#altea tag

[bastart13]

This is not how anyone designs visual novel sprites, but I always have to make sure they're height-proportionate because I get freaked out when characters are described differently to their sprites

(also I may or may not be recreating Love & Legends)

[torveiglyart]

Altean Lance based off of Lilac Sweet by Star_Gazing_Knight. I really need to do something other than obsess over Voltron (really, Lance) again.

[swampwitched]

oh love and legends mc, we’re really in it now

[lovelylances]

alt ver bc it's so fun to mess w lighting/colors

[youssefguedira]

also she's BACK

[bluemantics]

do u have any fics u think are like REALLY funny

Oh my gosh absolutely I do have humor tagged fics. When I write fanfics I try to make them funny, so when I read, I definitely look for the same! I put stars next to my faves.

If you want to check out my romcom klance fics and support me, they're here (coffee shop au) & here (hsm-ish au) /nf.

1. skin hunger by hiuythn

Canonverse | T+ | 12.5K

Keith is touch-starved to the point of stupidity. Lance helps. Lance tries to help. Lance tries.

2. the meaning of donuts by Katranga

Canonverse | T+ | 14.7K

The next few days were filled with Lance informing everyone, multiple times, of their “new” friendship. “We’re friends now, did you hear? Keith and I are friends.” Over and over, big smile, loud voice. Looking between Keith and whoever he was telling like he expected a round of applause. Or confetti. Or a parade. What he usually got was somebody making a crack about bonding moments, which prompted a tight, put-upon sigh on Keith’s end. And Lance would look at him fondly, and Keith would have to bite his cheek to distract himself from how much he wanted Lance to lean over and kiss him.

3. The Open Space of Desire by Prevalent_Masters *

Modern AU (river giuide x climber) | E | 44.8K

Keith’s doing just fine, thanks. So maybe he dropped out of college and maybe he doesn’t have what one might call “direction” in his life, but so what? He’s got a job he doesn’t hate, he’s got enough friends for his liking, he’s got Shiro, he’s got climbing on the weekends, he’s got the hookups with closeted college boys every once in awhile, and he’s fine. Happy. He doesn’t need anything to change.

That is, until he almost accidentally gets into a bar fight with an infuriatingly attractive river guide and then starts seeing said river guide everywhere and it turns out he's less infuriating but still definitely attractive, and, well—maybe Keith hasn’t been doing that fine. Maybe one thing can change.

4. Eyes So Pretty by stormie2817

Canonverse | T+ | 2.8K

When the paladins and their friends gather for a night of drinking and relaxing, Lance indulges a little too much and says some rather interesting things about a certain paladin....

5. The Loverboy Trials by PM_Writes

Canonverse | M | 20.8K

He can tell Shiro is struggling to remain collected. “And why do you think Keith is your…sex…god?” And geez, that would be so much funnier if this wasn’t so disturbing.

The representative leads them to the back of the council room where she pulls aside a large curtain. Behind it, a huge mural stretches to the ceiling.

It looks exactly like Keith.

6. you’re lucky that’s what I like by zencetera

College AU | T+ | 4K

Lance rescues a hamster from certain doom.

or, Lance has Keith wrapped around his little finger and doesn’t even realize it.

7. Billy Ray is my boyfriend by VertigoReader101

Youtuber AU | G | 6K

It was moments like these that made Lance forget about his fears of telling everyone about his boyfriend. It was moments like these that he wanted to whip out his camera and share the love of his life with the world.

8. A Keithmas Carol by YouAreInAComaWakeUp (Nikanaiko) *

Bluemantics commentary: I adore Nikanaiko's writing more than literally any other klance author's. While I didn't laugh out loud while reading many fics, I always lose my shit for their work, SO PLEASE CHECK IT OUT.

Christmas Carol AU | T+ | 28.5K

Keith has read A Christmas Carol. Keith knows how A Christmas Carol is supposed to go.

This is not how A Christmas Carol is supposed to go.

9. suite on you by adelfie

College AU | T+ | 12K

Accident-prone Lance McClain learns that his grumpy suitemate, Keith, has one rule: to leave him alone. Lance would really like to follow that rule. Really. But his clumsiness has other plans.

10. It Never Rains on Saturday by TheLegendOfChel *

Video Game AU | T+ | 22.7K

In the magical kingdom of Altea lies an ominous tower filled with monsters. Every day, adventurers battle through the tower’s levels in a never-ending quest to slay the Demon King who lives at the very top.

Lance, a talented archer, is one such adventurer. However, Lance doesn’t want to kill the Demon King.

Lance wants to marry him.

11. Keith Kogane Tries to Keep Up With a Professional Chef | Back-to-Back Chef | Bon Appétit by eggyeggplant *

Bluemantics commentary: I'm in shock this one isn't more popular since it is one of the funniest fics I've EVER read for ANY fandom. If you read this one, please give the author extra love, comments, kudos, etc.

Youtube AU | G | 3.5K

Actor Keith Kogane appears in a YouTube video with an old friend Lance McClain in an episode of Back-to-Back Chef where they attempt to make simple carbonara but they keep getting distracted by flirting with each other.

Hope these make you laugh anon!

[bladedalchemistreplica]

||_||Uncommon friends and neighbors

|| @cyberghost-scout for the demon AU

The young temporary prince stood in the closed room of his in complete silence. Eyes trained on the old pages of the book which rested upon a handmade and rather heavy book stand. The room darkened and only filtering in the blue moonlight of the deep midnight sky. Clear as the day had been, the moon’s lovely rays danced into the room with an uneasy comfort to it. The shadows in the corner of the room remaining untouched and unbothered by its rays. The shadow cast by the man seemed to just look over him in protest to the oddity it stood over.

The book was flipped open to a page which held several tags and some carefully placed markings to another timeline the prince’s eyes dancing around the page and to the surrounding area before him with uncertainty and a hint of excitement. A mixture which seemed to battle for control over his movements and feelings, the feeling of unknown bringing him further and further to completing the ritual given from the book. The fear which tried to bite back and get him to close the book and toss it away back into that pile of junk he’d found it form. Though as far as it had known- it was losing. Especially when the man’s hand lifted some chunk of rock and began to move it into the bowl before him.

He had seen such before in other books on Altea and even his father’s personal library. Though he never dared to touch such before, before this at least, this one was different to him. It was a book he had passed by during one of his late night trips back to the steps of his former home. And on the way back he had stood before it with curiosity which begged him to bring it into the warmth of the castle; to which it was taken into the castle. Studied for weeks he had, until now. The time he had given to collect what he wished to use and to now be adding in the last of items.

And when he had- he frowned.

Nothing. Nothing had happened—-

Then the flash of bring light came and odd sense of movement and buzz of energy with a hit of something oddly sweet.

[foolinafable]

i. slipping through my fingers

SYNOPSIS: He doesn’t know how to love. You know this and yet you would still give everything just to be with him- even for just a moment. Or the story of how you and Keith finally get together. PAIRING: Keith Kogane x Altean reader WORD COUNT: 3.1K TAGS: Slowburn, Angst, extreme cannon compliance SERIES LINK: a love as cold as ours

NEXT →

NOTE: Barely edited

Keith was always cold, you knew he didn’t mean to be- it was just who he was but it didn’t make this any easier.

You knew you felt something for him a long time ago much like Lance with Allura. You wouldn’t call it love or more like you couldn’t allow yourself to because how can you love someone that isn’t yours. Sometimes you even doubt that you are friends with him as his standoffish nature sometimes catches you off guard. So why in Altea would you even imagine having anything with him. Every time you see him it’s like a knife is being stabbed in your chest because you know that he could never love you the way you try to do him. 

He explained it best himself- how he prefers his own company and would regularly choose to be alone rather than with other people. You suppose it has to do with his childhood, where he told you for the most part he was all alone with no parents or family to stay and show him unconditional love.

Even knowing all of this doesn’t make it any easier- it doesn’t make you want to be with him any less, rather it just fuels your inner turmoil. It was hard enough being one of the only alteans left alive, your friends, family, nation and your king dead.

Honestly, you're only making it harder on yourself by falling for one of the only people in the universe that as he put it “Can’t love, and doesn’t want to.” 

You suppose this is why it was easy to say goodbye, well easier than you thought it would be.

He had been distancing himself from all the team, spending more time with the blade of Marmora, constantly failing to show up for the team. You were overjoyed for Shiro when he was able to reconnect with the black lion, the whole team was more than fed up with Keith's new non-committal attitude towards them and was happy to have a leader again.

