#except you know ships with shiro x paladins

[kismetconstellations]

I found this Reddit thread, the other day, and got a good chuckle out of this particular response:

And, while Shiro having this sort of raw, incontestable, and unmatched power makes him a True Underappreciated Icon, it also stands as the loudest, most glaring testament to the Voltron: Legendary Defender showrunners not knowing what they were doing.

Basic Writing 101 would suggest that, if you intend to kill an important character off, you don't not only open your series on them, but continue to spotlight them as completely intrinsic to, and inextricable from your still ongoing narrative.

Obi-Wan Kenobi's death impacts Luke Skywalker, but doesn't cause the entire story of the original Star Wars trilogy to fall apart.

When Gandalf appears to die in The Fellowship of the Ring, his absence is felt, and impossible to ignore, but the journey of the other main characters continues, nevertheless, and his revival in The Two Towers only aids the narrative's progression, rather than derailing it.

This is due both to Obi-Wan Kenobi and Gandalf not being the central characters of these stories, and George Lucas and J.R.R. Tolkien knowing exactly what stories they intended to tell. And, not just competently tell them, but tell them in ways that have touched and continue to inspire generations of storytellers and story-enjoyers, alike.

The crew behind Voltron: Legendary Defender, however, seemed to have no idea what story they were trying to tell, to begin with, let alone how to tell it.

On its surface, this is a mecha cartoon series about four teenagers and one adult from Earth who find themselves jetted into space to, under the guidance of an alien princess and her quirky advisor, pilot giant robot lions that combine into an even bigger humanoid robot, and fight to free the universe from the tyranny of an evil alien empire. It's packaged as an ensemble show, in the vein of Teen Titans, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, Justice League, most X-Men cartoon series, and so on. Thus, it can be presumed that no one character on the team is more important than any of the others.

While an attempt is, indeed, made to give each of the seven members of Team Voltron their own internal and external conflicts and days in the sun (with the exception of poor Coran, who exists primarily for comic relief, and viewers are scarcely given insight into anything beyond his quirky anecdotes, eccentric mannerisms, and fear of losing Allura), Shiro is overwhelmingly given the most emotional pathos and narrative significance.

The series opens on his abduction and imprisonment.

His escape from Zarkon's ship and recapture by the Galaxy Garrison is the impetus that launches the plot, and brings the five pilots of Voltron together.

He's specifically singled out as the de facto leader of Voltron, and given the most significant role of Paladin of its largest lion, and decisive head.

He has personal ties to all three of the major villains of the first two seasons as a direct victim of their cruelty, and as the series continues, this remains a trait exclusive to Shiro, and Shiro alone.

Sendak is Shiro's personal tormentor, something implied as early as the pilot,

and that continues to be emphasized in Sendak's subsequent appearances.

Haggar was responsible for the experiments conducted on Shiro that lead to the amputation of his right arm and its replacement with a weapon, and feels a sense of entitlement to Shiro's body.

It was Zarkon's ship that Shiro was held prisoner on after losing his crew, Zarkon was the previous Black Paladin, and Zarkon's persisting connection to the Black Lion is a conflict that Shiro ultimately elects to resolve on his own, even if it means a hand-to-hand fight to the death.

There are several episodes (Across The Universe, Space Mall) where the younger Paladins, Allura, and Coran are engaged in comedic shenanigans while Shiro is fighting for his life in explicitly high stakes situations.

Shiro's leadership, compassion, selflessness, and heroism are illustrated over and over again for Shiro's sake, and to it drive home for the audience just how incontrovertibly vital he is in the fight to overthrow Zarkon, and restore peace and liberty to the universe.

"Why are you helping me?"

"As a fighter, and a leader, you give hope."

Instead of writing Shiro as one component of a larger story, making his removal from it possible in the right hands, he was written as the heart of that story. Which rendered excising him from it an exercise in futility, as he is integral to every poignant narrative beat. I.E., his bond with Pidge/Katie being one of the major reasons she chooses to stay with the team instead of venturing out on her own to look for her father and brother.

Shiro is, in essence, Voltron: Legendary Defender's equivalent of Leonardo from the 2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series--The emotionally beleaguered, self-sacrificing and scarred (as of the end of the third season and entirety of the fourth, in Leonardo's case) leader, who is by far, the most skilled and experienced fighter, and spiritually advanced member of the team.

