#VOLTRON IS GONE I'M ENDING IT

[salmoninzeeweed]

Voltron is officially gone from Netflix which means I will be officially gone from earth goodbye guys!!!

[subway-tolkien]

Okay, this is 1600 words of (positive!) meta regarding the OFMD finale. Included is character analysis and a treatise on why a certain trope people keep throwing around does not apply here.

This is of course just my take, and I'm sure people will disagree, but I needed to get this out. Apologies if it comes off disjointed, I've had like no sleep.

Spoilers within, obviously. You have been warned. Heed the tags. I didn't tag any characters because I consider it a spoiler, but you know who this is about.

Listen. Listen.

Let me start off by saying I have been where you are. I’ve had beloved characters die, either because it was important to the narrative or for shock value. I’ve been there, so I’m not coming at this without empathy. I’m not an Izzy hater. I loved him as a character. I’m truly sad to see him go.

But from what I’m seeing around Twitter and tumblr, some of you do not understand the role of an antagonist in a story.

Izzy was always meant to die. The moment he said, in the first season, “the only retirement we get is death,” I knew he was meant to die in the end. The foreshadowing ran through both seasons. Izzy was the true antagonist of S1. He was there to keep Blackbeard tethered when he started pulling away, and yet he also set the plot in motion. He inadvertently introduced Blackbeard to the person who let him be just Ed. He put Ed on his own path to redemption without even knowing it.

S1 ended with Izzy getting what he wanted as Ed lost everything he had. S2 was about Izzy coming to terms with the fact that he’d gone too far, he’d turned Ed into a monster. It wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted Blackbeard back, just like old times. Instead, he got the Kraken, and it was more than he bargained for.

Especially after it cost him his leg and he realized how far gone Ed really was. The conversation that ended with Izzy’s half-assed suicide attempt was the final blow to Izzy—Ed really didn’t seem to care anymore. Where Izzy wanted him to stop giving a shit about his silly boyfriend, he instead got a Blackbeard who didn’t care about anything, and he was apparently now included in that category.

(I said half-assed suicide attempt because Izzy wasn’t meant to die then, THAT would have been an empty, pointless death. It wouldn’t have taught Ed anything—in fact, all it did was make him more self-destructive, which was Izzy’s purpose to the narrative, but not his endgame. That Ed thought Izzy killed himself pushed Ed to the brink. Ed wanted to die and take every scrap of Blackbeard with him. Had Izzy successfully killed himself, Ed and the Revenge would be at the bottom of the ocean.

It wasn’t until the crew left Izzy the unicorn leg that he realized the power of compassion, the incredible act of grace from a crew that suffered so much from Izzy’s own machinations and didn't need to forgive him. It moved him to tears, and it moved him to accept that maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea to let people in, to let himself be cared for. It was a foreign concept and something Izzy likely hadn’t experienced since losing his family (I fully expect a shit ton of fanfic of Izzy’s life before piracy).

Israel Hands found the capacity to let love all the way in and by god, did he pursue it.

But, again, Izzy was always meant to die, and I’m glad they stuck to the narrative they set out with instead of placating fandom and letting our influence dictate how they told this story That’s never good, trust me. Fandom should not influence a creator’s decisions regarding their own characters. It rarely if ever ends well.

[Stares in Voltron S8]

And I see a lot of people out here throwing the “bury your gays” phrase around—I beg you, please look up the definition of the trope. Izzy didn’t die because he was queer, he didn’t die because of his disability. He wasn’t one half of the only queer couple in the show fridged for shock value. He wasn’t killed off due to pressure from conservative viewers. He wasn’t the only queer, disabled character.

They didn’t kill off Lucius, or Jackie, or Wee John. Would you be as outraged if it was any of them?

Killing Eve is bury your gays. Supernatural is bury your gays. Pretty much any film, book, TV show, whatever, where a queer character dies because they’re queer, of AIDs, to further the narrative for a straight person, etc—that is burying your gays.

Izzy’s death was none of those things. Izzy’s death had meaning.

Izzy’s death freed Ed from the Blackbeard persona. It finally forced Izzy to say the things he couldn’t say until he realized it was his last chance. Izzy was also tired. I honestly think he stuck it out for Ed’s sake, because he was afraid to let Blackbeard go without making sure Ed would be ok.

He loved the idea of Blackbeard, but over time, he learned to love Ed. He finally understood what Ed tried to tell him the whole time.

“Fuck off, you twat. You’re surrounded by family.”

You’re safe. You’re loved. You don’t need me anymore. You don’t need to be reminded of who you’re capable of being, you need the people who will guide you to who you will become, and I’m not one of them.

I know a lot of Izzy fans are stung by his death, some of you are deeply upset. I get that. Like I said, I’ve been there. Sirius’s death made me throw that fucking book across the room. That Fucking Woman™ killed off my entire OTP, purely for shock value and, imho, a direct response to shippers. Trust me, I have felt betrayed by a creator for their decisions.

But I need you to understand that no, this was not a personal attack, this was not malicious, this was not “bury your gays." A show that celebrates queerness and diversity is not suddenly homophobic and ableist because your favorite character died and happened to be both of those things. But when the majority of your cast of characters is different in some way, and they’re in a show about 18th century pirates, you have to accept that one of them could, in fact, die. “Anyone Can Die” is also a trope and the more accurate one to describe E8.

If only being queer and disabled made you invincible.

Spoiler alert: it doesn’t.

And no, I’m not an Izzy hater. I loved him, I loved him as an antagonist, and I loved his redemption arc. He was fascinating and Con put his whole O’Nussy into that part. I’m sorry to see him go, but as a mystery writer who often has to kill off beloved characters, I understand that he served the purpose he had from the beginning.

I swear, if some of you had your way, there’d be no conflict at all in any form of media. This what a steady diet of nothing but fanfic gets you. This is not a fluffy one-shot with magical healing dick and a happy ending where everyone sails off into the sunset. If that’s what you wanted, what you headcanoned, you did this to yourself. It’s not David et al’s fault that we took that character and babygirled him. That’s the risk we take when we decide to love a specific character, when we take a genuinely terrible person (in S1) and woobify him.

So, please stop harassing and attacking David, Alex, et al. David did not and should not change his story to placate us. The fact he went ahead with it despite the backlash I’m sure he expected makes me respect him as a creator even more.

Anyway, I’m going to revel that we have three (!) queer relationships with happy endings where one or both didn’t immediately die (again, the actual definition of “bury your gays”) and that we got at least two seasons of a little show that celebrated individualism, diversity, queerness, compassion, and love.

In the end, it all came down to love.

“There he is.”

Goodbye, Blackbeard.

Hello, Ed.

[iloveboysinred]

Miracle [Keith Kogane]

18+ angst|Keith Kogane x reader

synopsis; During a battle with the Galra you and Keith are cornered, you give up your life to save Keith, and leave him a gift to remember you by.

cw; fem reader, angst, character death, sad Keith, mentions of blood, violence, strangulation, stabbing, heavy grief, survivors guilt.

this will probably be the last angst request I'll write given that I'm not the best at it and i hate putting out work I'm not proud of ;/. Hope you enjoy anon!

masterlist - ask

Adrenaline pulsed through your veins as you ran down the dark halls of a Galra ship. It was an endless labyrinth of walls and turns, the darkness suffocating. You'd swear you were running in circles; every time you thought you'd found another way, you were just met with another band of sentries, shooting at you, chasing you, hunting you down. You tried to keep up with Keith, his hand wrapped tightly around your wrist, but your legs were starting to get tired, and your mind was foggy and confused. You didn't know how much longer you could endure. "Lance? Pidge? C'mon guys, where are you?" you heard Keith shout, trying to reconnect his damaged helmet to the others, but to no avail.

Your mind flashed back to Earth for a second. To when you and Keith were garrison trainees. You were close, seeing through his cold exterior and becoming friends quite quickly. From then on, you have always been there for each other. Supporting each other in training and comforting each other through the good and the bad. So of course, when he had come to you for support after he caught wind of Shiro's re-appearance, you had gone with him. Never expecting to be where you are now, fighting a galactic war and constantly putting your lives at risk.

"Fuck!" Your heart dropped to your stomach when you stopped, staring up at the wall in front of you. It was a dead end. You glanced behind you; they were gaining. Keith pulled you behind him, activating his bayard. You stared in fear when the sentries parted, a large Galra soldier advancing towards you. "It appears the universe has granted me a gift," he sneered, stopping a few feet away from you and Keith. His ugly yellow teeth peeked out from under his lip in a menacing snarl, his glowing yellow eyes pinning you with unsettling malice. You felt Keith tense, his grip on your wrist falling, raising his bayard defensively. "Lord Zarkon will be pleased when I bring him the heads of the red lion's paladin and his co-pilot." He got into his own defensive stance. He was big, standing about 5 feet above you; his body was strong and muscular. His teeth shone in the dim lighting, sharp as blades. "This will be fun. I think I'll take you first, Paladin. Your death will be just the beginning of the end for Voltron. How will your pathetic band of earthlings form Voltron if they're one paladin short? It'll make it all the easier to take you out one by one." You narrowed your eyes, reaching into the band of your boot and gripping the concealed dagger you'd made sure to bring, just in case the situation got dire.

