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starfaring-princelotor · 5 years ago

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Fifth Sight

Summary: You find Lotor, but bringing him back to reality is harder than expected.

★ Disclaimer: I do not ship Lotura and I respectfully ask that this story to not be tagged as Lotura. This is a Lotor x Reader/Self-Insert OC story which is in no way related to Allura at all. Please be respectful of my chosen pairing. ★

Warnings: Minor gaslighting, triggered moments, mentions of blood and death.

Touch Series: Part One___Part Two___Part Three___Part Four___Part Five

Taste Series: Part One___Part Two___Part Three___Part Four___Part Five

Sight Series: Part One___Part Two___Part Three___Part Four___Part Five

“The mind is a dangerous place. A place where anything and nothing can coexist at once. A place that will drive even the most virtuous of people to madness. A place where a careless soul can find themselves wandering aimlessly, lost for all of eternity.”

Lotor’s words echoed in your mind as you stared at the sharp-edged face of Sincline. It was much more intimidating up close, especially with those eyes radiating specks of power, of quintessence, directly at the two of you. He stood by your side to also take in the magnificent creation in terrifying, yet awed, appreciation.

He tilted his head down just a bit, just enough that you noticed his solemn expression from the corner of your eye. “You must be careful. Do not trust what you see with your own two eyes. When I showed you my memories, it was my choice to do so. My choice to trust you, to share with you.”

Now, you turned to fully face him. The defined, regal edges of his face, those nebulous eyes gazing far into space and beyond. He was worried. He was giving you all this information to prepare you for the worst, which you were absolutely sure he witnessed first-hand plenty of times before. The hoktril did more than control people’s bodies. It controlled their minds.

And breaking that control? It comes with a hefty price.

“Sincline is different and so is your Emperor. One wrong move can start a series of irreversible damage, both to you and to him,” Lotor tried to suppress the guilt he felt over Narti, he tried so hard, “Not even in my reality have we had the proper research done about mind sharing. If this does not work, if you are...if you can not return to your own body, Kylan knows what must be done.”

“Yes. Yes, he informed me of what he will do if I fail.”

Four of the five years have already passed since both Voltron and Emperor Lotor disappeared. You know not what happened to the Coalition nor Blades of Marmora. All you knew was that this was the last year before the Galra Empire declares Lotor dead. The last year before another Kral Zera ceremony commences and someone else sits on the throne.

But what happens after that? Would the universe be submerged in war for another 10,000 years? Can the universe survive that long without peace? Or will planets rely on the return of Voltron once more?

No. No, Kylan knows better than that. Voltron was not an ally anymore. Voltron was not reliable. It was no use depending on weapons of mass destruction to save those suffering under war. This was something Kylan understood and, after all that has happened? You would be slapped silly to believe anyone else would side with Voltron if they came back.

No more one savior. It was time to unite everyone for a chance of peace, both through the Galra and the rest of the known universe.

“Before I go, there is something...else I wish to share. Something personal,” his voice quieted down when he reached the last word.

You remained silent, allowing him to continue gifting you with his advice, but no more words followed his train of thought. Now, he took a few precious seconds to study you. Your complexion had paled slightly since he first laid his eyes on you. The shine in your hair? Dull and unkempt, save a quick run through with your fingers as a poor replacement for a comb. Overall, it seemed as though your health was failing. And failing fast.

It tugged at his heartstrings to see you like this, but you needn’t know that bit of information. Perhaps you just needed...time to recollect yourself. To take care of yourself without his aid. Sometimes, for one to grow, the best course of action is inaction. Step out of the way. Finding Lotor on your own would do you good. Reaching for that hope, achieving what you thought was impossible, it will do you good.

“What is it?” you asked after a prolonged moment of staring on both of your ends.

“Nothing. It is nothing.” Lotor raised his chin proudly, which you mimicked perfectly.

Good, good. You still had that spark in you somewhere. That inner compass has not shattered yet. He hopes this trial will be successful. You have the tools, you have the means, you have the drive and the unbreakable will. You learned from the best, know the humbleness that came with your lessons, understood the risk of commanding the power of life-sharers.

“I wish you all the luck in the universe.”

But he knew, deep down, you didn’t need luck. Especially when he saw the elite skills of the survivor in your eyes.

The plan was solid. Everything was set up how it should be, whether you failed or not. Your training was your strength, your mind resolute, and the choice? The final decision resting in your overworked hands? You were ready. And yet, some part of you, some small throbbing part in the scar on your shoulder, kept whispering caution signs. Warnings. Remember the past.

Remember how you almost died when you thought everything was going according to…

“Are you ready?”

You took a deep breath, truly considering Kylan’s words. The Paladins were watching with tension thick in the air as the platform floated in front of the mech’s face. There was something unnerving about those hollow eyes, those quintessence-fueled mist leaking out of the corners of it. That feeling of being watched, being judged, being held under a microscope only intensified the closer you stepped towards it.

It reminded you facing a door, completely unaware of what would happen when you opened it.

“Kylan,” your voice held no inflection, no hesitation, but when you turned to face him, he saw something different flutter behind your eyes.

Resolute, yes, but also...peaceful in a way he only saw in the most desperate of patients. Those who knew the road was ending. Those who still walked forward knowing their choices were running out. But even in the face of the unknown, there was always a choice. You were confident. You were ready for whatever you will witness within Sincline.

This was not the final destination for you, but if it was, then you would be damn glad for Plan B.

“You are ready,” he answered for you.

And that was what you needed to hear. Closing your eyes, taking a deep breath, then reaching forward, your fingertips grazed the cold, dark metal. You pressed your palm flat against the faceplate, calm and collected, but your heart was loud in your ears. You’ve gone off by yourself before. You’ve survived by yourself before. Yet, this? Going somewhere no one else has gone before? Into a realm where the hypothetical soul resided?

It was a new frontier you weren’t sure you would return from. Or want to.

With your mild glowing hand, you felt some force pulling you. From your wrist to your shoulder, your chest, your entire body, all the energy began draining from your very soul. What you expected was to feel cold, feel fear, feel a shared connection of some sort. A prodding into your mind, something familiar like with Kylan or with the Black Paladin.

Panic should have instinctively kicked in, should have forced you to back away, retreat from this unfamiliar path before you. This wasn’t the expected result. You weren’t meant to feel...warm. Comfortable, peaceful in the mind, untroubled, as if unreasonably high on a dose of serotonin. The inner turmoil was gone, the black haze clouding your mind these past years was dissipating and clearing a way for tranquility.

It felt so, so good. You couldn’t think of a time when you last felt such innocent emotions. And it lured you in. Made you forget for a moment where you were, what you were doing, what your plan was. The hum of the ship was muted. The thudding in your chest reduced to normal. Slow, slower yet. Your sight became hooded, body too lax to hold yourself up properly, and you fell.

You fell into a deep sleep, unaware of Kylan’s voice calling to you, catching you in his arms as his hand immediately reached up to test your pulse. You had none.

It was odd to say, to even think about considering the grand years of the human lifespan, but you believed that souls simply cease to exist after the body can not function any longer. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. For the birth of life, there are fatal wounds of death. For tears of sadness, there are tears of happiness. For every act of war, there are strives for peace. It was a cycle. Always changing, always moving, never stagnant.

Once the body fails, what is the point of the soul staying?

Moving meant being alive. Running meant going forward. And fighting meant defending. You reject times of peace because there really wasn’t a time of peace. You reject war because war doesn’t last forever. There was a balance you learned in life, your life, other people’s lives. Something you would have never discovered had you not took that step into the unknown. Had you not tripped, had not begged, had not fallen into the pit of despair and pulled yourself out of it.

And yet, you were glad you were wrong.

”Good morning, darling.”

Blearily, your eyes parted and slowly adjusted to the view before you. The sight was one for sore eyes, one a deep part of you doubted was real at all. It couldn’t possibly be that easy. It couldn’t possibly be...him, staring at you with curiosity and a softness you didn’t dare believe was directed at you. And was that a smile?

He was smiling. Lotor was wearing a genuine smile on his face.

Silver locks were draped over his pillow as he used his palm to hold his head up, elbow propped on the cushy bed. He wasn’t in his usual armor attire. Actually, he wore a loose shirt that showed off his defined collarbones and smooth skin along his neck. You dragged your eyes upwards, from his mouth to his nose and eventually his nebulous orbs, those colors you rarely glimpsed at when in a deep dream.

And you whispered, quietly, hesitantly, hopefully, “...Lotor?”

At that, his entire demeanor brightened up, “It is good to see you again.”

Why were you so...comfortable?

“I am here.”

He raised his fingertips to skim over your cheek, brushing a stray hair from obstructing his view of you. The affectionate gesture felt potent, much more than you ever recall like the time he kissed you, held you at night, kept you safe and secure against his encompassing form. The night he bit you was one that burned into your memory. The panic you remembered, the demand to stop, the weak excuse you gave him.

But now? Oh, your chest was blooming with caressing tendrils of happiness as if this? Right here? With Lotor? It was meant to be. It felt perfect. Nothing felt wrong, not even the flow of peace surrounding your very being. There was no pain, no fatigue, no dark thoughts suffocating your mind with every breath you take.

It was...tranquil. And it felt so, so good.

“Why are you crying, my dear?” he held no worry in his tone as he erased tears away from the corner of your eyes with his thumb.

And you were. Your brows were pinched and the trickle of tears watering your sight, blurring the image of Lotor - fuck, he really is here - right besides you. His gentle smile, his luminous shining gaze, the warmth of his hand reminding you of the very first time he held you like so. You sobbed, you couldn't contain it, your heart aching and yearning for you to go. Go to him. Be at peace.

This is what you were born for, to be with him. To be happy.

No words were said. You rushed forward and buried your face into his chest, tucking yourself under his chin as if the galaxy itself fitted you there. These aren't tears of sadness, or agony, or slow-spiraling despair into an empty hollowness. These were joyful tears, feelings of accomplishment after toiling for years under duress. Tears of relief. At long last, you found your sanctuary.

“Lotor…” you choked out, he held you tighter, “Lotor...you...Lotor…”

It was then you would come to realize that, when the matters of the heart and the brain were at battle with one another, your mind has always, always, became the champion. Except here, right here and right now. When you shunted away those festering feelings, boarded them up and told them to stay, nurtured them in your own silent spring way, they finally burst forth in never-ending waves of unfiltered, unrestrained happiness.

You once thought it was suffocating to release so much. Your father’s death, the guilt of inaction costing him his life, it never left you. And again, this time, by choice. You chose the wrong side of the morality battle with the universe on the thin, fine line and it took more and more energy to reinforce the inner chambers of your heart. You lost Lotor. You swear, you lost him.

“I am here. Please, let me see your face once more. Let me banish this sorrow from your eyes.”

And he did as he promised, touches so soft you were hard pressed to believe he really was a gentle giant. Carefully tending to you with eyes shining so brightly of peace tenderness, as if time itself no longer existed. This felt right. You could sense that he, too, radiated the same feelings of completion between what little space was left between you two.

This felt perfect.

They say happiness is a mix of chemicals released in the brain which triggers those good, addictive feelings. If that were the case, it was a wonder they never created it into a morally-acceptable pharmaceutical drug upon discovery. But, with your gaze lingering on the eternal sun setting over the horizon, you thought maybe this was better. Especially with Lotor holding your hand in his, that curious thumb idly tracing mindless paths over your skin.

The tickling sensation pulled a grin from you. The squeeze pushed you to lean against him, shoulder to shoulder. He wasn’t warm, but you still felt the comfort of companionship wash over you regardless. Not even the sun’s rays were of concern to you. Just him, just Lotor.

“It feels good to be home,” you said, “I never thought I would see this place again. I thought the sea had swallowed the island whole.”

“Nature has a funny way of taking and giving,” he spoke softly while shifting to slide his hand around your waist and you had a sneaking suspicion he wasn’t talking about the ocean, “Will you tell me about your life here?”

Oh, but where to start? Do you tell him why you moved here? Tell him about abandoning your post as a doctor to live a simple life of fishing? Or about how every night, you childishly watched the stars and wondered if that age old myth about wishes were true?