Leonardo, too, had personal connections to several of his series's most powerful and imposing recurring villains, with two of them (Karai and the Daimyo's son) hellbent on destroying him, specifically.

There are instances (The Shredder Strikes Back Part 1, and the episodes covering the Battle Nexus Tournament) where Leonardo faces higher stakes in juxtaposition to his brothers' lighter-hearted, more comedic exploits, and he underwent the most intensive character arc; battling feelings of anger, guilt, self-loathing, and PTSD before finally achieving inner piece and returning to his family as a more mature, composed, and even greater leader than he was, before.

What the staff behind Voltron: Legendary Defender effectively did is kill their show's Leonardo and replace him with Raphael (Keith). Then, aggressively backtrack on that decision by bringing in a clone of Leonardo who much, much (roughly four seasons) later turns out to have been an infiltrator created by a character with direct relation (Karai/Haggar) to the Turtles and Splinter's greatest enemy (Shredder/Zarkon) brainwashed to attempt to kill the real Leonardo's loved ones. Only for the clone to be taken out of commission during an emotionally-charged confrontation with Raphael, after which his consciousness is overwritten as the Real Leonardo's lifeforce is magically transferred into his body... Just so the newly resurrected and sorely missed Real Leonardo can mostly stand silently around, be disrespected, and do nothing of significance for the rest of the show.

Anyone with any knowledge of the Ninja Turtles franchise, this particular iteration of it, decent storytelling, or even a lick of common sense would tell you that this move is ill-advised, at best, and a terrible idea destined to crash and burn, at worst. But, these showrunners were, evidently, oblivious to their own poor decision-making and ineptitude, and chose to rip out the stitch that held their messily woven tapestry together, causing it to irreparably unravel right in front of their and their audience's eyes.

And, blaming Shiro for that blind incompetence is exactly like blaming that deliberately torn stitch.

[xjulixred45x]

The Paladins (+Lotor and Allura) x Komori!Reader.

reader: feminine

Genre: Headcannons

Warnings: nothing worrisome. fluff.

Shiro

And he knows you is like "PROTECT AT ALL COSTS"

chances are they saved you from some group of idiots with bad intentions. So Shiro is a good listener after that. you stay with them because well, there is not much choice.

Cleaning up the castle a bit, cooking with Hunk, making sure everyone is well fed and happy, you pretty much become a space mom.

And Shiro is the space father.

Try to help you reach things on the high shelves. Although he finds it cute, he himself will lower things from the high wings to avoid future accidents.

He is not very sweet but he will eat everything you cook.

Yui is about 1.58 and Shiro is more or less 1.80, HUGS WOULD BE FANTASTIC.

He is by far the most gentle of all. Understand that having that attitude all the time can be a great mental drain, so if you need a break or be the one to take care of for a while. Count on him.

Saying how he appreciates how you raise the morale of the group in your own way .

It's too cute, I can't-

Keith

It is the most difficult by far, but not impossible (especially with your attitude).

At first he saw you more as a victim, a poor soul in a way. I didn't expect you to be so...lively afterwards.

See how, despite everything, you continued to be happy, cheering everyone on-CHEERING HIM, taking care of him, worrying about everyone...

It made me see you more as a survivor than a victim.

It made him respect you for handling the situation like that. At the same time he began to show more interest, in a way.

Similar to Shiro, he shows his appreciation to you for acts of service. Not only helping with the heavy stuff, but also being the first to jump in front of you if there's an attack on the castle.

Again, he doesn't have a sweet tooth, but if you ask him to try something for dinner, he'll pretend to grudgingly if he does.

When they move into some sort of relationship, not much changes, except that it's more open and the protection kicks in.

If Keith gets mad at something or someone(coughcofLANCEcofcough) he will go straight to you to vent, this is especially true when he becomes the black lion pilot. You want to know if what you are saying is valid or if you are getting carried away.

You are by far the most trusted person on the ship (along with Shiro).

Lance

Lance is the one who falls the fastest, and falls HARD

Make it very clear to him when he wants something with you, but not in the same way as when he is casually flirting with someone. They are like a little more personal questions, you know if he can have something with you.

Lance misses life on earth a lot, it is a fact, that you want to take care of him, listen to his problems and assure him that he is not the "seventh wheel" of the group means A LOT to him.

Also since you don't invalidate his concerns and contrast them with real, positive facts about him, he doesn't have to be the clown of the group to be able to talk to you.

