#and the fact he blames shiro and then switches directions when she shuts him down.. y i k e s

[shiroallura]

professional vs emotional support, and why allura needs both {a meta}

EDIT: wrote 90% of this before s7. some stuff could’ve been touched on more, but overall i’m tired and just finished the last section today when looking through my drafts. anyway, if we’re in the mood for salt, or just more reasons as to why the relationships vld tries to pull in canon are almost always unhealthy, have fun!

Season six greatly teased both L0tura and Allur@nce as ships, and why they wouldn’t work (which also contributes to why I don’t ship either of them), but as I was mulling over both these relationships the past couple days, I realized it boiled down to one very similar but fundamental contrast: Lotor and Lance don’t support Allura the way she needs to be supported. 

I’ll be talking about Lance first, Lotor second, and Shiro last (bc what am I, a non-Shallura shipper?) so allow me to elaborate, and hopefully I can properly explain what I mean.

I’ve talked a lot about, in the wake of s5 and s6, why I don’t personally ship Allur@nce and why I don’t think it’s the right romantic relationship for either of them. 90% of this talk is because of anons in my inbox, not me of my own accord but I have made a few posts, like this one here. And I’ve been ruminating on this for awhile, that while Lance is a good friend and does support Allura well... he only knows how to in one way. Emotionally, and through relationship advice.

Namely, Lance doesn’t know how to support Allura professionally. And this goes beyond him not knowing when and where there’s a time and place for fighting (which is more prominent in s1/2, but has carried on into season six as well). 

In 1x02, Allura and Coran run a drill of a ‘fake attack’ to see how quickly the paladins show up. They show up late (I imagine the castle is huge and easy to get lost in) in the Alteans’ eyes, but Allura can still recognize that at least one person came through substantially: “Look at you! Only Shiro is in uniform.” The rest of the paladins are in their sleep clothes, or in their day wear. Lance doesn’t even show up at the same time as the others, and strolls in, completely unaware and uncaring of the situation. If this had been a real attack, only Shiro would have remotely stood a chance. It’s the first (or second) real test of the Paladins as paladins, and Shiro delivers; Lance barely even shows up.

But wait, you say. That’s in the beginning of season one. Lance has grown since then!

And he has, in a lot of ways. He’s slowly letting go of his need for parades and glory. He’s working on putting aside his rivalry with Keith. He’s working on letting go of his feelings for Allura. He’s become a much better pilot and team player, a more active listener, and more serious and compassionate when it matters. 

But we’ve come to season five and six, now, and the ways he’s able to support Allura as a partner, and the ways he’s not, are still glaringly, obnoxiously obvious. Like the scene in 5x01 for example.

Lance: Princess? The meeting’s about to start. Allura: I’m almost ready. If I’m expected to lead this, I need to know what I’m talking about. Lance: Yeah, but no one expects you to memorize everything. We can have a script-screen for you, or you could just jot some notes down on the inside of your hand, I mean I do it all the... time. I’m kidding!

Lance comes in to get her, assumedly sent by the team, and Allura shows that she’s still working. She explains what she’s doing, shows a hint of nervousness. So the respectful thing to do would be to stay quiet so that she could focus, or reassure her in a way that would be helpful. Instead, he’s just a distraction, and it ends in him backing off, realizing he was being a bit of a nuisance, and Allura giving him a death glare. Five seasons, and two seasons of their development in. 

As for the two times Lance has majorly supported Allura, the body language and conversational topics of which are exceedingly similar, both were emotional. They were about reminding Allura of her responsibility and importance (which, how important it is for Princess “the universe depends on me” Allura needs to be reminded of which can vary from situation to situation, although I do think Lance made the right call both times). Both conversations revolve around a third party love interest that Allura is struggling to deal with: in the first, she feels like Shiro has become her enemy. In the second, she knows that Lotor truly is, and her faith in her own judgement has been shattered (and even then, she doesn’t blame ‘Shiro’ or show any regret in trusting him, soo... that’s That). 

Compare that to how Allura reassures Lance in 3x02 when Blue is rejecting him:

A: Lance, what’s wrong? L: I don’t know, Blue’s shutting me out. Maybe Pidge was right. I am just the goofball. Not only am I not meant to be the leader, I guess now I’m not even meant to be a paladin. 