“I was scared, after my father passed away. So, I ran to the only place he told me about. His home, the island he grew up in without a care or concern in the world. I thought that I would feel safer here. Safer from...death, I suppose,” you paused, reflecting upon your past, “But even though the weight became lighter, I still felt terribly alone. If Shiro hadn’t found me first, I would’ve eventually looked for him.”

“You do not have relatives? Your mother? A sibling?”

Usually, you would feel a disturbing, harrowing emptiness when your mother was mentioned. A reluctance to speak about her, to even think about her, would have left you disheartened for many days and nights.

Old habits die hard, especially when they turn into an instinctive reflex.

“What about your mother, Lotor?”

Then he leaned his cheek on the crown of your temple.

“Honerva. Her name was Honerva. An intelligent woman, or so I have read in her research. And then, she became ill. Poisoned with pure quintessence exposure.” Lotor contemplated about his mother, about the evil woman she became, about the monster, the witch who was his only tie to Altea, “She died long ago. The hollow person she is now is nothing more than a shell of her former self.”

His father’s puppet. How did they fall so far? He supposed he could ask himself the same thing, but that thought never had a chance to flutter over his head. It was instantly wiped away, banished into nothing, and those good, good feelings came back again.

“Do you miss her?”

“No. What has happened, has happened. We may be tied by blood, but I will never accept her as kin.”

Not after everything she has done. Not after everything she allowed to happen. Not after preventing him from saving those he loved.

And yet, the calmness pulsating from Lotor’s soul mixed with your own feelings as well. It was...it was refreshing, like two rivers finally joining in kindred spirit after years of wayfaring. Of carving new paths, of going where no road existed, of coming to terms with the cards dealt to you. No one was ever a lone wolf in the galaxy and it truly seemed like you finally found your partner for life.

“Well, that makes two of us with less than subpar mothers.”

The meager pace of daily life was, in fact, something you greatly enjoyed. In times of war, peace prevails, and all that hoohaw. Now, it seemed like fate had decided that the horrors of bodies dropping, blood oozing, limbs breaking, and sorrowful cries should no longer be placed upon your shoulders. And, by that strange stroke of luck, it was decided that Lotor should have a well-deserved break, too.

And, boy, you were going to extend this ceasefire zone for as long as you can. Days, months, years, you lost track, and you lost something equally as important during that time as well.

“My love, will you come here for a second?” you asked from the kitchen, ladle stirring the pot slowly, “Can you taste this for me? I think it might be a little too spicy.”

He came through the door, towel around his neck and droplets of water glistening on his face. A thing that became a normal occurrence was his fascination with being as bare as possible within the meager home, sans briefs per your request. A thing that also became a normal occurrence was his unquenchable appetite for trying different foods.

“Careful, it’s hot. Very hot,” you warned, holding the lip of the utensil up for him.

He sipped. He licked his lips. He grinned with a nod of approval, like he always did before.

“Tastes perfect. You must be a natural at this, no? Perhaps I should cook for you a famous dish a kind old lady on Balmera made for me,” Lotor leaned against the wall, showing off only his best assets for your eyes only, “Did I ever tell you about my travels to the Balmera?”

You loved listening to his stories, especially about those of his trials and tribulations throughout the universe. One day, you will experience it for yourself. One day, he will take you there. One day. Lotor always ended his rambling with those two little words. One day. One day, I promise.

Traveling around Earth was one thing, but traveling the entire known and unknown cosmos? That was the adventure of a lifetime and you would be a fool to pass that up. Who else better to go with than Lotor? Than your friend? Than your...your best friend? Was that the right term? Or was it something more?

His voice faded into silence, soup still piping hot and tempting right before him. Strange, considering he was right in the middle of the interesting part of his story, the part where a cave-in nearly took his leg, but as fascinating as that was, as much as he adored sharing such personal anecdotes of his life, there was something that caused him to stop so suddenly.

And as you could feel his emotions, his thoughts, Lotor could damn well feel yours, too.

“May I kiss you?”

You felt his desire before you heard his question, if those smoldering, curious, wanting, needing stares was anything to go by. The intensity of that small, burning ember - that spark ignited many moons ago, that which never went dormant - was waiting solely on your word. This fervent passion connecting you two together through unseen bonds was always so potent, if not willfully repressed.

“Please?”

Lotor was a man of love, despite being devoid of it from his parents, despite it being cruelly yanked from him by fate, and despite his battle with the entire universe itself.

You felt this. You felt all of this. You kissed him.

And he tasted like freedom.

Where there was water, there was land. And when the land is rich with nutrients, so are the luscious trees growing tall and ripe with seeds of fruit. Today, you had told him you wanted to watch the sunset from the cliffs, just high enough that the tree tops wouldn't block the scenery but add to it instead. And, never one to turn down adventure, he gladly let you lead him along.

This was your territory after all. This jungle was not one he knows of, but he does know your fingers entangled with his will guide him where he needs to be. Whether that be in safety or danger, Lotor felt deep in his chest that no matter what happens, things will turn out fine in the end. Blissfully fine and happy. Ignorantly unaware and falsely sheltered.

Shyness? Secrets? Hidden feelings? No such thing existed between you two. Nothing but the love of lovers, the barest truth of trust, the unwavering loyalty of the heart.

By the time you helped haul him up the last edge, the sun was just beginning to set in that picture-perfect sky of orange and red. No clouds, just the distant call of gulls accompanying a windward breeze. Neither of you remembered anything but this moment, here and now. This was all you needed to achieve that serenity etched in your soul.

“Beautiful,” Lotor murmured, eyes half-lidded in a daze, then he added, “The sunset is not bad either.”

The result was instantaneous and exactly what he wanted. A smile, a pure smile of joy, adding to the gorgeousness of your being.

He brushed his knuckles against your cheek, touching you for the sake of touching, “Thank you, my dear.”

“For what? I know that hike up here wasn’t rough. You didn't even break a sweat.”

“No, it was easy. In fact, I could have gotten us here quicker if you let me carry you,” came his cheeky reply, but before you could retort back, he traced his thumb on the plump of your lower lip to silence you, “No, dear, I wanted to thank you. For being here, with me.”

You leaned into his palm, your own hand coming up to make sure he didn't pull away, and a fluttering softness fell over your eyes. “There is no where else I would rather be, Lotor. I love you.”

You have to know that.

He does. Of course he does and he meshed his lips with yours to prove exactly how much he loves you in return. Actions speak louder than words, they always have. Although Lotor was a man who could articulate poetry without putting any effort into it, he knew that the best way to express exactly how he feels would be through his hands.

It took years to carefully nurture this bond, this connection no one else would understand, and it all started with a single touch. And you were so, so glad that burning sensation was no longer there. Not when his fingertips idly meandered their way up the side of your hips, not when he meticulously drew calming symbols on your sensitive skin, and not when he...caressed the raised indents of that scar on your shoulder.

No, no, when he touched that, there was no burning sensation, only an intense throb of discomfort. That surge of something different was enough of a shock to make you pull back, away from his pliant lips that promised oh so much. That feeling...you didn't like it. And it was such a new touch you never thought you would experience with Lotor that it left you confused and hesitant.

For the first time in what you thought were years of living a normal, peaceful life with him, something prodded you in the back of your mind. An unpleasant seed of...bad omens? Is that what it was? No, impossible. As long as you can remember, the two of you have felt nothing but absolute bliss and happiness when being around each other.

“Darling?”

Lotor felt it too. He was concerned, brows furrowed with uncertainty of exactly what just happened. He was suddenly, acutely aware of how this connection, this freedom with no limitations, and how it affected the both of you in great and unclear ways. It came as no surprise then, that your hands clutched his for support.

But support for what? He didn’t know the answer if you didn’t know the question.

The scar was the key. While you remembered joyful moments with Lotor, you became aware you couldn't remember any other moment in your life that brought you happiness before him. You couldn't even remember any painful memories at all, not with him and not with anything else in your history. But this scar, fuck, you had a gut feeling that it was a crucially important time in your life.

So why couldn't you remember how you got it?

You apprehensively touched it, staring at yourself in the mirror for any change to happen. Nothing, except that same initial uncomfortable feeling from a few days ago. Although the sun was setting and Lotor would soon come in to drag you to bed with him, you couldn't help but simply wonder with child-like curiosity about it.

He came up from behind you, letting his presence be known by inquisitively humming his arrival, “Have I ever told you how beautiful you are? I feel like I should mention it more often.”

Lotor wound his arms loosely in a hug around you, back pressed against his bare chest, “Getting complimented by a handsome young man such as yourself is always a welcome gift.”

A smooth chuckle rumbled from behind you, “Young? That is debatable considering I am no, how do you say? No Summer chicken?”

“Spring chicken. No spring chicken.” You brought a hand up to guide his face to the space between your shoulder, to which he gladly followed, “But you are young where it counts.”

At that, he greedily pressed himself harder against you, “Ah, yes, where it counts.”

Like right here, where he kissed your cheek. Right here, where he dragged his lips to your ear, releasing a hot breath upon your skin. Right here, along the soft slope of your neck. Right here, at that faded scar with an untold history, a lost history.

“Lotor, do you...know how I got this scar?”

“Mm? This one?” he questioned with a gentle press of his mouth, a whisper of his careful ministrations.

“Yes. I don’t recall anything about it,” your fingertips gently threaded through his hair, “Do you remember your scars?”

Lotor paused, not because of the topic at hand that would have normally brought up instant recollections concerning his bodily scars, but because for the life of him he couldn’t remember either. His body was littered with them, some big, some small, jagged, puckered from not healing correctly, discolored from exposure to intense heat. There was a time he could tell you his personal history for each and every one.

Now? His memory was drawing a blank.

“...No. No, I do not.”

And that was startling, so startling that both of you felt the same urge to discover the reason why neither of you could remember crucial, life changing moments of your past.

Even if they were doused in pain.

It happened sometime during the night. You don’t recall how, or why, but you found yourself wide awake and staring in wonder at Lotor’s resting face. Trying to remember how you two met, your first kiss with him, first shared laugh, first time you shared beds, first time you two spoke. But the memories never came back, no matter how much you searched. It was as if the slow poison of amnesia had already claimed what it sought.

And, oddly enough, you were less scared now that you knew the truth you discovered.

It stole everything from you right under your nose. Yet, for the life of you, you didn't know how to get it back. They were your memories, your history, regardless if it was good or bad. But did you want to remember? Maybe this was a blessing in disguise. Maybe you two were better off not knowing about the imaginative atrocities that happened in your past. Maybe you should just enjoy what you have now.

“I can feel your mind wandering a thousand light years away, darling,” a sleepy-laden purr spoke, “And your hands gripping my waist also gave it way.”

Immediately, you released your hold and gave him a gentle, soothing rub in apology. Lotor responded in kind, always holding you preciously in his warm embrace. If he could already feel your thoughts, then he must at least know the vague acceptance drifting between the bond.

“Tell me.”

After he placed a kiss on your forehead, you sighed, “Do you...feel like we’re missing something? Forgetting something?”

“Like what, dear?”

“I don’t know. It’s like I forgot to turn off the stove. Or I left the water running in the tub.”

“Hm. Catastrophically deadly, yet can easily be rectified if we but get out of bed and look for ourselves,” Lotor mused, almost jokingly, almost serious, “In truth, I wonder the same thing.”

He was exquisitely happy. That much was true. It was like a haze, an addicting haze that fogged his mind and distracted him in only the most pleasant of ways. But how did he get here? How did you get here? For all the days that came, the past was gone, and he was a man who lived in the now. Lived for the future, for the endless possibilities he was to face. A future with you.

Lotor shifted onto his back, allowing you to use his chest as a pillow of sorts, then let out a deep sigh. Part of him should appreciate what he has, for he was positively sure he worked hard for it. This was the fruit of his labor. The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Yet, another part, one muffled and slowly picked away from his thoughts, told him the truth. If he couldn’t remember how he achieved this, all the blood, sweat, and tears he went through, then did he really deserve it?

“Should we be...worried?”

“This scar here, how did you get it?”

