Upon Vestia: Chapter Sixteen

First topic message reminder :

"All those aliens, always hyping up how great they are, and it always turns out to be a lie," James said sagely. "I'm not like that though, I mean I've been known to punch minotaurs. I'd be a proper villain, I wouldn't lose."
He watched as the guy went back into the train, "Ooooh nooooo. They so should not have done that. It is ON!"

[Well I won't tell him if you won't.] Kay looked pleased. [Besides which, you're just a terrible an influence on me. I swear you're turning me... sympathetic at times. ] He made a face. [I admit, I envy your patience and restraint though. ] He smiled softly. [Though I have to say, I think I prefer working with the petty trivial injuries of civilians than the hopelessness of a war hospital. At least here you know you can actually do something. ]He looked somber. [It's a different sort of stress, but day to day probably substantially better for my blood pressure right?]

---

Matt went to go find Ellie, because he was sure she was fit to burst gushing over baby dragons and he thought it was adorable.

---

Luka looked to James. "now I feel less like dropping dead, what are your plans for the day? Gonna venture out into that craziness?"

Tala snorted as she was released, nostrils still flared with rage. "I shall assume that you are from some strange and backwards culture in while persona boundaries are not understood to exist, and I shall not pursue this issue further," she declared. "You shall now move no closer than ten paces from me, or I shall give you no further attention."

Third seemed to chuckle, entertained by her anger. He complied though, the shadowy tendrils receding away from her. "Listen well, Minotaur, unless I shall keep an impending danger to myself."

Asher smiled brightly. "It's our secret. We must make sure that he never finds out. Hopefully nobody finds out how nice you're turning, either. That would be the end of our tyranny." He nodded, "It's still chaotic, but no doubt less so than the alternative."

~~
Ellie was in hydroponics, baby talking a squash plant. Yep, she was still thinking about baby dragons.

~~
James shrugged. "I'm not sure yet. I haven't thought beyond 'keep Luka alive'." He looked amused.

~~
Tala watched Third warily.

"You have seemed to figure out why everyone keeps their distance. Why so serious, Minotaur?" He suddenly made a cackling laugh. "But think, in your mind for a moment. Have they told you how I got this way?"

Kay nodded. [My reputation is at stake.] He smiled.

---

Matt peered in. "Uh... hey?"

---

Luka snorted. "You're sweet. But it takes more than a few beers to fell an Imperium citizen." She snickered.

Tala snorted. "Why would you have told me such? We have rarely spoken."

~~
"I'm terribly sorry for your reputation," Asher said, sticking his pen teepee together more subtly with sticky blue stuff. "I hope you'll forgive me for this."

~~
Ellie jumped and looked up at Matt. "Oh hey! Did you see the BABY DRAGONS?"

~~
"That's a relief." James chuckled. "Want to go to the city today? We decided on using the buddy system, after all."

"I would have hoped others have warned you." Third was grinning maliciously. "But if you must know, it is because I was... disconnected, for lack of the better word, disconnected from my Glorious One. You could say I've... developed a bit of restless bloodlust after that."

"not yet." Matt admitted. "I figured Starr would be a bit you know... swamped with people." He laughed. "So exactly how much did you squee when you saw them?"

---

Luka looked uncertain. "Can we avoid the magic schools and any floating shit?"

---

Kay watched Asher build his pen... thing. [Oh don't worry, i'll just glare at people and they'll remember i'm small but terrifying.] He smirked.

"That would explain very much," Tala said. She still held her gun. It probably wouldn't be much use here, but it was better than nothing.

~~
"I only squeed very quietly," Ellie said, petting her squash plant absently. "There were a few people there, I guess it was sort of crowded but not super crowded. They were so cute oh my gosh."

~~
"Yeah, we can find something as normal as possible," James said. He smiled softly. "Or we could stick to the holodeck."

~~
Asher glanced up from his construction project with a smile. "Oh yes, that should make them remember very quickly."

Third only grinned more. "Now imagine it on a larger scale, dear Minotaur. There was just recently the entire population of the Followers flooding into the Guild. All of them uncertain of the Glorious One's fate and scared stiff. Now, if Inari were to be killed by her captors, well... Every one of those Followers would be..."

