#astral ward like hey commander you good

[axe-trio-commanders]

So I've decided I need no provocation to talk about my characters and a post about mounts earlier got me thinking.

So- all my commanders sort of have their primary mounts; they all get two. I'll set one of them to the sorta default mount on 'x', usually the one I'd otherwise use the least, so I'm using these 'signature mounts' more often in-game- but canonically they're more-or-less the only mounts they have- though they lend some mounts to each other. Zori taught Seremnis how to call her skyscale if need be, and seremnis' griffon sometimes follows Enkkioh around when she's bored.

But!! what main two mounts each of the three has sort of follow themes related to their characters.

Zori has a skyscale (named Roro. after prince rorick. bc she's a nerd, which she got via already cannon skyscale quest in lws4) and a skimmer (named Strawberry, yes this is the same skimmer Strea had, that's why they bonded so fast). Both mounts are highkey geared for good, thorough, exploration- she loves heights, she loves swimming, she loves finding cool, hidden stuff.

Seremnis has a raptor (named Aria, that she summons from the realm of torment, and has the temperment of a puppy) and a griffon (named Requiem, a grumpy grumpy girl who only likes this weird salad, that seremnis got via the canon quest but after lws4, at the same time zori was doing the skyscale quest. She wasn't even an actual sunspear griffon she was just chilling there when the sunspears finally decided she could keep one, and now they are besties and seremnis lets her fight things and sometimes help dispose of. evidence). Anyways the theme is Seremnis likes to go fast, and likes to do so at least relatively quietly. There and gone, like a ghost. But also going that fast is just really fun, death 'defying' (like she'd actually stay dead) stunts and all.

And Enkkioh?

Enkkioh has a springer (named G-Force, because she's a nerd, which she bonded with because of the springer's genetic lack of long ears or tail and a similar color patterning to her own- and, fine, he's cute, stop looking at her like that) and a rollerbeatle (named Kinetic Friction, Kinetic for short- because I am also a nerd- which she got through the cannon quest, as a sort of apology to Gorrik and Blish for distrusting them so much at first. Of course, the result was so absolutely cool that she now apologizes by trying to take gorrik on rollerbeetle rides. C'mon gorrik. It's so cool gorrik. I updated the belt system so you won't fall off this time gorrik.)

...And the theme here is that not a single one of these is a flying mount. (Also neither of them are in any way quiet or subtle.) Enkkioh likes a good leap, sure, but there's always obvious ground in sight, she never gets high enough that landing would be an issue. Enkkioh is in both the literal and metaphorical sense my most grounded character- asuran came from underground, and she feels that in her bones.

In short- she's afraid of heights.

...And she's the character I'm playing through SotO with.

An expansion where you can't traverse the whole map, or even most of the map, without a flying mount.

Yeah she's having... a time

[eternalravendreamer]

Lance in a coma (WIP)

The mission had seemed to be going fine at first - a small, seemingly uninhabited planet had been revealed to be a Galran Empire work camp, and they had to liberate it. Work camps were usually operated more by robots than actual Galran soldiers. Typically one flesh-and-bones soldier to every 20 robots, plus one commander. Sounds easy enough.

However, only a few minutes into taking down robots and rescuing prisoners, Pidge got wind that their father might be among them. After that, everything kinda went to shit.

With Pidge acting on desperation rather than logic (and who wouldn’t?) Lance had volunteered to go with them to keep them safe and focused. That’s when it happened. The Galran commander in charge of the camp snuck up behind them while Pidge hacked a locked gate, and by the time Lance saw the giant charging towards them with some sort of weapon he couldn’t identify all he could do was protect his teammate.

He was knocked out on impact, blissfully unaware of the severe head and neck injuries he just took.

Luckily, the mission ended quickly after an enraged Hunk took on the commander one-on-one. All the prisoners were freed, all enemies either taken out or fled.

Sam Holt had been moved to a different camp the day prior. They had just barely missed him.