Your fingertips traced up along his forearm, across the discolored flesh with darkened pigmentation. A burn, most likely, but healed miraculously well. It had a circular ridge to it, one telling the both of you that it most likely was a through and through bullet shot. Lotor followed the curious pattern with his eyes as he tried to rack his brain for an answer.

“I am not quite sure, but the way you touch it sends a delightful shiver down my spine,” he gently plucked your fingers from his arm then kissed them ever so softly, “Which tells me that it most likely had something to do with you.”

Why else would he feel good when you touched him?

He continued with a plan in mind, “Darling, do you get that same feeling when I touch you here?”

His lips trailed to the back of your palm, laying claim higher and higher, until he stopped at the jagged faded lines ending at your elbow. Lotor imagined you must’ve fought a lion, a beast, for such claws to embed deeply into your skin. He imagined you healing yourself, wrapping gauze around your wound to prevent a bloody mess. He saw you as a fighter, a survivor, but from what?

“I do. It feels…” you murmured, your own thoughts muddled with a fading feeling of relief, “Safe. I feel safe.”

Not scared. Not panicked. But rather, a lingering catharsis that you were guarded. You were in good hands.

Then, as you were admiring the fond look behind his eyes, a flash of horrified fear crossed his face. Something was wrong. Shambles of buildings were falling. A dark pit was behind him, just about to swallow him whole. The blaring red alarm, entire room crumbling, glass flying and hazardous electrical wires sparking all around. But his face, you saw him falling, falling, eyes wide and -

And you blinked. It all vanished. You blinked again, breath caught in your fear.

Tears welled up in your eyes and your heart burst with waves of pain, choking your throat from speaking. What was that? What was that grip squeezing your chest? Silencing you from telling the one you love that you saw him die, saw him fall to his death while you couldn’t help him. While you couldn’t save him.

“Dear? My heart, what - “ he pulled you to his chest, crushing you in a hug, a protective shield to defend you from what was ailing you, “What was that?”

Whatever it was, he felt it resonate in his soul. Lotor did not like it.

Most, not all, of Lotor’s dreams consisted of the time he spent with you on the beach, or times spent together on the sand stargazing off into deep space. They were tranquil and he always woke up smiling, feeling happier when he could turn around and see your resting face in the morning. They were blissful, even. But this one? His last dream? It was a nightmare, one he didn't think was even possible to conjure up in his mind.

Lotor’s eyes shot open as cold dread trickled over his body. He reacted instantaneously, an instinct his muscles knew by memory when something scared him. The need to survive when danger was lurking in the shadows. And there was definitely something frightening him at that moment. He couldn’t pinpoint it, but he knew what he felt wasn’t good.

“Mm...Lotor?”

His bare back was turned towards you as he sat on the edge of the bed. Shoulders hunched, head hung low and his hair attempted to cover his troubled posture. He was still shocked by what he witnessed, whether real or not, and he found that his voice was failing him right now. Not when it was still fresh in his mind. That scene, they were gruesome, horrendous, and he -

But you felt his turmoil. A small inkling of it, but it was there and he was hurting.

“Go back to sleep,” he managed to whisper just loud enough that you heard him.

“What’s wrong, my love?”

Love. Was that why it hurt so much? Because he saw someone he loves die? He heard the deafening bang of a bullet. He saw it pierce right through your shoulder. He saw you fall, he saw you bleed, he felt it all. The warm blood staining his clothes, your hands, fuck, your hands clinging onto him for dear life. He felt the life drain from your eyes, he felt the pain of his heart ripping into irreplaceable pieces -

No. No, no, no...!

Lotor brought a hand up to cover his eyes, needing something, anything, to tear those images from his mind. The comforter shuffled behind him and your body pressed up against his as an anchor to reality. A reassurance that whatever was clouding his mind, it will pass, and you were alive. You were here with him. The evidence was right there. The proof was in your touch.

“I saw you die.”

And he wishes he never had to say those four words ever again.

It happened more frequently now, but with unfamiliar faces neither of you could name. Lotor’s dreams became more vivid, more clear in the night when he was deep in sleep. Your hallucinations would flash randomly during the day, sometimes he would notice with the way you turned away from him. Sometimes you would bury your face in his chest. Sometimes the shared pain would steal the breath right out of your chest.

It got worse and worse. Lotor dreamt of his mother. His father. Then a woman with antennas and triangular facial markings. Then he saw people like him, with pointed ears and uncertainty on their expressions. He dreamt of a cat. A blind teammate. His invaluable generals. Death, there was death. So much death. Countless screams of those he cared for, those he trusted.

Then...a glass cage.

“I don’t want to see this anymore,” you stared at the sunset as the bonfire blended almost perfectly with the sky, “I don’t want to see all this...this pain.”

The war, the soldiers, a man you called brother in arms. Young infantry dying by the dozen. Faces of unknown species seeking your aid, some you felt were evil. Some who were good. Some you purposely murdered to save the planet. Some you saved who backstabbed you for their own gain. The slaves, the refugees, the ones who died in the cell with you. The ones who mourned, who begged to live, who begged for someone to take this pain away.

“Something’s wrong,” he was tired, oh so tired, “This is not...it is not right.”

What happened to the good feelings? The laughs, the smiles, the high he gets when you say those three little words to him? Or was that the illusion? Were you real? Was he? Was any of this?

Lotor had a desperate feeling he was needed somewhere. And you? You had a gut intuition that you were here for something important. Something more important than just you and him living a never-ending peaceful life. Why else would these visions, these nightmares, warn the both of you now?

“We prepare tonight. Tomorrow, we leave at dawn.”

You knew the jungle like the back of your hand. Navigating around with not one, but two expert survivalists was no problem. The real issue was that the trees, the dirt paths, somehow kept leading you two back to the small hut you once called home. The ocean was endless, not even with a sliver of land in the distance. And it seemed as if time itself was looped with an eternal sunset painted in place. But more importantly, you two were scarily isolated. There wasn’t another soul on the island. No village, no city, no one at all.

The two of you traveled as far as you can, hand in hand with barely enough determination to keep both of you afloat. When fatigue would hit, you would rest for a shorter amount of time recommended. Was your health also not real? Was it possible to walk until the land underneath your feet gave out? Could you breath underwater? Was drowning only an illusion you set upon yourself?

“We’re...is this a simulation?” you asked Lotor upon realizing that, although it had been days since you two last ate, neither of you were hungry, “Are we...are we trapped here? A spell?”

He squeezed your hand as reassurance, “If it is, they are doing a wonderful job at gating our memories.”

There were bits and pieces missing still. You remembered Shiro. Something named...Voltron. You remembered Coran, but there was a person blurred out from your thoughts. And his. Lotor recalls his time in exile as well as running from his father. He recalls killing him. Lighting the flame at the Kral Zera. Oriande. Then, nothing. He woke up here, in a soft bed with you by his side.

“We will get out of here, my dear,” Lotor sealed the promise with a chaste peck of his lips against yours, “We can not dwell here any longer. Is there anything else you can remember from before?”

You closed your eyes and combed your fingers through your hair, “It’s all very vague. I remember Kylan and the Alteans at the Colony. We were - they were being evacuated. Then...your general, Axca. She was there, too, but I don’t know why.”

“Acxa? The last I remember of her was when I fought my father. I was the Emperor, that much I know, and that is why I must return to my throne. Do you recall the Paladins?”

“Yes. Yes, Shiro. He was the Black Paladin and my dear friend. We fought in WWIII together. There was...Pidge? Keith, Hunk, and Lance. All of us were from Earth, but someone else was there,” you looked up, trying and hoping and begging for the answer to fall on you, “Two people. Coran and…”

“Allura,” the both of you said simultaneously.

Brown skin. White hair. Child-like morals. A voice with no power. A crown with no claim. A princess who was unprepared for the retaliation of war. A princess who blindly commited murder under the guise of justice.

“Allura...she…”

Realization dawned upon Lotor’s face. His eyes frantically looked at you, then the jungle, then back to you. The fight. The Rift, he was in the Rift, surrounded by white, formless creatures eating him, clawing him -

“...killed. She killed me. They abandoned me.”

Left him to die inside Sincline. The machine meant to save worlds, not destroy them. The machine he worked so diligently on with Allura. He poured himself into it...and so did she. What exactly did her Altean powers do to the sentient being?

“My creator.”

Time stopped then. The wind in the trees froze in place and all the sounds of life came to an abrupt halt. Even the clouds and rays of sunshine filtering through the branches no longer had that whimsical touch to them. The illusion remained still, but the two of you could now feel another presence within the area.

“The...the robot?” you asked, “Sincline is doing all of this? How?”

“Sincline is sentient, just like the lions. Just like Voltron,” he explained while connecting the dots in his head, “It...it can not be. I hear it. Do you hear it?”

No, you didn’t hear it, but you felt like you were being watched. Not maliciously scrutinized, but rather protectively. As if someone was there making sure you were safe and happy. Well-taken care of with no worries in the world. Pampered and secured. Blinded to the reality of what horrors lie behind the door.

And that's when you realize why you were trapped here. You opened the door, volunteered to delve where no soul has gone before, and you found him. You, too, were pulled into the euphoric haze of ignorance, force-fed happiness by the spoonful, and had your memories fade away with every restful night.

“Lotor, we have to - we have to get out of here.”

“I do not think we can,” he pulled you close to his side, now fully aware of the situation you two were in, “It locked us in here. It is not our choice. We are in Sincline’s realm.”

“I will keep you safe, my creator.”

“No, you don’t understand - We have to leave. I - I remember now. Haggar is killing people to look for you. The other reality, their war coming. The Alteans, they need you,” the urgency in your voice matched the panic he felt radiating from you, “And so does the Empire.”

It wasn’t a matter of wanting to stay here. You simply couldn’t. This place was not real, and neither was the happiness that came with it. Your absence, Lotor’s absence, will put the fate of the universe and all realities in critical danger. There was no hiding and you will not stand aside in this dire situation.

“I know, darling. I know -”

“Sleep now.”

“Sincline!” he shouted to the sky, “You must set us free.”

He received no response. No answer to his demand. Nothing, except the environment slowly disappearing, peeling down the image of tropical trees into the very cosmos itself. Stars littered all around you two, blinking and twinkling in the vast sea of deep, dark blue space. There was no floor, no sky. Just the two of you, hand in hand.

“Are you...not at peace, my creator?”

The voice. The voice spoke with such innocence, such confusion as to why Lotor wanted to leave this paradise. Sincline created it for him because it was made to do so. It had both his and Allura’s virtues in one. It knew of the wars and evils out there, which is why it wanted him to stay here. To stay blissfully ignorant and bask in tranquility for all of eternity.

Lotor took a deep breath. A child. Sincline had the mentality of a child who only wanted to take care of -

“I am. However...”

Then, he squeezed your hand tighter, reminding himself that although he was at peace, he still had catastrophic problems to fix. To prevent. And you were here, dedicated to the final result. Ready to see it through to the end, struggles and death and all.

“I am needed elsewhere. We are needed elsewhere. You know this, do you not?”

Of course it did. It was careful to erase the memories of your past, of his past, but the truth can not be hidden. It can not be forgotten.

“Sincline, I thank you for saving me, protecting me, but it is time for me to go back now. For...us to go back. ”

For a while, it was ominously silent. You weren’t sure if minutes or days or years passed. Each tick of a second only made you dread that maybe, just maybe, Sincline wasn’t as virtuous or merciful as you had hoped. If it adopted traits from Allura, then who knows how far it will go to keep you two safe?

“If that is what you wish, my creator, it will be done.”

“I will see you soon...Protector of the Universe.”

The invisible floor gave way and the both of you began falling, falling, falling until visible pitch black darkness surrounded you two.

Neither of you dared to let go.

The first of your sense that came back to you was your sight. Then, the chill of death being chased away by your very real beating heart. Kylan was above you with your head propped on his lap and his fingers pressed against the side of your throat. His face was filled with both bafflement and disbelief.

He couldn’t believe it. You were dead, but now? You had a pulse and you were breathing.