He suddenly cackled madly and loudly, his voice echoed across the empty halls outside.

"Disconnected."

"you think it's appropriate to get Starr some sort of like.. congrats you're now an adoptive mom gifts? " What did star dragons like though? "that sounds very restrained." He grinned. "I'm sure you wanted to squeal didn't you?" Matt laughed.

---

Luka frowned. "I don't wanna risk Third's judgemental shit. " She shook her head. "Let's go out, away from that. There's gotta be non magic stuff around right? like normal buildings that aren't bigger onthe inside."

---

Kay nodded. [Of course i'll never be quite as foreboding as my mother was, her glare could, i'm certain of it, reduce grown men to shivering wrecks. ] He looked proud.

Tala folded back her ears. That was bad. If they had Third's lack of manners, then anything could happen. She flared her nostrils at him in displeasure. "Do the people of this Guild know?"

~~
"Hmm, maybe? I dunno what they would want. Maybe one of those mobiles with stars and stuff, that would be cute," Ellie mused. "Or a toy dragon to snuggle up with!"

~~
James laughed. "Yeah, he'll come stare at us and tell us we're wasting our lives if we stay. Jerk. Maybe that's a good reason to stay, come to think of it, he doesn't control us, right?"

~~
"She must have been a force of nature," Asher said, smiling softly. "It's good you inherited her gift, to some degree."

"wanna go shopping for dragon stuff?" Matt suggested. Hey, he didn't want to handle baby shopping but baby dragons were totally different. And massively distracting. "We can get Starr something too, do dragons eat like candy or like flowers or something?" Those were standard gifts right?

---

Luka shrugged. "No, but if he shows up again I might not be able to resist the urge to kick him in his stupid dog face, and then he'd do that whole massively powerful magical shit and ... I don't really want to get hurt. Much as i'd like to wipe that smug look off his stupid snout, it'll probably end so much worse for me." She huffed. "I hate being this powerless."

---

Kay nodded, smiling softly. [She was a remarkably strong woman. ]

"If they do, they most certainly seem underprepared or not at all concerned. I'll be honest even I have mellowed out over the years, though my first string of madness came with... the disappearance of Roanoke. I don't think it's crossed their minds. Now Roanoke was a few hundred people lost to history by little old me. Now imagine an entire Following disconnecting at once? Hehe~"

He suddenly cackled again, reviling in the thought.

Ellie nodded happily. "Yeah, let's find some dragon stuff! Hmm, I don't think star dragons do sugar, at least Shane doesn't. Not sure. Maybe a dragon collectible for her collection!"

~~
"True." James shook his head, "That's something I miss about the Silver Devil, at least we have manners and can protect ourselves from each other."

~~
"She certainly sounds like it," Asher said. "I rather wish I'd gotten to meet her."

~~
Tala shook her head. "You should speak to one of the, what is the name, Inquisitors. The small foxes must be removed from this place before innocents die."

"And leave them abandoned without help or hope? So cold of you!" Third only cackled more. "What makes their lives worth any less?"

Swarm was as always watching everyone, they were though now paying particular attention to Third and Tala, buzzing quietly amongst themselves in worry.
As the message rippled through their number, the buzzing would start across the ship. A low agitated noise that most would probably ignore or be unable to hear over the other noises around.

Esk looked up from his tablet at the handful of insects on the other side of the room from him. "What's your problem?" He asked in irritation.

---

Luka nodded. "Let's get out of here." She decided, standing up.

---

"Dragon collectable?" Matt asked, he ignored the bugs, there weren't that many down here and he assumed thy were gossiping. He shot them a shut up look.

--

Kay looked away, his expression pained. He nodded.

Tala shrugged. "If the alternative is them torturing and ravaging the innocent, they should be removed."

~~
James followed. "We'll find something normal," he told her, "I hope."

~~
"She likes collecting glass dragons, I think," Ellie said. "We went shopping together once and we found some pretty ones."

~~
Asher smiled sadly at Kay. He wanted to hug him but no, that sort of thing was usually kind of iffy if they were in public. "Sorry," he said quietly.