Pidge was frustrated and disappointed, but the more present worry that plagued them and the rest of Team Voltron was Lance. He had been rushed to the med bay along with a few of the freed prisoners, and shoved into a pod.

Wrong move.

“Thank you all for liberating us. Green Paladin, I am deeply sorry that your father was not there anymore, but fear not. He was moved because he was unusually strong and your kind seem to be immune to efirium gas poisoning, which is common in the mines the Empire harvests fuel from. He is as healthy as a captive of Zarkon can be.”

“...thanks. That’s good to know.”

“Will the Blue Paladin be okay? The camp commander’s muwuv baton has taken the lives of many workers, and even a few of his own droids in his moments of rage.”

“We’ve got Lance in a healing pod, it may take some time but he will be just fine.”

Nobody was there when Lance came out of the pod just one varga after all the prisoners were off the ship - he hadn’t been due out for another Earth week. He wasn’t supposed to be out. So when an alarm began to blare from the med bay, everyone rushed in, panic in their throats.

When they got there, the pod was deactivated, a red flashing alert notice in place of the glass door. Lance was unconscious on the floor in front of the pod, sprawled out and seemingly lifeless. Hunk was the first to rush to his side.

“LANCE! Oh god, buddy, please wake up!” He desperately attempted to wake his friend, but Lance remained unconscious. After shaking off their shock, Pidge rushed over next to Hunk, checking Lance for any changes.

“What happened?! Why did the pod deactivate early, what does the alert say?!” Coran fumbled with the screens popping up at the med bay computer, bringing up a larger version of the pod’s alert.

“By the Ancients...his concussion was worse than we thought! The healing pods induce a deep sleep in order to speed up the body’s natural healing, along with supplying restorative quintessence and medicine. But compounded with Lance’s concussive state and his injuries, that sleep became dangerous. He’s...he’s gone into a coma, and the pod had to release him to give him a chance of waking. He can hear us, possibly feel touch, but he cannot open his eyes, talk, or...anything else. He’s trapped in his own body.” Allura’s hands flew to her mouth to suppress a horrified gasp. Shiro’s face contorted with fear for his fellow Paladin as he joined Hunk and Pidge on the floor with Lance. Keith remained at the doorway, whole body still with shock, save for a trembling in his hands. 

Finally, Allura spoke, “Is...is there any way to help him, Coran?”

“I don’t know, Princess. This has never happened before, as far as I’m aware.” Pidge broke down, sobbing and leaning on Lance’s all-too still chest.

“This is all my fault - I wasn’t paying attention and my dad wasn’t even there anymore, Lance got hurt for--for nothing!”

“That’s not true, Pidge. It’s not your fault, you didn’t know. Lance is fiercely protective of the team, and he sees us as family. He would be happy to know you weren’t hurt.”

“Since the pod spat him out early, he didn’t get all the healing he needed, right? So what do we do? We can’t put him back in the pods.”

“The Castle has a traditional hospital ward in case the pods are all full or can’t be used. There are beds and quintessence lamps, but I’m afraid all the medicine and supplies are probably ten thousand years expired. We’ll have to stop at one of our ally planets for supplies.”

“I’ll carry Lance if you show me the way. It looks like all the pods had time to do was stop the bleeding, his neck is still swollen. I’ll have to move slowly.” Hunk carefully maneuvered his hands under Lance’s knees and shoulders, and Shiro moved to steady the Blue Paladin’s neck. Unfortunately the med bay didn’t seem to have any neck braces, even on its hover-stretchers. Coran said it was because neck injuries don’t threaten the lives of Alteans as they do humans. 

When Allura, Keith, and Shiro returned, Lance was fully set up in the hospital ward. He was breathing on his own, but an oxygen mask was on standby just in case. Same with what seemed to be an emergency defibrillator, in case his heart rate got too low or stopped entirely. Lance was laid in the bed, placed so he very slightly sat upright, to aid his respiration. A strange glowing panel hung on the ceiling above the bed - a quintessence lamp to heal him slowly, without the risk of sending him further into his coma. A large screen displayed his vitals, though all the lettering was in Altean. He was hooked up to an IV, and electrodes were attached to his chest and head. There were some other gizmos and tubes attached to the Blue Paladin that Keith couldn’t identify, but as long as they kept Lance alive, he didn’t care.

