#besides the fact that it's midterm season lol

[dateamonster]

continued

power heist

if headmistress bloodgood doesnt show up in 15 minutes we all get to go home

the yuri potential of "your mom had beef with my mom and you have beef with me but we can break the cycle and then maybe make out silly style while were at it". tbqh.

HAHA BALD HEATH MOMENT

deuces sisters 👀❓are we gonna get a viperine i wonder? i know in g1 shes his cousin but like. perhaps.

i... would not object to a g3 draculaura/claude redux

toraleis mom is next level crazy like i rly thought she was just gonna be the mean high expectations neglectful mom archetype to toraleis meangirl with a troubled background but she is straight up manipulating this CHILD for no reason

clawdeen being the only one willing to trust toralei 🥺 all her friends ready to back her up 🥺 the shovel talk is gonna be unreal

this cthulu lookin waiter rules btw love the squiddy eyes

the fact that their teacher is right over at the next table and not even looking up

i love the gang heisting together thats soo fun

OK BUT as much as its framed as a funny gag toralei knowing her mom would burn the diary because she has a history of burning things to express anger feels like a cfs worthy red flag catarina if i see you its ON SIGHT

i like how lagoona was the only one who essentially didnt do shit on this heist lol she is just hanging out and looking cute

speaking of lagoona tbh it would be kinda nice if this ep was like the first step to her and toralei repairing their friendship. like obvi toralei has a lot of growing and apologizing to do first but idk id like to see it.

and i do appreciate draculaura making it very clear that while this was a step, shes not entirely ready to forgive toralei. shes entitled to that. good on u girl.

finnegans parents on a date <3

i do not want to think abt the implications of a monster declaration of independence.

let her steal!!!!!!

monster midterms

two two-parters back to back is crazy i just wanna say

draculaura is such a goodie goodie im starting to understand why toralei had beef. the rare intersection of goth-prep.

we love you the midterm fairyyy

HABBEY CRUMBS YUMYUMYUMYUM ILL TAKE IT

oo the twins are here yayy!! and theyre hip to toradeen i see. very nice.

MOUSCEDES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"skunkratese is my goverment name" hell yea the next generation of transgender furries abt to go wild over this one

oh AND hes emo thank god honestly

in LOVE with this griffon (?) woman!! once again, really great body diversity in the side characters. would looove to see that translate to some of the mains pleeease

i rly enjoy it when there are hints to specific monster schools outside of monster high that cater to one kind of monster. i couldnt quite makeout what the twins were saying but it sounded like "meowton academy"? i remember in g1 there was some stuff abt dracula wanting to send draculaura to a vampire specific academy iirc. i like details like that because like for one thing i like knowing there are other academic options in the monster world besides this one school, plus it sorta established monster high as a place thats notable for its inclusion of multiple different species learning together under one roof which feels in line with like the core messaging of the series and would both make sense for why young monsters might want to go there over other schools, as well as for why older monsters more set in their ways might be antsy about sending their kids there if they hadnt graduated from there themselves.

dracula bat looks dumb as hell lmao

ALLY DADULA TIME HELL YEA

"I AM LITERALLY A LITERARY CLASSIC"

classic skull-mouth cave booby trap moments rip romulus 😔

mouscedes my beloved my beloved my belov- WAIT THE HUMANATI???? PLEASE BE REAL ACTUALLY I WANT A WHOLE SEASON DEDICATED TO THAT

obsessed with mouscedes being like ohhh im just a widdle mousey umm cheesed to meet u too girl <3333

toradeen truthers stay winninggggg

omg mr clopman.. a golem character at monster high aaaaaa <3333

dot! dot! dot!

catching up on monster high notes!

spell the beans

looooove clawdeens dad joining the parents association he is involved in his childrens education :3 he is making cookies and making friends :3

momdusa is so milfy i could die the gays stay winning once again

dracula is soooo silly hes winning me over i fear

!! momdusa never moved on from high school and falls over so much and loves her wife wow she is the perfect woman actually

its not my dream dad its YOURS

obsessed w everyone wanting to eat clawdeens dad

THANK YOU for explaining the camera/mirror thing with vampires i was wondering abt that

mr wolf and dracula friendship moment 🥺

EXPELBEAST!! i love when they do something fun and goofy with the mh lore

idk if those were lagoonas parents in the mpa but i wish we got more of them there looked so cute

growing up ghoulia

mothman!!!!!!!!!!!

some of these side characters have such interesting designs the purple dragon girl sitting in front of ghoulia was soo cute

MONSTER GSA LETS GOOO

i loove when mh does some classic monster movie stuff. ghoulia clone zombie attack rules.

not to be a broken record but i feel like ghoulias ep here would be more meaningful if she was still more noticeably zombie-like. like she says she moves slower than other monsters but i dont like. see that. let her lurch!

casketball jinx

im so happy to see howleen!!

kaiju girlie is such a queen we love to see it

tbqh i think howleen was right for this one

clawdeen both being on the team and being a cheerleader seems like soo much take a rest bestie 😭

do u think clawdeen had a wolf fursona before she found out she was a werewolf? i think so.

[shewrites02]

Southern Hospitality | Erik Killmonger X Black Reader | Chpt. 2

Summary: College AU where Erik seems to make the reader’s college transition a nightmare, while some how making it better as well

Chapter 3 | Chapter 1

Word count: 2.8k 

A/N: So I’m in love with this series, but please don’t expect updates this frequent. lol I have to warn yall that due to my school schedule I can be wilding inconsistent. But please enjoy and tell me what you think 

It had been 4 weeks since your incident on the side of the road, and despite numerous run ins with Erik, the two of you haven't spoken since that night. You attempted to speak, or even just offer up a kind smile when you saw him on campus but Erik acted as if you were completely invisible. And if he did acknowledge you, it was simply with a slight eyebrow raise as if to say "why are you speaking to me". This just confirmed that Erik was in fact the asshole you thought he was the day yall meet in the cafe. 

But since that night you've had time to recuperate and refocus. 4.0 season was back in full effect, and you were ready to have a hot girl semester. Especially with midterms approaching, the social politics of your life couldn't be your main concern. The organic chemistry you had sprawled out on the living room coffee table, took top priority. 

"Fuck this!" you mumbled shoving the large green useless organic chem textbook onto the floor.  That boost of confidence you just had, quickly dissipated and left you sitting confused on the floor. 

"Hey babe, whatchu in here groaning about?" Mackenzie, one of your three suitemates, asked chipperly walking to plop down on the couch. 

You held up the pile of homework, groaning even louder. Kenzie ignored it, and grabbed the remote from the side of you and flipped the t.v on to her favorite show, The Hills. A reality t.v show following the most privileged and prestigious white people in L.A.  You assumed Kenzie liked watching this crap so much because it reminded her of home.  Los Angeles, where she was a trendsetter spending her time in exclusive clubs, and spending $20 on a salad. Although popular, at MIT Mackenzie was no more than a pretty face that everyone was sure only got in due to her parents very generous donations to the university.  As was the case with your other suitemates as well. 

"No kenz, I'm doing homework take this crap somewhere else." 

"Forget your homework! You're literally weeks ahead... you've earned a break."  

You rolled your eyes then began to gather your school work. Taking a break wasn't a privilege you had. Either you work your ass off, or you went back home to Ft. Worth no in between. 