So when Keith did show up, late as usual for a mission, you simply sat back and watched as the other paladins ripped him a new one about how important your work is even if he doesn't see it that way, as he claimed that the work he was doing with the blades was “more important” an audible scoff could be heard coming from you at that comment. Not even bothering to look at him when his gaze turned to you, knowing that if you looked at him he would see the sadness clouding over you, because you knew that now the black lion had accepted Shiro again, Keith wasn't needed anymore.

You zoned out as he told the team of his departure, joining in the group hug to say goodbye to him, but leaving it at that. Knowing that if you had a private conversation it would only end in your tears and his guilt because while you would give anything to be with him, you realised a long time ago that there is nothing that you could give to make that happen. You can’t make him want you.

Him leaving made it easier. Not seeing him every day like you used to and, honestly, having to work with him as you did only made your longing worse and without him here, well there was no room for those emotions anymore. The coalitions planning for the takeover of Naxzela had taken up everyone's time, it was the only thing you could think of, allowing you to put your feelings for him far back into your mind. Blocking it out if you will because there is no time for you to be moping around.

The day of the planned invasion came quickly, it was almost as if the time whipped past you, barely able to recall what happened during the time prior to this day, except for Keith's departure- that you believe will always be engraved into your memories. Nerves couldn’t help but rack you as you walked suited up towards your lion, it all just seemed too easy, a sentiment Pidge shared with you not even the night prior, her words echoing in your mind throughout the battle, you tried to rationalise it as this mission wasn't just Voltron they also had the rebels and the blade, so a lot more manpower. But, in your opinion, it almost seemed like the galra were not fighting for Naxzela but rather fighting to escape.

Voltron was leading the ground effort now, the blades and rebels working as artillery support via the Ziaforge cannons, all seemed to be going fine until Matt and Keith's cannons were remotely turned off by an incoming galra cruiser. However, Shiro was confident

“Naxzela is almost secure, the cruiser is going to be too late!”

Voltron battled with more ships on the ground, and like he said you only needed to take out the last of the heavy artillery then it was over. Lance and Pidge quickly created a shield on the left as per Shiro's instruction, blocking another heavy blast from the galrans, you all grunting at the impact of the large beam trying to keep the robot together and steady on the ground. Lance and Pidge were able to use the shield to push the beam back and you watched with a bated breath as the beam shot back towards the ship, destroying it completely. Voltron flew into the air, Hunk using his cannon to destroy the rest of the artillery support on the ground.

You all sat in your lions and watched Naxzela being blown up- a third of the galran empire gone in one swoop. Voltron landed on the ground again, somewhat unsteady. 

“Woah, did we cause that earthquake?” you heard Lance exclaim over comms as you braced yourself against your control panel.

 “I dont think so!” Pidge quickly replied as you all cast your gases towards the floor

“Something wrong” you mumbled slightly to yourself, eyes going wide when Allura agreed with you. Then the rumbling seemed to increase and alarms started blaring when Hunk halted

“Guys look over there” and the robot turned to see the ground rising behind you, large galran pillars with purple markings now towering over Voltron.

“Uh, guys, what are those?” Lance asked, trying to seem calm, but looking over at his video you could see the furrowing of his brows in worry as he looked up at these new landforms.

“We’ve never seen anything like this from the galra before” Pidge continued, eyes wide. 

“Are they weapons?” Hunk questioned while Pidge tried to guess 

“They look like some sort of generators'' 

You felt a heavy weight on you as you asked “Allura, can you feel it?” and she simply nodded, also confused as to what these were and why they were making her feel heavy and uneasy. 

“Stay alert” Shiro commented, feeling the nerves of his team as Lance interjected 

“I think we should get out of here! Pidge plot a course for our escape” but Shiro didn’t agree with the second in command 

“Hold off, we should try to find out what these things are'' You took a sharp breath as the pillars lit up with quintessence, the top of the towers sprouting out with some sort of electricity, and then the purple light spread across the atmosphere of Naxzela, creating a purple shield. 

“This can’t be safe” Hunk declared as the purple shield covered the top of the Voltron blocking the view of space. 

“Do you feel that '' Allura copied your earlier words adding “That wave of darkness” and you could, it settled deep into your body making you shiver when Allura started grunting out in pain.

Then a pressure came down upon the robot as everyone started panicking, you were no longer able to move your lion. Voltron quickly fell onto its hands and knees from the pressure as Pidge screamed 

“This energy field is holding us down! Gravity levels are spiking!” Shiro grunted before he commanded 

“We need to get out of here, if we stay here we will be crushed. So we need to focus” At his words you tried to dispel as much of your worry as possible knowing he was right- you wouldn't get anywhere being afraid

“Give it everything you’ve got and maybe, we can make it through this energy field”  he continued.

Then with all the paladins' might they were able to lift off the ground but soon after the metal of the lion creaked and they were brought right back down the ground, like a magnet. You could hear the screaming of the other paladins as you fell backwards mixing in with your own, and then Voltron crashed down onto the ground of Naxzela. 

“Is anyone able to move around?” Hunk questioned as Pidge quickly answered 

“Barely, but the gravitational pull is worse on Voltron” she grunted from overexertion then spoke again “Maybe if we can get down to the surface Hunk and I can figure out a way to interrupt the energy field!” you hummed in thought as Lance spoke 

“That sounds good, except for the zillion robot dudes still kicking around down there!” you all looked towards Shiro for some sort of guidance as he says 

“We are going to have to watch out for each other out there, tight formations, now let's move” Then he left the black lion. You all joined him in leaving your lions grunting heavily as you used your jet packs to get to the surface, parkouring off Voltron. You all jumped towards one of the pillars barely missing the lasers being shot at you, all quickly turning on your shields as you landed on the pillar bodies turned towards the shooters.

Pidge and Hunk quickly took refuge behind you four, trying to find out what was causing this energy, but they couldn't find anything so as Allura said you needed to follow the pillars down to the core in hopes of figuring it out Hunk was able to open the door to the pillar.

“It's open let's go!”  Pidge exclaimed and you all piled in, jumping down towards the core of the planet. “Woah” the green paladin spoke in awe you had made it to the bottom of the planet, a door opening up revealing a large purple orb, and you agreed it was certainly amazing to look at- whatever it was.

 “What is that?” Lance spoke your thoughts aloud

 “This is Zarkons witches doing” Allura commented walking closer to the large orb in the centre of the room 

“So this is the source of that dark energy?” you questioned as Allura nodded as Shiro looked up at the room 

“Allura, this facility, it looks altean”

“This is a decommissioned altean teafroming plant, somehow the witch has been able to reactive it remotely,” she confirmed his suspicion, you all walked closer to the orb, now in touching distance you couldn’t believe you had never seen this before on altea 

“Can you shut it down” the black paladin asked 

“I can try.” Allura put her hand towards the orb, a light of quintessence shining from her palm touched the orb when she screamed out in pain, the orb seemingly wrapped itself onto her arm in a vine-like structure. You all quickly called out her name as you grabbed onto her, trying to pull her away from the orb, all grunting due to its sheer power, luckily you were able to slowly drag her away, causing you all to fall backwards onto the floor when the orb let go of her. 

Lance quickly helped her up as she spoke “It’s too powerful” 

You all turned towards Hunk as he grunted, trying to get up, looking towards his hand “This soil- is weird, it's so white and powdery, like ground-up rocks or earth” You could see his helmet examining the soil, probably giving him a breakdown of the material when he gasped

“It’s Heximite!”

 Then lasers started shooting at you again, the soldiers from earlier had finally caught up to you, and you all quickly activated your shields with Hunk and Lance activating their shooters, shooting back at the galrans. Pidge quickly used her lasso to electrocute and bring down another soldier 

“What's hexamite? Some of us may have slept through chemistry!” Lance asked

Smiling at his antics you replied “It’s a highly explosive material” your own words making you stop in thought the words only now registering in your brain but Pidge luckily continued as you figured out what this meant

 “The whole planet is a bomb! One big enough to wipe out several solar systems!” Hunk then interjected,

“It’s under increasing pressure, and when it reaches the point of no return, the whole planet will explode!” 

Shiro tried to seem calm as he asked the next question “How long do we have?” 

Hunk while shielding himself thought  “Maybe twenty minutes'' 

While Lance continued to blast at the soldiers “We need to get off this planet and warn everyone!” As you took down the soldiers, more seemed to appear through the doors

 “Anyone within 10 solar systems of ours is going to get blown to pieces!” Hunk exclaimed. 

“They could take out Voltron, the rebels and the blade in one fell swoop!” Allura concluded as you gasped

 “It was all a trap for us and we fell right into it!” then you activated your jet packs as you tried to escape the soldiers as time was really running out.

 From within Voltron Shiro was trying to reach anyone through the comms, but nobody was responding. 

Shiro sighed “We’ve lost communications, Pidge, can you boost our signal?” 