That's probably why he fell in love so quickly.

Chivalrous ASF, opening the doors, giving up the seat, helping with heavy things that he can barely carry, etc.

There's also a bit of insecurity about dating you, he's full of doubts about whether he's really enough for you, comparing himself to the other paladins in the party. Although you shut it up immediately because you know it's true.

Cuddly! Lots of hugs and kisses on the cheeks. Especially if you did something like cook for the WHOLE group or just walked a healthy line between helping everyone and helping yourself.

He definitely wants to introduce you to his family (especially if you don't have one of your own)! He assures you that they will receive you and love you just as much as they love you!

TOO CUTE I CAN'T-

Hunk

! kitchen companions!

Both can spend hours and hours exchanging recipes, telling cooking stories, experiences, etc. and never get bored.

They have something like a system to be able to make meals between the two of them so as not to overload the other with work. eg, you the desserts, the dinner, you the dinner, the desserts, miti miti, etc.

They taste each other's food 🥺

Hunk is also considered the most morale booster in a certain way, so under no circumstances will he let you feel bad or inferior to them just for not being a paladin! You help in many other ways!

Hunk is also considered the most morale booster in a certain way, so under no circumstances will he let you feel bad or inferior to them just for not being a paladin! You help in many other ways!

It's the best shoulder to cry on if things get too tense or if you just can't keep happy for once, that's okay.

similar to Lance, he wants to introduce you to his family, his parents more than anything, he knows that children naturally love you, but it is very IMPORTANT that their parents approve of you.

Needless to say, you have it around your finger ;).

Pidge(romantic/platonic)

She's used to being the one the group cares about most as the youngest, so your joining is a breath of fresh air.

Don't get her wrong, Paladins respect her, but not in the same way that YOU respect her. You still see her as a child, but you also recognize her brilliant mind and trust her to protect you.

You are very aware of her, whether it is for her to bathe, remember to eat, sleep long enough, etc. You remind him a lot of a mother hen.

She may seem upset about this at first, but it's really because you remind her of her own mother, which makes her nostalgic and somewhat sad.

But he quickly gets over it because he KNOWS you're doing it with their best interests in mind.

Love your food, really love it, especially if it tastes like peanuts.

If he gets in trouble with Lance or any of the Paladins, he goes and hides behind you, like a little kid with an evil grin.

Damn gremlin.

Allura

Girls' nights Girls' nights Girls' nights Girls' nights Girls' nights-

They become friends very quickly! She gets along very well with paladins, yes, but with you it's a whole new level.

I doubt Allura has ever been attracted to a woman, so when she starts to see you differently, she doesn't know what to do or whether to act "normal."

I'll probably even go to the other paladins for advice because lance and Koran don't help much.

I think she is the one who tries the most to hide this crush, more because she wants to give the image of a confident and determined leader, she wants to take the courage to say it.

And when she says it, she also gets nervous and somewhat clumsy. But adorable.

PROTECC will not hesitate to use brute force if you put yourself in danger.

Protective, even worse than Keith.

Afternoons of hair care with the space mice (seriously LOOK AT HER BEAUTIFUL HAIR).

Lotor

Let's be honest, you probably met him when he was held prisoner by the paladins and he had some degree of appreciation for you at first.

But then you started to worry about him (maybe because he reminded you of yourself when you were saved by the paladins) and you couldn't leave it like that.

So, for the sake of his mental health and your peace of mind, you made sure he was…comfortable in a way.

The Paladins+ Allura OBVIOUSLY didn't want you to do them, but there was little they could do to stop you.

You brought him food, water, things to entertain himself, blankets in case it was cold, you tried to make small talk, etc.

At first he just thought it was out of pity, so he rejected you the first few times.

But he realized pretty quickly that it was more like... empathy. you felt identified with him. So he wasn't so rude to you and started to appreciate that, you treated him like a living being regardless of his race. he likes you

When they let him walk through the castle of lions, he will most likely thank you for the good treatment compared to how the paladins saw him.

Try to "thank" you in other ways, mainly helping you out when the other paladins aren't around or can't handle it, learning a little more about human culture, and generally speaking more generally to pass the time.

If Allura and Keith were bad with overprotection, Lotor is that squared. Now that he appreciates you, there is no escaping affection.

Also, Lotor is TALL, even taller than Shiro, he could easily throw you over his shoulder and not even break a sweat.

