Upon Vestia: Chapter Thirty-Seven

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"You mentioned the possibility of using a spell to look into someone's mind. Is that part of your plan to try to communicate with Fate?" Vestia asked Jarral. She wanted to learn as much as she could here. After all, it was her job to protect her crew as well as she could.

~~
"You can paint the light switches in your room if you want," Vestia told Vela. "I trust you not to break anything."

Ellie giggled.

"Drown him?" Hewitt sounded vuagely interested now. "Isn't that usually fatal for mammals?"

---

(honestly I doubt it came up. Web's shit at talking about himself much.)

Web chuckled softly, but he looked a little sad. "If only it were that simple." He'd like to visit more but his duty gave him little in the way of time he could justify away. Juggling it all was not easy, he'd struggled with it over the past ten years trying to split his time between his birthright, searching for Vestia and keeping contact with Danika and Lana.

---

Esk settled into an uncomfortable silence for a while before he finally asked. "Dawn? Are you actually alright?"

Asher frowned; this was news to him. "He got you to help Web?" he asked Jess. "What happened? When was this?" It must have been a while ago, if Jarral had still been a child, but he couldn't help worrying about what Web must have gotten himself into that time to need an outsider's help.

~~
Zara nodded. "Having a cause counts for a lot. And I suppose maybe your powers help too, although I imagine they must attract enemies as well." She'd seen Kerr's shapeshift earlier and she knew Shane was half the same species, so she assumed he and the other dragons had that ability as well.

Ellie sighed, looking more serious at Web's words. "Yeah. I know your work keeps you really busy. And from what Matt says, you can't just.. talk sense to the Kevali and make them leave, can you?"
To her it seemed like it should be a simple task, but by now she had heard enough to realize that it was more complex than that. Ugh, politics.

~~
"Yes drowning is usually deadly for mammals. And for people with blood in general," Ethan said with a nod. "They had to start resuscitating him as soon as his heart stopped, and it still fucked him up. Nobody's sure if he'll ever recover fully."

Jess nodded.

"I asked Fate to find someone who could help. She sent me to you." Jarral explained.

"It was.. maybe five years ago?" Jess said.

"Four years, seven months, eighteen days." Jarral corrected.

"Well that's wierdly specific..." Matt remarked. He too was worried by all this. What the hell had happened?

Jess continued. "He got sick. Spread himself too thin. "

"so.. you went to the underground city?" Matt asked.

Jess nodded. "I did. I spent three days nursing him back to health. That awful place has nothing resembling medicine, it's all prayer and supersticious nonsense. " She sighed, shaking her head. "As I recall, Jarral and one of the other scribes spent most of that time trying to keep everyone else away. I wasn't supposed to be there."

"Kaliyani Vivek. She was trying to protect me." Jarral looked away, sinking a little further back into his shadow cloak.

"Hey we met Kaliyani didn't we?" Matt exclaimed.

---

Web shook his head. "unfortunately it doesn't work like that. The people are set in their ways, terrified of change and the universe beyond. Forcing them elsewhere would be cruel, even if it was for the greater good. It would make me a tyrant. You get further by leading by example, not forcing people to do as you say."

---

Hewitt nodded. "Well he seemed to be upright and mobile." He snorted. "Animals are so fragile."

----

Dawn frowned and looked at Esk then away again. "I don't know. I'm healthy, I'm keeping my powers regulated, but...I don't know. I care too much, feel too much. It's strange. I think my uncle is too, but it's not something that can be measured in a definable way." She said, pausing before continuing. "I understand my uncle better now, how he could have lost so much control. Having you die was so hard, my feelings have been too strong since then."

~~~
Danika looked from one to another silently as they spoke, this is what had happened after Jerral left them?

~~~
"Our enemies are the slavers" Shane answered, nodding. "They can be powerful in their own right, but learned to fear us."

