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sasuhinasno1fan · 5 years ago

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Royally in love- Shiro Ship Week Day 6

When I wrote this I noticed I didn't put a lot of interaction between just Shiro and Matt but I felt like I couldn't fit it into the story so I hope the flashback stuff works. Aslo, this was had been my inspiration for Allura’s first dress and this was my idea of what Allura’s wedding dress would look like. I’m sorry, but fireflypath dresses look amazing and totally fit what I sometimes imagine Allura in. Royalty

Matt slowly woke up at the feeling of someone shaking him awake. It must be Prince Shiro. He would open his eyes to see his kind prince, his lord, standing over him. Then his prince would press a kiss against his forehead, reminding him that if the King found him sleeping on the job, it would be bad. He blinked open his eyes and stared up at the Princess of Altea.

Wait.

“Your majesty!” Matt shot up, standing in front of the princess and bowed to her. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to fall asleep in your library. You must think I’m so lazy.”

Delicate fingers touched his chin making him raise his head to look at the princess. She looked stunning in her lavender dress, looking like an elven princess, her white hair making her look other worldly.

“You’re perfectly alright. Your Prince told me he allowed you to come in here so I know I can trust you to keep this place in prefect order.” Matt felt so stiff as he felt the princess brush her finger under his eye. “I can see why you fell asleep though. Other than this being the perfect hide away spot, you have such dark circles under your eyes. You’ve been working hard.”

“Oh well, with the wedding coming up.” Matt said.

“Still no reason why you shouldn’t take care of yourself. I’m meeting Shiro here until it’s time for dinner. You can go rest and I’ll send Lance to come get you before we head to dinner.”

“Oh, no I couldn’t.”

Allura gave him a look telling him not to argue, “I insist. Go on.”

Deciding not to tempt fate again, he left the library and went back to the Prince’s quarters. Soon, his prince would be living with the Princess. They were getting married and while it should be a happy time, things were going to be different.

Matt would deny it to everyone that he had feelings for his prince. His father worked in the castle with the records keeper and his sister surprisingly got a job with the blacksmith which left him helping around the house with his mother. Then his father got sick and it kept him bedridden making Matt go out and look for work. The records keeper had offered Matt his father’s job but on his way to his first day, he found Prince Takashi Shirogane trying to sneak out of the castle. It led him to getting caught and in a fit of not knowing what to even do with his son, Matt was given the job of being a glorified babysitter by the king. Matt couldn’t complain when he saw the pay he brought home. It didn’t take very long to understand why Shiro would try sneaking out of the castle. The pressure his father put on him was intense. He had to be the perfect prince and while many of the kingdom citizens agreed that the prince was perfect, his father never saw that.

“It’s because of my younger brother.” Shiro said.

Matt knew the story. The younger twin brother of the Prince had died saving his older brother when they had been kidnapped during a hunting session.

“He says if I were truly perfect, Ryou wouldn’t have had to save me.” Shiro said with a sad smile on his face.

It was then Matt decided he’d do whatever possible to keep a smile, a true happy smile, on the prince’s face. He hadn’t expected with all the time they spent together that feelings would develop. It was like a strange twist a fate the time he realised this, the same group that had kidnapped the kid princes tried doing the same with him and Shiro. This time, Shiro fought against them, more worried about Matt’s life than his own.

“I didn’t want to lose you.” Shiro said when Matt asked when they had returned to the castle, bruised and a bit beaten but still very much alive. That’s when Shiro first pressed his lips against Matt’s forehead. It was downhill from there. Matt had fallen and he made no move to get himself out.

Then it was announced that Shiro would marry Princess Allura. The prince would live in Altea as the two kingdoms joined since the princess’ own was larger. When he heard this, Shiro asked him if he’d consider leaving his family and coming with him to continue on as his servant. Logic told him he should have said no to get away from the feelings, but the urge to always keep him happy made him say yes.

Then he met the princess. Princess Allura was enthralling to look at. White hair from birth, there had been rumours that she was a demon in disguise but if she was a demon, then he’d gladly fall under her spell. Just know at the library wasn’t the only time the interacted. Her father wanted her and Shiro to get along before they married so many excursions and dates happened. Allura never treated him like a servant, not even her own personal one Lance, who spent quiet a lot of time not paying attention to Allura in favour of the captain of the guard’s son.

“Lance has liked Keith since he came into my service. My father won’t allow him to date anyone while I was unwed in order for him not to lose focus of helping me, but I think he’s counting down the days more than I am.” Allura had explained once to both him and Shiro when Lance took off to go chat up the Captain’s son. Most royals wouldn’t allow their servants to go running off to go and flirt, not how often Lance did it. Allura never complained, instead asking Lance about Keith whenever she could. She cared.

Next thing he knew, he realised he had fallen for the princess as well.

Matt wasn’t sure how this even happened or how he was going to deal with this. All he knew was that come next week, things were going to be much harder. But the idea of staying near them and seeing them happy, that made it worth it. He didn’t even go to his attached room to rest, he just collapsed on Shiro’s bed and was asleep before he knew it. He had a dream that Shiro came into the room and pressed a kiss to his cheek, pulling the covers over him. He didn’t remember pulling the covers over him when he went to sleep though.

________

“I’m supposed to bring these sheets to the Princess’ room for the first night together but Keith approached me. Please, can you do this for me?” Lance begged.

Matt looked at the white sheets Lance had in his hand. The sounds of the wedding party leaked into the hidden hallway they stood in.

“I thought that the Princess didn’t have her…you know. Apparently, it broke during a horse riding accident?”

“Well, actually she does. She and your Prince discovered that not that long ago.”

Wait, his lord, Prince Shiro actually took Princess Allura’s maidenhood? He felt slightly jealous, but he beat that down. Of course Shiro would have her maidenhood. They were married, it wasn’t like there was a chance he could be there. With them. Between them. Under them.

Matt quickly shook his head. No, not thinking about that now!

“So what do they plan to do with these?” Matt asked.

“Replace them with ones they actually stained. Since our kingdom isn’t really into the whole, watch as your newly wed couple has their first night, the bride has to be seen given the white sheets, they have to see Allura with them.”

“Can’t you give them to her before you leave?”

“No, the person has to go with the couple to lay the sheets down before leaving the couple. Matt, please! I’ve been waiting to get a chance to court Keith since he first arrived here but I couldn’t because I’m Allura’s personal servant and the king didn’t want me distracted. Please do this.”

Matt sighed and took the sheets. “You two had better be engaged in a few weeks, a month at least.”

Lance squealed in delight, pulling Matt into a big hug. “Thank you! I owe you.”

“You really do. Go.” He ordered, ready to get this over. He was sure that the less time he spent around the prince and princess during the celebration, the easier it would be to ignore the feelings he felt for the royals but now hearing the extra stuff he had to do with them, he could see this wasn’t going to be easy.

He entered the hall again, moving around the celebrating guests to reach where he could see his prince and the princess dancing. They both looked amazing. The pale blue of the princess dress complimented the dark robes of his prince. The smiles they shared with each other made his heart clench. He wouldn’t be part of that and he had to accept it. When the two stopped moving, he watched Shiro press a kiss to Allura’s hand, seeing Allura blush.

In order to distract himself from his heart clenching anymore, he approached the princess with the sheets in hand. When Allura accepted them, the room exploded in cheers, a few explicit comments from the more drunk guests. Allura took him by the arm and pulled him closer so she could whisper into his ear.

“I don’t know if Lance remembered to light candles in my room before he disappeared with Keith. Can you go and check? I’ll explain to others you’re checking to make sure everything is ready.”

Matt nodded and quickly left the hall, taking a few deep breaths. To have the princess so close to him, the sweet smells from her long bath for her wedding, it was doing things to him.

“Gods how is a man meant to move on when I’m surrounded like this?” he asked himself, trying to calm his heart.

Why was this so hard to forget his feelings? Anyone who looked at Allura and Shiro could tell the genuinely liked each other. He couldn’t try and force himself into that. When was he going to learn?

He quickly went to the princess’ quarters and opened the door. Candles sat on ledges and on stands but unlit. Given the size of the princess’ room there was a fair number of candles, so Matt grabbed the lighting stick and got started. He was happy when the wicks decided to actually cooperate with him and take the flame, so by the time the princess came in, he was almost done. Strangely, his prince hadn’t followed her.

“Where’s the Prince?”

“He had to send a letter to his father to let him know the wedding went well. He forgot to have it written before so he rushed off to get it done. As I’m sure Lance told you, it’s not exactly necessary for us have a proper first night together.”

Matt felt his face get hot. “Yes, he told me. There we go, all done.” He said, quickly changing the subject as he blew out the flame.

“Thank you, Matt. I know you must have been on your feet all day.”

“It’s no problem your majesty. You and the Prince looked happy. It makes it worth it.”

The blue-purple eyes looked softly at Matt. “Shiro has told me so much about you and how you’ve been a guiding light when dealing with his father.”

“Oh, I really wouldn’t say that.”

“I disagree. I feel like it’s only been recently he’s been able to feel as relaxed around me as he is around you. I know I feel very comfortable with you.”

“Oh well. I’m glad you feel that way.”

Matt let his eyes slid away from the princess but they moved back to her when she took his face in her hands. From just over her shoulder, he saw Shiro entering.

“Being around you is easy and one of the best things to happen, other than meeting Shiro. I hope you can never doubt how much it means to me to have you here.”

Unable to say anything to the emotion filled words, he was left stunned when Allura pulled him down to press her lips against his.

Oh. This was nice. Really nice. He didn’t have much experience with kisses but he knew this was an amazing one. He almost wished he had the guts to plant one on Shiro

Shiro. Who had just married Princess Allura. Who he was kissing!

Matt pulled away, his hand covering his mouth, his eyes on Shiro. Who was smiling at him. Why was he smiling at him? He should be furious.

“Matt I can see you panicking over there. It’s alright.” Shiro said, walking around his wife to gently take Matt by the shoulders.

“How can it be alright?”

“Matt, as smart as you are, I’m surprised you never figured it out. We’re both very fond of you. I loved for a long time. When we were attacked by the same men that had killed my brother, I knew I couldn’t let you fall to the same fate. It made me realise how much you meant to me.”

They were both fond of him? Him? why? How?

“Matt, when I was told I would marry Shiro, I didn’t know what to think but it was thanks to you and your kind words I knew I could be happy with him. Of course as I spent time with you as well, I started having feelings for you as well. Many of our conversations involved you. Wanting you to stay with us. Unfortunately, before we could explain all of this to you, I got a bit over eager. I’m sorry I scared you.” The princess apologized.

Matt couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He wanted to not believe it, but he saw the truth in Shiro’s eyes. He saw the affection in Allura’s. Gods, how had he been so blind? So sure he could never have a chance, he was going to ignore his feelings for the two people who loved him.

“Why don’t you sit down?” Allura suggested, taking Matt’s hand and squeezing it. “We have a lot to talk about.”

#shiroshipweek2019 #shalluratt #established shallura #background klance #prince shiro #princess allura #servant matt

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klanceficatalogue · 5 years ago

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hiii!! do you know the title of a multichapter fic where lance’s mother passes away and basically shows the whole mcclain family + keith preparing things for the funeral? (keith and lance are already in a relationship if i remember correctly) thank you so much for the help and keep up the great work!!

i think maybe this is the one you mean? its incomplete though - Karri

Letting Yourself Grieve by aurria (11/13 | 26,919 | Mature)

After the sudden passing of his mother, Lance returns home to take over the funeral arrangements to keep himself busy so he doesn't have to deal with it emotionally, ultimately suppressing the emotions until they come crashing down around him.

In his attempts to keep his deeply mourning family afloat through the grieving process, he remembers all the times his mother helped him, including probably the biggest, most meaningful way ever - helping him be with the person he knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

//death //panic attacks

(background hunay, background shallura)

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klance-collection · 6 years ago

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ghost of the future/shadow of the past

ghost of the future

When Lance is thrown through time, his future self from one year ahead is transported to the past in his place.

This Lance is faster, stronger, and markedly more mature. Not only that, but he's distinctly more intuitive about his teammates and A LOT more touchy with Keith.

The team must try and work out how to reverse the two Lance's places and restore them to their original timelines. Things only get more complicated when the Future Lance can't seem to remember where he was when the switch happened, and he refuses to reveal anything about his own time for fear of influencing the team's decisions.

Shadow of the past

When Lance is thrown through time, he finds himself one year in the future, in place of the Lance that should be here.

He finds his team to be remarkably familiar, yet distinctly different. They have more scars, a better grip on the whole saving the universe thing, and over a year’s worth of teamwork to bind them together. But the weirdest part? Keith seems to be a lot more touchy with him. Not that he’s complaining… much.

