#Socks writes Voltron fanfic

[narcissusanasui]

So waking up to see Voltron's listing officially gone, after it living on my home page since 2016, means it's time for my own eulogy to the original lifespan of VLD.

💙❤️🖤💚💛

I do really hope as soon a possible it gets but somewhere new. Even with means to watch it off legal stream sites, the fact exists that less people will go out of there way to seek out shows they have to pirate to enjoy. So yes, it is a destruction of a beautiful ease to a show, making this, or at least the last two seasons, lost media.

Voltron made me who I am. I knew in the first two minutes of the show, just seeing Shiro for the first time, that this show would mess me up. This is the fandom I directly interacted the most with in my time online. Historically, it definitely made it's mark as one filled with examples on the drama and dynamics of a massive internet fandom where the creaters and cast are directly giving attention. For better or worse. We got some fun times out of it, but also some exhausting ones.

But I look back and think it was beautiful, at least the pocket I made for myself. I learned a lot about writing my own fanfic, I dived into openly theorizing with others, and maintaining the history of a show. I chatted incredible people and authors I looked up to, mutuals that remain dear to me to this day. As well as someone who isn't here anymore, and I stay following in rememberance of a kind soul. I miss you on my dash, Socks. I'm grateful for what I got from this fandom, and the resurgence that has come the past few months, including new people that took the dive while they had easy access.

The writing wasn't perfect. And the internal politics of balancing a passionate, vocal fanbase and company execs is unimaginable for me. So I will condemn some of the decisions while also appreciating how much GOOD was in that show for me. So much that I don't know if I can go into specifics right now.

I am a librarian and a historian. So I will collect all the memories of you, Voltron. And I will keep you safe, with me.

💙❤️🖤💚💛

It was an honor flying with you all.

[inked-pigeon-feet]

Day 1 - TDP to Me

I love this show with all my heart. I picked it up after I had watched Voltron I think around sometime Nov 2018 and loved the first season. Then the second and third season came out and loved it even more. I remember drawing the characters on my school worksheets and practically talking my friend's ear off about the show and how she just really needs to watch it. Come to learn she didn't have a Netflix subscription at the time :( but I did rope my siblings into the show :D hi @ive-completely-given-up!! At the time this show came out I was in my fantasy craze. Reading Wings of Fire, Eragon, even some werewolf book I can't even remember the title of. It was all I would read. I hadn't read much, just here and there. I think that's what drew me into The Dragon Prince. The show felt like a storybook that was being read to me with witty and charming characters, interactions with one another that felt natural and even relatable and awesome fight scenes. The world building is amazing! C'mon it's got sick dragons and very unique elves, they've got horns! Same going for the representation. I cherish those first 3 seasons as I really don't know who I'd be without having watched TDP. I started to draw again, this time more people of color and pushing myself out of my comfort zone with my art. My style of art changed with the show's influence. I even started to write for myself, especially during the pandemic. This show got me through that, along with multiple arc 1 re-watches at the time. The scenery and animation also drew me in as I am a sucker for animated shows and movies. I appreciate everything that goes into making anything animated and will always be down to watch a cartoon. Also I love how mature this show is, the lessons within the episodes within the story, the darker each season has become; almost growing along with me. I genuinely wish I could watch this show for the first time again, nothing (at least I don't think) will ever compare to this show and its fantastic writing. I think it has actually changed me and the way I view stories/storytelling. My fantasy standards have gotten a lot pickier.

The fandom is possibly the greatest fandom I've ever been in. I know I mostly just re-blog stuff, leaving silly comments in the tags, and only now have started to make my own posts but this is such a good fandom imo. Of course drama and sock puppet accounts are inevitable but I hardly see it/block the people who start it (I love you block button <3). But the interaction, the fanart, the fanfics, the metas, the bingo cards, the predictions, everything make this fandom just a nice place to be. as well as seeing people just as insane as you :) The Dragon Prince is a show that delves into the complexities of choices. The consequences and action, the selfishness or the selflessness, the thread that tangles lives up, for better or for worse. Characters becoming who they want to be and who they may have despised. The messiness of anger and sadness, the earnestness of love and happiness. It is about love and loss, grief and joy, family and bonds, sisters and brothers. It is about the journeys that we take and the people we affect in our lives and the effects of our words and actions. Its wanting to make the world a better place not for yourself but for the future as well. It is about fighting even when it is tiring, it is hope that refuses to diminish. It is the wanting to live and thrive that make this show spectacular. I love this show in it's entirety with my whole heart. I'll be sad when this show ends, whether it's this season or the next 3, and I can't recommend it enough to friends and family. I love you, The Dragon Prince.

[braincoins]

He found her standing on the sand, down where the tide could wash over her bare feet, staring out towards the horizon. The wind played with her hair and tugged on her skirt, but she was otherwise a statue.

He approached carefully, from the side. She didn’t move and made no acknowledgement that she saw him. He cracked open a bottle of water and saw her blink. She turned to face him and he just held the bottle out to her. She looked down at it and, once she recognized it for what it was, accepted it with a soft, “Thank you, Shiro,” and took a drink.

“Memories,” he guessed.

“Memories,” she replied, looking back to the line where sky met sea.

“Good ones?”

She nodded. “Very.”

“I’m sorry.” Because if she’d been that lost in thought after very good memories, he knew what it meant. This wasn’t the first time this had happened, just the first time it’d happened here.

She said it anyway. “I’ll never walk on an Altean beach again. Never feel the oceans of Altea on my skin.”

“How does an Earth beach compare?”

“It’s... very similar. The water feels a little different, or maybe I’m imagining that. But it’s the same colour.” She forced a smile as she looked at him. “I’m glad of the similarities, truly I am. But sometimes...” She let the rest of the sentence drop and seemed in no hurry to pick it up again.

“I get it. As much as I can, anyway.” He’d faced a time when he was sure he’d never see Earth again. But he’d come through that - because of her, because of the team, because of Voltron - and Earth was still here for him. Altea was gone forever.

She drank again. “Thank you for this. I don’t really know how long I’ve been out here.”

“It’s been a bit. You should come inside, if you’re ready for it.”

She didn’t say or do anything at first, then moved slowly. She walked the last steps to him and slid her arms around him. He returned the embrace, pressed a soft kiss into her hair, and let her be the first to pull away.

“I’m ready now.” She dropped her arms.

“Good.” He took her free hand in his and gave it a squeeze. “You know, you really shouldn’t stand out in the sun without a hat on.”

She yanked her hand out of his suddenly, raising it to her head. “I LOST MY HAT?”

He couldn’t help laughing, and eventually her own mirth joined his. “Sorry, Princess. We’ll have to get you a new one.”

[marshmallow-fireside-keith]

I wanted to make a separate post about this in response to what I reblogged from @salt-of-the-ao3 just now:

I think that everyone who feels they can tell authors to stop asking for feedback, or shame them for doing so, or leave negative (non-concstructive, nor well-meaning) reviews, to none at all, really need to try writing first.

If you’ve run the gammit and sunk in the hours, days, weeks, months to churn out your own 100k+ baby, then absolutely you’ve earned the ability to say what you will.

But I’m betting you’d be less likely to be callous.

If writing is so easy, easy enough to stay motivated through without feed back (remember that even traditionally published authors have the end goal of it reaching eyeballs, that’s the whole point of producing a book and publishing it. It’s not a moral thing, nor a selfish thing. Humans like to share. We have long histories of not just making stories, but sharing them to. Imagine if our ancestors were shamed for telling their stories to others because they were, ”doing it for glory,” or what have you), if it’s truly something you think can be accomplished in a vaccuum, then pleae do it.

Write your own fics. You’ll never, ever, ever have to hear someone asking for feedback if you’re writing your own. Only if you, yourself, never ask for it. And the fandom has more fic. So it’s a net positive.

[bluelancelion]

Here's some characters info about the Pirate/Assassin/Princess AU klance-Voltron fanfic that I'm writing!

(Lance is a pirate and Captain of a ship, Keith is an assassin with a mission and Allura is a runaway princess. They all end up in Lance's ship for a long, disastrous journey. What could possibly go wrong?)

CHARACTERS:

Lance

- Pirate

- Captain (we believe in Lance's leadership)

- homesick boy

- free spirit

- loverboy with a broken heart

- found family in the sea

- protective

- funny

- obnoxious

- touchy

- carefree

- kind

- stubborn

- very competitive

- looks ultra confident, he's actually insecure (his friends know it and they're here to support him)

Hunk

- A GOOD BOY

- Actually a fucking human tank

- He's like??? Insanely strong???

- Worked all his life with his family, decided to take his life in his hands and parted ways

- Knows Lance from childhood, he decided to go with him

- OR he didn't know him at first and he stumbled across him and became best friends ever since

- Best Cook ever

- Worst Pirate ever

- He got used to it though

- GOOD at shooting with cannons

- Actually the Fucking BEST

- Still gets scared about everything else and can you really blame him?

- Can and will repair every single piece of the ship

- Gifted boy with lots of pressure on him, but now he can live freely and do whatever he wants

- the mom friend half of the time

- shares his last two braincells with Pidge and Lance the other half

Pidge

- a fucking savage

- Looks like a cinnamon roll, could actually kill you

- Too fed up with the good girl stays at home sewing socks for nasty babies bullshit

- So she took her tools and left

- Stumbled across Hunk and Lance and found the family she never though she needed

- At some point they collect the other Holt too

- Can do phenomenal tricks with weapons

- Like, she can build from scratch cool things or modify already existent guns and swords and SHE LIKES TO BUILD BOMBS out of FUCKING NOWHERE???

- Blind like a mole

- her only weakness is her sight. No glasses? Sayonara.

- Which is funny because she's the look-out/sentry of the ship

Keith

- Social Anxiety

- Kills people off as a job but turns out to be a soft bean???

- Yeah Lance still has a hard time believing that

- fucking competitive

- loves knives more than people

- Actually love deprived

- "I push them away before they reject me"

- doesn't have a hair/skincare routine but still looks flawless and pretty

- perfect sight 100% perfect muscles super agile like a feline but WILL Stumble down a staircase if looking directly at a cute boy's ass eyes

- Cool in the streets, awkward in the sheets

- But that's cool cause Lance loves everything about him anyway

- Nah he's probably fine in bed, he's just so awkward in the courtship part?

- Which explains why he never had a stable relationship

- other than the fact that he slices people's throats off

- loves his brother

- a free spirit who's long been refrained by his own living style

- things that will change thanks to some cuban boy

- now he slices off people's throats IN THE SEA :D

- really fucking gay

- emo edge lord

Shiro

- Let the man rest in peace

- Wanted to have a normal life, work, get married, make a family and such

- Ends up armless in the middle of the fucking ocean adopting three underage pirates and one depressed boy under the jurisdiction of a runaway royalty.

