#alteans live for centuries

[oliveden]

allura is blessed with a lifespan extending far past an ordinary human's. and yet, even then, she cannot live for tens of thousands of years.

despite this, she is one of the few who gained the gift of prophecy after becoming altean, and therefore one of the few who can guide the destined heroes.

alfor recognizes this, and though it hurts him like no other choice he's ever made, he leaves her in the mountains, frozen among the ice. if she falls in battle now, there would be no hope for the future.

(in the mountains, a small community of humans and alteans live, guarding the princess, ready to wake her when the war arrives.)

[nocturn-warrior]

Kiss of seedcake• 🌧

Lotor x f!reader

Summary: building a life with Lotor on Earth after the galras were defeated, you decide to try for a child :)

Rating: fluff, smut (breeding kink)

Notes: this is set after season 8 events, in a timeline where my boy Lotor didn't die and lives happily with u on Earth. This smut has a plot.

Warnings: mentions of pregnancy and lactation, body changes mentions, mentions racism towards Lotor, my grammar because i am not a native speaker lmao

since Sendak and his army was completely defeated thanks to Voltron and their allies. And with an extra help of the space visitors, human kind quickly rebuilt its structures, combining the advanced technologies of their new colleagues with their own. Flying vessels, space travels and colonies, complex security AI systems and media were a great leap in history.

Not surprisingly, interspecies relationships emerged among the coexistence of humans and extraterrestrials, besides it was a taboo for some people, the most conservative ones, you could easily spot a human walking and a balmeran holding hands on the streets. But as expected, racism towards the space visitors was a thing, especially towards the galra people.

Being blamed for the death of so many, even not having affiliation with Sendak’s deadly army, the purple skinned people were a target to bigotry not just coming from humans but also from other extraterrestrials. With your partner Lotor, it wasn’t different. Making public appearances together, you could feel the reproved gaze of your peers, judging the nature of your relationship as disgusting, selfish. Some showed concern, fearing Lotor could harm you in any way, while others called you an enemy, a traitor for engaging yourself to an individual of a species that slaved, tortured and killed so many in the galaxy.

As the only begotten son of emperor Zarkon, so many wanted his head for what his father caused during centuries, and for reprehensible actions of his own. You were constantly reminded of Lotor’s thirst to acquire quintessence and what he did to reach his goals, the hundreds of alteans locked in tanks he utilized as cattle to harvest the substance. The United Planets Council decided he would not receive death penitence or be locked for his crimes, but he should be exiled.

“Exiled… I am used to this condition”

It was better this way; though Lotor wanted and deserved redemption, not everyone including the paladins would accept it easily. When you established you would not abandon him, they immediately intervened reminding you of what his family caused to everyone, of what your late friend princess Allura would want. You were tired of it all. You loved Lotor and wanted to keep him safe, even if it means cutting connections with your friends. You couldn’t risk having your boyfriend stabbed from behind by a vengeful self-proclaimed punisher.

Lotor understood the gravity of his actions he didn’t even tried to defend himself. But he repined every day about how quintessence drove him mad, crazy for power, and that those moments of madness showed up as nothing but foggy memories in his mind. It broke your heart to see Lotor eager to be accepted in this new multispecies society, but being doomed by his past. Deep in his core, all he wanted was that: to be accepted and to fix everything up. Even when he was still the prince of the mighty galra empire, all he did was for a bigger purpose. He knew he took the wrong route, though.

Four years ago you moved together to your family’s old farm; only you, Lotor and the desire to begin a new life. Part of the farm, including the barn and the stable were destroyed by the attacks, but luckily the house you grew up in was intact, except for the dust and spider webs covering the rooms. Nothing you couldn’t fix up. Lotor is a quick learner, his intelligence was always something you appreciated, and with a quickly explaining of how to use house devices, he became a master at it except for the vacuum cleaner.

“How can you pilot a high technological spaceship and be defeated by a vacuum cleaner, my dear?”

You would tease him, leaning against a wall while seeing your lover struggle to clean the dust of the living room. Lotor in his endeavor would blame the device instead of admitting he was having a bad time using it. You find that silly and adorable. It took some days for your house to be properly inhabited again, with Lotor’s help, everything was easy.

He would wash clothes, cook for you – that thin waist of his looked adorable in one of your late grandmother’s apron, and a few other things. But still, he missed space and missed the adrenaline. That mind of his was always hunger for knowledge and staying so much time without absorbing anything was frustrating and tedious. Lotor in fact would not complain about it, but noticing the lack of enthusiasm in your love, you gifted him with a box of the old books you used to read while graduating; psych, biology, chemistry, and others you kept a special interest about but were not exactly linked to your graduation; history and anthropology.

Besides you were a good storyteller, talking about the myths and cultures of your species along with its advances and knowledge on science, nothing compares to touch, read and learn about something from primary fonts. As you expected, Lotor was more than happy when you handled him your collection. Some of the concepts stored in the books were at least eight years outdated, but still he could have a notion of humankind’s plurality, maybe hoping he could integrate himself into society one day.

Everything was so perfect you feared something bad would happen to spoil the moment. Your days were simple and cozy in your home, and occasionally you had to leave to buy some groceries but would come back soon.

Four years ago when the invasion occurred, families found shelter in the rural areas once the galras attacked the big urban centers first. And from this, a small agriculture and livestock centered community was born. They provided food for the cities near the reagion, and living only one or two miles away, you groceries from first hand.

In this specific day, you arrived home carrying a bag full of fresh fruits, vegetables, flour and some animal products. Lotor was sitting on the couch. He wore a grey sweater that reached the mid of his wrists and black sweatpants that barely reached his ankles, snuggling on his muscular calves. Big boy problems. His starlight hair tied into a messy bun was occasionally scratched as he concentred on the book he was reading. In fact, he was so focused on the book that didn't even notice you comming.

"Im back, love!"

You said opening the door and he slightly jumped on his seat.

"Hello, dear! I indeed didn't perceive you arriving. I was quite concentrated on this book i've been reading"

He got himself together, cleaning his throat before helping you to take the groceries to the kitchen. His gaze immediatly directed towards the sway of your hips as you walked.

"Which one is this?"

You ask, placing the bags on the table and cleaning your hands. Lotor blinks for a while, being snapped out of his beholding state:

"It is about the development of agriculture and how it's linked to the appearance of religious cults. I am quite amused by the first forms of art created by your species, dear, and how the belief in gods and deities is linked to the discovering of agriculture. It is pretty interesting how such topics that don’t seem to be linked at first sight are related.”

He continues:

 “The most interesting part, my dear, is that most of these civilizations were situated in quite green and prosper lands, therefore their deities reflected in the places they inhabited. While the people that lived in arid and desert places had vengeful and warrior gods.”

He speaks with enthusiasm, smiling like you have not seen in at least four years. His lust for you was being masked with non-stop bragging about what he learned in that day. Lotor was indeed fascinated by how some ancient human civilizations valorized fertility and reproduction, but what excited him most was to put this in practice. His cock jutted against the fabric of his sweatpants when he saw those sensual statues of Venus in the pages of that book. He wanted you. He wanted to make you his own goddess of fertility.

After drying your hands on a towel, you swiftly turn to your husband, paying attention to his words. But the look on his feline eyes told you everything. The pupils were dilated, shiny like binary stars. You smirk, and when you do so, Lotor stumbles on his own words.

“I have been always fascinated with this topic too, my dear.”

You put on an innocent facade, crossing your arms and leaning your beautiful hips against the counter. Lotor’s hands twitched, urging to squeeze them as you ride his cock gracefully like the goddess you were to him. He licks his lips and smiles:

“Nothing fairer, darling. You are a goddess yourself. But do you know what is missing?”

You obliviously shake your head to his question.

“A seed to be fertilized in this womb of yours”

Just by hearing his deep sensual voice, you feel your core flutter with excitement. The galran prince approaches you, closing the space between your bodies. All you do is to let him guide you onto his arms and give yourself to this blissful heat.

His thumb traces your lowerbelly, imagining it growing as a proof of the seed he implanted in your womb. He imagines your breasts swelling, leaking the milk that will nurture your child.

Lotor sinks his hand under your hair, softly bringing you closer to him and intensifying the kiss. Your fingers travel under his sweater, tracing his divinely sculpted abs one by one. The desire of being impregnated by him only grew stronger and stronger.

He strips you down, taking off your shirt and giving your breasts good squeezes before attaching his lips to the plump sides of them, leaving soft hickeys on your skin. You pant caressing his jaw as he does it.

Then, his long fingers skim down towards your groin. He gently slids down the waistband and kneals down in front of you. Hugging your hips, Lotor attaches his mouth onto your cut, sweetly suckling your clit as you tug onto his hair, undoing the messy bun he had.

"Lotor..."

You moan sweetly, and it sounds like the chant of Earth itself, like the sounds of raindrops falling onto soil.

His skilled tongue dances around your clit. Your legs tremble and if he wasn't holding you still by your hips, you would definitly lose your balance with so much pleasure being given.

And like a water dam being open, your fluids flow into Lotor's mouth and he delights on it like honey. He moans pulling off and looking up to see your divine glory squirm in pleasure.

Standing up, Lotor holds you on his arms in bridal style, you lean in like a dandelion seed being carried by wind and he places you onto the canopy bed, the plush cushion softly sinking with your body.

Looking up at Lotor while he takes off his own clothing, you get a sight of his purple large cock deliciouspy jutting against his pants. It wiggles tantalizing when his boxers are finally down, hard and reaching his lower belly.

With your fingers you trace his abs again, they are sculpted and perfect like a statue meticulously carved in marble by the best of the sculptors. His silver bodyhair stands on ends with your touch.

Lotor gently inserts his large cock in your entrance, being enthralled by your moans. Your cunt is tight for his size, but soon it accomodates his full length.

He moans loudly and sensually twitching his hips, you reach out to squeeze his muscular butt as it recoils and releases with his thrust. Your motion seems like an extra stimulus.

"Stars. May your womb be a fertile field where i will plant my crops. You are perfect!"

He pants, the pace increasing and your bodies sweating, your pleasured noises echoing through the wood walls.

"I am going to fill you up, dear. I am going to make you a mother; i am going to make you my own fertility deity."

That was when you orgasmed.

It feels like you two were perfcetly designed for this, like your bodies were shaped by universe to create life. You bury your hand underneath Lotor's hair, his front strands are falling and tickling your face. As his pace increases, you hold it tighter and beautiful gasps leave his mouth.

"I- i am comming..."

Soon, the river flooded the land and you felt his warm seed inside your womb. Pace slowing down, Lotor remains the last frictions with his cock still in your vagine.

He pants a chuckle cleaning his sweaty forehead with his forearm. You let out a dizzy smile, reaching out to cup his cheek as your brain process the event, beholding his how graceful he looks.

Releasing his cock, Lotor gently pushes the oozing translucid liquid to inside of you again, rubbing it onto your still sensitive cunt. His ejaculation is so voluminous it feels like every inch of your tube is filled up. The alien man leans in and kisses your cheek:

"You were so great, darling... I... wow! I have no words to describe it. You will be a good mama"

His sudden use of an earthling slang makes you chuckle. How can a man be so sensually irresistible, and seconds later make your heart melt with such an adorable, silly thing? This is a Lotor ability, you guess. He messes with your mind in the better ways possible.

Cleaning up the sweat, you snuggle onto Lotor's chest while calming down your nerves after such a moment. The seed has been implanted to your womb, and Lotor couldn't wait for it to grow.

[lilicmoonlight]

about V:NG! what about keith & coran? of course coran lives longer than humans (he’s, what, 600 in VLD?), but i assume keith would, too? not sure by how long. depends on how much angst you want, tbh! idk im kind of obsessed w keith outliving his friends by CENTURIES and being so swallowed by the grief that he just focuses on representing all of them as much as he can. lemme know your thoughts !!

I think what made Galras have such long lives was the fact that they all had been exposed to quintessence since a very young age. Since Keith was only exposed to quintessence once or twice, he doesn't have that Galra lifespan. And Coran was stated to be kinda old already in the original series, but we aren't exactly sure how long do alteans naturally live, so I'm placing their lifespan close to that of a human. Hope this answers your question!

[hibiscusseaart]

Altean families hcs

Heya! I'm not stopping. Twi thread

Warnings: 18+ (mostly cuz biology talk), Half-altean Lance.

I am gonna start with alteans and their structure. I believe that alteans are quite matriarchal. We don’t have enough clues about it in canon, but from what I see, mothers are quite the leading power.

Honerva was unstoppable and she stopped only when SHE wanted (tho destroying realities, like she got what she wanted) and Allura talked to her. Plus she got Zarkon wrapped around her finger before going mad and even a lil after that. Imagine her not being evil. Jeez what a woman she’d be.

I believe that Melenor might be the Queen by blood and Alfor entering the family by marriage and becoming a consort. Why? One of the main reasons is that Alfor never ever wears any kind of crown, while Melenor and Allura always do. Also you can see in this screenshot, Melenor sitting next to Zarkon - the sole emperor of Daibazaal - closer than her husband, who is friends with said emperor, meaning Melenor has higher status than her husband.

Though, here, she’s standing on the side. But he is not a King for nothing right?

But it can say nothing about alteans being matriarchal. I hcs them like that, cuz it seems fitting for them to put mothers and families on a pedestal.