"Cmoooon Keith. Let me drive!" You whined, leaning over Keith's back, trying to reach for the controls of his cruiser. "No way, y/n. Knowing you, you'll drive us into a cliff. "Oh,  come on! You doubt my skills that much??" Keith gave you a blank look, shrugging you off. You grumbled, sitting down and wrapping your arms around his waist. He smirked, revving the engine and taking off. You flew through the desert, sand spraying in your wake. The air whipped your hair at the speed you were going exhilarating. You grinned, blood roaring in your ears. "Oh shit!" you cheered every time Keith dodged an obstacle. You gripped his waist tightly, pressing your chest against his back. 

"Keith? Keith!" You heard Lance's voice ring through his helmet, the connection glitching. "Lance! Where are you guys!? We're kind of in a situation here. The Galra have me and you cornered." "Don't worry, we know where you are. We're coming to get you in just a tick." The connection cut off once more, the radio chatter blocking out anything else being said. The Galra soldier ran towards you, swinging a large blade right towards you and Keith.

"Y/n.. I have something important to tell you." You and Keith sat in front of his house; the night sky was clear, and the moon was shining down on you. "yeah?" You looked up at him from your bowl of noodles, your cheeks full to the brim. Keith's eyes softened in adoration. "Well, I've been picking up a lot of chatter on my radar. A space vessel is approaching Earth, and I think it might be Shiro." Your eyes widened, and you swallowed your mouth full, leaning toward him intently. "Really? that's great! But... what do you think you should do?"" "Well, I was hoping we'd find the landing sight and go see for ourselves." Keith blushed at your close proximity, looking away from you, bashful of your eagerness. "Oh my gosh, we totally should! When do you think it'll land?" "My guess is that in two days, will you come with me?" You gaped at him in disbelief. "Of course I will! Are you kidding?" Keith smiled at you. You leaned forward, pressing a warm kiss on his cheek. "We're in this together, okay?" "Okay."

You flinched as Keith's body hit the floor, quickly blocking the Galra's attack with his bayard. He had him pinned to the ground, his face a few meters away from his. "I have to admit, you do put on a good fight. I wouldn't expect anything less from a Paladin of Voltron," he snarled, bearing his teeth in a sneer. His tail slapped the bayard from Keith's hands, the weapon clattering as it hit the ground a few feet away. The sentries aimed their weapons at you, stopping you as you tried to run towards them. You stood there, helpless, as you watched Keith struggle. Then, the ground shook as the wall behind you suddenly rumbled, the blue lion appearing from a newly made gap. "Cmon guys, we don't have much time. Galra fighter jets are coming quick!" Your eyes locked on Keith, and your heart raced as the blade inched closer and closer to his throat. Grabbing the dagger, you ran at the soldier, narrowly dodging a sentry blade. Using as much weight as you could to knock him off Keith, trying to give him time to escape. You slashed as much as you could, drawing blood from any skin you reached. "y/n!" Keith shouted, running to try and come to your aid, but a sentry slashed at him, causing him to fall back, holding his side where he had been hit. "K-Keith! Go! Get out of here!" you screamed, trying to hold the Galra soldier down as best you could. "No! Not without you!" he grunted, trying to stand up. You felt your body hit the ground as the soldier flipped you off of him. The air escaping your lungs from the impact. You couldn't catch your breath; the soldier was holding you down by the neck. All you could hear between Keith's shouts and the footsteps of more sentries crowding you was the fast beating of your heart. "KEITH! WE HAVE TO GO!" Lance's voice rang in your ears, but you couldn't move; your neck was starting to ache. You kicked and scratched at the galra, but the lack of oxygen was starting to weaken you. Mustering as much strength as possible, you clumsily gripped the dagger, driving it into the soldier's side, but it did little to penetrate the armor covering his body. "Even if I can't bring him the corpse of your little boyfriend, Lord Zarkon would be just as pleased knowing it's one paladin down. Ever closer to wiping out all of Voltron," the soldier purred, putting more weight down on your neck.

"You know I love you," you murmured, pressing your lips to his in a sweet kiss. Keith turned his head, pressing his lips harder, holding you close to him. You threaded your fingers through his hair, smiling as you pulled away. "I love you more," he whispered, gazing into your eyes with so much emotion that it made your heart flutter. "Pfft, big softy." He glared at you, pulling you to his chest and laying back on his bed with you.

"y/n! We can't leave her, Lance! we can't-" "Keith. We don't have time. You'll bleed out; we have to go!" You felt your vision begin to blur, and the grip on your neck felt heavier. You glanced over the Galra soldier, watching as Lance hauled Keith into the blue lion's mouth, shooting at any sentry he could. "Lance, let me go! Let me fucking go!" Keith shouted, struggling against his hold. But he was weakening; the blood streaming out of his wound was making him dizzy, and his movements were uncertain. As his vision became more and more unclear, his panic increased. Where were you? what's happening? The last glimpse he got of you was your unmoving body and the sentries crowding around you. His eyes teared as he struggled against Lance weakly, his fists clenching when Lance pulled him into a hug, constricting his arms. His vision blurred both from his tears and the blood loss. Sobs racked his body as the blue lion's mouth closed, flying out and away from the ship.

You glanced blankly at the ceiling, refusing to look the soldier in the eye as your life slowly faded. "I love you, Keith; don't worry, I'll see you again," you thought, your body going still when your breathing ceased, your heart's beating coming to a stop.

Keith might as well have been dead himself. At least that's how he felt. His heart was hollow, his mind swirling with thoughts of you and how you had passed—to save him. He couldn't even hurt anymore; he didn't feel anything most of the time. Most days where he was stuck in his head about you, he would feel pure, unbridled rage, lashing out in training sequences, pushing himself harder than he ever did before. On nights where he suffered your absence the most, he felt cold grief grip his heart so strongly that he struggled to breathe, becoming inconsolable. Tears fell heavily from his eyes when he cried. He would scream, gripping his chest through his shirt. Shiro would rush in, enveloping Keith in his arms, and he would thrash around in his hold, slightly settling down when he started to tire. Shiro comforted him, assuring him it was going to be okay. Keith couldn't hear him, zoning out and staring blankly at the ceiling with glistening eyes. Going on missions felt like torture. His attacks were uncoordinated, and the team had to make up for his lack of focus. The arguments that ensued between him and Lance almost broke into full-blown fights, Keith's heart only building more and more resentment for everyone in the castle.

Months later, here he stood, watching as Allura pressed a final kiss to Lance's lips, tears falling from their eyes, trying to savor whatever they could before they ran out of time. "Keith, look," Shiro whispered, placing his hand on Keith's shoulder. He paused for a second, the bitterness of the situation making it hard to care about what Shiro was saying. But he glanced up anyway, tears rising along his waterline. The Paladins of old—Allura's father and Zarkon's family—stand right in front of them. He felt his heart squeeze as you appeared from behind the crowd, smiling sweetly at him. You looked so beautiful. A sight for sore eyes to Keith. He ran towards you, his eyes shining with so much love and so much pain. You welcomed him into your embrace. Holding him close as he hugged you, burying his nose in your hair. You quickly pulled him into a kiss, savoring the feel of his lips one last time. "I miss you so much, Keith," you whispered, cupping his face in your hands. Keith felt his heart stop, drinking in every feature of your face, knowing he wouldn't see it for a while. "I miss you every day of my life. I love you, Y/N. So much," you smiled, pulling away from him and keeping his arms in your hold. "I love you more." "I wish you could come back to me. I should've been there with you. I'm so sorry." you shushed him. "We'll be together again. Hopefully not any time soon though!" Keith chuckled, the weight of his grief making his voice shaky. "But I've got to go, Keith. I have a gift for you. Please, heal, and forgive. I'll always have you in my heart." Keith's chest ached as you pulled away from him, taking your warmth and scent with you. "I love you." You smiled at him sweetly, Allura following you. Slowly,  you disappeared again, dissipating into the air and leaving everyone feeling bittersweet.

Keith was taken aback when he felt something shift in his arms, looking down to see a moving bundle of cloth. He heard muffled babbling, making him hurriedly unravel the bundle in shock. A pretty baby girl stared up at him; somehow she looked like you, having his dark hair and nose but your eyes, lips, and eyebrows. He gaped down at the baby, holding it close to his chest. "What ?? Where did that baby come from??" Pidge asked, coming up to peer down at the child. "Y/N left her; she's the gift." Keith whispered, his eyes crinkling in a bright smile, pressing a kiss to the baby's forehead. "She's mine. The baby's mine," he whispered, rocking the baby in his arms. The little girl glanced up at him with wide eyes, soft babbling and cooing coming from her as she happily laid in her father's arms. "How is that even possible?" Hunk whispered, glancing down at the baby, adoration in his heart. "It's a miracle." Lance whispered, standing next to Keith. Keith glanced at him for a second, mixed emotions coursing through him. He felt resentment and hatred for the man. Grief still swelling in his chest, but your words echoed in his mind: "Heal, forgive," and he gave Lance a ghost of a smile. "Yeah, she is."