- Honestly just let him die

- Decided to take a nap, got kidnapped instead

- Decided to get a vacation, got chased by bloody murderers instead

- Just wanted to chill from the start but I guess that's not gonna happen lol

- Actually pretty funny

- Bad dad jokes

- "Oh well since we're already at this point of the situation, might as well roll with it"

- His patience is a mask, he keeps going on by sipping tequila when nobody watches

- Can be awkward. Like, a parent level awkward

- the dad friend half feeling responsible about everything half not giving a shit anymore at some point

- tiddies

Allura

- a fucking badass

- "I can like cute things and can also kick you ass"

- feels bad about 80% of the time but the squad makes her feel worse

- just kidding they actually make her feel inlcuded

- which means they don't care about what she does or doesn't do

- which is new for her cause being a princess means being perfect and have etiquette and such

- but there she can be herself without standing up to any expectations

- so at some point she just lets go and starts living the way she wants

- old like Shiro but childish like Lance

- she and Shiro could be great leaders but here it's Lance supremacy, let the seniors be still and chill

- Even though she's free now, it's a good thing that Lance cares about beauty. They become skin product buddies

- Allura learns the way of a true living and becomes aware of how people live outside the castle (not that she never went out but those occasions became more rare as the enemy slowly rised, that's why Alfor took precautions.)

- (THIS FIC BASICALLY IS ABOUT HOW EVERYONE FOUND FREEDOM THANKS TO LANCE AND HOW ONE OF THEM GIVES HIM HIS HEART)

- God is a woman and her name is Allura

Coran

- the most gorgeous man you'll ever see

- The doctor of the crew!

- Very interested in science and medicine

- Can fix you up in no time, make awful jokes (very appreciated) and can make lotion to make moustaches grow faster

- Professional adviser in the castle becomes a very enthusiast pirate in 0.67 seconds because he's adventurous and lively and honestly everyone needs a Coran in their life

- "Coran, how can you get used to this life this quickly? It took me months to get used to it"

- "Well, you see Princess, it's all about the TONE of the speech and the GESTURE. If you want to be a pirate, you have to act like one" *puts on pirate blindfold and starts making weird noises to assert dominance*

- He's the man with a parrot on his shoulder

- generally enthusiast about everything

- just really loves learning things

- At some point becomes a drug dealer for a short time

- looks like he adopted everyone, is actually still aware of them

- it takes some time but he ends up adopting everyone

- other pirates make him compliments about his mustache

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm being possessed by the inspirational demon and now I can't stop writing. Should I post the fic somewhere once I finish it?

Let me know in the comments :3

[icypantherwrites]

New Fic: High Risk Trading

Summary: “I think his royal highness needs to learn some manners,” the pirate captain sneered. “What say you, lads?”

The pirates roared their approval as they swarmed around where Zuko lay captured at their feet.

“Then gents,” the captain grinned although his gaze held only Zuko’s, “let’s cool this fire brat’s temper down.”

Or: a hunting trip goes awry when Zuko instead finds himself the target of a familiar pirate crew.

Timeline notes: Set between season three’s The Boiling Rock and The Southern Raiders

Warning notes: drowning, waterboarding

xxx

“Well, well, well, if it ain’t our favorite fire brat. Didn’t ever think we’d be seein’ you again, your highness.”

Zuko scowled at the mocking words from the unfortunately familiar pirate captain,  but unable to do much more as the mixture of explosives, arrows, and several swords pointed at him from the pirate crew where he’d been caught knee-deep in the river prevented him from launching an offensive.  He might be reckless but he wasn’t stupid and right now any sudden movements or bursts of fire would result in a barrage that he definitely wasn’t lucky enough to avoid.

Unlucky was far more apt to describe him and he tried not to wince as even now he could hear Father’s words echoing the same and it definitely described his current situation.

It had started off simply enough with a hunting trip — a real one, this time, as supplies were low and Chit Sang ate enough for three people — with Sokka and Suki, the latter of who had volunteered to go with to make sure they “didn’t get into trouble” although Zuko was of the opinion it was so she and Sokka could have some “alone” time given that the camp was overrun with people and, more importantly, kids. His theory had been proven as after they’d set up camp after hiking through the dense forest of the better part of the day— Aang told them the monks didn’t allow hunting within range of the temple and although they’d be bringing meat back to it they would respect the customs of those who had lived there even if it would make the return trip that much more cumbersome — Sokka had asked him to fill the canteens and if he could take his time, at least an hour, Sokka would really, really really appreciate it.

It hadn’t been Sokka’s plea but the way Suki was sharpening a knife and staring down Zuko the entire time that had made Zuko agree.

He’d ended up wandering downstream, following the course of the river in the direction of where the sun was slowly starting to set, to where he’d found a small series of rapids, the roar of the water a comforting sort of crash and, he’d smirked to himself, he ran no risk of overhearing anything here. 

The irony that now they couldn’t hear him shout or any subsequent bomb detonations was not lost on him.

He’d then given into the childish thought to take off his boots and socks, roll up his pants to his knees, leave his dao swords on the bank with them and wade into the water, kicking up waves and relishing in the pleasantly cool water soothing his feet after all of the walking. 

And now here he was.

Caught completely off guard as the pirates had appeared out of the treeline and from further up the stream to fill the bank and with his swords out of reach, the water just deep enough where it would hinder his movements and douse any flames on his feet, and no one able to hear him call for help.

Lucky to be born indeed.

“Didn’t think I’d ever see you again either, pirate,” Zuko glared, hands curling into fists at his sides.

The last he had seen of the pirate crew had been the debacle with the water scroll and while he hadn’t personally seen them after he knew Zhao had hired them to kill him thanks to spotting the captain's iguana-parrot outside the port window. 

And yet, despite their assassination attempt, while they seemed surprised to see him here they didn’t seem surprised to see him alive.  

Zuko wasn’t entirely sure if that was a good or a bad thing.

Knowing his luck, it was a bad thing.

“Now now, no need ter be rude,” the captain reached a hand up and stroked his iguana-parrot around its ruff. “We prefer to think of ourselves as high risk traders, don’t we lads?”

The surrounding group voiced their approval with cheers and for half a second Zuko debated making a break for it.

But no weapons had lowered, shore was still at least ten footfalls away and Zuko’s chances were still practically nil. 

Patience, Prince Zuko, he could hear Uncle whisper. 

“Here we were, takin’ a nice little breaksie,” the captain continued as the cheers faded away, “when we see somebody just wanderin’ around and we thought maybe this somebody might have a little somethin’ to trade with us. And lo and behold we find you, your highness,” he rubbed his fingers together, greed clear and no doubt remembering the money Zuko had presented to him before.

Zuko let out a snort, wondering if it really would be this easy. “You thought wrong. I don’t have any money.”

To Zuko’s surprise the captain let out a bark of laughter. “We don’t want your money, your highness. That ain’t worth much. Not as much as...” and he flipped a scroll with a sharp snap of parchment. “You.” 

Zuko’s eyes widened.

A wanted poster.

Of him. 

Traitor it screamed across the top and even though Zuko had known that, knew Father would make him out to be such (he’d done it once, he’d certainly do it again) his stomach still clenched because he was trying to do what was right for the whole world and even though he knew that the rest of the Fire Nation didn’t.

They all thought…

But that wasn’t the part of the poster that would have caught the pirates’ eyes.

It was the bounty. One million gold pieces if he was returned alive. 

And, new to Zuko to the previous posters he’d seen, was the secondary bounty.

Five hundred thousand if returned dead..

Zuko had always been wanted alive before and the fact Father had issued anything to say otherwise…

Zuko’s hands tightened into a tighter fist to stop the sudden tremble trying to make its way through him. 

“As I said,” the captain grinned, “high risk trading. Now come quietly, your highness and we won’t have to hurt you.”

Read the rest of the fanfic here

This fanfiction is my March Patreon Fic of the Month, which is a Patreon exclusive fanfic that supporters get to help choose by voting on a prompt/trope and a character that I then write an exclusive 5,000 word fanfiction of. For the month of March we picked a different series than normal (Voltron: Legendary Defender) via poll for “Mix-It-Up March.” If you would like to read this fanfic, as well as hundreds of thousands of words of other additional bonus content and support an author, you’ll want to subscribe to my Patreon. Subscriptions start at just $5/month; less than a fancy cup of coffee! Subscribe here today!

[ebhenah]

Busy #Fictober18 (Voltron FanFic)

#Fictober18 Day 17

Prompt: "I'll Tell You But You're Not Gonna Like it."

Voltron Fanfiction. S07 spoilers. Angst.

Keith pov, Garrison Days, Post-Adam/Shiro split, Post-Kerberos

Rating: T- some language, discussion of same sex relationship, mentions of foster care, death, illness, broken homes, grief.

Adam was asleep on the couch when he got home. His briefcase was lying on the floor beside his shoes, his coat draped over the counter of the little island that separated the kitchen from the living room. Keith could see in his mind the exact path he'd taken when he'd gotten home. It was a short one. Maybe 15 feet. Door, drop bag, shed shoes, step, shuck coat, step step, drop tie onto coffee table, step, collapse on couch. This was pretty much par for the course now.

As far as the Garrison was concerned, ex-fiance's didn't qualify for bereavement leave. Neither did 'foster kid of ex-fiance'- because technically that's what he was. Shiro had failed the medical assessment to foster or adopt, but Adam had passed. So, on paper, he was Adam's legal responsibility, not Shiro's. So, when the news had come in about the mission being lost- leaving a smoking crater in the center of their lives- they'd discovered that they didn't qualify for the supports in place for bereaved families. Adam had quickly exhausted all his sick days, vacation time, and banked personal time. Keith had run out of allowed absences from class even faster.

Once that had happened, it was back to 'normal' life in an abrupt shift that left them both reeling. So now, Adam pushed himself through a full day of teaching class and attending staff meetings and making sure he got his requisite hours of flight time and continuing education, and the second he walked through the door, he pretty much collapsed.

Keith, on the other hand, was more hardened to the SHIT that life liked to throw at him. So, he went to class, did his best to keep his head down, then came home and kept busy. That was easy to do, really. There were still meals to be made, dishes to wash, laundry to do, dust to wipe down, homework to be completed, bills to pay, bathrooms to scrub, and vacuuming to be done, after all. Plus, he had to feed Adam, keep him on task while he did lesson prep and graded papers, keep him AWAY from the wine and photo albums (he wasn't a drunk or anything, but even one glass of wine combined with the photo albums meant the night was lost to the bottomless pit of grief that seemed to reside in every picture of Shiro), and then herd him into his own bed before he crashed on the couch.