And this resonates with Allura, because hasn’t this been her journey in this episode too? Pidge called her “the decision maker” and yet Black doesn’t accept her. She goes to Red next, because “How can I allow others to risk their lives in battle and not be prepared to do so myself?” and her father’s Lion rejects her. And yet when Lance is given what she actually wanted, when she still has nothing, Allura doesn’t hesitate at all. She doesn’t show any hurt from Lance basically laying out her own insecurities on the table of a situation that’s already happened to her, and that he has now decided means that he’s not a worthwhile member of the team. She’s emotionally cognizant enough to focus on the mission even when Lance doesn’t, and starts making an immature jab at Keith, even while the team are basically fighting for their lives.

L: What was that? A: It’s the Red Lion. You must go to it. L: No way. Keith probably trained it to bite my head off. Maybe it’s roaring for you. A: I would love nothing more than for that to be true, but I know the Red Lion is not meant for me. It is choosing you. L: I don’t understand. A: My father built Voltron but he knew Zarkon was a better leader in battle, so he became Voltron’s right hand. Lance, when you accepted Keith as the new leader of Voltron, it proved that you value a strong team over your own need for glory. Just like my father. L: I won’t let him down. A: Go.

She creates an emotional base with Lance, and talks about her father, because after all, it was his Lion, but ultimately brings Lance back around to the mission through both personal and professional praise. It sets up a mindset of him supporting Keith, instead of against him. She states Lance’s good qualities, shows him that he’s worthy of her father’s Lion. She shows no ill will whatsoever in Lance receiving what she wanted and was deemed unworthy of, smiling even before it’s revealed that Blue is choosing her.

Lance, although accepting of Blue’s decision, is still clearly saddened by it and says “If I had to lose Blue to anyone, I’m glad it was you.” Changing Lions is still a loss to him, even if it’s a technical gain to Allura. So while Allura is capable of supporting Lance emotionally and professionally simultaneously, Lance? Not so much.

But wait, you say. What about when he inspired her to charge up Voltron at the end of s4? And yes, he did, but once again, let’s take a look at the actual dialogue of that scene: “There’s a reason the Blue Lion chose you. You’re the one who brought everyone together. You can do this. Every moment we’ve had together, they’ve all led to this day. This is your destiny. You are the heart of Voltron.”

Lance largely repeats her words from the pilot back to her (especially the destiny phrase), but he still keeps it personal. He ties it back to their Lion. He keeps the emphasis on Allura, and her alone. He invokes destiny, an idealized emotional concept. He talks about the sum of their experiences. He calls her the Heart. And once again, this was clearly an emotional experience for her, given the grateful look on her face and the fact that she takes time to thank him, afterwards. 

So while the value of Lance’s emotional support cannot and should not be understated, we never see Lance seriously stepping up to take weight off her shoulders. We never really see him share the burden of leadership. The only season he comes close to doing so is in season three, and even then, that’s not the type of relationship he has with her. He has it with Keith, who he supports as a leader (largely by going along with Keith’s plans or cleaning up Keith’s messes, but still). And even then, Lance isn’t a co-leader with Keith. He’s a right hand, a second in command. The distinction can be subtle, but it’s still important. And even then, it means degrading Allura to third (maybe even fourth) in command behind people she used to be in charge of. Great.

And as Allura says after restoring him in 6x01, “I owed you one,” is a concrete description of their relationship. Allura helps Lance deal with a new Lion; Lance helps Allura deal with a new Lion. Lance saves Allura from a blast, Allura brings him back to consciousness. Lance helps Allura emotionally, she compliments him. Lance comforts Allura about with Lotor, and Allura places a hand on Lance’s shoulder after he breaks down crying about Shiro. Their relationship is an obligation, and never would have happened if the real Shiro had been in the picture for s3-6, because the show knows, subconsciously, that Shiro was her pillar of support in s1/2 and someone needed to fill that void when he was gone.

I’ve talked before about how what Allura really needs in a relationship is a devoted partner and equal, in both her professional and personal life. She doesn’t need someone who’s going to crack a joke, or flirt, or distract her (or be distracted). She needs someone who sees she’s struggling, and offers to do half the work. She needs someone who’s going to step up and match her in her work ethic.

And I think that that, along with being Altean, is one of the things that attract her to Lotor. Because in him, she finds someone as fascinated by Altean history and alchemy as she is. They spend hours working on the sincline ships together, they’re mutually complimentary, she gets to carry on her father’s legacy. I’ve long thought that an important part of Allura’s arc will be her deciding to make her own path, instead of just trying to follow Alfor’s, but that’s another post for another day, as we’ve seen with Lotor, imitating Alfor can often lead her astray.

