[text]

[circumsutus]

How many non-humans are here in Vatheon?

If you are not human, what are you?

Comments

[audio]

[fundemetal]

Yeah, I know people can be awful. I've had personal experience with that. After my mom died, my Aunt Rosa sent me into foster care because she thought I was a diablo, a devil.

I know that, too. [He sighs.]

[audio]

[circumsutus]

My parents never did anything quite that drastic, but I'm sure they considered it once or twice.

At least you have the excuse of being a demigod.

[That was way more information than Stein wanted to share, but this curse isn't exactly being kind to him.]

[audio]

[fundemetal]

That's the thing. She wasn't my parent. She was my Aunt. And [He tries to stop himself because this is the last thing he wants to be telling a stranger, but he can't.]

And my mom died in a fire. I blamed myself for that fire for a very long time. Just up until a few months ago when I found out it was Gaea who did it. Trying to break me.

[audio]

[circumsutus]

You thought your own powers killed your mother.

[audio]

[fundemetal]

Yeah, I did. I was 8. I was a kid. I might have been smart in some ways, but that doesn't mean I understood that it wasn't my fault.

[audio]

[circumsutus]

It's understandable. Now, at least, you know better.

[audio]

[fundemetal]

Yeah.

Who are you anyway?

[audio]

[circumsutus]

Doctor Stein. I'm doing a bit of data collection about the types of people here in Vatheon.

[audio]

[fundemetal]

A doctor, huh? I'm Leo Valdez.

[audio]

[circumsutus]

Your father didn't bother passing down his name to you?

[audio]

[fundemetal]

Gods don't really stick around long enough to be part of the naming process. I didn't even know who my dad was until a few months back.

[audio]

[circumsutus]

What a pity.

I'm sure you'll impress him if you do your best.

[audio]

[fundemetal]

Nah, I don't need to worry about impressing him. Just 'cause I didn't know who he was, doesn't mean it was the same on his end. He told me he's been watching me all along. I got the picture that I've done some things to make him proud.

[audio]

[circumsutus]

Does that make up for not having him around while you were growing up?

[audio]

[fundemetal]

Of course it doesn't.

[audio]

[circumsutus]

Do you have much interaction with him now? Back home, before you came here.

[audio]

[fundemetal]

Not directly. That was just the once when he spoke to me in a dream. It's fine though, I'd kind of given up on ever meeting him a long time ago.

But he helps me out sometimes. Like taking Festus back to camp for me when he crash landed and was unfixable.

Re: [audio]

[circumsutus]

Who's Festus? [That sounds like a good train of conversation.]

[audio]

[fundemetal]

Oh, Festus is an automaton dragon that I repaired. He was our transportation on my first quest but when he cash landed, there was no repairing him. But now his head is the masthead on the ship I built. He's got a new purpose. One day I'd like to be able to rebuild him.

Re: [audio]

[circumsutus]

I'm sure you could make something similar here, if you wanted.

[audio]

[fundemetal]

Not to the scale of Festus. He was 60 feet long and about a ton a foot in weight.

[audio]

[circumsutus]

[An appreciative whistle.]

That's bigger than I thought he would be. Is he the biggest you've made?

[audio]

[fundemetal]

I didn't make him. Wish I did. I only fixed him up enough to start out our quest. But when I rebuild him he'll be the biggest thing I've made on my own since I had a lot of help building the Argo II.

[audio]

[circumsutus]

There's no harm in getting practice here. I'm sure there's enough material and space to make some large constructs.

[audio]

[fundemetal]

Probably, but I've got plenty of other smaller projects to work on.