Keith didn't mind. Honestly, he didn't. Busy was good. Staying still was his problem. Because if he stopped moving for even a moment… BAD things happened. He never really FORGOT. Shiro's loss was always right there, lurking around the edges of his brain, dimming everything into pale, washed out colors and muffled sounds. But most of the time, he could avoid thinking about what the loss actually MEANT. It was when he stopped moving, stopped doing STUFF, that the meaning crept in and devastated him.

No more hover bike races. The last one they'd been on was it. That was the last time he'd ever hear that laugh on the wind. Hear that proud cheer as Keith overtook him. See that competitive little smirk as he watched Keith pass him and then buckle down to put the 'kid' in his dust. No more quiet, dusty conversations watching the sun set before heading back to base in a much more leisurely and companionable ride. Done. That part of his life was closed away forever now- just like hanging out at the firehouse while his Dad was on shift was done and closed off.

No more stupid sing-alongs while they cleared the dinner table and washed the dishes. No more chasing a laughing Shiro out of the kitchen as he protested that 'it's just toast! Even I can make toast!" because, no. He really could NOT make toast, and no one wanted to fill the house with smoke from burnt bread. No more overhearing weirdly flirty arguments about coffee vs tea, or crosswords vs sudoku that always seemed to end in someone giggling and someone else shushing and then a bedroom door shutting just as Keith cranked his stereo and found something else to think about. No more REAL-but-not-scary arguments about wedding planning and place settings and guest lists. No more threatening Keith with having to give a toast or throw a bachelor party. No more surreptitious thumbs up of encouragement when Iverson cracked down on him at school, or affectionate shoulder grabs when he blew up at fucking Griffon, or quiet hugs when everything seemed to pile onto him all at once and the world seemed huge and hostile.

All that stuff was in his past now, and it was best if he just… put it out of his mind and stayed busy. So, he set his backpack on a chair and started digging through the cupboards for something to put together for dinner. They were almost out of produce, and the pantry supplies were running a little low. There would need to be a grocery trip soon. He hated those, because Adam insisted on coming and when people saw Adam they stopped to offer condolences, to check up on them- which made him remember what it all meant, and sent Adam into a downward spiral again. He wished he could just take the list and do the shopping alone, it would be so much less painful.

Still, for today, there was enough to choose from that he could feed them. Beef, stir-fried with mushrooms, onions, garlic, peppers, and carrots. Soba noodles in some jarred ginger sauce he found way in the back of the cupboard. Tinned peaches for Adam, mandarin oranges in cherry jello for him. Nothing fancy, but hot, and kosher, and more or less healthy. All with enough left over for them to pack up lunches for the next day, too.

"You cooked?" Adam's voice was sleep rough, his glasses askew from having fallen asleep with them on.

"I mean, it's not restaurant quality, but it's edible," Keith answered, dishing up the food.

"You shouldn't have to do that, Keith," Adam sighed, "I'm the adult, here."

"You needed rest. I needed to keep busy. Win, win," he replied, setting one plate in front of Adam and gesturing for him to sit. "Besides, I'll be 18 soon enough, right?"

"Right," he flashed Keith a smile, weak but genuine. "Which reminds me, your worker should be dropping by soon, I got an e-mail the other day." He pulled out his phone, clearly intending to check, and Keith's heart sank.

"You should eat first," he prompted, "before it gets cold."

"This will only take a second- I don't want to forget about it. Just let me… Keith? Why do I have an e-mail from Iverson flagged urgent?"

"Ummm…" he fidgeted, "I mean, I'll tell you, but you're not gonna like it. So, maybe we should wait until after dinner?"

"Mmmhmm… that's not going to happen. You tell me now and I won't read the e-mail until after dinner. How's that sound? Orrrr, I'll read Iverson's version of events FIRST."

"Alright, fine," Keith grumbled sitting at the table across from Adam, "I'm suspended. For fighting. One week."

"Dammit, Keith! What happened?" Keith had thought Adam looked exhausted before, but he'd been wrong, because right before his eyes Adam sort of… withered… like the strength and energy had just been sucked right out of him.

"I don't even really know. We were in the simulators today, and I screwed up. I don't even know HOW, I've aced that particular simulation so many times, but today… I just couldn't get my head in the game. So, I was already in a shit mood, and then fucking Griffon…"

"Language," Adam chided, earning a scowl.

"FREAKING Griffon," Keith corrected, "started crowing about beating my score and got in my face and the next thing I know, we're being hauled off to the office."

Adam sighed, "alright, first things first. Are you hurt? Does your uniform need cleaning or repairs?"

"No, everything is fine. He bloodied my nose, but I bled on him, not myself. I have like, a bruise on one of my knuckles from when I socked him in the jaw, but that's about it."

"Let me see."

"Adam, it's nothing."

"Keith! Let me see your hand," he insisted. Reluctantly, Keith held out his hand. The bruise had spread, covering three of his knuckles now, but it was obviously a minor injury. "We'll put some witch hazel on it after we eat."

"That's it?" Keith asked, more than a little shocked.

"Do you think there is anything I can say to you about getting into fights at school that hasn't already been said?"

"No, probably not."

"Right, and I'm smart enough to know that if Takashi couldn't get through to you about this, I'm sure as hell not going to be able to. So. Suspended for one week. Consider yourself grounded for the same duration… and you will be completing all of the class work that you are missing here at home… AND writing an apology to James Griffon."

"What? But he's an ASS!"

"And YOU have to learn how to deal with assholes without resorting to violence, Keith! I know you are aware of the fact that there are assholes EVERYWHERE, but you are almost 18 and there are going to be very serious consequences for you if you can't get your temper under control. He was an ass, but YOU threw the first punch, so you apologize. Be glad I'm letting you write it instead of giving it face to face."

"I can't believe this," he muttered, pushing food around his plate.

"Listen, kid," Adam said, his voice soft, "I'll fight for you, you know I will… but I'm not Takashi Shirogane." He choked on a sob, but pushed through, "I'm not the darling of the Garrison, the star pilot poster child. My words and opinions don't have the same weight as his do… did… as his did. I can't protect you as well. I need you to work with me."

"Fine," Keith couldn't even look at him. He knew if he lifted his eyes for even a second, he'd see how broken Adam was, and he could not cope with that right now. So, he did the only thing he could, kept himself busy with eating and tried not to think about how things used to be.

[paopukairi]

Agents of Eos; Chapter 1

I wanna thank @birdsandivory on Tumblr for answering my ask about head canons for a Spy AU. After reading their Crime AU fanfic, I thought I wanted to write a fanfic for a Spy AU. If you haven’t read it by now, I suggest you read the prelude for We Were Gods. Kas is such an amazing writer, so please check their content out, if you love Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy or Voltron, then I recommend you follow their blog! So without further ado; 

Rating: Mature – Explicit

Trigger Warnings: NSFW, graphic violence, major/minor character deaths, self-harm, abuse and mental illnesses.

Pairings: Gladio x OC, Ignis x OC, Noctis x Luna, Prompto x Nyx, Prompto x Cindy, Cor x Loqi, slight Gladio x Aranea

Summary: 

They were only children when their father was killed by the mysterious yet merciless man clad in armour. The youngest of the Caelum family, Bellatrix had to witness her father’s death in front of her and it has scarred her ever since. Things weren’t the same between her and Noctis ever since, as he decided to send her away from the Citadel and she never heard from him or saw him again for the next 11 years.

As years went by, the respect and admiration she had for her brother turned into resentment and loathing. Her vengeance on the man who killed her father kept her going through the years and she decided to join Eos’s Secret Agency Service to hunt him down. But as the years passed by, there were more and more crimes disrupting the city of Insomnia which all sounded suspicious. Drug smuggling, human trafficking, kidnapping and homicides were increasing at an alarming rate especially within the city.

It’s up to the Agents of Eos to find out why this is all happening, especially with the suspicion that there is an undercover agent working within the agency against them. Even with so much chaos and havoc going around, Bella’s old crush Gladiolus starts to fall in love with her. But can she really trust him? Especially after all the conflict she went through with her own brother, could she really trust a man to love her?

Both Noctis and Bella are still trying to find out information on who killed their father. The youngest member of the Lucis Caelum family has willing to put aside her hatred for her brother to work alongside him. Will they finally be able to patch things up with each other before their father’s murderer strikes either of them again? It won’t be as easy as they think but their friends and the Agents of Eos are willing to help them with whatever problem that comes their way.  

Agents of Eos

Chapter 1: Homecoming

The day had finally come for her to return to the Citadel. A day the young woman had waited for since she was 14 years old. A week after her 10th birthday which was the same day she lost her father, her brother Noctis decided to send Bellatrix away from the Citadel, for her own safety. It took her only 6 months of not seeing her only family, for her to completely hate him, for her to come to the conclusion that he just didn’t care for her. 6 months of sadness, grief and anger towards him was enough for her to hate him. And after those 6 months, when he wanted to see her again, she refused to see him. As the years went by, her hatred for him only grew stronger. He never called her nor texted her. Whenever her guardian, Cor Leonis urged her to patch things up with her brother, she refused, telling him that it was Noctis’s fault so he should apologise to her.

A 20 year old Bella stood outside her empty apartment in the outskirts of Insomnia, waiting for her brother to pick her up. It was a cold spring morning and the sun had risen over the foggy horizon to the east, as the radiance of dawn stretched across everything she could see. The young woman wore a dark red long sleeved top with a v-neckline, black leather skirt, black knee socks and ankle suede heeled boots and a brown long coat. Her black hair was tied up in half up half down hairstyle with her middle parting bangs left out to frame her face. She wore minimal makeup, some mascara on, concealer to hide those dark circles and burgundy lipstick. Even without makeup, she still looked good. Her fair skin with a yellow undertone was clear most days with the occasional spots here and there, she had high chiselled cheekbones, a small button nose, rosy full lips and forest green almond shaped eyes.

As Bella waited for the car to arrive and pick her up, she felt her heart pounding in her chest. Noctis was going to be the one to pick her up, Cor said so himself. She would fiddle with the bottom of her top or on a cigarette and not smoke it because of the anxiety that was getting to her. 11 years of not seeing him and she felt like a complete mess. Of course she wasn’t ready to see him and to be frank she had no idea what to do when they would reunite. When she heard that her brother, the head of the Lucis group was going to pick her up, she felt overjoyed but she was dreading it.

