[C] Settling In

Dick nodded as he listened.

"I see. So, does the temperature on Earth vary quite a bit? And you said countries? Is your planet you're ruled by a single leader? Almost every occupational planet on this side of the universe has a single leader or representative now. Then again, since your planet doesn't interact on an intragalactic level..." He dwelled off, then flushed.

"Sorry, I hope you don't find my questions too annoying. I'm just curious."

"It varies a lot. From minuses to probably plus fifty?" He didn't know much about how truly hot or cold it could get, but there was a big range. That he knew for sure.

"Where I'm from, the temperate can range about forty degrees on extremes. Usually the coldest it gets is ten-ish, and in summer it can reach mid thirties."

Then there were the weather extremes, which were awful both ways.

"No. We're all too territorial over our own countries," he snorted. "Each country is ruled by its own leaders." And it was a fucking mess. 

"No, no, ask away. I don't know everything, but I can tell you what I do know."

Dick just nodded. Briefly, a line appeared between his brows. Those measurements meant nothing to him. He would look into them later. Plus teach the humans standard measurements used throughout the universe.

"Ah, I see. Altea was like that, long before we reached out to other planets. It was before my lifetime, though."

He smiled at the assurance, but decided to go back to asking more personal questions. Well, nothing too personal. He didn't want to cause another long stretch of silence. But questions that will allow him to get to know the yellow paladin more, rather than generic stuff about Earth.

"Okay, your art; was it your occupation on earth? Or just a hobby? Do a lot of humans study the arts?"

Fleck nodded. So it wasn't just Earth that had stupid overly territorial rulers. Nice to know.

"It was one of my occupations. I worked a job alongside it, to help pay the bills and put food on the table." A big family like theirs meant everyone pitched in. He couldn't live on an artists wage just yet.

"A few do. The arts are known to be great. Our histories celebrate artists, especially home in Italy, but people think art is a waste nowadays. Most don't believe art is a viable occupation."

"That is a shame. It isn't quite the same on Altea, I suppose. It is recognised as a viable occupation, and architecture is especially celebrated, but any other forms of art? It doesn't hold in much prestige. We value science, maths and alchemy above anything else."

And they were always his weakest subjects.

He turned his head to look out into the twinkling void.

"There are planets out there that are different from ours. They value the arts above everything else. I always found them so fascinating to visit."

"Sciences are our greatest occupations, too. Doctors and researchers."

Doctors and scientists of all times were among the most well praised people on the planet. Also the most criticised, but that was the pitfall of their society. No one was happy for anyone else.

"I would like to visit those planets."

It would be nice to visit a place where his occupation was highly celebrated.

He smiled softly at Fleck.

"I hope I can show you them."

And not to save them from Zarkon's grip.

"I haven't asked anyone yet, but are you setting in okay? Is your room fine? I know it must be quite a big change for you."

"Yeah, I'm setting in fine."

As fine as he could, he supposed. He didn't particularly want to be here, but he was making friends, being social, cooking for everyone alongside Giacinto most days, and his room was comfortable.

He couldn't complain about anything, really.

"I'm sure the others are, too."

"That's good, I haven't had the chance to speak to anyone yet. At least, properly."

Not outside of training, and even then he left most of that to Giacinto. He had gone over with the castles tech with the more technologically forward of the group, but they picked it up easily. He only needed to go over it once with them.

The only other time he spent time with the group was over dinner. But then he couldn't get a word in edge ways or didn't want to talk.

"You should talk to them. Get to know them."

His eyes flickered to Dick and he allowed a smile. "They're pretty great."

Despite the fact that he probably wouldn't have met any of them if he hadn't been thrown in with them in this situation, he did get along with them pretty well. Mostly.

"That black paladin tried to kill us when we first woke up," he said dryly.

"And the red paladin is too prickly at best. The green and blue paladin won't shut up. The blue one is also always too busy with the... dancer."

That left the yellow paladin. Fleck. Who he was currently talking to now and as good as the company was, it was a little awkward. Very awkward. And they were both too busy dwelling on home or the past.

"That sounds like excuses," Fleck commented.

"We're a team now. Not just the five of us paladins. All of us. You have to make the effort to talk to them, even if you don't get on at first."

They were the Voltron team. Even Giacinto and Dick, who weren't actually paladins, were part of Voltron. They couldn't just decide not to talk to the others for this excuse or that.

Dick's cheeks went hot at Fleck's comment.

"I know we are a team but-" But what?

Fleck was right. He was making excuses. They were a team, and it was his castle. He was the one that made them paladins of Voltron.

But he was stubborn.

"I talk to them during training. They don't seem too interested."

"Because you don't have a rapport with them."

Fleck arched a brow. "You've fought before. Did you work well with your team because you all trained together, or because you made friends with them, and shared the good and bad, in battle and outside of it?"

His family had been in the military for as long as their history was written, and they all said the same thing. You have to be friends with others if you wanted to be part of that team.

Anyone that said differently wasn't on a good enough team.

"Talk to someone other than Giacinto during meals," he suggested.

Dick opened his mouth. Closed his mouth.

Fleck was frustratingly right.

His fine brows furrowed together.

"I'm talking to you now, am I not? And look. No Giacinto in sight."

"You are, but there are four other people in the team," he pointed out.

Anna and Belen and Amr and Lucas were all also part of the team and Dick would need to talk to them, too. Become friends with them.

They would all essentially need to become a family.

That wouldn't happen if Dick only talked to him and Giacinto.

His lips straightened into a firm line and he crossed his arms. He refused to look Fleck in the eye as he fell into silence.

The yellow paladin was so annoyingly right.

He needed to make an effort. They needed to defeat Zarkon. To do that they needed the lions. And the lions needed this castle as a base.

There was a soft thunk as Dick's head hit the glass.

"Fine. I will try to make more of an effort at dinner. Not that it is going to be easy or going to go well."

They were all vibrant characters. Too vibrant.

Fleck grinned.

"The best things never are easy." That's what made them so great. You made things great despite the troubles.

There was always some sort of pride to being able to make good from difficult situations, and difficult people.

"I'll believe that after many, many dinners."

He couldn't see himself building up much of a friendship with the others. At most something semi-friendly. They were not people he would normally associate with.

"When it happens, I'll be there to tell you I-told-you-so," Fleck promised.

As different as they all were, and really they were all incredibly different, they would come together beautifully.

There was no doubt about it.

"Are we making a bet on it?"

If they were, he was going to win. The other teammates were only ever going to be friends out of necessity. And even then begrudgingly.

Fleck sat up in interest.

"What are the stakes?"

He could make a bet out of this. It'd be interesting. And definitely worth its while if he could win against a prince.

That'd be a nice claim to fame. He'd win a bet against a prince.