"Wow... " Matt smiled, he really had no idea. "Yeah we could see if they have something she'd like then. "

---

Luka nodded. "there's gotta be, not everyone here's magic right? all those refugees. There... there's gotta be some who just want normal. I hope." She headed for the ramp.

---

Kay shook his head. [It's alright Asher, I brought it up.] He forced a weak smile.

"So cruel, so cruel." Third sang in an odd voice, "Well, I shan't do it. If everyone has this out of sight out of mind mentality, it is little wonder why there is so much hatred and violence in this world. Good day, Minotaur. I hope you use this information well!"

Ellie petted her squash plant one last time, then stood and smiled at Matt. "Let's go shopping!"

~~
James nodded. "Yeah, so many refugees. Maybe we could see who's here in the spaceport, there might be some newcomers on normal ships here."

~~
Asher nodded, then looked at his now-complete pen creation for a few moments.
He looked up at Kay again, "Want a change of scenery?" he asked.

~~
Tala shook her head and headed away.

Kooshie wrote:Asher looked amused. "When James learns what a bad influence you really are, he's going to be horrified." He began unsticking the tape from the pens, which clattered to the table again. "Subtle but shameless, sounds difficult to pull off."
He took the blue tack Kay handed him. "Hmm, this might work."

~~
Conversation, conversation, what to say? Orel looked uncertain. "What are you guys doing?" He asked. Such a lame question! Darn.

Moone looked back to Orel again and smiled then shrugged "Just letting them play and socialize a bit." She replied then looked back to Skye before giggling and shooing them with her hands "Go on, You said you wanted to go flying, so go"

"I like that idea." Luka nodded. Normal people, well, it was a relative term but maybe they'd find some humanoids who weren't magical and terrifying.

---

[We shouldn't really leave the ship when we're supposed to be on duty.] Kay pointed out. But a change of scenery sounded nice.

---

Matt grinned and lead the way. "So how cute are the baby dragons then?" He asked Ellie.

---

Swarm argued with themselves over whether to relay what they'd overheard and risk Esk being angry and taking it out on them, or simply telling him to seek out Tala. In the end they decided the minotaur was safer. "Speak to the minotaur, you must speak with the minotaur." They told him.

Esk looked annoyed. "Why?"

"You are a former soldier yes?" Swarm asked.

Esk looked suspicious. "Yes."

"You understand warfare yes?"

"I suppose..." Esk stood up. "I don't like games insects. What's happened?"

"Speak with the minotaur."

---

Meanwhile another part of swarm watched Tala. "Warn the others?" They asked. "You should warn the others." They sounded worried. "or speak to the inquisitors yourself."

Orel smiled at Moone, grateful for her shooing. He really wasn't sure about avian kids, they were so strange. He could probably get used to them, but they sure were weird.
He looked at Skye, "Want to go then?"

~~
James smiled and got up. "Could be interesting. Maybe we'll meet some Satare, who knows?"

~~
"Just a walk around the deck then, maybe go visit the holodeck or something," Asher told Kay, looking a bit amused. "I'm not completely irresponsible."

~~
"Somewhere between holy-crap-so-cute and I'm-gonna-die-so-cute," Ellie told Matt, grabbing his hand to pull him along. "They're so sparkly!"

~~
"I will speak to the Inquisitors directly," Tala told Swarm. "I do not wish for this concern to go unmentioned through misunderstanding."

Skye chuckled and nodded "Yeah, let's head out' She said then waved to Moone and the chicks before turning to the door.

"I dunno, any Satare out here are going to be here because they're traitors right? Not sure I want to meet them." Luka sighed but walked with James outside.

---

Matt laughed. "I'll bet. Star Dragons are pretty weirdly adorable even as adults. They're so small." He let her pull him along.

---

Kay smiled to Asher. [So just a little irresponsible then?] He teased, and stood up. [Alright, if we're needed Vestia will call us anyway. ]

---

Swarm bobbed up and down in a nod to Tala.

---

Esk got up and let the other half of Swarm lead him to Tala.
He looked bored.

"So the insects are freaking out about something." He told her.