Upon Vestia: Chapter Thirty-Four

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"We could stay here and see if Vestia can start getting some movies on file for us." Shane said with a shrug.

Esk sighed and lay back down. May as well go back to sleep, maybe it'd help his headache.

---

Matt, Kay and Web stuck together, all of them were worried but Kay especially was fretting and not doing a great job hiding it.

---

Tala might catch scent of Web, whose smell was very different from Matt's since Matt had been soaking in the pool so much lately, and go to look in at the brothers. Hey, she wanted to know what the Matt-like scent meant.

Web probably smelled a lot more like dust and earth and blood than Matt did.

The three brothers were sitting at a table playing cards of some sort.

Kay looked up when Tala appeared, tilting his head questioningly.

"Greetings," Tala said. She looked at the three brothers, ears perked forward in interest. "I had thought I smelled someone different in here. What causes your return, Web?"
Was he here because of Esk? If that had been the case, she would have expected Web to be hanging out by Esk's cell, hmm.

Web bowed his head to Tala by way of greeting. "I was summoned."

"Kay wanted me out the pool." Matt explained, as if that was no big deal.

"Which involved far more effort than I believe any of us fully anticipated." Web smiled softly at his twin.

Matt shrugged. "Could have just left me." He retorted. He looked back to Tala. "now we're killing time." and distracting one another but yeah.

[How's Esk?] Kay asked.

Tala twitched her ears, "Ah, you do smell of swimming pool treatment chemicals, Matt." Commenting on people's scents was totally acceptable, right?
"Esk is alive," she said, "He has shown no further sign of possession yet. Mayhap he is himself again, although it is too soon to tell. He refuses to have his mind searched."

Dawn flinched at Jame's parting words but didn't go after him. "Can you tell him I didn't mean it that way?" She asked of vestia.

~~~
Starr enjoyed the cuddle, feeling better just from the contact. "It's frightening to think the demon was in anyone here, but Esk has the skills to kill most of us."

Kay frowned at that.

Matt shrugged "Would you want someone trapsing through your head? It's pretty damn intimate."

Kay lowered his head. Matt was of course right, he remembered far too vividly Starr doing it to him in the mirror universe and how violated he still felt about it. [Even so, just waiting seems impractical.]

Matt nodded. "He's usually fairly pragmatic."

"If he doesn't wish his mind further violated then we should respect that wish." Web pointed out calmly.

Kay chewed his lip. [How will we know he's himself?]


---

Armin nodded. "But he did not, for which we should be grateful. There is little sense dwelling on what was not." He told Starr sagely as he pulled gently away. "is he going to be alright?"

"Okay," Vestia told Dawn. She added softly, "You know, you took command in a bad situation, and I'm grateful for that. I wasn't thinking clearly at the time, everything happened so fast."

~~
Vestia passed along Dawn's message to James.

James nodded, although he didn't ask Vestia to tell Dawn anything. He'd make things right later, he decided. Right now he was waaay too emotional not to screw things up between him and Dawn even further, and he knew it.

~~
Tala nodded. "The mind is not to be invaded. It is what we are taught in my tribe, and what most other cultures believe. It may be inconvenient, but his wishes will be respected." She shrugged, "We do not know. Proving that there is nobody else in his mind is no easy task, and if we make a public checklist, then the demon might learn and hide better from us. All we can do is wait and watch."

Starr nodded "We believe we have rid him of the demon, though he didn't want me checking his mind to be certain, that's why he is in the brig. That was his own idea to wait and recover there." She looked up at him and smiled softly.

~~~
"I knew something was wrong with the whole hearing something no one else could, that's why I had to give him a checkup so quickly." Dawn said as she laid on her bed.

(now James just has to go punch Tori and he'll have upset ALL the medical staff hahah. GO JAMES!)

Kay chewed his lip. [So he remains caged till we're sure?]

Matt frowned, he didn't like that idea even if he knew it was the best solution for everyone's safety.

"Is everyone else alright?" Web asked. Ever the diplomat huh?

---

Armin nodded. "He is a sensible man, I pray he is free of the clutches of this creature."

Starr nodded "As do I, and that no one else gets possessed." She said honestly.

"Yeah. It was pretty clear something was wrong," Vestia said. "The more we heard, the worse it sounded. I'm glad we both noticed enough to decide to keep an eye on him."

~~
"Yes. He will be contained until we can be certain he is free from the demon's grasp," Tala said. "To let a monster freely roam the ship would be foolhardy." She nodded, "Yes, all others are most alive an uninjured. We have much to be glad for."

(Oh yes, James and Tori need to have a fight now. Hahaha)

Dawn nodded then sighed again. "I wish it had just been some injury, for him to not be in control like that is horrible." She said softly. "I wish I hadn't had to kill him too."

Web nodded. "I didn't just mean physically." He pointed out.

Matt sighed.

Kay looked down at his cards.

Vestia's lights shifted to a sympathetic blue color. "Me too. Nobody deserves to be under mind control. And nobody should have to kill a person they care about. It was just... a bad situation in every way."

~~
"I am not a therapist, I do not know," Tala said. "I suppose it must have been difficult for Dawn though. Her job was not a pleasing one."

Dawn nodded again. "That it was, but we have to figure out how to live with now."

"Yeah. Another bad memory, I guess," Vestia said. She sighed. "Hey, when... if... we get to Tala's homeworld, I'm hoping we'll be able to bring some capricorns on board. Tala says there's a good chance some of them will be therapists, it's a common career for the species. Maybe it'd be good for you to talk to someone?"

Dawn looked to the camera again at that then nodded. "Sounds good to me. Too many of us are mentally hurting or just tired and need someone to talk to." She said agreeably.

Kay looked tense.

"her... part.. oh no... " Matt looked pained. Poor Dawn. She was the only doctor on board wasn't she?
Maybe someone should go talk to her, make sure she was okay.

Web bowed his head. "it is never easy to hurt someone you care for. But.. sometimes it's neccisary."

Kay kicked him under the table.

"OW!" Web frowned at Kay.

Kay glowered.

Web sighed. "I'm sorry..."

"It'll get better," Vestia said. "We're going to do everything we can to make sure of that."

~~
"She did what was needed, and did not hesitate, which is to be commended," Tala said. "But still, it can be difficult to harm one you care for."

Dawn gave a small smile at that "Yeah, we are. I just hope this is the end of the demon thing."

"Fingers crossed," Vestia said. "Well I mean, if I had fingers." She added, "Hey, want me to drop off some books or food or something? If you want to just relax for a while?" Dawn deserved as much time off as she wanted, as far as Vestia was concerned.

Matt nodded. "She's a tough lady."

Kay nodded grimly.

"that may be why they get along so well, pragmatic, right to the end." Web mused.

"They are fortunate to have such a friendship," Tala mused. "Not all can find someone who matches them so well."

Matt stared down at the table. "yeah..." He mumbled. Ouch, that stung.
Still, Dawn. "Vestia?" He looked up at the camera. "Is Dawn alright?"

"Thanks, I would like that" Dawn said, yeah, she didn't want to go out and face anyone right then. "I think I can take some time off before getting back to my station now."