had had an, ahem, positive effect on the plants in Hydroponics. They were all trying to entangle her and keep her there forever.

~~
Ethan shrugged. "Your choice I guess. Maybe it's for the best. When I went and took Asher's memories after he lied to me, he ended up getting the last laugh because now I have his stupid memories forever. Maybe revenge just doesn't work so well." Depressing thought. Even Kaylr had died without him ever getting revenge, so that had been a failure too. Maybe there was some higher power in this universe who hated justice.

Starr found Kay after a bit of searching and came in the cafe. She looked around curiously then shook her head "Hello Kay" She said as she came over to his table and set a needle on it "This is your cure, I made sure to burn the blood sample you gave me too"

Shane stopped at the door to hydroponics and looked in at Ellie and her plants then shook his head "Hey Ellie, need a hand?"

"Oh hey!" Ellie turned to wave at him, motions somewhat hindered by a plant that had twisted around her wrist. "It's okay, this happened before. The other Asher, what's his name, Ethan! Was being a moron and kept making them angry. But I'm sure you know better than to do that."

Kooshie wrote:"Oh hey!" Ellie turned to wave at him, motions somewhat hindered by a plant that had twisted around her wrist. "It's okay, this happened before. The other Asher, what's his name, Ethan! Was being a moron and kept making them angry. But I'm sure you know better than to do that."

Shane chuckled and looked around "Yeah, I like your plants, but I also like being able to walk, so I'll stay here at the door"

"Good good," Ellie gently nudged a few plants away, trying to get them to shrink down to their regular size. Carefully she began moving toward Shane, working her way through the tangled mess, which gradually began to shrink. "So what's up? I heard that Matt went and ordered a guy's death right before we left the other universe, think it's true?"

Kooshie wrote:"Good good," Ellie gently nudged a few plants away, trying to get them to shrink down to their regular size. Carefully she began moving toward Shane, working her way through the tangled mess, which gradually began to shrink. "So what's up? I heard that Matt went and ordered a guy's death right before we left the other universe, think it's true?"

"Yeah, that's true." Shane said with a frown "It was his brother, who was completely wako and wanted to kill our Matt, thinking he was their Matthew. Then their Web wanted to kill all of us for protecting our Matt." He said then shrugged unhappily "He wouldn't listen and we couldn't just let him go, or so I was told."

"Crazy stuff. You think Matt's okay? That's gotta be like, really weird for him." Ellie finally got the plants under control and went to join Shane. "Maybe we should go be morally supportive or something?"

Shane shrugged then nodded "He did what was needed at that time. We can at least check on him and see how he's taking it."

Ellie nodded. "The Greater Good. It's always the Greater Good these days, isn't it?" But of course, she liked Matt and was sure he'd meant well. And even Asher's attempts at doing the right thing had made some sort of sense once they were explained to her. Maybe there really was something to this Greater Good nonsense after all. "Yeah, let's go check on Matt. We can sit on him until he feels better."

Shane chuckled and looked to her, joking now "How will sitting on him make him feel better?"

"You can't think about sadness when you're buried in hugs," Ellie informed Shane.

Shane laughed at that and nodded as he took her arm to walk with her to find Matt. "True, true"

Luka frowned. "having someone else's memories sounds really awkward. I'd hate that." She shook her head. "I dunno though, I mean, you're here now right? Alive... not being tortured and not totally miserable so maybe we win? I like to think I win at least on the moral front." She smiled oddly. "Because no matter what, Esk's still a dick and i'm fine. Takes more than a bullet to take out a Satare." She chuckled darkly. "We're tough."

---

Kay hesitated, staring at the needle and then at Starr. [How does it work?] He asked anxiously, too nervous to actually touch the thing.

---

Matt was still mopping while Esk doodled, neither of them talking to one another. They'd said all they needed to say.

At length Matt sighed and leant on his mop. "I mopped myself into a corner."

Esk didn't look up "idiot."