The team must try and work out how to reverse the two Lance’s places and restore them to their original timelines. But despite the fact that they’re still his friends, Lance can’t help but feel a little out of place among a team that’s been through so much with a Lance that just isn’t him. And it doesn’t help that the team is on edge around him, refusing to tell him anything for fear of influencing and changing the past. Things get even more complicated when they have to rely on the team in the past to complete the switch, leaving Lance to little more than sit, wait, and attempt to fill in his future self’s shoes.

updated: 17.12.19

Words: 129 055 / 116 145

Chapters: 9/12

i’m literally dying. i know these fics are very popular, but on the off chance yall havent seen them please check them out. these fics mirror the time swap of lance and its literally gold. there’s so many overlapping details and witty and zizzani’s writing style is so eloquent and they’ve crafted their characters expertly. i’m reading these both side by side, chapter by chapter, and just watching the stories unfold in the ‘same time span’ is incredible and i don’t miss the subtle references to each fic.

Ghost of the future

https://archiveofourown.org/works/9733331/chapters/21934646

Shadow of the past

https://archiveofourown.org/works/9727922/chapters/21931121

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starryeyed-char · 8 years ago

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I Said I Loved You

I think it’s best this one doesn’t have a summary... I’m so sorry

Thanks @elsiemcclay for being a great beta, and for thinking up the title because I suck at titles! This is a shorter-than-usual one-shot before the next YT AU thing, which will probably be followed with angst.

Lance skidded to a stop, looking with terrified eyes across the dining hall towards the red paladin staring back at him.

Keith's expression was stone cold, betraying no emotion.

Lance raised his shaking hands into the air, dropping his gun on the floor. Keith already had his own weapon aimed and ready.

“K-Keith,” Lance said, trying for a smile. “Please, put the gun down. You don't have to do this. Let's just talk it out!”

“There's nothing to talk about Lance,” Keith's finger moved to the trigger. “You know I have no choice.”

“But you do!” Lance pleaded, wringing his hands. “We're a good team, remember? We should be working together! I... Keith, I love you!”

“Sorry, Lance,” Keith replied, sounding bored as he fired the gun. A splatter of red instantly coated the blue paladin's armor as he fell to the floor.

“I'm getting better at aiming this thing,” Keith mused, as he reloaded the gun. “Now where's—”

“You.”

Keith turned back around only to see Hunk standing over Lance's body. And he was furious.

“What have you done?” Hunk demanded, pointing his own rifle at Keith.

“Yes!” Lance cheered from the floor, pumping a fist into the air. “Avenge me, Hunk!”

Hunk frowned down at his friend. “Lance, you're supposed to be dead.”

“Oh, right.” He slumped back onto the floor, failing at hiding his grin.

A snort from behind Keith had all their heads turning. “You guys are such dorks,” Pidge laughed. “This is just a training drill, not a Shakespeare play.”

“Who the quiznak is Shakespeare?”

“Oh my god, Lance, do you seriously not—”

“I was making a joke!” Lance sat up fully. “And besides, this is an exercise to test our aim, and I'm the sharpshooter! Am I not supposed to take this seriously just because the rest of you suck?”

“Says the only one of us covered in paint here,” Keith observed with a smirk.

Lance glared at him, then aimed his own paintball gun up at Keith. “Fuck you,” he fired, sending a splash of blue paint directly into his chest.

“You're not allowed to do that!” Keith protested. “You're already out!”

“To hell with the rules!” Lance all but shouted. “I told you I loved you, and you /still/ shot me!”

“Lance, I already knew that,” Keith told him, rolling his eyes.

Lance scoffed. “Who are you, Han Solo?”

“A Star Wars reference?” Keith raised an eyebrow. “Really, Lance?”

“I'm just surprised you got it, mister 'I lived in the desert for months.'”

“You can't use your relationship to get out of us destroying you guys,” Pidge interrupted their bickering, planting a hand on her hip. “Keith and I fucking own this drill!”

“We agreed Altean profanities only,” Hunk scolded. “Remember the last time Allura overheard Pidge calling us bitches? She used it for weeks!”

Pidge winced. “Sorry about that, again.”

“Don't worry, Pidge, we still love you and your terrible potty-mouth,” Lance assured her, ruffling the green paladin's hair.

She shot her gun at him with a growl, sending more red paint directly into his face.

“Ow! Hey, we agreed no faces! That's breaking the rules!” Lance shouted angrily as he tried to blink paint out of his eyes.

“You already broke the rules,” Keith reminded him, aiming for Lance again. Before he could, Hunk sent a barrage of blue paint at the two shorter paladins.

They all looked at each other for a moment.

“This is war!” Pidge cried, and dove underneath the table.

Allura sighed. “Don't you think we should stop them? The kitchen is getting awfully messy.”

Shiro and the princess watched the four younger paladins on the camera feeds from the control room. The two paintball teams made for a short, friendly exercise had dissolved into all-out chaos. All of them were covered nearly head to toe in a mixture of red and blue splatters, and they showed no signs of stopping.

“Let them have their fun,” Shiro decided, eying Allura with a smile. “They're still young.”

“True, but they act so immature. We're only older by a few years, you know,” Allura reminded him, before getting that mischievous gleam in her eyes he'd only seen once or twice before. “You know, there are two more paintball guns that Coran has stashed in the armory.”

Shiro's grin was immediate. “I think maybe I should work on my aim, too. What about you, Princess?”

She nodded, already standing to lead the way. “Definitely.”

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whatthehelliswrongwithme · 4 years ago

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Voltron Part 21

It's always fun looking at how many notes one of these gets. And then guessing whether I was funny, or if it was a beloved episode. And now, WOW, season finale of season 4. Lets's go:

Everyone in the family get's a turn being an evil emporer. First Zarkon, then Lotor and now you space witch! ^^

More female Galras. The writers finally adressed that gender-discrepancy

Lotor, you cray-cray!

~☆Just girly things☆~ : Summoning a giant energy-field with your squad

Is the planet going to be a bomb?

This show is still going hard on "Everything evil is purple"

Oop, it's the season-finale. Allura's gonna have to put herself in mortal danger again (But hey, Allurance moment?)

The planet is a bomb

Of course, Keith's first concern is Shiro

Come on. Let moustache man have some action!

If our current Voltron team were to die, who would replace them? I think Keith, moustache man and Lotor's girlsquad

Okay, Allurance is also kinda cute

Noooo. Not moustache man being sad ;_;

So Lotor kinda saved Keith. That's good

Lotor want's to discuss with Team Voltron. That ..... could turn out bad

Thoughts on the season as a whole:

This season really focused on the baddies.

There was some good stuff. But tbh, not that much of a fan of this season

Basically no Keith, no major ship moments and Furry died. But, hey, we got Matt. And I ...kinda... enjoy his character

I still enjoyed the season as a whole. But my favourite remains as season 2

(Btw, when does this show turn into the dumpsterfire I was promised??) (It's still pretty good)

Some cool Blades adventures would have been nice

Favourite episode: "Voltron pulls of a heist, while the viewer has the unsettling feeling that something horrible is about to happen"

(But "Voltron on ice" was also glorious)

Keith barely showed up. Dislike that. He could have at least called Team Voltron sometimes. And idk, moustache man could have asked him if he's eating all his vegetables

Lance has come a long way from season 1. He's not as annoying anymore and I'm beginning to kinda like him

Pidge had some time to shine. Got some cute moments with her brother, had some snarky comments. Good for her

Hunk, sweetie. I'm so sorry for you. But it sometimes really just feels like, your only purpose is being a leg

Shiro feels kinda weird. Like his return to Black was kinda handled weird. He was an asshole towards Keith in the first episode. And he lacks those dork-moments I liked so much in the first two seasons (Y,know like "Pew,pew" and Snowball fight)

Allura. Love you. Girl you go! Get your confidence! But...... I still prefered Keith over you

Moustache man is officialy the team mom. Like. !he will tuck you into bed! AND cry when you go on your first date

( When Shiro was missing he was probably all like : "Have you seen my son. He's about this tall. Clearly gay, but we haven't had the talk" )

Lotor is an unlikable asshole. Which is good I guess? Causa Villain? But after Furry's death he's really got to work if he wants any kind of redemption

Sheith and Allurance had a few sweet moments

Shatt got established. I've got nothing to say. Just wanted to point out that stupid name again

Klance really starved this season

Still liking Shallura

Plance. Still loving it. Still rooting for it. (Get it . Root. Because plants)

Is it bad that I kinda ship Big Gal and colourful Ty Lee from the girlsquad?

Since this season focused so much on the baddies, there really wasn't much to work with

Prediction for season 5:

In an attempt to please the fans, Lotor gets redeemed. But in an unsatisfying way, because Bad Writing

There will either be a Keith-focused episode, or he will once again basically not appear

I've said it since season 2, but: They return to the earth

Space witch becomes the real main-threat, cause Zarkon is too focused on killing his son

The last few posts didn't gather that much attention. But who cares? They're probably just annoyed that I'm spamming the Voltron tag full. Loving all interactions from you guys. And love seeing people liking my stuff. Makes me feel good about myself😅

Seriously, Love y'all and just wanna say: Thank you❤

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braincoins · 4 years ago

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Hi, I'm new here, but I saw your request for prompts and had to ask. What do you think of Shallura, with Shiro showing some flying tricks to the inexperienced Allura? I loved their chaotic energy at the end of season 1 and would like to see more, but with Allura in Blue.

Shiro stared at her for a moment, then cleared his throat. “Of course, Princess. I’d be glad to help.”

She glanced around. “Don’t say that so loudly, please.”

“We’re the only ones on the bridge.”

“Coran’s hearing is excellent.”

“Coran is at the other end of the Castle.”

“Please.” She folded her hands in front of her demurely. “Just don’t say it so loudly.”

“I’ll... be more careful, Princess.”

She huffed. “And how many times must I ask you to call me ‘Allura’?”

“At least once more, clearly. Come on, let’s use Blue to practice.”

“Not Black?”

“Not Black,” he agreed.

“I can pilot any Lion,” she reminded him.

“Blue will be... friendlier.”

So they went to the Blue Lion’s hangar. Initially the Lion seemed to ignore them.

“I just want to practice,” Allura explained. “I would never take you away from Lance.”

And only then did the Lion lay down and open its mouth to let them in.

“I still say we could have practiced in Black.”

“You don’t know Black,” Shiro replied. As the seat moved back, he gestured to it grandly. “Princess.”

She rolled her eyes at his continued insistence on using her title, but took the seat. It moved forward to piloting position, and Shiro came to stand - well, he was bent over a little - behind the seat.

“What are you having trouble with?”

“I don’t know, just... well, not everything, but it’s so different to the Castle.”

“Let’s launch first and then we can start working on it.”

“Oh, right.” She took firm hold of the control sticks, and... nothing. More nothing for a few more ticks, and only then did Blue launch from its bay out into open space.

“Did you do that, or did Blue?” he asked.

“I... I think it was Blue,” she admitted.

“Okay, well, we’re out here now, so hopefully Blue will let you learn on your own. Now, tell me more about the problems you’re having.”

She went into detail about the differences between the Castle and the Lions, most of which Shiro could have guessed. There was obviously going to be a huge difference between a command ship and a fighter, even setting aside the bonding requirement.

“You are bonding with the Lion first, yes?”

She shifted in her seat. “I’m... not really sure how to. I mean, I managed it once, but that was the heat of battle, I was desperate, and it just felt like it happened, not like something I did. Besides, I don’t want to... I mean, it feels... wrong to try to do that.”

“You’re not overriding our bonds to our Lions,” he assured her. “This is a bond you have with them already, because of whatever it was King Alfor did. It’s different.” He laid his hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry about that.”

She smiled at him, just a little. “You’re sure?”

“Very. Blue wasn’t even going to let us in until you let her know you weren’t trying to replace Lance. The Lions wouldn’t let you do something like that. So don’t be afraid to establish your own bond with them.”

She closed her eyes, apparently set on working on that immediately. He smiled a little wider, watching her, letting himself notice all over again how beautifully regal she looked whenever she did... anything.

“Oh!” Her eyes flew open. “I... I can feel Blue now!” She looked to Shiro. “You’re right; she’s very friendly.”

“Try some basic maneuvers first, and if it goes well, I’ll show you a trick or two I learned in flight school.”

Her eyes lit up and she refocused on piloting. Whether it was her now-established bond, the dangling of that particular carrot, or both, she did well, and the Blue Lion swooped and dove through the inky blackness of space.

“How’s that?” she asked.

“Very good. Now, I’ve already learned how to adapt this to Lion controls...” He laid his hands over hers on the sticks, squeezing lightly when he needed to, but mostly doing very gentle pushing - not really moving anything, just to give an idea of the movement that would be needed - to illustrate the move. “Blue will probably do this even more elegantly than Black would, and not just because it’s a smaller Lion.”

“Oh? What’s the other reason?”

“Because someone more elegant is piloting,” he said.

She blushed. “Shiro, how can you give me such beautiful compliments and still not use my name?”