"oh my gosh y/n, you should come out with us! Please, you haven't been out once this semester, reward all your hard work!" She begged. 

Your immediate reaction was to decline. You weren't much of a partier to begin with, and you were a little uneasy about going out with your suitemates. The same girls who couldn't even wait for you in the cafe. But you struggled to make friends while being down here, your suitemates were the only people on campus you knew... besides Erik. You thought this could be an opportunity to see them as more than those rich white girls from the west coast, so against your better judgment you accepted the invitation. 

"YAY, Y/N IS COMING!" Kenzie yelled down the hall to the other suitemates, who let out small shrieks and squeals from the other side of their doors. 

Hours passed and it was time for you to start getting ready. You wanted to feel excited about tonight, but all that lingered was an anxious feeling in your chest. You had spent the past hours thinking of excuses to get yourself out of going, but any you presented to kenzie were quickly shot down, followed by your other suites mates telling you, no matter what you were going. 

"Y/N!!" Mason shouted from the kitchen. 

"We're taking shots!" Brooklyn announced, putting the shot glass in your hand. 

On three, the four of yall took the vodka shots back. Some followed them with a chaser, and scrunched faces. You followed yours with another shot, this time Malibu Rum, something sweet to get the taste out of your mouth. 

"You better be getting ready!" Kenzie shouted as she handed you a strawberry margarita. You nodded, retreating back to your room to start your transformation. 

You assumed if you were going to go out, the least you could do was be the baddest bitch out. You did a balck and grey smokey eye topped with the most extravagant lashes you could find. Then topped your lips with your fenty lip gloss. You wore a black strapless sequined dress with a pair of pumps. Even if the night didn't live up to you expectations, this outfit certainly would. 

"UBER'S HERE! HURRY BITCHES, LET'S TAKE ONE MORE SHOT!" 

After downing your margarita, you went into the kitchen to take another shot of vodka. 

"Now, where ready!" Kenzie announced. 

-

The club your suitemates decided to drag you to, had a special MIT college night. Which meant reduced admission, and free drinks for all MIT students.  As expected, what seemed like the entire university was there tonight. Usually the large crowd would have you feeling very self conscious and anxious. But you were starting to feel those shots from earlier and couldn't think of anything but dancing... and getting another drink. 

"Coke and Henny for you." Brooklyn shouted over the music, handing you the drink. 

You swayed your hips to the Drake song the dj played, and observed the various white girls attempts at twerking. If you weren't drunk you'd probably be judging them right now, but the liquor made you much more forgiving. It also made you have to pee. 

You attempted to inform your suitemates that you had to go to the bathroom, but they all seemed to be preoccupied with dancing with brad, Chad, and justin to pay attention to you. The last thing you were going to do was wait for them. You were a grown woman fully capable of going pee, alone. So you set out to find your way to the bathroom. 

You stumbled through the crowd, the bright lights blurring your vision. It was as if your brain wasn't able to focus on one thing, but instead tried to focus on everything. But despite your clear impairment you made it to the bathroom. 

"You are so pretty, oh my gosh I love your hair, It's like snakes!" This white girl slurred as she ran her fingers through your box braids. You snatched your hair out her hands. 

"Let's not do that!" 

You proceeded to pee, then started your journey back to find your friends. Incapable of walking in a straight line you frantically bump and tripped over everyone you encountered. You made sure to say sorry to each person before bumping into the next. You were seconds from falling straight on your ass when two hands reached out and grabbed your waist. 

"Where the fuck are your friends?" He growled. 

You looked up to see Erik pulling you up toward him. He had one arm around your waist, supporting all the weight you just pushed on him. For a brief moment a smile spread on your face, happy to see a familiar face then you quickly remembered the bullshit he had been pulling these last weeks. 

"Y/n, Where are you friends?" 

"Fuck you! Get off me! You can't speak to me one campus, but now you wanna be here, that's hoe shit!" You protested, shoving Erik to no result. He still held you tight, and unless he allowed it, you weren't going anywhere. 

"Where. Are. Your. Friends?!" He shouted once more. Speaking slowly as if to give the words time to really sink into your thick skull. 

You took a moment to look around. This had been where your suitemates were when you left to go to the bathroom, but suddenly they were nowhere to be found. You spotted one of the boys that they were dancing with before you left to bathroom, and flagged him down. 

"Where are my roommates?"

"They left about 10 minutes ago, something about hitting a different club." 

You turned back to Erik who was very clearly aggravated. Despite being drunk you were still able to notice the vein that slightly popped on his forehead from his jaws clenching.  Your heart dropped, you should have known better than to put an ounce of trust into those hoes. 

"Ion got friends, fuck them bitches! ... I'm going home." 

You started your walk to the entrance, and after a couple steps tripped over your own feet and fell straight on your ass in front of the bar. Once again, Erik was there to pick you up off the floor. 

"Get the fuck up! ... I'm taking you home." 

"I don't need help!" You objected all while gripping Erik's hand as he guided you out the club. You stumbled some, begging Erik to slow down. He swore that he was walking as slow as he could, and that your 'drunk as was trippin'. But you swore it felt as if he was making you damn near sprint down this street. 

"Stop! Stop! I- I just need a break." You begged. 

You released his hand and plopped down on the curb. Erik let out a frustrated sigh. He had half a mind to leave your dumbass here, but what you said earlier about there not being a lot of black people on campus really resonated with him. He felt as if he had an obligation to watch out for you, especially knowing if he didn't none of these whites would. 

"Y/n... Let's go." Erik implored. 

But you paid it no mind.  The same feeling you had when you'd come home from the swimming pool and laid in your bed, like you could still feel the water swaying your body, that was the exact feeling you had right now. When you closed your eyes, the world melted. The loud music from the club, the fact your so called friends left you, Erik's nagging. None of it mattered. 

"You got a hot 10 seconds." Erik announced breaking your calm. You stuck out your bottom lip pouting some, all you wanted was to sit here on this curb. Why was that so absurd.  You slowly stood up, your head spinning as you did. Erik let you grab his hand and lean against him while the two of you walked to his car. 

"Your friends aren't gonna be mad you left to campus without them? I would be mad if my friends left to campus without me. Oh wait, they did." 

Erik chuckled some. Although he knew your calm demeanor about the situation was a result of the alcohol, he still appreciated the way you were handling the situation. 

"Nah them niggas be ight, they asses don't even go to MIT."

He had parked in the grass, in the overflow parking. With each step you took your heels sunk deeper and deeper into the grass, making it more difficult to walk. As if that was what you need, a harder time walking. At some point the grass turned into a rocky patch of gravel, and your heel landed on a rock causing your ankle to turn and twist and you almost dropped to the floor. 

"Ight, I'm getting sick of this shit y/n." Erik warned. 

"That wasn't me, the rock! The rock!" 

Erik helped you into the car then jogged to get in the driver's seat. Once he asked where you stayed, and as hard as you thought your brain couldn't come up with an address, just a vague depiction of what you think your student housing building looked like. 

"The blue building" 

"Blue bui- do you know home many fucking blue building are on campus?!"  He scolded. 

Immediately tears swelled in you eyes. You couldn't remember where you stayed, your suitemates left you, and now Erik was yelling at you. This wasn't what your first semester was supposed to be like. This wasn't what you came all the way to Michigan for. 

