Through the Looking Glass: Chapter Four

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Kay pulled him further into the room, so they had a bit more privacy. He tucked the tablet away so he could use both his hands, snuggling into Asher and carefully resting one wing around him as well. Yes this was very wierd, but it was also really nice.

Shane looked to the ones that were concerned and smiled again "It's alright, it's just a movie. They had safety harnesses and stuff when they were making it."

Ethan winced. That name. Ugh. "I am not singing that song," he said grumpily. "Or any song. And I'm sure my double wouldn't either."

James laughed and shrugged. "Yeah! We need to get everyone to watch subtitled Satare musicals!"

The worried android nodded at Shane's reassurance, but still looked a bit nervous.

Matt shrugged. "Nah, he's all mostly serious and I don't think he can sing... wait.. we should find that out! I never thought to ask. James, can your brother sing? Come to thing of it... I don't know if mine can either... well, Kay obviously can't but... i'm so getting Esk to sing. Somehow i'll get him to sing, oh yes." Matt cackled and got up. "they're downloading, don't start without me, i'm gonna go find people!"

James laughed. "He can sing, if you can talk him into doing it. His voice isn't half bad, either. I'll find popcorn."

Shane waved to Matt and chuckled then looked to the screen again. "Good luck with that."

"I suppose so." Quinn sounded miserable.

Asher sighed, watching her sadly. "We'll figure this out, Quinn. It's going to be difficult, but you and I, and quite possibly the others, will do everything we can to keep Merith and Vanessa safe."

Matt wandered out into the hall. "Okay Vestia, where is Esk, Kay and Asher please?"

Vestia listed out their locations, helpfully not mentioning who they were with, as usual.

Matt went to find Esk first, as he was conveniently closest and was weirdly, probably the easiest to convince.

"So... " He said as he walked into the room.

Esk looked up from his sketching. "What do you want?" He spoke flatly.

"So, okay. turns out the Terran Empire here are all about propoganda and war and glorious battle and all that great stuff... and the Imperium?"

"let me guess, sunshine rainbows and little girls singing about life on the farm?"

Matt grinned "you got it. Wanna see how our people do sappy musical bullshit?"

Esk stared at him.

"oh come on, it'll be fun."

"that's what you said about Wizard of Oz."

"You didn't enjoy snarking the whole way thought that? You totally enjoyed that, don't pretend man. You LOVED the chance to be bitchy about something without getting hit." Matt laughed.

Esk continued to stare at him, then sighed. "I have a headache Matt."

"We have painkillers for that. And you KNOW you're curious about what Satare language musicals sound like!"

"i'm more curious how guys that big dance." Esk smirked.

Matt laughed. "see!? Come on man, i'm gonna drag Kay along too, and Asher. "

"Kay will hate you."

"GOOD. He could do with cheering up a bit." Matt nodded.

"Yeah, you got that right. "

"So they're setting up in the lab. Ellie's got the androids watching Mary Poppins right now."

"Was that the dancing penguin thing?" Esk asked.

"Hell yeah. You saw that huh? Awesome. The androids are SO confused, they're gonna be even more confused by this Satare stuff. If it's anything like our universes' Empire's books, it should be amazingly terrible."

"if by amazing you mean awful, nauseating and completely intollerable... "

"You know it. " Matt grinned. "i'm gonna go find Kay. "

He left to go do that.

Esk shook his head, and went back to drawing.

Matt poked his head back in. "Don't think I won't find a way to drag you man."

Esk glared.

"I will. I'll put big ass gloves on and i'll drag your ass to the lab. So go on, get!"

Esk rolled his eyes.

"Oh i'll be back, just you wait." Matt cackled and raced off to find Kay.

"idiot." Esk muttered.

Asher had decided to not tell Quinn or maybe anyone else about Merith's crimes today. Too depressing for Quinn, better to reassure her for now.

~~
James didn't find any popcorn, but he did find stale potato chips, which he brought over.

Shane looked up from the show and grinned at James "No popcorn? Bummer." He said but was glad for the chips anyway.

"Well there was, but it didn't pop at all. It just sat there," James said mournfully. "At least there are tons of chips to throw, right?"

Shane chuckled and nodded then shook his head "Well, popcorn is easier, but chips will do"

Matt found Kay a few floors down, reading a paperback he'd found somewhere.