“This is flying practice time,” he said instead of answering. Because the answer to that was Using your title is all that keeps me from showering you with compliments every time I open my mouth. Because I need the reminder that you are above me, beyond me, or I’ll get my hopes too high. “And it’s not just a compliment: it’s the truth. You... you do everything elegantly, Princess. And the attitude of the pilot matters a lot more than you’d think. Think about how Keith flies versus how Hunk flies, for example. They’re both very physical pilots, but Keith favors get in and get out quick, where Hunk tends to just ram forward. They have different approaches, and part of that is down to the type of Lion they each have, but it’s also down to their personalities.

“You, Princess, will bring your elegance to every Lion you fly.”

Was it his imagination, or were her eye marks glowing a little? “And you, my paladin, are a warrior poet.”

“Try the maneuver,” he told her, feeling his own cheeks heat now. There was something about the way she said it - “my paladin” - that made him smile.

And, as he’d expected, she pulled it off...more or less. “I don’t think that was terribly elegant.”

“Well, you’ll get there in time,” he promised her. “With practice.”

She did it a few more times, and already he could see that promise coming true some day. They headed back to the hangar.

“Thank you for your help, Shiro,” she said once they were back aboard the Castle. “I... appreciate it more than I can say.”

“You know you can ask me for help anytime, Princess. With anything.”

“I know that you’re willing to help,” she agreed, “but it’s the actual asking that’s hard for me.” She released the control sticks and leaned back in the seat. “Just getting the words out is hard sometimes. I’m... not used to needing help, let alone asking for it.”

“You’ll get there in time. With practice.” He grinned at her.

She snorted and shook her head. “Says the man who won’t even call me by my name.” The seat pulled back in preparation for her to stand.

But Shiro took the opportunity to drop to one knee in front of her, a knight - a paladin - kneeling before his princess. He made sure he was looking her in the eye when he said, “You can ask me for anything, Allura.”

Her eye marks were definitely glowing now, and she smiled. “Thank you, Shiro. For everything.”

#Shallura #just starting out Shallura #yes I know he calls her by her name a few times during the show #but I like playing up the 'Princess' thing #also using my headcanon about Allura being able to pilot any Lion #because that's what should have been [sweeps up salt]#whatarubberchicken #Socks writes Voltron fanfic

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bleusarcelle · 8 years ago

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When You Fail To Be

I blame you entirely @kaxpha I take no responsibility.

…. Y u hurt me dude.

Anyways. Here it is, chapter 1. Lance and Shiro angst + broganes angst + KLANCE angst + ….Just angst all around, yo.

Um…So yeah, hope you like??? It’s also on Ao3 on my same name. It’s the second part of the Human Healing Pod Au.

Disclaimer: Voltron doesn’t belong to me. Human Healing Pod Au doesn’t belong to me.

——————————

Shiro frowns exasperated as he catches Lance’s blue glowing light from the corner of his eye.

It’s been a few weeks since their last group training took place with Lance’s new healing powers. The brunet insisted that he had the hang of it, being able to work through the process on small injuries without getting dizzy after it.

Lance had reassure Shiro that he will continue training on his own but Shiro had just pursed his lips, not convinced in the least. After a few minutes arguing, Shiro finally agreed to Lance’s plan but only if the brunet had someone with him during his training sessions, something that Lance had grudgingly agreed to along with a few more conditions.

One week later and Lance was already breaking one of their conditions.

“That boy, I swear.” Shiro mumbles, making his way towards Lance as the brunet places his hands over the alien refugee they just saved in today’s mission, his blue eyes falling into a vivid glow entirely in less than a tick, “Hey, I said no more healing today, Lance. You –“

It was just a light pull. Shiro placed his Galra arm over the brunet’s shoulder and pull just enough break apart the contact between him and the alien’s wound and suddenly there was screaming.

Agonized and pained screaming echoes around them and Shiro just stares in horror as Lance shakes and continues to scream in his arms, his glowing eyes getting brighter before losing their light and then being bright once again.

“Lance!” Shiro shouts startled, “Lance, buddy, what’s wrong¡?” He yells in panic, making sure to hold the teen tight against him as he continues to scream and then –

Then Lance sighs, eyes rolling to the back of his head, losing their blue glow, and he goes limp on Shiro’s arms, mouth hanging open in a silent scream and Shiro’s heart skips a beat at the sight.

“L-Lance?” He whispers softly, voice cracking, “Buddy?”

“LANCE!” Keith’s voice echoes in panic and urgency, “Lance¡? Shiro, what happened¡? LANCE!”

“H-He’s not breathing.” Shiro gasps, a cold shiver running through his spine, “H-he’s not –“

Lance’s suddenly taken away from him by a pair of red armored hands. Shiro blinks in panic and confusion for a moment before he raises his head and stares at Keith as the black haired teen cradles Lance’s body against his.

“Lance, baby, hey, come on, come on, this is not funny, Lance, please.” Keith mumbles, his free hand gently patting Lance’s cheek in hopes of getting a reaction, “L-Lance, baby, please, please, no. Hey! Come on, you promised! Lance!”

Everything’s a blur for Shiro after that. Keith’s screams and pleads echo inside him, mixing themselves with Lance’s screams along with Hunk’s sobs and the image of Pidge’s scared face. Barely noticing when Coran makes his way towards them and takes Lance from Keith’s arms, followed by the blurry image of Hunk holding Keith back as he trashes and screams wildly when Lance is taken away from him.

He doesn’t even notice Allura’s presence until she whispers his name against his ear and he snaps out of it. He blinks hard and takes the surroundings around him. He’s in Allura’s room, lying down on her bed, facing the ceiling in disorientation and confusion.

“Wha –“ Shiro mumbles softly, “What.”

“Hey, it’s alright. Take it easy.” Allura whispers gently, stroking his hair, “It’s alright.”

“What happened?” Shiro asks in a daze, eyes groggy and tired before they snap wide open as he remembers Lance’s limp weight on his arms, “Lance. What happened to Lance? Allura?”

“You killed him, that’s what happened.” Shiro freezes at the cold harsh voice that answers him and slowly turns his head to the side to meet his little brother’s glare.

“Keith!” Allura snaps, sighing in exasperation as if it wasn’t the first time she has scolded the teen.

“What? It’s true, isn’t it?” Keith snaps back, frowning and glaring angrily.

Allura stays quiet and Shiro’s blood turns cold.

“Allura?” He asks in a small voice and Allura shakes her head.

“He died for a few ticks but we were able to get him back.” Allura answers, her shoulders tense and her voice tired, “But it wasn’t anyone’s fau –“

“No. It was Shiro’s. It was Shiro who made Lance push himself in every training session knowing the danger. It was Shiro who made Lance feel like he needed to push and push and push himself more every time. It’s because of Shiro that Lance has dark bags and swollen red eyes and is tired all the time. It was Shiro –It was Shiro who broke the connection and caused Lance’s heart to stop.”

One, two, three beats and then –

“What?” Shiro breaths out, slowly sitting up on the bed and waving away Allura’s complaints, “What? What does that – What?

“Keith.” Allura says calmly but with an edge of warning in her tone, “Stand down.”

“Whatever.” Keith mumbles, scoffing and sending Shiro a dark glare before turning around and walking towards the exit, leaving behind a frozen Shiro.

“What.” Shiro whispers, “What?”

“Shiro –“

“Keith, no, wait!” Shiro ignores Allura’s words as he climbs down the bed and follows his brother with wobbly but fast steps, “Keith Kogane Shirogane, come back her –!”

Keith turns around sharply and Shiro takes a surprised step back at the furious snarl on his kid brother’s face.

“Don’t call me that.” Keith whispers with menace, “I want nothing to do with you, you hear me? Nothing.”

“Keith –“ Shiro stops as Keith suddenly crashes against him, barely dodging the fist that was aimed for his face, “Keith!” He repeats, grabbing Keith by the arms and keeping him still.

“You damn son of a –! It was your fault! You and your stupid rules! You and – and – God, I hate you, Ifucking hate you!” Keith screams, fist hitting the young adult on the chest, “You fucking – I fucking hate –“

“Buddy –“

“You didn’t protect him!” Keith screams, still trashing and kicking against Shiro’s hold on his arms, “You didn’t protect him! You promised and you didn’t –! You just let him die in your arms! You just stood there as he died and –! Fuck!”

“Keith, please –“ Shiro rasps out brokenly but Keith shakes his head, taking a step back from his older brother, shrugging his hold.

“No. No. He died, Shiro. My – Lance died and I – I couldn’t – And –“ A sudden abrupt sob escapes his mouth and suddenly Keith falls to the ground, sobs shaking his entire body, “I –I –I didn’t know what – And you were – You looked so hopeless as you held him and I couldn’t – I fucking lost it –“

“Keith.” Shiro mumbles, his heart breaking for his little brother but the teen just continues to sob on the ground in the middle of the hallway.

“I-I’m sorry, fuck – I’m sorry, Shiro – I know it wasn’t – wasn’t your fault but –“ Keith presses the palm of his hands hard against his eyes in hopes to stop the flowing tears, “It was mine. It was my fault – And I slash out at you and I’m – He was dead, god , he wasDEAD, SHIRO!”

Shiro doesn’t hesitates and then he’s on the floor, wrapping his arms around his little brother as the teen shakes with sobs, still mumbling incoherently against his brother’s chest and Shiro takes no mind as snot and tears mix themselves on his shirt.

He just holds his brother, tight and strong, and sucks in a deep breath to stop his own tears from falling.

“I’m sorry.” He murmurs under his breath against Keith’s wild hair, “I’m so sorry, little brother.”

Allura just stands quietly on the corner, watching with sad eyes as the brothers sit on the floor, holding each other. She turns then, giving them their privacy before she enters the first room down the opposite hall.

Her footsteps are soft as she walks towards the bed on the corner of the room. The room is dark and quiet, for the exception of the hard panting breathing coming from the bed.

Allura takes a seat on the start of the bed, near Lance’s face, and watches sadly as the brunet rasps out harsh breaths through his mouth, unable to fill his lungs properly.

“Hush, now, it’s okay, Lance. It’s okay.” She mumbles gently, brushing Lance’s wet hair back as the the brunet whimpers inconsolably, “Sh, asteráki. You’re alright.”

She stays there for a while, humming under her voice to calm the brunet down and whispering comfort words as he whimpers and whines unconsciously.

Allura losses track of the time but suddenly, the door opens once again and she meets Shiro’s wide scared eyes at the edge of the door.

“Shiro.” She calls softly and frowns when the leader of Voltron doesn’t knowledge her calling, his gray eyes solemnly placed on the shivering brunet on the bed, “Shiro, love.”

One, two, three steps back out of shock and then Shiro’s running out of the room.

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traditional-with-a-twist · 4 years ago

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Shallura Week 2020

Day 7: WIP

Allura as an Earth Kingdom Avatar; Shiro as one of the first firebenders to generate lightning.

Details below the cut:

Warning, most of this is me playing with historical fantasy worldbuilding.

This is one of my earliest VLD AU ideas. I wanted an Avatar AU that could conceivably fit into the timeline of the actual Avatar series, rather than a reimagining of Aang’s journey or Korra’s. Allura would be the eighth Avatar and a princess of the city of Omashu, born about a dozen generations after its establishment.

Voltron was the Water Tribe Avatar preceding Allura. Alfor and his friends were disciples of his. Before Voltron, the other five Avatars were the Lions. This is a parallel to Allura’s lifeforce being connected to the Lions in VLD and to her being the Soul of Voltron.

Earthbending is supposed to be the least spiritual of all the bending arts, so I thought it would be fun to play with a more spiritual approach to Earthbending. The theme of substance seemed to fit Allura best out of the four. Her connection to the Balmera crystals, the Jennamite (creeping crystal) from Omashu, and the crystal caves in Ba Sing Se were my main inspiration for Allura’s aesthetic as an Avatar. It was also fun to imagine her being followed around by four giant badger moles (instead of cute mice).

I wanted Shiro to be a lightning bender - and since this happens so early in the Avatar timeline, it makes sense that Zarkon would be the first lightning bender in existence, creating a connection between him and Shiro not unlike that of Hama and Katara. Shiro learned the technique during his time as a prisoner.

Since it’s only been about a thousand years since Wan and Harmonic Convergence, the world and its societies are still developing.

The Fire Nation is divided into three competing societies: the Sun Warriors, the Bhanti people, and a third society ruled by Zarkon. All three are at war with each other. Zarkon’s society is the the largest and most militarily powerful. It’s also considered the most savage and least civilized by the other two. At the time of the story, it has already begun to push the Sun Warriors and Bhanti into hiding. In the following eras, the Bhanti and the Sun Warriors stay hidden and separate, allowing the rest of the Fire Nation to devolve into the scattered warlords and villages across the archipelago until the islands are united by the first Fire Lord and Fire Sages.

Shiro would be descended from members of the Bhanti people who emigrated to the Earth Kingdoms, fleeing the constant conflict of the Fire Nations. (This preserves his connection with the Holts while allowing Shiro and Pidge to have different bending arts and also makes explicit the implication of Shiro’s immigrant heritage in VLD.) Most Bhanti immigrants to the Earth Kingdoms are non-benders and when firebenders do appear in families, they are encouraged to conceal their abilities from the Earth communities around them, for fear of revealing too much about the Bhanti people to outsiders.