The story of both you and Allura's sacrifices became sensational, with old allies of Voltron helping construct statues of you and the Altean princess standing side by side. Every once a year, the team would unite and visit the statue, sharing updates on each other's lives and recounting old missions. At every meeting, Keith would bring his daughter, making sure she was present for every story the team would share about you. "Y/N and Allura should be here. But it's because of them that we can all continue to keep peace in the universe. I can't imagine anyone braver than them." Coran sighed, glancing up at the statues with bittersweet love in his gaze. Everyone solemnly agreed, toasting to both you and Allura's legacy. Keith glanced down at his daughter, snuggled up next to him in her own chair, staring up at the statues with shining eyes and wonder. He smiled, knowing that as long as he had his miracle, he had something to live for, and some piece of you was still with him here on earth.

[rae-not-rey]

In honor of Voltron being taken off Netflix, here is my review of each of the seasons as I rewatched it for the first time in eight years, as well as my ranking of all of them.

Season one: Kind of boring, a little childish, but I can see where it was setting up future plot arcs (Galra Keith, Shiro trauma).

Season two: Getting more interesting, diving into Keith and Shiro especially. Episodes are just generally more fun than the first season. Characters are taking shape. Bonding moment! LOTOR???????

Season three: This season is much shorter than one and two. I believe this is the beginning of the end, unfortunately. Not as exciting as season two was, but still interesting to watch. Lots of lore, especially on the original paladins. Didn't conclude in a big fight, so it was a little underwhelming.

Season four: I will NEVER get over the scene where Pidge finds Matt's grave. They definitely got way more creative with the animation style this season. The ice show!! The end was slightly disappointing. I'm upset by the lack of Keith, and how short this season was. But overall a decent and fun watch, even if it was in one sitting.

Season five: Started pretty slow, but picks up quick! Krolia is here! I feel like season four and five were meant to be one season, considering how short both of them are. The character and plot arcs also make more sense as one season.

Season six: So far, Keith is gone and Lance is straight. Not pleased. The D&D episode is fun though. SHIRO AND KEITH FIGHT??? Overall, this season turned out pretty... okay. Not awful, but definitely not the best.

Season seven: Starts off with Keith and Shiro, very nice. Romelle makes a point about how fast the plot is moving along and I agree. Oh my God I totally forgot about Adam.

Ranking (favorite to least):

Season two

Season five

Season four

Season six

Season one

Season three

Final thoughts

I never got to rewatch season eight, because I started my rewatch too late. And honestly, I'm not too upset about that. From what I remember, season eight sucked. I hated the ending, it felt rushed, everyone felt out of character.

I was a Voltron fan from the time it aired in 2016 until it ended in 2018 and let me tell you, those two years felt like a lifetime. I'm glad I watched the show. I'm glad I was a fan. It was a huge comfort to me in those two years and the years since. I just can't believe it started airing when I was in middle school, and now I'm almost done with college. It truly is the end of an era.

I'll miss VLD, but it's a different feeling because I never actually rewatched the show. I would say that I was blinded by nostalgia, but honestly, most of the show still held up! Do I think it was rushed and the second half of the show was aimless and drama in the fandom influenced how the end of the show ran? Absolutely. But I still think overall it was a decent show. At the very least, I'm still in love with the characters and the universe, even eight years later.

So long, VLD. You were the best recurring nightmare I could have ever wished for. Perhaps I'll see you on the seven seas someday.

[ssasides205]

had a realization that's making me insane but we as a fandom weren't angry enough abt sunshades

also, this is entirely related, so I'm dragging them here too, but the voltron fandom was not angry enough abt Shiro's sudden gayness

now, the similarities are these:

both were retconed gay during the second half of their series

both were given their "endgame" romantic interest at the very end of their series (yes I know TOA exists now, but it came out in 2016, 2 years after BOO)

both fandoms became really weird abt those who dared to have shipped the character with a girl (Nico was canonically gay for longer than Shiro was in their respective media, so it's very rare to see those old ships, but they exist all the same)

both fandoms were all too happy to start extreme shipping them with their last minute love interest (the voltron fandom latched to Adam so hard it makes the sunshades seem tame, Curtis way less so)

the differences:

the voltron fandom should've been angry bc Shiro hadn't had any buildup as a gay character (whatever shippers saw notwithstanding), the problem being that if the show had gone with it's original Shallura plans (I saw this in like a commentary on how the show got made), they would've had to make someone else queer (for bait reasons), and they couldn't make hunk queer cause they did the whole thign with Shay, and Pidge was the youngest so like,,, they couldn't make keith queer cause he's the only "white" character and therefore has to be the token straight protag, and if they made Lance queer without makign klance happen I think something would've exploded.

so last minute gay shiro, burry your gays trope included! but oh, don't worry, he gets married to this random two seconds background character in the end!!

the PJO fandom, on the other hand, went through more than half of HOO watching Nico and Jason be like thatTM and then just, acepted will? the same ppl who tell you valdangelo wouldn't happen cause they had only one interaction? those ppl??

what, they just took the 1.5 bit at the VERY END of BOO and ran with it? I know lack of representation was a lot worse back then, but if that thing came out now I don't trust y'all to call it out like you should

like, I remember spending that whole scene being like "who the fuck's this guy" cause I didn't register background characters unless they were plot relevant, and nothing about that scene was all that romantic either

it makes me so angry, and when they announced the show I hoped they'd make it as close to the books as possible bc then maybe more ppl would see it two, but apparently Riordan added to the first series post-fact? and the tv series is already making changes?? and they'll probably work sunshades into it earlier bc of TSATS but gods, even if they don't it might still not happen, bc y'all just settle for scraps.

anyway, sorry for the rant, I jsut wanted to get it off my chest, and sorry if I offended y'all, I just think you deserved better.

[sukoshininja]

Echos

Keith disappeared months ago.

At first, they had assumed that Keith had impulsively gone on a mission alone, or was just taking some time away, forgetting to leave a note. Nobody wanted to believe that he chose to leave. Or worse: something happened that prevented him from returning. But as days turned into weeks, it was getting harder to keep up hope.

Lance was convinced he was fine, despite the evidence building against him. If something had happened to Keith, he would know. He couldn't articulate how he would know, but was just certain he would. But that certainty was beginning to run thin.

It started with Red.

With Keith missing and them unable to form Voltron, they were forced to make some moves. They began talks about interviewing someone else to take up the mantle of the Red Paladin. And that's when Lance first felt a pull towards Red. Like she was reaching out to him. Lance forged a new bond with Red and Allura took his place with Blue. Things were far from smooth sailing, but at least they had the power of Voltron back.

Lance was shocked how different Red felt. Blue was easygoing and encouraging. But Red was feisty, goading, almost critical. Something about her unsettled him. Like she observed every movement he made with the quiet indignation of a backseat driver with duct tape slapped to their mouth. Always watching. Always judging.

Sometimes, he would feel her calling out to him in the middle of the night, her urgency awaking him from sleep at times. But when he would go to the hanger, she would put up a wall as soon as she saw him.

He talked to the rest of his team about it. He had assumed that everybody had a bond similar to the one he had shared with Blue. But Red was so different in his mind, like the wrong puzzle piece forced into place by sheer pressure. Maybe all the Lion's bonds were unique to their pilots. But it nobody could quite understand, saying of course it was different. It was a whole different Lion, they were sentient creatures. Looking back he should have known they couldn't get it, seeing as he was the only one to have had a bond with two Lions.

Still, he did his best to bond with her, even if he didn't really like to.

And then, when he felt like he was finally getting used to the strained, almost antagonistic connection, even weirder things started happening.

Voltron assembled and clearing out a blockade, a warship sent out a druid-powered blast that could end them for good and Lance...hesitated. From his distrust in the bond or his own fear, he didn't know. But it didn't matter because a pair of hands closed over his on the controls, guiding his movements. He and Pidge managed to form a heavy-duty shield with the help of their bayards, saving their skins. And like that the contact was gone, like it was never there. Like it never happened.

What was that, girl? Lance asked through his bond.

Red did not reply. Not that he expected her to.

But for some reason, in that moment it made him bitter. Things had not been so difficult with Blue. Are you done monitoring me from the shadows? Are you finally ready to tell me what you want from me? Look, I'm sorry I'm not Keith. And I'm not exactly happy about this situation either. Please believe me that we are doing everything we can to look for the smug bastard and get back to how it should be.

Red growled audibly, the meaning clear in his mind.

If you love they guy so much and think his bond was so much better, why don't you find him? Use your lion magic to hunt him down and bring him back.

He felt a wave of anger and hurt before Red withdrew from his mind.