"My roommates left, and now you're mad at me. I don't know what I did to make you hate me so much, I- I just wanted a black friend cause all these white people be pissing me off ... I wanna go home. I wanna go back to Ft. Worth. I'm calling my mom to tell her I'm coming home." You sobbed. 

You fumbled through your small black clutch for you phone, but due to the alcohol, and the tears everything meshed into one big blur. 

"No, your not calling your mom and your not going back to Ft. Worth." 

Erik took your whole purse and sat it on the floor, beside his feet. Tears still streamed your face, and you continued to rant on about how mad Erik was at you and how much he hated you. 

"You won't even speak to me on campus!" 

"I don't hate you, and I'm not mad at you. Okay? I'm just trying to get you home safe. Okay. I- ... I'm sorry I made you feel that way." 

The apology felt bitter coming off his tongue. If he thought you'd remember this conversation the slightest bit in the morning he wouldn't have said it. But at this point he just wanted you to stop fucking crying. 

After asking a thousand questions to figure out exactly which blue building you stayed at, Erik was no closer to getting you home than before. His blood began to boil, the more frustrated he got, and he made an executive decision. If he couldn't take you back to your dorm, and he couldn't leave your ass on the side of the road, then he was just going to take you back to his apartment. 

"Where are we going?!" You whined. 

"My apartment, since you don't know where the fuck you live." 

Erik pulled off, and started to drive. The two of you fell into silence, not like when yall first met at the cafe, this was mutual.. comfortable. Within a few minutes yall had arrived at an apartment complex that was walking distance from campus. Erik walked over to the passenger side and helped you out of the car. He held your hand as you wobbled to his apartment.

"Oh shit E, you didn't tell us you had company." One of his roommates teased as the two of you walked in the door. 

"Aren't you going to introduce us?" His other roommate jokes. 

"Shut the fuck up, for real." Erik warned. 

The two frat like white boys smiles quickly dropped, and they darted their eyes to the floor not even daring to look up at the two of you. 

"C'mon." Erik mumbled guiding you to the back of the apartment, where his bedroom was. 

He shuffled through his drawers, then pulled out a t-shirt and a pair of basketball shorts. He tossed them at you, basically smacking you in the face. He told you that you could change since you probably didn't wanna sleep in your dress. You agreed. 

Usually you were too bashful to change around peope, let alone a nigga. But the term liquid courage, was an accurate one. You shed your dress right there on his bed and changed into his t-shirt. Erik watched, surprised you'd strip with him in the room, but he didn't say anything. 

"Imma sleep on the couch." He announced, after changing into a pair of polo sleep pants and keeping on his solid black t shirt. 

"Noo, stay with me... I don't wanna go to sleep yet. Please." 

Erik sighed then reluctantly sat alongside you on the bed. Again, silence filled the space around you two. 

"You really should take your ass to sleep!" Erik said finally breaking the silence. 

You didn't say anything. For the first time since you'd seen Erik in the cafe, you really took him in. His big arms, his low husky voice, and the gold caps in his mouth made your knees weak. You spent so much time focused on how big of an asshole this man was, you didn't realize how absolutely jaw dropping he really is. 

Without much of a thought you crashed your lips into his, and to your surprise he kissed you back. Erik's hand traveled up your body until it landed at the nape of your neck. He drew you in close to him as he intensified the kiss slipping his tongue into your mouth. 

Your body felt hot all over. You couldn't deny how bad you wanted him, and you wanted him now. While he kissed you, you tugged at the hem of his polo sleep pants, and at this point Erik broke away from you. He wiped the edge of his mouth averting his eyes from your gaze, then standing up. 

"Go to sleep." He mumbled before flipping off the light and walking out.

Taglist: @chaneajoyyy @missshae @thehomierobbstark @killmongersbaby @elaindeereads @scrumptiouslytenaciouscrusade @tip222u @irisindigonightmare 

[ironinkpen]

“That Was All You”: A Black Paladin Lance Meta

Alternatively Titled: Local Girl Digs Heels In So Hard She’s Laying on the Ground. “This Is My Home Now,” She Says.

Listen. Listen. No, I don’t know when to quit. Yes, I have a midterm tomorrow and am procrastinating. Shut up.

Now, since this is going to be long as hell (because I really don’t know when to quit), here’s a quick summary of my argument: 1. we’re building up to a leadership arc with Lance, 2. the pilot of the Black Lion depends not just on Black but on the team, and 3. Keith and Red still have a connection.

Blah blah blah, general disclaimer, I am probably could be wrong, lesgo:

Season 4 episode 6 sees the introduction of a new galra super weapon -- a planet rigged to explode and take the whole solar system out with it. Right after destroying the galra stronghold on said planet, the team is suddenly surrounded by giant spire things and have no idea what they are.

And it’s Lance that makes the right call. He’s the one that not only says “hey let’s leave,” but also “and here’s how we’re going to do it.” He looks at this situation, sees a need to distance them from it immediately, and knows exactly who to delegate the task to. 

Clone Shiro completely ignores all that lol, but the point still stands. Lance makes the call. The episode from that point on focuses on him and his reactions to the situation. We see him growl in frustration at Clone Shiro’s decisions. He’s the first to react to Allura getting hurt. And then, later, when they’re about to blown the fuck up, he’s the first one to encourage her to try again.

I could talk for h o u r s about this fucking speech oh my god. But, I think the most important thing to note here is, again: Lance makes the call. He looks at what is an essentially hopeless situation, sees a solution, and gives Allura the confidence she needs to press forward. Note that Clone Shiro, the current head of Voltron, is suspiciously absent from this conversation. Lance doesn’t suggest anything to him-- he takes control and straight up just starts talking to Allura.

The amount of confidence Lance exudes here is just. Incredible. As far as the team knows, they’re about to get blown up along with most of their friends and allies. But Lance speaks to Allura very calmly, and he knows exactly what to say. 

Allura once said that the Black Lion was the “decisive head of Voltron” and that it will take someone who is “in control at all times” to pilot it. Lance, in both cases with Pidge and Allura, shows a decisiveness that matches that description. He steps in and tells them what to do almost automatically. And, when he pops up on that screen and gives Allura that pep talk, he does it with total confidence and trust. He seems completely in control of the situation.

Lance is shown to be incredibly supportive of his teammates, and intimately aware of their strengths, to the extent that he knows exactly who can get them out of a sticky situation the second it presents itself. He also just plain trusts his team wholeheartedly, and, as shown above, wants to see them show off those strengths.

Imo, Lance’s arc has, from day one, been centered around the theme of leadership. Season 1 Episode 1, Lance is kind of built up as “the main guy.” Voltron, is of course, an ensemble show, so no one is “the main guy” or whatever, but Lance is sort of put in the spotlight for the first several minutes. He’s the one who assembles the team, he’s in the middle of the first few Team Voltron group shots, and he’s the one who brings everyone out to space. However, the spotlight then shifts to Shiro as “the main guy”-- the leader.

But it’s so interesting that the show opens this way. In fact, Lance’s introduction is literally him trying - and failing - to lead the Garrison Trio to success as their pilot. But they don’t fail because the decisions he’s making are wrong. They fail because Hunk throws up, Pidge doesn’t follow safety rules, and Lance fucking stops to brag in the middle of the flight, causing them to crash lol.

But? We see Lance growing.