The Earth Kingdom’s technology and politics are analogous to the country of Wa described in the Book of Han, which was purportedly divided into one hundred kingdoms, all independent of each other. Omashu earthbenders are particularly known for their ability to manipulate the spiritual energy of crystals.

Since Haggar is Allura’s foil, it made sense for her to also be an Earthbender - which opened up interesting possibilities for Shiro’s arm. While he was imprisoned by Zarkon, Haggar gave Shiro a crystal arm that Shiro was unable to control it at first, not being an earthbender himself. Only Haggar was able to make it move and channel energy to attack. After Shiro learned how to generate lightning, he was able to move the arm himself by running electricity through it.

I really wanted Shiro’s fire to be purple in the moodboard to preserve Shiro’s color scheme. Since fire only burns purple when exposed to certain compounds, Shiro’s firebending would become purple after he receives the crystal arm because of the elements it contains.

I don’t know how Shiro gets a dragon companion yet, but he definitely gets one. (Also torn between baby dragon vs. dragon he rescues from Zarkon)

#shallura #shalluraweek2020 #Voltron: Legendary Defender #avatar: the last airbender #earthbending #firebending #lightning-bending #aesthetic #battlecrown #almost gave up on this #but my sister insisted I post it

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sasuhinasno1fan · 6 years ago

Link

So I’m really bad at writing YouTuber AUs so I wasn’t going to try for today, so instead I’m linking you to the whole series I had done. Hopefully you appreciate this.

#klance au month #established klance #established shallura

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marci11e · 5 years ago

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updated fic portfolio

this is the new one, since i have added fic (those are *) on my ao3

An even break / 1,550 words / klance / The paladins land on a planet that has snow and there’s a snowball fight.

And, action! / 106,500 words / 17 chapters / klance (there is background shallura) / This is the wrong number + confession fic that I wrote back in 2016. Keith gets a call from a movie star and fake dating ensues. Lots of fluff and angst (recently edited the whole thing so !!!)

And all I know is I want to be here with you from now on / 6,004 words / klance / This is an assortment of five short fic requests I took (was supposed to be six but I couldn’t find inspiration for a sixth) / All fluffy and really cute and named with Walk the Moon lyrics.

And the scent lingers / 1,458 words / hance / I think this is one of the few fics I’m proud of, in terms of imagery / major character death.

And, action! Outtake #1: Castle on the Hill / 4,250 words / klance / This is a piece I wrote as an insertable memory that falls with chapter 16 of And, action! - I loved that fic so much I had to write a little more.

better than any sunrise / 4,350 words / klance / This is one of the giveaway fics I did- it has model lance and photographer keith.

Catching light / 6,200 words / klance / This is one of the giveaway fics- it involves galran keith crash landing and being kept as a prisoner on Altea. It involves altean lance and a few shared memories or two.

como dulce como azucar / 1,560 words / klance / It’s basically fluff and established relationship. Someone’s also ticklish.

Home / 2,020 words / klance / It’s Lance taking Keith to meet his family. Also, they go eat ice cream at night.

if you’re waiting in the sun (then carry me on wings of love) * / 1.473 words / klance / This is a little fic I wrote based off art from linipik (if you haven’t seen it, it’s the space one where they go to a space beach- wonderful piece)

In a sky full of stars, I think I saw you / 9,200 words / klance (hinted shallura) / This is one of the giveaway fics- it deals with galran and how he’s an experiment to the garrison. I actually really liked writing this one.

It’s a promise. Remember. / 1,440 words / klance / This is the second klance fic I ever wrote and just. If you feel like a quick read, read this. I am so proud of this one and it’s just so beautiful.

Just once. / 1,050 words / klance / This is the first klance fic I ever wrote / major character death.

Playing pretend * / wip / 12,495 words / klance / I wrote a concept post a while back where it’s fake dating that starts with Lance agreeing to serenade Keith to make a guy jealous and I’ve...been writing this on and off. Definitely love the premise but will not write a whole lot for this (like word count)

Sweetly everlasting / 1,000 words / klance / This is one of my favorites; it’s pure fluff and achingly so- it involves early morning neck kisses.

there’s a shimmer in your eyes (like the feeling of a thousand butterflies) * / 1,760 words / klance / This is one of the recent fic prompts I’ve done and it just...is romance (involves early morning trips to the train and realizing love is there) (also, it’s named after an abba song so...come on)

time / 900 words / klance / a little piece on their time together.

to bi or not to bi / 2,675 words / focus on lance / he’s trying to figure out his sexuality, thanks to keith.

Unfair / 1,200 words / klance / due to one bed being burned on accident, it results in the sharing a bed trope and a little dose of confessions.

and there we go! wanted to get this started again because I’ve been in the habit of posting long ficlets on here and it’d be nice to give them more exposure through ao3. thanks for you time!

#klance #klance fanfiction #klance fanfic #klance fic #keith kogane #lance mcclain #voltron #ao3

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curiosity-killed · 6 years ago

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almost like memory

@bbtree first off: thank you so much <3 and also thank you for accidentally giving me an excuse to wander off into a Shallura genre I don’t normally touch (ngl I had to make myself stop bc otherwise I was never going to get it posted - so fingers crossed, there may be more to come!)

————

His colors are wrong. Under the fluorescent lights, everyone becomes washed out and green-tinged, like they're half-human, half-hologram. The group leader had apologized for it at their first session, explaining that the church didn't have the money to upgrade to the new system that illuminates most the city. Attendance has dropped off over the years, and now more people enter for these support groups than for Sunday services. If she had to guess, it's only the state funding for these groups that's even keeping the flickering lights on.

The lights aren't the problem with him. It's something deeper, bigger: his hair's too dark or there's something missing in his face or his green t-shirt is the wrong shade. He should be in black. She brushes the thoughts away with a shake of her head. This is the first time she's ever seen the man, and they haven't even met yet. Just another delusion, mixing streams. The doctors have assured her that it’s normal, that though she can’t remember it, she still has a past locked away inside her, and occasionally her subconscious might let a little slip through and muddle her new reality. He introduces himself as Ryou Kurogane, and it’s wrong wrong wrong. The intensity of her conviction is stomach-churning, nearly nauseating. She can’t get it to shut up. He smiles at her when it’s her turn to introduce herself, and she smiles back reflexively before she remembers to duck her head, let her hair fall in a dark curtain between them.

Words don’t come easily to her. She doesn’t know if that’s new or if it’s always been that way. The doctors weren’t much help; they don’t like to talk about her past at all, even if they know it. They say it isn’t conducive to healthy recovery, to establishing her new identity.

After the session, Ryou – not Ryou, wrong wrong wr— stays to help the group leader fold up and stack the chairs along the side. She finds herself lingering, reluctant to leave. She doesn’t know why, exactly, just that there’s something drawing her to stay. To keep close to him. She’s fussing with the water cups, flimsy little biodegradable things, when she hears him step up close. “Hi,” he says. She startles at how close his voice is, and when she turns, he raises his hands in apology. There’s something not quite right about them. They’re too similar, identical creases in his palms. She shakes it off. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” he says. “You’re Romelle, right?” Somehow, the name the doctors gave her sounds even more wrong in his voice. Her lips twitch up in what’s meant to be a smile but comes out closer to a grimace. “And you’re Ryou,” she says. It doesn’t sound better in her voice either. “That’s me,” he says, pushing his hands back into his pockets. His shoulders curve in with the motion, as if he’s trying to narrow himself, bend himself into a smaller space. He’s taller than her. She’s not sure why it surprises her, except that she thinks he wasn’t always. Isn’t always. That makes no sense at all. It’s not like their heights could change. “Sorry, you just – you seem really familiar,” Ryou-not-Ryou says. “I – uh wanted to say hi.” “Oh,” she says. Surprise ripples through her – and relief. It’s a foreign thing, distant, as if from someone else. “I uh – I’m – I’m sorry, I was in an accident a few months ago and don’t remember – much.” The words stumble out of her mouth, tripping and falling over each other all out of order. She winces when they land, regret rushing through her before she can shut herself up. “Oh!” Ryou says. “I – I know how you feel.” She stares, waiting for the second half of whatever joke this must be. “I was in an accident, too. Amnesia, everything before is just – blank,” he explains. It seems almost too perfect to be true. How could they wind up with the same story? But there’s nothing but sincerity in his voice and gaze, and something deep in her chest says he wouldn’t lie. Not about this. Not to her. “Oh. That’s – I’m sorry,” she says. He gives a little shrug with his left shoulder as if to brush off the apology. The smile he offers her doesn’t reach his eyes, just pulls up one side of his lips. “Sounds like we’re in the same ship anyway,” he says. A funny way of saying it, but she manages a smile in response. There’s something worming up her chest, words half-formed in her throat. “Do you wanna get a bite?” He looks almost surprised by his own words, as if he hadn’t meant to let them escape. She feels the same when she answers without a conscious decision. “Yes.” They wind up in a little diner half a block down from the church, a quiet little Akubari place that uses an outdated waitstaff model, the kind that would have been popular when Allura was young. It’s all blank, but she spent hours researching them one night, watching videos of their jerky movement and listening to recordings of their little trills and beeps, in case someone brought up nostalgia for them around her. They haven’t yet, but when they do, she’s ready. She’s prepared with a whole set of pretend memories so she’ll have a chance to connect with this future stranger, a chance to imagine a shared experience. He orders tea and grilbeck with mango and she settles on water and a thick yellow soup. Learning – relearning – her own tastes over the last few months has largely been too daunting a task to expend much effort towards; she's grown used to the food that's cheap and easy, sandwiches and pre-packaged dinners. She's not sure she likes them exactly, but figuring out how to live without a past, without an identity or network or any kind of supporting structure, is exhausting enough that sometimes she just wants something to be easy. Food is a simple enough opportunity for that. “I don’t think I’ve ever tried Akubari,” she remarks. At least not in the last three months. Maybe the other her, the past her, had. “One of my neighbors is from Akubara, actually,” he says. “They kinda got me hooked on it.” There’s a sheepish tone to his voice, as if he’s almost embarrassed by the admission. It makes her smile, her nerves inanely assuaged by the description. She doesn’t really have neighbors – or, well, there are people who live in the apartments beside and above and below hers, but they don’t talk. She’s seen maybe two of them out and about in the building all told. “I’ve heard their food culture incorporates a great deal of sharing,” she says. “Yeah! Drufbila just showed up at my door one day and ushered me in to the dinner table like I was their cousin or something,” he laughs. “Their mom kept fussing over whether I was eating enough, of course.” She breathes out a laugh at that, struck by the image of the great tentacled Akubari prodding him to take just a little more of each dish. Next to their towering, amorphous forms, his lean frame probably would seem underfed. It warms her to know someone, at least, is looking out for him. Weird. She shakes the thought away, disguises it as amusement. “What about your neighbors? Any nosey grandmas there?” he asks, leaning his cheek on his hand. The motion curves his body towards her, shoulders and waist twisted as if to block out the few diners sitting in the rest of the restaurant. His attention is a gentle thing, like sunlight or — Ridiculous. The sun hasn’t been seen through the smog here in decades. She’d have to have been off-planet to have an idea of what sunlight felt like, and surely, then, someone would have been there after her accident. No one traveled alone, not that far. If she ever had, there would have been someone to notice her missing, someone to seek her out. “Oh, no,” she says. “I’m afraid my building mostly keeps to ourselves.” “That’s a shame,” he says, a sympathetic twist to his lips. “Can’t help with–” He flicks his hand up in a little gesture towards his head, and she shrugs. “It can be a little lonely,” she concedes. Before he can ask more, their food arrives on the creaking arm of their servant and is slid onto their table in three jerky pushes. Her soup nearly slops over the lip of the blue bowl with the motion, and she has to steady it with her hands. Finished, the robot gives a happy little beep, and he reaches out to pat its head. “Thanks, bud,” he says. The robot rolls away with a contented little three-note trill. He turns back to her with a little smile and lifts his fork. “Bon appetite,” he says. “Buen provecho,” she answers, from somewhere she doesn’t quite recognize. He grins, still, and she can’t bring herself to question it when that smile is so unmuddied, so clear and easy. “You wanna try some?” he offers, gesturing to his plate with the fork. Orange glaze covers the blue of the grilbeck meat, turning it almost green, and mango slivers stick out of the flesh like oddly colored spines. It’s pretty, in its own way, even in the yellowish light of the diner. “Sure,” she agrees. “Want some of mine?” They wind up with the dishes in the middle of the table, snagging a bite from each plate with equal frequency. It feels…familiar. Comfortable. Like this isn’t the first time they’ve done this. She recognizes something in his expression when he takes the first spoonful from her soup and cants his head, considering. She’s seen that look before, seen the thoughtful way he savors the bite before swallowing and giving a thumbs up. Partway into their meal, conversation resumes once more, and comes back to them as easily as sharing. “Yeah, I have Doctor Honerva, too! That’s so weird,” he says. “How have we not bumped into each other at her office?” She shakes her head and licks a bit of mango glaze off her bottom lip. His gaze drops to follow the motion, just briefly, before flitting back to meet hers. A flush starts, warm pleasure rising in her cheeks. “It’s quite a coincidence,” she agrees. Maybe that’s where she remembers him from – maybe she’s seen him in passing and those memories have become conflated with those locked away from her. “Maybe we’ll see each other now that we’ve met.” “I’d like that,” he says. There’s a warmth to his gaze, a steady sincerity in his tone, that makes her duck her head. This is the longest she’s spent with anyone aside from her doctors since waking to a cold white room three months ago. It’s getting to her head, surely. She’s not sure she minds. “Me, too,” she agrees, meeting his gaze. The moment stretches between them, soft and welcome. She could make a home in this moment, in the gentle way he looks at her, in the pleasure in the soft curve of his lips. For the first time in months, she feels warm. Safe. A four-note beep announces the robot’s return, breaking apart their quiet. They split the check and head to the door. It’s started raining, the drizzly kind that leaves the whole city stinking of wet concrete. For once, it doesn’t bother her. It’s barely a footnote next to the chapter that this evening has become. He pauses outside the door, hands back in his pockets, shoulders bowed inward. “I’m down that way,” he says, nodding in the opposite direction of her apartment. “I’m afraid I’m the opposite way,” she says. Do his shoulders slump? Maybe she’s just looking for signs now. “I – I’d really like to see you again. If you want,” he says. He bites down on the inside of his bottom lip, watching her intently. Warmth flushes through her, up to the tips of her ears. She smiles and only barely keeps it from beaming. “I’d quite like that, too,” she admits. “Here, why don’t we trade numbers?” At that, he seems to light up from within. He straightens out, broad shoulders squaring back into their full breadth, and he pulls his phone from his pocket immediately. Surprised delight radiates through his entire being as he unlocks it and flips through to the right screen. Watching him through her lashes as she does the same, she can’t suppress the feeling that this, for once, is right. This is what is meant to be. Somehow, impossibly. They trade numbers and say farewell with smiles, and when she glances back over her shoulder as she walks away, she catches him looking back as well. They both laugh, as if at themselves, and give a little wave before continuing on their way. When she gets home, she’s greeted by a grave-like apartment and her treatment unit sitting ready on her end table. She stands in her doorway, considering the machine. It’s simple, easy to use. Back at the hospital, there’s a much larger version, but this one was specifically designed for home treatment. She’s supposed to use it every night, to help her brain heal. It always leaves her feeling numb, grey. Like it strips the color from her day and replaces it with a fresh coat of waiting-room-off-white. Normally, that isn’t much of a problem. Her routine is simple and largely emotionless. Painting over it is like laying a layer of grey over ninety other layers of nearly the same shade. Today, though – she wants to keep today. She wants the gentle gold of his attention, the soft grey of his eyes. The colors aren’t quite right – but at least there are colors this time. There are shades and hues she doesn’t know she’s ever seen or felt. It’s not what the doctors told her to do, but she doesn’t want to sacrifice them this time. She doesn’t want to cover up the silver flecks in his eyes with matte. The unit is tucked neatly in her bathroom cabinet, and she settles into her blankets with a strange feeling of satisfaction. That night, she dreams impossible things. She dreams of space, unfurling in feathery nebulae with tendrils curling purple and red around newborn stars. She dreams of machines, great ships and weapons that soar through the edges of the universe. She dreams — of him. His warm eyes, his fierce dedication. His hands, one flesh and one metal, cradling her jaw like something precious, like something to be adored. His lips are soft when they press against hers, his heart beats steady and strong against her palm. His voice aches when he speaks, a single word that is a prayer, a plea, a promise – “Allura,” he says. “Allura, Allura, Allura.”