*   *   *

Red rarely opened up to him after that, despite all the time Lance spent with her in the hanger, trying to make this work. But it seemed like the harder he pushed, the more she shied away. He missed how easy it had been with Blue. As natural as breathing.

But as quiet as Red was, she mentored him more and more with her ghostly guidance. Hands on his. His head turning of its own accord. A solid presence at his back. At times he swore he saw a flash of red armor. Like the remnants of the ghost of King Alfor echoed within the cockpit.

Maybe this was just how Red operated. Less talking, more doing. No wonder she and Keith had hit it off so well. They were on the same wavelength.

Maybe he had been approaching this all wrong. Maybe instead of trying to force a connection, he should just focus on getting used to her presence. He started spending his spare time around her, scrolling though his phone, or studying Altean. Just existing with her.

His efforts began to pay off when one day he was lazily lying across her muzzle, on his stomach, propped up on his elbows, feet kicking in the air as he mindlessly flipped through a comic book. He heard it, clear as day, as if spoken right next to him.

"You call this a bonding moment?"

Lance snapped the book closed and looked around wildly. There was no way he imagined that, the way it jolted him out of his thoughts.

"Keith?" He asked. Because it had been his unmistakable mellow voice that he had heard at his ear.

He rose to his feet and placed his hand between Red's vacant, lightless eyes. Then it hit him.

"You're still bonded to him," Lance realized. "That's why you won't let me in."

Red had multiple bonds? That shouldn't be possible, but it sure explained a lot. And if that was true, then—

"You've known where he was this whole time."

*   *   *

He didn't know how to tell the others. That this whole time Red knew where Keith was. Not like they'd believe him either, since for some inexplicable reason Red was refusing to divulge his whereabouts. He didn't understand why she had to be so difficult. Their whole team was off kilter, the common denominator being Lance's shaky bond. Even Allura and Blue seemed to take to each other like a fish to water. Everything would flow so much better once Keith was back. Didn't she want the same thing?

Maybe he was hiding from them. On purpose, and Red was helping him. But for what reason, Lance could not comprehend. Other than Keith was obviously her favorite.

Now that Lance knew Keith was still connected to Red, he began to find more and more traces of him in the weeks that followed. That constant condescending gaze he felt when piloting Red? Turns out it was the mullet all along. The phantom grasp that corrected him at the controls? That was Keith reaching across space and time to coach his mistakes. In fact, every beef he had with Red turned out to just be Keith pushing back against him.

Sometimes when he slipped up at the controls Lance swore he heard an all too familiar snigger over his shoulder. Asshole.

When they were out on a particularly dicey mission that required them to use their individual strengths to avoid heavy fire, Lance had no option but to dodge, weaving this way and that in the hairiest dogfight of his life. He was doing his best, gritted teeth and brow furrowed in concentration, but he was still getting the hang of Red's speed and response to the lightest of touches. It wouldn't be long before he made a mistake and--

Keith leaned over him and grabbed the controls. And they were zooming with the precision of a threaded needle.

When they had found some cover, Lance muted his comm from the others.

"What the hell man?"

Keith was there. But he wasn't. His eyes saw an empty cockpit. But in his mind Keith was just as present as if he was standing over him. He could feel his body heat. And was that 3-in-1 shampoo tickling his nose?

Keith didn't respond, eyes tracking the enemy ships and waiting for a chance to pounce.

"I know you can hear me, I hear you all the time. What are you playing at? Where the hell are you?"

"Right here."

It sure sounded like he was right there.

Lance brought his hand up to his opposite shoulder before swiping down. Like a samurai sword his hand cut through Keith with no resistance.

Keith stiffened and gazed down at him with a stinky side eye.

Lance held up his hands. "Just trying to figure out how this works."

"How do you think I feel?" Keith snarled. "Stop screwing around and let me do my fucking job!"

"You'd do your job a hell of a lot better if you were actually here!" Lance snapped back.

Keith ignored him.

Lance was livid. Squinting he poured all his energy into his bond with Red, and subsequently her connection with Keith. He reached out. If he just focused hard enough...

He tugged on a lock of Keith's hair.

He felt the strands between his fingers. But then Keith hissed and Lance's focus wavered, and he was left grasping nothing but air.

"주을래?¹"

"No. I want t—"

"Then let me focus on saving your ass."

Lance grumpily obliged, sitting back with a pout.

Wait. How did he know what Keith was saying? It was like the meaning was instantly clear in his mind. Did their connection to Red also bridge language barriers?

He had more questions, but when the imminent danger passed, Keith faded from sight. Whatever. He had a mission to finish anyway. But the prickly feeling on the back of Lance's neck told him that Keith was still there, watching.

¹ do you wanna die?

*   *   *

Lance was having an easier time with Red's bond. Now that he understood that Keith was running interference (intentionally or not), he could feel where his connection with Red ended and was able to focus on just her energy. She was actually quite affectionate, but still ferociously protective whenever he tried to probe her for Keith's whereabouts.

Keith never showed himself except for extreme danger, in which cases he got them out of whatever scrape and promptly vaporized again. However, as Lance was getting better at the controls and his trust in Red was deepening, Keith's assistance was needed less and less.

That didn't stop Lance from asking the empty cockpit why. He knew Keith could hear him.

"¡Coma mierda y muera!²" he shouted one day in a fit of frustration.

"It's a bit late for that," a bitter voice answered.

Lance whirled around. Keith was leaning against the door, arms crossed, the corners of his mouth set at an odd angle.

"It's never too late to curse your guts, you fucking deserter," Lance accused.

"Funny, I don't recall enlisting."

"Just tell me where the hell you are!"

"I told you. I'm right here."

Lance never swore so much in his life.

"It's not like I can do anything about it," Keith admitted sourly, studying his boots, when Lance stopped just long enough to gasp for air. 

"What do you mean by that?"

"You haven't figured it out yet?"

"Figured what out? That you're an asshole? Sorry but I knew that the instant I laid eyes on that stupid mullet."

Keith snorted, "Sure."

Lance never wanted to hit somebody more. He tried, but he wasn't focused enough and his hand passed through the unaffected paladin. "Just you wait. Once I get Red on my side, I'm hunting you down and dragging your sorry ass back."

Keith actually smirked. "Looking forward to it."

² eat shit and die

*   *   *

It was several days later when Lance dropped his toothbrush in the sink as he swung his elbow around at the figure he saw lurking behind him in the mirror.

Keith raised an unimpressed eyebrow as Lance failed to make contact.

Oh great. Lance had assumed his moody shadow was confined to the cockpit. "How are you here? I thought you were tied to Red?"

Keith shrugged. "I'm connected to Red. Red's connected to you."

"So you can just...drop in whenever?"

Lance didn't care for this new development. He wondered if it was the first time Keith had followed him out of the hanger, or if it was just the first time he could see him.

"Looks that way," Keith glanced around the bathroom before his eyes locked on a small vial on the sink. He reached out a finger to knock it over. He passed right through it. Lance snickered as Keith's features scrunched up in frustration.

Keith rolled his eyes, arms folding back into place on his chest. "You haven't told anyone."

A statement, not a question.

Lance picked up his toothbrush and finished brushing his teeth, foam forming in the corners of his mouth ask he tried to put his reasoning into words. He spit. "Would they be able to see you?"

"Doubt it."

He figured as much. But it was still a blow to hear his suspicion confirmed.

"They already think I'm crazy, having such a rough go of it with Red and all." A thought occurred to him as he looked down at his hands. "Oh, actually. Maybe I am."

"You're not."

"That's exactly what a hallucination would say!" Lance argued.

"Who are you yelling at?" Hunk knocked on the door.

"Nobody!"

It was true enough. He looked back in the mirror and Keith was gone.

*   *   *

Keith popped up more and more, and it took Lance by surprise every time. Usually, when he was alone, and was free to interact. But every now and again he would catch a glimpse of him in the doorway, looking on wistfully as everyone was gathered hanging out in the rec room. Either way, he never stuck around for long.

Once, over a particularly rowdy game of charades, Lance caught Keith's eye and patted the empty seat next to him. It was chaotic enough that nobody would notice if Lance was a little distracted.

Keith shook his head once, melting into the shadows.

Lance huffed and volunteered to grab more snacks from the kitchen.

"What is your problem?" he hissed at the figure in the hall.

"What isn't?"

Fair point. Whatever. He stalked to the kitchen and snagged the snacks, gathering them under one arm, leaving the other free. On his way back to the rec room, intention clear in his mind, he grabbed Keith's wrist and yanked him along before he had a chance to react.

It wasn't until Lance was halfway across the room that he started to put up a fight. But Lance had the momentum and was running with it. He succeeded in dragging Keith to the den of couches, but Keith would not sit. He just stood there, his hands balled into fists. But he did not run away or disappear.

"I miss everybody," he admitted after the games were wrapping up. It was the longest Lance had seen him stay.

"Then come back," Lance whispered without moving his lips.