"I'm glad you both were able to help him. I hadn't realized Web had been that sick," Asher said. He kept holding Danika's hand, hoping she was doing okay with this new information.
"I think James met Kaliyani but... not here," he offered, looking to Matt. He wondered if anyone had told Jess about the mirror universe, if she would even want to know.

~~
Ellie sighed. "If you say so. It just sounds terrible in every way down there."

Zara nodded to Shane. "Good." She looked to Web and Ellie, she'd kind of lost track of what they had been doing. Now they looked serious about something. Interesting.

Ellie waved. "You wanted a beer, right?" she asked Shane, waving to the bottles Web had set on the counter earlier.

~~
"He could be worse," Ethan agreed. "But that's not to say that he's doing well." He thought back to yesterday when Esk had fallen. Esk wasn't supposed to be vulnerable, it had felt wrong to see. "I take it drowning isn't as immediately harmful for Aketi?"

Esk frowned a little. From all Dawn had ever said, emotions were not a good thing for Pandorians to lose control of. "Rigel recovered through right? You're worried you might have a breakdown like he did?"

---

Hewitt shrugged. "We don't breathe. The biggest risk would be prolonged exposure rotting the roots and being unable to get nutrients from the air." It would take a while to drown a plant.

---

Jess sighed. "My brother is not particularly good at asking for help."

"right.. yeah.." Matt nodded to Asher. Other universe, confusing. He didn't want to go into all that mess.

Thankfully Jess didn't ask. Instead she looked back to Jarral with another question. "So how did you end up with The Star Marshall?" Eva mentioned Jarral in her letters. She and Jess had been corrosponding for years now on and off. Jess had always been rather confused as to who the heck this kid was that Eva always mentioned. Now she knew why Eva thought she would care.

Jarral looked like he didn't particularly want to go into detail here. He replied flatly. "I had nowhere else to go."

Matt frowned at that. "Wait... you said Kaliyani was trying to protect you. What from?"

"the Elders."

Kay looked confused but Matt was steadily putting two and two together.
"You were outcast... this is why?!"

Jarral nodded.

Jess looked a little confused. "What does that mean?"

"It means he can't go home, ever. He's been banished." Matt explained.

"What? Why?" Jess looked aghast.

"I was not supposed to bring an outsider into the city. There are quarentine procedures, processes to ensure contagions are not brought in. There was no time to gain permission and go through all of that. I knew the risks, I knew the punishment. I did it anyway." Jarral bowed his head.

"but why?" Jess asked. She looked horrified.

"My Father's life mattered more than mine. " Jarral explained simply. "I trusted Fate."

[So he allowed you to be outcast?] Kay interjected at last.

Jarral kept his gaze on the floor. "He was still weak and the vote was eight to one in favour of my exile." He shook his head, looking up at the group defiantly. "There was nothing he could do, nor did I expect him to do anything. I did my duty. It was a sacrifice willingly made."

"but you were only a child...." Jess protested. She was absolutely dumbfounded by this news. "you're his son."

"I was a fully trained scribe, by the people's laws I was an adult despite my age."

"I knew I had good reason to hate those bastard Elders." Matt muttered.

---

Web bowed his head, smiling sadly to Ellie. "It's not all bad. They are good people just... much like all people I suppose, afraid of the unknown. My existance alone has caused rather a stir anyway. I came from outside, I come and I go, I am proof there is life beyond the homeworld. It will take many small steps to convince the people to change their existance, but I have faith in them. "