Then she remembered all the times he broke his promises to her; all those birthday visits Cor told her about never happened. Anyone would think that her only family would visit her on her birthday and death anniversary of their father; but this was Noctis Lucis Caelum they were thinking of. To everyone in Lucis, he was a kind, strong and trustworthy person. But to her, he was insensitive, weak and unfaithful. In her opinion, he was a horrible executive director; if he couldn’t take care of or love his sister, then how could he have the capacity to do so for his own clients or companies?

A black car with tinted windows had parked up outside and the lights flashed; it was for her. The time had come for her to come face to face with her brother after so long. To finally see him with her own eyes instead of just looking at pictures of him from family albums or newspapers.  She turned to her apartment and sighed whilst kissing the wall; she was gonna miss this place. She’s lived here since she was 15 years old; at first she hated it but with time she grew to love it. Though small, it was the only place she could be by herself with her thoughts, the only other place she felt at home.

The young woman heard the 2 car doors open and close and turned around to see Clarus and Cor getting out of the car. Both men wore warm clothing, Clarus wearing a grey coat and a black suit with his friend wore the same but a black coat. The older man held a brown bag and a coffee holder with just one large cup of a hot beverage in it. When Bella saw that it wasn’t Noctis, she felt angered yet relieved. Nonetheless, a bright smile lit up her face as she ran towards them, closing the gate behind her.

Cor was the first to be pounced on by Bella. She jumped onto him, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him. The young woman was 5ft 3in and anyone could mistake her for his child with the way she acted towards him. The middle aged man took a step back but returned the hug with a gentle smile gracing his lips.

However, after taking a small whiff, she quickly pulled away whilst hopping off him. The young woman pouted with squinted eyes as she glared up at her guardian; an intimidating yet less serious glare.  

“You’ve been smoking, haven’t you?” She asked in her usual honeyed and husky voice.

“I know you have.” The dark haired man countered with darting eyes.

“The smell is coming from you, Uncle Cor.” Bella crossed her arms.

“Just admit that you were both smoking.” Clarus butted in.

“Good morning, Mr Amicitia.” She smiled at him and the sides of his mouth perked up as he bowed his head respectfully.

“Good morning, little warrior.” Every time he called her by that name, she really loved it. He’s been calling her that since she was a child and knew it was because of her name and height; though she hated when people would comment about her height, she didn’t mind Cor or Clarus calling her little because she knew it was endearing. “Come on, get into the car. It’s chilly out here.”

Cor opened the door for her and no one was inside, so he really didn’t show up. Bellatrix got into the car and put her seatbelt on.

“We got you something little.” Clarus gave her the Starbucks bag and the large cup. Just as she opened the bag, she could smell the tantalising scent of a cinnamon swirl pastry. “I got you their new Maple Latte. Iris loves it so I think you will too.” She smiled at him with sparkling eyes.

“Thanks.” He nodded and closed the door. The two men got into the car with Cor getting in the driver’s seat and Clarus right next to him.

“You ready back there?” Cor asked as he switched on the car.

“Yes.” She replied and he reversed out of the parking space.

When they hit the road, Bella took out the hot steamy pastry from the bag and began eating it. Clarus noticed her eating and he smiled as it reminded him of a sweeter time.

“I remember whenever you would get nightmares as a child, your father and I would drive you and Gladio to get a pretzel at a Mr Pretzel vendor on the other side of the city.” She too remembered that time and smiled with her cheeks puffed up like a chipmunk. She swallowed whatever pastry she had in her mouth and turned to Cor.

“Cor takes me for pretzels from time to time.” She chirped and drank her latte.

“Pretzels, ice cream, doughnuts, cake.” Cor listed. “At times she sneaks out to get junk food or actual meals.”

“I hope she doesn’t order pizza at 2am like my kids.” The bald man stated and she blushed.

“Haha, you got me.” She scratched the back of her neck nervously. The mood in the car when Clarus mentioned something that had him wondering for years.

“Bella, I’d like to know, and I don’t mean this in a rude manner, just out of curiosity why you don’t speak to my son anymore?” He asked.

Bella’s eyes sparkled with tears as she lowered her gaze to her feet. She felt as if someone was strangling her with a tight grip and found it difficult to swallow the ball of saliva in her throat. Her heart ached incredibly when she thought about her old best friend, how close they were when they were younger…and then when that happened.

“I must confess, I had a crush on him since I was a 10 year old girl and realised I loved him when I was 15. He knew about my feelings until one day, I saw him…with 2 women entering a club.” They both could hear the pain in her voice when she spoke and Clarus shut his eyes whilst shaking his head. “I couldn’t see him the same way ever since. I thought I was able to see past that, but I just couldn’t. It hurt me to even speak to him in such a situation.”

“Forgive me, Bella.” Clarus apologised from the bottom of her heart but she shook her head with furrowed eyebrows.

“You shouldn’t apologise on behalf of him.” She reassured him and placed the empty cup in a cup holder between the passenger and driver seat.

“I should have taught him better.” He murmured. Bella placed her hand on his shoulder and she turned to him. He saw that gentle gaze and her warm smile and it was as if that was enough to make him feel better.

“Don’t blame yourself. He was old enough, so he should have acted on it himself.” She reassured him. “By the way, wasn’t my dear brother meant to pick me up instead?”

A deep sigh came from Cor whose eyes were focused on the road. Her brother had a busy night and he went to bed at 2am. It was understandable he was tired, but he should have kept this promise, instead of breaking it like always. It was good for what little relationship the Caelum siblings had. The older man remembered the night before when Noctis begged for him to pick her up and whined that he would be too tired.

“Bella, your brother had a long night. But that doesn’t excuse him for his mistake.” Clarus stated.

“What do you expect from someone like him anyway?” She hissed whilst crossing her arms. “Always breaking his promises to the only family he has, I’m not surprised.” She whispered the last 3 words with so much hate. “He doesn’t even care.”

“You don’t know that.” Cor tried to defend the young man as much as he could but would fail to do so. “He does care for you, you’re his sister.”

“I sure don’t feel like one. He’s never shown he’s cared about me, ever.” She was slowly getting more and more upset with tears brimming in her eyes. She was finally gonna voice out the thought she had since she was 16 and looked up at Cor with gripped eyes. “…Am I even his biological sister?!”

Suddenly, Cor pushed on the brakes and the car shook a little; the cars behind them were far away thankfully and saw this, but it was still reckless. If Clarus wasn’t shocked by that very question, he would have scolded Cor for doing such a dangerous this, especially with Bella in the car. But he turned to her with wide eyes, his lips parted and raised eyebrows. Cor on the other hand was glaring at the driving wheel as he gripped onto it.

“Why would you even think such a thing?” He growled and the young woman’s gaze dropped.

“With the way he’s treated me, do you blame me?” She asked.

“Even so, don’t you ever ask or even think such a thing again.” The man’s voice rose as he quickly turned around. She trembled a little with a shaky gasp escaping her lips as her eyes widened. He noticed her fear and sharp cold glare dropped when he reached his hand for hers. Her trembling hand found his and he held it gently. “I didn’t mean to raise my voice. But…when you assume such a thing, it means you’re doubting that you’re your parents’ child.”

Realisation hit her in the face as she leaned back onto her seat. She placed her hand on her cheek and gulped as her bottom lip quivered.

“I didn’t…think of that.” She mumbled. “I’m sorry.”

“Just don’t ever let a thought like that get into your head again.” Clarus stated and she nodded. “Someday, that stupid brother of yours needs to realise what he’s done to you is wrong. I could tell Gladio to talk some sense into him.”  

“That won’t be necessary. Besides, I’d rather not get him involved in this mess too.” She stated and he nodded. Cor began driving again and they crossed the bridge to enter Insomnia.

The city streets were a little busy with people on their way to work. Bella out of the window at everything that passed by; buildings, people, schools, establishments, her university. This was the place she spent all her life in, but where she was born was far away from here. Though she had admiration for Insomnia, it all felt…too much of a routine for her. Insomnia was a place she had grown so used to that she never really felt excited about it anymore. It was expected of her that when she finished University, she would join her father’s company. What was beneficial about the group was that, not only was it a multi-million gil conglomerate company, they had businesses in every kind of sector. She could easily find employment in one of her family’s businesses that would fit well with what she was studying. It was expected of her to work for the family business, but that’s not what she wanted. She didn’t want to rely on the success of their family to get by, she wanted to do something she enjoyed, start something for herself and get money from it. Unfortunately it wasn’t about what she wanted, she had to help her brother and sort other things out…

“We’re here.” Cor announced as the car passed through the gates as they entered the Citadel’s entrance.

“Stop the car.” Bella quickly took her seatbelt off and the car came to a halt.

The young woman opened the door and closed it shut behind her. Her green eyes focused on her surroundings, the entrance and the Citadel. The painful memories were still fresh in her mind, as if they happened just yesterday. Memories she wished she could forget but they made her into the person she was today.

The last time she was here, she was just a 10 year old girl being dragged away from her home. Yelling, screaming, kicking, and trying her best to escape as Cor carried her into the car, all while her brother just watched silently with no protests. Bella walked towards the centre of the clearing and stopped.

This was it…this was where her father was killed. He was walking her to the Citadel so they could cut her birthday cake he was carrying. There were no security around and Clarus and Cor were on their way to meet them outside. Then, out of nowhere, that murderer appeared, fully clad in armour towering over her with his greatsword in his hand. Regis pulled his daughter around him, but she saw the sword go through his chest. His warm blood spraying over her, turning her white tulle dress a bright red. She couldn’t stop screaming or crying as he fell to the ground, the cake falling with him as she held onto him tightly, never wanting to let go. The amount of blood on the ground looked like a large puddle of crimson red. All she heard from the monster who killed her father were 6 words she would never forget, 6 words that fuelled her vengeance to kill that murdering bastard, and 6 words that haunted her forever…

“You and your brother are next.” Bella whispered as she kneeled to the ground. Her hands were trembling and her heart was beating faster and faster. Her breathing was shaky and uneven and she felt as if she was choking. Her limbs were completely numb as her bottom lip quivered and she placed her hand on the ground, the exact place her father died.

“Protect your brother and take care of him…”

Those words…she wished she could do so but…he sent her away and he caused her so much pain. She bet Regis and Aulea were looking down on them, woeful and disappointed that both their children were on bad terms. They surely must have seen the things she had gone through during the past 11 years and it must have hurt them. Being parents and watching their children suffer with no power to do anything about it, must have been the worst feeling for them. She felt it was her own fault…for causing them so much pain. Her fault that they weren’t resting in peace.