 You could hear Pidge clicking buttons before she replied worriedly “No! There is too much electrostatic repulsion!” 

Worry was wracking your body causing your hands to fidget like mad as Hunk not so helpfully spoke “17 minutes'' 

Allura then spoke, “We have to get off this planet- immediately!” moving her controls as she was able to get the blue lion off the ground resulting in Voltron being able to stand straight, however, the weight of Voltron against the already pressurised ground make the rocks crack and fall beneath them, causing Voltron to fall further into the depths of Naxzela. 

“Oh no, we have fallen even further down!” Lance comentated as Voltron luckily landed on its feet seemingly in a deep cave.

 “15 minutes'' Hunk exclaimed to which you retorted

 “Really not very helpful Hunk!” your voice is shaking.

 “No, no! We can't die just yet!” Pidge willed. 

“Listen'' Shiro started “We have gone through a lot as Voltron, we just have to think.” 

Then it hit Lance as he turned his comms towards you and Allura

“You both felt the darkness at the start, and you both have a connection to the magic, you both must be able to get us out of this'' 

to which Allura stressed “We haven't been trained”

She was correct back on Altea you were both novices. You had only started your lessons when Zarkon attacked and Allura had been told by Alfor that lesson wouldn't be necessary for her as she would be too busy learning to be the future leader of the nation.

But maybe together you could figure something out you simply looked to Allura and Lance and nodded as you closed your eyes and focused on your energy and Alluras as the both of you connected to each other it was like your quintessence merged together and your powers began to seep out of the two of you and into Voltron, lighting up the entire robot, turning it back on and giving it more power, the whole lion became outlined by the quintessence the two of you exuded allowing voltron to fight against the pressure and lift off at an incredible speed, the power was able to break through the forcefield on top of Naxzela allowing your escape from the planet.

 You smiled at your success, “Thanks Lance '' but he shook his head 

“That was all you and Allura'' and you took a deep breath knowing that he was right. You and Allura are a lot stronger than you give yourselves credit for. Voltron made its way into space as Hunk shouted

 “We still need to diffuse that bomb” you all nodded in agreement as Shiro reached out to someone in the comms

 “Keith, can you hear me?” 

You somewhat gritted my teeth at the mention of him, not sure if you were ready to see him again as up to now you had been able to miss out on talks with the blade usually too busy campaigning on another planet with the rebels and sometimes other paladins for support on the takeover of Naxzella. Since he left you had barely even heard his voice and for the most part, turned off being able to hear Shiro's comms so you didn't need to hear his voice today, everything was so meticulously planned that you didn't even need to speak to know what Voltron needed to do anyway. 

“Shiro! Where are you? Is everything okay?” you heard his voice speak out 

“Not for long if we don’t stop Zarkons witch, she must be aboard that cruiser”

 To which Keith mused “I’m way ahead of you” You could almost hear the smirk on his face “and I brought some backup” You then heard Olia from the rebels speak out letting you all of their presence.

Shiro connected to Coran telling him to get as far away from Naxzela as possible he seemed confused until you and Allura interjected 

“Naxela is a bomb” she started 

“and it’s only a few minutes away from going off” you concluded

 “but what about you?” Coran worried as he looked at the pair of alteans

“We are going to try to stop it” you said gravely

 “we need you to do this'' Allura urged the older man to which he simply replied

 “yes, princess” but you could see the fear etched on his face that he would be the last altean standing after this. 

“Thrusters are at max power” Lance stated as Voltron flew as fast as it could 

“I sure hope we make it in time” Hunk worried, as Voltron got further away the time was ticking, sweat was rolling down Lance's forehead

 “We aren't going to make it in time!” when all of a sudden the purple aura encasing Naxzela faded away and Coran overjoyed commented

 “Naxzela is returning to normal! You did it” A breath you didn't know you were holding was let out in relief when Shiro congratulated Keith and the rebels on their work when he said something puzzling

 “It wasn't me, it was Lotor'' you and the other paladins looked at each other through the comms confused

 “The cannon on his ship was the only thing powerful enough to break through the shield.” After those words were uttered the galran cruiser transported itself away to another galaxy. 

Then you heard his voice

“Attention, paladins of Voltron and rebel fighters, I know we have had our differences in the past, but.. I think it is time we had a discussion.”

[chocopbwafer]

[ general dating headcanons with fem!human!reader ]

Pairing : [m!voltron!chars x fem!reader]

TW? : None

Word Amount : 836

Originally Posted On : AO3

When Shiro gets stressed out he just likes to rest his head In your lap, or In the crook of your neck while he wraps his arms around your waist.

  He finds your presence very comforting.

  When you're worried or stressed out, he catches on Immediately.

  Will give you a glass of your favorite beverage, maybe some snacks and hold you close to him, and you just bury your head In his chest enjoying the comfort.

  "Want to talk about It?"

  If you don't want to, then he'll respect that, he'll just try to keep whatever's bothering you off your mind.

  If you do want to though, he'll definitely listen to whatever you want to vent about.

  He's been In a few past relationships so he's decent In experience

  He gives great hugs.

  (Sometimes he likes to be the little spoon.)

  Idk why but he gives me the vibe of somebody who can cook good waffles

  He likes to kiss the bridge of your nose.

  If you have freckles then he's definitely kissing each one he can find.

  Kiss his forehead while playing with his hair If you want him to melt Into a puddle

  (♡)

  You and Hunk have your own little cooking class with each other.

  One part of you Is paying attention to what he's saying while he's cooking with you and the other part Is just smiling cause he's smiling too and his happiness Is so contagious???

  He's been on a few dates before but this would be his first time In a serious relationship so he's kinda awkward at first

  He eventually warms up and gets closer to you

  He's a really good singer, like, you come home one evening and just hear him In the shower singing his lungs away

  If you've had a nightmare he'll hum and sing to you while holding you close, and he sounds so nice you end up dozing off.

  Kiss his cheeks and he's just gonna grin at you like a goof

  (♡)

  Self-care for Lance Is a very big deal, and If he notices that you're not taking time out to care for yourself he's putting that to a whole stop.

  Ask him for face masks and moisturizers cause the boy stays stocked up

  He'll definitely wash and braid your hair (If you let him that Is!)

  Pampers you with love and affection every chance he can

  He's clingy and needs kisses every five seconds

  "Lance, I JUST kissed you"

  "I want another one though!"

  Despite his constant flirting he actually has never been In a relationship, let alone a date

  So when he asks you out and you accept he's kinda confused 

  "Now what?"

  Very sweet boyfriend

  He likes to nuzzle his head Into your neck and sneak a peck or two there.

  His jaw Is kinda ticklish but he certainly won't complain if you pepper a few kisses there

(♡)

  Both you and Shiro are the only ones that can calm Keith down when he's agitated.

  Just pull him aside and talk to him for a little bit

  He'll calm down

  Eventually

  He's never been In a relationship before and he's kinda emotionally constipated so the whole dating and love thing Is kinda awkward for him

  So when he asks you out, flowers In hand, his head averted and cheeks a dusty pink you already know he didn't do It on his own

  Shiro, Hunk and Pidge helped him out

  Coran helped too, but Keith was pretty sure the courting methods he was talking about probably only worked on Altean women

  Goes to Shiro for advice occasionally 

  He does not understand flirting

  He'll just look at you confused and then like, ten hours later he's like "oh"

  He really likes to hold your hands, and just idly rub along the lines of your palms

  He likes to kiss your knuckles

  His shoulders are kinda ticklish

(♡)

    Sometimes you'll tag along behind Coran when he makes improvements on the castle-ship.

  While you help him with chores and whatnot he might talk about what Altea was like

  He'll apologize for babbling but If you encourage him to keep talking about his home-planet and he will not hesitate to just talk about what It was like, and you end up smiling cause his eyes are literally sparkling the whole time

  Tell him about earth dang it

  Poor man doesn't know what snow is

  If you and the rest of the crew ever make It back home you promise to yourself the first thing you'll do Is show your boyfriend how to make a snowman

  Has been In a few relationships and dates before but with Altean women

  He has no clue on how to pursue a human woman

  Gets advice from both Pidge and Shiro

  He's oddly warm

  Like, If you cuddle or hug him he just feels like a fricking furnace

  Very overprotective and sweet boyfriend tbh

  He likes to sneak little kisses at the tips of your ear

  fin.

[klanced]

katie your lawyer au tags have me on my knees I never thought guys in suits doing stuff would seem interesting but wow…wow. your mind

Thank u Anon this AU is incredibly indulgent for me.......... ok time 4 more world-building.