Because the problem with Lotor? He supports her professionally, not personally. He lets her work herself to the point of collapse before calling the day quits. He always brings up her father to further his own desires. I’ve written before about Lotor and Allura’s relationship (in s5, as it was post s6) on both sides here. When she cries and doubts herself, he does nothing to comfort her, and only her tears landing on the compass stone salvage the situation. Lotor consistently emphasizes that he cannot do things without her, and when you look at their alchemic projects, or relationship, and pay attention to who does what for the other, it is constantly Allura giving all the time. She helps Lotor achieve his dreams, build his ships, patch together his empire. You could argue that Lotor reaffirms her worth as an alchemist, but she’s the one who figures out how to get them into Oriande, how to get past the guardians, how to get out of the booby trap. She never needed him to begin with, except for the tracking crystal.

And even then, it’s clear that Lotor had another motive, for himself, for unlocking those secrets. There is nothing that Lotor does simply for the sake of being there for her, or caring for her, or at least, nothing that doesn’t also ultimately benefit him (and we see this come to a head in s6). Lotor represents the side of Allura she pushes towards to ignore the way she often neglects her emotions until she can’t anymore. He is cold, and entirely work focused, and taking, never giving. He is the professional side she would let herself break under, if there was no one there to pull her back.

What Allura needs is not a partner who can only commit to her emotionally, because as much as Lance might like the social life of a king, he’s far too attached to his family and doesn’t have the attention span nor patience to handle the politics and paperwork that would come with it. Nor does she need one that only pushes her professionally, as it would just lead to her never taking care of herself, or feeling frustrated that her partner isn’t pulling their professional weight in their relationship. Allura doesn’t need someone who supports her but doesn’t understand her. She needs a partner on equal ground, who gets what she’s going through better than anyone, who can support her but also challenge her, who can and has always respected her boundaries and compliments her in every way.

So, in other words: Shiro.

My supportive Shiro series is a basic catalogue of all the times he’s supported her, as allur@nce is the ship that gets lauded as being so supportive and... not only is it really not, but also, imagine waiting two seasons for your ship to have any interaction beyond invasion of boundaries and annoyance? Can’t relate.

We’ve all written meta about the Hand Touch, so I won’t go over too much here, but what is notable about 2x05 is that after Allura collapses in a life threatening situation that Shiro cannot control, he spends the rest of the episode doing his best to take care of her. He takes charge, leads the team, never places a burden on her shoulders, and stays by her side throughout it, even when she tries to blame herself.

A: It’s me. It’s been me [whose been tracked] all along. S: It doesn’t matter princess. We’re in this together, we’re gonna get out together.

He doesn’t say that she’s wrong. He says that even if she is being tracked, it doesn’t matter, because they are still in this together. He constantly takes the weight off her shoulders whenever he can, lets her have the final say on all matters that she’s around to actually weigh in on. 

And as I started this meta before s6, I won’t be touching on either s6 or s7 in detail (although they continued the previous patterns, with the two times Shiro supports Allura again is addressing her personal fears through a professional lens, and then professionally again on Earth).

But really, which man would you want, even by just going off each one’s first interactions? The one who catches but flirts with you when you’re clearly distressed, the one who terrifies you and nearly kills you, or the one who calmly and immediately offers help (when seconds ago he was saying they all had to be on their guard) and never wavers for even a second afterwards?

Honestly? It’s hardly a competition. It’s just too bad that VLD’s decided to rig the game.

[writing-vld]

Lance Fluff Drabble #3

Anon: ''There is no one like you, so you don't have to try and be someone else'' with Lance. Basically his girlfriend feels like Allura would've been a better choice for Lance? Something like that? Sorry if it's a lil' confusing!!!

Written by: Ren

A/n: Ahhhh I had fun writing this one!!! I wanted to make it angsty so bad, but it wasn’t from the angst list

You felt blue. It was ironic, seeing as how your boyfriend is the Blue Paladin, but that had nothing to do with it. 

You thought that Lance and Allura looked... better together. Better than when he stood at your side. She was a beautiful Altean, and a princess. You were just that one kid who always sat in the back at the Garrison, too quiet to be heard and seen. 

You were the girl who didn’t spend time to put on makeup and doing some special hairstyle; you traded that time for more sleep. Jewelry? Never heard of it. Flirting? Studies and academics were more important than trying to get a guy to take a second look at you.