“I’m sorry…” She squeaked with tears dropping onto the floor as if it was going to rain. “I’ve caused you both so much pain…I should have been stronger…”

Just like 11 years ago, Clarus and Cor ran from the car towards Bella and saw her crying with her arms wrapped around herself. It broke their hearts to see her like this, to see her suffer like this, to be in so much pain. This was her home and it had brought her so much suffering.

“Come on, stand up…” Cor’s voice was gentle as he took her hands and helped her up. The older man took out a tissue from his pocket and wiped her tears, thankfully her mascara was waterproof. “Let’s get you inside.” Her breathing finally evened out as Clarus began counting down from 10 till 1, helping her calm down.

The 2 men led her into the Citadel’s lobby where there 2 lifts for both buildings and a reception desk which was empty.

“Bella.” She heard a female’s voice and turned to her right.

The cheery voice came from one of her best friends, Wren Asteria who she had known for 15 years. The young was 27 years old at 5ft 9in with a slim body, straight dark brown collar bone length hair, and side swept bangs, medium skin tone with a golden undertone, rosy cheeks and lips and round bright green eyes. She wore a simple cream fitted jumper, black tight jeans and knee high length boots with her hair left out.

The woman wrapped her arms around her friend and held her tight. Wren knew today would be painful for her. But she promised her that she would be there to support her, no matter how early or late. Bella was grateful to have Wren as a best friend, she was the one who helped her and supported her the most when she lost her father and when she was sent away. It was her who would sneak her out for midnight snacks and long drives to get her mind off things. It was her who knew all her deepest and darkest secrets, hiding them from anyone, even from her boyfriend Ignis.

Speaking of Ignis, he was there too, dressed in a casual dark grey jumper, black jeans and black shoes. He smiled at the 20 year old woman and she turned towards him. Wren let go of her best friend who pulled away and she smiled at them both.

“Thanks for being here. It means so much that you guys could make it.” She stated. “Wren, I know you hate early mornings, must’ve been hard for you to get up.”

“Surprisingly, she woke up before I did.” Ignis accidently let it slip and the dark haired woman crossed her arms whilst smirking and her best friend’s face turned beet red.

“Ohoho damnnn Iggy!” Bella howled whilst nudging her friend who just lowered his gaze regretting every life choice. “You guys did the dirty. Oh my.”

“Bella, please stop.” Wren squeaked as she burst into a fit of giggles.

“Hey, what’s the joke? I wanna get in the action.” Clarus stated which caused the 20 year old to laugh so hard her sides began to ache. Cor just bit on his lip trying not to burst into laughter too.

“Bella, I swear to Etro. I’ll murder you when this is over.” Wren muttered with her face finally returning to its natural tone.

“I think we should get a move on.” Ignis tried changing the subject as he pressed the button to elevator which went up into the many floors of Tower 1, where the Caelum family lived. The doors opened and they all entered. The doors closed behind Cor who was the last to get in and the elevator began making its way up. “Bella…there’s been a slight change in plan.” Her smile dropped as she turned to the man in glasses. Her expression changed within just a millisecond, from cheery and joking to annoyed and serious.

“Cancelled again?” She asked.

“No, Gladiolus and a guest will be joining us.” He replied.

Her eyebrows furrowed together as she gulped. The young woman gripped onto the bottom of her skirt and felt her heart pounding fast, she knew the others could hear it too. Why…why was he here? She wasn’t prepared for this, emotionally, mentally, hell even physically. She could have worn something more formal, she could have worn more makeup too, not to impress him but to look more presentable.

“Why…why is Gladio here?” She asked. “Who is that guest? Why is he here too?”

“Gladiolus seemed overjoyed when he heard you were returning to the Citadel. I didn’t think he would be here this morning.” Clarus commented.

“The guest is a friend of mine, I wouldn’t call himself a friend of Noctis but he wanted to meet you. He’s also a fellow agent.” Ignis stated and she felt Wren wrap her arms around her arm.

“Bella, it’s the Ravus Nox Fleuret!” She exclaimed.

Bella took a step back with her back hitting the wall of the elevator. Her eyes widened and her cheeks turned a faint pink as a soft gasp escaped her lips. Ravus…Ravus Nox Fleuret was here…in the Citadel…to meet her. He was the most eligible business bachelor in Eos AND he was an agent too in Eos’s Secret Intelligent Service. Beautiful would be an understatement to describe him. Not to mention, he and his sister descended from the royal bloodline of Tenebrae just like she and Noctis were descendants of the royal bloodline of Lucis. Now she was even more nervous, she dressed so casually with these two handsome men meeting her.

“W-why…I…he…I’m not ready for this!” She stammered nervously. “How could he just…drop all this on me?!”

“Bella, it’s going to be okay.” Cor reassured her. “Just think of it like you’re meeting normal strangers.”

“Cor, it’s my old crush and Eos’s most eligible bachelor out there!” She whined.

“We’re all here to support you, okay?” Wren held her hand tight. “Breathe in, breathe out; slowly.” She followed her command and her heart rate finally returned back to normal. “You good?”

“Yeah…” She mumbled and the doors opened when they got to the 3rd last floor.

They all exited the elevator and Bella was greeted by a line of the Citadel staff; all of whom were new. She smiled at them and said good morning but was saddened and disappointed there was no one she recognised from her childhood. Cor took her coat and she made her way towards the double doors leading to the dining room. She inhaled through her nose and exhaled slowly through her lips and the trembling of her hands came to a halt.

The doors opened up and Bella entered the humungous dining room whilst examining her surroundings rather than the people in the room. The staff may have changed but thankfully, this room didn’t. Everything was the same, the black and gold damask wallpaper on the walls, the 18 arm gold and crystal vintage chandelier which hung from the centre of the ceiling, the rectangular long table which could host a total of 12 people and the brown vintage fireplace to the left. The windows in the room were situated at the back, with the sunshine not being too bright or too dim.

A small smile graced her face when she began to remember her sweet memories of her innocent childhood in this room; the way Noct hated eating his vegetables, how Regis would tell him he wouldn’t get dessert when he didn’t, how her and her father would sneak into the dining room to eat a meal or snack at midnight. She sighed deeply with her eyes glistening with tears; she wished those memories would last forever.  

Ravus and Gladiolus were sitting in the chairs they specifically picked to be seated in. Gladio was dressed in a dark red cashmere jumper, black straight cut jeans and black trainers whilst Ravus wore a grey blazer, waistcoat, trousers, a white shirt and purple tie with black shoes. When they heard footsteps, both men turned to the young woman who entered the room and instantly stood up.

Gladio couldn’t believe his amber eyes; it was really her. Bellatrix who was just a teenager the last time he saw her 6 years ago. But now, she was a beautiful young woman. He didn’t imagine she would blossom into such a woman but here she was, with her long dark hair falling right into place, her almond shaped green eyes sparkling like stars, eyelashes fluttering like wings on a bird, the way her luscious lips pursed together and the corners perking up into a lovely smile. His gaze lowered to her body and his cheeks reddened; she had the body of a fully developed women, her curves driving his mind crazy, those large round bosoms and those child bearing hips. No…he had to get a grip on himself. She was Noctis’s little sister, he couldn’t be staring at her like that and thinking such impure things.

When Ravus laid his mismatched eyes on her, he swore she was a form of Etro herself. But no, she was very much human, an extremely graceful young lady. He had seen and met countless women in his life, but none with such alluring beauty as hers. She was like no other, she possessed not just average beauty but the kind where one would witness Aurora in Tenebrae for the first time. He had expected the little sister of Noctis to be some spoilt brat who would be late, sleepy rude and ungrateful, just like when he met her brother for the first time 8 years ago. However he was surprised that she seemed nothing like her sibling at all. There was something about her, something which drew him to her. He felt like he had known her before, even though this was the first time she had ever seen her. Maybe they knew each other in a past life or in another lifetime.

“Is the great Ravus Nox Fleuret blushing?” Gladio mumbled whilst smirking. The said man rolled his eyes and looked at the man who stood across him.

“I see you are, Amicitia.” Ravus hissed and glared at him. “I noticed the way you’re staring at her, she’s not a slab of meat or some criminal you seduce on missions.”

“Rich coming from someone who pretends to be someone they’re not. Must be easy huh?” The dark haired man took a brutal jab at him but Ravus didn’t take his words seriously. “You know that isn’t her type.”

“And you are? Please, Amicitia. Don’t make me die of laughter. I’m everyone’s type.” He boasted. “Now stand there and watch as a real man greets a lovely lady. You could learn from me. Maybe it could help you on your missions.”

Gladio gripped onto the chair whilst grinding his teeth together, the nerve of him! He thought he was better than him in terms of charm? But what did he expect? Ravus always thought he was better than others, he was a famous businessman and an exceptionally skilled agent. It would annoy the hell out of Gladio, that the compliments and praised only made his ego more unbearable.

“Miss Caelum.” Ravus walked up to the young woman with a small smile on his face.

Bella turned to the man who approached her and looked up at him. Her eyebrows rose as her eyes widened a little and her pupils dilated wider. She felt her face turn hot and faint red. All those articles were right, every magazine was right, he was absolutely mesmerising, his face looked like it was carved by the Astrals themselves, his platinum blond hair looked as soft and silky as satin, and she admired his heterochromia eyes. He had such an imposing physical build with a lean body and looked 6ft 3in which made the young woman feel really small.  

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” He took her hand, placing a sweet kiss on her the back of her hand. She felt his cold soft lips on her warm skin and gulped feeling flustered and a little uncomfortable since no one has ever greeted her like this. Cor kept a watchful eye on the young man just in case he tried anything or said something out of line.

“Pleasure is all mine.” She managed to smile and pulled her hand away from him.

Gladio couldn’t take it, something inside him just didn’t like any of this. Seeing Ravus owning him in terms of charms, but of all the people, the fact that it was her made him more pissed. He couldn’t just stand and watch like this. So he walked briskly towards her with such confidence. Wren, Ignis and Clarus noticed this with the young woman nudging both her boyfriend and friends father with a small snicker. Ignis just shook his head; he knew this wasn’t going to be good and the head of the Amicitia family just sighed stressfully.

“Bella…” The young woman heard a familiar voice which caused goose bumps to form over skin.

