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 see..."

No fantasizing, no fantasizing, no fantasizing!! Patience... ...but he might blush faintly.

"No, it couldn't happen at home, ever," Shi-- Hiroki says, quickly.

It's clear that by home he means Earth.

"The Galra Empire is much more advanced than our planet. Than Earth, that is. And apparently cloning is a thing in the Empire. I hope that never happens at home. On Earth."

"Yes, it is from my universe. I hoped you might've heard, but, that's alright. I can tell you. And Ziggy. If you're ever curious. It's the reason I exist, really. Voltron, that is."

Hiroki smiles at that. There's pride there, palpable one. For the first time during this conversation.

[hellomajortom]

Tom catches that small blush and smiles. He's certain now that this man is dating his son. He doesn't mind. Hiroki seems polite and caring. It was enough.

"I don't know if my wife's species can."
Tom adds thoughtfully. "They're about 10,000 years ahead of us in technology."

"Tell me about it." Tom comments. He's interested in hearing what this young man has experienced because it sounds tangential to his own life, if on a very advanced scale.

[somekindofspaceuncle]

It takes all his nerves and all his inner strength, not to shudder. He doesn't want to even imagine it. Shiro-- Hiroki hopes they don't. Do such horrible things. That they don't create innocent spirits that'd never exist otherwise just in order to torture and destroy them, and, worst of all, make them betray themselves to the very core. No matter the struggle not to, a struggle in vain.

He barely hears what the Major says after. He might look as if he's - not quite there, after the Major's wondering whether Antheans do clones. As if he might be trying not to hear, or to dissociate.

After a moment, he asks, "Excuse me?"

[hellomajortom]

Tom has seen enough good tech turned to nefarious uses. He's probably had that expression before and knows to let it pass. After all, if the Antheans were going to use clones it would be to increase thier population and have more chance if surviving as a species. That wasn't a bad use if it in Tom's opinion.

"You were going to tell me about Voltron."

[somekindofspaceuncle]

Hiroki immediately brightens at that.

"In short, Voltron's a giant robot. He was created as a weapon, but he's much, much more than that. He's become a symbol of hope throughout several galaxies."

[hellomajortom]

"A giant robot?" Tom had met one of those here, Misfire. There was something more important her though.

"It's about time someone turned a weapon into something useful instead of the other way around."

[somekindofspaceuncle]

"I agree."

[hellomajortom]

"I know." Tom smiled. "I know because you gmhave gotten my son's attention.

[somekindofspaceuncle]

"That's neither here nor there! It's turned out that I am just a weapon, created by the witch, Honerva, only as her hopefully strongest weapon, I'm nothing more, I've never been!" the clone yells, glaring daggers at the Major.

[hellomajortom]

Tom's seen enough PTSD and similar ailments in his time to recognize it immediately. Though his eyes widen he remains calm. The raised voice though sends the cats running for the house.

"Well, I can't say I have ever had a weapon come to my doorstep and declare love for my child. " Tom comments while trying to evaluate how to proceed.

[somekindofspaceuncle]

Hiroki's expression slowly softens.

"He's almost as beautiful as Voltron. It's just impossible not to love him, you know that. A space dust would love him."

[hellomajortom]

"I've noticed. People either love him or want him dead. There's no middle ground."

Tom was sort of resolute about the fact that there were always going to be people who wanted to kill his son.

"I'm glad to see he's moving toward some stability."

[somekindofspaceuncle]

"Only beasts could want him dead, not real people. And I'll protect him from any."

Shiro, no, Hiroki, tilts his head wondering why the Major would think Ziggy was going towards any kind of stability.

"I don't think he is, why would he? Ziggy's... wild. Pure. Raw. He's a supernova. Why'd you think he's moving towards any stability?"

...and... Hiroki gulps. Stability, would mean...

"...with whom...? I hope they're a good person. And that he's happy with..."

[hellomajortom]

"He needs it, sometimes." Tom knew more people watching out for his son was better. This was even more true because his own band had turned on him last time.

Tom shrugs a little at the questions. "Ziggy's never invited anyone to stay with him. He usually throws everyone out in the morning. I don't think he's going to be any less wild. Nothing is going to tame that down."

It's starting to sink in to Tom how new to relationships this man must be. Nothing like jumping right into the thick of it.

[somekindofspaceuncle]

"Never invited...?"

With a bubbling hope, Sh---Hiroki looks at the Major, quiet now, for a moment.

And suddenly, he's glowing. Literally. Blue-white, with shining small lights around him, also, like blue and white fireflies. He doesn't seem to notice it himself, yet, busy looking at Tom.