In season 3 episode 2, Allura says it herself: Lance stepped back and let go of that need for glory-- the need for glory which, as seen in s1e1, is his main obstacle when he’s in charge. Season 3 marks the beginning of Lance becoming something of a voice of reason within the team. And, then, people start to listen to the decisions he makes and the advice he gives. It’s almost a complete reversal from his s1e1 situation.

Lance’s arc is tied to leadership. From his introduction to season 3, when we see him literally sitting in the Black Lion and saying “this is your moment,” we get this common theme: Lance trying to be in charge. But it’s after s3s2 that we see him truly growing into someone who could be in charge-- someone who puts the needs of the team before himself, and who others are willing to follow. 

Like the creators of the show have said, Lance is “evolving.” I’m pretty sure Joaquim also mentioned that Lance’s arc is about becoming “the hero we all know he can become” (not the exact quote but I’m too lazy to look it up rn). I’d argue that the hero Lance is evolving into might just be the leader of Voltron.

But! Black didn’t choose him. So case closed, right? 

Well, I’d argue that no, it’s not. Because I’ve been thinking about something: what makes the black paladin the black paladin?

Allura explains the roles of all of the lions (besides the Blue Lion and yes I’ll totally write a True Blue Paladin Lance meta later because I love arguing with myself lol) at the very beginning of the show. The green paladin has to be inquisitive. The yellow has to be caring. The red has to have good instincts. But for Black, all the characteristics we get can essentially be summed to “a born leader”

And what makes a leader a leader?

The team does.

The lions choose the paladins, sure. But the Black Lion is only awakened after the other four lions gather and-

-quite literally roar their approval. The team chose Shiro to be their leader from the very onset of this adventure-- when they’re in the Blue Lion, Lance immediately looks to Shiro to make the call on whether they should go through the wormhole. Black chooses to let Keith pilot her in season 2 when Shiro’s in danger because Shiro trusts him to pilot her. And then, in season 3, Keith tells the team about Shiro’s whole “I want you to lead Voltron” thing, and then Black chooses Keith to do it. And I don’t think that’s a coincidence. 

It’s the approval of others that makes the black paladin the black paladin. Alfor and the others approve of Zarkon. The team unanimously chooses Shiro. Lance and the others support Keith. And the black paladin is literally described as

(Also note that Lance is included in this shot just like he’s included in the Red Lion shot-- maybe foreshadowing his future role as the Black Paladin?)

Wouldn’t that mean, logically, that Black picks her paladins based on the decision of the team? The “men” are the key component of this sentence-- the black paladin is not the black paladin if the team won’t follow them. You won’t be chosen by the Black Lion if people won’t follow your lead.

Because Black is all about trust.

For Black to pick you, she has to trust you to take care of the team. And the rest of the team has to trust you to lead them, too. “No one commands the black lion,” just like no one commands the team. They both have to choose you, first.

And I think Lance might be slowly building up that trust.

(Or Allura might be, but that’s yet another meta for another day lmao)

We’ve seen, throughout the past two seasons, that Lance is the guy people either look to for help or accept help from. Keith gets upset in season 3 before they all go into the Black Lion? The team unanimously looks to Lance to give him a pep talk. Keith is doubting Black’s decision? Lance supports him. Allura has trouble with Blue? Lance checks on her and asks how she is. Keith runs ahead on the mission? Lance talks him down. Allura and Coran - even if this is a silly example lol - need help with Kaltenecker? They immediately go to Lance, thinking he can reason with her.

And, of course, as previously mentioned, in season 4 episode 6, not only is it Lance that makes the correct call in the situation - suggesting that the team get out several moments before they’re trapped - but he also gives that incredible speech to Allura that gives her the confidence to save the day.

He spurs his teammates into action. When he says they can do it, especially in the cases of Allura and Keith, they trust him. 

The thing about the Black Lion is that it’s the one lion with a specific role in the Voltron hierarchy. With the other lions, it makes sense for the lion to just choose their paladins themselves, but with the Black Lion, the opinions of the team have to be taken into account.

After all, shouldn’t a team get a say in who leads them?

I think we might be reaching a point where someone’s going to ask that question. I figure that Clone Shiro will be found out in the next season or two and Keith’ll be put back into the Black Lion-- something’s gotta give, someone has to ask how this whole black paladin thing works. Because I think, if given the choice, the team might just say “hey, what about Lance?”

And speaking of Keith:

He’s the perfect red paladin lol, and this whole Marmora situation just proves it. 

Allura describes the Red Lion as the “temperamental,” “the most difficult to master,” “unstable,” and in need of a pilot that relies more on “instincts than skill alone.” I’ve always kinda side eyed this when it came to Lance’s placement in Red-- from season 3 onward, I’d say that Lance is arguably one of the most stable characters in the show. In fact, the creators of the show literally call Lance “Keith’s stability.”

It’s Keith who we see matching these traits more. He’s always been frustrated and kind of short fused, but we see that even more so in Seasons 3 and 4 (god I love my angry boyo)-- he blurts out that they don’t have Voltron to their allies, runs after the Lotor and kinda puts the team in danger, almost blows himself up in s4e6, etc. Also, just like the red lion is the fastest, Keith is prone to rushing ahead, even complaining that Black is too slow for him lol. He’s more inclined to relying on instincts rather than concrete plans or things like stealth skills (as seen during any mission the Marmora sends him on oh my god why would you send him on more stealth missions I’m gonna piss). Additionally, on the Voltron website, the Red Lion is described as never being afraid to “push its limits in order to defend the team.” And just. The screenshot above says it all. Keith is quite willing to give up everything for the team.

I’ve argued this in another meta, but I still think Keith’s going to pilot Red again, if only for a little while. They never got a proper goodbye, unlike Blue and Lance, and after all the development they got in seasons 1 and 2... Something about their separation feels off.

And speaking of separation, I also don’t buy that Keith’s done being a paladin? I’ve seen people arguing that he’s part of the Blade of Marmora now, but I’m pretty confident we’ll see Keith back in a lion relatively soon, whether that be the next season or the one after that I’m not sure. And I think the lion we’re gonna see him in (after a short stint in Black) will be Red.

For one thing, Keith first unlocks his Blade of Marmora after affirming his identity as a paladin of Voltron. During season 4, his blade stays suspiciously... small. If the whole “unlocking the blade” thing is about finding your identity (”knowledge or death” and all that), and Keith only unlocked his after basically saying “you know what? I don’t need you, I’m a paladin of Voltron,” that means that being a paladin of Voltron is a key component of Keith’s identity in a way that being part of the Blade just... isn’t.

Also, note that in the season 2 Blade of Marmora episode, he very visibly chooses the Red Lion over his past.

He sees the destruction, sees Red waiting for him outside the window, and says that he has to leave. His dad offers him the ultimatum that if he leaves, he’ll never know who he is, and then, as he walks out the door-

-the screen flashes red. And then, immediately after, Red wakes up and attacks the Marmora base. Keith chooses Red. He says so in the next scene with Kolivan-- “I know where I’m from, I’m a paladin of Voltron.” But not just a paladin. The Red Paladin.

Their bond is too profound for me to believe that it’s just over, or that Lance somehow has a more “real” one with her. Also, the reason Keith left the team in the first place was a discomfort with being the black paladin. The bedroom scene with Lance I think was really telling: Keith visibly deflates when Lance says he’s there to talk to him because “you’re the leader now right?”  Keith’s arc isn’t about leadership-- it’s about discovering his identity and finding out where he belongs. Keith wants to genuinely connect with his teammates, but in that scene, we see that he felt like Lance had only wanted to talk to him, to connect with him, because he’s the “leader” now. And that disheartens him, and ultimately makes him pull away from the group.