I think @heynhay's original idea of Keith & Lance working together at the same firm is best. For both plot reasons but also for my own morale LOL

So everyone works at a fairly large private firm that splits its practice and has some of its associates doing profit-driven law (i.e. corporate or finance) which subsidizes the public interest/service work that the other associates do.

The firm is like "Altea & Daibazaal LLP" or something. Yes I am implying that the firm was started by Alfor and Zarkon. Yes I am implying that Allura and Lotor are nepo babies.

I know I originally said that Keith and Lance were law school rivals but I've changed my mind... (RIP to the law school rivalry dynamics

Instead I'm making it so that Keith and Lance are the same age but Lance has been practicing longer because he went straight into law school after college. Whereas Keith started working after college and got like a Master's degree in Social Work or something before deciding on law school at 26. (I just think Keith is the kind of person who goes to law school later in life.)

Okay onto the specific Klance dynamics... Keith and Lance are both pushing 30 and are also literally lawyers so they are professional and serious about their work... But there is wiggle room for them to still be rivals :p

Lance and Keith are both junior associates at the firm. Lance has seniority because he's been at the firm longer but he's still a year or so away from formally becoming a senior associate.

Lance really, REALLY wants to make partner and he sees Keith as his biggest threat/rival because Keith is Shiro's little brother, and Shiro recently made partner at the firm, so Lance thinks Keith might be a nepo hire. Also some of the senior associates recently left the firm so now Lance is stuck showing Keith the ropes and he's lowkey super bitter about it.

Basically TLDR Lance starts off Not Liking Keith at all for various real or imagined reasons and begins a work rivalry with him. Keith doesn't actually GAF about making partner because he's only planning on working at the firm for a few years to help pay off his student loans, but Lance doesn't know that. However, Keith is a naturally very competitive person, and he also likes having Lance's attention, so Keith immediately goes all in on the rivalry.

Lance, internally: "This Fucking Guy."

Keith, internally: "I am so good at flirting."

The first few months are rough between them. However both are also incredibly productive in their work.

The romcom part of the AU kicks in once the two of them have to start working together on a huge high stakes civil case and they're both like wow.... *twirls hair* he's so competent.............. <3

Anyway misc. things:

TBH I have no idea what kind of law Keith and Lance might private practice... I'm also really torn on what Shiro, Allura, and Hunk would practice hdjsksdhedf

Pidge is hired on a fellowship for either environmental law or data security/privacy law.

Coran does employment law.

Keith went into law school planning on going into public interest/not-for-profit legal aid and swore he would never, ever do corporate law but then he saw his student loans and was like. Hm. Okay maybe some Biglaw is okay. And that's how he ended up at the firm.

Keith:

[imhereformysciencefriends]

Day 5: Historical Period

Tags: @loturaweek2024 Frozen AU, minor character death, schemes, background Shiro/Keith, Extremely background Alfor/Melenor, magic, Lotor's generals are there

Read on AO3

The fourteenth child of a man who hated all of them would gain no power. Lotor had known that before he’d even really understood how the line of succession worked, when he was still asking questions like he might receive useful answers, but oh, he’d always known.

When he’d grown a little older, he surmised that if he was ever going to hold political power, it would be in a different country, married off to that country’s sovereign; it would never, ever be won from his own merit or worth. But that, of course, presented the problem of what sovereign would marry the fourteenth son, instead of a second or third.

But perhaps he could marry a duchess close to the top of her own line of succession, and then. Well. Accidents happened all the time, didn’t they? It seemed the best, if not only, option, and Lotor was determined to one day hold a throne, he wasn’t picky on which.

So he studied foreign languages like he would die if he didn’t, and wound up fluent in tongues his brothers and sisters had only ever passingly heard of. He sent his spies out far and wide, looking for chinks in the armor of foreign dignitaries, gossip, predictions, oracles.

And then, one year, he found it. The little magic country of Altea. Known largely for its exports of ice, and the shrouding rumors that surrounded it of powerful magic. Lotor had magic, himself, most noble lines did, but Altea’s was rumored to be something else entirely. Pity, then, that they were largely regarded as hermits by most of the civilized world, sequestered away on their little northern island with its large fishing ports and large ice production and nothing else of any noteworthy size at all. Except, of course, that whenever someone did try to conquer the tiny island to round off that ugly looking little corner on the map, they were thoroughly bested no matter if they sent ten or a hundred thousand troops to Altea’s borders.

Enticing, even if the rest of the island’s economy was dull.

Still. A throne was a throne, and Lotor would not be picky in his pursuit of the title he knew he was destined for. And the spy he’d sent north, his Ezor, who had what was well regarded as powerful magic in her own right, spoke marvels in his ear.

Twin sisters the only heirs. The throne held by a regent after a horrible accident at sea had taken the rulers. The elder twin was seen as cruel and cutthroat, her peoples hesitant and wary of what would happen to them when she took the throne. The younger twin was sweet and beloved by all Altea, a kind-hearted girl who’d been kept locked up in the castle since her parents’ passing.

And oh, what an opportunity. Exactly what Lotor needed. The younger would be sweet, lonely, a little naive, Lotor was well familiar with the act of shaping himself into anything another person wanted, he could be her dashing prince, wed her, and discreetly remove her elder sister, who sounded reviled enough that the people might not even investigate her death too closely. Of course, he’d have Narti or Ezor do it, their work as assassins flawless, but there might be room for error, which Lotor rarely received.

He called the other three back from their scouting.

Altea would have its coronation on the twins’ birthday, when they came of age to take the throne from the hands of their regent, and Lotor needed only to convince his father to allow him to be the representative their country sent. Something that would, ideally, not be too difficult, as he did not believe that callus man had any intentions of sending any representative to little Altea at all.

Finally. Finally, the opportunity Lotor had been waiting for all his life.

***

Altea was beautiful. Even Zethrid, who was rarely moved by any beauty not attached to a giggling woman, agreed. Its trees were old and… alive, in a way that Lotor would not typically liken to an inanimate object. The sky was crisp and blue, the architecture quaint but solidly built, favoring quality and longevity over speed in erecting the buildings, the streets were clean, its people sensibly well dressed, and the glistening ocean port was clear as a gemstone.

This would be a fine country to be king of.

“Sire, is that… the princess?” Acxa asked with quiet confusion, and Lotor glanced at her only long enough to follow her line of sight.

There in the streets, dancing and singing with a group of children, was one of the most beautiful women Lotor had ever laid eyes on. She had long, cascading, wavy hair so dark a brown it was nearly black and light brown eyes squinted up in a smile, pink markings on her cheeks that were such a defining mark of Altean beauty standards and pigmented cosmetics, her dress lovely, but not necessarily noticeably nicer than the peasantry around her. Even so, when compared to the sketch that Ezor had given him of the younger twin—

“Yup, that’s her alright,” Ezor said from behind Acxa, leaning in a little. “She’ll do this, just wander around outside the castle until her sister’s guardsmen come haul her back in. For someone sneaking out, she doesn’t really hide her identity much.”

“We can only hope her elder sister will be similarly careless in allowing her guard to drop,” Lotor muttered, so quietly that only his four most trusted allies could hear him. “Still, an opportunity should not be wasted, I will introduce myself.”

Narti’s hand on his arm stilled him as he took his first step, and she gestured, subtly, towards the castle.

The guards were here to collect their princess. Well, better then to spare her any embarrassment. He would introduce himself properly inside the castle halls, as a foreign dignitary to local royals, no real loss there. And this confirmed his suspicions: that she was sweet and naive. That she was a softhearted little fool that snuck away from her minders to play with children and flowers.

Naivety could be exploited. Who better, then, than him? He would do her no harm for being sweet and young and trusting. He would help her rise to power and be her ally and confidant, help her with ruling and her responsibilities, shape himself to what she wanted and be the dashing romantic hero of her dreams. She would be the happiest queen in the world, and he would be rightfully made king.

He arched his back and squared his shoulders, pictured himself the beautiful man of a sweet young girl’s imaginings, and strode forward.

***

The castle was opened on the day of the coronation, Altea’s people welcomed into its halls to mingle and eat and dance before the ceremony that evening. To say Lotor was unused to such customs would be a wretched understatement, but while in Altea, do as the Alteans do. He put on a charming smile and pretended he was not at all bothered by being spoken to as though an equal by peasants, was carefully neutral towards all wait staff who he overheard the paupers thanking (he would wait to see if the Altean nobility did such things before lowering himself such), and did not raise his hackles at being so crowded. How Altea’s royal line persisted at all was a mystery to him, anyone could slip in with the crowd and assassinate anyone they felt like! Ezor and Narti would have a trivially easy time removing the elder twin once his marriage to the younger was complete.