#shallura #allura #shiro #voltron #vld #voltron fic #my writing #THIS WAS SO FUN TO WRITE HOLY SHIT #like lowkey i was either stopping here or writing a fully fledged fic #so this is #(tentatively)#a pause but not an end

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klanceficatalogue · 6 years ago

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can you please recommend ''Letting Yourself Grieve'' ? It's such an amazing fic and it deserves more recognition

Letting Yourself Grieve by aurria (11/13 | 26,919 | Mature)

After the sudden passing of his mother, Lance returns home to take over the funeral arrangements to keep himself busy so he doesn’t have to deal with it emotionally, ultimately suppressing the emotions until they come crashing down around him.

//character death //panic attacks

(hunk/shay) (allura/shiro)

#asks #ziguli #recs #hunk and shay #shallura #wip #20to30k #mature #main squad #lances family #langst #angst #character death #established relationship #modern setting #au #smut #panic attacks

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shiroallura · 6 years ago

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why shiro and allura’s relationship was crucial for vld to function :: a meta

Warning: saltiest and longest meta I’ve written. But I think every point stands well on its own, and I tried to touch on as much as I could. Enjoy, I suppose.

To start, just a quick clarification: when I say relationship, I do not mean a necessarily romantic one. While I am a Shallura shipper, this meta will be the examination of Shiro and Allura’s relationship within the team, narrative, with each other (so it may get bit shippy) but first and foremost about why their co-leadership relationship, and the destruction of it, is what has led to VLD becoming the clusterfuck of a show it is now.

So, let’s go by this step by step, shall we? The first one I want to look at may seem a little strange, but bear with me: it’ll make sense as we get further into it. So, without further ado, let’s look at

The Black Lion and Broken Symmetry

By the end of s4, I had a list of certainties that I believed VLD would always come through on. While one of them was Shiro being Black Paladin, the second was that something related to the Black Lion, whether Shiro or the Bayard, would be affected by / affect Allura. This was an idea I’d been nursing since s1, as one of Shiro and Allura’s early scenes in 1x01 and where Allura uses his name for the first time, to tell him that his Bayard was lost along with its paladin. Shiro responds cheerily with, “I guess I’ll just have to make do,” and we see him do so for the next two seasons.

But by the time s4 had rolled around and put Shiro (who was mostly speculated to be Kuron by that point, although I always believed the clone theory) in the Black Lion again, I had come to understand that Shiro being in the Black Lion would always be relevant for the arc of Shiro and Allura’s relationship.

S1: Shiro becomes the Black Paladin. He and Allura are co-leaders. He then goes to rescue Allura from Zarkon’s central command and finds out Zarkon was the OG paladin.

S2: Allura regrets not telling Shiro the truth about Zarkon. Shiro then beats Zarkon and gains the Black Bayard. Shiro defeats Zarkon battle and disappears.

S3: Allura mourns him and becomes a paladin in his stead. She wears pink to honour him. Keith becomes Black Paladin and Shiro/Kuron is found by Black at the end of the season.

S4: Shiro/Kuron becomes Black Paladin again. He and Allura are re-established as leaders.

S5: Shiro/Kuron and Allura argue over him giving Lotor the Black Bayard, which is what allows him to kill Zarkon. Allura begins trusting Lotor because of his patricide. Kuron flies Lotor to the Kral Zera in the Black Lion, which leads to a stronger alliance between Voltron / Allura and Lotor.

S6: When Haggar takes over Kuron, he attacks Allura with the Black Bayard before leaving with Lotor. Allura later draws Shiro’s soul of the Black Lion and carries him in her own body.

Shiro and Allura and their relationship with each other, the Black Lion, the position of Black Paladin, and with the Black Bayard, perpetually affect each other and propel the plot forwards. Not only that, but it’s consistent. It was one of the first things, once I got over my initial reaction of s7, that also felt wrong coming away from that season. It had broken the pattern I’d been paying attention to for the first time in VLD’s entire run.

But, as I’ve gone over the show’s structure time and time again, and think back to the first time I nearly dropped canon, the issues actually started in s3. So, let’s go from there:

Why Allura Should Have Been Black Paladin (or How the Lion Switch Ruined Everything)

First and foremost, the precedent that Keith has to be the Black Paladin of Voltron is incorrect. The team’s armour of 80s voltron and subsequent incarnations referred to Asian and Japanese colour coding (in which red meant leader, for one) and the no Lion-pilot bonds actually existed. Furthermore, Keith in 80s Voltron was far more like Shiro, even tempered and a born leader, and in the Black Lion throughout the entire run in the show. Sven, who is the character Shiro is technically based upon, flew the Blue Lion, died six episodes in, and then Allura came to pilot it. So, just to reiterate, in the original show, there is no Lion switching. Everyone is in the same Lions for more than 90% of the show, and it’s a show that doesn’t even create a premise based on a paladin’s relationship with their Lion has being one that’s central to being a paladin at all. So, check off a very basic ass failure for VLD right off the bat.

Secondly, there is precedent for Allura taking over Shiro’s Lion in 80s Voltron. As I’ve already stated, Allura took over Sven’s Lion after he died/disappeared. When VLD is presented the same opportunity, they staunchly refuse it. I’ve spoken before about why, from a standpoint of the Lions actually having agency in choosing their pilots the way the show says they do in s1/2, it would have made the most sense for Black to pick Allura, but let me reaffirm it here as well:

“Shiro’s wishes are not more important than the survival of voltron and the team. As the black lion, and leader of the lions, the black lion must surely know this. As much as she loves Shiro, she knows ultimately the good of the team must come before any individual member’s wishes. And who knows this better than anyone? Allura.

Allura is, as stated by Pidge, the “decision maker” of the team. her father created voltron. She, unlike Keith, has made great sacrifices for the good and the survival of the team, three times alone in the first season off the top of my head. She helped train the paladins how to BE paladins. She and Shiro are co-leaders and simultaneously give and follow orders from one another. They trust each other, even when they disagree. Allura is the most like Shiro out of the whole team. She’s already a leader. Why wouldn’t she be the most natural fit for black paladin? The black lion is smart. She was there in the castle during the cryosleep too. She had 10,000 years to familiarize herself with Allura’s quintessence. Not to mention, it would mean no more lion switching, which would mean the most stable team possible in the wake of Shiro’s absence.” [X]

Allura as the Black Paladin in the wake of Shiro’s absence also would have felt right for her character for a number of reasons. A) all the adjustment that would come with her being a paladin would still happen, with B) added pressure now that she is the sole leader of the team whereas before Shiro could be a buffer between her and the paladins C) her dealing with being in both Shiro and Zarkon’s former Lion, D) It’s still not the Lion she necessarily wanted (ie. not Alfor’s) and E) the Black Lion has been linked to her from the beginning.

They were two valuable things Alfor sealed away in the castleship (not that Coran isn’t a gem, but narratively, he’s never given the same weight as Allura is, so moving on): Allura, whose connected to all the Lions and can find them, and the Black Lion, who cannot be unsealed unless all the other Lions are there. Allura is literally the key to the Black Lion. She’s called a leader, a decision maker, etc. numerous times. Shiro, the actual Black Paladin, also follows her without question.

So S3 presents one of the first times that VLD prioritizes plot and nostalgia over actual characterization and what makes actual, logical sense, and the rest of the show has paid dearly for it. And while there are many, many other ways it has that we could discuss, I’m trying to keep this meta brief while also covering as much ground as possible.

Basically: Keith does not make for a stable team leader, and him as permanent BP was never going to be fulfilling for him anyway, because not only did he not want it, but the narrative was never going to be able to make it seem like he’d earned it, because Shiro was the one who had literally fought Zarkon for the Black Lion, won and used the bayard, and then died for it. There is nothing Keith can do to compare to that.

Allura, while she should not have been BP either, would have made for a much better leader. She’s more level headed, still would have had to bond with the paladins, but would have been the one actually honouring Shiro in more than just armour and without kicking and screaming about it. She was trying to keep up the war effort, form a coalition (whereas Keith is there ruining her diplomatic dinners in 3x01 and never apologizing) in addition to everything else. Having her in the Black Lion and everyone else be in their OG Lion would have made for the most stable team possible, which is what you want in war, regardless.

So yeah, there’s a reason why after s3 I nearly dropped canon, flat out, because it was already making major, nonsensical choices that while plot was being prioritized over character, the plot also wasn’t making sense. But we will, again, touch on that later. It’s also demeaning, because in the lineup we have now, Allura is fourth in command of Voltron, with Shiro, Keith, and Lance all above her now. She used to lead all of them, and we’re expected now to not view her as having been downgraded?

And now having mentioned the latter two, I want to close off the discussion as to why Allura being in Black would have been beneficial for the two other characters fans were constantly vying for to be BP as well. Without further ado, let’s look at:

Keith and Lance: An impasse

Keith and Lance are complicated characters for me—not necessarily due to their development (they largely have none) or emotional complexity (hardly any) but because of the way the general VLD fandom has coddled them since day one. I’ve talked about my heavy dislike of the Black Paladin Lance fan theory before, so I’ll let this post do the talking—and yes, watching everything I hated about BP!Lance happen in canon but with BP Keith was beyond painful, thank you for asking.