"You could have come to us again." Danika said softly, watching Jerral as he spoke to the others. "We wouldn't have turned you away."

~~~
"Yeah, thanks" Shane said, smiling to Ellie and taking one of the bottles to take a drink.

~~
Dawn bowed her head then shrugged "I don't know the future, but I saw how close I came already. It's not something I want to ever happen and will do what I can to prevent, at least when I don't lose track of time. But...I can't lose you again...even if all we do is stay friends. I care too much."

"Right, that makes sense. I mean I've accidentally killed house plants by watering them too much, but it wasn't quick," Ethan said. "Plants all require such specific care, it's very confusing," he added, resigned.

~~
Asher shivered. He'd known that Jarral had been outcast and gone to live with the Star Marshal, but he hadn't ever learned the details of how it had happened.
He nodded at Danika's words. If Jarral had ended up on Unity, they absolutely would have adopted him.

~~
"You're more patient than I am," Ellie told Web, "I'd probably just order them to come out here and enjoy the universe already."

Zara watched the conversation with interest.

Esk stared at Dawn for a moment, processing her words. He looked away. She couldn't mean what he thought she meant. "if you do lose control, I won't let you hurt anyone. I promise you that." He didn't address the second part. He didn't particularly want to die again either thanks, it hadn't been pleasant. he was getting a little tired of near death experiences.

---

Jarral tilted his head at Danika. "I believe my father thought it was too much to ask." He shook his head. "you would have to ask him. He saw to it I had somewhere to go. I do not believe he anticipated that she would get so involved in the rift. "

Kay frowned deeply. The front line of a war against interdimensional monsters wasn't what he'd call an ideal foster home situation. What the hell had Web been thinking?

"She seems to genuinely care for you..." Jess mused.

Jarral nodded. "She has done what she can to keep me safe." He rubbed his wrists idly. "She has not always succeeded but she has tried. "

"shit man, this is... i'm so sorry." Matt was kinda lost for words here. He knew the Kevali home world was harsh but exiling a fourteen year old for trying to save someone's life was insane as far as he was concerned. He glanced over to where Web was. He could sort of see why Web might have thought asking Asher and Nova for help would have felt like too much of an ask given they were already raising so many kids but even so....

----

Hewitt chuckled. "I could say the same of animals. All those food requirements. Sleep and waste management and..." He waved a hand, looking disgusted. "everything else. "

---

Web smiled softly. "That's precisely the attitude my father had. He argued at length that they should just leave, it wasn't popular. But he had his supporters. Not many, but a few. He was seen as a radical and well, he went off and married an alien. " He chuckled, shaking his head. "unfortunately diplomacy and politics were not my father's strong points. He was, for all I understand, an awful lot like Matt."

"Aunt Nova and Asher wouldn't of turned you away, they didn't before when you lived with us at the house." Danika insisted then frowned a little. "Maybe Fate told him to send you to her though, so you could help with the rift thing."

~~~
Shane frowned in thought then sighed softly "Just telling people to do something would breed a hatred for the one doing the forcing. It might not matter at first and some could come around after, but that hate would be there, undermining every interaction."

~~~
Dawn smiled sadly and looked away. "I'm glad you think so." Though if she lost control it would be because he wasn't there to stop her.

Esk frowned slightly. He trusted Dawn, she was smart and resourceful even if she was sometimes a little impulsive. The idea of her losing control was unpleasant.
A thought struck him "What do you mean by losing time?"

Asher nodded again, agreeing with Danika. "We would have taken you in. I talked to Web about it, but he thought it wasn't the right choice. It's good that the Star Marshal made sure you were all right," he told Jarral.
It was true that raising five kids in one apartment had already been a lot for him and Nova, but he knew they would both have gladly taken in another though, he didn't think Nova could turn away a child without a home any more than he could.

~~
"I can't argue with you there," Ethan said. "Everything organic has complicated requirements to stay alive. Water, food, correct nutrition, and so on. I've cared for people, and also for their house plants, so."

~~
"Your dad really was like Matt, if he married an alien," Ellie said with a laugh.
"It's just weird to me," she added more seriously, "People so set in their bad ways. I mean, once you have access to high quality medical care and enough to eat, wouldn't you just want to do that instead? There's nothing to resent."

"I think that would depend on what ways of life the outside culture would want you to denounce," Zara offered, "There's a reason why some species and cultures prefer to stay more isolated, the dominant culture tends to think their way is superior and anyone else's is inherently flawed if they don't match."

Ellie frowned.

Web nodded. "You must remember, these are people who have never known anything else. The world out here would terrify them. All this technology, all these strange new cultures to try to understand... outcasts struggle for good reason. It's a brutal world out here just as much as it is at home. In some ways more so. Out here there is war and slavery, wanton cruelty and corruption. Much as I would love the People to experience hot running water and plentiful food it is something that must be done with a gentle touch. Perhaps one day they'll see the sky again." though, he mused, probably not within his lifetime.

---

"what is done is done, wishful thinking cannot change that." Jarral replied curtly.

Matt bowed his head. "good point..."

"I'm so sorry..." Jess looked upset.

Jarral stared at her. "you did nothing to harm me. You have no reason to appologise."

----

Hewitt nodded and wriggled his toes, he still felt a bit wierd. It would take time for fluid to get back to where it should be.

----

"Just losing track of time, studying and learning what I can to be able to do my job better." Dawn replied, glad to go back to a more normal subject.