"I can't." The abject longing on his face was low-key kinda pitiful. Lance was starting to believe Keith's insistence that he would come back if he could. But if Keith was unable to return on his own, then why wouldn't he tell Lance how to get to him?

He'd asked the mullet plenty of times, but every time Keith would get a far away look in his eye and clamp up. Then Lance wouldn't hear a whisper from him for a week. He learned to stop asking.

*   *   *

Lance was in bed when he shot up.

Wait a second. The two of them, they were connected to Red. And Keith was always finding him. So what was stopping him from doing the same and finding Keith?

The answer was simple. He never tried.

Lance sat cross-legged on his bed, elbows out and palms flat on his knees as he closed his eyes and concentrated. Reaching out for that tether that bound Keith to Red, following it until he—

"What are you doing?" Keith's voice was sharp.

Lance opened his eyes to find Keith sitting across from him on the bed.

Well, that didn't work. How did Keith manage to sneak up on him all the time? Most of the time he didn't even know he was there until he caught a flash of red from the corner of his eye. But all he managed to do was summon him, apparently.

"Looking for you."

"I keep telling you, I'm right here."

"¡Cállate!³ It's like you don't want to be found!"

The expression on Keith's face told him he was right.

"Why? You won't even explain yourself, and you run away whenever I ask, so how am I supposed to understand?"

"누가 너한테 이해하라고 했어?** I'm not coming back. Get over yourself and accept it!"

Lance threw his pillow at him. It passed right through. 

³ shut up ⁴ who told you to understand?

*   *   *

"You summoned?" Keith asked, cuttingly. 

Lance was bent over a stall, looking at earrings. He held up a pair in each hand. "Yeah! Quick, which do you think are better, the blue or the pink?"

"Excuse me?"

"Which are better?"

"Neither suit you."

"No mames!⁵ For Allura you ass!"

Keith leveled him with a long look, his hardened expression complicated. 

"Lilac," he said finally, pointing to the delicate pair with stones cut in a way that made it look like they were dripping flowers. 

"Thanks," Lanced thanked the empty air. 

⁵ stop screwing around

*   *   *

Lance took a deep breath. He much preferred diplomacy when the other party was already inclined to their side. It was a little different when a planet was tolerating their presence at best. Allura, thankfully, would be doing most of the talking, and she looked stunning as she always did. He smiled when the light caught her earrings. She was wearing the ones Keith and picked out for her.

Allura caught him looking and she offered him an encouraging smile. Being the Red Paladin, Lance had a speech he was supposed to deliver after Shiro. Normally, he thrived on the attention. But with the vibes being what they were, he was really nervous. This was an extremely formal affair and that just wasn't Lance's style. He was sure he would mess it up, make a stupid joke, get flustered and stumble on his words, or otherwise just make the team look bad.

Keith would have aced this. He should have been the one giving it anyway, instead of his hasty fill-in.

"Breathe, Lance."

He barked a laugh, causing Shiro to look over in concern. He played it off as a cough. "Choaked on air," he waved off before whispering, "Easy for you to say."

Keith placed a hand on his shoulder. "할 수 있어.⁶"

⁶ you can do it

*   *   *

As Keith's presence continued to haunt him, Lance found that he began to mind it less and less. He found himself scanning the room, to see if Keith had come out. He didn't appear every day, and there seemed to be no limit to the amount of time he spent with him. Lance wondered what he could be doing that would leave him free to pop in so much. 

Sometimes the lack of privacy was annoying. Like now when he was curled up in bed, sobbing from his despair.

He had saved a family today. And they looked so happy to be alive, to still have each other. It stung a part of his heart that he tried so desperately to ignore. He had kept it together all day, but collapsed under the weight was soon as he was alone. 

Or as alone as he could be. 

"Is there no escaping you?"

"There's nowhere you can go that I can't reach," Keith's voice begrudgingly confirmed.

"How about I just die?"

"I'll be waiting."

*   *   *

Lance knew what he wanted. He just didn't know if he could.

He reached out slowly. He wanted to give Keith fair warning to react. To say no.

But Keith's eyes steadily held his as Lance gently cupped his cheek. He was warm, like he always was. And when Keith closed his eyes and all but melted into his touch, Lance's heart leapt.

He leaned in.

If Keith didn't want this, he could always go incorporeal.

Warm lips met his own, soft and sweet. Lance smiled, eyes closing. Like this, surrounded by the smell, feel, and taste of him, Lance was starting to believe that Keith was telling the truth that he was there. 

Keith bit his lower lip, startling him and making lose focus. Suddenly he was grasping nothing and the warmth dissipated.

He whined in frustration, opening his eyes. At least Keith was still there, flushed and smiling.

"Looks like we need more practice," Keith laughed.

*   *   *

Years passed, and as Lance slowly started to carry it in small lines on his face, Keith remained the same, Unchanging.

To be honest, Lance had known the truth for a while. He just didn't like to think about it. Or what it meant.

That Keith would never return. That he would never be found.

Because there was nothing to find.

This existence, everlasting and unchanging, kept alive only because Red could not let go. Lance wondered if the same thing would happen to him when it was his turn,

"Whatcha thinking about?" Keith asked from beside him on the bed as his callused fingertips drew lazy circles on Lance's bare chest.

"Mmm, things," Lance murmured.

"What kind of things?"

"Sad things."

"Sad things?" Keith lifted his head to press a kiss to his shoulder. "Like what?"

"Mmm..." he hummed, eyes misty. At first he didn't want to believe it. But eventually he had accepted the truth. But a small part of him was still afraid that Keith would disappear from his side if he voiced it. 

"Did it hurt?"

Keith stilled.

"No," he answered after a long silence.

"Were you scared?"

"Yes."

Lance didn't need to know the details. Keith had died alone and frightened enough that Red had somehow melded his consciousness to her own. He would never be scared or alone again.

"I'm sorry," He whispered as he rolled over and hugged him close, focusing on the feeling of his shaky breaths beneath his hands.

Keith's body may not exist anymore, but Keith was alive, there was no doubt in his mind. And he would continue to love him, whatever that may look like, however the years may change him, until the death where they truly part.

my whumptober masterlist

[mimiri22-6]

Ok guys, I'm gonna say something controversial so buckle up

Adam = Keith

Shiro = Lance

I take no criticism but I will take comments and questions.

I spent an actual hour writing in the tags. Holy shit I did Not mean for that to happen O_O

I can connect SO many parallels between Lance and Shiro, but I can't connect that many parallels between Shiro and Keith. Personality wize. Sorry, I just really wanted to make this because holy shit idk how it happened but I could have sworn this was universal and then they killed Adam and then everyone started making Adam the jokester between him and Shiro. Like, with what little screentime Adam got I could have sworn, I don't think he smiles. Like, that is not the Lance parallel between klance and shadam (i don't remember their ship name) this is just how it is. I could have sworn Shiro was the type of leader/person that could crack a joke, a dad joke, and lift the crew's spirits just by entering the room. Keith had to pull his own teeth to even get a motivating speech out. Yes yes it was his first time leading, but who was leading Keith through his blind anger episodes? Lance. The right hand man. The leader behind the leader. Lance was the Leader in the first fucking episode at the Garrison!!

☝️AND another point I just remembered, Shiro was the heart of the team before he 'died' he was the bridge for Keith, Pidge and Allura into the team. After he's gone, Lance is the bridge for the Entire team. The glue. The Heart of Voltron. He has a connection with every crew member. Maybe the least with Allura but he was constantly ready to be open with her. His door was open to her to have deeper conversations as shown in that one scene where she identifies his bayard as an altean broadsword. Keith? He left the team for a really long time, especially on his end. 'Keith what is Pidge's favorite band/food/color???'😳🤨🤔🤷 There's a reason there are So many fanfics of Lance leaving/getting kidnapped/dying and the crew falling apart. Sometimes not to the point of total collapse but enough for a noticeable strain stiffness and loose seams.

Like when Shiro vanished.

*sigh* this post started because i remembered the era of black paladin Lance and come across a tiktok along the lines of 'lancestans: he should have been the black paladin. hes a punching bag for the creators. hes a sad boi. he had so much set up. ect. (so on and so forth. I forget the rest) *cut to shiro* what about him, the real tortured, punching bag for the writers?' and I gotta be honest, that tiktok set this whole thang off.

I could go On and On And On! I have so many more examples, but I don't have the time for a 30pg essay rn. PLEASE ask me about my Lance and Shiro parallels/black paladin Lance reasonings! I wanna ramble about my boi touching the stars! 🤩

(also I get it w Keith, sometimes a leader is someone that learns to be one before they even want to be one, but also 1)Lance has wanted this forever 2)Lance is already close with everyone, he's an extrovert(not that introverts can't be leaders, I'm an introvert and I know all about introvert leaders) 3)Lance and Shiro get hurt the most, but still have that calming effect, wether you wanna admit it or not, Lance has those vibes)

[princessallura052]

Why Kallura works Part One

Keith and Allura from Voltron: Legendary Defender are not the most obvious couple but they are by far the most healthiest. How, you ask? From the beginning, Keith stuck with Allura. They were not friends yet but he was the first to step in front of her from Klaizap even though he was tiny. But what makes them more special than Keith with anyone else? A lot of their arcs have to do with each other.