“Lo...Lotor - “

A loud hiss interrupted your mumbling as the cockpit window disintegrated into hexagonal light. With what little energy you could muster, you pushed yourself up to your feet and fell forward. You had to get to him, had to be sure Sincline kept to its word. Had to be sure Lotor came back, too. There was that doubt whispering in your head, “What if it all wasn’t real?”

And then, you heard him scream.

Lotor yelled in agonizing pain, the onslaught of all his senses coming back at once was too much for him. Cold, his entire body was freezing, and what should’ve been the comforting warmth of his blood rushing through his veins only felt like searing hot lava tendrils setting him on fire from the inside. The cost of returning from the dead hurt more than anything he had experienced in his life.

He was crying. The sounds of footsteps rushed into his ears, a weak call of his name from your lips, the feeling of taking that first breath, it all sent him into a panic attack. His heart wasn't used to beating again after being off for so long. Lotor’s sight was blurred by his tears and, fuck, why couldn't he stop screaming?

“Lotor, listen - ”

Your arms closed around him, holding him up when he started to lean off his seat. His claws clung to you, dug into you, secured himself to you in his time of facing life again. Too many emotions flushed through him, jolting him with fear, with safety, with love, with hate.

“It’s okay, it’s okay.”

Lotor’s entire body was shaking. He was gritting his teeth together, trying to bide through the feeling of his chest heaving much too quickly. All he wanted to do, all he knew what to do in this moment, was hide. And he wasn’t sure why, but he felt he had to for his own sake.

“You’re safe. Lotor,” something wet hit his cheek, “You’re gonna be okay. You’re safe now. You’re safe.”

#lotor x reader #spacestories #ha #got it done before the year ended

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arinaco · 5 years ago

Text

The tragedy of Allura in the seasons 7-8

Edited by https://twitter.com/Nadezhda932

Warning: Allurance will get an unpleasant rating. If you're happy with this ship in S 7-8 - just go by. Because I'm confident in my opinion, and you can't convince me otherwise.

Many people have questions about the behavior of Allura after S7. Someone will even say that the scriptwriters are idiots who tried to abruptly jump from Lotura to Allurance; that Allura is a bastard who decided to use Lance as a backup plan etc.

In response, I will say: screenwriters who wrote the original script for S7-8 knew what they were doing. And Allura is the last person who deserves to be hated at this moment, because she's the most unhappy character in S7-8, and does not deserve such negativity at all.

Let's remember what happened to Allura at the end of S 6.

At the beginning of the season, Lotor's been traveling with paladins for several months. Kral Zera took place. Allura admires Lotor, Allura is in love for the first time, sincerely and seriously.

On the other hand, mice report to Allura about Lance. It probably never occurred to Lance that they would do it (they are mice!), otherwise he would never have said that. And here the problems begin, since such confessions always (!) spoil a good friendship. Not a relationship that cools down over time and becomes friendship, but such a confession.

Why? Because the first thing that Allura felt when she heard this was guilt. She didn't offend Lance, she never encouraged him in this regard, but still felt guilty. And guilt is a terrible thing that can push us to absolutely wrong things.

"Allura: Oh.... he said that?"

In addition, after such a confession... you may not want this, but this isn't under your control: from now on you will always look at your relationship with this person through the prism of this confession. Awkwardness and constant thoughts about how this person will interpret your actions. You can’t just hug him or express gratitude any other way. Each time you will think about being misunderstood. Because you don't want these relationships, you don't want to offend and you're afraid that your actions will be misunderstood.

In this particular case, Lance didn't even confess directly. If after official confession both are aware of the uncomfortable situation, then only Allura felt uncomfortable The rest interpreted her behavior without taking confession into account. Just because they didn’t know.

And then... Romelle happens. You can’t say otherwise. I have no good attitude towards Romelle simply because after all her actions she got a happy ending, and Allura, whom she had broken all her life, died in depression. Sorry, but this is so unfair that it makes no difference to me how right or wrong Romelle was in her claims.

Too. Much. Blood. Too much lives were sacrificed for her revenge.

And Allura is the first victim among all.

"Romelle: You killed my brother and thousands of others!"

Rommelle was brought by Keith. The second culprit of this mess. The culprit is because at that moment of the series Keith felt that he had the right to command and decide. But he didn't feel the weight of this responsibility. Seriously, Keith didn't think about that everyone else would pay for his every mistake. Too much conviction in his being right, too much speed in decisions when he held in his hands, in fact, the fate of the whole universe.

I believe that in the original S8 he should have been poked into it with his face. But here he wasn't. Keith made many hasty decisions for which he never paid - he didn't bear responsibility as a leader.

And the first among them is to leave Lotor in the Rift to die.

It was not Allura who decided to kill Lotor. She wanted to release the rage, but obviously didn't want to leave him in the Rift. The decision was made by Keith. And his statement that they shouldn't waste time on this is ridiculous. Paladins are ready to defend any random guy they've just met, and then they leave to die the one a) with whom they worked together for several months, b) who saved their lives several times, c) who is the head of a huge empire.

But Keith felt that he had the right to decide, and he made a decision. Without thinking about the consequences.

"Allura: But we can't just leave him!

Keith: Lotor's made his choice. Let's get out of here, Allura"

After this situation, Allura feels awful. She didn't think that all this would end like this, because she absolutely didn't plan to kill him. And besides, she feels betrayed by the person she loves. Yes, feelings can't disappear at once. At this particular moment, Allura still loves Lotor.

She feels bad. She needs support and understanding. But what does she get?

"Keith: As I recall, you were the one who got us all cozied up to Lotor"

After all the events Keith, convinced in his right to make decisions, accuses her of trusting Lotor. We can say that this is an echo of being offended at how Allura didn't trust Keith because of his origin. But Keith did wrong anyway.

Having received the support of the others, Keith directly shows that Allura won't receive any sympathy in her grief. That any words on the subject “I love him, but he deceived me” or “I didn't want his death” will be critisized.

And the only one who supports her is Lance. He's here for her without a second thought, simply because he is a good compassionate person.

He did absolutely right in this situation. But this was another nail in the lid of the coffin of friendship with Allura because of a damned confession.

"Lance: You can't doubt yourself. We need you. The universe needs you"

Because Lance is no longer just a good friend, whose support is natural - he is in love and suffers from non-reciprocity of his feelings. As a result, gratitude overlapped with guilt, and Allura felt obliged to Lance.

Take a look at this cocktail of emotions:

Allura is under stress after the killing and betrayal of Lotor;

Allura feels guilty for trusting Lotor;

Allura feels guilty for the fact that Lance loves her, but she doesn't love him back;

Allura feels obliged to Lance for his support;

And all this accumulates by the beginning of S7.

And all the actions of Allura should be considered taking into account the presence of this terrible clump of feelings.

And I haven’t listed everything yet, by the way.

Allura lost her castle. The castle was her home and the last small stronghold of Altea. Where were all her personal belongings, all that was left of her homeland. The castle made Allura an independent unit with its property, and then she lost it.

As a result, Allura comes to Earth almost without nothing. And she feels it, looking at her friends who were at home surrounded by their relatives. Allura herself literally turned into a refugee, whose position is completely dependent on the loyalty of her friends. She talks about it in plain text, by the way. She becomes dependent on the good attitude of the other paladins.

"Allura: Each of us was alone, but we were alone together"

If Coran quickly joined the company of commanders and scientists, Allura remained alone simply as a Blue paladin. In an absolutely replaceable role, what Allura understands very well.

And don't forget about the loss of the crown. I laugh in the face of the one who claims that it was easy for Allura to part with the crown. Allura was proud of her legacy, her origin and involvement in the royal family of Altea. She always recalled her old life with nostalgia and said that she's missing all this. Allura was not “an unhappy rich girl, burdened by her position,” Allura was a princess, completely content with her life and proud of how much duty she was destined to fulfill for the benefit of the whole society.

The crown was a symbol of all that Allura treasured so much. In S8, Allura sadly recalls that she is no longer a princess and has no political power.

"Allura: Oh, right, I... um..."

But back to our S7. It's still more or less tolerant. Allura locks herself in and concentrates on work. At the same time, she can no longer communicate with Lance like it was before. Now Lance is no longer a friend, comrade and brother, he is "a boy who likes me and whom I am afraid to offend by refusal." Allura feels obligated and, wanting to be grateful, wants to encourage Lance by telling him something good. But then again, she can't do it calmly. Now Allura looks at any Lance's actions as potentially romantic.

And it's logical that she is embarrassed. Allura wasn't sophisticated in this matter, and being in a relationship with Lotor doesn't count as at the time she didn't think about at all what was romantic or not.

"Allura: I wanted to say... stay safe out there"

And naturally, the environment that doesn't know the situation begins to interpret this wrongly. Do you really think that Veronica would persuade Lance to date Allura if she knew that not so long ago the paladins murdered her almost fiance?

"Veronica: Looks like the princess likes you back"

So Lance himself began to notice that Allura’s attitude towards him had changed.

I won't talk about the sincerity of the feelings of Lance and his personal problems, this is a question on a different topic, about his problems with self-acceptance. I’ll just say that it’s completely in Lance’s character that he immediately started thinking on the topic that “I’m not worthy of Allura, I’m just a simple Cuban guy, she will refuse me”. Moreover, judging by the behavior of Hunk in the S1S8, Lance constantly annoyed Hunk with this topic. But Hunk, being a confident guy (despite his overweight, by the way), didn't understand such problems. If you like a girl - go and tell her about it. Yes, she can refuse you, but this is not the end of the world in fact.

"Hunk: You asked her, didn’t you? Oh, and she said no"

That's why Hunk is behaving this way. He probably told Lance more than once that he should go and talk with Allura. Moreover, Hunk knew Allura perfectly. Therefore, he didn't only ask Lance: “Did you confess to her?”, but immediately suggested that she refused him. Since his predictions are what Lance should have heard. And when he kicks Lance to Allura, he wants Lance to just put an end to this. He'll to Allura, she'll refuse him, and Lance will begin to live on, ceasing to torment himself on this subject.

Why this retreat about Hunk? In order to correctly understand the situation with the invitation of Allura on a date.

You know, if Lance pulled himself together and went to invite Allura alone, that would be wonderful. They would have spoken without witnesses, and perhaps Allura was even frank with him. If Lance went with Hunk only, then Hunk would just stand by and didn't get into the conversation. And also everything would have turned out more or less good both for Allura and for Lance.

But, alas, our wonderful Romelle is here again. She obviously had nothing to do at a military facility, and therefore she toiled from boredom. So she sincerely enthusiastically took on the role of matchmaker, wishing everyone only the best, but knowing absolutely nothing about the characters of Lance, Allura, and all that connected them.

And Romelle did the most disgusting thing. She began to persuade Allura.

"Romelle: It’ll be good to get away for a night and clear your head"

Sorry, but if a girl says that she's busy, it means that she makes you politely understand that she's not interested in the invitation. And if Lance was alone or simply with Hunk, then the hint would be understood, and Lance would back up. Lance, unlike Romelle, is a smart guy.

And just think about what situation Allura faced.

She feels guilty, feels obligated to Lance. She feels dependent on a good relationship with the paladins. She is still struggling with her loss. And they're persuading her, using statements that they're taking care of her, that they wish only good to her, but she doesn't appreciate it.

And Allura broke. She gave up.

I don't believe in claims that Allura tried to drown her pain with these relationships. At no point in S8 Allura looks like a person who's trying to get at least some pleasure from this relationship. At the first opportunity to stay alone, she kicks Lance to the fair. Because this relationship strained Allura even more, and she wanted to at least have a little rest.

"Allura: Please, go have fun!"

She holds onto Lance as the only person she can get support from. But as a friend, not as a boyfriend. Just because he's the only one from whom she can receive this support.

You know, I have big questions about a kiss on a date. About the kisses of Lance and Allura in the whole S8. No matter how fake it is and that they were not in the original plot. The question is different. From the point of view of commonplace medicine, during a period of stress and depression a woman's libido completely falls. It's the logic of the body: a woman in stress means it's dangerous to have children. The kisses that we see in classic films are kisses after stress, when the euphoria begins. In no one scenario is there a scene where a woman, being stressed or depressed, gives a long romantic kiss to a man.

