Upon Vestia: Chapter TWENTY

First topic message reminder :

Heny stood there and listened as the two spoke, her heart beat rising. She had visited him a couple of times but found it too painful with eveything going on.

Ethan looked interested. "Medical studies, right? What are you planning to specialize in?" She probably wasn't going to learn everything, right? Then again, Dawn seemed to be a pretty motivated girl. You never knew.

~~
"It's okay, I get it," Ellie said, smiling up at Matt. "If you told me, Kay would overhear it in my brain in ten seconds. And anyway, it is a big thing to get used to. I'd freak if I was pregnant."

Dawn shrugged again at that question "I don't know, probably just stick to general practice. A little bit of everything"

Matt nodded. "The timing is terrible." He sighed. "I mean, I always wanted kids but now? Not a good time." He petted one of the sleeping dragons. "At least Kay didn't throw anything. doesn't mean he won't later though."

"Uh, teleport to a jousting field and watch people fall off horses?" James asked brightly.

~~
Ethan nodded. Made sense. He gestured for her to follow him as he started walking again. "Need me to pick up any books for you?"

~~
"If Kay throws things, I'll grow vines to tie him up," Ellie said reassuringly. "It's gonna be okay Matt, we're gonna wreck the Family's faces and then your kids will be safe."

Luka laughed. "Alright, so long as neither of us participate."

---

Matt smiled grimly. "yeah..." His voice sounded hollow.

Dawn smiled at Ethan "If you can find any medical books on non-Terran forms, that would be good."

James snorted. "Okay, no participation. You can be the pretty princess who gives out prizes at the end to all the knights," he suggested.

~~
Ellie reached up to pat Matt's shoulder. "We'll win. They might be bigger... And stronger... And faster... But they don't have our loyalty or our good looks, and that'll get them in the end."

~~
"I can do that," Ethan said, his odd smile returning at the thought of a new project.

Luka snorted. "I don't think i'm royal material."

---

Matt nodded. "I hope so." He was having trouble staying optimistic these days, it sucked.

Dawn smiled again, glad to see him happy. "Thanks. So what are you up to today?"
~~~
Vela blinked and looked at Matt then got up to go to him and snuggle with him

"Aww, you'd be a good princess though," James said. "Holodeck, jousting tournament!"

The garden faded away to be replaced by a bunch of tents and peasants and knights riding around in armor on huge horses.

~~
It was sad to see Matt so lacking in hope. He was going to be a father, and he should be excited about that, not stressing about the Family! Not that Ellie could blame him for stressing. The Family had been awful. She'd done her best to block the worst of it out, but it had a way of sneaking into your thoughts at 2 am and walking you up sweating and whimpering. She moved to lean against Matt in a hopefully comforting way.

~~
"Heading to the capitol, I have a few errands to run," Ethan said. "I wanted to pick up this Science of Astrology book I just know will annoy the Professor, and I have an appointment in an hour I'd rather not miss, and I just like sightseeing."

Matt cuddled Vela. "You're such sweet little babies." He told her affectionately. "I'm just claiming you all as nieces and nephews."
He put his arm around Ellie. "Thanks girls."

---

"Don't princesses need like, to be all pretty and girly?" Luka asked, then ooed at the scenery change.

Ellie smiled a little, "Well you can't claim me as your niece cause I'm their aunt." She reached out to pet Vela a little, "You're a sweetie, kid."

~~
"Well ideally princesses are supposed to be smart and responsible too," James said. "So I guess it's my pretty girliness against your smart responsibility, huh?" He grinned. He didn't mind a bit of self deprecating humor.

Dawn nodded and chuckled "Want some company?"
~~
Vela chirped and snuggled close. She didn't like how upset he was projecting and wanted to make him feel better the only way she knew how.

"they're so cute Ellie! Why are they so cute!?" He petted Vela, she was adorable and she squeaked omg.
"We're gonna be those awesome uncle and aunts who let the kids eat candy for breakfast and stuff right?" He tried to cheer up a bit at that idea.
He was doing what he usually did when he got upset, diverting!

---

Luka snickered. "You can have the prince." Yeah, she was more likely to chat up the head guard or a grizzled knight.
She led her horse over the field toward the sound of people cheering.

"Sure," Ethan said. He kind of liked having someone somewhat familiar nearby. It was sort of reassuring, oddly enough. "Have any ideas for books I could get to piss people off?" The Professor was so easy to get reactions from, but there had to be other people to annoy on the ship.

~~
"Baby dragons are just magical cuteness black holes," Ellie said, following Matt's lead onto this happier subject. "We're so gonna spoil them, yes we are. Their parents will be so mad, but that's cool, we don't mind."

~~
James grinned and followed Luka. "I finally get to live my dream, this is amazing. I feel like Cinderella only... better. Yes. I approve of this."

The jousting field was surrounded by lots and lots of onlookers, who moved aside as James and Luka approached so they could get through easily.

"Man, they'll be so disapproving but that's the point right? Uncles and aunts are MEANT to spoil you rotten. Well.. I think.. I don't actually have any uncles or aunts. " Huh.. he'd never really thought about that. Weird. "Well.. we have an aunt somewhere but .. yeah.. that's not a good situation. " he shook his head.

Luka found somewhere to dismount and tie the horse so they could file into the stands to watch the jousting.

Kerr woke and looked at the others then came over to join them, snuggling with Matt too. His moving woke Danika, who went to Ellie.
~~
Dawn thought about that for a minute as they walked. "Hm, well, Kay and Asher don't like childbirth, so books on that would upset them."

Ellie grinned. "I have a couple uncles and aunts, they spoil you rotten. Now it's our turn to uphold the noble tradition!" She snuggled Danika, smiling softly.

~~
James left his horse ground-tied and led the way toward the podium where the royalty could watch. "Best seats in the house," he said.

~~
Ethan considered that, then shook his head. "Might be better not to piss off Kay," he said. He considered, "This will take more thought, I guess. Astrology should be entertaining to subject the Professor to, though."

The baby dragons snuggled close, soon falling asleep again.
~~~
Dawn shrugged a little and thought about it. "Well, there's plenty of people on this ship."

