Upon Vestia: Chapter Thirty-Two

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James went into Armin's room. "Hey man, watcha working on?" he asked, seeing that Armin was sewing.

"Do you think it's weird when your sibling starts dating someone?" James asked. "Cause I talked to Luka yesterday and she thought it wasn't weird, but I think it is weird. So I wanted another opinion on this." Although vavare culture was so alien, maybe Armin wasn't the best person to ask, James thought.

"Dating?" He looked thoughtful. "Vavare do not... date so much, however, when Berit chose Tygve for a mate I was happy for them, it did not change our relationship in any way. " He looked at James thoughfully. "You find your brother's relationship strange? Perhaps it is less 'normal' for an android as you lack the biological need to reproduce nor the desire to seek physically pleasurable companionship. For organic beings, we grow up surrounded by this idea of pair bonding and partnership. As much of my culture is alien to you, much of yours would be alien to us no? I find the idea of only having a single partner profoundly strange, and the concept of same sex boding being somehow wrong or undesirable extraordinarily strange. It may be that you are experiencing something similar? A struggle to comprehend something you yourself simply have no frame of reference for." He touched James' shoulder affectionately and smiled "Do not concern yourself too much with what others believe, we are all of our own minds. There is no right or wrong in such matters, simply differing perspectives." At least that's what he'd always been taught. The Vavare put a lot of emphasis on not judging, not forcing their own beliefs on others and accepting other cultures.

James nodded, although he looked a little uncertain. He couldn't be the only one who found this bizarre, right? "It's not like androids aren't surrounded by people in relationships though. It's literally everywhere in entertainment media, and most of the people we know end up in relationships at some point too. Not androids but, you know, Terrans still look like us and act like us, other than how obsessed with sex they can be, so it's not that different. It's just... when the person in the relationship is someone you've known all your life, it's different." Well, he thought it was. "Not bad, just different," he amended.
"You must have found it so strange when you left your homeworld. All these people out here who are so picky about their partners." He smiled a little at the thought. "I guess we're both kinda outsiders, just looking at everyone else from opposite ends of the spectrum."

Armin smiled. "I am certain there are others who have felt similar to yourself. I have heard many speak sadly of the change of their own relationship with a person once that person settles down with someone else. I suppose single life is quite different to partnered life? but I would not know, I have never had such a relationship." He looked thoughtful. "When I left my homeworld it was not expected we would remain gone for so long, we were together, many of us, most of my family on one ship. But yes, it took time to grow accustomed to things on Defiant and beyond." He chuckled. "I was always sent on deliveries as apparently I am simply better at talking to people than my sister or cousin ever were. I enjoyed it, most of the time, but yes, there are some... extremely unusual and facinatingly different cultures out there. "

Kooshie wrote:"Mourn's an ambitious dude," James told Armin. He thought of something, "Armin, I have a question which I need your expert opinion on."

~~
"That's... a good point," Ethan said, frowning at the thought. "She can make planets and change shapes, which is pretty godlike. But we just treat her like a person." Huh.

"She does not want to be seen as more, except as her Queen self." Sawna said with a smile. "Though she is very powerful."

"You've never been in a relationship?" James said curiously. "I guess I kinda assumed you had, although yeah, come to think of it I guess you probably haven't had many chances to try that." He doubted most humanoids were interested in dating a guy with so many legs. Humanoids were so picky about physical appearance, it was another thing he didn't really understand.

~~
"Good for her. Power hungry people are awful," Ethan said. He'd met power hungry people before, he didn't like them at all.

Armin nodded "We do not date, as many other organic would. For Vavare, pair bonding is a... long term committment, the intention being to raise a family together. " He shrugged. "I have copulated with many." He smiled, looking a little amused. "Not only my own race." He knew that sometimes made people either get freaked out or laugh. "But I have not been chosen by a female. Of course, I have not really had much oppertunity." Yeah, spending most of his adult life with his sister as the only female of his own species around wasn't exactly helpful in that respect. "Perhaps some day I will be deemed worthy to father offspring." He looked to the toy he'd been making. He did rather like the idea of parenthood. "Until then, I am content with how my life has turned out thus far." He looked back to James. "I am fortunate to have many excellent companions here."

James nodded, looking amused. "People who get picky about species seem kind of silly to me. I mean, why limit your options like that? It's not that hard to figure out what other species like, if you're creative and don't mind, you know, communicating." Hey, Acus seemed like he'd liked that time they'd hooked up, and Acus's species was pretty darn alien.
"Wait, do only vavare ladies get to make the first move when they want to start a long-term relationship? The guys don't get to do that?"

Kooshie wrote:"You've never been in a relationship?" James said curiously. "I guess I kinda assumed you had, although yeah, come to think of it I guess you probably haven't had many chances to try that." He doubted most humanoids were interested in dating a guy with so many legs. Humanoids were so picky about physical appearance, it was another thing he didn't really understand.

~~
"Good for her. Power hungry people are awful," Ethan said. He'd met power hungry people before, he didn't like them at all.

Sawna nodded and smiled "True, she is a good person." She said softly. "Did you have any plans?"

"Not really. I'm just here because I wanted a change of scenery," Ethan said. And he liked talking to people sometimes, but he had a reputation to maintain so he didn't say that.

"A change of scenery is good sometimes." Sawna said with a nod. She did like to see new places after all.

