Relaxing at home (Open to Nexus people)

[hellomajortom]

It had been a crazy few weeks. Learning about a place with so many aliens, reuniting with his wife, and finding a house. It was a lot, nevermind his son being the usual tornado of chaos. The house they had eventually settled on was human built but the style had given his wife a jolt of nostalgia. He hadn't been to Anthea, but he could only imagine this architecture was similar to her home. It was a beautiful house, small, minimalist, and warm with all the sunlight. Right now thin bluish curtains were drawn on most of the windows, another thing his wife had insisted on. He cared little about it though now that they were in place he could appreciate the beauty. Tom imagined at one time Anthea must have been beautiful with its open air houses and sheer colored curtains.

He turned his mind away from Anthea as he sat on the porch swing reading. The past of his wife's people always felt hopeless and depressing. Instead he smiled to himself. His son had been here earlier, high on more than drugs. The stream of Anthean had been welcome to hear as Ziggy spoke to his mother. Truth was they were both talking too fast and high pitched for Tom to keep up from across the room. He got the gist though from human culture. His son had someone or several someones with how his son was, what kind of someone in a place like this Tom could only guess but the signs were there.

That had been a few hours ago. The two of them had left, giddy like school girls, for the plaza and shopping. Tom had been invited but he had so little time to relax during the recent NASA projects that he was going to take his time to do nothing. What was the use of retiring, semi-retiring, if you didn't enjoy it. He took a moment to look at the cats laying on the porch at his feet. There were six now that his wife brought in from wherever she had found them. Most of them looked Earthly though one, one Tom was sure hadn't hailed from an Earth. Still he barely gave it a passing thought.

With one of the cats now settling in his lap on the porch swing, Tom went back to reading and listening to the sounds of people occasionally walking by.


[More images of the house here]

Comments

[somekindofspaceuncle]

"I can?"

Wow. He's so surprised he doesn't even remember to thank the man, though he'll in a moment.

It's like, like he's really invited to this wonderful family.

But can he really? After he's almost killed his own... family, because what else were they? The Paladins of Voltron. Whom on Haggar's command he tried to murder.

Until he knows for sure he can't be controlled again, can he truly accept hospitality?

Maybe not, but he can't help but accept it. He nods a little helplessly. He'll remember to say thank you in a moment.

[hellomajortom]

"Of course." Tom reassures him. "I trust Ziggy's judgement of people's character."

[somekindofspaceuncle]

What can he even say to that? Putting it this way, sort of gives him a startingly new perspective.

All this - admittedly very short for now - time since learning what he really was, he's been trying to look at himself, to judge himself through the real Takashi Shirogane's eyes, he now realises.

Maybe-

Even though he's never met. No amount of memories could change the fact that he never did meet the real Shiro. Couldn't, even with all the memory, know what that guy'd say of him.

Whereas he's met Ziggy Stardust. Did talk to him.

"I never even thought of it that way. I hope... I mean, you might be right."

And Hiroki Shirogane smiles a little.

[hellomajortom]

Tom smiles a little more now. "It's easy to cling to what we see of us, rather than how others see us. I was trapped there for a long time."

[somekindofspaceuncle]

"Maybe so."

Hiroki Shirogane grins.

"Sometimes, sir, you remind me a little bit of my friend, Coran."

"Which is a good thing, really. He's sort of an, hmm, advisor? And so on."

[hellomajortom]

"I'm glad I remind you of someone positive." That was important for Tom because he wanted to make a good impression.