It just doesn’t make sense to just force him into a position he clearly doesn’t want (and has said he doesn’t want!) over and over again, when he has a place that he chose and suits him so well. I honestly think that if he had still been the Red Paladin, he wouldn’t have made the decision to leave.

Still, though, Keith did show pretty good leadership with the rebels. I could see him in Black, but I also think he belongs in Red. Maybe there’ll be a coleadership situation with Lance?

This is getting l o n g so I’m going to cut it off here (if you for some reason wanna read more longass Black Paladin Lance metas, I’ve got one written pre-s3 and one written pre-s4), but my point is that Lance has slowly been gaining the trust of his teammates and becoming a person that can lead them, the Black Lion seems to operate on a “consent of the governed” principal, and Keith still seems to be too well-suited for Red for their relationship to be over yet. I genuinely believe we’ll see Lance in the Black Lion at some point during Voltron-- whether that be as the True Black Paladin or as a one-off or temporary gig remains to be seen, but I think the kid is growing into genuine leadership material.

[survivorindia]

Stop fucking flirting with me, I don’t think you’re that cute- Julia (Episode 7)

Well, I'm glad we won again because, surprise surprise, I've been sorta inactive! Woops.... And, I honestly can't wait for merge so I can be with Dom again!

Ok I'm making a newbie alliance and gonna throw next couple comps to make returnees in minority. Going into merge at 12 or 11 have newbie majority 7-5 We want an exciting season right?  Up to F7 -> All Newbies Take all villains to f4  Take me out F4  Simples Probably take Lexi (Rubens girl)out  at f8 Which is why Alex or Julia is going this round Jordan will get blindsided bc idol. Sarah's fucking fake and can't keep her fucking mouth shut Julia's mouth we already discussed where that's at.

So Dom told me he found the idol again but jokes on him, Sarah told me a day ago so oops I'm on to you Dom, sneaky sneaky. We won the challenge, it was basically me who did everything so i feel pretty good about it. Ashley is worried about the other tribe throwing comps to take out the returnees which is scary, idk if its true or not but its worrying. I feel like were swapping tonight and I am praying that Jaiden goes home tonight, like praying. Anyways thats it

Okay what the FUCK is happening. Idk if there is a split or if I'm being lied to. I'm pushing for Dom to go because he told me he has an idol and like, I think he's going to come for me later. I don't know what else to say. If I get voted out, then I'm at peace with myself. Robin has been manipulating this vote very well and I respect her immensely for doing so, but shit will go down tonight if I'm not careful. I'm trying to be careful. God.

So I'm pretty positive that the Returnees apparently have an alliance now. Everybody has been pretty blunt about that. Which is frustrating because I hate when people play the game like that. "Oh yeah, we've played before so lets work together duh duh duh"  Like grow up! That's not how the game should be played. Whatever the case is, I'm making sure tonight's vote is for who I think is most willing to be apart of that group. So I'm stuck between Alex and Julia. I want to trust Alex, I really do. However I can't help think that he's with that group. And if he is, he's MUCH bigger of a threat than Julia. So it's a tough choice, but I think I know what needs to be done....

I've recieved votes at every tribal I've attended smh. I'd love to know to it was that actually voted me. In my mind I believe it's Sarah, but we won't know until the end! I honestly hope that I can make it to merge, or at least a swap, and still have allies. It's not easy being one of the only new kids left.

These are the sketchiest people I've ever had the pleasure of playing with istg

It was clear Whitney was going home. The way that I see this game (which isn't very heroic of me lol), any paranoia where I know what caused the paranoia is good paranoia. Hopefully this vote makes people question who is really with who, disrupt the tribe hierarchy, and finally bring Liam closer to me b/c he can't trust anyone else... even tho I voted him. http://vocaroo.com/i/s0I9KmtgnLdi

I never made a confessional regarding the Johnny boot. So here's that one. My initial plan was to get Ruben to split the vote 3-3-2; 3 on Johnny, 3 on Jaiden, 2 on whoever those two vote. Then I'd get me/Jaiden/Johnny/Julia to vote for Dom and get him out with his idol.  Then Ruben told Jaiden they weren't splitting the vote, so we tried to do a double split. Ruben was thinking I would be voting for Jaiden, and Johnny would be voting say Ruben, so they'd send a vote my way to get it to tie three ways and get me out 5-1-1-1 if the idol gets played. Then Johnny/I go back to vote out Dom so it's 4-3-1.  Obviously none of that worked and Johnny got out because Jaiden decided to play both sides. I would have respected him if he just straight out voted Johnny or drew rocks with us. But he did worse by telling Dom to play his idol while still voting him out. So now Jaiden fucked up his chances with both groups by playing both sides horribly.

So now I have to play damage control. I take an hour to talk with Dom to apologize for voting him out, and he seems fine? But that's what's awful about it. He shouldn't be this passive about it but he is. I don't trust him as a human being solely because of the way he talks. Well, that and a few other reasons, but I have to go into this whole shit.  Gavin wants to work with me to get out Jordan Pines's group. He's had this plan worked out and it seems great. The best part about it is that Gavin and I don't seem like we'd be a pair. We're on opposing tribes, and we haven't mentioned each other's name to anyone else. That was until today. We played a mini and apparently we talked with each other a bit too much? So Dom went to tell Sarah (which effectively tells Jordan Pines and Julia) that he wants to split up me and Gavin. So I'm extremely spooked about that. It's tearing me apart because Dom told me that we were on good terms but obviously not. And I even confronted him about it, he didn't deny saying my name but he did deny wanting me out.  It's just confusing. The only reason I knew about Dom's idol was because of Gavin. But Dom is blaming Pines's group. Or at least I thought he was. But apparently Dom talks with them consistently despite the fact that they tried to get him out. It's baffling to me, I really don't understand it.  ~~~~~~~~  We lost the challenge today, and I was the only one to work on it. We got a shit score and that is my fault, but what else could I do? They didn't wanna work. I thought they were throwing the challenge to get rid of me (and I still do). Jaiden wants to get out Dom and I don't see it happening. But I want to talk to Ruben about Dom's relationship with Pines, Sarah, Casey, Ashley, etc. Dom knows a lot of these people despite being a new player. He's really dangerous, and it's frightening to me that despite his claims of them working against him he's still working with them.

So I believe that I will be the one going home tonight. Trying to make things easy with a Jaiden vote to calm my nerves and then send me packing. I pray that's not what happens. I've had such a fun time in this game, to go out now right before a potential swap would be devastating.  I'm trying to talk with people, I really am. But at most I can try and flip a vote towards Julia, otherwise Alex's journey is a really short one this time 'round, and it's disappointing. One last confessional before tribal! Jordan Pines may give me his idol so that's exciting. I'd play it on myself obviously. If he doesn't I have to rely on Ruben and Dom and that's frightening for me. I don't trust them a whole lot and just having the idol would be so much better.