So, now I’ll start to explain altean process to start a family. I already explained their courting process here (вставить ссылку).

Alteans can only get pregnant when both partners want it and it can not happen by accident. Conception is actually considered a very special process and even a ritual in Altean culture and is not considered like something dirty or full of lust. It’s usually something very-very gentle. Though usual sex is kinda stigmatized and they mostly don’t talk about it. Yeah you have really slow social progress, when you live in monarchy and your population lives for more than 600 years (that’s around Coran’s age and he considered as middle aged man).

Getting back to pregnancies. At conception, a portion of quintessence from each partner is fused to form child’s. It’s a big strain for future parents cuz it’s literally part of their life force is gone to their child. Because of this, they rarely have more than 2-3 children.

This ritual is counted as the 1st day of child’s existence. So birthday counts from the conception date. Also, because of their huge life spawn, they count their age as centuries. For example, “I am 17” means that the child is 170 years old. They’re considered as a minor till their 250 birthday. Modern alteans can, basically, live forever until they’re killed (im pretty sure that they have tech to change DNA (also this shit is controversial as hell, but i will talk about it when i get to write about politics). But they can look old, like Alfor did, because of stress. Stress is their kryptonite in that case.

(also i suspect that Altea has a shorter year, being closer to it’s sun)

Oh, also, a little biology: alteans deffinetly have different sexes, looking at their bodies, they have pretty obvious sexual dimorphism. Though, knowing how advanced they are (thanks for changing DNA tech) and their abilities for shapeshifting, they probably can easily change how they like it and have a child. They might be like some kinds of fish or lizards, which can change their sex when needed. Like they’re born as hermaphrodites. but for some alteans male hormones are stronger, for some female are (and i’m pretty sure that they have their own hormones, they’re aliens after all, i’m just using this terminology for better understanding).

Anyway, mothers for alteans are the ones who bear the child and feed them later (and they def feed some kind of milk, why else would alteans have boobs? to store quintessence there?). And they are quite the heroes/heroines, cuz babies take a lot from alteans, mostly quintessence, I think. But physically too. I think that they can have longer pregnancies. The reason humans have their babies for 9 months and even then the baby is helpless and can’t even hold their head, it’s cuz the head is so big and if it’d grow more it’d be a big problem for mothers in the stretching department. But alteans don’t have that problem with shapeshifting so the babies are bigger. Maybe a lil smaller than Allura on the screenshot.

So because pregnancy is really taxing, it’s exactly why they prefer to have multiple partners, so they can help each other (looking at you, Coran). Also I think alteans could have little traditions, like giving a pregnant lady some presents or flowers, even if you don’t know her well. Pregnant one is a really precious one. Alteans if stress (kryptonite!) can easily have a miscarriage and it’s always devastating for them. So they try to avoid any bad news during pregnancies.

sidenote: it’s weird to refer to a pregnant altean solely as she/her, cuz alteans can literally alter their biology. who knows, maybe it’s alfor who gave birth to allura. we will never know.

(but, according to my hcs, we know, cuz allura calls melenor mother and that means that she was the one who was pregnant with her.)

So the next thing is really important for alteans and their families. As you well know, alteans have a deep connection with quintessence and can kind of control it. Each family has its own little “lake” of quintessence. This lake keep them all connected to each other, mostly emotionally. They can’t read each other’s minds, but it’s easy for them to sense a mood and feelings in general. I think, it’s the same how the Lions communicate and connect.

This connection is really important, because it can help all members of this lake to feel needs of altean mother and then children’s needs. It also helps them to feel their quintessence more clearly and develop empathy.

A child is accepted into family’s lake when their quintessence grows stronger and detaches from their mother’s completely (at first it’s really intertwined and helps mother to take care of their kid). They have a traditional ritual for that and it’s held by the most magically talented member of the family. But it can also happen naturally, if the kid is close with everyone in the family, tho connection will be a bit weaker, because no one leads kid’s quintessence in the right place.

The acceptance ritual usually happens at their 5-10 year (it’s really early for alteans if you remember their lifespan). If not accepted, then the child will feel unwanted, abandoned and in general will be very restless and prone to stress and depression.

If someone is not accepted, they’re not considered a real family. The marriage is all about future spouses to get this connection with each other.

This connection can weaken though, it’s not permanent and needs refreshing. Usually it’s enough to just spend time with each other. But it’s highly emotional and if someone doesn’t want to be connected, they link will break.

Now let’s talk about my baby half-altean Lance >:)

So, Luis and the others are not full siblings. Luis was born from the human, when the others were born from an altean who happened to get on Earth somehow (i know how, but i wanna save something for my long ass fic which MAY be translated if I could find a beta). That altean and Lance’s mom have had Marco and Veronica. But the altean didn’t expect that Lance’s mom would have 2 eggs. Alteans do not have that at all. A little later after Lance and Rachel were conceived, he died of the quintessence strain. On Earth no one really knew why.

But well, these two were never accepted in the lake with his father, Marco and Veronica (these two didn’t even know about being part-alien), so they grew up with diagnosed ADHD and self worth issues.

There we step into more of the AU territory, cuz Lance is known as altean much earlier, maybe before s 2. Coran and Allura are estatic. They were so used to their big families always buzzing lake, so felling only each other was really lonely. So Allura accept Lance as her own brother (yeah, Allura was that much uninterested). She did use a little too much magic because of her inexperience, so Lance got his marks and his ears started to change (cartilage are softer and can be bend easier).

He started to become more altean in general. Like he isn’t disgusted by food goo anymore for example and gets stronger easier. He can’t shapeshift, bc human bones, but he can change his skin color. It was weird af for him to feel Allura and Coran as he feels his lion, but it did helped him a lot with his ADHD and worries. Plus he got a new sister and, kind of, a new dad? Or Uncle? He’s not sure. But it’s the closest to his family he ever had since they got into space.

Thank you for reading! Hope you like it! Please let me know what hcs do you have about altean or maybe galra families!

[arinaco]

Romelle: her story in the past and in the present. Part II

Translated and edited by  @ Nadezhda932    

Link to the part I.

IV. Heroine of the New Age

Before proceeding to the analysis of the biography and personality of Romelle today, I’ll clarify one point. Subsequent assumptions have emerged based on data from the VLD. They already existed when I started researching the plot of GoLion and DOTU, and before writing this article, I had never watched the old series.

That is, the plot of the old series served for me as additional(!) proof of the correctness of my theory, but wasn’t the reason why I came to such conclusions.

Where do we start? With Lotor, of course - Romelle is tightly attached to him in the plot, and when the writers decided to turn his personality inside out, she followed him.

If you compare VLD with the old series, you can see that Lotor hasn’t only changed as a character - he has become a completely different person. Neither Sincline nor his dimwitted counterpart had ever looked like scheming or tempting snakes. Yes, Sincline clearly could and knew how to make cunning plans, but nothing more. He didn’t possess the gift of oratory, and didn’t feel any need to have it. Sincline supported his father until he blamed him for the defeat of the Galra Empire, beat his own subordinates, and killed and raped the victims without a shred of remorse.

In GoLion in particular, Sincline never set up colonies to deceive the civilian population. Why invent something if you can openly let slaves in experiments? Sincline had no reason to do something secretly from his father, and even more so to take care of his moral character, and therefore he calmly used the resources of the empire.

That is, “Lotor creating colonies” is, to some extent, an invention of VLD. And if you’ve read my previous articles, then you know that in my opinion, the second colony was the home of Luca and Merla, not the first. And that the first colony, where the millions of Alteans declared by Lotor live, never appeared on screen.

If you think about it, Romelle's story looks like complete absurdity. Even in the initial episodes of the first season, it was explained to us that virtual reality technology only imitates form without content - people can see objects, touch them, but nothing more. Coran pulled Allura out of her half-sleep when he pointed out the lack of smell in the flower. And if it had occurred to Allura to chew this flower, then, most likely, she wouldn’t have felt any taste.

This technology was intended to create scenery and couldn’t fully replace the real planet in conditions where people literally lived next to the forest and (most importantly) were engaged in farming. Just think about it: according to Romelle, for ten thousand years the Alteans have been planting illusory potatoes in illusory soil not noticing any trick. They didn’t notice that the flowers don’t smell, the berries have no taste, and the forest rests against the wall.

Only a very emotional and impulsive person could believe in the stupidity of the poor, unfortunate Alteans, who for a hundred centuries haven’t been able to distinguish real nature from the local analogue of Stardew Valley.

For example, such as the red paladin. Keith... or Allura.

What about Krolia? Krolia had no idea how this technology worked, she had never come across it...

So neither the Romelle’s base nor the pod space base were real colonies. We can only guess about their true purpose. The space base looks like a stand-alone laboratory/medical unit, but the Romelle’s dwelling is more like a staging post - hastily built according to the standard Galran template and abandoned long ago by the Alteans as unnecessary.

But where’s the truth buried here, Holmes?

The idea that the planet of Luca and Merla isn’t the first colony occurred to me when I began to correlate Lotor's words about millions with what we’re shown. Honerva apparently landed at the point where she could attract the most attention, but she came out to meet almost no one. Moreover, water meadows with low houses stretched around, obviously not designed for a large population. This place couldn’t be the capital of a multi-million advanced race. For ten thousand years, the Alteans had to not only multiply, but also build normal modern buildings for their own comfort.

But if we assume that this place is a secret second colony, then it’s easy to conclude that all the important buildings were simply hidden for security purposes, leaving a few insignificant and inconspicuous houses on the surface. So insignificant and imperceptible that when the BoM arrived at the coordinates of Keith, they didn’t notice any signs of life on the neighboring green planet.

Lotor has always been a paranoid and overcautious person, and he must have put a lot of effort into keeping his hidden colony a secret. So he would never leave the pod base undisguised and protected if he wanted to hide it from the Alteans.

What’s also interesting is the presence in the colony of a huge number of well-trained specialists.

Alteans of Honerva:

managed to create white mechas;

Which means, at the very least, smelters to work with heavy-duty materials and skilled workers who know how to organize the production process. While the Earthlings spent several years perfecting four fighters, the isolated farmers showed unexpectedly deep knowledge in the field of metallurgy.

What wonderful building elevators are there in the background. Is there a second floor? Or is this smelter located underground?

What's more, the white mechas had a striking resemblance to Sincline mecha, suggesting they were designed by the same people. More specifically, Alteans.

And it turns out that in addition to professional metallurgical engineers, they also had design engineers who were versed in modern technologies.

professionally used these mechas in battles;

The white mechas weren’t animated creatures like the Lions and didn’t help their pilots with training, but the Alteans fought well, competing with the Voltron team. The preparation of such personnel requires many years of practice under the supervision of good trainers - but Honerva couldn’t provide anything of that. She flew in alone and had no idea how to pilot combat vehicles. That’s why her personal mecha was equipped with teludav, and as we remember from Allura's ordeals, the control of combat and conventional spaceships was significantly different.

From which it follows that Romelle's statement that the Alteans can’t pilot spaceships smacks of brazen lies. The colony maintained and trained its own small army.

What conclusions can we draw from this?

Lotor built a second colony because he knew that Zarkon's appetites were insatiable, and sooner or later the Galra empire would reach the Quantum Abyss. There lived not just abstract Alteans, but qualified pilots, scientists and engineers. Lotor conducted research in the field of quintessence, designed war machines, and generally increased the combat potential of the Altean people.

“Just remember, we suffer this isolation so the next generation may not have to”.

In particular, Lotor tried to build his own Voltron, as he understood that this was the only weapon capable of fully resisting the Ghalra armadas, and in particular the monsters of his mother.

And here, to complete the picture, I turn to the plot of GoLion.

To the sister planets: Altea and Hercules.

Altea is an unfortunate planet. When Golion was defeated, Altea didn’t have enough combat power left to protect itself from enemy attack, and the population had to hide undeground for many years until the Lions again found pilots for themselves. Apparently, the inhabitants of Altea relied too much on the power of Golion, and therefore didn’t develop their army.

What about Hercules?

Hercules was a former colony of Altea and was considered a militarized and very dangerous state. Even Daibazaal (aka Zarkon) recognized the power of the Heraclians and therefore didn’t try to attack them in the same way as Altea.

Only the beasts of Honerva were considered by the Heraclians to be serious opponents.

Also distinctive features of the Heraclians:

martial arts as an inseparable part of culture;

selfless service to their people and royalty;

fearlessness in the face of death;

And… it actually looks a lot like the Altean VLD civilization.

Yes, Allura said that the Alteans are a peaceful people, but in fact we see that they, just like the Galra, used edged weapons in the space age, and the standard education of the princess included martial arts. Why was the princess staying in the palace was taught to handle edged weapons? Because it was part of their culture.

In addition, the VLD Alteans had a cult of selflessness, and testing for loyalty to this cult was a major part of the trials on Oriande. Willingness to give up personal benefits for the sake of a higher goal. And this is also similar to the behavior of the Heraclians.

As a result, if outwardly the Alteans of the VLD really looked like the inhabitants of peaceful Arus/Altea, then inside they looked like people from Hercules, ready to attack armed Galra with sticks so that their princess could escape.

And this is a very interesting approach of the scriptwriters, if we remember that the Alteans and Heraclians are one and the same people, they just went in different ways of development.

Alteans in VLD are like a tiger raised at home. It’s sweet and kind ... while well-fed and no one offends it.