"Is that what I think it is?" Matt asked.

Kay held the book up, yep, it was in Imperium runes.

"Where the hell did you find that?" Matt asked.

Kay shrugged There's a stack of random magazines in one of the soldier's rec rooms.

"they have a rec room!?"

Well it's more a room with a few chairs and a stack of old, dog eared magazines. A bit like a doctor's waiting room really.

"Man these guys.. how are they not all.. wait... no.. this explains everything! THIS is why they're all fucking crazy!"

Kay shot Matt a funny look.

"No no, seriously man. there is NOTHING to do on this ship except shoot stuff, punch stuff, or hurt people. That's it.. that's seriously IT. Wouldn't you go nuts... uh.. okay forget all that.. we uh.. we found Imperium musicals."

Kay frowned.

"yeah the Reich here is like.. stupid nice right? They made musicals.. and comedies... and comic musicals! DUDE! you know you want to watch 6 foot 6 Satare men prance about in tights and sing about love and compassion in our native tongue! YOU KNOW IT, it'll be incredible!"

I think i'd rather read.

"nah uh. You've been avoiding people man, you gotta come be social, pretend like you like us. Come on."

Kay shook his head. I really would rather not.

"Kaaaaaay, come ooooon. Giant redheaded men singing and dancing!"

Kay frowned and shook his head.

"What's wrong?" Matt's expression softened and he pulled up a chair beside his brother. "Kay? Come on man, i'm worried about you. I know you've been through a lot since we got here but.. that's kinda the point of watching stupid movies, it's a distraction and you love distractions."

Kay set his book down. I just don't think I can face everyone right now okay?

"w.. why not? What'd they do?"

They didn't DO anything. I did.

"kay?"

Kay sighed and explained what had happened with Inari.

Matt just stared at him.

Kay lowered his head. I screwed up, and I nearly got us stranded.

"but... she's still helping right? I mean she's got her fox guys doing this whole portal shit. I can feel them hopping in and out, it's weird. Like this sort of.. prickling sensation every time as space shifts. " Matt shook his head. "Anyway.. point is, you nearly screwed up but you didn't. It's okay, it worked out. Merith is contained and honestly Kay, I think you made the right call. You chose him over someone we really don't know if we should or even can trust. Merith is our friend and he needed someone he could trust and weirdly, despite how much you two seem to piss one another off, he does kinda.. like you. Uh.. " Oops? backpeddle backpeddle! "Forget that.. point is Kay, nobody knows. I mean, hell I didn't know anything had happened and Inari sure as heck hasn't marched in and declared you a traitor or anything. Nobody knows and even if they did, they'd forgive you because we all know you, and we know you do give a shit and you try so hard to do the right thing. Kay... you're one of the best people I know, and no you don't always get things right because you're not perfect, nobody is, but the point is you always try. " He put a hand around Kay's shoulders. "Come on bro, let's go watch some stupid movies in our native tongue, laugh our asses off and try to forget our troubles for a bit. If anyone needs a distraction and a good laugh, it's you. I'm gonna go find Asher and force him to watch too, nobody's getting outta this one man. I finally found some Imperium bullshit worth sharing!"

Kay smiled sadly at Matt and shrugged his arm away. You're very good at persuasive arguments Matt, but really... I don't want to watch a movie.

"I don't believe you. I think you're just wallowing." Matt watched him carefully.

Kay chewed his lip. Esk accused me of the same thing.

"Ahh yes, and our baby brother is extremely perceptive. If he says you're wallowing, you're totally wallowing. Cut it out. Come on, i'll pick you up and carry you if I have to and you know how humiliating that'll be."

I'll kick you.

"Oh I don't doubt it, but you can't kick that hard with bare feet." Matt smiled. "Come on, you can sit to the back out of the way of everyone else if you really must. Ellie's got ALL of Starr's androids in on this, they are SO confused. Poor things, it's kinda funny how bewildered they are. "

Oh don't torment the androids. Kay looked annoyed.

"Hey we're not tormenting them! James thinks it's a good thing so.. I dunno. I defer to his judgement on what is and isn't good for em. He knows robots better than me."

They're androids, not robots.

"Eh, same difference to me. Yeah I know I know, i'm an insensitive jerk but come on! You can come defend the ro... androids then. " Matt got up and reached out a hand to his brother. "please? It'll do you some good I promise."