But it was a day of celebration, and Lotor had larger fish to fry (there was quite a lot of fish on offer, this being a port city on a small island). He searched for the young princess but couldn’t quite find her, the lovely lady all but invisible since he’d formally introduced himself on his arrival.

The elder twin was far more obvious, accepting nervous shows of goodwill from her citizens and schmoozy congratulations from foreign sycophants. Typically Lotor would be among them, but Hira was not his target (well, not in that way, and not tonight).

After a few fruitless hours, he made a casual, half-careless inquiry to a group of diplomats who seemed as offput by the paupers’ presence as he was, and showing it thrice as badly, “Has anyone seen the lovely Princess Allura?”

“No, and neither the Regent.”

Hm, Lotor admittedly hadn’t even been looking for him. But very well, then, he would simply have to go searching for his mark. Just as he resolved to do so, heralds announced the arrival of the King Regent, Coran, some cousin or distant relative of the late King Alfor (and that their regent wasn’t even a relation to their sovereign was. Interesting. He still wasn’t sure if perhaps Ezor was mistaken on that). Allura swaned in behind him, silent and more beautiful than the day he first laid eyes on her.

King Regent Coran gave a truly lovely speech, extolling the virtues of Hira while dancing neatly away from her vices, which the people of Altea seemed all too uneasily aware of. Hira then proved herself the rightful heir to the throne with a display of magic, her snow-white hair and ice-blue eyes glittering with energy as she summoned a flurry mid-summer, snow dancing around delighted children and a chill wind sending shivers up the spines of their worried parents. Lotor admitted he was, at least a little bit, impressed. No magic of his home country could change the weather, though many a witch lost themselves in their hubris attempting to do so.

Hira stood, proud and regal and with an all-too-familiar glint of cruelty in those ice-blue eyes, and waited as the King Regent removed his own crown, setting it neatly on a silken pillow, and lifted the coronal to place on Hira’s brow.

A knife protruded from the princess’s stomach, just barely below her ribs.

For a flash, Lotor panicked. It was too early, far too public, why would Ezor or Narti—but then the corpse fell to the floor and revealed not his own women, but the Princess Allura behind her.

The room was as shocked as he was, rising tension speaking of a bubbling panic that would seize the room in scarce moments. The guards were reacting the best, getting the regent away from the princess, others were crowding on her, but then her voice cut, clear as the day, through the whole room,

“My people!” The air itself seemed to still for her. “Forgive me! This is not how I wished for this to go. But please, please believe me when I say that this was a cruel act born out of necessity, not any pleasure of mine.”

The guards that had closed on the princess were now retreating half-steps back, warned away by the two that had joined Princess Allura on the dias. Altea’s Champion, Shiro, famed throughout the little country as being undefeatable, rumors swirling around him of how he’d defended their shores near-single-handedly from any foreign attackers from the moment the previous rulers had knighted him, one who bore a white shock of hair despite no relation to the royal line and possessed arcane magic down his right arm. Altea’s Blade, Keith, whose hair might be raven black, but could perceive magic with uncanny ability, such that Ezor could never approach him when she was invisible, his hackles immediately raised. He was less famed though no less deadly, and that these two would side with the younger princess would work marvels for her reputation amongst the people. Lotor knew all too well how helpful it was to have competent supporters.

“Whatever cruelties you feared from my sister Hira, know she intended worse,” Princess Allura implored her gathered people, the regent now quite successfully removed from the area, her hair slowly turning white from the tips up, her soft brown eyes turning colder, lighter, ice-blue. “For years since our parents’ deaths, she has locked me in this very castle and tormented me with horrible stories of what she planned the moment she had power to enact it. The beautiful magic our grandmothers and our grandmother’s grandmothers passed down for generations would have been perverted and twisted, used for cruelty for the sake of her own amusement. She would have fashioned herself a conqueror, rather than a defender, and sent our people out to die on foreign shores for the sake of her own ego. I did not do this for power, only for the safety of our people, and those she would have raised Altea’s fist against!”

It was a moving speech. Even more impressive if it was true. Lotor would hardly have blamed her for killing her sister even if she had done it just for power, he’d had the same aim after all, but her competence of speech and intellect could not be ignored. All around him, Altea’s people were moved by the lovely young princess’s words, and Lotor felt a thrill heretofore yet unexperienced at his next realization.

He had been so, so wrong about her.

Wilting, soft, naive, sweet little girl she was not. Well, sweet and soft, perhaps, perhaps still those, yes. The tears in her eyes at the blood on her hands truly did not seem feigned, and if they were she was a phenomenal actress, and he had seen her out dancing and flower braiding with children. But there was a desperate steel within her, also. Politically shrewd enough to win Altea’s Champion and Blade to her side before committing the deed. Conducting her sororicide in public, in full daylight, in front of the largest crowd she would ever get on this tiny island, rather than taking the sneaky route, he wasn’t sure if that was bravery or madness.

The white reached the roots of her hair, her eyes seemed to glow with the iciness of their new blue. The transferral of their bloodline’s magic was complete, Hira’s corpse now on the floor with strawberry-chestnut hair and eyes Lotor couldn’t see.

She staggered.

“I, wait, what is—?” she asked, now quieter, confused. The temperature of the room dropped palpably, and continued to decline.

“Wait, stop, this isn’t, wait,” she murmured, staring at her own hands in front of her, her eyes glowing in earnest now. Outside, the soft, white, fluffy clouds that Hira had summoned turned heavy and black, blotting out the sun. A harsh, bitter wind wailed down the empty streets of Atlea, through the open doors and windows of the castle, and Lotor shuddered at the cold.

Shit, Narti was cold-blooded, fuck, it was summer, they’d not brought any of her gear, he needed—

“Princess,” Shiro said, his arms outstretched, placating, while Keith kept himself between the princess and the crowd.

“No, no, this isn’t supposed to—I am its rightful heir it shouldn’t—no, listen to me, stop!” Princess Allura seemed to be arguing with her own magic, and Lotor abruptly realized what was happening as he gathered Narti close to his chest and had Zethrid crowd her from the other side.

Immense, generational, ancient, powerful magic was now in the hands of someone who had never wielded it before. Hira had learned control over her birthright from childhood. Allura was entirely new, and overwhelmed, emotions already running high, and it seemed her natural talent for the power was far stronger than her sister’s had ever been, the magic pouring out of her like a burst dam. Frost spread across the stone floors, beautiful and patterned and unwelcome, flowing outwards like a mop bucket spilled.

“This isn’t—”

Icicles formed from the ceiling, the doorways, the window sills, people screaming, some fleeing, others gathering their children under them, shielding them so their backs would take any icicles that fell, if they did fall.

“This wasn’t supposed to happen—”

The stormclouds broke, heavy, fat snowflakes pelting down in the merciless winds.

“I was meant to stop—!”

Someone screamed, and Lotor heard an icicle shatter against the stone floor. Not a body, at least. The crowd was well and truly in a panic now, people fleeing, feet stomping, shit, trample risk, the princess—

In a burst of magic, an icy arch left in her wake, the princess fled. Out the doors, into the storm, and oh things were really out of hand now. Someone needed to seize control of the situation before the body count rose higher than just the once-princess Hira. Someone should—

Lotor was someone.

“Everyone, please!” he boomed, projecting his voice as best he could, summoning all his princely presence. Maybe a little dampened by his hair smacking himself repeatedly in the face in the torrent, but he’d suffered worse indignities than this. “We mustn’t panic! Everyone, further into the castle, guards, shut the doors and windows, barricade against the wind, castle staff, light fires, we need to gather together and preserve warmth!”

Okay, the panicking at least had stopped.

“I need volunteers to go out in groups of three or four with lanterns and find those who already fled! They are unlikely to last in this sort of storm wearing only their summer clothes! Castle staff, we need winter gear, those not lighting fires go unearth coats and gloves from storage and pass them along to the search groups. Everyone not engaged thusly: blankets! As many as this castle has. Everyone not assigned a task, crowd together and keep warm!”

Slower than he’d like, but moving for him (listening to him, obeying him, heeding him, these people, his people to be, it was a heady thing), people did as he ordered.

Well, in for a penny, in for a pound.

“Champion. Blade.” Lotor approached the pair, leaving Narti between Zethrid and Acxa, “I must speak with the King Regent.”

Keith was sporting a new slice down his cheek, likely clipped by the princess’ icy exit, Shiro’s glowing arm warm and wrapped behind him, his mortal hand pressing a cloth to the wound to stay the bleeding. Meeting his eyes, the Blade’s a curious shade of purple—maybe not so bereft of magic as all that—the pair nodded.

“Thank you for your help with all of this,” Shiro said gravely, and Lotor nodded his head in acknowledgement. Shiro was of suitable rank Lotor did not mind half so much to bow or speak as equals.