In addition, when Voltron fell into a trap, the Heraclians themselves made the decision to take over the defense of Altea. Hercules came to the defense of its sister planet, and really saved it when developed a weapon in time that could change the flight path of a dangerous planetoid.

And this already looks like a prototype of the relationship between the second and the first colony. The second colony existed to protect the first.

By the way, do you remember why the Heraclians decided to cooperate with the Galra? To build their counterpart to Golion, which they were going to use not only against Altea, but also against the Galra themselves.

Moreover, if we compare Samson and Sincline...

Don't feel it yet? What if we compare them like this?

 You know, Sincline was the first mecha which main weapon was dual blades. Voltron learned it only at the very end of the series in order to defend himself against Luca's attacks.

And for some reason, I think that it wasn’t just that Sincline was painted in the colors of Samson - in a gray color of a bluish tint. And even red inserts, with due imagination, can be considered a reference to the hair of the elder prince of Hercules.

Why did I describe all this? In order to clarify the conditions in which Romelle was born and lived.

Romelle didn't quite lie - she was born and raised in a colony with her brother. Only not in the first colony, but in the second. For her, the second colony was the only homeland, as the planet Hercules was the only homeland for Princess Amue.

Where everyone worked for a common cause under the leadership of Lotor, to create weapons together to protect the Altean civilization. The colony was founded not just by settlers, but by people who came to live there for a specific purpose, and their children were growing up in this reality and with varying degrees of enthusiasm joined the common work.

I’d like to ask one interesting question: how will a person whose enthusiasm is equal to zero feel in such a society?

Who was born in a second - specialized - colony, where everyone works on one project, and no one asks new members of the society if they want to do the same. Where the cult of sacrifice was considered the norm...

...and where Romelle didn’t fit. Let's remember everything that Romelle said about her people.

First of all, she presented them as people who don’t see the true nature of things and don’t notice that they live in a cage from which it’s impossible to get out.

“My brother Bandor was always faithful, but I had questions”.

The colony really looked like a cage in the eyes of Romelle, but not for all Alteans, for her personally. Of course, no one kept her there by force, but she couldn’t just leave, and her brother wouldn’t agree to fly away.

And where to fly away when there’s an almost uninhabited Quantum Abyss around? It was impossible to enter the first colony - its inhabitants believed that traveling to the second colony was a one-way road, and no one would let her into the explored universe, and even more so, they wouldn’t give a spaceship capable of flying there for personal use.

So, if for Princess Amue, Sincline was a literal jailer, then for VLD Romelle Lotor became a mental jailer. She blamed Lotor for creating a society where she felt like she was in prison and didn't understand why others felt differently.

“...but I also knew that no one would believe me without proof”.

But why (!) she began to break out of the general system is a topic for speculation.

As we already know, it was extremely difficult to build a second Voltron. Lotor was unable to do this, even using the material of a unique comet. Something didn't work, something was missing. And this something, most likely, was the knowledge of alchemy, lost along with the old Altea.

Moreover, the main problem was not the lack of a soul capable of turning a machine into something more - white mechas weren’t animated mechanisms, like Voltron or Sincline. But on the other hand, the white mechas were finalized by Honerva, the greatest alchemist of her time.

The mechas ran on the quintessence of their pilots. Voltron had an extremely high efficiency, and the process of return was exclusively voluntary - as much as the pilot was ready to give to their Lion. Shiro gave everything during the battle with Zarkon, and therefore not even a corpse was left of him - for the sake of victory, Lion dried him.

But what if some mecha isn’t (!) intelligent and simply draws energy from its pilot in the amount it needs? What if the efficiency of this mecha is much lower than we would like, because knowledge about alchemy is critically lacking?

Then attempts begin to understand how to increase the efficiency of the mechanism. And then comes testing on the most enduring volunteers to find out how long the pilot can last in this mech. And not always the pilot had time to return to the hangar and get out of the mecha before it turned them into a mummy.

Finding volunteers among the Alteans was the easiest thing to do, but that doesn't mean their families didn't mourn their loss. The names of the dead were engraved on the monument to forever remember their sacrifice.

As we remember, pink was considered a symbol of military sacrifice. Honoring the dead, not the living.

Romelle said that by the time her brother agreed to the “great honor”, her parents had already “gone”. In her story - to the base with capsules, but in reality, most likely, they died during the testing of the prototype.

The entire Romelle’s family were professional pilots who took part in the tests. And, having lost both parents, she thought about how justified this sacrifice was, and Bandor's desire to repeat this feat completely plunged her into despair.

Most likely, she didn’t believe that the Galra really posed a threat - the colonies had quietly existed for ten thousand years, and no one had attacked them. The Alteans had no idea what was happening in the explored universe, and Lotor was in no hurry to back up his words with some evidence.

And Romelle began to get angry. To be angry from hopelessness, because she couldn’t influence the decision of her younger brother in any way. She hated Lotor for the idea of ​​building a new Voltron and the dedication with which her relatives reacted to this project.

After all, she almost directly called Luca a fanatic. The best pilot of the colony an example to follow for everyone else. Who calmly activated the bomb on her mecha when she realized she couldn't defeat Voltron.

True, Romelle tried to be polite when she was alone with Luca. She didn’t yet know that Honerva had told the Alteans about everything, and, apparently, before this event, her relationship with Luca was at a relatively sane level.

Seeing no other way out, Romelle strove to at least outwardly fit into the society around her. She copied the behavior of others, adjusted, hypocritically. She didn’t want to become an outcast, and therefore she had to lie to others about her attitude to what was happening.

And she learned to lie masterfully.

She was sincere only with her brother, and - like her prototype from the old series - spoke out against the preparations for war and convinced Bandor that Lotor didn’t deserve such blind admiration.

But Bandor… what about Bandor? Even though he was the younger brother of Romelle and the namesake of the little boy from DOTU, but… what colors were his clothes dyed? In the colors of Samson. The same Samson who decided to sacrifice himself for the victory of his homeland in the war with Altea and the Galra. And for some reason, I think that VLD Bandor wasn’t a defenseless naive child, because they didn’t take random Alteans to the test.

And when the moment X came, and Bandor was injured during the next test, he, like other pilots in such cases, was taken to the space base. What exactly was done with them is unknown, but most likely they were kept on artificial life support until they returned to a stable state.

And Romelle decided that this was her chance to forcibly take her brother to a safe place. Perhaps to that same abandoned base, or perhaps she planned to get to the first colony and start a new life there.

But she failed to bring Bandor alive. He died on the way, because it was absolutely impossible to take him out of the pod. And that's why when Lotor was chasing them, he was doing it in the company of medical robots. Not because he was afraid of a lonely woman with an unconscious guy in her arms, but because he took a team with him for urgent resuscitation of a dying person.

If Lotor really wanted to catch Romelle, he would have done it. She had nowhere to run, but he had zero desire to catch her. He didn’t perceive Romelle as a threat, and made a fatal mistake when she found grateful listeners in the face of paladins. And given the whole story with the advent of Keith, here again the old series is remembered.

Episode 21, where Amue tried to escape from Sincline's prison in the company of friends in misfortune.

Amue’s emergency landing on a desert planet – Romelle’s emergency landing on an abandoned base;

Amue sent a signal for help – Romelle sent a signal to the explored universe to bring the curious to her;

The paladins were met by the witch, who pretended to be a princess – Keith met Romelle, who pretended to be a defenseless Altean;

The witch forcibly took the unconscious Alor away - Romelle took the unconscious Bandor away from the space base;

Too much coincidence, don't you think?

It’s also very interesting that Amue was exchanged for Farla, who pretended to be Akira. Just like in VLD, the paladins decided to trade Lotor for Holt, who turned out to be a hologram.

And it was also for the sake of Lotor that the Alteans were ready to die, just like the Heraclians were ready to die for their princess.

And it was Lotor who came to the aid of the paralyzed Voltron by attacking Haggar, although he could simply fly away, saving his own skin. Just like how Amue turned the ship around and went to ram the Galra to save Voltron in the old series.

And the scriptwriters followed the same pattern when they wrote the death of Bandor. It wasn't his transformation into a robeast that killed Samson, but Sincline's order to shoot him. It wasn't the trials that killed Bandor, but Romelle's attempt to take him away from the base.

But since by that time she considered Lotor the reason of all her troubles, she convinced herself that it’s he who killed Bandor, ignoring her role in this tragedy.

She didn’t want to return to the colony - there she would have to answer uncomfortable questions and pretend that nothing had changed. Therefore, Romelle decided to try to get out of the Quantum Abyss into the explored universe - to the place where the "jailer" was losing his power.

Moreover, Lotor had been so conveniently absent for many months and couldn’t prevent this in any way.

Most likely, Romelle didn’t even hope to find those who would be able to kill Lotor. The chance that a real Voltron paladin would fly to her signal was well below one percent. I think she just wanted to lure someone with a capsule of quintessence, and then bargain for her way into the explored universe.

Nor had she planned for the Alteans to ever learn of their saint's murder. Romelle thought that they would continue to live in the colony in blissful ignorance, and considered these ends cut off. That’s why she was so surprised when Luca accused her of betrayal.

She was already in amazement and horror when, in the wreckage of a white mecha, they found a painfully familiar Altean woman. Alive and relatively unharmed, which provided a chance to talk to her, which Allura and the earthlings decided to use.

Allura was very worried about the fate of the Alteans, and Romelle - that the truth might come to the surface.

By that time, the universe had suffered greatly due to the loss of Lotor, and if the paladins (and most importantly Allura) found out that he didn’t use the Alteans as a source of fuel, and indeed didn’t deceive anyone, then Romelle would have been waiting for a real massacre.

Therefore, she sharply grabbed Allura and began to follow her, pretending her best friend. Firstly, she wanted to convince Allura that Luca was inadequate and her words couldn’t be trusted, and secondly, if not to drive Allura away from Luca, then at least control what they would talk about.

I think Lance and his love plans have become a real gift of fate for her. She had no idea what kind of past connected Allura and Lance, but she took the opportunity to kick Allura out of the Garrison for at least one evening.

And of course, it was on this evening that Luca came to her senses. It remained unknown how Romelle entered Luca's room unaccompanied. Maybe while Coran was looking for Allura, she hung around and offered to talk to the Altean instead of the princess. And the earthlings decided that this was a good idea, since Romelle and Luca already knew each other.

While talking to Luca, Romelle was obviously nervous and spoke ingratiatingly. She realized that the situation had gone completely in the wrong direction, although more recently she was sure that a new life was beginning for her.

Plus - Luca died without having time to give out some important information, minus - she said that the Alteans know about the murder of Lotor, they’re angry and thirsty for revenge.

As it turned out, the ends weren’t cut off at all, but were dragged along from behind, having managed to catch on a huge fragment along the way, which became a heavy burden and almost a stone around the neck.

We don’t kbow what Romelle was doing on the Atlas while the whole company dealt with current problems. It’s quite possible that she not only portrayed ballast, but also thought about how she should behave in the new realities. So far, the Alteans haven't looked like people to sit down at the negotiating table with, but that doesn't mean the paladins and Allura won't try to do so.

And then Honerva managed to pull Sincline out of the Rift and showed Allura that she was in complete control of him...

And after all, the Alteans also saw this, and were unlikely to be delighted with what was happening. They didn’t help Honerva at all so that she would turn their prince into her obedient slave. Such behavior wasn’t very similar to the joyful meeting of mother and son.

This was the moment when their trust in Honerva gave the first crack.

However, not so big as to feel the desire to communicate with a traitor.

In fact, the Day 47 episode, although it seems filler, is of great importance to Romelle's plot. It very clearly shows how she reacted that not one, but a whole bunch of Alteans were dragged into the Atlas. It was already much more difficult to expose a whole group of people as inadequate fanatics, especially since Tavo didn’t make such an impression. He was calm, polite and much older than Luca.

And... Romelle was freaking out.

She appears near Allura, portraying her best friend, exactly when she wants to chat with the pilots, and then immediately disappears, leaving the princess alone with the deepest stress.

When the earthlings try to question her about the Alteans, she says that she has no idea why they’re attacking, breaks into a scream and is clearly worried, with her lies getting more and more rude, such as claiming that the Alteans are scared.

...the same ones that built white mechas and flew to smash the universe...

“But you must understand: my people were haunted nearly to extinction”.

And it’s very curious that in the next episode, Clear Day, she isn’t among the vacationers, and in subsequent episodes she did appear only in edited scenes.

Why did she suddenly disappear? Where’s she?

Romelle constantly pretended to be a cheerful fool, and couldn’t help but go to the festival with the rest of the paladins. Unless, of course, she was doing something else at that time.

For example, running away.

Yes, I believe that while all the earthlings were resting during the Clear Day, Romelle escaped from the Atlas. It was the most logical decision in her situation. She could easily hijack a ship (and even turn off some of the cameras), because in fact she was very good at piloting spaceships.

After all, what happened at the very beginning of the Clear Day episode? Tavo decided to talk to Allura. Personally, without a company. Perhaps Romelle's absence was discussed separately, but that doesn't matter.

The important thing is that Tavo, unlike Luca, survived, and Allura realized that he was ready to share information. It was foolish to wait for them to raise the topic of Lotor in a conversation, but then there was such a great opportunity to run away while the entire Atlas team was walking at the holiday.