~~~
"Like if your parent's community suddenly had to move to a city surrounded by aliens right next door." Shane said to Ellie, trying to help her understand. "Would they need time to come around to such a move or just move them and hope for the best?"

~~~
Danika frowned and moved a step closer to Jerral, letting go of Asher but stopping there. "She's sorry you had to go through what made you unhappy, we all are. Even if we can't change the past, we still feel empathy for that pain you went through. It's part of being family, or friends. You didn't understand when we were kids either, but it's the same thing I tried to explain back then."

Asher hesitated, trying to make up his mind whether he should even be here for a personal discussion like this, with someone he barely knew who probably wasn't appreciating this many people watching. And also if it would be okay to leave Danika here.
Not even fully thinking about it, he looked to Kay, wanting to see if he was feeling the same way about this.

~~
"I mean, I ended up on this ship with no preparation whatsoever, but I'm fine," Ellie said, although she did sound doubtful. She knew that wouldn't be the case for everyone in her family. "And the slavery and war aren't everywhere..."

~~
Ethan watched Hewitt. "Are you in pain? Or tired?" Recovering from having your chest blown open and your cells boiled had to be both painful and tiring, he assumed.

Jarral shook his head. "I am not unhappy." He told Danika flatly.

"You're not?" Matt asked. The kid bewildered him.

Kay was honestly surprised by how mature Danika sounded but at the same time he was acutely aware of the way Jarral was slowly shrinking into himself and the shadows were deepening around him. He caught Asher's eye as Asher looked at him and quickly looked away, awkward.

Jarral shook his head. "The Star Marshall taught me how to defend myself. My God gives me the power to better keep myself safe. I have more freedom than I ever had previously. All that has happened to me have been risks I have taken willingly, knowing the cost. "

"I wish i'd known..." Jess murmured.

"What would you have changed?" Jarral asked her.

Jess shook her head. "I don't know. I just... wish i'd known."

----

Web smiled softly to Ellie. "I know what this ship and this crew have endured. This universe is often harsh. While there is much good, there is just as much cruelty. " He bowed his head. "I have witnessed the dangers of this universe, of being different amongst those who fear such things. There are those who seek to take advantage of those who don't understand, to hurt those who are weak.. . I would never wish to force any of that upon the unwilling or unknowing. If the people are to see the sky again, they need to know the risks involved and be willing to move forward prepared. " he poured another drink. "I want the people to be safe and happy, but I realise that to do that they need to be able to integrate. Right now, I can't see that being very realistic."

---

"Frustrating i'd say." Hewitt shook his head. Admitting weakness was hard for him. "Just give me a minute." He sounded annoyed.

----

Esk nodded. "hyper fixation... " It was in the psychology books he'd been listening to. He tilted his head, managing a forced smirk. "need me to show up and remind you to eat regularly?"

Shane moved to Ellie's side, hugging her gently. "Yeah, you have integrated really well." He teased her, wanting to see her smile.