Well, I haven't really been able to sit down and record anything for a while, mostly due to midterms and laziness. But since midterms are up and done, and Regan will murder us if we don't do jack, I guess I can inform you my lovely viewer of what has been up with yours truly.  Well, swap was a thing and I got on a tribe with Ashley and Gavin. Everyone seemed willing to mend fences with me after Karen Gate but still... I don't really trust them. Gavin is clearly a lot smarter then I had given him credit for and Ashley is far more resourceful. Any heroes alliance that will be formed after this I will be clearly on the bottom of. So I really do need to expand my options. Speaking of expanding my options... let's talk about my new tribe.  I haven't talked at all to Liam but I know someone is targeting him and I find that hilarious. Seriously who ever did that deserves a fucking medal, that was pretty brilliant. I wish I thought of it, though I would have voted for Jordan because he would likely have the most reaction out of it.  You already know how I feel about Ashley and Gavin, love them but trust them as far as I can throw them.  As for the newbie villains, I get along great with Lexi G. Literally I love her sense of humor and how open she is about her terrible social skills. She is definitely someone I want to work with. Wish she wasn't dead all the time though... I've barely talked to Casey but on the One World Call she seemed pretty okay. I'm not sure if there is a future in us working together but I wouldn't be against. I'm not really sure about their strategic abilities but Lexi seems to be more proactive, as she actively tried to communicate with me during the vote. Casey seems more laid-back. But we've only really had one vote, which was more of a glorified medivac tbh, I'm not sure if any information gathered is worth any salt.  No on to the returnee villains, Sarah and Jordan.  I have the unique distinction as a tumblr survivor player, to be someone who unironically likes Jordan Pines.I appreciate his intelligence and think he is really funny. In most mini games I've been in with him, I was able to work with him successfully. He showed me he had an idol so I think he trusts me as well. The problem is, he is close with Gavin. They played together before and while Jordan has made me aware of this, I'm worried that he would choose him over me if he is put in a situation to chose. I will not retaliate, not now anyway, but should come up with a back up alliance assuming he does do something stupid.  I've played only one game with Sarah and we were never on the same tribe, so I don't really know how she functions. I am planning to go back through old confessionals she made in other games to get a better read on her. Still, I really like talking to her and I think she likes talking to me. She's really nice and plays along with my weird scenarios about murder and black magic. IDK I just want her to be around for along time. Not sure why...

So voting Whitney out was for the best, I hadn't even spoken a word to her so I mean it didn't really mess with any of my plans either way. My tribe is still really chill. Gavin and I are still tight, idk who he is talking to besides me but I trust that I am still his #1 just as he is mine. Jordan seems to want to try and make things work between us for this game, as things didnt go too well for us in the last game we played together. We are also semi working together in Sweden and I think he is really seeing he can trust me which is good.  This challenge with the gifs is kind of tough, I am usually on mobile and sending and getting gifs is usually hard, so I am going to try and help as much as I can storywise, hopefully it will be enlugh for people to not want me gone if we lose. All in all I think I am in an okay place. I am also hoping Alex makes it to merge, cuz hopefully he can also still trust Gavin and I and be willing to work with us.

Okay so this was supposed to be an easy tribal. Lexi, Ruben, Dom, and I have an alliance chat. We had the majority but Dom had to go out and tell Alex everything we said. I don't understand why he would even do that. Alex voted for you last tribal Dom! Why are you suddenly trusting him?!?!?! Dom's not stupid I know that. There's probably some plot that I'm not aware of. I've seen he's very close to the returnees so that brings up suspicions for me. Alex said there is some kind of returnee pact but that he's not part of it. At this point I don't know what to believe. I told Ruben about it and I mentioned possibly changing the target to Dom. It would only make sense to change our votes now that the plan is out and an idol can potentially be played. Ruben insists that we keep our votes locked on Alex. I talked to lexi though and she doesn't agree. I honestly only trust lexi right now. I'm so paranoid. This stress is worse than my first tribal when the vote tied. Im exhausted!!

So i did not  help out with the challenge because  i was not around all day yesterday. The vote went from jaiden, to alex, and now to julia so thats a big ol mess. I could probably be targeted tonight but thats my own fault for literally not talking to anyone. Robin doesnt trust dom anymore as i really dont either since alex knew everything that was said in our alliance chat. I'm only trusting him for ruben sooo. I honestly trust robin the most. so i locked my vote fr julia. lets see how it goes

[ironinkpen]

the bayard is the paladin is the lion: a season 3 prediction

Alternatively titled: Watch This Child Jeopardize Her GPA in Real Time As She Ignores Her Midterms to Write Yet Another Fucking Meta

The lovely @littleblackchats already wrote an awesome post about the symbolism of the bayards for each of the characters in Voltron. But I was wondering: could we take it a step further and use the weapons - and what they say symbolically about the paladins wielding them - to make an informed guess about who’s going to end up in what lion next season?

(even if the answer to that question is no, i’m already writing this so whatever)

Since Allura, Keith, and Lance are the most likely to be swapped into new lions (or, in Allura’s case, to be put into a lion for the first time), I thought it’d be cool to take a look at what the weapons each of them wields says about their personalities, and whether that can give us hints as to who’s gonna be the Black Paladin next season while Shiro’s gone.

Alright, so in episode 1, Allura tells us that a lion’s quintessence is mirrored in its paladin, and that the paladin shapes the bayard. So lion = paladin = bayard. The lion and paladin should be similar in personalty, and the bayard should be compatible to the paladin’s style of fighting and personality as well. This is shown really well in Hunk and Pidge: Pidge’s weapon is small (like her), electric (reflecting her interest in computers), and made for precision (Pidge is more interested in finding clever solutions than just brute-forcing problems), while Hunk’s is big (just like him), long-range (reflecting his wish to stay distanced from conflict), and packs a punch (Hunk is the strongest character on the team, after all).

So the weapons tell us something about the personalities of the ones using them. But what can their respective weapons tell us about Keith, Lance, and Allura?

Let’s start with Mr. “I want you to lead Voltron” himself:

Keith’s weapon is a sword, which is all sorts of metaphorical fun. Swords in literature (besides being like. hella phallic lmao) are usually associated with the archetype of the knight. 

The knight character usually brings to mind two sets of traits: leadership, wisdom, chivalry, and arrogance (yay phallic symbolism) and on the flip side, hot bloodedness, passion, youth, romance, inexperience, and naiveté. Knighthood stories usually either follow an older, wiser knight as they go on a quest (usually to repay an old debt of some sort, a la Beowulf), or a younger, bright-eyed knight as they set out on an adventure of some sort (which typically involve a pretty girl in some way). Two very different possible characterizations! As you can see, sword imagery is a... double edged sword. 

(I’ll show myself out)

Keith doesn’t have the naiveté or sense of romance that young knights often have, but the traits of hot bloodedness, passion, and youth fit him well. He’s definitely an impulsive character, prone to charging into battle without a plan:

(it was such a bad idea that Hunk thought it was a joke sldkjf)

The sword itself is a very impulsive, instinctive weapon. Sword fighting is about being faster than your opponent and values making the first strike. It’s also a reaction-based weapon that requires that you respond to your opponent’s attacks. Instinct is key in sword fighting– you have to be able to quickly respond when a blow is coming at you. This fits into the whole “relies on instinct more than skill alone” thing of the Red Lion.