The writers made the deliberate choice to make Keith half-Galra and to have Allura have an issue with that. They could have gone with any Paladin - in fact if they wanted her to end up with Lance, making him part Galra would have actually made them have a little bit of development. But the evidence for Keith and Allura starts as early as the s1 finale. Keith might have sounded cold about not wanting to take Voltron to rescue Allura but guess what? Allura had the same thought because it was stupid to do a confrontation. I am sorry, Shiro but it really was.

Their moments became deeper when they ran away together - once again, they were on the same wavelength but besides that, we all have our dark sides and we all have our shortcomings. Allura's prejudice was one of those shortcomings and Keith even though he had some doubts that he had something to do with the Galra questioned her on this. That hey not all these people are bad, you're being a little closed-minded. Helping each other grow as a couple is amazing, I feel. There was another sweet moment between them where they recognise each other's importance on the team. Allura recognises Keith as a Paladin and useful part of the team and Keith starts off with this so while it may not be a big deal, valuing each other is.

Then finding out Keith was Galra. Hang on I'm going to get a screenshot of how Keith responded to Allura ignoring him:

He is devastated! She clearly means a lot to him for him to feel that bad and while we know they make up, this brings me to another point. Keith and Allura are the only two characters to apologise to each other. Allura when she hurt Keith with her ignorance and Keith when he snaps at her in The Journey Within because he started by lashing out at her father and then brought up Lotor so they are the only two characters to apologise to one another. Since I've mostly talked about season 1 and season 2, I will do a part 2 to this post so keep your eyes peeled for that.

[reveseke]

Stupid mutt

— Voltron; Kolivan x male!werewolf!reader

Warnings; none, fluff & a small confession. Small mention of injury and written injury tending. Uh, indirect confession from reader lol?

A/N; I have no idea what I'm doing, but this was requested by @xweirdo101x , I'm sorry this took me so long to make lol.

R had always felt a sense of admiration towards his leader, Kolivan. It wasn't really secret as much as he wanted it to be, but to his knowledge the hard-ass wasn't aware of it... Yet.

He'd often catch himself staring at the specific Galran, not that anyone would actually blame him. Anyone would probably be falling to their knees for the man honestly, it was just how he outwardly presented himself that seemed to ward off any suitors; cold and aloof, always such a serious hard-ass!

But there was a certain charm in that, that drew R dangerously in, no it didn't keep R away from him. The werewolf always trying to strike up a conversation with the man. Tail wagging like no tomorrow as the man talked and talked about whatever that came to mind, not that Kolivan seemed to mind much but at times it felt like R was just being ignored. Which, he didn't really mind as he was on Kolivan's side nearly every time he could. At first he hadn't realized the small crush that he'd been brewing for his leader, but it became more noticable to the others. The way the werewolf would be at a beg and call for the galran, how he tried to impress him and subconsciously scent him from time to time even.

So it wasn't such a surprise having the werewolf fully transformed dashing back into the base of the enemy to retrieve Kolivan during the mission that had gone wrong and one of the bombs they had planned had prematurely exploded. He just couldn't bear the idea of having to lose someone he cared about and that ended with few stray gun wounds on his body from the energy blasters and an injured Kolivan on his back being dragged to the shuffle.

Not that he complained before or now afterwards about it. He took the scolding like a pouting child but it didn't matter, they were both safe and sound.

"What are you, stupid?" Kolivan scoffed at himself as he tended to the injured werewolf, his tone low and understandably angry as he applied pressure to the wound on the man's shoulder eliciting a small wince from him, "you broke the rules, you should have—" a growl interrupting the scolding that was just to begin as the human looked to him with a displeased expression, "— I should have left you there, I'm well aware of that but I just couldn't!"

"And why not? I could kick you off this team for the stunt you made. We do not need disobedient mutts running around and endangering our soldiers and the missions, [R/name]. All of us know the rules, you should know them as well." He spoke in a serious tone with a hearable edge of anger lacing his words, leaving a bitter feeling in R's chest as he scoffed. Kolivan stopped for a moment, "Did you just scoff at me?" Disbelief ridden over him as his brow furrowed with a slight surprise in his expression, "you are one rude of a mutt, you know that right?"

"You don't think the life of a soldier is valuable to go back to?" R questioned as he stared at the Galran who was tending to his injured shoulder, having been so insistent on it just so he could scold the human in peace it seemed! "Not if it endangers the mission." Falling silent as R huffed, he knew he had been in the wrong, but he just couldn't bear the idea of leaving Kolivan behind. It sounded so ridiculous and stupid to me!

A silence fell upon the two as R looked off to the right of himself, feeling Kolivan prodding his arm. Goddamn, did the man feel sore though! His muscles burned and his joints creaked uncomfortably grinding against each other as he sat, still feeling a bit out of breath from the transformation he'd undergone.

The silence was broken off as Kolivan asked him, "Why did you come back, anyways? Why reach and endanger your own life for me, is it just some kind of human sense to do or something?" Snorting lightly at that as he leaned back a little with a small hiss, a hand coming to rest on his shoulder nearly atop Kolivan's own, "oh, OH, you don't even know what the human self sacrifice sense is like!" "Actually, I'm pretty sure I know a thing or two about it—" "yeah, from the view of watching a half-galran teenager run around, that's completely different to my kind!" Shaking his head lightly with an amused huff as Kolivan dropped his hand from R's shoulder, "yeah, okay true. You're not as much if a wild card like Keith is."

"Thank you!" R smirked as he gave a small gesture with his hand, "Uh.. but to answer your question, I did it because life is valuable."

"Is that all? You ran and endangered your ass just because ""life is valuable"" as you say?" Kolivan tilted his head a little as he stared at R, the man giving an awkward huff as he looked away.

"I mean, you are valuable .. and, and it would be a pity to waste such a good leader." He fumbled with his words as he attempted to word his sentence, "and, because you're important... To m.. us." Giving a small smile at that as he corrected himself, glancing over at the galran who simply stared at him.

"[R/name]," taking the werewolf's jaw in his hand as he turned the man's face to look at him, "you are like a lost puppy. And I love that, it's adorable. But for the goddamn life of me, you make me lose my hair from the stress you cause even more than Keith dies. Never do that again, understood?"

"... You think I'm adorable?"

[mahoumagicc]

Just heard the news...

I'm really worried about this. Yes, Glitter force is flawed, but it doesn't deserve to be wiped from(legal) existence. I've talked about my feelings on Glitter Force here, but yes, I know it's a deeply flawed show. I still don't think that it should be removed from netflix. I've seen people talk about this like it's a "win" for precure fans, but it's really not. Netflix is one of, if not, the streaming service in the west, and is how a lot of western fans got introduced to precure, particularly kids. How else have most people in the west found out about precure, genuinely. From being fans of the original show? I hate to say it, and I'm about to age myself here, but that show's almost as old as me. It will be able to legally drink in the United States soon.

It hasn't been airing for decades at this point, and is only available to stream on Crunchyroll, which, unless you're an anime fan, you don't have. Glitter Force was and is that introduction to the series to a modern audience, flawed as it was. It inspired people to look deeper into a show they enjoyed and oh? What's that? Glitter Force isn't the original name? It was called Smile Precure? There's episodes they cut? Well I want to watch those! I know that's how I got into precure.

That's not even bringing up how dangerous of a precedent this sets, in the growing trend of streaming services deleting shows that were "originals" because these companies don't want to pay what is essentially pocket change in their eyes, in residuals to the actors(or this case VAs) involved. I know that the show is flawed, and I don't blame people for celebrating that it'll be gone, but I'm worried by this trend, because after it's gone, Glitter Force will be gone legally, I know the dub itself is racist and homophobic, but it's still an important transitional step to many people. Just know I'm not defending this show because I genuinely think it's the shit. It's not. I'm as devestated that they're removing Voltron(another Netflix original that is also incredibly flawed yet gave me so many middle school memories, for better or for worse) as the removal of glitter force, and if Webtoons(God forbid) ever got in the practice of removing their original comics, I would raising the biggest hell if they got rid of shit I actively despise like Lore Olympus(pretending that they never physically printed copies of it).

Just know that it's never just about the surface level. This isn't just Netflix removing a shitty dub. It's the continued viewing of animation as something inferior, that's led to Netflix suddenly cancelling animated shows like Inside Job and Dead End Paranormal Park despite their success. It's about Max pulling primarily animated shows that could only be legally watched off their platform. I'm not defending Glitter Force because I defend the contents of it, I defend it due to what it means as a whole.