But what I want to talk about here, actually, for any Klancers out there, is why either of them being Black Paladin is basically fundamentally detrimental to their relationship, in particular if Keith (like in canon) is. I’ve spoken before about how widespread fanon Klance post-s2/s3 is basically just discount canon Shallura, but the main issue with either boy as Black Paladin is that it forces them into an unfulfilling character arc.

I’ve already touched on what it would do / has done to Keith, but for Lance, it would reaffirm his ‘hero fantasy’ from s1. The show’s doing that by having him being rewarded with Allura, anyway, and him being beaten down and just told that Keith will always be better than him, but not only would Lance, who’s best at support, struggle in a long term leadership role, he would never come to the realization that he has to define what he thinks is worthwhile about himself, independently of what other people say is typical heroic behaviour. It also reinforces fanon’s bizarre fascination with turning Lance into a younger Shiro, while not caring about Shiro as a character at all either, so. It’s bad folks.

What’s more, either of them being BP is also bad for Keith and Lance’s relationship—romantic, platonic, however you wanna spin it—with each other. Namely, for one reason only: him and keith get to be actual equals, which can’t happen if Keith is BP and commandeering him as a leader. It’s not possible, neither of their leadership styles demonstrated in show are collaborative, and no matter how much work s3 tried to do for them, they still had a long way to go to be over their rivalry (however one-sided) to even get to a point where one of them being the leader of the other was going to have any positive inflection on their relationship. S3 certainly was not it.

Without them as purely fellow teammates, their relationship is at an impasse, and it can never progress to anything other than, perhaps, friends, and probably not even close.

Team Dynamics As A Whole

Lance and Allura

I want to make it clear that it’s not that there’s no way Lance and Allura could have worked as a couple. I don’t think they’re well suited for each other regardless, but the show’s pacing / relationship development really screwed each of them over in numerous ways, and I talk a bit more on that here, as well.

However, that doesn’t change the fact that a romance with Allura, who Lance indisputably thought of as a prize in s1, is detrimental to Lance’s character arc. And it’s detrimental to Allura’s too, but let’s be real here—Allur@nce has always been about Lance’s feelings. They’re the only ones that existed or mattered to him for a whole third of the show after all, as he didn’t care how annoyed or irritated she got with his advances and flirting.

And this is still tied to Shiro, as well, because of the way the show structures itself. The first is that one of the first things we learn about Shiro is that he is, in Lance’s own words, “his hero.” The second is that Lance only steps up to begin to support Allura in s3 once Shiro is gone. It sends a message, however subconscious, as we don’t see Allura bond with any of the paladins in s1 other than Shiro (and Coran as always, of course) that Shiro was her pillar of support.

If Lance sees Shiro as the ideal Hero, and Allura as what the Hero Gets, then doesn’t it follow that the perfect way for him to see his thinking is flawed, and for him to value himself for what he’s already good at, is by having them get together and him have to move on and let go and learn how to genuinely happy for them? And possibly end up with someone else, as well, or also have an arc about how romantic love isn’t the most important thing. Instead we’re getting a Lance who is possessively jealous for six seasons, barely interacts with Allura in s7, and then she’s blushing at him, and it makes any time I could believe Allura having affection for him even as a friend A) tainted and B) clunky at absolute best. Instead we’re getting a Lance who’s never been called out for any of his behaviour either by other characters (actually, Shiro was the only character to, back in 1x01) or by himself.

Plus, there’s an oddly long list of Allura and Lance interactions that either revolve around Shiro, or he’s relevant for, either way.

Kuron

Ah, Kuron. Where do I even start with Kuron beyond the fact that he deserved infinitely better? But also just let me say that Kuron, as an extension of Shiro, is a perfect example of why conflict within Shiro and Allura’s relationship is compelling. Their fights, in any season, are rare, but when they do, they have an immense impact on plot (meanwhile Keith’s fights with everyone hardly ever do) and give weight to whatever perspective each are offering.

But more on that: our primary emotional connection to Kuron is through Allura. I’ve written extensively on the way Allura and Kuron’s relationship is, as an extenion of Shiro and Allura’s, defined in s5. [X, X] The fact of the matter is the development between them actually goes back to S3. I’ve looked, and Allura is the only character shown to mourn Shiro in any way beyond Keith, and beyond the group ‘talking about Shiro’ scene at the end of 3x01. She is also the teammate who makes one of the biggest changes to honour Shiro, not only becoming a paladin, but wearing armour to honour him alongside the other paladins of old (including her father) who we know she holds in very high esteem. And this not the first time Allura’s emotional reaction to something regarding Shiro is placed on par with Keith’s, even if she has none of the year long history or familial defined bond with Shiro that Keith does. So really, what gives?

Namely: Allura is the teammate who knows on a certain level that something is wrong, because they don’t argue with each other like this. This goes back to an earlier point of mine, that Shiro and Allura’s arguments are always interesting because as co-leaders, they have a crucial affect on the plot and the team as a whole (think of how 1x10 and 1x11 went, respectively, in the team’s reactions/discussions to Shiro and Allura’s choices, specifically in regards to each other).

Shiro and Allura know they cannot individually fall apart, nor collectively, lest everything else will too. 5x03 shows that, in seasons one and two, they were very close and worked extremely well together, because Allura comments on how much things have changed and makes it clear how much it has unsettled her: “Shiro has been quite difficult lately. I’m not sure what to do. We seem to constantly be at odds.” It’s not that they don’t have disagreements, it’s that, since Lotor has come around, that the man she believes to be Shiro suddenly feels like someone she’s constantly fighting against, when it was never that way before. She relies on him and trusts him, and he’s been her steady ground, her eye of the storm, and now that he’s back and things are still wrong, Allura, who is always coming up with a plan and doing her best to look towards the future with an optimistic lens, doesn’t know what to do.

[X]

What this means is that Allura is placed, however momentarily, firmly where the audience is: we know something isn’t quite right, but we don’t know what, exactly. Lance, while he has a strong emotional tether to Kuron as well, is never disconcerted or doubtful, which puts a wall between him and the audience. And while Allura and Kuron are at odds in the beginning of season five, they are routinely on each other’s side throughout the rest of the arc.

They both support Lotor and Kuron always supports Allura’s ideas; Coran and mostly Lance are the ones who try to shout her down from doing what she wants (even when it was objectively logical and the best solution in the situation at hand, in 5x06 with Oriande, for example.) Kuron, by giving Lotor the Black Bayard, is also the whole reason why Allura ever trusts Lotor at all. Kuron is always very mature towards him even when he does disagree, and Kuron and Allura are the two newcomers to Monsters and Mana shown to have a lot of fun playing throughout (whereas Lance is a bit more cajoled because he wants to impress Allura).

There’s also the fact that Kuron and Allura fit the pattern of narrative foils established by Shallura and Zarkon/Haggar. Namely, Kuron is corrupted by Haggar, similarly to how Zarkon turned on the other paladins to save her (to a degree) and Allura is the purifier to fix Haggar’s corruption. Kuron represents a version of Shiro’s Black Paladin that technically, fulfilled Zarkon’s previous role. But Shiro, who is the antithesis of Zarkon the same way Allura is the antithesis of Haggar, cannot be corrupted. I’ll talk more about it once we get to narrative, but yeah, it’s there.

There’s also an interesting consistency of Kuron and Lance having similar expressions/responses to Allura, and Lotor and Allura’s relationship, in S5/6.

Lotor

Just as a quick precursor, all the parallels between Lotor/Allura as an unhealthy romantic relationship (yes, even in s5, especially) and Shiro/Allura as a healthy romantic relationship: [X] [X]

all of this but especially:

“You’ve done much today, Princess. You need your rest. We’ll continue tomorrow.” // “What are you doing here? You should be resting. […] I know how you feel, but you have to step away for awhile. It’s what’s best for everyone.”

allura talks to lance about her fractured relationships and feelings with both of them

some meta about similar, and contrasting scenes (focuses on s5, written pre s6) including, being alone on the bridge, comfort (or lack of), and what makes allura smile at them

lotor and shiro both fighting in the galra arena, both winning, and both battling zarkon and technically killing him with the black bayard. shiro and allura going to the black and white lions’ astral planes with a galra emperor in tow, who lose, while shiro and allura get new abilities and bonds with their lions

some episode similarities between 1x11 and 6x06

for that matter, similarities in body language and framing of shiro losing allura in 1x10, and lotor’s betrayal

matching white hair

allura never regretting ‘shiro’ even when she didn’t know how or why he had turned on the team and tried to kill them, but she did regret trusting lotor.

All on the same page? Good. Then, there’s the fact that the narrative put Shiro in a good place to be everything Lotor wasn’t. Slave to the Galra VS the Galra prince, for starters, both leaders, both with a similar work ethic to Allura and can match her. But where Lotor only values Allura for what she can do for him, Shiro values her as a person and proves that time and time again (1x10, 1x11, 2x05, 2x11, 2x12). There’s the symmetry of Lotor appearing in the story when Shiro disappears, both of them using the Black Bayard to take down Voltron, as previously stated. She’s betrayed by both Lotor, and Kuron who she thinks is Shiro, in a matter of minutes. Then, once she’s fully given up on Lotor, she gets to bring Shiro back home.

The weird thing is though, that despite how much of a shitshow s7 was, it continued this trend. Shiro helps Allura down from a truck, much in the same way Lotor helped Allura down from a ship. Lotor builds his own Voltron using Allura’s magic. Shiro creates the ATLAS, a Voltron-like mecha, using Allura’s crystal. So they literally each have their own Voltron through Allura’s magic, and yet the show expects us not to pay attention to it.

There’s also the way Allura’s magic becomes framed through her relationships with both of them. Lotor abuses her magic by lying to her, and then trying to kill her. Then, Allura gets to reclaim her magic by bringing home a friend she loves, Shiro, in an act of purification and healing. Shiro’s hair then, like Lotor’s already was, becomes white, linking all three of them together.

It goes even further with the parallels of Shiro, Allura, and a Galra emperor earning their respective Lions, while the Galra emperor loses. Allura gains the White Lion, and Shiro earns the Black Lion’s trust. Lotor and Zarkon do not, and are subsequently defeated by the end of their arc.

And unlike Lance, Kuron removes the possibility of Allura’s actual feelings towards Shiro being marred through everything. Shiro not being there while Lotor and Allura were romancing removes him as being a second choice because during that time, he wasn’t actually an option at all. Meanwhile Lance was, and we see Allura pick Lotor over Lance (as she had every right to, honestly) every time throughout all of s5 and s6. Hence why Lance will now always feel like a rebound to the audience rather than something fresh that already had grounds to be romantic before Lotor came in (ie. Shallura’s s1 and s2 development when Allur@nce consisted of only flirting and invasion of boundaries that annoyed Allura greatly and repeatedly).

Last but not least, there’s the fact that in 6x06, Allura blames herself for trusting Lotor, but even when ‘Shiro’ has tried to kill them all and she has no idea why, Allura point blank refuses to blame Kuron.

L: You didn’t put us in this situation. It was Shiro who went rogue and released the virus in the castle— A: No. this is my fault.

(X) #can u believe even when she knows 'shiro' tried to kill them and attacked her with the black bayard and she watched him walk out with lotor #and was the one to warn the team and say he's lost his mind and she had no explanation or real proof as to what had happened #even when lance 'that guy's my hero' blamed shiro for the terrible situation they were in #even when allura was heartbroken and so full of regret for trusting lotor #she never blamed shiro #she never regretted trusting shiro #she wouldn't even consider it and just #god she loves him SO MUCH

Allura’s relationship with Lotor just proves that Shiro is everything that Lotor is not, and was the best candidate to unbreak Allura’s heart in a way that would’ve been narratively satisfying. But with s8 on the horizon, it doesn’t seem like it’ll go that route. But Allura’s love life is not the only thing that’s been ruined by a lack of Shallura.

And with that, let’s go back to the paladins.

Coran, Pidge, and Hunk

Shiro and Allura, together, unite the team. Not necessarily in an inspirational speeches type of way, although there is that too, but they’re the ones who have relationships with each member. In s1, Allura is close to Coran and brings him into the fold, Shiro is close with Pidge and Keith. He’s a legend to Lance, and both Shiro and Allura have some moments with Hunk here and there (although Hunk doesn’t have very well developed relationships with anyone other than Pidge in canon, in all honesty).

But the thing is, Team Voltron desperately needs unifiers. When Shiro was gone in s3, the team stopped feeling like a team, and it hasn’t felt like one since. There’s hardly any scenes post-s2 where the entire team is together (either Shiro or Keith is gone, more than one character is ever allowed to miss someone if a character is allowed to at all, Kuron, who we spent four seasons with, is completely discarded, etc.) Worse is that Pidge, Hunk, and Coran are stagnant characters following s1. Now, this is more of an issue of the writers just not caring to give them arcs than how Shiro and Allura were mistreated, however, keeping their co-leadership in tact would have helped a few things.

