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.

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."

Tala didn't notice Matt's reaction really. She wasn't super sensitive to people's feelings, nope.

"Dawn seems okay," Vestia said. "I think she just needs some time. It's been a hectic day."

"I shall let you young men go back to your game," Tala declared. Okay, so Web wasn't actually that much younger than she was any more. But it amused her to call them young men.

~~
"Okay, I'll send a bot over. Take all the time you need, it's fine," Vestia said.

She'd go send one of her bots to put together some things to bring to Dawn.

"thanks Tala." Matt tried to smile but it faltered. "you uh.. dont' want to join us?"

Kay nodded.

Web smiled wryly at the young comment, he sure as heck didn't feel young these days.

Dawn sighed and turned, hiding in her bedclothes while she waited for the bot to arrive.

Tala's ears twitched. "You seem to be having a family bonding experience," she said. "I would not wish to interrupt, you have had little time together in recent years." She knew if Nadira was here, she wouldn't want random members of Vestia's crew interrupting, so why would they want that?
Of course reunions with siblings were different from reunions with lovers, but still.

~~

The bot would eventually trundle into the room, with snacks and a couple books and some supplies to make tea on its back. Yep, Vestia was definitely fussing over Dawn.

Web nodded. "thank you Tala."

"yeah, still, if you get bored, we'll probably be here most of the night." Matt told her. "Bring beer."

Kay frowned at his cards. His heart really wasn't in this game at all.

Tala huffed air out her nostrils, amused. "I will keep that in mind. If I return, I will bring plenty of beer." When it came to beer, she much preferred quantity over quality.
She headed for the door.

Dawn looked to the bot when it came in and smiled softly again. "Thank you Vestia." She said, getting the stuff to make some tea for herself.

"Any time," Vestia said. The bot set down its cargo somewhere where it wouldn't be in the way, and wiggled its sensor arrays at Dawn, before heading for the door.

Dawn picked up the rest and put it on her bedside table, waving at the bot before settling in to relax and settle her nerves.

A few hours later Matt and his brothers went to pay Esk a visit, Matt to take over guard duty from Ethan.

Web bowed his head to Ethan as they came in.

Esk had woken up again, he never slept for long and stared at them all. "Why are YOU here?" he demanded of Web.

Web smiled softly. "Jarral summoned me at Kay's request, for Matt. It would seem however, it was rather appropriate timing."

Esk looked skeptical.

Kay looked at Esk worriedly, chewing his lip.

"If you're thinking about searching my mind, don't. You're the last person i'd let into my brain." Esk snapped.

Kay ducked his head. [At least you're still as hostile as ever.]

Matt nodded to Ethan. "thanks man, i'm gonna take over now okay?"

Esk watched Matt with a wierd half smirk on his face.

Matt frowned. "What?"

"I told Kay earlier you needed a distraction." He snorted. "I just didn't think it'd be ME."

Ethan looked distinctly uncomfortable at the sight of Kay, although he did his best to conceal it. Ugh, being in the same room as that guy was never pleasant. He looked to Matt and Web, "Okay, thanks. Welcome back, Web." He nodded to Esk, then headed off a little more hastily than he might have otherwise.

James had went back to work in the med bay, although he was still kind of on edge. Tori was staying out of his way, preferring to avoid this latest bit of med bay drama. Things just kept getting more and more pleasant around here, didn't they?

~~
Ellie had heard the news by now. So she was raiding the kitchen for aluminum foil... for some reason.

Shane had yet to hear what was going on, he was practicing with his aunt. Now that they were done, he was wandering the halls, looking for Ellie.

Ellie had several rolls of foil out on a counter, and was pulling out one more when Shane came in. She didn't hear him right away, she was pretty distracted by her mission.

Shane paused when he saw Ellie and the rolls of foil. "What do you need all that foil for?" He asked curiously

Ellie looked up, smiling slightly at the sight of her boyfriend. "Oh hey Shane, I'm making hats," she said, as if there was nothing strange about this plan. "They block all sorts of telepathy and mind reading technologies."

Shane chuckled softly and shook his head, coming over to her. "Foil hats block telepathy?" Well, he had never tried it before.

"Yeah, they're good for that," Ellie said. She looked up at him, "You heard about what happened to Esk, right?"