But Allura? She was everything you weren’t. The hair, the eyes, the clothes, the clear skin, perfect posture, and overwhelming confidence you didn’t think was possible. Before Lance fell for you, he flirted with Allura every chance he got. 

Does he still want to?

That thought constantly worried you, but you wouldn’t blame him if he didn’t want to stay with you. With every look at Allura, you compared her appearance to your own. Your reflection didn’t please in the slightest every time you gave a mirror a glance.

So there you were, ten minutes away from having to go to a Coalition event. Usually, you went in relatively nice clothes... Not a long graceful dress like this. The deep blue color was a different look for you. The high slit on the side showed off your legs, which were almost always covered. The front of the dress went lower than anything you ever wore before. It took you five minutes alone to put on winged eyeliner Shiro was your example without messing up.

You were already considering looking more formal than usual for this event, but you knew you had to when Allura stated that the traditional outfits for the natives were very... revealing, to say the least. It would be rude for a female (by their standards) to come to a celebration showing very little skin. You didn’t like that they had a custom such as that, but it was better than some of the previous traditions.

The shoes/heels the natives made and wore were surprisingly comfortable. Very similar to Earth, but not painful or hard to walk in at all. You put them on with ease as you quickly finished doing your hair. You didn’t believe people actually take that much time to do hair and makeup and such; it took so long, and the fact that some people do it on a regular basis boggled your mind.

You checked a second time, and you decided you were set. You made sure you weren’t going to trip on your dress, you practiced walking in the shoes since you first got them, and you took every other precaution you could think of. You grabbed a stylish jacket (it wasn’t the best jacket, but the best one in your possession) before you finally left your room.

Allura’s loud, excited squeal caught you off guard. She and Coran were the only ones left in the Castle of Lions, not that you were complaining. The rest of the team had to get there early, for obvious reasons. You definitely weren’t prepared for everyone to see you at once, but Allura still caught you way off guard.

“You look amazing, (Y/n)!” Allura gushed and she ran around you in a circle to get a three sixty look. Her excitement was that of a three year old human hyped up on Monster and sugary candy. “You did this all on your own!? I barely recognize you!”

Her praise was comforting and surprisingly boosted your confidence a bit, but you still felt like nothing compared to her appearance. “I did. It was pretty hard to get my hands on some of the other makeup, but the other stuff you let me borrow worked great.”

“That’s lovely!” Allura exclaimed, clapping her hands. Her eyes were lit like a Christmas tree. Come along; we mustn't be late!” You yelped as she grabbed your wrist and all but dragged you to the exit. 

Allura whispered and encouraged you to take off your jacket once you were at the scene. Showing this much skin made you more nervous than you thought, but it was part of their culture. You didn’t have to like it, but you had to respect it.

Right as you slipped the jacket off you shoulders, you saw Lance mingling through the crowd. Despite being, well, Lance, all he did with the females was throw a charming smile and move on. Loyalty was his middle name and it was very touching.

You took only one step in his direction before walking straight into a rock-solid chest. You looked up and there stood the event’s host; Prince Vruar of Skudoria. “What is a lovely woman like you doing here alone?”

The whole ‘lovely woman’ thing threw you off but you didn’t miss a beat. “Oh, just looking for my boyfriend,” You knew exactly what the Prince was going to ssay next, something like ‘I know he won’t mind if I steal a dance’, but you shot him down before he could release a word. “He’s the Blue Paladin of Voltron, actually. And I think he’s over there; it was nice talking to you!”

At the mention of who Lance was, Vruar backed off immediately. Although he was royalty, he didn’t want to take any chances in upsetting a Paladin of Voltron. That would be a big mistake for anyone. Vruar took a step back to let you pass and you could sense a tad of fear in him. It was amusing.

You were glad things didn’t go down the stereotypical route. A guy wanting to dance with you, you saying no but he insists, boyfriend comes along and tries to fight him, and so on. 

Thank God my life didn’t turn into an overused trope.

You tapped on Lance’s shoulder and he turned around, holding a hopefully non-alcoholic drink in his hand. You wanted to laugh when he made a confused face; he didn’t recognize you!

Not at first, anyway. “Hello there, m’lady! I’m the Blue Paladin of Voltron, but you can call me- No way!”

There it is.

Lance nearly dropped his drink when he recognized you. The clothes and makeup threw him off, but there was no mistaking your (e/c) eyes and beautiful form. “(Y/n)!?” He blushed and you felt satisfied, especially when his eyes took a moment to roam all of your exposed skin.