He was incredibly visible. Everywhere he went, all eyes were on him. He could feel the public’s approval. In this crisis, he’d swayed Altea to his side, and if he could ride this momentum he would be welcomed with open arms and celebration as their king. He nearly shivered with it, this was incredible, the chance he’d always wanted, his heart beat with how quickly things were moving.

He needed to keep them all safe.

“King Regent, I am Prince Lotor of Daibazaal,” he greeted, bowing precisely as low as a prince must to a foreign king while on that king’s land.

“Prince Lotor, I’m told you took control out there, my apologies I wasn’t there to do so myself,” the king returned, bowing much more shallowly to him.

Still, it was an optimistic sign that he bowed at all. Lotor would win his favor, also, and his path to the crown would be made all the easier.

“Not at all, your safety was paramount. I’ve gathered the people of Altea inside the castle walls, with search groups for those that fled to bring them here to share their warmth. Blankets and fires and what coats are available have been distributed, your people will be kept safe.”

“And of the princess?”

No longer the regent or king, Coran’s face broke in wretched distress, just a kindhearted old man worried sick for his little girl.

Lotor made himself soft. Compassionate. Assuring. Whatever the King Regent wanted him to be.

“She will be alright,” he said, not knowing or caring if it was true or not, his voice gentle, and made the bold choice to cross the distance between them and settle a soft hand on the regent’s arm. “Her own magic would surely not dare harm her, you will not lose a second niece today.”

The sweet old man had tears in his eyes, and covered Lotor’s hand with his own.

“I pray to all our Ancients you are correct.”

“Your Majesty, with your permission,” Lotor said, now locking on this next wild and swift opportunity, “I would search for her, myself. Grant me gear enough for myself and my four most loyal to brave the blizzard, and we will return her safely to you.” And perhaps, in doing so, Lotor might finally win himself a blasted conversation with the elusive woman he was set on marrying.

“I could not ask this of you.”

“You are not asking. I make the offer.”

“It is deadly outside these walls.”

“The princess is not the only one with white hair.” Because she wasn’t. He couldn’t consciously use the damned magic, but he had it. He knew what his own magic did. Fortunately, it was all that it took to convince the worried, fatherly man.

“Then please, Prince Lotor of Daibazaal,” the regent said, lifting Lotor’s hand and clasping it between his two, “bring my princess home safe to me.”

Such trusting creatures, these Alteans.

Well, it wasn’t like Lotor was going to shatter such trust. Merely exploit it.

“Of course.”

He returned the way he came, passing by the guards outside the door, passing by the Champion and Blade, heads on one another’s shoulders, past Ezor, who waited invisibly for him in the hall just outside of the Blade’s range, and returned to Narti.

“We will have equipment soon, by the regent’s order. Will you be capable of facing the snow?” he asked, low and quiet.

Narti, bundled in a heavy blanket she shared with Zethrid and Acxa, nodded gravely, only once.

“Good. We search for the Princess Allura, and will bring her back here, safe and unharmed.”

“We’re gonna be heroes, boss?” Ezor asked, playful and spritely but just as quiet.

“Our names shall be remembered in the histories of this kingdom’s tomes. I continue to curry favor. The plan remains unchanged.”

Well. They wouldn’t have to kill Hira themselves. But aside from that, unchanged.

Once swaddled in coats and gloves and scarves and heavy boots, Narti’s pockets lined with magic-touched firestones and runes embroidered at the hems (it was good of them, to give her something clearly constructed for royalty (but then again, Hira wouldn’t be needing such articles ever again, now would she?)) they slipped through the doors of the castle, opened only just a crack to ward off the cold, and braved the blizzard.

If he were a sweet young princess, distressed with the blood on his own hands, terrified of the power he now freshly wielded, blindly fleeing, where would he go?

“Boss!” Acxa called over the howling wind, “Something’s on the mountain that wasn’t there before!”

His sharp eyed shooter. He could barely make out the shadow of the mountain, but Acxa had always had a keener eye than most.

He led the way.

It was not what he would call a pleasant climb. Even when the blizzarding mount gave way to magically constructed stairways and bridges, it was still a very tiresome number of stairways, uphill. The storm continued, worsened, by his measure, and at more than one point they had to catch one another from falling on the icy steps.

But eventually, many hours or even a day later, they did arrive at the… structure. It looked loosely like a castle? But only just. Less inviting. A lot more spikes.

And a horrible, snowy warden, that was rather atypical.

The beast lumbered up, made of snow and ice and trapped twigs and dirt and gravel, a shambling mass that towered and lurched. It bellowed at them, and behind him, Lotor heard Zethrid laugh.

“My turn!” she crowed, and rushed past him with her axe already out.

“Sir, what is that?” Acxa asked, rather incredulously.

“Likely just a manifestation of the princess’s magic, summoned to protect her from unwanted visitors. Acxa, Narti, keep Zethrid alive and the beast distracted. Ezor, watch their backs.”

“Sir!” the three chorused, Ezor stepping backwards and flicking invisible, the other two surging forwards, drawing their weapons as they went. Lotor, for his part, snuck around behind the thing, and entered the not-quite-castle.

Jagged, sharp edges protruded from every surface. Atlea’s castle made of ice instead of stone, and far less welcoming. Spikes and blades, icicles and whatever the frozen equivalent of a stalagmite was, shards as sharp as glass and just as clear, Lotor found himself thankful for the lent, thick boots, and navigated carefully.

He heard no weeping, so, no finding her by sound. Though, if the girl had killed her own sister so boldly, maybe she wasn’t the type to weep after all. If this castle was any indication of her mind, he might even find a kindred spirit in her.

She wasn’t crying. But when he found her, he did find her curled up in a little ball, huddled in the corner of the spikiest room to date. Her dress was in tatters, her hair a mess, her fingers trembling where she gripped herself in some facsimile of a hug.

“Princess,” he said gently, fashioning himself into a dashing hero, a suave prince, a savior, a fairy tale.

Her head jerked up with a jolt, eyes wide with fear, mouth open in a sharp breath of panic.

“Come no closer! It is not safe for you here!”

“Princess, it is alright,” he said, so gentle and placating, hands raised, face open.

“No, no, it isn’t, nothing was supposed to go this way, everything is wrong!” She clutched the sides of her head, still panicking after all these hours, her breath short and shallow.

“Breathe, Your Highness, it’s going to be okay,” he coaxed, stepping closer slowly.

“It can’t be!”

Okay, the dashing gentle angle wasn’t working. He tried commanding, straightening his shoulders and emboldening his voice. “It is your power, your magic. You must gather your wits about you—”

A sudden, heavy jut of ice erupted from the floor and struck him dead center of his chest, sending him flying backwards. On any other man, it might have killed him.

The princess wailed. “I told you!” she cried, feet kicking out against the icy floor, driving her further into the corner, “I told you! I told you this would happen!”

“I’m fine,” Lotor grit out, then coughed sorely. Alright. Not commanding, lesson learned, he would be giving the princess no orders. He rose slowly back to sitting, hand on his chest, ribs burning with ache, but he would live. It was a magic blow. It couldn’t kill him.

“Princess, I’m alright,” he said, unable to keep the pain from his voice, a smidge of irritation, but he couldn’t tell if she heard him. Her face was buried in her knees again, trembling hands tangled in her hair.

Hm. He found himself at an unusual loss for words. He could normally think of at least something, but he wasn’t sure what Allura wanted him to be, and he was making no progress on figuring it out.

He drew closer to her, not particularly hiding his footfalls, but not making any intentional noise either. Once close, he leaned his back to the wall and slid down, seated right beside her, close enough to reach out and touch.

He didn’t. One pillar of ice to the chest was more than enough for the day. But still, he found himself at loss for words.

Outside, just barely over the din of the raging storm, he heard Zethrid crow with delight and the heavy sound of some sort of impact. At least someone was having a nice time with all of this.

Dashing, gentle prince didn’t work. Commanding, powerful authority didn’t work. It was too late to play meek, and he wasn’t very good at that angle anyway. Perhaps something related to how the regent was worried about her? An assurance that her destructive powers had not caused her people any harm?

But in the end, it was not him that broke the silence. “What are you doing here?” she asked miserably, words muffled in her knees.

“Looking for you,” he answered honestly, before he could think of a more witty or poetic answer.

She lifted her head, appearing much less panicked, and looked at him—truly looked at him, as she hadn’t even when he introduced himself upon his arrival—with tired eyes and a stray lock of hair falling over her face. Lotor had never seen a woman in such… mundane disarray. Even in Daibazaal, when a noble was in a fit, they might go for a fainting couch or artful dishevelment, not this painful, miserable, tired sort of…

“Tch,” she clicked, raising a hand to swipe at her eye. “And what is a prince of Daibazaal even doing here?” she asked, a much different question from before.