Short kisses can be interpreted as an attempt to calm, as a gentle touch or part of a hug. But a long kiss implies the presence of attraction, which a woman in depression doesn't have at all. And from the point of view of medicine and psychology, the kiss of Lance and Allura is interpreted as "It's easier to give, than to explain why you don't want to." When Allura surrendered and simply decided to give Lance what he wants. Because she was tired of fighting beyond the boundaries of her personal space, and this relationship saved her from feeling guilty.

In this situation, by the way, I really want to say a few words in defense of Coran. Because it's believed that he patriarchally blessed Lance on this matter, without being interested in the opinion of Allura. Which is completely wrong. When Lance comes to Coran, Allura has already agreed. Moreover, the first impulse of Coran is protest and indignation. From his point of view, it was a serious misalliance, and a simple Cuban guy was not at all regarded as an equal to his priceless princess. But Coran shuts himself up out of respect and love for Allura, since he considers her opinion. And he begins to educate Lance as a little one on the topic of courtship for girls, showing us what he thinks about Lance's abilities in this regard.

If Coran was with Allura at the time of the invitation to a date, then Romelle would have been shut up categorically. Alas, Coran was not there at that moment.

We know how it all ended. Very sad and tragic. Relationships with Lance hardly played a huge role in this, in fact, Allura was in very serious condition without them.

During the last seasons she sees how her friends are happy to return home to their families. And then she sees the ghosts of her family, her dead lover. And in the end she very quickly and uncompromisingly decides to sacrifice herself.

Do you understand how this is interpreted?

When life became so bad that death is perceived as deliverance. As a way to get what you lost, but so desperately want to return.

The owner of the franchise, Bob Koplar, wrote that this sacrifice was a great honor for Allura.

Great honor. To kill yourself after a long depression. She couldn't even talk about why she was depressed. She had no one to talk about. She died looking confident in her decision. Because life has become worse for her than death.

Not a single female character in any animated series for children died such a sad and terrible death. By God, an episode in DotU, where Allura "died" from the Haggar's venom was more gentle for the psyche of children.

So let's say a big thank you to Bob for this wonderful script. And for the broken hearts of children on Christmas holidays.

As well as mine.

#vld #voltron #allura

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silverineontherun · 6 years ago

Note

I'm from twitter but I came here because you don't have a cc and I'm too shy to ask xD but I read your time travelling theory and the other one too and I was wondering how will the endgames work? I know you are a klance stan but I don't see it happening tbh

Hey! Thanks for reading my theory! And by the other one I guess you mean Astro’s theory right? Well, that theory pretty much explains how I’d like to see it play out regarding the endgames: I believe in a Lotura/Klance ending. Sorry in advance, this is gonna be longer than it should ‘cause I’m taking the chance to answer it as a follow up to my meta!

My post, in particular, was centered around Lotor and pretty much works for any endgame you have in mind, but if you ask me how I see things, I’d say the setup works perfectly for Lilac and Kick. As I mentioned before, even though I think some conflict will arise with the decision of surrendering Voltron/allowing Honerva to tamper with the timeline, I’m sure they won’t. They will peek at the past, at most, which explains the poster, but no more than that. No paladins erased and even if Voltron is eventually destroyed (be it as a necessary sacrifice to close the rift or for any other reason) peace will be restored in the present, not the past. Slav won’t let them, and no one can argue with Slav! Haha. So, about the endgames, these are my personal bets:

- For Lotura, we’d require redemption (or vindication like crystal-rebellion has RIGHTLY said) for Lotor. If his work was misunderstood, if his pilots gave their lives voluntarily as it’s been hinted (check Astro’s theory), if he is not a criminal like they made us believe, then there’s hope. Then, and only then I’ll let him get close to my Allura again, though. I have a lot of faith in his and Honerva’s arc, but I need him to come out clean of all the charges first lol. But anyways, after drifting in the rift he was most certainly overexposed to quintessence (and possibly corrupted since his birth), and that will play a major role here. Maybe Honerva will cleanse him, maybe it’s not that easy. Maybe Allura is the only one who can help him. In the final hour, Lotor’s wellbeing may be at stakes, and I’m pretty sure that, if he’s given the choice, he’d always sacrifice himself for a greater cause. Which Honerva won’t allow, I think. In my ideal ending, Lotor is purified and alive, taking the paladin’s side and even though his mother’s actions are beyond forgiveness, I expect him to get some closure about her. Away from his parents’ crimes, he could head towards the future– hopefully by Allura’s side. I feel that they are the only ones capable of truly understanding the deep pain of the other, and also to aid each other in their endeavors. However, if our Lotor redemption/vindication fails, I think Allura will do fine by herself too. She deserves all the love of the world, of course, but my hope stays with Lotura as the only romantic outcome satisfying enough for her.

- Regarding klance, it’s even more debatable and I know it. But I’m staying aboard this ship! Astro’s theory does an excellent job showing a possible way in which Keith could be in danger and maybe in need of being rescued for a change. Our boy is super selfless, I’m sure he would be willing to sacrifice himself to end the war one way or another (time travel theory or not)… But the team won’t let him, and I would bet real money in the fact that his right-hand man will be the one to go to his rescue if needed. In the sneak peek we see all the paladins except for Keith (who is inside his lion) fighting something in the astral plane. This season will be all about wormholes, magic and quintessence, so the fact that they are there already turns my sensors on because anything regarding Lance and Keith in the vicinity of the astral plane brings back the stars theory. We have seen these red and blue twinkly little bastards since the beginning appearing during important moments and, tying it to my time traveling theory, what if they are Lance and Keith crossing realities/time and watching these past events in the way? What if they, as the wings of Voltron, can make use of their own quintessence to do so? What if this outcome was planned from the beginning? Granted, even if I’m right that doesn’t have to be romantic, but for that matter, I’m gonna redirect you to the klancetament. And even if you aren’t fond of klance, I’d say last season will hand us KL moments anyway because the show started from Lance’s pov and we were introduced to Keith through his eyes, it’s logical they must end in a similar note, with them going from rivals to friends… to lovers if you’re a believer.

Also, unrelated, but if they don’t show us Lance’s sword again I’m gonna explode.

Anyways, thanks for asking and hmu anytime, be it here or twitter! don’t be shy

#klance #lotura #vld #vld s8 predictions #klance meta #lotura meta #s8 predictions #askies #Anonymous

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mermaider00 · 6 years ago

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Hello! What about a lotura moment during the moment they were building sicline, something like eating something together or a fluffy moment, like Allura finding some silly things Lotor did like singing an old altean song, or getting stresed or her finding him playing with the mouses???? (sorry, my english is awful :c

(I choose… singing an old Altean song as they build the Sincline. Enjoy the sweetness before season 7 drops tomorrow, and some made up Altean folklore)

————————————————-

Allura enjoyed working with Lotor. It was quickly becoming one of the better parts of her day, if not the best, as of late.

She didn’t have to listen very carefully to him or try to dissect strange genius family sayings like she had to with Pidge and Matt. She didn’t have to constantly put him back on the topic at hand, like with Hunk when her yellow Paladin would get distracted. And she didn’t have to remind him she was still in the room and they were partners, like with loner Keith when he would go quiet. Working with Lotor was like working with Shiro. They were usually on the same page.

So when it came time to meet him at the Sincline ships, she happily went with a slight skip in her step.

Once she arrived, they took a whole varga to reassess their last updates, to make a plan on what they would do in today’s session with the third and last of the ships. Now that they were settled, another varga went by as they worked, sitting on top of the ship after climbing up from a nearby platform. It was quiet as she handled the alchemic side of their work and he the mechanical, the only sounds the hum of the engines of the command ship and the metal footsteps of patrolling sentries as they guarded their Emperor. Every now and then there would be a spark and a buzzing noise as Lotor fiddled with a few wires inside an opened control panel.

The other sound, one she wished would either stop or wander off, was Lance’s foot as he impatiently tapped it from the platform below them.

Allura sighed with a roll of her eyes and glanced down at the blue Paladin. Lotor didn’t seem to acknowledge Lance’s existence or slightly annoying noises. He continued on building his ship, eyes intense and focused on his work.

After a while her own mind started to wander. Not because she was bored, she told herself, but because being here with Lotor in the quiet had a strange way of making her remember Altea. It was never a topic he didn’t wish to discuss, and had quickly become a natural thing to think of her home world when around him. Her gaze studied his hands, either deep in the panel or scrolling away on a screen. The quiet and his presence was nice when she could block out the other small noises. She was comfortable, relaxed.

It felt like there was nothing else she needed to fight.

Lost in contentment, Allura continued watching his hands as her throat began to hum. Just a soft sound, just a little tune, one that hadn’t been on her mind when she’d started, but now consumed her as she kept on. With her eyes on the metal of the ship now, she placed one finger on the shiny surface, started tracing Altean symbols with a glowing blue fingertip, infusing more magic into the Sincline.

Lotor didn’t mind. She would hum sometimes when they worked, but usually it was something quick and meaningless. He kept working; hands and gaze focused as he listened to her with half an ear, a prettier sound than simple quiet or the everyday racket of the Empire. It was nice, dreamy and calming. When her voice picked up and the tune of her hum more pronounced, Lotor listened carefully. Allura then started to sing properly, using words instead of a simple melody. He recognized them

He knew the song she was singing, and smiled.

Minutes later, Lance’s ears perked up and he was snapped out of his thoughts and back to reality. Singing, he realized. But there were only two other people… His head jerked up from his spot on the raised platform next to the ship. He stared and blinked, mouth set firmly.

Lotor and Allura were softly singing a song as they continued working, something he guessed to be in the Altean language, since it was the only one that would connect them. The song was slow, something wistful and otherworldly, almost haunting with both of their smooth voices giving it sound. A sad song, a romantic one if he was picking up the correct vibe. They sang it together almost perfectly, Lotor able to pronounce and enunciate the dead alien language just as well as the full blood princess. He knew every word, like she did. He knew when to stop, when to hold the note, when to deepen his voice to accommodate hers. They were in harmony.

The entire scene, two royal Alteans singing an old song of their people as her energy and his work shined on their grinning faces, was almost hypnotic. Even to Lance.

But he didn’t like it. He didn’t like it one bit because he was unable to relate in any way, and would never be able to. Careful not to damage the ship, he hastily climbed it to meet them.

When the song ended, Allura laughed softly, her eyes bright and cheery. “I can’t believe you know that song.”

Lotor lifted a shoulder casually. “When I tell you my studies on Altea have been going on for as long as I’ve been able to read, I’m not putting it lightly. I know the song and the story behind it quite well.”

Allura sighed dreamily. “It is one of my very favorite tales.”

“What tale?” Lance said suddenly, groaning some as he lifted himself further onto the ship to get to them. “What’s that song you guys were singing? Sounded kinda sad.”

Neither seemed to be bothered by the human’s sudden appearance. Any chance to educate on Altea - even something so small like a song - was always swiftly taken by them both in the right setting. Allura waited for Lance to grab a spot next to her without almost sliding off.

“It’s an old Altean song inspired by an even older Altean myth,” she told him. “There’s a happier way of singing it meant for children, usually little girls, but the true version is not for them, and the lyrics are more romantic and sexual, and changed for the young ones. It’s a song that somehow survived many generations. Back on Altea, everyone knew it. It was a small part of our history, that song.”

“So it’s like London Bridges?” Lance asked with a tilt of his head.

“Um… I suppose. I’m not familiar…”

“How does it translate to English? Or do you only sing it in Altean?”

“Hmm.” Allura glanced over at Lotor with a questioning lift of her brow.

“The lyrics were written in a more ancient form of the language than what they spoke during Alfor’s reign as the last king of Altea,” Lotor explained, taking a moment from his work to give them both his attention. He brushed a few stray locks of long white hair from his face as he sat up straighter. “As Allura said, the song is very old. I’ve read there were countless debates through time by various historians on whether the tale the song sings of was only a bewitching fable, or actual mystical Altean history. No one ever knew for sure, and now all attempt to find out is lost, obviously.”

Lance had never been one for a history lesson, but stories were always fun, and he was intrigued. His family back home were all storytellers. “So what’s the tale?”