The said woman slowly turned to where the voice came from and leaned back as she gasped softly. She felt her heart pounding in her chest and she gulped nervously. She thought for a moment there that she would faint but there she was still standing. It was really him, it was really Gladio who stood in front of her. He looked so different, but those alluring amber eyes were still the same. He looked taller than when she last saw him 6 years ago and towered over her at an outstanding 6ft 6in. He also grew more facial hair and his hair looked longer. Even since she was a teenager, his rugged sexy good looks was a huge weakness for her, but now…he looked more attractive then ever. But then she saw that sweet gentle smile of his, how a man who looked so manly and rough be so soft and tender was beyond her.

“It’s so good to see you again, Gladio.” She smiled at him and his cheeks turned beet red. Her smile was still so bright and warm like a ray of sunlight. He cleared his throat and his fingers ran through his dark brown tresses with a smug smirk on his face as he leaned closer to her but she just leaned back away from him.

“I must be the luckiest man to be in the presence of the most beautiful woman ever.” He winked and her eyebrow twitched. If she was still 16, she would squeal and most likely faint if he had said that. But she was almost 21, she knew better and felt awkward at the compliment.

“How many times have you used that on innumerable women?” Ravus asked with a smug smirk on his face.

Her forest green eyes glanced from Gladio to Ravus with furrowed eyebrows and she sighed loudly and sharply whilst rolling her eyes and shaking her head. From Gladiolus she wasn’t surprised but from Ravus she was disappointed. Bella wasn’t like the women Gladio would often seduce or flirt with, she was his childhood friend and she thought he respected her more to treat her as such but what did she expect from him? As for Ravus, she knew that smirk was full of so much pride and arrogance. She wasn’t someone he could show off. For him to try and impress her for pride and to bring Gladio down was something that really put her off. There stood before her was a womaniser she once loved and a prideful asshole she once aspired to be like.

“Great goddess Etro, what did I do to deserve this?” She asked internally.

Bella walked past both of them and sat down on her the chair at the end of the table; it was her old seat she would sit on whenever the family would eat together. They watched as she walked away from them and sat down with an emotionless stare focused on the table.

“Great going, you two.” Wren mumbled loud enough for both men to hear, as she walked past them to sit next to her best friend. Cor sat opposite Wren, Clarus sat opposite him and Gladio sat with his father. Ravus sat beside the brunette and Ignis sat next to him.

The 7 of them all waited with only some small talk between the others with Cor and Bella staying quiet. The reason she stayed quiet was because she kept thinking about finally seeing her brother again after so many years. She glanced up at the double doors; any minute now he would walk through them and they would finally reunite. When her gaze lowered, Gladio was the first to notice how nervous she looked. She was fiddling with her hair and her fingers trembled a little ash kept playing with her tresses.

“So Bella, I heard you’re a university student.” Gladio stated and she looked up at whilst dropping the strand of hair she was playing with.

“Yeah, I study at Insomnia Crown University.” She replied and both Ravus and Gladio were surprised.

“Wait, you go to the Insomnia Crown University?” Ravus asked.

“Eos’s top ranked university. You go there?” Gladio questioned and she nodded as if it was nothing special. Cor on the other hand just smirked proud of his little girl.

“I study History, Politics and Economics.” She answered.

“I always wonder how you can do it. Isn’t it a lot?” Wren added.

“It’s manageable, besides I really enjoy it.” She smiled.

“That’s all that matters, Bella.” Clarus commented with a smile. “We’re all very proud of you.”  

The conversation continued with the dark haired woman staying silent. Time passed by and every 10 minutes the youngest woman in the room would check her watch whilst huffing. It had been 1 hour and a half since she’s arrived and he hasn’t showed up yet.

“Cor, I’m hungry.” She mumbled only loud enough for Cor and her best friend to hear.

“He’ll be here any minute. Just hold off till then.” The older man advised.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he even forgot.” She muttered whilst crossing her arms.

“Of course he hasn’t, he’s been looking forward to seeing you.” Wren said.

“Yeah well why isn’t he here already?” She didn’t mean to raise her voice and the others turned to her. “This is an embarrassment not only to you all but to me too. I apologise but I’m going to my room to get ready for my lecture.” Cor placed his hand on hers and held it tight.

“Your lecture doesn’t start until 11. You can wait a little while longer.” He said in a gruff tone of voice.

“Have someone send my breakfast to my room.” She commanded as she pulled her hand away.

Just as she was about to stand up, they all heard the double doors open. Noctis entered the dining room, with his hair being a mess and he was wearing a black sweater with dark grey pyjama pants. The young man yawned and rubbing his eyes.

Everyone else stood up with respect as he entered the room but Bella just sat there with crossed arms. When her eyes fell on her brother, she noticed how he resembled their father with the only exception being the facial hair. His jaw was square shaped and he no longer had that silly spiky hair. She felt glad to see him, a little giddy even but nonetheless she was disappointed that he overslept, though it was better than him forgetting she was here.

The first thing Noctis saw was his little sister sitting by the table and when he did see her, his blue eyes were brimming with tears. A joyful and gentle smile graced his lips upon seeing her after 11 years. His baby sister, who was once so young and adorable had grown into a young woman. She looked like their mother but with their father’s hair and eye colour. He waited so long to finally see her and now that he was met face to face with her, he couldn’t believe himself. Was it a dream? Was he still dreaming? If it was, he hoped to never wake.

Noctis sprinted towards her and she slowly stood from her seat. What in Eos was he doing running towards her like he was a child? She didn’t understand why but then when he reached her, he wrapped his arms around her tightly and buried his face into the crook of her neck. She felt warms tears on her skin and felt her heart ache. Those tears…were for her. He really did miss her and he really was happy to reunite with her again. Her bottom lip quivered as she wrapped her arms around him, holding him so tight that she feared that if she let go he would leave. Cor couldn’t help but smile at this; at least she wasn’t scolding him like he expected.

“It’s really you…” He whispered. “This isn’t a dream...is it?” It took everything for her to hold her tears back.

“I’m here, this is real.” She replied and he pulled away from her. The young man wiped his tears with his wrists whilst sniffling.

“Welcome home, Bella.” He smiled.

“You can’t imagine how much I waited for this day to come.” She said.

“Heh, I forgot you were coming today, that’s why I woke up late.” He grinned and her smile dropped. She felt her blood boil in her veins as she gripped onto her fist tightly and her jaw was clenched. Just as she was about to approach him, Wren read what was going on, stood up and placed her hand on her friend’s shoulder stopping her from reacting.

“Oh Noct,” She chuckled nervously. “What a funny joke, let’s all just sit down and start eating. We’ve been waiting for a while so we’re starving.”

“But it wasn’t a joke.” Noctis replied.

“Noctis, just sit your ass down. We’re all hungry.” Cor growled.

“Alright, alright. Gimme a break.” Noctis raised his hands in surrender as he walked towards his seat and they all finally sat down.

Bella stared at her brother with so much loathing in her glare that when he noticed her glaring at him, he gulped and felt cold beads of sweat rolling down his neck as he lowered his gaze feeling guilt and fear. She felt a hand hold onto hers and turned to see Cor who stared at her with a tender loving gaze. Her eyebrows furrowed together and he could see the tears forming in her eyes. She just rested her head against the back of her hand with her elbow leaning on the table, hiding her face and tears from anyone who could see it. But when her guardian saw that one small tear fall through her fingers, he growled. He turned to the young dark haired man who looked up at him. Cor glared at his coldly, it was that same glare he saw whenever he cancelled on Bella, a glare of utter disappointment; a glare that instantly made him regret everything he did to hurt his sister.

[imhereformysciencefriends]

got tagged by @zefive​ AND @sharada-n​ so

Rules:

1. Post the rules 2. Answer the questions given to you by the tagger 3. Write 11 questions of your own 4. And tag 11 people

Zeke’s questions:

your Number One most hated character? You know you fucking know you fuckning k n o w

what’s your favourite kind of chips? I really like ruffles! love them ridges, love the cronch, the cranch

what’s your ‘guilty pleasure’ fanfic trope? You wrote this specifically with me in mind fucking didn’t you. I’m not talking about that on my main there are people who follow me for my fic here, there are people who think I’m an enjoyable person, there are people whose opinions I value I’m not talking about that on my MAIN

favourite animal? both tame and wild (and, if you want, ocean and non-ocean animals) cats. cats are my best friends and the loves of my life. I would die for a cat I had never met before don’t think I wouldn’t

any fandoms you aren’t in, but still read fanfics for? well, I’ve recently gotten into Star Trek, but back in high school I would read for ST without having seen it. Uh... other stuff includes... Oh yeah I like  Spartacus: Vengeance  stuff sometimes and Teen Wolf stuff sometimes though I feel like that second one is also not entirely a fandom “i’m not in” because I’ve seen like the first... two seasons? Ish? Season and a half? There are certain... tropes... present within each fandom that I find appealing.

do you have any fandom merch? if yes, what kinds? yes. Lots of t shirts, a hoodie, a couple jackets, two scarfs, a necklace, and a pair of lounge pants. All Homestuck.

how many pillows do you sleep with? Four’s my minimum

if you could only chose one: cartoons, anime/manga, or video games? mmmmmmmmmmmmm.... cartoons or anime/manga.... ugh, probably anime, it’s a wider scope.

what’s your favourite video game genre? fantasy!!!!!

any fandoms you love reading drama & salt about? (even if you’re not in them) oooo... gonna say Voltron on this one... and I only HALF love the drama & salt bc the other half is directed at me and my interests and is generally really stupid and clearly written by little babies.

what’s your favourite fanfics? Oh, my FAVORITE has to be Heavyverse, definitely

Sharada-n’s questions!:

Which are your favorite hot and cold drinks? hhhhhhhot drinks and I generally aren’t friends bc I’ve got a really sensitive tongue but I like hot coco, and I like iced tea!

What’s your favorite color scheme/combination? teal, sea foam, and white. Sometimes throw gold in there

 Windows or Apple? Windows defo

 Do you believe in astrology? eeeeeeeeeeeeh? I definitely think there are patterns that crop up due to spending certain developmental periods in certain seasons, since babies develop REALLY RAPIDLY and that first year has a lot happening, but I don’t think they’re like... actually mystic or credible

Would you punch me for 10$? gently, yes

Do you have any guilty pleasures? y’all motherfuckers.... trying to get me to out myself and my kinky kinks here on tungle.hell....

What’s your favorite flower? baby’s breath!!!!

What would you name your theoretical kids? I’ve always really, really liked the name Miranda

Sweet or savory? Sweet

Do you wear socks in bed or nah? is it winter or nah?

Could a horse fit through a window?  if it was particularly determined to and it was a weak window. I’m p sure horses can do whatever the fuck they want my dude.

now fore MY questions.... uh.