What happened next? Here begins guessing without an evidence base.

Theoretically, this story could have ended in an instructive style, where the villain went unpunished, and the only thing left for the heroes is to fully feel their stupidity and pay for their mistakes. But I don’t think that such endings are VLD-style - so, most likely, the fugitive should have been caught and returned to the main characters for a heart-to-heart conversation. Or rather, for a public conversation with Lotor, since such a meeting was required by the symbolism of the plot.

And despite the fact that many Lotor fans quite naturally dream of punishing Romelle in various inhumane ways, I think... that Lotor would forgive her.

Firstly, because he’s not a vindictive person. Throughout history, Lotor never took revenge on anyone, and if he got rid of someone, it was only because he considered this person a threat. Lotor never considered Romelle a threat - for him she was just an offended woman.

Secondly, Lotor really felt guilty for the death of the pilots during the tests. He called them martyrs, and didn’t deny that they suffered because of their participation in his project. And he could sincerely sympathize with the grief of a girl who had lost her entire family.

And that would be a very powerful moment. After 7,5 seasons, where someone constantly took revenge on someone, Lotor would have forgiven his offender and lowered in peace. He could, I believe in him.

[astraei]

                                                    you IGNORE it.

this ache that appears and gnaws inside of you. it can not be what many would consider HUNGER despite having no real NEED for sustenance. machines have no such thing, no desire to DEVOUR or FEED. you are so UNLIKE the living ( though at times others will consider you one of them ) and have no need to seek NOURISHMENT in the form of water, meat of prey, or even the green leaves of plants. you have no need for such a thing and therefore this GNAWING in the insides of your system must be from another ailment ( one you can not identify ). your primary has no means of digestion either. no need for sustenance. no need for nourishment. all your ENERGY comes from the crystal that hums at your CORE. or so you reason. you have always been one to pursuit LOGICAL sense. the sciences, the mathematics. things with numbers that may be calculated because that is just like your creation. bolts and steel carved from fallen meteor. precisely measured and refined. you are the PRIDE of altean technology, the PRIME example of their ingenuity. so what is it, you wonder. what is this strange sense of STARVATION that emerges?

you have never felt this before, this terrible ACHE in your jaws and ITCH at your fingertips. you have never felt this type of PAIN before, one that reminds you of the PASSING OF GREAT STARS AND PLANETS within the space you call your own ( your kingdom dies and you fight to survive! ). almost, but not quite. you think. when you open your mouth and breathe in cold air of your kingdom, it is a drop of WATER upon parched tongue! for underneath there lies a FAINT TRACE. a single blip on the map that your tongue can tell aside from tastes and molecular composition, you know it. this is not a something you can describe to them. this tingling sensation that elicits the images of flight and bright beings. you taste STARDUST on the tip of your tongue and it reminds you of HOME among constellations, supernovas, and the PITCH BLACK skies of above ( your kingdom, your domain, your place of reign ). though you yourself have no recollection ( NO DATA ) of living among them. 

the one that pilots ( NOT MINE ) your primary is new, but not a stranger to combat. the rag tag team he leads is even younger, children in the face of war. they make you stumble and fall and you only GRIMACE and think it a BLESSING to not be able to feel PAIN in this form of yours. but they’re all you have. right here, right now. they’re all you have in this brand new world, so different from those centuries ago. so you will need to make do with what you have, no matter how RELUCTANT you may be.

this strange being that has been sent to capture you and your pride is part mechanical and part BEAST, one that makes you lips curl as jaws remain parted to show sharp FANGS. though your gaze settles upon the capsule upon its back. the ache in your jaws appears and grows, a growl of frustration warning is given. pain only makes it STRONGER, the same way ANGER feeds what FLAMES burn within veins ( the reason why you don’t shut it off ). 

you latch on with metal claws and go for the NECK of this enemy PREY that dares to come in your path. make it QUICK. you think of how stars must BURN to maintain their light through the darkness that is the KINGDOM in which you call your domain. would it only make sense for you to take back what is YOURS? the stars that have died and continue to die even now ( each and every single one you feel ) carve a hole through your treacherous heart. 

                                      YOU WILL TAKE BACK WHAT IS YOURS                              THE DUST OF STARS THAT THEY ARE MADE OF                              THEY ARE RIGHTFULLY YOURS FOR THE TAKING

[fire-of-the-sun]

Lotor: The Man Behind the Mask

AKA The Many Faces of Lotor and Which is His True Face?

To say that Prince Lotor is a multi-faceted character would be an understatement. Born into a life of tragedy, the many masks he comes to wear are borne of his circumstances to not only further his own agendas undetected but most notably to aid in his own self-preservation both physically and emotionally. A proverbial sword and shield to protect himself. These false faces allow him to do and say what’s necessary to keep himself alive to fight another day - a practice that’s unfortunately hard-wired into him from centuries of abuse. 

The character we're first introduced to is probably what the audience expected: an antagonist (albeit a more complex one than expected) that leaves the audience questioning his true motivations. An aspect that makes him more intriguing but also works against him with many fans using it as evidence to validate their worst perceptions of him. But, as we see more of Lotor throughout the series, we begin to explore the depths of him and uncover evidence to the contrary. 

So, which is his truest face?

THE MASSES

We don’t get to see Lotor interact with the masses many times in the show, but the most notable occurrences are his introductory scene in the arena and the Kral Zera - both occasions in which he presents himself as a powerful, capable warrior, a persuasive public speaker and a leader worthy of the Galra’s loyalty. 

In the first occasion, Lotor almost immediately undermines his previous show of good will towards the assembled Galra by confessing to his generals in private that “the masses are easily manipulated.” This statement would, understandably, leave audience members to believe Lotor is nothing more than a liar and manipulator as a key attribute used to define all of his subsequent actions. 

At first glance, this looks pretty damning. Alone, with people we can easily infer he’s closer to, he seemingly reveals that all the magnanimity of his previous words and actions were false and showcase to us a key element of his character to watch out for: an effortless duplicity that is utilized to hide more malicious intentions. At the time, it seems to scream to the audience: ‘don’t trust him’. However, as we learn on his journey, there is more to him that meets the eye, and this line should not be taken at face value. 

Before we take this as unwavering proof that he’s a villain and everything that follows should be looked at through the lens of presumed deceit, I think we have to consider the context and audience here. This line was in response to a stadium full of Galra warriors who dutifully and unquestioningly serve his father - someone he’s trying to stop. Swaying the minds of the Galra is a necessary step in his quest to ultimately improve their way of life but he also doesn’t think very highly of them. His regard of them is different than that he holds towards other people and cultures as we see later. I also believe he says this to benefit the generals, but I'll get to them later.

Unfortunately, we don’t get to see him spend time with the members of either of the peoples he looks after, but we do know that he deeply loved his time on the mining planet and there’s no doubt he cared for the Alteans just as much if not more as they were his own people. It’s also not hard to imagine that both groups of people appreciated him just as much. We don’t know how close he truly got to them, but it’s safe to surmise that Lotor is a person that respects others enough to treat them with equality, enjoy working beside them and genuinely wants to improve their lives. Though we later learn that he was ultimately lying to the Alteans, it’s clear that’s definitely not something he enjoys doing. 

Among the average civilian or disenfranchised person, we can infer Lotor is more than likely very cordial and respectable based on how he speaks of them and how they perceive him in return. Despite his status as a prince, he’s clearly not preoccupied with maintaining an air of authority among the common folk in any way meant to remind them of his status above them, even allowing himself to bond with people on such an equal level that Zarkon saw it as unfit for his station. 

Basically, though we know he has a turbulent relationship with the Galra as a whole, we can also see that he fights for the rights of other half-breeds such as himself and treats people in his care with respect and equality. 

ZARKON

As a child, Lotor had to present himself as the perfect prince in an attempt to earn Zarkon’s love, and it produced a facade he probably maintained most of his life despite it getting him nowhere. Of course, as a child desperately seeking their parent’s affection, this behavior - though tailored specifically to appeal to his father - wasn’t inherently disingenuous and it’s only later in life that he learns to use it as a weapon. 

Knowing that Lotor has tried to portray himself as respectable and eager to please thus far, his outburst of anger in retaliation of his father’s demands in 8x02 may have possibly been the first time he’d spoken out against him in such a way as, up to this point, Lotor still seemed to genuinely believe his father would listen to him and is surprised by his decision to destroy the planet. The mask finally slipped but, I might add, only in an attempt to help others. This speaks volumes about the kind of person he is and what his deepest motivations are as it shows he cares more about protecting the mining planet than he does for his own safety as he knowingly incurs the wrath of his violent father. Of course, upon realizing that his interjection would punish them too, he immediately tries to submit himself before Zarkon once more to keep them safe. 

Despite his efforts, Lotor unfortunately fails to protect the people and this tragic situation no doubt led him to reinforce the old facade of the obedient son who would never dare act out against his father again - a mask he uses to his advantage in 4x03. After their conversation, we see Lotor smirk suspiciously upon taking his leave, clueing to the audience that his behavior with Zarkon was entirely an act to keep his father from suspecting him of any wrongdoing. 

After Zarkon uncovers his ruse, Lotor’s submissive mask drops once more and, upon meeting again, Lotor no longer holds back from sharing every ounce of disdain he bears for his father before fighting him to the death. 

HAGGAR

Unlike his father, where he hides his emotions under a guise of respect and servility initially, Lotor shows no restraint in sharing his unbridled anger and contempt for his mother, Honerva. These feelings never waver, in fact, they only seem to intensify, punctuating a heated final confrontation where Lotor vehemently renounces her as an abomination that he will never accept as family. This distaste seems to have evolved over his life as her role to him changed. As a child, she was nothing more than his father’s witch and not someone he needed to please. Their relationship was never a good one so there’s no need to pretend otherwise.

I believe his anger towards her comes, not only from rebelling against the fact that his mother was essentially stolen from him by Haggar (which shatters his dreams of having a loving mother) but also her mistreatment of him throughout his life and even fundamentally disagreeing with and despising the kind of person she (and Zarkon) are: selfish, power-hungry and uncaring of the lives of others. He denounces them for their behavior because he knows it’s wrong and doesn’t wish to fall prey to it as well - which is a great indicator of the kind of person he is and what values he agrees with and doesn’t.

In a way, this is a true face to Lotor as well. His feelings of unfettered rage towards Honerva are not censored by any mask he’d wish to portray. There is no part to play here as there’s nothing that will keep him safe from her scrutinizing eyes on him at all times. Nothing to hide because there’s nothing to gain from it. So, instead, to keep her off his trail, he goes to great lengths to evade her detection through calculated action rather than any false pretenses. 

THE GENERALS

Though they’re the closest thing he has to friends for a time, I still don’t personally believe Lotor was close enough to his generals to reveal his true self (though he obviously reveals more to Axca as he trusts her the most). Overall, he still maintains an air of authority with them, seeking to portray himself as the calculating and confident leader clearly stationed above them though he still treats them with respect. Though it’s clear he cares for them, and they hold some degree of respect for him in return, he’s still very much their leader more than their friend. They may believe in him and his mission for a time, but they don’t follow him solely out of admiration and are willing to sell him out if it benefits them - which they do. 

They’re, for the most part, his loyal allies, but not anyone he’d confide in or show vulnerability with as demonstrated by his lack of explanation regarding his actions towards Narti and his refusal to share his full plans with them. They respect him for a lot of reasons but don’t entirely understand him or what he truly wants which is why they often seem perplexed by his decisions. With them I think he maintains, to a degree, how he would present himself to the general masses. He has to remain collected and in charge to preserve their loyalty to him and can’t sully that depiction with the perceived weakness that comes from showing vulnerability. 

Jumping off my earlier statement about the “masses are easily manipulated” line, it ties into the perpetuation of the persona he’s trying to evoke to them and which they whole heartedly support. He’s telling them what he thinks they want to hear. We also know he doesn’t tell them the full truth, so why should we believe this is somehow some deep reveal into the center of his character when we also know that he doesn’t showcase side of himself with them? It’s another piece of a persona, nothing more.

This mask was not created in an attempt to manipulate but in a desire to achieve and preserve some degree of companionship and loyalty from his generals. Lotor has no one but them and he can’t afford to lose their fealty, so he tries to keep it in the best way he knows how: by being a successful leader worthy of being followed. 

Bottom line, beyond Lotor’s genuine affection for his generals - which is very much an extension of the compassion he’s capable of - he does not show his true self with them. 

THE PALADINS

Lotor sustains his typical air of confidence upon meeting the paladins face to face in a continuous effort to portray himself as a worthy asset to them (not too dissimilar from his interactions with his generals). Though he shares vital intel with them to prove his loyalty to their shared goals for peace, he doesn’t go out of his way to ingratiate himself to them. He’s cordial and honest, as is generally his nature, but not afraid to share his opinions even if they’re opposing or adversarial. 

For example, in their first scene together Lotor has no trouble calling out Allura for voicing her discrimination towards his race and generally seems tired of waiting for the paladins to truly listen to his advice and start making real strides in the war. He's interested in action, not being liked. If he truly wanted to manipulate them, I imagine he would have been far more sycophantic to worm his way into their good graces - an act he’s familiar with due to his father whom he was trying to lie to. We know what a groveling Lotor looks like and this is not it. Of course, there's also no need to lie to them to get what he wants when they have the same goal. 