"We have lots of options, I'm sure we'll think of some entertaining books to get," Ethan agreed. "We can pick up pulpy adventure novels too, those are a big fad these days on this ship."

(To the capitol?)

Luka looked around the royal box. "are we allowed to sit here?" She asked, yes, even though it was a holodeck, she was still worried about the rules.

---

Matt pet the little dragons, smiling fondly. Yeah, they were totally lovable, who couldn't fall in love with these little guys?

James smiled. "We can sit wherever we want. If you don't wanna be rude, we can sit down at the edge of the podium or something, but holodeck people don't get offended."

~~
Ellie watched the baby dragons snooze, happy to think about their cuteness instead of the problems of the world.

"We should dress for the part then." Luka decided. "Computer, appropriate clothing for the royal box please!"
She got an amazing princess gown, she looked down at herself and laughed. "Looks like I get to be a princess after all."

---

"We should get these guys back to their parents at some point right?" Matt asked Ellie. He kinda didn't want to, they were adorable and projected happy soothing thoughts. Man, this was why Kay was so okay about being a dad wasn't it? Because the baby dragon was messing with his brain, in a good way.
Like psychic endorphins.

James got some sort of probably semi-historically-accurate medieval nobleman's clothes, which weren't nearly as pretty as Luka's dress. "Darn, now you have the brains AND the beauty," James teased. "What do I get to brag about?"

~~
"Yeah, I wonder if Starr is up yet," Ellie said. "Kay's gonna be sleeping for ages, probably, and Asher totally babysat all last night..." she smiled brightly, "Maybe it's best for us to keep the babies so all the parents can rest!" Totally not because the babies were relaxing to listen to, nope.

"You're the brawn?" Luka teased. "I think you look pretty anyway."

---

Matt snickered. "I agree, for the good of their parents honest. Not because they're cute and snuggly."

James considered that. "Okay, I can go with that. You really think I look pretty?" He fluttered his eyelashes at her.

~~
"Definitely. We're only being selfless people," Ellie said. She looked down at Danika, sleeping on her lap. "Awwww, look at them though." They were waaay too cute, oh my gosh.