The sword is also a weapon of violence. Knights were... usually not actually great, noble guys in practice. Keith subverts that whole mess by being a genuinely nice kid, but we see the bloodthirstiness typically associated with his weapon in scenes like at the end of season 1, where he charges in to attack Zarkon despite the fact that that’s. A really bad idea. Like I said, Keith’s a passionate character, and that can often translate into stabbiness with him. 

As a close-range weapon, swords require that their users be brave enough to get close to their enemy. The user also has to be pretty confident that they’ll be able to handle themselves in a fight, because you gotta get like super close to someone that wants to kill you and be fairly certain that you’re the one who’s gonna make it out alive. Definitely Keith.

The sword is also tied with the traits of adventure, protection, and duty. Keith kicks off half of this whole Voltron adventure by going to get Shiro (Lance brings Pidge and Hunk along and finishes the party). His protective instinct is seen when he saves Shiro in season 2, covers Lance when they fight together, and tries to leave the team because he thinks they’re being tracked through them. His sense of duty is seen when he argues that Pidge can’t leave the team to go after her family bc they need her for Voltron (like... not ur call tho buddy) and when he turns away from his past in BoM to save people.

And it’s a rebel’s weapon! Which totally fits the whole “had a discipline issue and flunked out” thing at the Garrison. My boy doesn’t like authority at all lmao. When Coran tries to stop him from fighting Zarkon he just. Runs off and does it anyway. I love him.

Another motif often tied to swords is brotherhood. “Brothers in arms,” and all that. In that scene with the Blade Of Marmora, the armor Keith’s wearing is meant to show the wearer’s hopes and fears, and he sees Shiro, someone he considers a brother, walking away from him. The choice he is forced to make in this scene is between knowledge and companionship, and then between knowledge and heroism, which is telling of what Keith values as a person. He actually chooses knowledge over companionship during his conversation with Shiro, which... actually doesn’t really fit with the knight motif at all. But he then chooses heroism over knowledge, turning away from the answers to his past, which does. Either way, the decision to pick his past over his friends was clearly a difficult one to Keith, which makes sense, as knights are often more interested in interpersonal relationships and saving others than the pursuit of wisdom.

(Interestingly, though, Lance calls Keith a “samurai” in the comic, and the samurai archetype is often associated with traits like loneliness, wandering, and being lost. So while Keith clearly places value in bonds with others, like a knight, it seems that in practice he behaves more like the lonely samurai. Aw :( )

At his core, Keith is a very loyal character, both to the cause of saving the Universe and to his teammates. And this is consistent with his weapon. Knights are often sworn to a lord or lady or cause that they’ll fight for. With Keith, that cause and those people are Team Voltron.

Alright so that’s a lot on Keith. Now onto Lance:

His bayard’s a gun! Also super phallic lol. But ignoring that, let’s talk about what this says about Lance!

Alright, so for one thing, Lance’s weapon is built for medium to long range fighting. It’s a weapon that requires distance from the opponent. This shows a tendency to disengage when possible, which is absolutely consistent with Lance’s character. He prefers to think up a plan rather than charge right in.

Lance’s weapon also calls upon the archetype of the sniper. When you think of a sniper, the trait of patience probably comes to mind– the sniper of the group is usually the guy sitting up on a high place, observing the lay of the land and quietly waiting around to make their shot. While it may seem at first glance like Lance’s loud-mouthed, hyper personality doesn’t fit this archetype at all, it… actually does. Really, really well.

(God this shot (heh) always gives me shivers)

Take this scene for example. Lance, despite the closing doors, the fact that he’s just been shot out into space, and the stress on him (they need Slav for their whole plan to work), makes the shot and saves Slav. And he waits for the perfect moment before shooting. The cool-headedness he shows here is astounding.

Plus, think of his Garrison backstory. He was a cargo class pilot at the Garrison despite wanting to be fighter class. But did he give up? Not at all. He continued to work to be top of his class so that when a slot opened up, he was able to be moved up into fighter class. And he did this with no indication that a place would even open up in the first place. He was likely working for quite some time before Keith got kicked out. He’s actually a pretty patient character!!

On the flip side, though, there’s the idea of the “itchy trigger finger.” Lance doesn’t always think things through– he can also be pretty hotblooded and passionate and make snap (read: bad) decisions (like in the case of his thirst for Nyma, for one). That also says something interesting about his character: impulse = bad when it comes to Lance. An itchy trigger finger is a negative thing. While with the sword, passion and energy can be good, noble things, the gun is a weapon that almost exclusively causes harm when used impulsively. Keith’s impulses tend to be on the right path, while Lance’s are usually bad.

The gun ultimately requires focus. When a sniper’s eye strays from the scope, the shot’s lost. A lot of the times Lance messes up in when he’s looking at the people around him for approval / praise instead of focusing on the task. In episode 1 he crashes the simulator because he’s bragging, at one point in season 1 he crashes into something when boasting to Shiro about how he’s not an amateur, etc. etc. However, in situations like the above where Lance is focusing on a task and not on the opinions of others, he’s extremely effective. 

This plays interestingly with another trait of the sniper archetype: observation. A sniper is often looking at things from a higher vantage point and watching others. While they have to be focused, they also have to be aware of the things around them. When he talks about his team during the episode with the prison break in season 2, Lance easily describes each of their strengths, and in season 1, he’s able to tell that the bomb isn’t Rover almost immediately, because Pidge isn’t with it. For someone that seems so self-absorbed at first glance, Lance is very in tune with the people in his environment and the environment itself.

On that note, the gun, like the sword, is a weapon of decisiveness. There’s really no taking back a shot bullet, just as it’s hard to stop a blade once it’s swung. The user of a gun must use it at the right moment, and with precise aim. In the scene above where he’s rescuing Slav, Lance only gets one shot (heh) to do what he can. And he follows through with one decisive flick of his finger.

But that edges into the dark side of the gun. While there’s definitely the trait of cool-headedness associated with gun users, this can also toe the line of cruelty. Characters with guns can be lone wolves and cold-blooded killers– the distance from their opponents makes them more able to detach from the act of killing. There’s also an aspect of cowardice to it, as the user often doesn’t face their opponents head to head.

I’d say that the narrative tosses that set of traits aside for Lance, though. When saving Slav, Lance goes for the warden’s arm, not a killing shot. Lance uses his gun to minimize damage, not cause it-- he often shows a preoccupation with the well-being of others (like when he reminds Keith to be careful with the Balmera because they’re alive). And Lance is definitely pretty brave (like when he pushes Coran out of the way of that bomb). His talkative personalty also subverts the lone wolf trope. However, the fact that his weapon requires distance can be a reflection of the loneliness he feels (he thinks he’s a seventh wheel :’( ).

Last, but definitely not least, we move onto Allura:

Alright, so the thing about Allura is that she doesn’t actually have a bayard. She does, however, have a weapon of choice, which is a staff.

(more… phallic imagery…….)

I’ll be honest, my knowledge of martial arts is limited and my English classes don’t typically cover staffs (heh), because none of the characters in the books I’ve read so far actually like… use staffs to fight. BUT I’ll try my best lmao

The staff has an interesting duality to it: on one hand, it’s a very firm weapon that requires strength and a good, firm stance to wield, while on the other, it’s a very flexible weapon that allows its user to change direction and move. This matches Allura’s character well. She can be really stern and really stubborn (when she insists on going into the ship in season 1, when she runs off with Keith, when she refuses to work with the BoM, etc.), but she’s also adaptable and flexible (when she wakes up and is like “yeah okay I guess I slept for 10000 years,” when she trains the paladins despite their being young and inexperienced because hey, they’re what we’ve got, when she works with the Blade of Marmora despite the fact that the Galra killed her entire people, etc.). Allura digs her heels in at times and lets herself go with the flow at others.