1. yeah lmao I’m not doing this

[kalteneckerandme]

tagged by @starchildshiro

(Rules: You have to tag 15 people at the end of this challenge)

5 things you’ll find in my bag

-allergy medicine -phone -socks -wallet -book I’m trying to read by end up reading fanfic anyway

5 things you’ll find in my bedroom

-a big wall map of europe that my great grandma used to have in her classroom -ikea furniture? -lots and lots of pillows -childhood violin i forgot how to play -a shit ton of books and comics

5 thing’s I’ve always wanted to do

-um i’ve never gone out dancing before cuz I'm so bad at it but if I'm drunk enough why not lol -write a book/graphic novel/web comic -finally learn spanish and ASL fluently so i can talk to my mom without people understanding us (us in doctor’s offices half-assed signing to each other would legit make a pro-signer cry we are so bad) -dye my hair! -GET A PET SNAKE

5 things that make me feel happy

-my friends sending me wholesome memes -when my dog is excited to see me!!! -reading -drawing comics -that gay shit

5 things that I’m currently into

-voltron! -been listening to the adventure zone a lot while i draw -i fucking love it’s always sunny in philadelphia -i love peter draws youtube channel -my spiderman obsession has returned full force

5 things on my to-do list

-get my fucking cartilage re-pierced cuz it closed and I'm crying -get my new glasses today! :) i've been waiting for weeks lol they were meant to be here ages ago -write chapter three of my fic -make food -take a shower idk? I'm on holiday not much is going on

lol ye i dunno 15 people here’s like 14 i think Tagging: @weighted-orange @pursuitofklance @hellohipstercookie @becoming-icarus @kalteneckerkogane @agapeyuuri @shiroganetakashi @the-paladin-of-blue @coranbestman @theeyeofthejew @spacesephora @jealousy-thy-names-keith @ravenrocksmysocks @pan-voltron

[winterysomnium]

I have been tagged in this meme a few times, I think by @drabblemeister, @tanekore, @generatorcat, @mylittleskeletons and @mokuuton (I’m sorry if I forgot anyone or mentioned someone who didn’t tag me >>) but I was feeling really low for a while so, I’m answering the meme now THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAGGING ME I FEEL SO HAPPY WHEN YOU TAG ME IN THINGS. ♥

Rules: Answer the questions in a new post and tag 20 blogs you would like to get to know better. Nickname: Wintery, Luna, bro Star sign: Sagittarius Height: 159 cm (5′ 2′’ says google) Time right now: 14:49 Last thing googled: 159 cm t feet (lol) Favorite Music/Artists: I tend to like songs from different artists but I really like Placebo, Daughter, Lana del Rey, Halsey, Twenty One Pilots and many more. Song Stuck in Your Head: Major Lazer feat Wild Belle - Be Together (I just watched the youtube Sheith video so) Last Movie Watched: does 80′s Voltron count, since it’s like five episodes put together?  Last TV show watched: Game of Thrones (wanted to see if I will like it) also I reccomend Westworld! What are you wearing right now: Mom’s work logo shirt, white and grey leggins that have a hole on the knee, socks, glasses, headphones  When did you create your blog: June 2012 What kind of stuff do you post: fandom things aka fanfics and sometimes edits (Voltron, DC, Percy Jackson), personal posts, selfies, cats, inspiring pictures/posts  Do you have any other blogs: Yes, but I mainly use this one. We have a blog with @varevare called @au-inspiration, where we post posts and pictures that remind us of our AUs, otherwise I don’t really use any other sideblogs much. Do you get asks regularly: not really Why did you choose your URL: I have been using the name somnium for a long time, only with another adjective, and I wanted something that sounds pretty I guess and I chose wintery, since I like that word. Somnium means dream in latin. Hogwarts House: I tend to get sorted in a few but I would like to be in Ravenclaw, but I suspect it might have to do with perfectionism and insecurity and intelligence, so.  Pokemon team: Red! Pokemon are warmhearted ♥. Favourite color: Blue, also soft pastel colours. Average Hours of Sleep: Depends, lately meds have been causing me to wake up in the middle of the night unable to sleep for a few hours but I’d say around 8?

Lucky Number: not really sure, numbers change for me because of OCD, but I think 7, 9, 4 are kinda the safest numbers right now. Depends on what though.

Favourite CHARACTER(s): Tim Drake (DC), Keith (Voltron), Nico di Angelo (Percy Jackson), Will Solace (Percy Jackson), Yamamoto Takeshi (Katekyou HItman Reborn) and a lot more. How Many Blankets Do You Sleep with: I got a warmer one recently so one, if it is more cold I get another one, less thick. If it’s really warm I sleep with a sheet or uncovered a lot. Dream job: I am not sure really, I like writing? I like not being stuck in a routine too much, either, just, something not stressful that pays well and I have fun working at? Following: 119  

I tag: @varevare, @supercomicgirl, @avanalae, @wisiaden, @babybirdblues, @nyaaati, @len-yan, @thestreetsatnight, @souliebird, @theedas, @tsubulle, @oloane, @flashingstorms, @tabithian, @dustybirb-qrow, @outofthecavern.

Don’t have to do this if you’re not comfortable, of course! ♥

[braincoins]

A prompt for shallura, if you wish: Baby Alfor does his best to explain to the mice the story of how he *thinks* his parents met and fell in love! 😉

He liked the mice. They scampered and played and made squeaky noises. They also helped him get to the peanut butter when Mama and Papa weren't looking... like today, when he'd gotten the jar but couldn't open it. Mama had caught them and sent all of them - the mice, too - to the playpen and called them "naughty" and told them they had to stay there.

He felt bad that they were in trouble, too, for helping him. So he decided to tell them a story because Mama and Papa liked to tell him stories when he was upset and he liked it when they did that.

He tapped a mouse on the head - gently - and said, "Mama." Then again, with a different mouse: "Papa." They seemed to accept this, and the other two mice backed up and sat down.

He arranged the Mama-mouse and the Papa-mouse so they were facing each other and then, with a, "WION!" used his black lion toy to shove Papa-mouse forward. The Papa-mouse flailed until Mama-mouse caught him.

"Kish!" he demanded, on behalf of his lion toy. The mice didn't kiss but they made little kissy faces at each other. He decided that was good enough.

"Mama 'n' Papa," he declared, then thrust his lion toy out in front of him. "Wion! Kish kish. A'for," he finished, saying his own name, because obviously after the kissing, there was him.

The mice applauded with their little hands. Maybe they were in baby jail, but the entertainment was good, at least.

[calciumcompression]

Rules:

1. Post the rules

2. Answer the questions given to you by the tagger

3. Write 11 questions of your own

4. And tag 11 people

Got tagged by @puffin-socks  (Thanks for Tagging me Love to answer!).

1. Describe your pet or a pet you would like to get?

  I (sadly) Don’t have a pet! unless you count me 3 younger siblings. (XD) I want a Husky. Very. Badly.

2. What is your favorite constellation?

  It would have to be Orion.

3. Do you wear glasses? What style of glasses?

  Reading glasses. 

4. Favorite horror movie?

  I don’t watch Horror movies. Not my thing.

5. What is the most iconic Mean Girls quote, in your opinion?

  .....IDK what that is tbh.

6. Do you sleep without blankets in the summer or turn the air conditioning down so you can huddle in the covers?

  I curl around my blanket.

7. Have you ever seen something in a dream that you then saw later in real life?

  yes. it was a bouncy ball.

8. A fanfic or a list of fanfic you really like?

  Boom Crash:

http://archiveofourown.org/series/518641  (Voltron)

  A Split-Second of Violence:

 http://archiveofourown.org/works/1924698/chapters/4154385 (HQ)

  Come Morning Light:

 http://archiveofourown.org/works/3708349/chapters/8208111 (KNB)

  All by @maychorian . Check out all her amazing Fics!

 http://archiveofourown.org/users/maychorian/pseuds/maychorian

9. Do you prefer to drink cold water or room temperature water?

  Cold water. Better when playing Volleyball. It’s also Soothing!

10. Height?

  I think about 5′ 2.5″

11. What color do you dye your hair or what color would you like to dye your hair?

  I want to dye the tips of my hair blue!

I will tag only a few. (don’t have many peeps!): @maychorian , @thatsthat24 @pidgance , @unitedstatesofcake , @ashalookenji

My Questions to you!

1.) Favorite Fandom?

2.) Birthday? (you don’t have to share year if you don’t want to!)

3.) Have you been to a convention?

4.) Favorite Hobby?

5.) Any Siblings?

6.) Favorite Book?

7.) Worst subject in school?

8.) Earliest childhood friend you can remember.

9.) Organized or messy?

10.) Favorite Artist?

11.) Favorite Snack. (almost put snake)

[braincoins]

Thinking back on it, Allura couldn’t recall if her parents kissed often. She had memories of them kissing each other briefly in her presence, but they were few and far between. And even knowing that they might have been more affectionate in private didn’t stop her from considering the question: 

Had her parents really loved each other? 

Politics would have to have played some part in their marriage; her father was heir to the throne, eventually the king. But that didn’t mean the marriage had to be entirely loveless, right? 

She finally stopped wracking her brain and asked Coran.

“Of course they loved each other!” he huffed. 

“I’m being serious,” she told him, “so don’t you trot out the ‘protecting King Alfor’s memory’ nonsense.”

He sniffed in disdain but did not try to defend himself on the charge. Especially since the loss of her father’s A.I., Coran had become defensive of the king’s legacy. And she understood that. But she wanted to discuss her father, not King Alfor of Altea.

“It was not a love match to begin with,” he allowed. “Your parents were betrothed when they were still very young. But they became friends, and by the time they were formally married, they were very much in love.”

“I don’t remember them kissing much around me.”

Coran shook his head. “Kissing wasn’t how they preferred to show love to each other, that’s all. And especially not in public.”

“Then... how did they prefer to show love to each other?”

“They held hands. They had certain smiles for each other. They were friends first, after all, and that was the foundation of their affection and love. They had inside jokes, little references that no one else would understand, things like that. Your mother was an excellent spy, you know; she preferred subtlety.”

“Oh.” She wasn’t sure what else to say.

“Why is this bothering you, Allura?”

“I honestly don’t even know. I mean, I know why I started wondering about it, but I don’t know why it bothers me. It shouldn’t bother me.”

Coran just waited, an air of expectation growing around him. She wasn’t going to give in at first, but then figured it was fair payment for her asking him about this in the first place. 

“It’s just that I don’t have another frame of reference. My relationship with Shiro...”

“Ahhh,” he said in understanding.