[omgsquee2001]

We Are All Connected: A Voltron x Na'Vi Reader

The Na'Vi have been close allies to the Alteans for many decafeebs. Allura decides to take the Paladins to the planet of Pandora to learn the ways of the Na'Vi as part of the training for Voltron. The Chief and Tsahìk that Allura knew are gone now. However, you, the messenger of Eywa, are there to provide guidance. When the Galra attack the planet of Pandora, will the Na'Vi stand by the side of Voltron? Or, will the People turn against them in anger?

~~~~ //I've had this idea in my head for a while now, and decided to write something about it. In this AU, the air isn't toxic for humans to breathe in. Also, the Na'Vi aren't 6 foot. I know I'm taking away a lot of what makes Pandora and the Na'Vi, however, this is also my AU. If you don't like it, don't read it. Also, this will have multiple endings for each Paladin//

[fevers-and-emeto-oh-my]

cannot express the absolute whiplash it is to watch 9-1-1. listen none of my ships have ever gone canon. they have never even had a CHANCE of going canon. sure, plenty of subtext. maybe even blatant chemistry.

then i fall down the 9-1-1 rabbit hole bc a buddie fic has tags i like and then i discover a LOT of buddie fics have tags i like, so i might as well give in and try an episode...i'll start with 2x01 off the bat because it's Eddie's first episode.

and then they're?????? SO gay for each other???? by the end of the episode????? "you can have my back any day" is a RAWLY GAY line for someone you have worked with for A DAY

i'm like. okay. buddie has immediate kick. these bitches are so gay. then chris goes to take christmas photos, the elf says "you two have a wonderful son" and buck doesn't even CORRECT HER???? THINKS ABOUT IT AND THEN JUST SAYS THANK YOU?????

AND MADDIE FULL ON TEASING BUCK ABOUT HIS BOY-CRUSH ON EDDIE????

listen i'm coming here from supernatural (destiel was not my otp) and resident evil and voltron and other fandoms where even if they will throw you crumbs, they're not gonna make ANYthing canon, or if they MAKE a queer ship canon it's gonna be in the worst way possible and then they're gonna insta-kill one half (destiel wasn't my ship but i was still mad okay). the sheer fact that they could very easily make buddie canon makes my head swim

[kay-jay-self-shipping]

The Dragon Prince: Season 7

Warning, everything below this point will contain spoilers, do not read if you haven't seen the entirety of Season 7!

Also, this is an Aaravos-centric post, so if you're not a fan of that character, uhhh... You may be on the wrong blog. XD (Kidding, everyone is welcome here.)

God, I have been waiting for this day for about the same amount of time Aaravos has been imprisoned and I am... conflicted about the ending.

Don't get me wrong, it was an amazing season with wonderful storytelling and heartstopping moments, but it felt like a cliffhanger to me, and left far too many questions unanswered. Of course, first I want to breathe a sigh of relief that Aaravos isn't gone forever, I can't deal with another Voltron moment on my hands here, but still... what now?

I was planning to start writing my fanfiction the MOMENT the seasons came to a close, but now I'm wondering if there will be more, or a new series to finalize the plot. I'm stuck on whether I should continue to wait and build my ideas, or if I should start writing, and perhaps rewrite IF a new series/season is announced.

Not only that but there's so many things I don't know. What exactly happened in the last battle that left Aaravos imprisoned? Just what is the Cosmic Order or the elves in charge actually planning (I'm sorry, I refuse to believe the 'wise' council didn't see any of this happening,) and what will become of our favourite Startouch titan if another battle commences?

So yeah, loved the newest season, but GOD I hate cliffhangers. XD

I'll probably write my story now, and release One-shots showing what might have happened had the plot continued into the 'potentially new' season/series. But I'm not 100% sure yet.

What do you think?

[sonekwi]

☆ ⸻ the white paladin, keith x reader

chapter six: so sorry, pidge!

characters/pairings: keith kogane, female reader

genre: fanfiction

summary: keith invites you to spar with him, and poor pidge walks in on something rather questionable.

word count: 1,596

links: previous, next, wattpad, masterlist

a/n: i'm so sorry for being gone for a month! i wrote a shorter chapter this time to stand in as a filler, next one will be the usual 3,000+ words. thanks for reading though, i hope you enjoy!

A week has gone by and you find yourself missing Earth more with each passing day. The team managed to form Voltron again and you've been training with them as much as you can, but no matter how busy you try to keep yourself, your mind always finds its way back to Earth. When it does, homesickness grabs you and doesn't let go.

You and Lance often find each other at the end of the day and sit in each other's company. Even if your brother is in a good mood and smiling when he's around the team, you know that facade disappears when everyone's gone. You both miss your family more than anything, but having each other makes it a little bit better.

You spend your time in the White Lion's hangar whenever you're not training or sleeping. You'll sit on the floor, leaning against its massive, metal paws, simply talking about whatever is on your mind. You haven't gotten around to asking Coran about the mysterious Lion yet, still wondering why King Alfor would hide it away. When you ask the White Lion directly, the answers feel cryptic and unclear, as if it doesn't know itself.

Footsteps echo along the tall walls of the hangar and you look up from the small gadget in your hands. Pidge had asked your help with it, knowing that you had taken a couple of engineering and computer science classes at the Garrison. So far, you haven't been able to get anywhere with it.

Keith walks over to you, his bayard in his hand and dressed in clothes fit for exercising. You look him up and down, your heart beating anxiously in your chest. It takes everything in your power to keep a calm exterior. You don't know what you would do if he found out about your little crush on him.

"I'm heading to the training deck," he announces, "Do you want to join? I could use a sparring partner."

You can't help yourself from suddenly fantasizing about the various scenarios that could happen, nearly all of them involving a sweaty, panting Keith who takes off his shirt. You quickly feel a flustered heat rising to your neck and face, and honestly, you should be ashamed of yourself. He is your friend, and will probably only ever be your friend.

As you stand, you shove the thoughts and rising embarrassment away, excitedly accepting Keith's offer, "Sure! I'll go get my bayard."

After being scolded by Allura for the umpteenth time for not keeping it nearby, you only had to walk across the hangar to retrieve it. Once the cool metal of the handle is within your grasp, the weapon materializes into its scythe form. You test the weight of it in your hand as you turn back to Keith.

     "Alright, let's go!" you smile.

     As you and Keith make your way to the training deck, you try your best not to stare at him. It's a short walk, thankfully, and you don't have to fight yourself for very long.

     "What are you thinking? Weapons, no weapons?" you ask as you step further into the room. It's wide and open, and you've gotten familiar with the space after spending most of your time here. You can almost hear Allura's voice still echoing off the walls.

     "We can start with no weapons," Keith says and sets his bayard down on the floor. He takes off his jacket as well, your eyes not-so-discreetly watching him. When he looks at you, you shamefully avert your gaze.

     Focus, (y/n)! He's your friend! You scold yourself, rubbing the back of your neck with embarrassment. You can practically feel the heat rising off of it.

     Keith places himself in the center of the room and stretches as he waits for you. You set your bayard near his and roll your shoulders. When you start before Keith, you bring your fists up and ask, "Do you want to count down–"

     Keith moves fast and you barely manage to block the attack. Your arm throb at the impact, and you glare at him. "Oh, it's so on."

     Your friend only chuckles, and the two of you quickly settle into your sparring match. You don't hold back, making Keith work for his victory if he wants it.

     Memories of the Garrison pop up in your mind. You and Keith would often train together after class. Sometimes well into the night before a faculty member would kick you out of the gym, chewing you out for being out past curfew.

     Even back then, you were fighting your feelings for him. You tried to convince yourself you only admired and adored him so much because he was your friend. It worked, for a short while, until he dropped from the Garrison. At that point, your anger overpowered your hopeless crush.

     Your reminiscing distracts you, and Keith knocks you on your feet and pins you down. He sits on top of you, holding your hands above your head, his legs straddling your hips to keep you from rolling. As you stare at him with wide eyes, the panting, sweaty sight of him makes your cheeks burn.

     He stares back at you as his grip on your wrists tightens. "Do you yield?" he asks, a proud grin spreading on his face.

     It was a simple question he would always ask when he had you pinned, restrained, or disarmed, even if he knew you wouldn't. But the tone of his voice was different this time...

     His eyes flick down for a second before returning to yours. Your flustered thoughts race faster, knowing exactly what he glanced at. You panic, and your heart feels like it's going to burst out of your chest.

     "Hey, guys? Shiro wants us–"

     You and Keith look toward the door.

     Pidge stands there, silently wishing to crawl into a hole as he tries to figure out what he just walked in on. But then he promptly turns to leave, "You know what? I don't even want to know. Just change and meet us on the bridge."

     Immediately, you push Keith off and scramble to your feet. You run your hands over your face and stride over to your bayard. "He is never going to let us live that down," you say.

     "I don't know, he looked like he probably never wants to bring it up. Ever," Keith says.

     "Wanna bet?" you ask.