Shiro walked over to Hunk, who was sitting in a chair next to Lance’s bed, head in his hands. Shiro gently placed his hand on Hunk’s shoulder, causing him to look up. His eyes were red and irritated from crying.

“How is he?”

“A little better. His vitals are stable, at least. I suggested trying the mind meld helmets so Lance could...could communicate with us, but Coran says it would be too dangerous and might make him less likely to wake up.”

Allura took one Lance’s hands in both of hers and closed her eyes, trying to focus on their shared bond as pilots of the Blue Lion, “...Lance. You can hear us, can’t you? We’re all here, and Pidge is safe. They’re--they’re very worried about you, and they’re blaming themself.”

A slight beep on the monitor. Brain activity. He could hear them, and was trying to respond. But he couldn’t. Allura could sense something in her mind - a feeling of desperation. But was it from Lance, or Blue?

“Has Coran tested if Lance can sense touch?”

“Not yet! That’s what this is for, Number One!”

“Is that a...toy hammer?” Keith squinted at the...oddly simple tool.

“I think it’s one of those things doctors hit your knee with to test your reflexes.”

“Right-o, Hunk! Except the Altean version involves these sensors,” Coran pointed to several blue stick-on patches on Lance’s limbs and body, “I tap the sensor with this stick, and if it turns red it means Lance felt it. If it stays blue, he did not. And if it turns purple...they’re expired and this whole spiel is pointless.”

First, his right arm.

A tap on the wrist. Red sensor. A tap on the inner elbow. Red sensor. A tap on the bicep. Purple sensor. Quiznak.

Okay, left arm.

Tap on the wrist, red sensor. Tap on the inner elbow...blue sensor. Tap on the bicep, red sensor. That makes no sense but hey, better than all blue.

Right leg, all red. thank god.

Left leg...

...all blue.

Chest, over the heart and lungs, all red.

Stomach, mostly purple with some blue. Coran wasn’t sure if they should count those or not.

There, sitting before the deactivated Blue Lion...was a glowing blue lioness.

“Is...is that...”

“Are you...the spirit of the Blue Lion?”

The lioness opened her mouth and spoke, “I am.” her voice was deep as oceans and cool like a frost across your nose warning you that winter would soon arrive, yet it was familiar and safe and warm, like the affection of a mother. The Blue Lion spoke again, “My Paladin needs me, and I could not help him while still within my mechanical vessel. I needed to return to my Astral Spirit form in order to be by his side. Red will most likely grow tired of waiting and join me by his side soon, I know he did not make it obvious, but he grew attached to Lance while they were paired. But for now, I must go to Lance. Oh, and please, call me Azul. It is the word blue in Lance’s mother tongue. It is the name he calls me by when we speak in his mind.”

Shiro and Allura followed Blue...Azul through the Castleship in silent awe. She was definitely a lioness, large and strong-looking, a sense of purpose in her stop. On the way to the hospital wing, they happened upon Pidge, carrying a giant heap of wires and machine parts.

“Oh, Shiro. I was just--is that the Blue Lion?!”

“My poor cub...I’m so sorry I couldn’t stop this from happening. The moment I felt your mind slip away from me I knew something was wrong. I should have gone straight to your side, like Red does for her Paladin. I’m so sorry, Lance. I’m here now, I’m right here at your side.” Blue nudged her head beneath his hand, and Allura could feel her anguish coming off in waves.

“..on’t...a...rsel...”

“Did you guys hear that?!”

“Azul, could Lance...could Lance possibly communicate to us through you?”

“It is possible, yes. Having all Paladins present may be amplifying the power of the Paladin Bond, which also makes communication between Lion and Paladin easier.”

“Lance, try to say something. Anything.”

“...Which...is it? Some...or any..?”

“Goddammit Lance you make us think you died and then the first thing you say is a joke? Really?”