"No, I was practicing with my aunt, what happened?" Shane asked with a frown

"Esk was possessed by a demon and they had to kill him to get the demon out," Ellie said. "I mean he's alive now, but he wasn't! So now we're all freaking out, and he's in the brig for a long time, I guess."

Kay watched Ethan go, yeah, things were always... weird weren't they?

Matt settled into a chair.

Esk stared at his brothers impassively.

Well this was awkward.

[How are you feeling?] Kay asked.

Esk stared at him. "like shit. Next question?"

Kay exhaled deeply.

"Esk." Web spoke sharply.

"What? You gonna tell me to be nice?." Esk shook his head and rested his head against the wall behind the bed.

"It would be nice if you would at least try." Web told him.

Esk shrugged. "A lot of things would be nice, doesn't mean they're gonna happen."

Kay put a hand on Web's shoulder, shaking his head. Esk was in the mood to be an ass, let him be an ass. Fighting with him just played into his crap.

"Any idea how long they're gonna have you down here?" Matt asked.

Esk shrugged again. "till i'm not crazy anymore?"

[We need a way to be certain your mind is fully yours again.] Kay pointed out.

Esk rubbed his temples. "Yeah, I know." He wasn't looking forward to it.

Web bowed his head.

Kay frowned. [I know it isn't pleasant, it's violating, especially with what's already happened but... ]

Esk glared at Kay. "Just shut up."

Kay frowned.

"Don't worry guys, i'll keep him company." Matt told the other two.

Web nodded and bowed his head to Matt. "It's always.. an adventure visiting you."

Matt snickered darkly "Yeah.. it is."

Web looked back to Esk. "Get well soon brother. " He looked to the others. "I should return home. I will attempt to meet you at Unity however, if you want me to."

Matt nodded. "see you then."

[Take care Web.]

"Yeah, see ya Web, try not to get killed or maimed or whatever." Esk rolled his eyes.

Web smiled sadly at Esk, nodded and stepped backwards, shaping space around himself and disappearing with a ripple of reality.

Esk gasped in pain and doubled over. "FUCK!"

Matt tried to get to his feet, alarmed.

Kay rushed to the bars.

Esk groaned. "I'm fine, i'm fine." He lied. His head felt like someone had just rammed a red hot poker through it.

Ethan headed off to somewhere quiet with a book, he figured he deserved a break now.

~~
Vestia watched Esk worriedly. Well, that was unsettling. Could Esk's reaction to Web teleporting have something to do with the demon that had been in, might still be in, his head?

Yeah... that was probably worth looking into.

She'd attempt to find Jarral. After everything that had happened today, she figured any odd event that happened around Esk should be investigated.

Jarral was still reading that damn book and making notes in a notebook in some strange swirling script that ran top to bottom rather than left to right.

---

Kay looked alarmed. [I'm going to find pain relief.] He decided. And a medical scanner.

Matt nodded. "You sure you're okay?" He asked Esk.

Esk glared. "Yes." He looked annoyed. he didn't like being coddled.

"Jarral?" Vestia said. "I have some questions for you."

~~
"Can you scan him from outside the cell?" Vestia asked Kay when she saw him taking the scanner. "I don't think you should go in there with him." Yeah, the demon probably wouldn't try to kill Kay or Matt, but still, no need to tempt trouble.

Jarral looked up, oh, it was the ship. He set his pen down. He was sitting crossed legged on the floor. He stared into the camera.
"I take it you still are not certain your crewmate is himself again?" He guessed.

---

Kay nodded. [I should be able to, if he's close enough to the bars. ] He didn't like this, but people didn't double over in pain unless something was wrong.
He grabbed some weak painkillers as well, until Esk's body had time to clear all the drugs Dawn had given him from his system, it was safer this way.

[Dawn's method SHOULD have worked though.] right?

---

Matt looked to Esk. "You know, this is pretty fucking surreal..."

"what?" Esk replied.

"Well i'm not really used to being on this side of the bars." Matt shrugged, trying to lighten the mood.

Esk sighed.

Matt lowed his head.

"Suppose it makes a change for me... being the one everyone sits up all night with to make sure he doesn't kill them all right?" He snorted. "For once i'm actually a legitimate danger to you assholes. Great."

Matt frowned. Yeah, it was depressing having to sit on guard duty again. "We'll sort this out..."

"Yeah I know."