I don’t think there’s any dispute in saying that, overall, s1 is the most balanced season. Shiro, Allura, Pidge, Hunk, Keith, and Lance, are all given arcs (even if the latter two is mostly focused on how their relationship with each other changes). Coran was mostly comedic relief, but he got his moments to be serious and useful and an emotional support to Hunk, and to Shiro, and Lance. You felt like this straggling team of strangers were learning how to rely on each other. And then s2 weighed too heavily on Keith and focused on inter-team conflict as a whole (Shiro and Allura over the Blades, Allura and Keith with the bullshit ‘not all Galra’ plotline) and everyone else got sidelined for it. And even then, the successes that Shiro made in s2 ultimately mean nothing because Keith got the Black Lion and Bayard Zarkon free without a lift of the finger. But we’ll save more salt about Keith for the next header.

But what would have happened if Allura had become Black Paladin while Shiro was gone, and Shiro would have taken back the role once he returned? For starters, there would have been no ‘Right Hand of Voltron’ asspull, and all the Lions would have been seen as equally important, rather than VLD creating a Lion hierarchy that completely undermines everything the Lions are supposed to represent. So Pidge and Hunk would not have suddenly been put behind Keith or Lance in importance, or leadership. Furthermore, it would have forced the writers to focus on team dynamics in order to create growth and conflict without having the new Lion switch being a pseudo-“Look at all this great character development!” as a deflect.

There’s a reason that following the Lion switch, Pidge and Hunk get no arcs where they make important changes for themselves (personality or goal wise, etc.) and feel doubly stagnant in the show’s narrative, because the show has said that the Blue is the starter Lion, Red is 2nd best but good enough, and that the Black Lion is a prize. No wonder Pidge and Hunk feel regulated to a whole lot of Nothing, because the dynamic s3 onwards was setting up was never supposed to have screentime for them.

Basically, Shiro and Allura’s dynamic kept the team balanced, reactive, and at least two or more characters always on equal grounds with each other (ie. when Shiro and Allura did argue, Allura always had the final say, but she would often trust Shiro despite everyone being on her side regardless, such as in 2x03, “Shiro’s Escape”).

The Lion switch and Keith becoming Black Paladin undid all of that. And well, let’s circle back to Keith now, shall we?

Keith (Again)

Many metas have been written about why Keith was not a good fit for Black Paladin - and he still isn’t, no matter what VLD tries to sell us. Part of is personality, but the main reasons why Keith is an unsuitable character to be BP is because of narrative (which we are always circling our way back to) and simply the lore created by VLD for VLD in s1/2, that they then shit over to justify something that only the EPs clearly wanted. I’ve spent many a time musing about why, above everyone, Shallura stans were the only ones who cared about Shiro being Black Paladin. We surely weren’t the only Shiro stans (although that being said, if you thought s7 was good for Shiro, particularly if you ship sh3ith, I’ll fight you in a fucking pit), and lots of people wanted Allura to temporarily be BP.

It’s because we cared about the dynamic of co-leadership. And when Keith ‘became’ the Black Paladin, it threw all semblance of co-leadership completely out the door. If you go back and watch s3, Lance is specifically called Keith’s ‘right hand’ AKA his second in command. Not his equal. So Keith went from being a loner to... being a leader without a co-leader, meaning that he’s narratively and realistically more isolated than even very reserved characters like Shiro and Allura ever will.

There’s also the fact that Keith’s relationships with Shiro and Allura impact both of them negatively. Keith is constantly saving Shiro, and it’s hardly ever paid back because the narrative won’t let it be. Meanwhile, and this was largely an issue in seasons 1-4 and 6, Keith is always shown to be right / is supposed to have audience sympathy, while Allura is always wrong. That, and Keith repeatedly shows a strong disregard for Allura’s physical well-being, which is... concerning, to say the least.

Then there’s the fact that throughout the seasons when Keith is in charge, Allura suddenly isn’t acting like a leader, ie. she’s not allowed to be competent because then it would be obvious that she should be the leader instead. 3x01 is a perfect example of how VLD shows Keith being far less mature than her in leadership, and yet him still being magically picked for a leadership role by the creators, for whatever bullshit reason they can use to justify it. The only time in season seven that Allura is allowed to act like a leader is when Shiro is too (namely 7x09).

Season seven does present an interesting, and shitty, conundrum, however. It places Shiro as the Commander of the paladins, where before that had been Allura’s job (teaching the paladins about the Lions, etc. sound familiar?). However, Keith still listens to Shiro and seems to defer to him in some way. But never to Allura, ignoring the fact that Shiro was the one who always deferred to Allura, and far more so than the other way around. The inconsistent characterization is because the show is trying to fit square pegs into round holes of the opposite place from where they’ve started. You cannot have characters be the exact opposite of where they started: something, anything, has to have stayed the same (ie. for ATLA fans, before his banishment, Zuko loved his country. Afterwards, when he’s gone through all his development and has become Firelord, Zuko still loves his country. Character development has to happen, but you cannot make a character a completely different one). And when it comes to your characters largely being defined in the role they fill on a team, switching those roles around probably isn’t a good idea.

There’s also some interesting consistency in how much Shiro/Kuron and Allura ‘parent’ Keith in a way, most notably shown in 4x01. Meta here. But that’s a side note, so let’s get to the big guns. Last but not least:

The Narrative

First, a little run down as to what I define as Narrative. Narrative is the all encompassing scope of the story: every chapter/episode, every book/season, every character and the roles they fill in the story. It’s what allows us to make predictions, because Narrative is supposed to be consistent and build trust with the audience. This trust stems from the stories we’ve learned all our lives (especially with something that has mythological roots, and nearly everything does) that typically hit the same beats in order for us to feel satisfied with that story. That’s not to say that plot twists can’t happen, because they do, but it should always fit within the character or show’s Narrative. Narrative is especially important in something that is plot heavy—and famously important in sci-fi and fantasy works, and as VLD falls into both categories, Narrative is doubly important in a work like VLD.

So let’s take a look at VLD’s Narrative.

1) Honerva and Zarkon are wed. When Honerva falls sick after years of disagreements with Alfor, Zarkon betrays the team and brings her to the Rift.

Already, this should sound familiar: think Anakin and Padme in Star Wars, or plenty of stories from Greek myth and the Bible. Man betrays friends/etc on account / in an attempt to save the person he loves.

2) In the Rift, Zarkon and Honerva are corrupted by dark quintessence creatures. They are thought to be dead, and closing the Rift destroys the Galra homeplanet. They are resurrected as dark shadows of themselves. Zarkon wages genocide and Honerva changes her name to Haggar.

As even this early on in VLD, quintessence and Haggar’s abilities were treated like magic (she was called the witch by numerous Galra) corruption from magic is again, very well known. There are many sorceresses from Greek mythology who meet tragic ends: Medea comes to mind, as does Circe, and Morgana from Arthurian lore. Haggar changing her name is also, with something so relevant in pop culture, a nod to Star Wars or even Harry Potter. The consumption and use of quintessence and the deeds that Zarkon and Haggar take part in are evil and have thrown the galaxy fundamentally out of balance.

It is a very, VERY old structure of a story, for the previous generation / parents of the current hero(es) to have plunged the world into chaos, and now the current generation has to right the wrongs and fix the world. Harry Potter does it (marauders are tragedy, Harry’s generation gets to be happy). Star Wars does it (very obvious). ATLA does it (Sozin and Roku, compared to Zuko and Aang). The origin myth of Greek mythology does it two times (Uranus to Kronos, and then Kronos to Zeus, respectively).

Narrative also includes bookends. It sustains that the place where the story began should also be where the story ends, even if much has changed.

Therefore, here’s what the Narrative structure of VLD should have been (and somewhat was) for seasons 1—6:

the Rift is not opened again until it is time for the final conflict of the entire show. If everything began with the Rift and the comet, it should end that way too. Not have the Rift be opened and then have nothing threatening inside it in the middle of season six.

Allura is Haggar’s foil, as an Altean alchemist. Shiro is Zarkon’s, as an uncorrupted Black Paladin. They remain in those roles. This is already supported very heavily by every ounce of canon that has consistent continuation of any sort of narrative.

Even down to minute details, such as Zarkon and Shiro’s first conversations with their respective love interest being so similar in its intent: “I will provide any support you require,” (Zarkon, 3x07) and “Why don’t you tell us who you are? Maybe we can help,” (Shiro, 1x01).

It also means that Keith is then Alfor’s generational foil: Red Paladin whose close to the Black Paladin, but there is no betrayal, only brotherly love. The fact that Keith is Galra, and also demonstrates a side of Zarkon through it, is just a bonus.

the Narrative stated in s1 that the Voltron Lions had to have the paladins, as well, Paladins, because each pilot’s quintessence mirrored their Lion’s. AKA the equivalent of being star soulmates. That bond cannot be broken except in Zarkon’s case, where Shiro had to fight him for it, and didn’t even win: the Black Lion made the choice, and Zarkon only wanted her for abusive reasons. Thus, the OG Lion lineup is the One True Lineup, all the way through. This is non-negotiable.

Therefore, Shiro and Allura’s love/relationship (again, can conceivably be platonic, but then is communicating the message that platonic love is less fallible than romantic love, which, not true) is the key to ending the conflict that Zarkon and Haggar’s love

Narrative parallels between Shallura and Zarkon/Haggar, that I’d spotted since s2, were how I suspected that Allura would bring Shiro back following his battle with Zarkon, and how I banked on the fact from s3 onwards that if the show followed its narrative, Allura would be the one to bring Shiro back to life the same way Haggar did for her husband, an entire year and a half. And oh look, I was right.

On that note, it was also how I knew that Haggar would be the final big bad, and now that we’ve gotten to that point, let’s delve into it shall we?

Big Bad Haggar

There was never any doubt in my mind that Haggar was the endgame big bad (or at least, I desperately hoped she would be, as she was / still is my favourite antagonist in the series). It was clear from s1 that she was the personal threat to the heroes, rather than Zarkon, who was more distant. She sent the robeasts, she was the one who experimented on Shiro, she was Altean so her betrayal stung more, she was the one who Allura saved Shiro from, the one who used her magic on Allura, the one who contributed to both their personal demons, and who was obviously more powerful than Zarkon, and yet served him anyway. When it was revealed that they were married, I wasn’t surprised. They had the exact sort of relationship I’d seen in Shallura: unspoken, loyal, mutual, and with many parallels to Shallura in early s1-2.

I’ve seen a lot of pushing, with s8 only a week away, that Allura must be the one to defeat Haggar. And yes, that is partially true. They’ve both gotten Oriande upgrades and are still foils of each other. However, I think that seeing Haggar as Allura’s fight alone leaves out that it belongs to Shiro just as much. Not only was he supposed to be Haggar’s “greatest weapon,” what happened to Kuron only reinforced it. Shiro/Kuron’s connections to Lotor and Allura strengthen it as well. Then, there is the fact that Allura has already triumphed over Haggar. She defeated her in the s2 finale, and Allura also technically beat Zarkon by bringing Shiro back from the death that Zarkon sent him to.

Shiro, comparatively, has not triumphed over either of them, at least not in the same way. He didn’t defeat Haggar in the s1 finale, and while he won the Bayard from Zarkon, that was with Black’s help, and he died shortly afterwards. He also wasn’t the one to deliver the final blow to Zarkon either, and has never had a rematch with Haggar. The witch is his and Allura’s fight. Given the state s7 left Narrative in, however (which is to say: completely broken) I doubt that we, or any of these three characters, will get the resolution they deserve.

(There’s also a strange continuum between the s1 and s6 finale in regards to Shiro and Allura coming back to each other, and Allura saving him from Haggar’s corruption, on bigger scales each time. So interesting, and again, one of the reasons why while s6 was far from perfect, it at least was somewhat coherent from a storytelling perspective.)

Above all else though, Narrative is important because it is built by and builds

Emotional Continuity

It goes without saying that Voltron has emotional continuity. Emotional continuity, as this article explains, is important because “Writers must be conscious of every character’s moment before, especially in a story with multiple points of view where one or more scenes might fall between a character’s entrance and his previous appearance. It is easy to lose track of where their moment before left them. If we don’t go back and check, we may end up with jarring emotional transitions that don’t make sense.” Can you say every season of Voltron ever?

For example, let’s see all the emotional continuity VLD skipped:

Shiro choosing to risk everything to go back and save Allura, which early got them all captured (had Thace, a completely unknown variable, not intervened) never being addressed. Ever.

None of the team except Keith mourning Shiro (beyond a two line mention from Allura, and even then, she’s the only one).

None of the team missing / having no mention of Keith while he was with the Blades.

No one mourning Kuron.

Shiro’s bond with the Black Lion being completely removed and not even remarked upon once in s7, even in some bullshit attempt to explain it away.

Voltron’s lack of emotional continuity comes, mostly, from the choices to break away from the narrative and to service Keith’s singular leadership arc that had no chance of being well written, unless all of seasons one and two were as well. Kuron was a loophole, and not a person. Keith needs to be Black Paladin and we don’t have time to address it properly. The team is shown to be more upset about Keith willingly leaving them, a season after it happened, then Shiro being dead and then a clone attacking them immediately beforehand.