He just can't help but find your human being too ADORABLE.

Sorry I couldn't think of much more for this part :')

[verdantmeadows]

Ranking the VLD ships I know!

Warning for a "hated" tier, if you know you have a Voltron ship that upsets you to see it hated by someone, don't read this! Nothing on here is personal towards anyone and their ship tastes, this is just what I like.

I'm only on Season 2 Episode 8 and this is my first time watching Voltron! No spoilers please! Everything is romantically shipped except in the "love it nonromantically" tier.

OTP and actively ship it: Klance OTP for character: Shiro x Adam, Hunk x Shay Love: Coran x Shiro, Slav x Shiro Like: Matt x Shiro, Alfor x Coran Love it nonromantically, i.e., familially or platonically--the relationship is just important to me: Shallura (platonic), Allurance (platonic), Coran & Allura (familial), Coran & the Paladins (familial/platonic), all the Paladins with each other (familial/platonic), Sheith (familial), Shance (familial/platonic), Allura & the Paladins (familial/platonic), Hance (platonic), Shaladin (familial/platonic) Dislike: Allurance, Pidge x anyone (I headcanon him as aro)

Hate: Allura x anyone (due to her ambiguous age/I headcanon her as aroace), Shaladin, Sheith, anything I listed as familial in the "love it nonromantically" section, any ships with Keith that aren't with Lance, any ships with Lance that aren't with Keith

[chaoticevilbean]

Four In One : Chapter Three

Training went extremely well for the teens, though Shiro seemed to be slowly losing the will to live and Allura was confused at some of the more... interesting conversations that occurred. Coran wasn't there, busy keeping the ship running smoothly. Only one incident occurred, and that was when Keith underestimated how big Lance's steps were in the invisible maze and he walked right into a wall. After that, Keith was far more careful with his directions and began instructing Lance to slide his foot forward until told to stop, then move to stand in that spot.

Allura called for a break somewhere after Lance won his fourteenth game of lasertag, which was being used as "long-range training". Pidge told Shiro that it was really just a game of "see how long it takes for Lance to find you" after his third win in twelve doboshes. Apparently, flying made you an easy target, but so was having wings out at all, and hiding in one place made it easier for Lance to aim, but moving around made you stand out. The last game, Shiro was out in twenty-six ticks for taking to the skies and trying to shoot everyone down as fast as possible (Lance technically got the shot, but Shiro was out of it for a few doboshes because of the four lasers that hit his chest). Pidge snuck up on Hunk and hit him, but Lance had been scoping his best friend out as well and seen her, and took his opportunity to strike after she shot. Keith almost won, but Lance was actually just luring him in. The emo was supposedly too loud.

"Time for lunch, pala-"

"Lance, drop the gun! I will tase you!" Pidge interrupted Allura in order to rush out of the training room, with Hunk and Keith in tow. Space Dad™ was once again sacrificed for the greater good, otherwise known as the teens' benefit. Allura ignored Shiro's pleas for help and Lance, who was bearing down on his prey with a slightly manic grin in place, instead making a beeline for the kitchen.

Lance strolled in ten doboshes late, whistling a tune as he made himself a plate of pink and orange food goo that looked like bunch of Twixx yogurt. Shiro limped in after him a few ticks later, a haunted look in his eyes. The other humans ignored him, continuing to discuss where the f-bombs would go if they were used in the Lord of the Rings series, Extended Edition. Coran seemed intrigued as to what the story was about, especially since Alteans apparently are just like Elves. Allura was looking between Lance, who had joined in the conversation as soon as he sat down; Shiro, who was eating seemingly out of habit alone; and the rest of them, who were acting as if this was all normal.

Just to be clear, it wasn't.

Lunch came and went rather quickly, though Shiro took his time to finish, knowing that as soon as the group went to the training room, they would finish long-range practice. AKA Lance's dominion. AKA the time to say your prayers, write your will and die. But Coran's stern gaze kept him from taking too long, so the team was back in the hallways in under a varga.

"Alright," Shiro called out as soon as the final game ended. Pidge looked at him from where she had collapsed dramatically on the floor, relieved that they were done. Hunk and Keith both audibly sighed from their own 'death' spots, Lance's gun still trained on Hunk's chest. "Since we seem to be getting better, it's time for close-range fighting. Grab your weapons and we'll get the ring set up. Don't forget your new armor."