     "Knowing you, you'd try to make the odds in your favor," Keith shakes his head, feigning disappointment. But you catch the small tug on the corners of his lips.

     "You're right," you chuckle. "I so would."

⁀➷

Standing on the bridge, you look around at the glass panels lining every inch of the room. The sky is a beautiful baby blue with soft and fluffy clouds drifting past, and your mind wanders to Earth as you watch.

Shiro's words unfortunately go through one ear and out the other, and it doesn't go unnoticed. But even after he promptly scolds you, you still don't pay attention. That familiar weight in your chest sinks in, and you stare down at your feet with dejection.

Homesickness is a bitch.

A hand brushes against yours, the contact bringing you back to reality. Beside you, Keith keeps his attention on Shiro as one of his fingers hooks yours. You smile softly, remembering your friend's words from a few days ago.

He kept true on his promise.

The next few hours are spent doing team bonding exercises again with Allura, Coran, or Shiro failing to direct the ragtag group of teenagers. You give them the benefit of the doubt, though, because you yourself have no idea what you are doing. The White Lion had finally started acting as if something were wrong, and you struggled to keep your control over it.

But as lunch rolls around, the White Lion is more than happy to listen to you for once as you bring it back to its hangar. You are more than happy, too. You can feel a headache coming on while you listen to Lance and Keith bicker over the comms. The former had tried kicking a ruined Galra ship like a soccer ball, ultimately knocking Voltron on its ass from the lack of balance.

Part of you is grateful you were crucial to forming Voltron. You would probably go insane.

You're already sitting in the dining room waiting for Coran's "nutritious Paladin meal" when the others enter. Lance and Keith are still arguing, and you groan as you rub your temple, hoping to dull the sharp throbbing.

"Alright, save your energy for fighting Zarkon!" Shiro barks and the two boys effectively shut up. However, as they sit down, they resort to silently glaring at each other.

With Lance sitting beside you, you kick his shin and grumble, "Stop acting like a child."

"I'm not! Keith started it!" your brother argues.

Keith rolls his eyes. "Whatever you say."

Lance irks at the comment, but you manage to slap a hand over his mouth before he says anything back. He glares at you, and you cuss as he drags his tongue over your palm.

"You are so gross!" you hiss, wiping your spit-covered hand on your brother's armor.

"Hey!" he barks.

"It's your spit!"

Shiro snaps. "What did I just say!?"

[astralscrivener]

Hi someone who went absolutely wild for DSN back in high school here. WHAT does that mean??!

it means that as soon as i graduate grad school in a month it’s over for you specifically

Image IDs:

[Image 1: a screenshot of four Spotify playlists, titled "i'll soar the endless skies for only one...," "falling through a dark sunrise," "i have seen an empire falling," "whenever stars go down and galaxie..."]

[Image 2: a screenshot of a Notion database titled "fic tracker," with the following fics:

stealing our own place in the sun, with the tags "klance," "adashi," "romellura," "multi-chapter," and "voltron: legendary defender"

dark sunrise, with the tags "endless skies," "klance," "lancelot," "multi-chapter," and "voltron: legendary defender"

empire falling, with the tags "endless skies," "klance," "lancelot," "multi-chapter," and "voltron: legendary defender"

galaxies ignite, with the tags "endless skies," "klance," "lancelot," "multi-chapter," and "voltron: legendary defender"]

[Image 3: a Discord screenshot:

necromancer gender stealer: wanting to keep my mouth shut about what im doing versus the unending urge to infodump

deus ex robert: 👀👀👀👀

necromancer gender stealer: DEEP SIGH. OK]

[Image 4: a Discord screenshot:

necromancer gender stealer: started a dsn reread with mar and uh oh besties the brainrot is back]

[Image 5: a Discord screenshot:

necromancer gender stealer: i WILL i love exploring mama's boy lance being The Sharpshooter and then he's like . who am i killing, really]

[Image 6: a Discord screenshot:

necromancer gender stealer: one of my biggest regrets of DSN is that allura got space momified a little bc i was following along w the popular fanon....not anymore !!]

[Image 7: a Discord screenshot:

necromancer gender stealer: and what if they kiss covered in blood. what then

random guard #8 apologist: Says a lot about me that i got this notif and came sprinting Oh I'm backreading rn this fucks so supremely]

[Image 8: a Discord screenshot:

Mar: Oh we ARE getting more messy this time 😈 Messy messy messy

necromancer gender stealer: i love MESS]

{Image 9: a Discord screenshot: necromancer gender stealer: shouldve gone to bed like 3 hours ago bc ive done nothing but w/e [a screenshot of a writing program, which reads: "I'm Galra," Keith blurted. Hunk rubbed his eyes tiredly. "Congratulations."]

Mar: [voltron end credits play]]

[Image 10: a Discord screenshot necromancer gender stealer, replying to a message that could not be loaded: get back in the torment nexus boy]

End IDs.

[johaerys-writes]

[20 Question Fic Writer Tag]

tagged by @baejax-the-great thank you!

How many works do you have on AO3? As of now, 47.

What is your AO3 word count? 1,084,458

What fandoms do you write for? Currently neck-deep in my Patrochilles (Iliad/TSOA/Hades) obsession. But I've also written for Dragon Age (Pavelyan), Voltron (Sheith) and Castlevania (Trephacard, Lenector).

What are your top five fics by kudos? High-Flying Birds, Like Friends Do, Winter's Fruit, Jasmine and Yarrow, Where Blood Roses Bloom.

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not? I love responding to comments!! Even if it's just to say Thank you. I absolutely love rambling in my replies and getting into discussions about lore or characters' motivations and such. This is the fanfic experience at its best for me.

What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? Honestly I'm not great with angsty endings haha. Even if the fic as a whole is very angsty, the ending tends to be happy. I think the fics with the saddest ending are Loyal To The End and The Wound That Never Heals, both Hector/Carmilla (Castlevania). Some people have told me they found the ending of At The Water's Edge quite bittersweet.

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Now we're talking haha. Of my most recent ones, Twin Flames has a very sweet ending. Fall Into Your Tide also has a super hopeful ending, and another favourite is A Place To Be. I'm all about that comfort after the hurt babey.

Do you get hate on fics? I think I've only ever got hate once or twice? As far as I remember. I honestly couldn't care less about it, I forget it as soon as it happens lol.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Yessir. Not exactly sure what kind? Are there different kinds? I would say that my favourite to write is angsty smut with lots of complicated feelings. And also I do like sprinkling some kink here and there whenever I feel like it.

Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written? I've only ever written one crossover and I still love the fuck out of it, it's a Witcher/Dragon Age one with my OC Tristan Trevelyan and Dorian Pavus and it was sooooo fun to write oh my god. I would love to revisit that universe ngl!!

Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I know of? Depends on what we mean by stealing. I have had parts of fics of mine lifted and used in other fanworks without credit, it wasn't great but it's been a little while since then and I haven't noticed anything else (not that I've gone looking though).

Have you ever had a fic translated? Yes! A super lovely person has been translating High-Flying Birds into Vietnamese.

Have you ever cowritten a fic before? Yes! I've cowritten several fics with friends and it's always so nice, I love working with other people.

What's your all-time favourite ship? Oof that's a tough question. If we go by number of fics written, it would have to be Patrochilles. If we go by number of words written, it would have to be Pavelyan (almost 450k 💀). If we go by number of fics I've read and bookmarked, it would have to be Sheith. So idk if I can give a straight and clear answer lol.

What's a WIP you'd like to finish but doubt you ever will? God I really do want to finish A World With You and I do think I will do it eventually, it's just that I know there's a LOT of it left and it's often really daunting. I also want to finish Where Blood Roses Bloom but, again, the plan I have in mind is kind of ambitious and it will take me a while to get there. Also, Blood Roses In The Snow is one I want to get back to, and that one would be easier to finish since there's only like a couple chapters left.

What are your writing strengths? Probably imagery, introspection, and I've also been told I write good action scenes!

What are your writing weaknesses? Dialogue, probably. It stresses me out the most haha. I also used to be able to write complex plots but it's gotten quite hard lately, idk why :(

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic? I don't love it. I'm fine with a word here and there or even a phrase, as long as it's been sort of explained before or it's one that's widely recognised. I just feel like having a big chunk of untranslated dialogue in the middle of a story breaks immersion and I try to avoid it whenever I can.

First fandom you wrote for? Dragon Age, specifically Inquisition.

Favourite fic you've ever written? Noooo you can't make me choose, don't make me choose 😭 Damn that's tough. Twin Flames is still a huge favourite. A Place To Be is one I often come back to and I'm super proud of how it turned out. A World With You is the first fic I ever posted and the longest, I have spent so much time with it and it has a special place in my heart. And this might be cheating because it's my current fixation, but I feel like you're a walking disaster, and yet— is some of my best writing yet, I'm very fond of it.

Tagging forth to: @elveny @pikapeppa @mary-aries @darlingpoppet @pinkfadespirit @sketchass @starlightvld @petrowriting @in-arlathan @figsandphiltatos @heypax and anyone else who'd like to do this! (Also, if you don't want to be tagged for these memes let me know!)