There’s frustration there between both parties at times and definite growing pains as he finds a place for himself in their group, but certainly not anger or resentment of any kind on his part. That being said, when the paladins do come to trust him and there’s no disagreements in their way, Lotor defaults to his natural state: dignified, helpful and amiable. I’m not sure how much affection Lotor truly manages to garner for the paladins by the end of their time together, but he does refer to them as ‘friends’ at one point and though that doesn’t mean they’re people he would necessarily pour his heart out to, I’d say they definitely count as favored allies that he’d support and protect just like anyone else he cares even remotely about. 

However, similar to his generals, whatever degree of fondness he may have developed for the paladins is still ultimately moderated to keep them at arm’s length though, I believe that given the proper time and trust, this could have changed.

ALLURA

With Allura, we see a new, softer side to Lotor. I could write an entire meta solely about their interactions and how they’re not manipulative, but I’ll be brief here. As I said with the paladins, there’s no real evidence to suggest Lotor was just saying and doing everything he did solely to appeal to Allura and ultimately seduce her to his side. Instead, what we see is both of them slowly and organically becoming more comfortable and trusting with each other, enough so that they begin to reveal deeper sides of themselves. Just as Allura is willing to share her insecurities with Lotor, he too divulges the innermost parts of himself that he doesn’t reveal to anyone else. 

If a mask is meant to hide the deepest parts of oneself, Lotor being so openly vulnerable, honest and trusting with Allura is enough to tell us that what he shares with her isn’t an act - he’s just finally comfortable enough to show his true face and the hidden parts of himself he hasn’t with anyone else. For a man who is all about survival and whom trust doesn’t come easy, this would be counterproductive and a potential liability he normally wouldn’t risk. So why does he risk it for her?

Relationships are built on trust and that takes time and true understanding to achieve. It takes a great deal of trust to reveal your true self to someone and Lotor simply isn’t at that level with the generals or paladins. He hasn’t really had anyone to share his true self with until Allura. He’s never met anyone else like her and their shared history and desires facilitates a swift journey from enemies to friends and even to something greater - an emergence of emotional vulnerability and affection that Lotor has never experienced before: love.

This is an aspect of his identity he’s no doubt unfamiliar with unfortunately or, perhaps, has never truly experienced before in his countless years of being whatever he had to be to survive. As we’re discovering this version of Lotor, he may also be discovering himself too. 

There’s so much I could say about their relationship and how it brings out the best in both of them, but I won’t go off on a tangent here. Needless to say, the reason Lotor feels so different in S5-6 is because interacting with Allura is finally giving us the opportunity to see new aspects of his identity that’s open and unguarded. He’s finally put down his sword and shield... which leaves him vulnerable to attack. 

QUINTESSENCE POISONING

I want to address this specifically in its own meta but, for now, I’ll say that I found this depiction of Lotor a betrayal of the character and purposefully over-exaggerated to compensate for and push a narrative the writers failed to achieve organically. Essentially, I believe they made him so villainous - so vile despite how out of character it feels - simply to validate this new agenda that he is and always was, in fact, that very villain and, if that was always their intention for the character, they did not succeed. 

Though we know that quintessence can corrupt and see that firsthand in how it turned his parents into beings acting without remorse and motivated purely by evil-intentions, even they have never been shown in such a negative and manic light, making Lotor look even more deleterious here by comparison which is an... interesting choice. 

That being said, the turbulent emotions presented here do stem from underlying trauma, namely the pain of being betrayed by the one person he trusted more than anyone. The one person he showed his true face to. The person he loved. Having his true feelings be rejected and touted as nothing but more lies and deception as someone who doesn’t share them idly would be beyond devastating. Now, having put down his shield for Allura, she’s struck at the very heart of him. The pain of it unleashes a tidal wave of emotion and, like a wounded, cornered animal, he lashes out. This creates a situation which we see a side of Lotor we haven’t before. One that, though borne of genuine emotional suffering, does not actually reflect who he truly is. 

Exacerbated by his exposure to the quintessence field and perhaps even that which already resides in his blood, Lotor reveals intentions of great evil - last minute motivations stemming from deeply rooted fears and insecurities that, unfortunately, are pulled to the surface here in the worst way possible but are not necessarily indicative of him having harbored and planned to enact these darker motives all along. Recoiling from the pain, it makes sense that his natural defense mechanism would be another mask - the ultimate mask.

If this was the true him, he would have truly fooled us all despite the extensive evidence to the contrary, as there is nothing to support his sudden dark desires here but plenty of prior evidence that refutes it despite the writer’s efforts to show otherwise. To say that all of this is the true, final reveal of who he is after all is insulting not only to the character but to fans.

ALONE

To best know who someone truly is, we have to look at who they are when they’re alone. A great example of this is when we see Lotor alone in 4x06 as he overhears a message that there is an on-going attack that will result in mass casualties. Lotor doesn’t hesitate to potentially sacrifice his hard-won freedom to head straight back into Galra territory to try and stop his mother’s heinous plans. This is yet another scenario that showcases that, at the end of the day, Lotor is a character who simply wants to help people no matter the cost to himself. 

We also see Lotor alone during his trial on Oriande where upon repeatedly being attacked by the White Lion, he understandably goes on the offensive and fights back to protect himself. After failing this test, Lotor is devastated. Rather than revealing any clues to potential villainy, this interaction instead simply shows that Lotor still has things to unlearn and is aware of that and capable of change. His anger here comes from his desperation and desires for self-preservation upon being attacked, not from a place of genuine malice. 

I think it’s also worth noting Lotor’s expressions when he’s in his cockpit throughout the show but especially during his fight with Allura right before his ‘turn’. No one else can see his face but the audience so there’s no one to appeal to. No act to put on. We can clearly see he’s upset and remorseful and it feels like a sudden reversal from his previous scene with the generals because it is - not because his pleading with Allura is an act - but because his talk with his generals was. They are understandably confused here because his recent speech to them would have them believe he didn’t truly care about Allura and was just using her the whole time. This display says otherwise.

To further emphasize this point, his words and expressions here are consistent with his attempts to appeal to Allura in 6x04. The fact that his interaction with her is the same - whether he’s alone or in public - also shows us that it’s genuine. He doesn’t hesitate to share his true feelings to her when he’s trying to defend himself, nor does he bar his words in front of the paladins and generals when he’s trying to talk her down later. They might as well be speaking in private because it wouldn’t change his reaction. He’s completely focused on her and unconcerned with his unencumbered feelings being on public display - something he’s never done before and obviously wouldn’t be comfortable with. All of this continues to prove that, when it comes to Allura, he is his authentic self and his feelings for her are indeed true. 

There may be more significant instances of seeing Lotor alone that I can’t recall, but, in summary, if Lotor was truly an evil, selfish person, we’d see hints of that most clearly in the instances where he has nothing to hide. 

CONCLUSION

So, what is Lotor’s true face then? 

As I’ve stated, Lotor is a man who has had to adopt different personas to survive, and we get to see the multi-faceted nature of his character on full display throughout the series depending on who he’s with and in what context. Regardless of some blunders in writing, overall, I think the show did a decent job portraying the different sides of him that would have logically emerged given his unique life and circumstances. 

Of course, seeing the ease and skill in which Lotor can slip on these masks would naturally leave audiences to continually question him and his true intentions. As the show reveals more and more of his true self however, the answer becomes increasingly clear that, despite the resulting duplicity of his nature, there is no evidence to support that he's anyone other than someone who wanted to do exactly what he said he did and whose goals are ultimately to help and protect others - a desire which was shown through his words and actions on multiple occasions. For all his faults, Lotor does have genuinely heroic traits despite being raised in an environment that didn’t cultivate them. A flower struggling to bloom in spite of the aridity of the soil in which he was born.

Despite the intended desire to hide his true self for his own protection, these fabricated facades do inadvertently reflect shades of his inner self too - a kernel of truth buried in each even as he has to transform to become what he thinks he needs to be to survive. By default, he tends to hide his true emotions underneath a facade of control and confidence - most notably seen in his interaction with the generals, the paladins initially and the masses (mostly Galrans). This portrayal of the proud and cunning man however is just a front to hide someone underneath who is more concerned with knowledge than power and protection rather than violence and it’s his bond with Allura that reveals the truest face of all: someone who is genuinely capable of kindness, vulnerability and even love. Given the right time and treatment, the inherent goodness in him could have been allowed to flourish and win and his true face could have been the last one we saw him with...

[jeanslove]

*:･ﾟ❛ PAPER RINGS ❜ ･ﾟ:*

ʚ ɞ ⋮ pairing. lance mcclain x fem!reader (+ past allurance)

ʚ ɞ ⋮ word count. 1.5k

ʚ ɞ ⋮ synopsis. years after allura’s sacrifice, lance realises that it's possible to fall in love with someone else, even after the death of your greatest love.

ʚ ɞ ⋮ warnings. must be 17+ to interact, season 8 spoilers, reader is female and altean, post-canon au / post-timeskip, slight angst, mentions of death and war, descriptions of grief / guilt for moving on

ʚ ɞ ⋮ authors note. this is a rewrite of something i posted on my old account, miyanom. but my writing has improved a lot since creating the paper rings universe and i wanted to revisit the series i used to adore writing! this is dedicated to @biqherosix, who not only gave me inspiration to write this again but has been supporting the fic since day one <3

꒰ masterlist | series masterlist ꒱

Lance knew loss like the back of his own hand. It was an ache in his chest like no other, a pain that pricked at his heart like how each rose that grew in the garden of his childhood home pricked his fingertips.

When he was a few years younger, and the loss still felt so real, he believed the thorns would be etched into his heart forever– a permanent fixture on what had once hopelessly longed to love and be in love. The heart that beat hopelessly for Allura.

They may have been fighting a war when they met; and she may not have liked him too much at the beginning, but their love had flourished over time. He dreamed of a future with her. Anywhere she wanted to go would’ve been alright with him, as long as she was by his side.

But Allura was always an enigmatic force. All she had wanted was to see Altea again, and to restore peace to a universe that only ever took from her; and so to accomplish her goal of peace, she selflessly sacrificed herself so the entire universe could live in her stead.

Returning from that fight, Lance had felt so lost. Walking through his own life like he was simply a bystander. He had retired from the job given to him at the Garrison after the war, and moved out to his family’s farm, far from any reminder of the woman he had loved and lost.

It had been a few years since then, and though the pain had subsided slightly, it still felt like Allura was watching over him– as if the promises she had whispered against his lips were true even now. Sometimes it felt as though there were moments when he could still hear her speaking those words in the wind.

In the past, he longed to turn around and see her standing behind him with a bright smile; but he couldn’t hear her as much anymore. Instead, the sound of laughter reaches his ears, and he winces as his fingertips accidentally brush against the thorns of the rose he had been staring at.

He lifts his head slowly and leans back from the rose bush for a better look at the house’s patio.

You’re standing there right next to his mother, your hand covering your mouth as you laugh softly at some joke or story about him that she was telling you. Your other hand was tucked into the pocket of your grey and orange jacket; the uniform of the Garrison– where you had started working as the ambassador of Altea, helping to train a new generation of space cadets.

You had all but refused to go with Coran and the others to New Altea back then, and to this day Lance still wasn’t sure if it was because you liked Earth enough to stay or if it was because Altea would never be home without Allura.

Either way, Lance was beyond grateful for the decision that kept you here. In retrospect, he wasn’t sure he would’ve made it through all of the pain and grief without you by his side.

You had been dealing with your own; losing your best friend like that after being together for a century. But for some reason, you had parked yourself right beside him and refused to leave until his battle was over and he was coming out the other side with his heart in-tact.

And somehow, perhaps even more surprisingly than your overall presence in his life, was that he fell. Head over heels.

It was like all of those training exercises the two of you had done together when you were co-pilots for the blue lion; adrenaline-filled and leaving you breathless. And like those exercises, it was also terrifying.

He used to think Allura was it for him, he had been in love with her since the moment she fell into his arms that day he arrived at the Castle of Lions. He wasn’t ready to move on, and he certainly didn’t want Allura’s everlasting soul to think he was replacing her.

If she truly was going to always be with him, then there was simply no way he was going to allow himself to move on; and certainly not in the direction of you.

You despised him for so long after your first meeting, even after being forced to work with him as co-pilot of the blue lion. He couldn’t count on both hands the amount of times you threatened to throw him out of the air-lock when he bothered you. You were nothing like Allura.

And he was grateful for that.

Your grin is contagious as you step to his side. If someone had told him all those years ago that he’d be standing in front of you now, a wide smile on his face and love in his eyes, he wouldn’t have believed them.

“Lance.” Your hand waving in front of his face breaks him from his thoughts, and his eyes flicker down to you. Concern was painted over your visage, replacing the smile he so adored. “What’s wrong?”

He shakes his head softly in response, and leans down to steal a kiss from your soft lips. “Nothing,” he murmurs. “I was just thinking, ‘s all.”

He watches as your brows furrow adorably, the concern in your eyes now mixing with confusion. “About what?” You ask curiously. “You were zoning out for a while there.”

Lance knew you would understand why he was feeling so nostalgic; you always understood, but he couldn’t explain it to you. Not this, not today. So instead, he chooses to swiftly change the topic. “What was my mum telling you?” He raises a curious brow, walking toward the next row of flowers as you stick by his side.