Still, he answered honestly, with a small shrug as he said, “Looking for you.”

“Me?”

“I would have courted your sister, if I had thought she’d ever allow me to woo her.” The words tumbled out of his mouth before he realized he said them, surprising himself with his own honesty.

She snorted, jerking, and it was an ugly, mundane sound, so fitting with the miserable, tired bags under her eyes and the shredded mess of her dress, that he suddenly found himself feeling fake. Glass facets where she was a jewel. Dead wood painted with browns and greens, carved and shredded, where she was an actual tree. There was something more real about her than even the ice and snow and stone beneath them, and his breath caught in his throat.

“No, you would have had no success there. She had no interest in… anyone, really. Save herself.”

Lotor wanted to reach out and touch her. To caress the crumpled lock of snow-white hair from her face, to touch this radiant being that was somehow so much more real than he was. It distracted him from finding words that would—impress her? Woo her? Calm her, manipulate her, puppet her? He forgot what he was meant to be doing.

“I don’t blame you for what you did,” he said, not sure what his damned mouth was doing, but he let it prattle on anyway. “I don’t think anyone does.”

“Everyone must hate me,” she said, wet and high, and tears gathered in her eyes again.

“No one hates you. They understood your reasoning, and the snow has frightened them, but none hate you.”

“I—have you…”

Lotor tilted his head.

“Have you heard any word from my uncle?”

“He worries for you,” Lotor said, gentle and soft without even trying to be. “He was nearly moved to tears with his fear for your wellbeing.”

Princess Allura sniffled and wiped at her eyes again.

“He is a good man,” she said.

“Would that I had such an uncle,” Lotor said, since, well, honesty had been the only thing she’d responded to thus far. Might as well.

“He has always been good to us. She would’ve killed him, I know she would have. Not right away, but as soon as he got in the way of her plans, she would’ve gotten ‘rid’ of him, just as she wanted to rid of me.”

Lotor reached out before his good sense could stop him, curling his fingers gently around her hand.

“You would not have let her.”

Nor would Lotor. But that wasn’t the important part, and also she didn’t really need to know that.

She squeezed his hand with impressive strength.

A silence passed between them, Lotor marveling at the touch of her. A sprawling mountain forest, holding the hand of a potted plant.

“Sorry I struck you. I didn’t mean to.”

“It will take more than that to kill me, Princess, worry not. I am merely sore.”

“I could kill you,” she said, her hand in his own beginning to tremble again. “I could—I am—”

“You could not,” he said, trying to sound firm without being commanding or arrogant. “Allura, you are not the only one with white hair.”

She looked at him again, surprised, but, yes, he did in fact have white hair.

“Oh. You are—a witch then?”

“Not quite,” he said, a little ruefully, “I might have had an easier time, if I was, but then again, I might be dead. I am what is called ‘fate touched.’ No magic can kill me.”

She made a curious sound, and in the corner of his eye, he realized the spikes and icicles were receding into the walls.

Well. Honesty was working. Time to share his secrets.

“It is as it sounds. No act of magic can kill me, no matter how powerful. I am not protected from all harm, and I do still feel pain, but I’ve survived every magical act ever laid upon me, even when others wouldn’t, or didn’t. If I am to be assassinated one must use more primitive means. And even then, an enchanted blade could not kill me any more than a magic column of ice.”

“You sound quite sure of that.”

He shrugged.

“To be stabbed by one’s sister is a more common occurrence in Daibazaal, than I gather it is here.”

Allura’s face caved with pity and horror. “Your own sister?”

Lotor shrugged again. “As the fourteenth of fourteen, I was not particularly needed, and my personality, in Daibazaal, is not quite well liked. It made manifest my magic, at the least, so now I know what this blasted hair indicates. Even though I’ve no control over it, and outside of perilous situations it does nothing.”

Allura huffed. “Would that mine was so passive.”

She stared out at the room around them, then frowned, noticing the changes.

“It seems tied to your emotions,” Lotor remarked, her hand a burning star in the brittle earth of his own. “Such magics are difficult to control, but not impossible. Is not your Champion’s much the same?”

Allura sighed. “He has a lover on which to ground himself when his mind feels lost, a steadfast, even personality from default, and far more practice than I.”

“You seem to be doing better with it now, by my measure.”

Beyond the icy walls, the sound of blizzarding gales was subsided, and the sky, though not quite visible through all the ice, felt as though it was lighter.

He’d helped. This was, at least in part, the result of his own doing. He’d helped her. Grounded her. It was a pride immeasurable, beating in his chest.

“And if I am lost to my distress again?”

Lotor turned to face her fully, twisting onto a knee and genuflecting before her, clasping her hand earnestly.

“Then we will deal with this again. It is your magic now, you cannot hide from it, only grasp the opportunity you have made for yourself and shoulder the consequences. I—” he felt unusually self-conscious, as he spoke his next words, “I would remain with you here, if you think my presence at all a boon.”

She smiled, a little wryly, and tilted her head at him, one brow neatly arched. “Here to look for me indeed.”

Lotor blinked. Oh he, well, yes. Yes, he was here to win her, but, in making his offer he’d forgotten—

“I… am not opposed, though,” she mused, staring down at their hands between them, her thumb brushing a fire-bright line over the back of his glove.

Lotor burst out laughing, his head dropping. “Princess,” he said around his own hysterics, “absolutely nothing about this conversation went as I had thought it might. There is,” he lifted his head again and looked her in the eye, submitting to his urge to reach out and caress away her stray lock of hair from her face, “something so ardently compelling about you.”

She smiled, and all remaining traces of jagged edges and spikes vanished into the floors and walls, sunlight breaking through the clouds and glinting off the pristine ice.

“I must confess the same of you. I would… like to get to know you better, Prince…?”

“Lotor,” he supplied, not even offended she’d forgotten his name.

“Prince Lotor, take me home.”

“Yes, Princess.”

He lifted her, her tattered dress and shoes like as not to be useless on the trek back down, and realized that, in the span of a single conversation, his lifelong goal had been abruptly changed.

No longer did he wish to marry her so he might one day become king.

Now he only wished to marry her.

[autisticlancemcclain]

fic rec friday 21

welcome to the twenty-first fic rec friday! where, on friday, i rec five of my favourite fics.

1. Most Artists are Messy by @shipsgalore

Lance is drawing a complicated flower on the base of Keith’s wrist and it makes his lips pull up into a smile despite the panic. They’re always flowers when it comes to Lance. He uses them in everything he does, and usually doesn’t even know he’s doing it. Keith can count on one hand how many times the doodles on his arms haven’t been of flowers.

i love this one because keith & lance are just blatantly and clearly autistic. it’s wonderful. it’s sweet and fluffy and it’s a modern au, which as y’all know is my jam, and the last few paragraphs do this specific thing with sentiment repetition that genuinely gets to me every time

2. Be Alive With Me Tonight by @caesaria [EXPLICIT] [ABO]

When the Blade of Marmora requests assistance on an information gathering mission, Lance and Keith go undercover as a bonded alpha and omega pair. At first, it seems like this is going to be more like a vacation than a mission – right up until everything falls apart and they realize how unprepared they really are. Now, Lance and Keith have to fight to not only survive, but to make it out together. They’ll have to rely not only on their skills as Paladin, but the bond they’ve created and nurtured between them.

okay i gave this one the explicit warning bc there are chapters that are explicit, but tbh the scenes are skippable if that’s not ur thing. now this fic is an EPIC. truly. its a quarter million words and the plot is breathtaking, the worldbuilding is iconic and the romance is like HOLY SHIT. this is a novel, and better yet its a KLANCE novel, so. highly recommend if you have a day or two to read.

3. roses by @renyoi

Lance is always getting flowers for Keith, so Keith decides to return the favor--with a little help, of course.

written for prompt #4 of klance valentine's week!

keith is hilarious here. just in general but here especially and i love him. he wants to pamper lance so so badly and hes so straightforward and earnest!! and allura’s character in here is also excellent. i will leave u with this one line from the fic that made me laugh it loud: “ The next day, the sun rises to Keith Kogane, dressed all in black (that’s all that was clean, okay?!), loitering around in front of Alluring Blossom, the 5-star-rated “I’ve never had such a delightful bouquet delivered to me in my entire life!” flower shop of a woman named Allura Altea. Keith automatically trusted her because he loves people that also have alliteration in their names. “ king. love him

4. here it comes by rideahorse

Keith watched a lonely droplet of water fall from Lance’s soaked bangs, curving a path over the bridge of his nose and then pooling—almost teasingly so—at the bow of his lips.