Allura settled in and brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them. “Generations ago, before Alteans traveled the stars, the planet, though always prosperous, was not a magical one, and Alteans were not a magical race. The former Royal Family’s crest and name was lost with time, save for only one, for whom the song was written. Princess Sarvi, the mother of Altean magic.”

“Princess Sarvi,” Lance repeated, squinting some. “She sounds hot. Was she hot?”

She looked to Lotor and saw him confused. “Earthlings sometimes use hot when they want to say attractive.”

The Emperor gave a nod. “Princess Sarvi, whether she is a historic figure or only myth, was described as one of the most beautiful Alteans to ever breathe. The most reoccurring descriptions of her tell of pale skin and extremely black hair that matched her equally black eyes, an unusual hue for Alteans of any generation. She is said to be the first Altean born with the markings that we see on Allura and Coran everyday. The marks under her eyes and scattered along her body were gold, a deep, true gold that made her quite literally shine. The song has a lyric of her gliding in brightest white, my deep desire for the night. The color of the Royals was said to white in the ancient times, before proper documentation.”

Lance tried to picture her. Of course an ancient princess would be exquisitely beautiful; they always were. And it seemed to be a trait for all Alteans. He narrowed his eyes some at Lotor. Even half Alteans too. Bastard. “So I’m guessing there’s a long lost love thrown in there somewhere? That’s the trend, I guess.”

“A little of yes and no,” Allura answered. “Princess Sarvi didn’t relate well to her own people. She cared more for the planet itself. She had no interest in friends or suitors or her own royal duties, and her subjects thought her to be cold and even insane. But really, knowing what we know now, she was just extremely introverted, and felt more connected to Altea than the Alteans. She was a ghost to her people. A mythical creature only few laid eyes on. A man who led one of Altea’s Royal Houses at the time, Commander Rainer, fell in desperate love with her when he spotted her late one night in a field surrounded by juniberries. From then on, he worked tirelessly to somehow convince her to marry him.”

“Commander Rainer is the poet, the one who wrote the song as a love letter to the Princess,” Lotor continued. His eyes were bright with knowledge as he stared at Lance. “Rainer was highly respected, a great warrior for Altea and beloved by all for his immense courage and generosity. It made sense that he would be the one to take her hand in marriage. But Sarvi was a master at evasion, and only ever spotted at night in different regions. When he would find her, his nerves got the best of him. He kept his distance, and wrote the song on the nights he would watch her as she glorified Altea with creatures surrounding her.”

Altean Snow White, was what came to Lance’s mind. But no dwarves or evil queens or poisonous apples. “How does the song go?”

They were both quiet as they thought it over, each one trying to translate the lyrics to the Paladin’s spoken language. This was nice, Allura decided. It was nice to share her culture with her friend, to go back to her time with a curious and longing emperor who never got to truly experience it.

“You drift, you sing, you rival the moon. The sun creates dawn and you’re gone far too soon,” Allura began, not singing a handful of the lyrics, simply speaking them like a poem instead. Song was for Altean. “The solar sea is in your gaze, I can see locks like black fire on the shore ablaze. Oh, my love, the Ancients have stitched you, I want you, I need you. I can see the gold under your eyes, it makes me feel alive.”

Lance grinned at her. “Who wouldn’t fall for that?”

“Sarvi,” Lotor answered plainly, not realizing he’d killed the dreamy mood. “At night, her markings would glow, turning her into a beacon for him to find. As time went on, Altea began to change, slowly transforming into what it ultimately became. But the planet was not alone in the change. Rainer discovered that the Princess was deteriorating more with each moon cycle. Fearing for her life, he finally approached her in the night, to confess his love and marry her. But Sarvi’s skin, once dewy and lively, was almost completely translucent. Her dark hair had turned white, black eyes a pale gray. Her beaming gold markings was the only color she had left, shining brighter than he’d ever seen before. He told her he adored her, asked her to accept him as hers. Begged her when she didn’t answer. It wasn’t long until she lost her solid form right before his eyes. But before she became nothing, she held out her hand to him,” Lotor continued, mimicking the gesture by showing Lance his hand as if he wanted the boy to take it.

“And she said,” Lotor went on, eyes focused on Lance’s, “if you love me, brave commander, sing me your sweet song forever. Rainer reached for her in haste, unable to live without her. Markings of metallic silver appeared on his face and body, glowing as hers did, before Sarvi and the Commander became light and were absorbed into the planet.”

“Man,” Lance whispered.

“All babies born after that night were given the markings, and the abilities,” Allura told him. “Altea became magical, and soon it was discovered by astronomers that our home world suddenly possessed two rings around the planet. It was also decided that Sarvi didn’t keep herself from her people out of hate or discomfort, but because she knew her work and her sacrifice would better all the Alteans to come after her.”

“Princess Sarvi had a deep connection to Altea, one that has never been replicated since,” Lotor added quietly. Moments like these were now the closest he would ever come to experiencing his own connection. It filled him with more regret. “She gave her entire being and all of her inner magic gifted to her to the planet, and the Commander followed. All that is left of him is his song.”

Allura smiled up at the Emperor. He may have never known Altea, but his incredible interest in her home delighted her. And why shouldn’t he be interested? she asked herself. He was just as much a part of Altea as she was. She could see it now.

Lance had enjoyed the story, but as the two reminisced silently in a way he couldn’t and practically glowing around each other, his face dropped and his brow shot up.

“You two are a couple of nerds,” he told them.

#lotura #lotor #allura #voltron legendary defender

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royalalteans · 6 years ago

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I love that beauty and the beast crossover idea so much!!

me too!!

the whole batb—death & the maiden trope—is literally my life. its my favourite.i have an AU lotura fic in the works that follows similar batb elements! ive been thirsting over the idea for a while now and thought i should just go ahead and do it! lotura have that kind of compelling dynamic and backstory that it would fit them perfectly (just as they fit each other perfectly)

#lotura #lotor #allura #batb #lotura au #asks #saile-ains

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lynfantasy · 6 years ago

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Lotor?

(For this character ask challenge)OOF. Alright, prepare yourself for salt, because I absolutely love this character no matter what, and that is precisely why I am very mad at the official crew about him. (Though I swear this isn’t ALL salt.)

The last time I did this ask challenge, I answered these questions for Lotor here, but that was before season 5 even came out. Now…

(Putting this under a read-more because this is LONG – there’s two long playlists under the “song” section, and I added a ton of screenshots at the end.)

Favorite thing about them: I loved how complex and out-of-the-ordinary he was. He wasn’t a hero, he wasn’t a villain, and he wasn’t even a traditional antihero. He wasn’t good, but he was altruistic; he wasn’t bad, but he was willing to do things that no one else would. He was neutral, and he didn’t need to be redeemed into goodness. He certainly didn’t seem to have any reason to fall or rise – he already knew what he wanted and how he was going to get it, and both his motives and means were shockingly pure.And then…Least favorite thing about them: Season 6 just completely ruined him. That colony thing?? I’ve vented to many friends about this, and there’s a post I have half-written that I might put up sometime, but it just doesn’t make sense to me. The creators of the show said that they wanted him to be a morally gray character, but then they had had him commit a truly evil act? And he doesn’t even seem repentant for it? I just can’t forgive them for doing this to him. This wasn’t some “cool plot twist.” I’m not sitting here, thinking, “Wow, I really fell for that, didn’t I?” I don’t feel like Lotor betrayed me. I feel like the writers betrayed him and did him a disservice.Favorite line: “All I ask is that you judge me by my actions rather than your preconceptions of my race.” This line was just… wow.Also: “My father’s blood is not just in my veins. It’s also on my sword.” Damn.I also still very much love his opening speech in season 3, and a special shout-out goes to his speech in the beginning of season 6 until Sendak interrupted it.BrOTP: Mmmm, well, Team Sincline forever. In a better universe, they’re all still getting up to their own shenanigans together.I also still wish that Lotor and Keith had gotten a chance to bond. It could have been great.But let’s all take a moment to acknowledge what a great and supportive friendship Lotor and Shiro had in season 5. That was good. Good on you, (clone) Shiro.OTP: Lancelot. I can’t really explain why, but this is my favorite ship. In a close second place comes Polycline, the ship of Lotor and his generals all together in a romantic sense, which just warms my polyam-loving heart.As for what I would like to see in canon, well, I was pretty happy with Lotura, and I’m still holding out hope that they might have some dramatic redemptive reconciliation.NoTP: Eh, I don’t really do NoTPs. I can’t say I’m fond of Lotor/Throk, though.Random headcanon: I think Lotor’s ships are perfectly capable of making it through the Quantum Rift without being subjected to the time dilation effects. I also think that, on more than one occasion, Lotor has purposefully turned down the protection against time dilation because he can’t afford to take time off but he really needs a break, and what better way to accomplish that than to take a trip that will give him weeks or months to himself but will only cause him to miss about a week in regular time?Unpopular opinion:

FANWORK CONTENT CREATORS CAN STILL MAKE CONTENT WITH A SOFT CHARACTERIZATION FOR LOTOR. SHIPPERS CAN STILL SHIP LOTOR/PALADIN SHIPS. CANON SHOULD NEVER LIMIT CREATIVITY.

Song i associate with them: Hoo boy, I have not one but two playlists for him… Instead of linking a playlist, I’ll just list the songs for you all to find at your leisure, since everyone uses different music services (and honestly, I just pirate off of YouTube 99% of the time).

My “canon” playlist, in chronological order, is:

Natural by Imagine Dragons – I’m so glad this came out recently, because if there’s any singular theme song that fits Lotor in every canonical aspect, this is it.

Who We Are by Imagine Dragons – Team Sincline. Need I say more?

Best Day of My Life (minor key) by Chase Holfelder – If you only know this song in its major form, you might very well be wondering why it’s here, but Chase Holfelder’s minor key version has a very different tone to it, and I think it fits Lotor quite well for season 3.

Gold by Imagine Dragons – This works for his rise to power in season 3 and fall in season 4, as well as hinting at his eventual rise and fall again in 5 & 6 and that final snap at the end of 6. It could honestly go at the end, but I thought it fit best here, as the season 4 song.

Icarus by Bastille – I associate this song with both Keith and Lotor in seasons 3 & 4. Honestly, if you listen to the chorus, it sounds like them both at the end of season 4. Icarus (Lotor) is flying too close to the sun… Icarus (Keith) is flying towards an early grave.

Blame by Bastille – This isn’t a perfect fit, but it reminds me of Lotor’s pleading with the Paladins at the beginning of season 5 to not hand him over to Zarkon. Honestly, I sort of picture Lance as the one singing the scathing verses. There’s no room for you here.

I’m So Sorry by Imagine Dragons – This could also go anywhere, but I can picture this as a backdrop to Lotor’s final confrontation with Zarkon. It’s so scathing and sarcastic, except for the bridge. I imagine the bridge as being addressed to Lotor’s generals.

White Blank Page by Mumford and Sons – Canon Lotura. Just… just listen to it. It’s so tragic and fits them so well for season 6.

This Is Gospel -> Emperor’s New Clothes by Panic! At the Disco – Initially, I was going to put just Emperor’s New Clothes on here for Lotor’s breakdown in season 6, but I listened to these two back-to-back, and I thought that This is Gospel fits in a tragic way if you think of it as the sane part of Lotor’s mind trying to warn Allura, knowing that he cannot fight the corruption of Quintessence.

Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing by Set It Off – …I mean, in light of season 6, how could I not include this one. The bridge is basically a summary of that final confrontation.

Viva La Vida by Coldplay – Initially, I had this as a song for season 4, but I couldn’t leave this playlist on such a bitter note. I like to picture that Lotor will eventually come out of the Quintessence field and, alone and without resources, will have to hide out somewhere and rethink a lot of things, and this song is perfect for that.

I’ll Be Good by Jaymes Young – Following the thread of an eventual redemption from the previous song, I think this would suit a redeemed, post-s6 Lotor very well. It’s also simply a very bittersweet and beautiful song to end off on, and it stands in very strong contrast against Natural, the first song on the playlist.