~~~
Danika nodded though she could see he wasn't happy. Of course he hadn't seemed very happy as a kid either.

~~~~
Dawn smiled again. "Vestia has been helping, but I wouldn't mind you keeping me in line again."

Asher winced as Kay hastily looked away.
Fighting down his urge to overthink everything, he forced himself to smile and say, "I think I'm going to go have a look at the game tables now. It was good to meet you, Jarral."
Jarral looked like he might be a bit overwhelmed by all the attention. Asher wanted to help him, and if that meant making a blatant attempt to flee, then Asher would throw aside his dignity and do that for the poor guy.

~~
"I mean, not all of the universe is like that," Ellie told Web, somewhat halfheartedly, because she knew a lot of it was just like what Web described. She smiled briefly at Shane's words, and leaned into his hug. Aww.

Zara sipped her soda distractedly, and found that her glass was finally empty. Darn, no drink to hide behind while she listened in.

~~
Ethan frowned, looked like Hewitt didn't want to answer that, which kind of worried him more. But then, it was normal to avoid admitting to pain and exhaustion, most people did that. "All right. Tell me if I can help with something, I guess," he said awkwardly.

Web glanced to Zara "Would you like another?" he asked softly.

He got the impression Ellie was stubborn and there was little sense arguing with stubborn people. He just nodded to her.

---

Matt looked to Asher, then to Kay. Damnit why wouldn't these two just TALK and get this shit sorted? it was painful to watch.

Jess found a chair and sat down, looking sombre.

Kay chewed his lip and caught Matt's eye. Matt wasn't telepathic himself, but he'd learned that if he thought really really loud Kay would pick it up anyway. Right now he was thinking 'talk to him you fricken idiot.'
Kay's eyes narrowed.

"hey you know what." Matt declared. "games sound fun. Come on Kay, let's go see if they have any cards." He wrapped an arm around Kay's shoulder and forced him forward. Kay begrudgingly came along. Matt glanced back at the others "Danika, you take care of your aunt and cousin yeah?"

---

Hewitt looked around, eyes settling on the book Ethan had left on the dresser. He reached over and picked it up. "you can get rid of this rubbish for a start." he tossed the book at the android disdainfully.

Shane was glad the subject dropped actually. "This is a party, let's do something fun." He said to make sure they moved on.

~~~
Danika looked to her dads then back to Jess and Jerral, uncertain what to say now. Matt had been pretty loud, so she didn't want to not give them time to talk, but what was there to say now? She didn't like how awkward this made her feel. "Um...do you like the party?"

Zara smiled at Web, with some sympathy. Yeah, Ellie hadn't seemed to be an especially receptive audience to his philosophy. "Did you see any tea supplies while you were looking around? Tea is always nice."

Ellie blinked at Zara. "Wait, like the hot drink with water and a bag of leaves in it?"

Zara looked amused. "That's what I meant, yes."

"Huh." Ellie looked slightly puzzled. "Wait, so fun things," she said, returning to the other topic at hand. "I guess not a drinking game, huh?"

~~
Asher hesitated a moment longer, feeling guilty about abandoning Danika here, but he'd already kind of committed to leave. "You can always join us if you want," he told her gently, then headed off with Matt and Kay toward the game tables.
He was unaware of Matt's continuing efforts to make him and Kay have an actual conversation, he assumed Matt just wanted to give Jarral space too.

~~
Instinct took hold and Ethan dove sideways, almost knocking over his chair in his haste. The book probably hit the wall with a thud and the soft rustle of paper.
Ethan stood, glancing around for further threats, gradually realizing that he could have caught the book, which maybe that was what Hewitt had intended. "Fuck."

Jarral looked at Danika, he really didn't seem to blink as often as he should. "I am... not certain..." He admitted, looking around.

---

Web smiled back at Zara and looked around at the drink supplies. "let me have a look." Hmm, tea, was there any tea? He managed to locate some teabags but there was no hot water in easy reach. That seemed an oversight.

---

Hewitt looked bemused, tilting his head at Ethan. "I know it's trash but it's still just a book." He laughed, oblivious to Ethan's trauma.