Ethan snorted. "Worst of all, they're memories of him and Kay. So I get to have this FUN memory whiplash whenever I see that guy." He shook his head. "Oh well, can't really blame anyone except myself for that I guess."
He sighed. "Yeah, maybe we did win. I had so many plans though, it was too bad to see them all get voided like that." Looking almost amused he added, "Kaylr would've been delighted with my plans anyway, so maybe this was for the best. Damned masochists."

~~
Ellie and Shane would arrive where Matt and Esk were. Ellie looked in, and eyed the wet floor, deciding to not enter the room. "Hey guys!"

Luka made a face. "Sounds like a real monster that guy. Kinda glad we didn't have to endure him that long. Scary little midget." She shook her head. "and eughhh... memories of them... together? gross. You have my sympathy, that's gotta be super awkward."

---

Matt waved half heartedly.

"Matt's just proven why he's a terrible janitor." Esk told them dryly, putting his sketch book aside rather quickly.

"I'm a better janitor than you!" Matt protested.

Esk snorted. "Keep aiming high brother. "

Matt huffed and crouched down to touch the wet floor and dry it instantly.

"cheat." Esk scoffed.

"Jealous?" Matt countered, indicating that Ellie and Shane could come in as he shoved the mop aside.
"how you guys doing?" He asked.

Starr took a seat and explained the process to Kay, what it mostly boiled down to would be feeling tired for a few days then being free of the wolf, though his blood would always have the dead virus. That would also make his blood be able to be used to cure others if they didn't use the cure she had made too.

~~~
Shane stopped at the door and looked at the wet floor, laughing inside because now they couldn't dogpile on Matt like Ellie had suggested.

[And the risks?] Kay looked uncertain. With Merith's trial so soon and Heny's delivery, he was reluctant to take any risks with his own health. Once that was all done however, well, a cure could save so many.

"You guys were lucky. The princess is awful too, but she didn't do what she did just for the fun of it." Ethan snorted, "It's... unpleasant. I don't enjoy experiencing my duplicate's emotions about Kay at all."

~~
Ellie edged into the room. "What are you doing in the corner?" she asked Matt.

Luka shook her head, she looked faintly grossed out. "I bet. Those two are weird." She shrugged. "The princess was pretty horrible. She was working on diseases, experimenting on people. I mean.. that's some pretty gross shit. Wonder if she'll go back to it now we're all gone." She sighed. "We.. did some good back there though right? "

--

"Poorly thought out mopping." Matt looked sheepish.

Esk snickered.

"Shut up, it's not that funny." Matt protested.

"oh it's hilarious." Esk told him flatly, feet still up on the coffee table. "Angry mopping is a terrible idea. You end up stuck in a corner like an idiot."

Matt sulked and took a few steps across the nice clean floor. "At least it's clean now."

"it was already clean." Esk told him.

Matt huffed. "Don't worry Ellie, the floor should be dry now."

"She certainly wasn't a good person either," Ethan agreed. "She regarded everyone as being like ants or something, like it didn't matter whether they lived or died as long as it furthered her goals." He nodded slightly, "If by 'did some good', you mean, 'gave a bunch of slaves the chance to have a less wretched life', I guess you did."

~~
Ellie giggled, then tried to pretend she hadn't. "Well that's a new one. I think? I don't remember anyone getting trapped by mopping before." She went further into the room, "How you guys doing?"

Luka nodded. "Here's hoping they do well out there. " She smiled softly.

---

Esk shrugged.

Matt shook his head. "Fine, i'm fine." he lied unconvincingly.

"He's angsting." Esk told Ellie helpfully.

"I'm not angsting!"

"definitely angsting." Esk nodded. "It's annoying."

flying_purple_monkfish wrote:[And the risks?] Kay looked uncertain. With Merith's trial so soon and Heny's delivery, he was reluctant to take any risks with his own health. Once that was all done however, well, a cure could save so many.

Starr told him what she knew of for the possible risks, after all this cure was just out of developmental stage

Kay nodded slowly, chewing his lip. [Once Merith's trial is over, we'll test it okay?] That was the best option right? just in case things went terribly awfully wrong. [Worst case scenario I lose my mind, you know what to do if that happens.]