“Oh, just about how you were the cutest baby.” By the teasing grin etched across your lips, he can tell you’re only joking– that his mother didn’t really get around to telling you all the embarrassing stories of his childhood, or at least she hadn’t yet; Lance had been teetering along the edge of that thin line for almost a year now, wondering when his mother, or even his siblings, would get nostalgic enough to embarrass him endlessly.

His brows furrow, and you softly shake your head with a small laugh at his reaction. “She was asking if I was staying for dinner.” You try to assure him, before joking once again, “I’m starting to think she likes me more than she likes you, you know.”

Though there might’ve been a time where those words would’ve had him arguing with you, they only form a soft smile on his face right now. “Yeah, I think so, too.”

Lance can’t deny that his mother had taken a great liking to you; even going as far as calling you his “saving grace” on more than one occasion since the day you met.

“Well, should I?” Your voice snaps him out of his thoughts for the nth time that day alone.

“Should you what?”

You roll your eyes playfully and he watches as you lean forward to sniff the flower in front of you both. “Should I stay for dinner?” You repeat the question, and for a brief second he wonders if his loud-mouth siblings would ruin the surprise he had been planning for you if he agreed.

But then you're lifting your head and staring back at him with a bright grin on your face, and suddenly he can’t seem to bring himself to care about all of the worries that were racking his brain just seconds prior; all he cares about is that damned smile, and seeing it for the rest of his life if you let him.

“I’d be pretty sad if you didn’t.” The dopey smile on his face has a giggle falling from your lips; a sound he’d love to hear over and over again.

“Well, I don’t want you to be sad or anything, so I guess I can stay.” You shrug your shoulders playfully, then lean in to kiss his cheek softly. “I’ll go let your mum know. You just finish up out here and join us when you’re ready.”

He watches as you begin to walk back toward the house, and his lips curl into a smile. He shakes his head softly, reaching into the pocket of his jacket; his fingers brushing against the small velvet box resting there. For something so small, it had been weighing him down ever since his mother passed it onto him a few months ago.

He lets go of the box and instead reaches out to pluck one of the vibrant pink juniberry flowers from the bush in front of him, the sweet scent of the altean flower reminding him of you.

Sure, Lance knew loss like the back of his hand; but he also knew love. It bloomed and flourished in his chest, it painted the colour of juniberries across his cheeks; and in its presence, he forgot all about the pain of roses and their thorns.

[lilflowerpot]

Reading ur tags on the Blaytz ask lol, and gosh yeah the unknown quality of galra lifespans!! What are they?? Voltron Canon, please, I just need a straight answer!!

To be honest, I just make up my own ages for that since headcanon is the only thing I can rely on in that area.

Galra seem to be naturally long lived; possibly near an altean’s lifespan, or at least long enough that a couple centuries is probably pretty natural?? But either the Zarkon Propaganda Machine is simply That effective since only Allura and Coran ever seem shocked by his age, or quintessence has some pretty interesting effects on lifespans! (Discounting the zombie thing, since I am… Assuming that’s not common knowledge dhfjgkgk.) So it’s pretty fun to imagine the effects that quintessence could have, or at least it is for me.

Although, now, thinking about it, I’m incredibly curious as to whether you yourself have any quintessence-related headcanons!

[Blaytz ask]

I have a couple of posts addressing this exact topic in depth, if you're interested! In fact, the larger of the two - Altean/Galran/Human Aging & Lifespans - was one half of the very reason I created this blog in the first place, and only the second thing I ever posted here! The smaller was a follow-up posted a good year or so later, if I remember rightly, that specifically focused on the ages of Lotor's generals (who I'd not originally mentioned). I think the only other posts in which I've explored galra lifespans are in my two brief yet frustrated rants about Dayak [i][ii] concerning the fact that she absolutely should not have still been alive in canon, but that is neither here nor there.

As for quintessence, it //absolutely// has an immense impact on the lifespan of any given creature that comes into prolonged contact with it; we see this clearly demonstrated in canon time and time again, but in LB the Big Three are Zarkon, Haggar, and Kova! But the quintessence itself isn't exactly the reason for their immortal status, or not the sole reason at least. I clarified my thoughts on what exactly present-day Zarkon is relatively recently, but the short version is that the thing that came back from the Rift wearing Zarkon's skin is only half Zarkon; in truth, it's a denizen of Sa, the same kind of creature that possesses both Voltron & Sincline, and due to Zarkon's body being an organic vessel (ie. not an adequate container for what is essentially an eldritch horror) its insatiable hunger for quintessence has corrupted its host beyond recognition... and made him immortal as a side-effect.

My only remaining quintessence headcanon - regarding its colouration and subsequent properties - is one I don't think I've shared before (?) though given the obscene quantity of posts now on this blog, it is entirely possible that I have, only to lose it among everything else ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

But if I have shared it, I’ve certainly not gone into this much depth, so brace yourselves my loves, for it is another long one..

“[Quintessence] is the substance with the highest known energy per unit volume in the universe. Raw quintessence material is transported here from throughout the galaxy and refined into standardized Galra fuel requirements.”

- galra sentry, VLD, s01ep10

Canon established quintessence as taking three distinct forms; raw (gold) and refined (violet) quintessence are both featured in s01ep10, wherein Keith witnesses a druid transforming it from the former state into the latter, while its third form - concentrated (white-blue) quintessence - is first featured in s01ep08 when Allura heals the balmera. Now I, being who I am, took that which we were given in canon and elaborated on it, but we’ll get to that in a minute. The established facts are as follows:

(1.) The quintessence used by sacred alteans, such as Allura & Alfor, is potent enough that Allura was able to heal an entire balmera by herself. Though the balmerans were seen to support her in the ceremony, they show no notable signs of strain or exhaustion afterwards, whereas Allura herself collapses immediately upon the ceremony’s conclusion and is shown to still be weak and recovering in the following episode, implying that the physical burden was solely on her shoulders.

(2.) As pictured above, s01ep10 clearly depicted the transformation process of raw (gold) quintessence into its refined (violet) counterpart, and what really struck me about this was the difference in container size between those used for the two types: the raw quintessence container is clearly the height of the druid (who I’d estimate to be at least seven foot tall) whereas the refined quintessence container is a mere fraction of that, allowing Keith to hold it in one hand. Though it’s not entirely clear exactly how many refined containers one cylinder of raw quintessence equates to, we know it’s a bare minimum of three: the one created at the process' beginning (13:48), the one stolen by Keith (17:22), and the one beside which the druid places aforementioned stolen container (17:52). There’s certainly potential for there to have been others created off-screen, due to the episode cutting between Keith and the other paladins, but not many; we know that this entire scene only takes place over the span of - at most - ten minutes due to Allura & Shiro’s plot, in which they acknowledge that they only have “a few minutes” before the next patrol comes by, happening simultaneously.

So, “why is this important?” you ask. Well the answer to that is volume.

If we assume that the large cylindrical container’s height is (judging by a combination of the druid in comparison to Keith, and my beloved height chart) approximately 7 feet or 84 inches, then its width, which I measured at about a third of said height, would be 28 inches. The calculation for volume is as follows:

volume = πr² x height

volume = π(14²) x 84

volume = 51,723.2 cubic inches, or 847.6 litres

Using this same calculation, we can also find the volume of the refined quintessence container, assuming that its height is (given its appearance in comparison to Keith) 12 inches and its width 4 inches:

volume = πr² x height

volume = π(2²) x 12

volume = 150.8 cubic inches, or 2.5 litres

So the large cylinders contain approximately 847.6 litres, while the small cylinders (of which we saw three, though I should expect there were several more) contain 2.5 litres. The obvious inconsistency thus being that one large cylinder should equate to a grand total of 339 smaller cylinders... and there’s no way we missed that many. It’s not like the large cylinder still had more to give, either- at 19:16 we see a new container of raw quintessence being loaded up, implying the previous one was fully depleted, so, somehow, there appears to be a massive imbalance in the ratio of raw:processed quintessence, despite there being no physical state change (ie. the quintessence is still apparently liquid post-druidic-tampering).

Begging the question; why?

The principle of energy conservation states that energy can neither be created nor destroyed. It may, however, transform from one type to another. You can look up Sankey Diagrams if you want to understand this better, but what I’m essentially getting at is that - druidic magic or not - it is, according to the laws of physics, impossible for such a massive quantity of raw quintessence to be condensed down into such a tiny quantity of refined quintessence... unless there is a massive loss of energy somewhere along the line; watching that scene again, a fair amount of it likely dissipates as light energy (and possibly heat energy too), ultimately meaning that the druidic method of quintessence conversion is so inefficient that even if we generously assume that the druid produced a total of 20 containers of refined quintessence (17 of which we didn't see), it would appear that the resultant volume of refined quintessence stands at less than 6% of its raw counterpart.

This brings us to the question of density; it’s entirely possible that refined quintessence could be rather a lot denser (ie. the molecules are packed together more tightly, meaning that it has greater mass per volume) than raw quintessence, though it does still remain liquid. For argument’s sake, let us say the difference is comparable to that between water (with a density of 1.0 g/mL) and mercury (the densest liquid on Earth, at a value of 13.5 g/mL). Due to raw quintessence having a density of 1.0, its mass would be of an identical value to its volume (847.6), but as this is not the case for refined quintessence, the calculation would be:

mass = density x volume

refined quintessence mass = 13.5 x (2.5 x 20)

refined quintessence mass = 13.5 x 50

refined quintessence mass = 675g

Meaning that a mass of 847.6g in its raw state, has been reduced to 675g in its refined state. Not nearly so catastrophic as the aforementioned 6% would have made it appear, but still with a loss of ~20.4% total.

So really, it’s little wonder that the Empire has need of the Komar.

With their methodology of refinement being so inefficient, you’d think that the galra (having had literal millennia with Zarkon & Haggar at the helm) would have figured out how to utilise raw quintessence in its natural state, rather than wasting so much of its power. The fact that they haven't, means that they likely can’t... which is where it falls to me to decide why this is the case.

So raw (gold) quintessence is the substance’s naturally occurring form, the very essence of nature and the universe itself, but as such it is in equal parts powerful and volatile, making it exceedingly dangerous to handle. Though galra of Druidic bloodlines are able to manipulate raw quintessence in this untempered form, Haggar has taught generations of Druids how to convert it into a far more stable and malleable state (violet), standardised for Imperial use, but in doing so they significantly lessen its potency. The graph pictured above compares the different types of quintessence with regard to the relationship between quantity and volatility; generally speaking, the more liquid quintessence contained in one area, the greater the chance of the literal essence of the universe doing something unexpected and potentially catastrophic (and with increasing likelihood at that), but the degree to which this is true is variable depending upon the type of quintessence one is dealing with. Raw quintessence, as you can see, becomes quite rapidly dangerous when amassed in significant quantities, and the amount required to power a military-grade Imperial ship’s average energy consumption per 100,000 lightyears of travel (marked with X) sits over the marker for dangerous levels of volatility. Refined (violet) quintessence, however, is much less volatile, and though it requires almost twice as much refined quintessence to power the same military-grade Imperial vessel under the same circumstances, its level of volatility is less than half of its raw counterpart, and sits comfortably below that aforementioned danger zone.

Finally, we have concentrated (white-blue) quintessence: that which a rare few “sacred” Alteans possessed the ability to convert from the universe around them, transforming raw (gold) quintessence into a form that could be effectively utilised without compromising its power to any significant degree. This ability, however, subjected their bodies to extreme strain, and while there are natural inhibitors in altean brains to stop them from doing so in excess, if they were to forcibly transcend these limitations the untempered excess would likely trigger a rapid decomposition of their genetic structure. That being said, although altean quintessence is somewhat more volatile than refined quintessence, it is far more potent, and so a far smaller quantity of it would be required to reap the same rewards, making it the most efficient form of quintessence in terms of its power:stability ratio.

[puppetmaster55]

Can you help me out a bit, i haven't watched vld past half of s6 and am trying to establish a timeline for Lotor but hitting a few roadblocks. Unless i am mistaken it is suggested that Lotor saved alteans for his colony 10,000 years ago but like wasn't Lotor born until after Honerva was Haggar and was growing up during that time(also it's probably just me but 10,000 years just feels too much especially when from flashbacks it feels the technology and society has remained mostly the same)

the Lotor timeline is kind of a mess and galra lifespans are also a mess (Lotor's governess was the same when he was a smol kid as we met her in the start of s6) and like.

The one thing you can be certain of is that Honerva was very very pregnant when she became Haggar, and I think gave birth at the same time that Zarkon was leading the destruction of Altea.

Given his age and how the colony is explained... I'd say it's been only a thousand-ish years that the colony has existed, and maybe 300 for the second colony? Like, it started to exist after Romelle was born, and we know that the Castle of Lions was built 600 years beforehand (and Coran's grandfather helped design it), so Alteans are long-lived.

The most frustrating part about this whole thing in figuring out the timeline is that we have no clue how long Alteans or Galra are supposed to live. I'd say, based on context clues, the Castle of Lions was built for Voltron (otherwise that's... weird to have it specially made for the Lions and yet be centuries before the comet appeared), and Allura states at the start of the series that Zarkon should not be alive after 10,000 years.

So. To answer your question...

Honerva was late-stage pregnant when she became Haggar, and either during or just after Zarkon destroyed Altea is when Lotor was born.