My other playlist is for miscellaneous songs that don’t fit into the canon timeline and for ship songs. In no particular order:

Stay Frosty Royal Milk Tea by Fall Out Boy – This is such a Lotor song, but it technically doesn’t fit canon, since he did become emperor. However, I’ve got an AU story that this fits perfectly, and I think it suits a lot of other Lotor-centric AUs I’ve seen. Besides, thematically, it really does fit Lotor pre-s5.

Broken Crown by Mumford & Sons – The meaning of this song is ambiguous, but if you interpret the “crown” here as literal, it could suit Lotor pretty well, especially in an AU where he refuses to rule.

Therapy by All Time Low – I think this would fit a human AU best, but it could work for any version of Lotor who is introspective about his own flaws and problems.

Battlefield (Meet Me on the Battlefield) by SVRCINA – I’m a little iffy on this one, but someone else recommended it to me as a Lotor ship song, and I do think it could fit a few different Lotor ships quite nicely. The song is primarily about revolution and altruism, both of which fit Lotor, and the romantic aspects would work well for a Lotor/paladin ship.

I Walk the Line by Halsey & Walking the Wire by Imagine Dragons – These two songs work well as two sides of the same coin. I particularly imagine them for Lancelot. Lotor sings I Walk the Line, talking about the difficulty of maintaining a balance between his relationship and his loyalties in the war but declaring that he will be true to Lance above all, and Lance sings the far more optimistic Walking the Wire, saying that although this balancing act is difficult, they will come out on top, together. It could theoretically work for another Lotor ship, but Walking the Wire is such a Lance song that I really picture it for the two of them.

Hold Me Tight or Don’t by Fall Out Boy – Funny story, I pictured this as a Sheith song first, but then @noirsongbird recommended it to me as a Lancelot song, and… yeah, it fits. It also specifically fits one of her (very good!) fanfics, so that’s cool.

King and Lionheart by Of Monsters and Men – Technically, this could sort of work for any Lotor/paladin ship, but I think it would work better for Keitor, Shotor, or Lancelot. It was recommended to me by @noirsongbird as a Lancelot song, and I have to agree that it fits them very well.

I Don’t Know Why by Imagine Dragons – Again, this could work for multiple Lotor/paladin ships, but I picture it for Lancelot. It’s a great forbidden love song, so it would suit a secret romance across battle lines quite nicely.

So… yeah. A lot of music. Sorry? I’m sure this isn’t even everything, haha.

Favorite picture of them: Oh gosh, how could I choose…

Like… damn.

But also…

He’s so cute and pretty??

I mean, just look at him.

For favorite fanworks, I’ve got to put this one up, of course (and please follow this link to the post for it and give it a like!):

This was a gift to me for my very recent 20th birthday by my amazing friend @honestlyprettychill (thank you again babe)!!

There’s a lot of other really good Lotor fanart out there. Check out @itsnotdoneyet and @invidiaesc for some great stuff.

Annnnd that’s it! Sorry this took so long. I hope I answered the questions to everyone’s satisfaction! I have an ask for Keith that I’ll work on next, but I don’t have any after that yet, so please feel free to send in more!

#voltron #lotor #lotor appreciation #lotor ships #s6 salt #meta #lotor meta #voltron meta #music #playlist #voltron playlist #lotor playlist #screenshot #answered ask #my post #mod speaks

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starfaring-princelotor · 6 years ago

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Fourth Taste

Summary: Emperor Lotor finally achieves his life-long goal.

Warnings: N/A.

A/N: In light of S8, I am making my own canon interpretations.

Touch Series: Part One___Part Two___Part Three___Part Four___Part Five

Taste Series: Part One___Part Two___Part Three___Part Four___Part Five

Sight Series: Part One___Part Two___Part Three___Part Four

Allura was never one for sitting idly when there was work to be done. She supposed that was another thing she had in common with Lotor. With their advancements on the Sincline ships thanks to her knowledge gained from Oriande, it would only be a matter of time before her - their goal of peace can be achieved. So, why then, was she here of all places?

“Hm,” you removed the stethoscope from her back then unplugged them from your ears, “When was the last time you had a good night's rest?”

“Oh, I...A few days ago, just after we planned to bring in leaders from neighboring planets for a diplomatic - “ she paused, noticing you staring unblinkingly and rather sternly at her, “Ah, yes, well, I suppose it has been quite some time.”

“You may feel fine, Allura, but the overexertion is taking a bigger toll on you than you think.” Arms crossed, you glanced down at your screen, “The reason why you fainted earlier could be due to stress.” “Doctor, I appreciate your concern, but I’m fine, really. Coran has been making sure I eat my meals and Lotor even suggested I get myself checked out. That’s why I am here. I assure you, I’ve never felt better.”

Silence. If there was one thing she found unnerving, it was that you were always the quiet, unflinching type. Your eyes never left hers, but Allura stood firm and smiled softly to show that, really, this was unnecessary. Alteans and humans have different bodies and tolerance levels for stress, so the Princess was unsure why you were intent on keeping her here any longer when she could be helping Lotor.

“Your blood pressure is a little high and I noticed an odd heart palpitation during the examination. Allura, both of these combined can be the cause of your fainting spell. Are you aware of any heart conditions or possible illnesses that would otherwise affect your daily activities?”

She was an alchemist. These body issues are something she doesn’t understand. She opened her mouth to answer, but found that she didn’t actually have one.

“How long has this been going on? The stress.”

Allura shook her head, knowing that denying won’t help, “Aren’t we all stressed from this war? I must do everything I can to help, surely you understand.”

“I do understand - “

Part of her really doubted that and much of that doubt came from her distrust in you.

“-but Allura, you are more helpful alive than stuck in a coma.”

“What do you mean?”

“I have been with you since Shiro located me. I have made sure you’re all in top fighting form, both in body and mind,” a pause as you gathered your thoughts carefully, “I know of your sacrifices, your many sacrifices, and as a doctor, I would like to make sure you are fine mentally. It may not be obvious, but mental health can have direct consequences on the body if left untreated over a long period of time.”

“Doctor, I assure you, I am not mentally ill,” a tone of finality, of we will speak of this no more.

Allura shifted off the table to fully stand, the conversation making her slightly uncomfortable. She was a PRINCESS. She was fine, she knows her limits, why weren’t you listening to her? No matter, there were more important things to do at hand. She was not crazy or whatever you were hinting at. She was NOT. She was just...tired. Yes. She needed rest.

You thought otherwise based on your expertise, but there was nothing you could do to make her see that maybe, just maybe, the life and death sacrifices, the times she survived, the fighting, supporting Voltron, all of it, were red flags at a crumbling mentality. Yes, this is war. No one you knew came out the same or even sane. You knew that all too well.

“Alright. The quintessence in your body is being drained at an exceedingly fast rate, which I can only assume is because of the Sincline ships being created.” Turning to the cabinet, you read over the labels carefully, “Ah. Here. This medicinal powder is made from Balmeran herbs. Mix it in your drink in the morning and it should rejuvenate your body from over straining your quintessence levels. Do not forget to rest more.”

If there was one thing you would need time adjusting to, it was technology. Not so much the weapons or the ships. You were familiar with the medical tools at your disposal, but the simple things like this tended to really bring home the fact that you were in space. You were far from the planet you were born in, even if it looked exactly the same last time you were there.

The sand. The ocean. The clouds and the palm trees and the little crabs scuttling away from you. And yet...

Lotor’s footsteps echoing the room was the only thing reminding you this was not real. You turned to face his approaching form, the door behind blending perfectly with the technological mirage. You won’t lie, he stuck out like a sore thumb. Full body armor in an otherwise peaceful paradise - well, a paradise to others - wasn’t exactly fun in the sun wear.

“A beach?” he stated, taking a few seconds to observe the details around him. “You know, good doctor, you are by no means tethered here with ball and chain. If you wish to take a personal leave, I can provide you with an escort to the nearest aquatic planet.”

The Emperor crouched and sat besides you as the imitation waves lapped at both of your covered feet, then after a few seconds, you spoke up, “That’s not necessary. I was just curious to see if this room worked as well as I heard. The Castle of Lions has the same simulator chambers, but it isn’t suited for any other species except Alteans.”

This was such a peaceful scene. The sun was setting, throwing the sky under a spill of angry red and fiery orange rays. Birds were skimming across the horizon. The glow, oh, the glow was just as you remembered it. The sound of rustling trees tingled your ears despite the fact that there was no wind brushing against your skin. No spray of the ocean, no chill of an oncoming night. No wetness from the water.

Fake, but real enough.

“Hunk helped re-calibrate some of the more...technical settings. I was just the guinea pig,” fingers raked through the sand, but you felt none of the grainy texture, “You may change it, if you want.”

“On the contrary, I would like to see more,” Lotor suggested, but you refused him with a shake of your head, “No? Then may I ask about this place?”

You nodded.

“This is Earth, I presume? Your home?”

“No, not mine. My father’s home. This is where he was born,” short answer, but it was detailed enough for him, “...I visited after he died, when I was honorably discharged. This was my first time seeing it.”

Now, Lotor was no blind man. He was no fool. For every moment you shared with him, he took with an ounce of gratitude. Expecting any more than you were willing to give would only make his itch unbearably annoying to hold back. Tempering himself to not push so hard, not yet, the act of discovery is only half the fun, was difficult. So, he liked to work with what he got.

“The ocean swallowed his home island the year after. It doesn’t exist anymore.”

“You miss it,” Lotor stated based on the far-away glaze in your eyes.

“I miss what I could’ve experienced growing up there. But miss it? No, not particularly,” perhaps the disconnect should have worried you after all this time, “Do you have something like that, my Emperor?”

Somewhere he missed, somewhere he could have experienced great things growing up there? Yes, but the simulator works off memories and how could he possibly have memories of extinct planets? Lotor closed his eyes, letting the computer change the room from soothing sunsets to complete darkness, then slowly rebuilt from the ground up. White water, a pinkened sky, ancient buildings of Altean knowledge.

“Where is this?” your curious voice asked, clearly interested in this somewhat heaven-esque world.

“Oriande. Beautiful, is it not?”

You said nothing, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Pretty? Yes, but what truly made a place special was the context behind it and you were interested in what story he had to share, what piece of himself he gave in return for your vulnerability. A fair exchange of sorts, one you both agreed to long ago.

“I always wanted to be an explorer when I was younger and finding Oriande was the pinnacle of my discovery,” he started with a bit of a bitter undertone, “An honorably revered homage to the Alteans of old and the secrets they keep there. Truly, it was an experience I would never forget.”

Yes, he did not gain the knowledge of alchemy, but just finding the place was good enough. Just one of his childhood dreams achieved, to retain a piece of his lost heritage. You two soaked in the ambiance of the view. Him, reflecting on his actions and his choices. You, committing that his lost Altean history is what pushed him to strive for the urge of discovery in the first place.

Soon enough, the imagery faded and the lights revealed an empty, blank room, “Shall we, good doctor? I believe I have an appointment with you soon.”

Lotor stood to his full height, a hand held out in offering. You accepted with little hesitation on your end.

“Emperor Lotor, I have a request.”

Both of them paused their work to face you, Allura from the ship and Lotor from the screen. Normally, it would be ideal to take whatever proper procedures you needed to formally ask for access, but by now you figured that you were somewhat in the Emperor’s good graces. You approached him just as the Princess grouped up, as well.

“What is it, good doctor? Did you need more of my blood samples?”

“No, I have enough,” you pulled out the black vial and Allura’s brows rose, “I’d like to have access to the quintessence stock in order for me to experiment with combining its properties with this.”

Ah, yes. The miracle drug that saved your life. He was able to break down the components with the sample you gave him, but was otherwise unable to explore its properties any further. Perhaps this would be the perfect opportunity for you to carry on his work while he continued with -

“Absolutely not,” Allura spoke, making both heads turn, “Certain quintessence can lead to harmful effects if used improperly.” “I am aware. I have read about it and this is why I believe it can help completely bypass the after effects when administering this drug,” you argued back, perhaps a little offended she thought so careless of you, “If it works, then I can mass produce this and aid those who need it. Like the Coalition forces. I know they lack medical supplies for refugees- “

“We can not risk over exposure of quintessence to those who are sensitive to it,” the Princess interrupted, your lip twitched, “Perhaps after the ships are made, I can lend a hand with your research. This is too dangerous work with alone.”