“Yes, this is she.” You giggled. “Do you like it?” You hoped he did. You would be crushed if he didn’t.

“Like it!? I love it! You’re gorgeous!” Lance exclaimed. He then fumbled upon thinking he made a mistake. “I mean, y-you’re gorgeous every day! This is just new! New is lovely!”

You nearly snorted at Lance’s attempt to fix it, but it wasn’t broken in the first place. “Lance, it’s okay! I get what you mean, babe, you didn’t say anything wrong.” It wasn’t an uncommon occurrence.

Lance visibly relaxed and he grabbed your hand. He leaned down and gently kissed the back of it, maintaining eye contact the entire time. “It is a privilege to be in the presence of such an enchanting woman.” In a heartbeat, Lance switched from panic to suave and flirtatious. “May I have this dance?”

“I’d be honored to dance with one of the universe’s heroes.” You said in the most elegant voice possible, but you ended in a laugh. The voice just didn’t suit you. Lance swept you off into a waltz with a snicker and a heart-stopping grin.

You were in utter shock when Shiro announced it. “What do you mean I offended their Queen?! Are you kidding me!?”

“Your dress was the same colors as hers and it turns out that Skudorian royals find it offensive. It’s like wearing white to someone else’s wedding.” Pidge cut in. 

You were beyond annoyed. Of course this had to happen when you finally try to look fancy for a formal occasion. “This is so stupid, I shouldn’t have put on this dress in the first place...”

“Either way, this is going to be difficult to fix,” Allura sighed. “Despite what the King and Prince are telling her, she is still upset, and that is putting a strain on the alliance.” The tension in the room was tangible. “This may not end well.”

You didn’t need to hear anyone say it. This was your fault. You felt some of the frustration being directed towards you and you didn’t blame them. You turned around and took off your shoes as you headed to your room. You ignored the few calls of your name as the door slid shut.

You tossed your shoes to the other side of your room as you sat on your bed. Guilt was heavy on your shoulders; all you wanted to do was look pretty, like Allura. You wanted to look good next to Lance, like Allura did.

“Maybe she’s better for Lance...” You muttered quietly.

“Who’s better for me?” Lance’s concerned voice made you jump.

When did he get here?

You shifted nervously as Lance closed the door and sat on the floor in front of you. Why he chose the hard floor instead of the comfy mattress, you didn’t know, but you didn’t question him. It wasn’t the right time for it.

He leaned his head forward and he caught your gaze. “Hmm?” Lance still wanted an answer.

“Allura...” You said it so quietly, Lance couldn’t hear you. He cocked his head and raised an eyebrow, and you sighed. “I think Allura would be better for you. I’m always wearing these normal clothes with normal hair, no makeup, no jewelry, nothing like that. I’m nothing compared to her. When I see her standing next to you, I-”

“Okay, hold it.” Lance got you to stop talking. “Is that why you got all dressed up for the party? So you could look like her?”

You nodded lightly and you were no longer able to look him in the eye. You started to tear up.

Lance shook his head so hard, your thought it was going to fly off his body. “I don’t think so! I’m not with you just for your looks -you are stunning, by the way- or anything like that. I love you for who you are as a person. Babe, there is no one like you, so you don't have to try and be someone else.”

It took Lance a little bit to convince you, but by the time he did, you were laying on your bed with your back against his chest and his arm wrapped around your midsection. Lance’s breath drifted across your neck and it almost tickled, but you were more focused on how uncomfortable the dress was getting. You still hadn’t taken it off.

You opened you mouth to say something, but Lance’s tired voice cut you off. “You’ve had this on for a while,” He yawned. “I might not be one to wear dresses, but I can imagine that it’s getting less than comfortable at this point.”

“Are you trying something, Lance McClain?” You raised an eyebrow as you stared at him.

“Yeah, trying to make sure you feel happy and comfy, (Y/n) (L/n).” Lance shot back and he gingerly got off your bed. “Here, I’ll find you some pyjamas.”

Your heart melted and you watched Lance riffle through your drawers, muttering to himself as he examined each piece of clothing. The lengths he went to make you happy were remarkable. How many boyfriends would search through your drawers, critiquing all of your clothes to find the most suitable sleepwear?

Only one, and that was Lance Mcclain.

The ending is so bad and rushed, I apologize, I just took my adderal.

EDIT: I revised the ending and can someone please tell me if it’s Mcclain or McClain, I have no idea and it is taking over my mind, I must know.