The teens rushed to grab their new weapons, those that had them. Coran had adjusted their armor's settings so they could switch to outfits that better fit close-range combat. With glee, each kid pressed the buttons to change.

Keith's armor became light, scale-like plates, layered on his shoulders and chest and back. His legs had similar plating but with smaller pieces. Armguards spread from just below his wrists to just before his elbows, scale-looking as well, but elongated and with more pointed ends near his elbows. His wrist guards connected to fingerless gloves and the armguards with more flexible material, something a bit like leather. The boots were sturdy, with thick soles and protected toes. All of the materials were colored to accentuate Keith's red-hued wings and were smooth despite the plating.

Hunk's armor was much thicker, meant for protection and strength. The chestplate was thick, covering his back, front, shoulders, and a little more on the edges. His legs were fully covered in only slightly lighter pieces, and his arms matched. The boots were thick and stocky, with grooves and near minuscule spikes to allow for better grounding. The armor looked like stone, brown except for a few gold and light brown highlights. Small spikes protruded from the shoulders, elbows and knees, an extra and probably unneeded defense.

Pidge's was far lighter than the others. Varying shades of green, made for quiet movement and small spaces, the material provided padding on the joints and chest. The gloves fit perfectly to her hands, thin enough for full movement but thick enough to give her some protection from sharp objects and heat. Her boots were padded on the sole, but as light as the rest of her armor. All of the greens were arranged in such a way it looked like the shadows of some foliage.

Shiro's armor was befitting his leadership status, black and white and gold. It looked like a modern version of what ancient knights wore on Earth, complete with a gold-embroidered black cape. The armor fit Shiro perfectly conforming to him easily despite the metallic material. A few spikes were strategically placed along his left arm, and his metal one was without any armor at all, though Pidge quickly began babbling about making an upgrade on the tech so it would match the color scheme at least.

Lance's armor was the one that gave them all pause, Pidge even stopping in her talk to stare at the change.

A cape of cerulean hung from his shoulders, attached to two straps that crossed in an X over his chest. Bands of a flexible blue metal wrapped around his biceps and forearms. Small rings of the same metal clung to his knuckles, slim-fitting. A thin material of an almost clear creamy color connected the bands and rings, patterned with small scales by light blue lines. Dark blue trousers cut off at halfway up his calves, the waistline melding seamlessly into the straps on his chest with a belt of chains sewn in to avoid jangling. No shoes formed on his feet; instead, there were bands on his ankles and toes, with the connecting fabric the same as on his arms.

"Where's your armor, Lance," Hunk asked, moving around his friend in a circle as if there would be more to the outfit when he did. Lance was just as shocked as the others, though one look at Coran's knowing smile and he could guess the reason behind his sparse clothing. Two down, five to go. Coran knows all.

"Um, Coran, are you sure this is a good idea?" Shiro looked at the Altean in concern. All of the outfits were both stylish and functional, but to those who didn't know what Lance's wings looked like, the Blue Paladin's armor was severely lacking in the functional department.

"Of course, Number One," Coran chirped, turning on his heel to swiftly walk over to the control room. "I'll start on simple simulation as a warm-up, and we'll go from there!" The words left no room for argument, and they all rushed to put on their helmets. Matching their armor patterns, Keith's was shaped to seem like a dragon's head, covering all of his head except his face. A thin transparent screen that was shaped like a small flame extended over his right eye, meant for transmissions. Hunk's helmet was similiar, though a bit thicker on the top and looked like a mass of stone and rubble mashed together. The screen was for him was shaped like a clip-art mountain. Pidge's helmet was a wreath of cording, wrapping around her forehead and clipping to her ears. The vine-like green pulled her hair out of her face, and a leaf displayed information. The back of her head had a bit more covering, 'leaves' adding protective surface area. Shiro's was as traditional as the rest of his armor, the helmet's visor was modernized with high-tech eye pieces that shined gold. Lance's helmet was more like a crown, a band of the blue metal on his arms encircling his forehead under his hairline. The scale-patterned fabric hung down in strips on either side of his eyes and all around his head, connecting with another band that Lance clipped on around his throat. A teardrop-shaped screen hung down from the top band, directly in front of his eye and looking almost like a jewel.