----

Matt finally let go of Kay only when they were all near the game tables.
Kay glowered at him.
Matt just grinned back. "right i'm gonna go get a drink." he nodded to Asher and rather rapidly made his exit.

Kay glared after him. [I don't think he's coming back.] He wrote.

Shane chuckled and shook his head a little, glancing around then motioning one of the dragons over to have them make an electric teapot with him. He was still leary of doing too much creation magic alone, though this was simple enough. It even already had hot water in it. "There we go" He said with a smile, thanking the other dragon guy then looking to Ellie. "We could always do a drinking game without alcohol in it." He replied with a shrug.

~~~~
Danika tilted her head then looked around too. "Well, is there anything you want to try? Ellie and the others wanted this to be fun for everyone." She said then looked at Jess. "Including you Aunt Jess. I'm glad you came."

Zara stared at Shane and the other dragon's magically-created electric kettle, wondering suddenly if this was all a bizarre hazing ritual. Maybe they'd realized she had a thing about public displays of magic, and were using it to mess with her.
It was, now she considered it, a pretty plausible explanation. Normally she was good at avoiding crews with hazing traditions, but maybe she'd screwed up this time. "Oh," she said, trying to hide her sudden sense of intense worry, "Wow."

Ellie, much more accustomed to Dragon magic, watched the creation of the kettle with fascination. "Ooh, nice trick. Does it like, actually work?"

~~
Ethan picked up the book from the floor, and made himself sit back down. The momentary panic was settling down again, returning to the uncomfortably alert state he normally lived with.
"You shouldn't be throwing library books, they get damaged," he said, because he didn't really want to explain why he had reacted the way he did, and doubted Hewitt would care anyway. "Just because it's a shit book doesn't mean it doesn't have value."

~~
Asher looked briefly confused, then realized what the cryptic behavior of both brothers meant. "Oh. Matt just wanted to make us talk to each other, didn't he?"
Was it wrong to find that funny? Asher wasn't sure why, but he found it funny.
Well, he had been meaning to try to spend time with Kay. And if this was incredibly awkward, he could blame it on having run away from a group conversation, and also on Matt almost literally shoving Kay at him. "Should we do a puzzle?"

"Oh, sorry." Shane said, flushing lightly as he looked to Zara then Ellie. "Yeah, it works, that's why I called him over to help me. Electronics can be tricky." He said then looked to Zara again. "I'm used to just helping when there's a need and I can do something about it here. I'll try not to do that in front of you if you don't like it though."

Web blinked, surprised by the materialisation of the kettle and Zara's spiking anxiety. He bowed his head and took the kettle "thank you."
He decided not to ask Zara if she was alright, explaining you could feel people's emotions usually freaked them out more.

"I'm not sure a drinking game without alchohol is really a game at all." Wasn't the point to get drunk? or get other people drunk? It had been a while since he'd played any drinking games honestly.

"Would you like erm.. red berry or... cam... uh.." He held up the last teabag. "whatever this one is." Dang galactic common.

---

Hewitt scoffed "value? perhaps as pulp, or kindling." He didn't ask about Ethan's reaction, he really didn't much care or really think it was particularly odd. He was too self absborbed for that.

---

Kay glared after Matt one more time. [He really seems determined." He exhaled sharply. [I suppose he succeeded though didn't he? ] He looked at the table. A puzzle, yes, that was a distracting thing. Better than dancing. He nodded, looking awkward and uncertain.

---

Jarral looked around warily. "I am not certain this sort of event is really... my idea of enjoyment."

Jess smiled awkwardly at Danika, this was all a lot to take in. "Auntie... i'm still finding that strange... "

"Would you prefer we called you by another name?" Jarral asked sincerely.

Jess shook her head. "no. no.. it's fine. Just... an adjustment."

----

Esk nodded. "Alright." He lapsed into silence again for a bit, thinking. "I know what the demon told you." He admitted at last. It had been gnawing at him and her words earlier troubled him.