It doesn't seem to be doing anything.

[hellomajortom]

Tom's brow goes up and his instant thought is that this man is alien or part alien. It wouldn't surprise Tom that his son had found another alien to cling to. Especially if he was half alien. There would be an understanding there that no one else could have. Hiroki didn't react surprised to it so Tom assumed it was normal to his.. happiness? Joy? Love, maybe?

"Not that I know of."

[somekindofspaceuncle]

"I had no idea. I'm - it's an honour!"

And then, he notices. He looks at himself, slightly perplexed. But he's not freaking out.

"I thought I was human," he says, finally, "and these days, I no longer know. Not that it's surprising that I don't know myself. I only thought I'm a human because Shiro is one."

Oh, right, he should explain.

"Shiro. Takashi Shirogane, the Black Paladin, pilot of the Black Lion of Voltron... Voltron consists of five Lions, they merge together to form him... all the Lions, they're sentient, of course, they're good, great, really, there's no one like them, and their Paladins, you should meet... well..."

"One evil witch wanted Shiro so much that once he's escaped, she's cloned him. Hundreds upon hundreds of copies--"

He stops glowing. And after a moment, he looks slightly sick, and it's probably obvious that it's not from glowing, but from what he's just said.

[hellomajortom]

"You must've done something to get his attention."

Tom watches Hiroki stare at himself and considered what he is talking about. "Human isn't as defined as I once thought."

"The treatment that saved my life made me less human, genetically anyway." But then he sees the change in his demeanor and sighs at the sick look. He knows it too well from Ziggy getting ill. Tom shifts to lay a gentle and supportive hand on Hiroki's shoulder.

[somekindofspaceuncle]

"Dunno, man."

Half-shrug.

Hiroki readily accepts the hand. He even leans into this, a little, as if he desperately wants to hug, but will never ask for that unless the other person needs a hug.

"Genes don't matter. Why'd you worry about such trifles?"

[hellomajortom]

Tom is used to the hint for a hug and easily slips into a single armed hug. He'll fully hug the young man of he wants one.

"Maybe they should?" Tom offers. "Those small changes to my genetics... Humans are not genetically compatable with Antheans. It was those genetic changes that let Ziggy be born. I think about genetics alot sometimes."

[somekindofspaceuncle]

Shiro-- Hiroki wasn't expecting any affection, the man's just met him, after all. He hugs back, as much as he can. It's different to do that with just one arm, but he can get used to it.

"Maybe so. I wouldn't wish to live in a universe where Ziggy wasn't born," he whispers.

[hellomajortom]

Tom comfortably holds the young man allowing for Hiroki to dictated how mush of a hug they shared. He had to do this so much for his own son so often

"I wouldn't either." Tom comments with obvious affection. "You're madly in love with him, aren't you?"

There was something about the tone, the word choice even, that told Tom this might not be just a casual love but a head over heels, all in type of love.

[somekindofspaceuncle]

Hiroki Shirogane, born not much earlier than yesteryear, truly, smiles. Softly, warmly, with hope.

"How did you know, Major?" he asks.

Then, Hiroki giggles. And he glows a little, again, for a tick and a half. This time, he notices it and doesn't seem too surprised, as if he simply sneezed or whatever.

[hellomajortom]

Tom laughs quietly at the glowing. "It wasn't this obvious. I didn't glow."

He's good natured about it though and shrugs. "I don't know exactly. I was terrified of her and thought she was ugly when we first met but overtime we became friends. Then.." Tom's words trail off as he thinks. "I think I noticed when the idea of going home, back to Earth, was something I didn't want to do because it would mean never seeing her again. I was married back on Earth, and after over a year missing I started hoping she'd moved on to someone else. It was selfish in a way. I imagined my first wife moving on so I could be free of guilt for falling in love with someone else."

net is wonky so one tag till it resets (on other net) XD

[somekindofspaceuncle]

Didn't... well, it's not like he can control this, whatever 'this' is, his Quintessence, probably, maybe the witch had done something to it, long ago.

He should learn how not to shine like some gadget.

"Ugly? Never tell a girl that," Shiro--- Hiroki utters. "Or a woman. They're scary."

He listens attentively to the rest.

"So... what about your wife? Later?" Hiroki asks, concerned.

"And yes, I'm in love with Ziggy. I was wondering how to leave him, but I can't, so perhaps, I don't love him enough. Until I know I'm not some kind of a dangerous weapon, still, leaving Ziggy would be for the best, for him. I hoped... you might give me some advice. Or-- tell Ziggy why I'm not the right man for him."