When Lotor was a young lad (like, by Human standards 10) he confronted Zarkon bc he was a genius who wanted to learn about his mother and knew she was Altean, but not that she was Haggar.

Somewhere when Lotor looked his canon age he was put in charge of a planet and then, after Zarkon saw he wasn't subjugating the people or destroying the planet, Zarkon had that whole planet obliterated.

Assume Lotor didn't start the colony until one thousand years ago because he looks the same age as canon when he does, and didn't start to harvest their quintessence until probably 300 years ago, and how long Humans live is rather short when compared to the lives of the rest of the universe.

Also yes, 10,000 years feels like too long a time and definitely isn't helped when we have no frame of reference to how long Alteans, Galra, or anyone else not-Human in the universe lives.

As for how Lotor met his generals... we're on our own for that one, as no answer was given. Same for when he figured out about the second comet, and when he learned Haggar and Honerva are the same (he was told by her at end of s6, but admitted that he already knew).

[raziroo]

Chapter Two | I Swear I Don't Do Drugs

Pairing: None

Genre: Angst, Crack

Warnings: Panic Attacks, Hyperventilation

Word Count: 1,124

It’d been some time since Shiro announced that I woke up in the cockpit of a legendary war lion machine. After that announcement in my room, which was quite dramatic, you’d think that I would have some shock or surprise. My answer had been a simple, clueless, confused, but still to the point, ‘…What?’

But then I met the other Paladins, and Allura and Coran. I pointed out the markings on the cheeks of the two Alteans, and in response I was told that they were aliens from a planet that had been destroyed 10,000 years ago by some evil purple alien. I just furrowed my brow and gave them my ‘Really?’ look. They told me I was in space, in an advanced castle that could fly as well as be parking or the “Lions of Voltron”. I responded by telling them they were all high, then proceeded to question them about my whereabouts, really, and why the hell they thought it was acceptable to kidnap me and tell me the plot of some Power Rangers movie.

They showed me “space” through a window. I wondered out loud about what lottery I’d won to get to roam on the set of the next big space show. They all looked kind of exasperated. A guy with shaggy raven hair asked Shiro if he should just open the window and prove his point; Shiro fixed him with a glare, but a couple of other people didn’t exactly seem opposed to the idea.

Allura asked me how she could prove that she was an alien. I answered by asking her to do some alien-y thing. Guess what she did.

She shape-shifted.

Well, not exactly shape-shifting; she just grew, like, half a foot taller, and her skin became purple, but that was enough to make me nauseous once more.

She then walked to a couch and lifted it with ease, followed by making her hands glow. I was convinced I was high, just unaware on what, because I didn’t know a drug that could make you see people shape-shifting and displaying Superman worthy weight lifting.

After a bit more convincing on their end and refusal on mine, a short – girl, it seemed, although I wasn’t so sure – asked me which planet I was from.

I was sure I looked way more confused than anyone ever should, and said, ‘Earth. Where else is there to live on?’

The people before me exchanged looks. I was certain each glance had a meaning behind it, but to me they were just glances.

‘But then, how -?’

‘Wait, Pidge,’ Shiro said. He turned to me. ‘If you’re from Earth, you must’ve heard my name, right? Takashi Shirogane, pilot on Kerberos mission, who disappeared along with Matthew and Samuel Holt?’ I must have still looked utterly lost, because he prompted me more. ‘Kerberos mission, year 2311, Galaxy Gar-’

‘Wait, hold up, what?’ I blurted, catching onto the year he mentioned. ‘What year, again?’

Shiro frowned just the tiniest bit and said, ‘2311. Three years ago.’

I was pretty sure the incredulousness on my face was either beyond comical, or just plain old hysteric. Judging by Shiro’s expression, it was safe to assume it was the latter.

At the moment, I wasn’t sure whether to ask him if he was alright, or get myself checked, because as much as I felt the right thing to do was the former, the looks the people had on their faces told me I was the one in the wrong, information-wise. Their looks weren’t confident or something, or the look someone dons when they want to convince it’s Thursday instead of Wednesday to mess with you. It was just… indifferent, you could say? Just think of the way you look when someone tells you something that’s obvious and just, very not exceptionally important.

‘…But…’

My eyes must have portrayed how I felt because Shiro dropped that little bit of tension in his eyebrows and gently, very soothingly, asked, ‘What is it? You can tell me.’

‘…I - but, no – isn’t it 2021? Aren’t we in the middle of a pandemic?’ my eyebrows furrowed, helplessness practically radiating off of me. Why hadn’t the pandemic come to my mind earlier? What was wrong with me? I knew I wasn’t on some drug, I felt completely normal, as your body should feel. That had sort of just been an excuse, I guess, at the time, but now it really did feel like something was wrong. The earnestness in Shiro’s composure, the genuine confusion he displayed when I mentioned the year baffled me more than it did him.

‘Look… I can assure you, it’s – it’s not 2021. That was around…’

‘…300 years ago…’ I completed his sentence. I hadn’t even paid attention to his robotic arm yet. ‘But how…? How is it possible? I – I was literally sitting in my room before that wave of nausea -’ wait. I wasn’t so sure about that, either, like almost everything right now. A part of my memories seemed to be glazed over, as if someone had drawn on part of my memory with black ink and I couldn’t wipe it off. Did that make sense? I didn’t know, nor did I care. There was just something very wrong right now, and the panic overtaking my senses proved to be faster than the bile rising in my throat.

I didn’t even realize I’d begun hyperventilating when my eyes began to sting and burn – upcoming waterworks. Shiro grabbed me by the shoulders, asking me to breathe, look at him, breathe with him, but I just, I couldn’t. It was so hard. I don’t know why, I didn’t know why I was having a panic attack, but when I felt the distant thwacking pain of my knees hitting the floor, that’s when the burning and hotness in my eyes got to much and tears escaped me as I gasped desperately for breath. The people around me were speaking to each other, panicking for me, maybe looking for a solution – I didn’t know. The voices were just a distant hum, a buzz that didn’t bother me enough for me to attract my attention. Maybe I should’ve paid attention to it, as Shiro’s voice trying to calm me down was among the other sounds forming the buzz, but I didn’t. The blackness seeping into my vision was welcome. It was definitely better than the spots, and the fact that it would lead me to pass out once more wasn’t especially discouraging either.

Anything was better than the realization that I might have time-travelled from the 21st century to 2311 or something.

[calligraphist-artemisia]

Midnight Meeting

Written for the Kidge Spring Event!

Prompt 1: Gardenia | Secret Love

Summary: Alternate Universe. Prince Keith of Marmora sneaks away from the gala hosted by the Altean Royal Family and bumps into someone he hadn't expected to see that night.

Also posted on AO3 under the username Kishirokitsune

❀ - ❀ - ❀ - ❀ - ❀

Keith needed a break from the ceaseless pleasantries and false smiles of the Annual Altean Gala.

It was the first year he had been allowed to attend and asking his mother if he could attend was steadily becoming one of his greatest regrets. (How was he supposed to know it was all dull politics when everyone else always made things sound so interesting?!)

Using the scraps of patience that he had left, he slowly backed up to a wall featuring a door that was sure to lead someplace a little quieter. He made sure no one was paying attention to him and then opened it just enough that he could slip through into the hallway beyond, where ornate sconces along white stone walls casting a soft glow over the polished quartz floor. He walked along it without interference and though the hall branched off in a few places, Keith kept going straight to limit his chances of getting lost.

After a few minutes, he came to another door. It was large with colored glass panes depicting a variety of flowers and large leafy plants. He could faintly see outlines through it, but it was all so indistinct that he could only guess what was on the other side.

Keith didn't stop to consider the ramifications of being found in a place he definitely wasn't supposed to be as he reached out and opened the door to reveal one of the most beautiful and lush gardens he'd ever had to privilege of seeing. He stepped down onto the cobbled pathway so he could admire the closest bed of plant life, which had a knee-high wall made of the same stone as the path. Insects with wings as colorful as the flowers they fluttered above were everywhere that he looked and Keith leaned in close to admire them as well.

He spent more time than he should wandering around, marveling over the variety the Alteans kept in their garden. He was so wrapped up in trying to identify as many plants as he could that he nearly missed the ethereal figure pacing beneath the branches of a massive tree in the very center of the garden.

She was clothed in green silks that fluttered with the slightest movement. The bottom of her voluminous skirt was long enough to skim over the ground and yet never seemed to tangle in her legs or otherwise impede her. Her brown hair was unbound and allowed to flow freely down her back, held back only by an intricate silver tiara across her brow.

Princess Katie of Lunaria was not someone he expected to see at the Gala, but by no means was Keith disappointed to see her.

“I don't think you're supposed to be here,” he said as he approached.

Katie was so startled that she visibly flinched as she turned to face him, her mouth parted to issue either an apology or an excuse. Her near golden eyes went wide when she saw him standing there and her words died in her throat before they truly had a chance to live. “Keith,” she whispered, shock clear in her voice.

A heartbeat passed and then they were running to each other. Keith lifted her slim form into a tight embrace, holding onto her as long as he dared as she clung to him in turn.

“You're lucky I'm too happy to see you to be mad that you scared me like that,” Katie said once he set her down. She lifted one hand to press her palm against his cheek, frowning at something that she saw. It took him a moment to realize it was over the new scar that traveled up from the underside of his jaw.

“Are you saying you wouldn't have done the same to me?” Keith asked as he turned his head to kiss her fingertips.

“Well, maybe...” Katie allowed. She shivered as he took her hand to deliver a series of feather-light kisses down her palm. “Keith, we shouldn't. Not here.”

Disappointed, he let her go. He wanted nothing more than to sweep her away to a secluded corner of the garden and lavish her with affection, but the risk of them getting caught together was too great. Their kingdoms were only on the brink of friendship after centuries of war. Keith feared that if anyone were to catch wind of their feelings for one another, it would only spell disaster. No one would approve of their union – there was just too much hurt on both sides.

“I wish we could too,” she said, correctly reading the expression on his face. “I... I should get back to the ballroom. I just needed a break and I'm sure I've been gone for too long. My, um, date is probably missing me.”

A tendril of jealousy unfurled in Keith's chest. “Date?”

“It wasn't my idea,” Katie quickly reassured him. “My parents... They didn't want me to attend alone this year, so when he approached them to ask, they agreed. He's not an awful date. I mean, he's not overly touchy or anything, he's just sort of... boring. Self-centered.”

“You could still ditch him and stay here with me,” Keith said. He was aware that he was being a little childish about it, but he couldn't help it. The thought of Katie dancing and spending time with someone else, even if it was someone she didn't like, made his blood boil in a way that he didn't like.

Katie's expression softened. She glanced around to make sure they were truly alone and then stood on tiptoe to press her lips to his. It was short and sweet, and the scent of her floral perfume lingered long after she left him standing there beneath the tree with a wistful smile and an aching heart.

Keith closed his eyes and envisioned a day when they could proudly show their love to the world.

For the moment, he would just have to cherish the short moments they were allowed to have.

[eldunea]

Will Magic and the Divine Power of Humanity

there are six elements to altean magic: white, black, fire, water, air and earth. the latter four are known as the physical magics, whereas the former two are called the metaphysical magics. of the magical forms, white is said to be the strongest, followed by black, and then fire/water/air/earth are the next step down and are all equally strong. the most powerful specific form is a white-element practice known as will magic.

will magic is the ability to control the flow of events, particularly historical events, just by thinking of their course. it is the deepest and most powerful of all altean magics, and it is one that for alteans takes centuries to master. it is subtle, never manifesting in huge explosions (fire magic) or ferocious bolts of lightning (air magic), but rather in the ebb and flow of the future’s currents. it’s also distinct from other forms of magic due to--and this is the most important part--the lack of apparent or actual effort from the caster, to the point that it is impossible to prove without an advanced magic tracer whether any magic was used at all. for example, let’s say you have a crush on a guy who you’ve never spoken to and who doesn’t even know you exist. directly going into his mind and mind-controlling him to be your boyfriend is not will magic, it’s psychic abilities (and also a really shitty use of them). but if you merely wish that he becomes your boyfriend and events transpire to bring you together without you doing anything else supernatural, that is will magic.

will magic is extremely powerful once perfected--if there is no equally powerful magic going against it, it basically allows the caster to get anything they want. however, it takes a very monklike mentality to master; in the same way that you need to give your life at oriande to receive the secret of life, you need to accept a complete lack of control in order to harness the secret of complete control. (this explains why lotor has never been able to master will magic--he tries so hard to control everyone and everything around him!) not only that, in the early stages--which could last for a century or more--you won’t be able to get much of anything, because the more improbable your wish is, the stronger the magic you need. going back to the boyfriend example--if he’s a fellow college student, it doesn’t take much magic to chuck the two of you together in the same mandatory class and have the teacher pair you up for the semester’s first project. but if he’s a super-famous celeb who you currently have no real way of meeting, you need to be like a level 100 will magic caster to draw him in and you probably aren’t.