“I feel like I won, for some reason,” Lance said quietly.

what have i told yall about fics from 2016!!! this fic made me SMILE and im not usually a fan of like senior year of high school fics but holy shit!! holy SHIT!! this fic had me smiling and kicking my feet and losing my mind. i will leave u with the note i put on my bookmark (spoiler warning):

a couple things: 1. “lance is a bad influence” and “lance is a pretty princess (tm)” are god tier tags so thanks for that 2. keith with a tongue piercing. must i say more. 3. i miss keith gyeong that was an excellent era 4. the couple tattoo moment had me taking a Moment 5. here’s how i imagine the aftermath of this: shiro: i saw u ditched prom. are you okay? keith: yeah actually! lance convinced me that we have to have a wild final night, so we went to a High School Party (tm), i decked a guy for lance and your honour, we panic drove away, went skinny dipping in a pool, got caught, ran away naked for two blocks, went to sonic in another town, got matching tattoos, fucked in the backseat of my car, and watched the sunrise :)) shiro: shiro: shiro: shiro: i’m sorry. what were those last parts keith: yeah i know you really like sunrises we probably should have invited you :// but it was kind of an us thing i’m sure you understand :) shiro: KEITH

anyways i laughed

5. if silence was a song by @angstinspace

“It’s … Your show is on so late at night,” Keith tries to explain, as if Lance didn’t know this already. “I guess I was just wondering why that is.”

A crackling silence answers him, and Keith’s stomach sinks. Did Lance hang up? Keith can’t exactly blame him.

But then he hears Lance make a noise––a short huff of breath that might have been either an impatient sigh or a quiet laugh … Keith has no clue.

“That’s the reason you’re calling? To complain about my time slot?”

or, Keith starts anonymously calling Lance's college radio show and develops an unexpected crush.

@catnippackets did a comic of this i believe, and it literally never leaves my head. yall know the trope where one person gets a phone call and halfway through they sigh wistfully and say “god i wish you were here” and then the other person smiles so viscerally it can be felt through the phone and they say “look behind you” and theyre THERE?????? that makes me lose it every time. i love this fic

that’s it for today!! i’ll see y’all back next friday for the next fic rec post!!!    

[angst-in-space]

altea rising // chapter 15

vld | klance | T+ | ongoing | 152k+

fic summary:

When Shiro and Matt disappear without a trace, Keith seeks out the help of Matt's sister, Pidge—who, like him, suspects that something paranormal is afoot. A trail of clues leads them to a ghost town called Altea, where they meet ghost hunters Hunk and Lance. The group soon discovers they are paladins—they have the ability to walk between the physical and spirit worlds. An evil spirit named Zarkon is planning to invade the human world... and the only way to stop him, and to save Shiro and Matt in time, is to form an immensely powerful being called Voltron. But in order to do that, they'll need to find all five ghost lions—each located in one of the most haunted locations in the world.

tags:

Alternate Universe - Ghosts, Slow burn Klance, Alternate Universe - Paranormal, Ghost Hunting, basically the lions are giant ghosts and the paladins have to find them all in haunted places, and keith learns about the magic of friendship, very very slow burn, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Sharing a Bed, POV Keith

CHAPTER 15 / (5.9k)

The group makes plans to find the Black Lion, and Keith learns a shocking truth about his identity.

read on ao3!

[vammppyre]

WARNING VOLTRON SPOILERS also blurb of thoughts n shit on it <3 basically a public voltron-centered diary entry at this point bc i have nobody to talk to irl so buckle up!!

just finished voltron and i’m fucking SOBBING. i finally started rewatching it a few days ago (kickstarted by a single keith post) when i had watched a few seasons before but not finished; from my scrambled memories of it as i rewatched, i think i originally stopped around season 7 somewhere?

anyway i had gotten to the beginning of s8 earlier tonight but when i got on our beloved hell site for the first time in like ages i went n followed a bunch of voltron tags and got a eensy weensy spoiler (lances markings he gets from allura) and was like GOTTA GO WATCH BC HOW DID THAT HAPPEN

so i binged all of s8 since like midnight and spent half of the last ep SOBBING. and i am NOT a crier. like. thinking they were gonna permanently lose their reality turned on all the fucking waterworks. allura’s sacrifice?? more sobbing. then crying from relief and also sad (allura) when they actually got their reality back. and then

AND THEN

ALTEA IS BACK?? BUT ITS THEIR REALITY??

and like lance is pretty much living there now and like the way he changed so much AND HIS MARKINGS 😭😭😭 like i love klance don’t get me wrong but oh my fucking god. what happened with him and allura. SOBBING. he literally cared for her more than anything and i can’t fucking imagine the shit he went through trying to accept and move forward once she was gone.

the REAL kicker was getting those pics of them all growing up and moving on with their lives. like i’ve fallen in love with all these characters over the last few days and those 8 seasons. i know yall get the end-of-series effect like this bc like come on we all do but we neverrr get a montage like that, at least not in any of the other shows that i know and love.

like wdym pidge is growing up?? and allura’s gone, leaving lance without her while he follows in her footsteps and lives on her planet? and shiro settled down and got a husband???

literally we got like ten minutes max (i don’t wanna go back and look and cry harder) of the rest of the storyline all smushed together and it’s so much and im sobbing anyway

i love this show sm i can’t wait to fully dive into the fandom <3

[furiarossa]

"David sighed. The curse of his beautiful devil face still struck: they always believed him to be ill-intentioned, even when he meant nothing bad. After so many years he should have gotten used to it, but instead every time he was a little surprised.

He wasn't hurt anymore, not that... but it wasn't a good feeling.

He tried to smile with as much enthusiasm as he could muster, his empty hands gesticulating in front of him, hoping to make his interlocutor understand his sincerity.

«I assure you, Altea, that there is not a shred of malice in my proposal» She said, excitedly «I absolutely don't understand who you took me for. If the prophecy also speaks about me there is a reason... we are in this thing together. Destiny brought us here!»"

More DnD stuff with our version of '600 Sicilian David Xanatos: a little illustration for a role-play that we're doing with @lunartidesmagic.

[Oh, and a lot more of our Gargoyles fanarts: Here’s the Gargoyles tag on tumblr!]

★ Instagram|Facebook|FurAffinity|Deviantart|Commission prices★

[ao3feedsheith]

The White Lion And The Sea Of Time Arc3: Through The Sea Of Time

The White Lion And The Sea Of Time Arc3: Through The Sea Of Time https://archiveofourown.org/works/59536450 by TheCrystallineLion The Universe is finally saved, with Haggar no longer at the helm of the war, the threat of the Old Galra Empire is gone. Under the new leadership of Krolia and Kolivan the Empire begins its new era, Allura, Lance and Coran have been building up New Altea, and the Earth and Universe are healing. The majority of the war is finally over, but with war there are always costs. There was just one cost that was far too heavy, for as is told in Empires and Kingdoms of Old: "Heavy is the cost of the crown." Words were never truer, than these to the Galra Empire, The Altean Kingdom, and the Earth's Coalition. For they had all just lost a piece of themselves that was part of all three factions, and it had fractured them, mortally so. But the most afflicted were none more so than the Family That Had Found Each Other, but even still, two souls had shattered and fractured far more than any of them within it at the end. So when the Universe grants them another chance, a Family reunites and promises to right their wrongs. White Seeks Out Black. To Find, To Hold, To Save. "No matter how long it takes, and as many times at it takes." Words: 1583, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Series: Part 4 of The White Lion And The Sea of Time Fandoms: Voltron: Legendary Defender Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death Categories: F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi Characters: Keith (Voltron), Shiro (Voltron), Allura, Lance, Hunk, Pidge | Katie Holt, Romelle (Voltron), Matt Holt, Voltron Coalition Characters, The Blade of Marmora, other vld characters Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron), Allura/Lance (Voltron), Hunk/Shay (Voltron), Matt Holt/Romelle, Pidge/Original Character, Kolivan/Krolia (Voltron), Ina Leifsdottir/Nadia Rizavi, Acxa/Veronica (Voltron), Ezor/Zethrid (Voltron), Adam/Curtis (Voltron), James Griffin/Ryan Kinkade, Other VLD Ships Additional Tags: Eventual Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Minor Character Death, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Angst and Romance, Comfort/Angst, Romance, Action/Adventure, Angst and Feels, Family Feels, Angst with a Happy Ending, Happy Ending, Fix-It, Family Fluff, Major Character Undeath, Character Undeath, Pining Shiro (Voltron) via AO3 works tagged 'Keith/Shiro (Voltron)' https://archiveofourown.org October 07, 2024 at 12:46AM