VLD, after s1, never gives characters chances to breathe or bond, particularly as a group, or to confide heavily in more than one person at any given time. They aren’t allowed to have support systems, they aren’t allowed to actually process things, ever.

That being said, in seasons one and two when Shiro and Allura were leaders, we had the most group bonding scenes (by default) and the team felt more like, well, a team. After Allura sacrifices Alfor’s A.I., the entire team stays with her as support, even if Shiro is the one who steps up. In 2x13, when Allura is hit, and when Shiro goes missing, the whole team rallies behind Shiro in determination against Zarkon, or alongside Allura in stunned grief. But they were together, and impacting decisions, and plot, and the scenes where the team tends to talk the most to each other and actually work through issues is when Shiro and Allura disagree, because they can be questioned and listen to their team (unlike a certain B “shut up and trust me” P). That allows for discussion, disagreement, and reconciliation. Not a team haphazardly strung together who are constantly following each other and trying to clean up everyone else’s messes.

Then, there’s also the fact that the two characters with the greatest potential for emotional continuity are Shiro and Allura. They’ve lost the most to the Galra, and their losses and drive to save the galaxy aren’t going to go away (indeed, they never do). Pidge’s emotional arc is finished when she finds her family. Keith and Lance’s got shafted, and Hunk and Coran never got one at all past s1 (once Shay was rescued).

That’s not to say all those things would be immediately remedied, but if Shallura had been kept as co-leaders, Lance and Keith’s arcs wouldn’t have been in such separate directions, and both boys, Lance in particular, could have worked on getting what they need from each other (ie. a wider support system for Keith, and overcoming insecurities/internalized comparison making for Lance). Hunk and Pidge would have kept each other and Keith and Lance in the loop, just as Allura would have kept Coran.

What I mean by Shiro and Allura having the highest capacity for well done and powerful emotional continuity is, not only are we made aware of their losses in the first few seconds we meet them, but also that their losses are the ones that plague the galaxy. They are the enslaved and the oppressed people of the galaxy, those who had their planets burned and destroyed. Them overcoming the Galra, in particular, is an empowering story that says those who are beaten down are not beaten, those who have experienced loss are not lost, that you can rise up and make a difference and help people and end suffering. Theirs is the story the galaxy needs (that we arguably all need) in its fullest capacity.

And yet we get none of it and watch them lose endlessly and gain nothing back. It’s clear that instead of emotional continuity, VLD chose to prioritize emotional cruelty for its two most progressive characters with the greatest capacity to have an incredibly meaningful relationship not only with each other, but the wider narrative at large.

And since VLD did that, well, now it’s finally time to look at:

What Happens When You Try to Undo Shallura

Frankly? The clusterfuck that was season seven. The creators had to backtrack and retcon their own lore and relationship development hard. They had to toss important character/emotional/plot points completely out the window and let the fandom do all the work to piece everything together into some semblance of

ATLAS and Allura, Shiro and Black

Let’s get the obvious out of the way: season seven’s biggest problem (and it has many) is that Shiro does not regain his position of Black Paladin now that he has returned to his team. If the thought of Shiro not knowing the last time he’d pilot Black, the Lion he loved, would be moments before he died doesn’t upset you, I honestly don’t know what to say.

Then, once Shiro had been Black Paladin, Allura could regain her position as the Commander of Voltron, and eventual commander for the Atlas. FFS, her crown jewel is what allowed the Atlas to exist in the first place as a mecha, and is the perfect representation of what her ‘family’ (again, if we can call the paladins her family) has become: half human, and half Altean.

More than that, it means Allura doesn’t lose her last piece of her home and gets the respect she deserves. It means Shiro gets to defeat one of his abusers with Sendak instead of being the damsel rescued by Keith yet again.

Right there, half the problems of season seven (again, there would still be issues, but it would make Narrative sense) are solved. Immediately. However, there’s still one loose end:

Adam

I don’t think there’s many people who would dispute that Adam deserved better, and I definitely believe that he did. (Does?) It’s another missed opportunity of emotional continuity for Shiro and Allura to be mourning / commiserating about their former lovers (although Adam and Lotor are not the same at all) and speaking plainly, there is no universe I would be comfortable with Shallura being endgame if Adam was still dead. Regardless of if there was another happy mlm relationship or not, if Adam is dead and he and Shiro do not reach some form of reconciliation, then Shallura doesn’t work and VLD’s queer rep is even worse off, in a way.

Furthermore, Adam and Shiro’s failed relationship (because they wouldn’t have a happy, all issues resolved reunion had Adam lived whatsoever; they were bitterly broken up for months before Shiro actually went on the mission, people) highlights why Shiro and Allura’s would work.

For starters, it’s made clear both in canon and by the Josh and Kimberly that Shiro and Allura have always had the same goals, just different manners of getting them. Adam and Shiro’s relationship had reached an impasse where they both wanted very different things, and there was no way of reconciling them. In addition, the things that made Adam and Shiro’s relationship work (devoted partnership, hardworking) also exist in Shiro and Allura’s relationship.

As to how Shallura functions versus Adam/Shiro when it comes to disagreements, I think this graphic and comparison speaks for itself.

Adam deserved to be happy and alive, regardless of whether he and Shiro were right for each other. And by having Shiro be revealed as queer/bi in the reverse order of what usually happens in media (ie. a bi character is revealed to be bi when they start dating someone of the same sex) be not only refreshing, but if VLD cared an ounce for their audience, it would let Adam live as well. He was never supposed to be part of grand galaxy saving destinies, and he and Shiro were never given the screentime to have their relationship as well developed as one that, I’m not kidding, was given some form of development every single season of VLD.

Adam deserved to live and love again. And, to tie it back to Allura’s failed relationship with Lotor, Shallura would have provided the perfect opportunity for two very broken hearted people to find love with someone who understood and matched them from day one, who had the same goals and work ethics and morals, and who cared for each other deeply throughout.

And with that said, let’s explicitly look at Shallura as a romance.

Romance

I’ve said before that narratively, Shallura is easy. Not only do they have parallels to every single canon romantic couple of VLD, but they provide the perfect sort of slowburn VLD claimed it was going for. VLD doesn’t want to focus on romance? Have a strong bond built on mutual respect, admiration, trust, and a devoted partnership edge its way towards being romantic in the final scene with a nice kiss or handhold. The romantic coding of VLD is very loose, but what it usually boils down to is: two characters from two different worlds, with aligned clothing and goals, working closely together on a longterm project as partners, and eventually fall in love. The above has described Shallura, Zarkon/Haggar, Krolia and Keith’s father, Lotor/Allura, and hints of Adam/Shiro. (Allur@nce doesn’t count bc of how long basic decency and respect from Lance towards Allura took.)

VLD made romance be the pitfall of the galaxy, and so therefore, as I’ve previously said, romance also has to help save it. This is helped by the fact that both L0tura and Z@ggar act as dark foils of Shallura:

zarkon and haggar are the complete fall, because they encompass both shiro and allura, and lotor and allura. zarkon is the black paladin (like shiro) and the galra emperor (that lotor eventually becomes). haggar is an altean alchemist, and it’s her madness that causes the fall. zarkon does whatever he has to in order to save her, but she’s also the one who makes him go that far in the first place, in terms of motivation. and if zarkon had just been the black paladin, but not also the emperor, his world wouldn’t have fallen to such disarray because he wouldn’t have had the authority to allow haggar’s work to continue; another ruler may have stepped in and stopped it. so both aspects of zarkon’s power and identity are part of his, his love’s, and the universe’s downfall.

and then you have lotor and allura, who’s a galra emperor and an altean alchemist. and while lotor follows in his mother’s footsteps in many ways, through going mad over the search for quintessence, it also goes to show the fundamental difference between lotor’s relationship with the woman he ‘loves,’ as opposed to zaggar and shallura’s more genuine love. because allura is a secondary motivation for lotor. he chooses his obsession and madness over her. and allura isn’t like haggar or zarkon; she doesn’t follow her lover into the madness, and instead leaves and gets out and turns on him as she rightfully should.

so what does allura, and the universe, actually need? shiro. he’s the black paladin, an invert of zarkon, who believes in peace first and always strives to do the right thing. allura again, is the altean alchemist, but she’s made it clear that she’s not like haggar, and shiro has made it clear he’s not like zarkon. of course he’ll still risk voltron for her, but he’ll never give into the madness despite it occasionally tormenting him. he’ll always come back to himself, he’ll never make her choose, and he will always choose her, who won’t lead him into the madness either. they’re the completion of this circle, of breaking the cycle. they love each other wholeheartedly but also love the universe to not lead it into ruin the way lotor and his parents would have, or did. they’ll heal it, instead. they’re the best of each of their foils, and none of their brutality, and that’s what makes the difference – and makes them perfect for each other, narratively at the very least, but that’s another post, for another day.

And that Shiro and Allura both fulfill what the other needs most: [X]

allura needs devotion, and loyalty. it’s loyalty to her father and what voltron could be that inspires her to work. it’s loyalty to ideals and it’s loyalty that causes the paladins to follow her. it’s loyalty she needs from the coalition and the blade, in order to win the war. and shiro is as loyal as they come. he’s the first to follow her out of rooms, hangs back in battles to make sure she’s okay, he risks voltron to rescue her, he refuses to leave her on numerous occasions. people tell him the flat out risks of death and personal destruction that could come from rescuing or staying with her and each time he says that it just doesn’t matter, only she does. he’s right beside her all throughout the latter half of 1x09. he’s right beside her through everything. he never willingly leaves her (outside of a mission, and even then, it’s always with her permission) and when kuron did, that’s how i knew that something really wasn’t right. and while kuron isn’t quite as loyal, he still overall does a pretty good job. allura needs people to want to follow her to the ends of the galaxy, and shiro has never once faltered since day one with, “we’re with you princess.”

and then you have shiro, who i think above all else, needs to be believed in. in s1 he’s terrified that the galra really have turned him a monster, but allura chose and believed in him as black paladin even with what she knew about zarkon, and what shiro himself didn’t. he told her he could make do without a bayard and she believed him. he told her he’d timed the sentry patterns in prison and she believed him. in s2 he doubts his connection to the black lion and wants to choose a successor, just in case. but allura never stops believing and reaffirming as the black paladin. she believes and trusts him about ulaz, even when keith and the rest of the team doesn’t. keith doubts shiro’s pick of him as a successor and allura never does even when the rest of the team is surprised or against it (mostly lance) and immediately congratulates him because it’s what shiro wanted, isn’t it? we only see allura doubt shiro once when it isn’t even shiro and we see how much it troubles her, and when kuron turns and attacks the team allura still doesn’t blame him and believes that there’s another explanation, that she’s all fault.

It’s made even more obvious in s6 when it is proven that Shiro is everything Lotor is not, and values Allura as a person and a friend, not just for what she can do for him or bring to his cause.

VLD gets its slowburn romance, the narrative is fulfilled, Shiro and Allura need only a few nudges of development with other after the foundation of s1 and s2 (but also season one to six) were set down, and get to be the rightful power couple of the universe, everyone else’s development on some basic level by default follows suit, and bam, everyone is happy.

That, of course, is the opposite of what VLD s7 has done, however.

So Where do we go from here? (aka can vld be fixed?)

Simply put? Nowhere.

No matter what season eight does (even if it makes Shiro permanent BP) it will not be enough to rectify all of the damage done by season seven. S7 broke the story largely beyond repair in just about every way, and with everything else that needs to be resolved in season eight, there is no way they’d had enough time to do everything that should have been done over an entire third (or twenty-six episodes) of the show. The remaining thirteen are already going to have to put up with a lot of bullshit, and I know there are still ways the final season, while I’m not watching it, can piss me off (Allura staying on Earth with Lance, Allura dying, Shiro staying on Earth, canon Allur@nce, etc). The fact that three of those four things have to do with Allura shows the damage done to Shiro in season seven: he was very little further down he can fall than what he was already stripped of over the course of thirteen episodes, and the immense ableism and racism that came to a head in the worst way, in addition to VLD contributing to a very homophobic trope.

What we can do is look at VLD through as critical an eye as possible to ensure that not only bad, but harmful storytelling, doesn’t happen in the future.

All we can do is write and support Shiros and Alluras who do get what they deserve. And I believe that somehow, that’ll be enough.

But yeah: here’s (most of the reasons) why a Shallura was the necessary thread that kept VLD from unravelling completely. If you’ve made it all the way to the end of this, thank you. If you’re interested in seeing a well written VLD that treats Shallura and its characters right, check out my sideblog over at @voltron-fix-it-fic. All the issues here are fixed and addressed because a focus on Shallura, whether romantic or platonic (but lbr, it’s strongest romantically) is the key to the success of anything related to VLD.

To those who still love these characters, and are finding joy in their own fanon and ideas, I salute you. It’s what we all need.

And, at last, Dragons out.

#shallura #vld critical #on every front bc oh look... shallura was crucial to every aspect of the show :)) lovely #analysis series #analysis #mine #s7 salt #dragons gets salty

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