The staff is a weapon of strength and steadiness, one that has the ability to withstand blows. Allura goes through like. So much through the story, what with her losing her home, her people, and then her father’s AI. But despite that, she doesn’t crumble. Girl’s strong as hell.

But, on the flip side, it’s also a weapon of lightfootedness, a la Aang from Avatar the Last Airbender. I mentioned mobility and flexibility earlier, and that’s absolutely relevant to Allura. The staff allows its user to maneuver quickly. Similarly, Allura facilitates travel for the team: she provides wormholes so they can move around the universe to fight / ditch Zarkon. She’s a mobile, versatile fighter.

The staff is a weapon that’s close range. It has you get right up in your opponent’s face. So, like the sword, it requires that its user be confident and able to respond to attacks quickly. It’s a reaction-based weapon.

However, while it’s close range, the staff also allows the user to keep its opponent at a certain distance if they choose. This quality of the staff reflects Allura’s tendency to “strategize on the fly.” She’s close to her opponent like Keith, but can keep them at a farther distance than he can, like Lance. So she can, if she wants to, step back and get a broader look at the situation. As a result, Allura can rely on both instinct and observation.

It’s also an avoidant weapon, whose main strength lies in parrying the opponent-- it’s built for weathering blows and getting in strategic counterblows. As previously mentioned, this is the strategy of Team Voltron in the war: they attack Zarkon where they can, but otherwise avoid and regroup. It’s a strategy of wearing the opponent down.

The staff’s a difficult weapon to kill with. It doesn’t have a blade like the sword or bullet like the gun. It’s a weapon whose main purpose is to protect, not maim. This is reflected in Allura’s tendency to prefer diplomacy to violence.

Staffs also bring to mind balance. Allura is balancing a lot between helping train the new paladins, running the castleship, and organizing resistance against Zarkon. She’s a character that has to juggle several responsibilities, and she does so expertly.

Some more fun things about the staff (@quillowl thanks for the info!!) is that it can symbolize either a cane or a scepter. The scepter has close ties with responsibility and royalty. As the Commander of the Castle of Lions, Allura is charged with... basically running this whole Voltron show. And, she’s a princess, so, royalty.

As for the cane, it apparently has ties with the traits of wisdom and age. Allura is quite literally 10000 years old, so there’s the age part. And she’s a very wise leader (though she sometimes jumps the gun). The cane also denotes support. 

Alright, this is already getting really long so we’re gonna jump to the good part. What does this have to do with the lions?

Allura states here that the quintessence of the lion matches that of their pilot. I’m basically 99% sure that there’s going to be a lion swap in season 3, what with Shiro out of the picture (for a while at least??), and the three lions that are most likely up for grabs are Black, Red, and Blue. The three people that will most likely fill one of those positions are Allura, Keith, and Lance (though for Allura to do so they’ll have to find a way for Coran to pilot the castle without her).

The Black Lion is the decisive head of Voltron, and requires a born leader who is in control at all times. Its related element is Air.

The Red Lion is the most temperamental of the lions and requires a pilot that relies more on instinct than skill alone. Its related element is Fire.

The Blue Lion’s traits are not stated outright on the show, but the Voltron website describes it as the friendliest of the lions, the most accepting of new pilots, and one of the most confident. Its related element is Water.

So who’s going where?

Well, each of these characters has the decisiveness required of the Black Lion, but personally, I think that Keith fits the Red Lion’s traits a bit too well to be moved from it. Keith fights with his instincts more than his head, which serves him well in battle. He’s agile, like his lion, and quick to charge into a fight (even when it might not be wise to do so). Plus, his relationship to the motif of brotherhood makes it hard for me to believe that he and Red will be easily separated. I think that Keith’s sense of duty to Shiro will make him try to pilot the Black Lion for at least a while, but his deep bond with Red will probably prevent him from keeping the role. However, he would be a good fit if the job if they did keep him in the Black Lion. The sword is a weapon of leadership-- Keith would just have to learn how to hone it. 

As for Allura, if she is put in a lion, she has the friendliness of the Blue Lion, seen in her tendency to use diplomacy where she can. Her adaptability is consistent with that of the Blue Lion’s element of water– she “goes with the flow.” Plus, the staff is a weapon that is more difficult to hurt others with, and water is the element of healing. The Blue Lion is also a very well-balanced lion stat wise, reflecting Allura’s preference towards weapons that are balanced. And Allura has the steadiness and strength that a leg of Voltron would need to support the team, just as Hunk does.

On the flip side, that firmness and strength would also serve her as the Head of Voltron. Her adaptability makes her the flexible leader she already is, and the Black Lion is also a very well balanced weapon. Her ability to juggle so many things reflects a leader’s ability to balance and keep track of their team. Plus, the interpretation of the staff as a scepter calls to mind leadership, dignity, and responsibility-- all of which the head of Voltron should have. The staff is also, again, a weapon of lightfootedness, which is a definite argument that Allura’s native element could be Air, aka the Black Lion’s element.

As for putting Allura in the Red Lion, the agility and mobility her weapon provides would suit Red well. However, Red is a temperamental lion, and while Allura is passionate and fiery in personality, the staff errs more on the side of defense than on attack. Red would appreciate Allura’s willingness to step forward and attack, but might become frustrated with her tendency to keep distance from the opponent and strategize in the meantime.

And that leaves Lance, who’s a little weird. He’s been in the Blue Lion this whole time, but his weapon doesn’t really seem to match Blue’s flexibility as far as I can tell (the gun is too… constricted, you feel me??) or friendliness (guns require distance from others!!). It also doesn’t really match the impulsivity and instinct of the Red Lion, either. It’s very likely that Lance will, at first, be moved to the Red Lion, but I can’t see him fitting the role well. His weapon doesn’t have the agility and mobility of the Red Lion. And, as we’ve said, the gun isn’t a weapon that really works instinctively– when Lance takes that shot in season 2, there’s thought put into it. Impulse + guns (according to the above interpretation) = not great. His tendency to distance himself from problems and think things through even a little would probably piss Red tf off.

However, his decisiveness and patience could be a good fit for the Black Lion. Shiro has told Keith, “patience yields focus” and the weapon of the gun requires both patience to aim and focus to fire. Plus, Lance’s observational skills are befitting of a leader: he’s familiar with the strengths of the team and is quick to tell when something is wrong. The fact that his weapon requires distance shows a tendency like Allura’s to step back and look at a situation to diffuse it, also what a leader would do. He’d have to work on staying on task though lol.

Anyway yikes this got long but my point is that the weapons of the paladins might have been telling us more than we thought!! I’m not completely certain these three are gonna swap for sure or anything, or if Allura is going to get a lion in the first place given the fact that the castle needs her, but I think that if they were to do it, Black Paladin Lance, Red Paladin Keith, and Blue Paladin Allura would make the most sense based on this particular analysis (though keep in mind that I’m biased because I love Lance haha).

But hey the show writers could be interpreting their characters another way, in which case I just wasted like 2 hours I probably should have spent studying but oh well lmao