"Yes, being stuck in one place is annoying," Ethan said. "Do you ever get tired of being here in the cafe?"

Sawna shrugged at that question. "If I do, I can simply go and explore the rest of the ship or go to the holodeck, or explore whatever world we are visiting when we are on one. So long as the sun isn't out."

"That makes sense," Ethan said. "You mostly explore the ship at night, I guess? I know you're fine during the day here since there's no sun, but exploring at night must be a habit by now."

Armin nodded "it is their right and perogotive. The female choses her mates, that is how it has always been." He shrugged. "There are many cultures with similar customs regarding strict gender roles. It would... be seen as unseemly and presumptuous for a male to make the first move, though, we reserve the right to refuse." He looked thoughtful. "It is rare for that to happen however, we all know one another very intimately, most pairings come as no surprise to anyone."

"Man, cultural values differences are crazy," James said. "I mean I'm sure it's different for you guys than it was for women in the old days on Terra, but I still have trouble imagining a culture being that way." He was trying to be respectful, but he didn't get the whole gender roles thing. It just seemed unnecessary to him.

Armin tilted his head. "I am not familiar with the history of Terra." He admitted, history wasn't really something they were taught, just current cultural events and anything that had relivance.
"but I do know that the mating rituals of many species have very specific gender roles. " He smiled. "Vavare males will of course attempt to catch the eye of a female but in the end, it is her decision, even after she takes males, she decides whom she mates with and when. "

"I guess that sorta makes sense," James said, nodding. "It's different, but hey, if it works and everyone's happy, then yay." He smiled a little, "Speaking of which, did Berit have her kids yet? Seems like she was kinda close when we saw her, but I'm no expert on that part of vavare biology."

Kay had found a quiet place to sit and watch the stars when his tablet pinged to tell him he had a message. He frowned and looked, truth be told, he expected the worst even if it was irrational. He was relieved when it was just Asher saying things were okay.
He wrote back
[Hopefully this will all be sorted soon. Stay safe.] He really did hope that shortly Asher and Nova would be joining them, he couldn't stand the idea of spending who knew how many months fretting about their safety, it was exhausting.

----

Armin nodded "Last I heard, yes. A healthy litter with no complications." He smiled sadly. "I am certain we will get an oppertuntiy to see her and Trygve at some point in the future. " He did rather miss them. After spending so many years just the three of them, it was somewhat odd to be without them now. His smile became a little more genuine "and I am certain our mother is doing all she can to convince Berit to take another male." He laughed, he could picture it, their mother trying to set Berit up with any guy she felt was suitable and Berit refusing. Their mother would never give up of course, and maybe eventually Berit would relent and follow tradition.

James smiled. "I'm glad the delivery went well." He looked amused, "Is it really that shocking to only have one mate?" Then again, he reflected, polygamous relationships were pretty uncommon out here, and some people found them shocking. So maybe the vavare being shocked by someone only choosing one mate wasn't that weird.

~~
Asher wrote back, [Yes, hopefully this won't take too much longer. :) You stay safe too, please.]

Armin nodded "It is expected that a female will take multiple mates, perhaps not all at one time but Berit's refusal to even entertain the idea is what frustrates our mother most. She herself waited several years before adding our third father to the family, our eldest siblings had already reached first molt. This is not unusual. What is unusual is that Berit seems utterly convinced that Trygve is the only male she could ever love. " Armin shook his head. "I expect she will change her mind soon enough. She has spent much of her life with only one potental mate available to her, their relationship will always be slightly unusual thanks to that, but as she adjusts to being among our people again, I believe she will eventually abandon such alien ideals and find another male to help run the family. We have large families, with only two parents it would be exceptionally difficult to manage, even with the extended family's assistance. It is most usual to have three males, and to bear children to each in turn. Outside of the cities they can have larger family units, but this is more due to there being less extended family to assist with the childrearing and everything else one must do to keep a home and livlihood. Three is the norm, and I believe eventually my sister will conform. She loves Trygve, and he loves her, but monogomy is not in our nature." He sincerely believed that. After all, it was how he'd been raised.

----

Kay smiled sadly at the screen. [I'll do my best.] He wrote back. [See you soon.]

James blinked. He didn't know Berit well, nor did he have anywhere near a complete understanding of how vavare culture worked, but he thought what Armin was saying sounded slightly condescending. Hey, James knew he'd be pretty pissed off if someone told him his aromanticism was just a phase, so he kind of sympathized with Berit here.
"I mean, just cause she was isolated doesn't mean she doesn't know what she wants," he pointed out. "She's made it pretty clear that she only wants one mate. Yeah, it's possible that she might change her mind later, but maybe you should take what she says at face value. I mean, she knows her feelings better than anyone else does, after all."

Kooshie wrote:"That makes sense," Ethan said. "You mostly explore the ship at night, I guess? I know you're fine during the day here since there's no sun, but exploring at night must be a habit by now."

Sawna nodded and smiled softly. "Yes, I like to explore at night, even with the others asleep."

Starr received her message from Asher and sent a quick reply back, wishing him well.

"Must be quiet," Ethan said, "Although I guess I don't know what the other androids do at night, or the star dragons, so maybe you actually have a lot of company?

"A few are awake at night, though they are having to get used to it once more." Sawna said, actually glad she wasn't alone anymore.

"Better than being completely alone. Unless you prefer being alone, which is also understandable," Ethan said, smiling oddly.