for their one million years of existence, alteans have pondered the depths of will magic--a great universal secret that they have only ever scratched the surface of understanding. they did, however, have some idea of the genes that could make will magic possible. during the first altean empire and their creation of the human race through experimentation, they experimented on inserting will magic genes into us and tweaking them; they used us in the same way that medicines are tested on animals first, as a basis for whether they could enhance their own genetic code to create the potential for will magic that can dominate the universe. but testing early human will magic did not work, since even their most advanced magic tracers at the time proved inadequate to demonstrate whether will magic existed in us--and nobody could agree on any other signs of proof. eventually, we were given up as magicless flops, and abandoned to live on our own. but the alteans’ attempts at creating the ultimate will magic users did not fail. in fact, they succeeded exponentially more than any of the scientists ever dared think.

humans are, in fact, a deeply magical species. we may not be able to cast lightning bolts or create illusions like our altean ancestors, but our will magic is the most powerful in the universe. unlike other magical races, who may spend lifetimes studying the craft and never mastering it, we have the capacity to use it flawlessly from the moment we’re born. thanks to our genetic code, we are the only species in the universe who has managed to bypass the drastic mindset shift of accepting lack of control to get will magic. many humans, no matter who they are or how they think, can use will magic to an extent that poor lotor--and many other alteans--can only dream of.

our will magic outdistances that of even the semidivine alteans. even a newborn human baby has more potential for will magic in their little finger than some adult alteans have in their entire bodies. alteans angst over perfecting this elusive craft for decades and even centuries, but when a human child makes a simple wish upon a star, they’re almost bound to get what they want without even trying. on a broader scale, entire altean peoples have tried and failed to will the course of history to their benefit. but the overthrow of monarchies, the veneration of human rights, the continued survival of so many peoples who were threatened with extermination--that was the power of human will magic at work. we would never have emerged from our feudal chains into a world of democracy and prosperity without our species’ indomitable will to make the world better; the spirit of democracy itself is a product of our hidden divinity, a manifestation of our subconscious understanding that we are truly governed not by emperor’s edicts but by the power invested in each of us. when republics around the world say they rule by the will of the people, they literally rule by the will of the people.

our immense amounts of will magic also explain why our lifespans of 100 years are so short compared to the 1,500-year lives of our predecessors. the sheer amount of divine power within our bodies ages us faster, burning us out like candles--in contrast to the alteans, who have just enough divinity to live extremely long lives. also, ever heard of a self-fulfilling prophecy? that’s will magic at work--if you keep telling yourself the narrative that you can’t do something, you’re magically cursing yourself to never do it. but the most important thing in this post that human will magic entails? it’s the reason why team voltron has won every single fight that was ever depicted in the voltron series. voltron is ridiculously overpowered and more or less unbeatable because it combines an incredibly strong manifestation of altean alchemy with five of the strongest will magicians in the universe: the paladins. voltron unites the supernatural best of the universe’s most magically powerful species, creating a juggernaut that only gods themselves can truly oppose.

our wishes decide our fates. our thoughts carve the course of history. knowing this, descartes’ famous saying deserves an addition:

We think, therefore we are. We think, therefore it is.

[i-heart-lombaxes]

Hi, Tumblr! Those of you who don’t know (very few of my followers here do), this is Venus, my Fairy Tail OC:

One day, when I was playing the Sims 4, I decided to make a world that had a bunch of fictional characters as sims in it, including Kanti (who all of you know) and Venus.

In that sims world, Kanti and Venus’s sims ended up getting married. Soooo, that resulted in me realizing the two would actually make a great couple (they have some similar tragedies in their pasts that related to love).

Soooo... I finally decided to do something with the crack ship of Kanti and Venus and I made this (the picture is of them posing in lingerie, so Minor nsfw I guess):

Now, because of how very different the two fandoms these two OCs come from (Fairy Tail and Voltron) are, I decided to make up a slight AU that would make it so the two lovely ladies could actually meet and fall in love. I might even make more images for this fun little crossover AU in the future (I probably won’t, but I might).

Now, here’s my AU:

It’s been almost a century since humans discovered the existence of extra-terrestrial life and started the war between humans and aliens.

Kanti Draqoi, one of the most powerful Galran women in the universe, was born during the war and later participated in it, and so did her husband, Lotor. Lotor’s life was lost in that war, and Kanti became too depressed to fight anymore.

A year later, the war finally ended and peace was formed between the Earthlings and the Galtean Empire.

Kanti moved to Earth, where the humans lived- some of them were thought to have magical abilities- mages, they were called- but they lived life like any other human.

Kanti distracted herself from her mourning for her dearest husband by constantly going around to clubs, bars, etc., partying like crazy and drinking away her pain.

However, one night, she had a faithful encounter in a strip club. That was the night she met Venus “Love Goddess” Miderana- one of the strippers. The woman was outstandingly beautiful in Kanti’s eyes. She watched the woman dance her whole performance.

When Venus’s shift was over and she got down from the platform, Kanti stood up and immediately walked over to her before she could reach the changing rooms. Kanti asked Venus to go home with her. Venus, seeing just how astoundingly beautiful Kanti was- despite her being of another world- accepted the invitation and stayed the night.

In the morning, Kanti offered to go out to breakfast with Venus. The breakfast didn’t last long because Venus had to go to work, but Kanti managed to at least get the woman’s phone number first.

The two women continued to go out together, and on one of their dates, Kanti learned that Venus was a pin-up model. She only danced at the strip club as a night job- and it was mainly just to have a fun way to stay in shape.

Kanti asked if Venus’s modeling agency was looking for new models. Kanti needed a job, since most of the money she had she had only gotten by trading what was left of her species’s form of currency for Earth currencies- and it wasn’t the best method.

Venus said that her agency was always hiring, and so she managed to get Kanti a job as one of the models.

They continued to go out when they were working together and eventually made their relationship official after 6 months of going on dates. 6 more months passed, and Kanti asked Venus to move in with her.

On the 2nd anniversary of their first date, Kanti proposed to Venus.

Kanti and Venus did a photoshoot together in their house to announce their engagement on Instagram (where they were both relatively famous), and the picture I drew is one of the photos they took for that photoshoot.

Basically, this weird Fairy Tail/Voltron crossover AU is a Fairy Tail modern AU mixed with a Voltron AU where the Galra and Alteans had a shared empire and alien life was discovered much sooner than it was in the show.

A very strange way to do things, but hey, I needed to do a lot to make it possible for my OCs from two very different fandoms to meet and fall in love.

[darthkvznblogs]

Been meaning to ask, why make the Galvan extinct in the Kryptonverse? Also, do any Mechamorphs besides Upgrade and Ship exist? Is that where Brand got that cane?

Oh, the Mechamorphs survived the razing of Galvan Prime - to the Petrosapiens, they were merely war machines, and perhaps initially, they were. But the survivors eventually grew beyond their intended purpose, left their homeworld, and now, though not super common, they can be seen throughout Nova territory! And sorta - the cane is a gift from Max and Verdona, and it’s definitely Galvan tech, but there’s actually a bit more to it than I’d like to talk about for spoilery reasons.

I decided to do away with the Galvans for a few reasons; first and foremost, I wanted Ben to have very little guidance in using the Omnitrix, especially in the first few chapters of Changing of the Guard. If the Galvans were still around, SWORD could’ve easily reached out and helped Ben figure things out, for example.

Second, I wanted the Omnitrix to have something of a legend and mystique to it - if the Galvans are around and as relevant as they are in canon, everyone would know that the Omnitrix is a very real device with clearly defined capabilities. As it stands in the Kryptonverse, all that current galactic society knows about it is that a Terran hero wielded it for a time, that it led Vilgax to confront him, and that it’s mysteriously reactivated once again.

Third, it helps my universe feel a bit lived in and storied. The Galvans lived and died ages ago, so far in the past that they barely met the Alteans, who’ve been themselves functionally extinct for ten thousand years. But they still have a legacy in the Omnitrix, and their influence has been felt through the centuries from the actions of its fifty-plus bearers. By all accounts, they should be long forgotten, but their mastery of technology and defiance in the face of a cruel universe has ensured that their story is still told to this day! @the-literary-lord

[saltysaltdog]

You know, one thing that grinds me about the "Allura is forced by the narrative to not be hostile against the species who completely genocided her people" idea is that it IS wrong in canon because her species still exists and she should KNOW this because altea wasn't the only place alteans were.

Speaking of, how does she know that altea blew up? Is she reading ye olde news reports on that console? Who is making those news reports and why do they only report on alteans and not update the castle of lions on anything else? Is it just psychic Altean powers? Why couldn't she divine the other alteans? Allura herself in season 1 admits to using galran galactic hubs to travel, why would she think no alteans ever did so to move to a new life?

Another thing: How does she know Zarkon would try to destroy every altean? it would make more sense to believe that it was just an eye for an eye about blowing up the planet. Why wouldn't he evacuate his wife's family, friends, favourite media personalities, colleagues, etc.

With all these questions in place we can come to a few theories:

Allura was sheltered from court life:

It doesn't explain everything, but let's say that she was sheltered from any important political learning in her youth. No economics, no current events, no law, no foreign affairs, no media classes, no military or tactical learning, etc etc etc.

It explains some things in canon (though not Coran /not/ explaining things) but it implies that alteans start this learning late, or Allura was never really in line for the throne. Leading to idea two.

Someone close to Allura had some bad scruples:

So we've seen that these tanks can interact with memories and that allura apparently had some major information deficiencies. What's to say these gaps are natural? Surely you could create knowledge or even fake memories of events you weren't there for.

But of course Alfor wouldn't test unsafe tech on his daughter, but you know what IS commonly tested on? Mice.

The mice are psychic plants just to keep Allura from seeking out other alteans.

But... why? You might ask. Iunno, just sounds cool. You may as well make up your own reasons but there are some common ones for getting someone out of the way.

-Allura was in danger:

This would need someone specifically targeting Allura, probably someone altean and with enough power to threaten Alfor.

... is this another succession to the throne idea? Yes shut up. So Coran is sent to keep Allura safe and away from other alteans, hense why he's on the attack when he sees somewhat altean faces. Now this idea doesn't require any siblings, any uncles, aunts, cousins, or grandparents could pose a threat.

This doesn't require the intent to murder either, so a powerful enough noble or even stupidly rich layman could provide enough pressure to outright force Allura into a marriage. But doesn't this require Alfor not having any power to stop the match? Yes alteans have a matriarchal culture and Alfor is just a trophy husband let's move on.

If that's not your jam then how about this:

-Allura has psychic powers.

Yes we know, you say, She psychicly connected to the mice. And that was an accident right? So what if on Altea she was starting to accidentally connect to people, multiple people, taking memories, getting overwhelmed, giant psychic explosions!

... maybe not but it's cool and has a built in failsafe. If Allura didn't psychicly leech from the mice, she wouldn't believe altea was gone so she would have just gone home.

It could also explain why she was so quick to believe a random altean against Lotor, she could read her mind better and see she was telling the "truth".

But why doesn't it work on Coran? Sorry, psychic powers dont work on people with moustaches. Joking aside (mostly), Allura might have a limiter on her power. After all, we see the evolution of her daily clothes via the Alfor AI so what is she never seen without that is absent from her childhood? Coran might just be less receptive, a rarity amongst alteans and why he was the only one sent with her.

(Hint, earrings. Though she does get her tiara at some point after being a toddler. Suspiciously early.)

But wait, you may say, that doesn't put Allura in danger from any powerful alteans, Alfor wouldn't need to go so far! True, so welcome to theory number three.

Allura's mother is a psychic body snatcher who has been taking over her daughter's bodies every generation to become a nigh omnipotent Queen.

The galra attacking would provide just the distraction Alfor would need to save Allura from this fate, sending her off with a "false" memory that she can never return to Altea and should start a new life. Or maybe he just intended to keep her on ice till her mother died but then died himself.

After all, what happened when Allura wasn't sent away? After her father died she suddenly gained the power to kill Zarkon and all of his forces, Haggar included. She then went on to become Empress and enslave the universe. How long she lived is debatable, but that sort of power boost is odd, as well as her more militaristic tendencies since she never showed a knack for strategy. (Hira says people that might have been casualties of war in Allura's day could now be 'rehabilitated ' which implies Allura might have gone to war beyond just fighting the galra empire.)

Allura's mother and grandmother basically look identical to her, and as previously stated Allura didn't learn a lot of court necessities. She didn't need to if she was going to get brain jacked, all she'd need is a fit body; and as we see, for a pacifist people Allura was quick to comment on the paladins training method being fit for a child.

In the show we do see individuals being brain jacked by Haggar, either to see through them or directly control them in the case of Cloned Shiro. However cloned shiro needed Technological help to control, and Honerva's fighters required more precise useage of quintessence she only got after going to Orilande. For someone of more talent, like say, royalty like Allura, taking over someone's body is within the realm of possibility.

This could also add to Alfor's horror that his friend was suggesting quintessence could be used to become immortal, after all that was his wife's goal too. This would compound his need to destroy the rift, to prevent his wife taking over Allura's body and then becoming an immortal, near unstoppable, entity.

I also find it's a little strange that Hira/the alteans recognized Allura on sight. I mean, sure her entire female line looks the same, but how do you know it's her specifically unless she lived for a long time/ her paladin suit was extremely iconic. Implying that the alteans appreciated her more as a fighter than a ruler. I know I wouldn't recognise centuries old rulers from each other, why would random alteans?

As for why Melenor would need Allura if an immortal making rift was there, it's likely that before Voltron fighting wasn't seen as a valuable skill for royals, but upon seeing the vast influence it had she had to raise her new body to be able to handle a fair fight instead of being able to impress with musical or artistic talents.