She continued anyway. “...is so unlike any other I’ve ever had. And I don’t know what to compare it to except my parents. I knew they were happy, at least, and... and they were my parents. It’s natural to want something like what they had, isn’t it?”

“Very natural. Natural-est thing, really,” he assured her.

“Shiro kisses me often, even in public. Light, short kisses, usually on the cheek, but he still does. It’s almost a reflex for him sometimes, and I...” she felt the blush come on, “...I like that. I like that he is so casual with showing me affection, even in front of the paladins, even knowing they’ll tease him about it. But then I started trying to picture Mother and Father kissing this often and I... couldn’t. Then I began to worry that my memories of them were fading already, and I got... scared, I guess.”

“But that’s not the ‘bothering you’ part, is it?”

“It bothers me a little that my relationship with Shiro isn’t like Mother’s and Father’s. Because I want what they had. But,” she sighed and, at her neural command, a chair rose up from the floor. She sank into it as it settled into place. “I can never have exactly what they had. I knew that even before I asked you. Because they had peace and love and... and Altea.”

“They also had betrothals and politics,” he reminded her. “And war. And you have love with Shiro, do you not?”

Her cheeks heated further. “I... believe so.”

“You’ll have peace one day, when we defeat Zarkon.” He laid a hand over hers. “And your parents would be very happy for you.”

She looked up at him, blinking away sudden tears. “Would they?”

He nodded. “Absolutely. Shiro’s a fine man, hideous ears or no. He’s good to you and he makes you happy. That’s what they’d want for you.”

And she smiled, feeling her heart warm with that knowledge.

Until Coran added, “But they probably would think he’s some sort of lech, kissing you in public all the time.”

“CORAN!”

[braincoins]

@breezycheezyart

“You’re sure you’ll be okay?”

“Takashi,” Ryou said, folding his arms and trying to give his twin the look his father - their father, he reminded himself, he was still trying to get better about doing that - would have given, “are you worried about me or the kid?”

“Both.”

He sighed and unfolded his arms so he could clap a hand on Takashi’s shoulder. “We’ll be fine.”

“I’m not used to you reassuring me,” he admitted.

Ryou couldn’t help chuckling thinly at that. “One of the first things I did when I got to the colony was look after the kids.” With help, but he left that out. He knew now that it had been a test, that the Alteans who had been helping him had been watching him as much as helping him watch the kids. They’d wanted to see how he treated them, what his base personality was like without the programming Haggar had done to him.

“It’s just that Alfor can be a handful...”

“We’ll. Be. Fine,” he said again. He patted his twin’s shoulder. (It was easier to think of Takashi as his twin than to think of shared parents or experiences, because that all just reminded him that he had this man’s memories, not memories of his own.) “Enjoy your quality time with your princess. You both deserve the break.”

“Yeah. Yeah, okay, you’re right.” A smile forced itself onto Takashi’s face. “You’re right, it’ll be... everything will be great. I hope you both have a great time tonight.”

“I hope you two have a great time tonight. Go spoil her rotten.”

The smile eased into something less tense and Takashi turned to leave, then half-turned back. “Remember what I said about the peanut butter.”

“GO,” Ryou told him with a laugh, making a shooing motion with his hand.

And Takashi left.

---

The Altean colony had been a perfect place to suggest for a “date night.” She still wasn’t sure why it was called that, but she wasn’t going to quibble over words when she had a night with her knight... well, paladin.

Hunk had packed them a picnic dinner, Keith had scouted out a perfect place to set it up: high up on a cliff, overlooking a valley lush with flowers, and Pidge had cobbled together a small speaker that played music Lance had selected for them from a list Coran had given him. It was a warm night with a breeze just cool enough to keep them from overheating, and the moons of Oriande were fat and lazy in the sky amongst the twinkling stars.

They ate and drank well, talked on matters both trivial and deep, and laughed together at inside jokes. Allura felt a peaceful contentment settle into her body, and made sure to share her happiness with Takashi through numerous nuzzles, cuddles, snuggles, and, of course, kisses. She almost didn’t want the night to end.

They took their time strolling back to the colony, hand in hand in companionable silence. She basked in the quietude: no screaming toddler or angry Coalition members to disturb her. Alfor should be asleep by now, she thought as they wound through the streets, so we should be able to just pick him up and take him back aboard the Castle and tuck him in. Then I can take Takashi to bed as well... She was looking forward to it.

The door to Ryou’s house opened upon recognizing Shiro - it did that sometimes, even when Ryou was already inside and the door systems should have recognized that; the DNA match was too close and it confused things - and the two of them walked in...

...to find Ryou dangling Alfor upside down by his ankles. The toddler was shrieking happily and his face was absolutely covered in what looked like peanut butter. His face and some of his onesie, for that matter. Toys were strewn about and the Black Lion plushie was on Ryou’s head.

He looked up as they entered. “Oh, hi. You two have a good time?” If he was aware of the chaos around him - or their shock at seeing it - he didn’t show it.

“What happened here?” Shiro asked.

“Huh? Nothing much. We’ve just been having a good time.”

“I told you about the peanut butter.”

“What? It’s not like he’s allergic to it. Let the kid make a mess now and then.”

“MESH!” Alfor declared.

Ryou responded by swinging his nephew around by the ankles some, causing more happy (and shrill) shrieking. After a few swings, Ryou swung him back upright, catching him up into a hug.The Black Lion plushie fell off his head and onto Alfor, who grabbed it up and promptly smeared peanut butter on it in the process of hugging it to him.

“We had fun,” was all Ryou said.

Allura exhaled and began to round up the toys they’d brought with them. “I had thought you would play with one or two toys and we were simply giving you an assortment,” she said as she gathered them into her arms. “I didn’t expect...”

“A toy-splosion,” Shiro finished for her.

“We played with ALL the toys.”

“ALL DA TOYS!” Alfor declared. Ryou blew a raspberry on the only clean part of the toddler’s cheek, earning more giggles.

“I’m surprised he’s still awake,” Allura commented mildly, depositing the first armload into the basket they’d brought.

“He’ll drop right off when you get him back to the Castle,” Ryou predicted. “I go for the ‘wear them out’ approach. Won’t you, Alfor?” he asked the boy. “You’ll go right to sleep!”

“SEEP,” Alfor repeated.

“See?”

And then Alfor opened his mouth and said a word that neither Shiro nor Allura had ever heard him say before. She stopped what she was doing to stare at her darling, innocent child.

“Please tell me he’s trying to say ‘fork’ for some reason,” Shiro said.

Ryou looked sheepish. “I... might have accidentally... I tripped and fell at one point...”

“Because you left toys scattered everywhere,” Allura commented.

“...and it just came out.”

Alfor said it again, because he was the center of attention when he said it, and he apparently liked that.

Shiro sighed. “I’m going to get a dishtowel to wipe him off.”

“You’re not angry?”

“I... don’t even know what I am.” He hurried to the kitchen area.

“We are grateful for your looking after our son tonight,” Allura rushed to reassure him. “But perhaps next time you should invite Romelle over to babysit with you?”

“Oh, that’s a good idea,” Ryou agreed. “She’d love the chance to spoil Alfor.”

“And maybe she’ll keep you from cursing around a toddler who loves to repeat words.”

Alfor said it again, louder.

“Sleep time, buddy,” Shiro said, reaching over with a toweled hand to start the de-peanut-buttering process. “Sleep.”

“SEEP,” Alfor agreed before thrusting the Black Lion at his father.

Shiro had to hastily put the towel between himself and the messy toy. “Yes, we’re going back to the Castle to sleep.”

“CASSLE.”

Allura looked up from her toy wrangling and couldn’t help smiling. Okay, so the evening had ended on... an unexpected note. But everyone she cared about was happy and healthy and if they also happened to be a bit peanut butter-covered, well, she could handle that.

[braincoins]

You know what? I’ve been getting into Plance. Could you do a ficlet or scene of these two? :)

“You’re sure it’s cool?”

“I’m sure.”

“Shiro and Allura bought it for you.”

“Who plays Mario Kart alone?”

“Anyone who wants to beat their obnoxious older brother?”

“Ohhhhh, you shouldn’t have said that. Now I know you’re good. But you, mi amiga, are up against Lance the Mario Kart Master. And I’m not going to go easy on you.”

“Bring it on ‘Loverboy Lance’. Which, by the way, is a stupid name.”

“What?! IT IS NOT!”

“Totally is. And we are not starting on Rainbow Road, I need to work up to that or I get the worst migraines.”

“Okay, okay, and it’s alliterative.”

“That doesn’t mean it won’t give me a headache.”

“I meant ‘Loverboy Lance’. It’s alliterative and that makes it automatically cool. Also, it establishes my character and lets the ladies know...”

“No, that’s the problem right there.”

“I do not have a problem with the ladies.”

“ARGH!” She slammed the controller down. “THAT’S THE PROBLEM!” She whipped her head in his direction. “I’m so sick of hearing you talk about how good you are with women. Even if you were, it’s annoying!” She looked away. “So. Stop it. Okay?”

“Whoa, hey, Pidge, what’s goin’ on? You normally razz me good. And I’m not saying you should keep doing that, but this isn’t like you.”

“Every time there’s some voluptuous woman around, you’re distracted and y-you act stupid, and...” She bowed her head.

Lance reached over and laid his hand on her shoulder. “What’s going on. You can tell me.”

She mumbled something.

“What was that?”

“imawomantoo.”

“Wha-...”

She whipped her head up to yell at him. “I’M A WOMAN, TOO, LANCE! AND I’M SICK OF YOU IGNORING ME!”

He blinked. “Ignoring you? Pidge, I could never ignore you. For one thing, there’s Voltron. For another...”

“You do ignore me,” she protested. “And I’m not talking about Voltron.”

“Pidge...”

“And don’t try to tell me you don’t know what I’m talking about because you aren’t as dumb as you try to pretend you are, especially about... about emotional stuff like this, and you know that.”

“Pidge.”

“Because you actually are really good at emotional stuff, and I’m just... not, and..” She sniffled.

“Hey, hey, whoa. Pidge. Let me ask you something?”

“WHAT.”

“When was the last time you saw me flirt with someone?”

She blinked. “Uh. I don’t... I’m not...”

“I’m not ignoring you, Pidge.” He leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. “But I’ll stop calling myself ‘Loverboy Lance’ if it bothers you so much.”

“Oh. Uh. ‘Kay. That’d... that’d be nice.”

“...and wait for you to call me that instead.”

“Okay, that’s it.” She wiped at her face and picked up the controller again. “You’re gonna get your ass kicked SO HARD.”