Chapter 5.23: Arrangements

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From Cassy's diary

Toq is really putting in a lot of effort since when we decided to get serious again, he really seems motivated to give his best.

Steve even told me that Toq even tried to talk a bit with him, while up to now they pretty much ignored each other. After so many years we all agree that the alien abductions perpetrated by the ancient sixamians upon their arrival had been an unfortunate choice dictated by the critical situation they were in, but for Steve it is (understandably) very difficult to pass over it. 

Steve: (tense) Do you really want to talk with me?
Toq: Well, sort of. I have a few questions for you, Steven.
Steve: Um.
Toq: Do you think it would be appropriate if I asked Cassiopeia to live together?

Steve: Wow, are you serious?

Toq: It is a concrete idea I had in mind, yes. (Perplexed) However, from your reaction, I am not sure that...

Steve: What? No, I mean, it's just that it's an important step for a couple, you know?

Toq: I think so, yes.

Steve: (astonished) Wow, just wow. 

Steve admitted that it took him a few extra moments before managing to answer anything else.

Steve: Wow. Why did you tell this to me, though? I mean, this is supposed to be about the two of you!

Toq: This is a peculiar housing unit for the local standards, if I moved here many people would be involved. I wanted to hear your opinion on the matter.

Steve: And why didn't you wait until Venus was back hom... Oh, I see. Are you scared of her?

Toq: She can be quite intimidating, at times.

Steve: She's just very direct, you have no reason to be worried!

Toq: (unconvinced) Um. 

Steve: Anyway, you're almost always here at this point. I don't think it would make a big difference for the rest of us. 

Toq: I see.

Steve: Also, this would also mean that we could officially add you to the house chores board. 

Toq: (perplexed) You have a board for house chores?

Steve: Yup. For example, you could start to do the dishes.

Toq: ... I see. This reminds me of a few fragments of thoughts I glimpsed in the past around this place, was this what Venus was mad about all along?

Steve: Also, yes.

Toq: I understand...

Needless to say, Steve was quite satisfied with himself at that point. No one ever liked to do the dishes at home, not even Techna. 

Also, obviously, he decided to tell me everything they talked about the very moment I and Venus returned back home. He has never been good at keeping secrets. 

Well, by telling me about their conversation Steve had spoilered to me what Toq was about to ask me, but I can't say I didn't see it coming, anyway. 

The other person in the house we really couldn't hide the news any longer was Sirio, he spotted something had changed days earlier and we couldn't postpone that conversation any longer.

Sirio: You both seem very happy today! But in a different way than the last time.

Cassy: Yes, you nailed it again!

Then I looked at Toq, to be sure he understood what conversation I was about to initiate, before adding:

Cassy: Sirio, we have some news to tell you.

Sirio: (perplexed) About what?

Toq: (a bit nervous) Well, Sirio, you probably noticed already that I am spending here more time than usual. About this, we were considering the idea of...

Sirio: Oh, so you want to move in with us? That would be great!

He left us just the time to nod, before jumping out of the chair and go hugging Toq. It's been a while since I've seen him so happy.

And this is how Toq eventually moved in with us. The house is very crowded at this point, and this new change will need some little adjustment, but for the moment we are all more excited than anything else.

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From Venus's diary

Steve: (cheerful) Have you already decided what to order?

Venus: There's a lot of stuff to choose from... But I think I'll get the risotto, usually it's not bad. Do you stick to the mixed grill dish instead?

Steve: As always!

Venus: I never would have thought to say this, but this time squid hea… I mean, Toq, seem quite well-intentioned. I mean, he's even doing the dishes now!

Steve: It would seem so.

So far Toq hadn't given me many reasons to trust him, not after he had appeared out of nowhere from the spaceship that had abducted Steve, or after he had made my sister suffer so much for the reasons we all know. If we then add the fact that it's almost impossible to understand that it's really on his mind, I just couldn't trust him at all.

But Cassy seems to understand him well now, and I don't think I've ever seen her as happy as she has been in the last week. Not to mention Sirio, he's really excited about it.

They all seem to have made their choice by now and they seem to be happy. I don't fully get how they managed to reach this point, but I think that the best thing I could do now is probably to support them.

Venus: (to lighten the conversation) I'm quite sure that, back in college, I joked with Cassy asking on which planet she planned to look for a partner, but I didn't think she would do it for real!

Steve: Yes, all of this would have been impossible to predict at the time, for sure! But it's also just like her.

Venus: yes, normal things are always deadly boring for her.

Venus: (thoughtfully) I was also thinking about something else, actually.

Steve: What about?

Venus: In your opinion, now that Toq has started living with us, does it still make sense to keep living in the same house as Cassy?

Steve: Actually, I was wondering the same. I noticed that the little house we wanted to buy when we got married is still there, also. It would be easy for me, you, Halley and Techna to move there, but...

Venus: ... but you would miss the others, isn't it?

Steve: Yes, a lot.

Venus: Same for me. Not to mention Halley and Techna, they are playing with Sirio all the time...

Well, ours may be a weird arrangement, we are basically two families living in a same house at this point. Is this really a problem, though?

Steve: Venus?
Venus: Yes?

Steve: Happy Valentine's Day!

Venus: Oh, that's beautiful, thank you! Happy Valentine's Day to you too, Steve!

Oh, how careless, hadn't I written it yet? Steve and I went out on our own to celebrate Valentine's Day tonight. 

We've been married for a long time now, but he's always as sweet as when we first met, he always manages to make me feel like the luckiest person in New Sixam. I really couldn't wait for this date.

Luckily, Cassy and Toq are nothing like us, and they were happy to stay home and take care of Halley for the night. 

Well, by now the Miller house is starting to be quite crowded and chaotic, sometimes we even have the sensation to hear a meowing in the corridors, bah... However, by now we got used to that chaos, it is just another characteristic of our weird, but also happy, family. At this point any other consideration just feels like overthinking, isn't it, my dear diary?

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