Kay exhaled deeply and stood up. Fine, but i'm coming with you to find Asher.

"heeey, no sneaking off when my back is turned to go make out okay? I know what you guys get up to when you think nobody's looking. " Matt snickered.

Kay flushed.

"Oh don't get so embarrassed, it's totally natural man. Okay.. maybe a bit weird the whole... android thing but eh, Asher's a good guy and I like him. It's probably no weirder than any other interspecies relationship right? Your guy hasn't got a heart, mine has two. that sorta thing. " matt paused. "What DOES his chest sound like then? Like, they didn't code in fake heartbeats right?"

Kay rolled his eyes. No.

"So... ?"

Kay shook his head. He sounds like the hum of electricity in the wires in the dead of night.

"Really? Wow... that's... weird and kinda awesome. Now I wanna put my head on an android. You think James would let me?" He cackled. "that'd be inappropriate right?"

Kay shot his brother a withering look.

"yeah.. okay... inappropriate." Matt laughed. "Come on, let's find your boyfriend and then go watch terrible movies. If they're anything like those books, we're in for a treat."

I like the books.

"I know you do, but dude.. they are BAD."

I know. But they're fun. Sometimes I just need that brainless stupid escape.

"Fair enough." Matt shrugged and lead the way.

Ellie grabbed a handful of the stale, potato chips and munched on them. "Wonder how far past the expiration date these are, anyway," she mused.

"Oh my, if they've gone bad, you shouldn't be eating them," one of the androids said nervously. "Her Royal Highness would not want you to be sick."

Ellie shook her head, "It's fiiiine. Right, Shane? We'll survive the old chips!"

~~
Asher thought he heard someone--two someones, actually--coming. "Who do you suppose that is?" he asked Quinn.

Shane tilted his head then reached over to try a chip to see how they tasted before looking at the bag "Not too far."

Quinn lifted her head and her nose quivered, before resting it again. "The two brothers we met on Earth. Your lover and his non-blood, Matt."

"Just kinda gross," Ellie agreed. She threw a chip at James, "Eight of ten. I approve."

James caught the projectile and grinned, draping himself on a chair.

The androids looked worried by his casual attitude.
Actually, they just looked worried in general.

~~
"A sense of smell must be very useful. No way can I tell that by sound," Asher said, smiling. He added more thoughtfully, "I hope nothing's gone wrong."

Shane grinned then tossed chips at some of the androids for fun

The androids watched Shane with varying levels of concern and confusion. Many blank stares were shared between them. One android caught a potato chip and eyed it uncertainly. Another android picked up a chip and tossed it to one of the others.

Shane grinned and nodded to the one that tossed it "Sometimes it's just fun to toss stuff at others. There doesn't have to be a reason for it, but it should be in downtime like this"

Matt knocked on the door to the room Quinn and Asher were in.

"Asher?" He called.

Kay lingered nearby, still clutching that book.

Matt looked at him and mouthed "don't even think of running away." and smiled.

Asher smiled softly at Quinn and went to open the door. He looked up at Matt, then spotted Kay after a moment. Quinn's nose really was good! "Oh hello. Is everything all right?" He asked.

Starr had made her way back to the captain's quarters off the bridge to again search for that code to free Vestia from her collar. She was organizing as she went through all the paperwork so the room looked like a hurricane had hit it for now.

Matt grinned at Asher. "Oh yeah, it's fine. We found Imperium musicals." He snickered.

Kay looked resigned to all this. He smiled softly to Asher, looking to Quinn curiously.

"So Ellie's got all Starr's androids watching movies, James and I searched the ship and got bored, so now we're gonna watch Imperium musicals because the very idea is so surreal and wrong that it just HAS to be witnessed. Want a distraction?" He looked past Asher to Quinn "You too, we'll dig out snacks, have a laugh, you know... pretend like we aren't on a shitty slave ship in a shitty universe and all that."

"That certainly sounds fascinating," Asher said dryly. "Starr's androids? The poor things, they must be baffled." Asher felt his expression soften at Kay's resigned smile. With his mind no longer crushed under the weight of his third sense, he was now very free to get distracted again. Oops. He pulled his eyes away hastily and looked at Quinn, "Are you up for a ridiculous movie?"