You kept your lips sealed in a firm line, completely unsatisfied with her answer. Yes, you read Honerva’s research. Yes, you finished reading upon Galra biology down to a molecular level. Yes, you knew what you were doing. Using the drug on yourself proved it worked with humans, but other species? Galras? Taujereens? Olkarions? You must perfect it before introducing it to other scientists for aid.

Lotor placed a hand on her shoulders, “Allura, I think this is an excellent opportunity at hand. Doctor, I will give you access to certain strains of quintessence that our own medical officers have used before. There are some notes on file when I started my own experiments with the Witigue drug. They are yours.”

“Thank you, my Emperor,” you gave him a curt nod, “When the both of you have the time, I would appreciate it if you overlooked my work. It would help to have pairs of fresh eyes to collaborate with me and make sure the quintessence is as useful as weapons as it is for healing.”

Allura’s concerned expression only grew more worried. Infusing quintessence and medicine? Nothing of the sort has been done before since quintessence on its own was already useful, though she knew not every unique body would accept it without harmful after effects. Perhaps Lotor was right. The sooner you cracked the code, created a drug every species can use, then the sooner the people can start healing from the war.

You stared holes into her back as she walked away. This was why you willingly joined Lotor. She held you back whereas he encouraged your freedom. And yet, it still did not get through to her that she may be a Princess, but you were not her subject. And you swore you would never blindly take orders from higher ups again.

“Anything else I can help you with, doctor?”

“Not now. We shall discuss more...later.”

Lotor was a man of luxury. Did he have it in his life? During his exiled years, no, he did not. He struggled some nights to survive the cold and there were days he was ever so grateful to have a roof over his head. Now, as Emperor, it took awhile for him to adjust to the lush lifestyle. Imagine his surprise when he found you sitting on the edge of his bed, patiently waiting for him.

“Are the rooms not up to your standards, darling?”

“No, they are fine, my Emperor.”

His ears twitched at that title leaving your lips.

“Then, pardon my assumption, do you wish to sleep here tonight?” he boldly suggested with an easy, welcoming smile on his lips.

“Perhaps, but that’s not why I am here,” you said, “I wanted to give you an update on my research. If you have the time, that is.”

“Allura has decided to call it a night and there is not much I can do without her alchemic powers. Come, may I join you?”

What an odd thing to hear. Lotor asking permission to be in his own bed. An Emperor, nonetheless. Either way, you nodded, and he headed to his closet to begin undressing. You turned away to give him some modesty while he stripped his armor off. Since when did it bother you to look at him? You’ve seen his body in the office. This...this was a different setting.

“I managed to isolate the compound that triggers the residual pain - “

Out of the corner of your eye, you could see him starting to peel his body suit down to his hips before slipping on a modest shirt.

“- and the medical officers were able to greatly help speed up the process. We have not yet tested it - “

Lotor tugged the rest of his suit down, letting it fall as he stepped out of it. The dark room did well to shadow his chiseled body and make his sharp features look even more prominent. His toned legs and smooth thighs soon became covered by silken fabric, fingers deftly tying the string in place.

“ - and...that is why I am here. Although I have completed step one faster than I expected, we have not been able to proceed to step two. Experimentation.”

Though, you highly doubted space mice were an available option to choose from, especially since you were sure Allura would straight up drain your life force with a blink of an eye. No, you needed to find an animal that had the same biological properties like an Altean or a Galra, but you were unaware if such creatures even exist anymore.

“Ah, yes. How can one check the efficiency of an experiment without a test subject?” Lotor mused, stepping to the other side of the bed before taking a seat, his weight leaving an indentation, “No space bunnies available, hm?”

Lotor leisurely laid on his side, arm propping up his head, then stared at you. Or rather, observed. Shoulders were lax, expression calm, the gears in your mind turning as you gazed right back at him. Of course, he himself was the epitome of relaxed right now. He gets to keep his brain occupied with another little experiment in his claws. You.

“I...suppose I can work with them. It may take weeks or months to finalize a firm result, though.”

“How about me?”

“What about you?”

You tilted your head a bit with your brows lowered in suspicion. Was he insinuating what you think he was? And why did he look so...willing to do it? His lids were hooded and you could see that there were shadows under his eyes. Overworked? You wouldn’t be surprised. Both Allura and Lotor didn’t know their limits. It will get them killed one day. Or maybe, they weren’t aware of their body’s limits?

“Why not try experimenting on me? After Sincline is finished, of course,” Lotor’s voice was steady, yet strangely flippant as if he wasn’t suggesting live experimentation on PEOPLE.

“I do not think...that would be wise, Emperor Lotor.”

“What is your second choice?”

Second choice? Second choice was...using it on yourself. It isn’t like you haven’t injected Witigue within your body before and you were confident in your knowledge of chemistry and molecular biology. You could handle it, you’ve done it plenty of time to ensure your own survival. Now, though, it would be in the name of science.

“Myself.” “Hm. Me, or you,” he played with those few words, knowing that now your blurred morality line would be almost impossible to differentiate, “I swore I would let you explore my body. This is part of it and in the name of science, I am willing to do it. We need not smear protocol for this, good doctor.”

I am doing this to keep my end of the deal.

Judging by your silence, you were honestly considering it.

“I will...try to find alternatives before taking your options as a last resort.”

He had expected you to promptly leave after that final word, but imagine his surprise when instead, you casually laid in his bed. Interesting, but not at all unwanted. Lotor opened the blankets in offering, thinking that perhaps you would not mind another night of his arms securing you while you slept.

In all honesty, he wasn’t tired at all. The thrill of being so close to his goal, reaching peace within the empire, unlimited quintessence -

“What are your next plans after this?”

Lotor leisurely slid his arm around your waist, not tugging, but you weren’t pulling away either. In fact, his eyes dilated when he felt the tips of your fingers skim over his covered hip in an almost teasing adventure. Once your palm fully rested on the dip of his waist, you sidled up to his chest as you kept your gaze firm with his. The question. What do you plan on doing?

“Planets whose resources are critically strained due to my father’s unsustainable practices will be tended to first. A little humanitarian services is long overdue, no? We will need the Olkari’s help on this. Having their engineering knowledge may further aid in siphoning and transporting quintessence across the universe.”

A noble choice after ending the war. Unlike Lance, you knew that just releasing enslaved planets when their resources were otherwise drained to near unreparable would only end up sentencing them to starvation and death. Ten thousands years made societies rely on the Empire for survival, even if the decision was ultimately out of their hands.

“With Voltron and Sincline, I can begin work to restore the Empire as a whole. Those who claimed disloyalty and wrought destruction in the wake of my crowning will be stopped,” Lotor paused, only because he hadn’t noticed your hand had made its way up to his cheek, “Times are changing for the better. And those who do not change with it, will…”

You cupped his jaw, stroked his cheekbones softly, and he unceremoniously let out a big yawn with his fangs glinting in the night. A content groan escaped his chest, now realizing how comfortable he was. How his mind seemed to have calmed down from the days’ rushing thoughts. Did this pillow always feel so good? Or the comforter so warm? Ah, the luxuries. It made him weak.

“Do you plan on staying?”

Lotor’s eyes slid closed.

“Staying with…”

Me.

“Doctor, you checked them out for flight, yes?”

“Yes, Coran. Physically, they are fit. I saw no problems with their body’s health and I did make sure they had a full days rest before today’s launch.”

Coran’s concerns were coming from a good place, you knew. He was practically Allura’s father at this point, watching over her and giving advice when needed. Even sharing the same pain and comforting each other in the face of a daunting reality that they were both the last living Alteans in the universe. You understood their connection. Perhaps not relating to it, but you understood it.

“Shouldn’t we be a little more concerned about this? I mean, last time anyone went in the quintessence field, Zarkon turned evil,” Lance piped in, clearly disgruntled by the entire plan.

“Zarkon fell prey to his own evil instincts,” your attention switched to Shiro, “The quintessence field didn’t create them. It revealed them.”

No. That wasn’t right. You read Honerva’s research, handled quintessence yourself, and there was nothing that supported his claim. Then again, Shiro faced Zarkon himself. He battled him for the lion, but just based on your own findings, it felt like something was...missing. A major component about the Rift and the quintessence. If what he said was true, then either you were immune to it or you were unaware of the effects.

But you felt fine. Nothing out of the ordinary, except perhaps feeling a little more...light around Lotor. You were more inclined to believe that was just the friendship between you two. The growing something between you two. Something you only saw as respect for him. Lotor only solidified that respect when you told him no a week ago.

Of course you expected him to listen as anyone should, but you noticed he did more than that.

“We’re prepared just in case there is an accident,” you explained to the group, “If the quintessence does anything to their bodies, I will be the first to know. The second they are heading back, I assure you, I'll run a full physical on the both of them. Right now, I have their vitals up on my screen.”

Part of you was also...excited about this discovery. Was quintessence the true reason why the universe fell into 10,000 years of suffering and loss?

So far, nothing strange. Perhaps their hearts picked up the closer they got to the ruined Daibazaal remains, perhaps your own was beating loudly in your chest as Coran counted down until the ship would reach the gate. You didn’t care for war. You didn’t. You cared that there was something left afterwards, something that would show you there was a future for all.

The chart readings went blank the second the ship disappeared in a blinding light.

“You know, Shiro, I never did like waiting,” you told him out of the blue as seconds turned to minutes, “That’s what I like about you. The soldiers get jobs done, the medics wait for the inevitable.”

He placed a reassuring hand on your shoulder, understanding your message that would have been odd or offensive to any other person in the room. War does that to people. They force strangers to connect in a bond no other could experience. You couldn't say this to Coran or Hunk and expect them to know what nonsense you were spouting without giving you some form of pity. Giving you distance with a cautious gaze. Isolating you.

Shiro took a deep breath. He knows what you’re asking.

Is this the end of it all?

“Don’t worry, doctor. You know what I always say. Patience yields - “

The blaring red screen cut him off suddenly, announcing that there was something wrong. No, not wrong, just an incoming ship? Your brows furrowed in confusion. They couldn’t be back already. Your screen didn't pick up their returning vitals. Everyone’s eyes focused on the large screen showing a very much different ship than they expected. Wasn’t that...an Altean pod?

“Shiro, it’s Keith.”

“Keith! A-Are you okay?”

“Where’s Lotor?”

And just like that, the air in the room became cold. Frigid.

“Emperor Lotor is with Allura in the quintessence field. They managed to get through and should be returning shortly with their results,” you explained, to which Keith only replied with two words.

“Oh, no.”

Everyone went down to the docking station, you included. Keith sounded grim, you could even go as far to say a bit scared. The sound of the ship opening was unsettling and when he finally approached you all, that’s when you noticed he looked different. Vastly different from the last time you saw him at the coalition headquarters. He was more...stern. Unmoving. Resolute in his eyes.

“We need to stop Lotor. He’s been lying to all of us!”

“Wh-Lying? About what?” Shiro asked, hesitated in asking, and it was rare he was ever caught off guard.

“Everything!”

The sound of a new voice demanding attention left everyone shocked in surprise. And, ashamed to say, even you. Two women and a wolf? A Galra who wore the same suit as Keith and an Altean, an actual Altean, revealed themselves. The group began bombarding the newcomers with questions, Keith too, but the only thing you could focus on was the little girl.

Another Altean. A living Altean. Something...something was not right. Something was missing.

Your mind reverted back to your old habits. Everything you thought of, from meeting Lotor up until now, nothing seemed out of place. You had every information available at your beck and call. Everything about him you discovered on your own. Everything about Lotor and his motives for a better future. This...this life long experiment couldn’t be a mistake. It couldn’t.

You both entered this with a mutual agreement of respect in mind. The evidence was clear as day. So then, why the accusations against him? Why was the mere presence of this Altean setting your mind on edge? Why did that seething tone in her voice send a familiar chill down your spine? And why was it hard to breath?

“This is Romelle. And I think she should tell her own story.”

#lotor x reader #spacestories #wow im excited to write the next part

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