The simulation started quickly, a few gladiators rising from the floor. Most of them had swords, though a few had simple guns to test how well they could take down a long-range opponent via close-range attack. Shiro, Keith and Pidge had their regular weapons, while Hunk and Lance's bayards shifted the moment they switched to their armor to close-range. Hunk had a large club, meant to cater to his strength. Lance had a rapier, the blade perfectly weighted to his hands and light-weight to provide speed.

The team lunged forward instantly, taking down the gladiators with ease. The next level started once they finished, not giving them a breather. Shields were activated and deactivated as they attacked and protected each other. Lance noticed that the group was gravitating towards him as the levels passed, due to his armor, or lack thereof. As much as the sentiment was nice, he knew that they needed to stop and spread themselves out equally. He needed a plan to show them he would be okay, and when a large group of opponents rose a little ways away from the others, but close enough to him, he struck. With a large warcry, Lance charged forward, drawing the attention of everyone on the field. Ignoring the worried calls of his Space Flock, the teen cut through the gladiators, dodging their retaliating blows with his flexibility.

"Are you guys gonna fight like we did before or are you gonna keep worrying about my lack of safety? Cuz I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure I hold the record for most injuries regardless of attire!" Lance teased the others as he finished off the last two in the group, receiving only a small cut on his upper arm. He wouldn't even need a bandage. Hunk caught on first, slipping back into their normal routine easily. Pidge, Shiro and Keith promptly followed, Lance rejoining the team's formation.

Falling into the rhythm of battle was simple and effortless, and Lance found himself moving solely out of muscle memory as the robots used the Galra tactics they were programmed with.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Lance was nervous to finally join the Garrison. He was able to find his dorm room easily and had unpacked in a matter of minutes. Now, he simply waited for his roommate to arrive. Malosi Garrett was the other name on the little plaque, and Lance had been bored enough to translate the name. Apparently, Malosi was 'strong' in Samoan, but that told him little about the boy he was going to share a living space with. Was he called strong because he was bold, or because he was physically strong, or something else entirely?

The questions ground to a halt as the door suddenly opened, a large bag the first thing Lance saw. Right after it was a boy with a yellow headband and dark skin, broad-shouldered and tall.

"Oh, hi!" The boy hastily dropped his bags onto his bed, turning to face his roommate just as fast. "I'm Malosi Garrett! It's nice to meet you! Well, I mean we technically haven't met yet because I don't know your name, but I think this counts as meeting. Sorry if I'm rambling, you probably think I'm a dork. I'll just get to work on unpacking." Words tumbled from Malosi's mouth faster than water through a strainer. Lance was struck by how low this dude's self-confidence was and how much he reminded Lance of his brother Marco. He chuckled softly to himself, before standing and walking leisurely over to Malosi.

"Anything I can do to help, mi hermano?" Malosi looked over at him, and a beam was quick to overtake his features.

"Sure thing," he said, and that was that. The two of them finished unpacking after longer than Lance had taken, but less time than it would've taken Malosi alone. He had brought a lot of recipes and scraps of projects and medication for his anxiety. It was almost noon when they were done, and both of them decided to wait a bit before using the communal kitchen that they shared with three other rooms to make lunch.

"Thanks for helping me," Malosi told his new friend, pulling his phone out and staring at the screen, though his eyes frequently glanced back at Lance.

"No problem, mi hermano," Lance assured, using his new title for the other teen.

"But it wasn't 'no problem'," Malosi challenged. "It took a lot of time, and you didn't have to do it."

"Where's all this coming from, mi hermano?" Lance inquired. "You're definitely worth any effort, a hunk like yourself."

"I'm no hunk."

"Yes, you are. You're name is literally Strong. You have to be a hunk. It's like, the law or something." Malosi looked up from his phone in surprise.

"You translated my name?"

"I was bored, and I wanted to know what Malosi meant. But now I think I'll call you Hunk, so you know how guapo you are."

"You don't need to do that, loʻu uso," Malosi blushed.

"Too bad, Hunk. You, mi hermano, are no longer allowed to think so lowly of yourself. Confidence is key," Lance chirped to the newly dubbed Hunk. After a moment, Lance added, "What does loʻu uso mean?"

"It means mi hermano," Hunk grinned.

The two were inseparable after that, and Hunk asked Lance to groom his wings after only a week together, around the same time Iverson pulled him aside. Lance assured Hunk that his hidden wings was not distrust, but a different, private reason, and quickly suggested his roommate "groom" his hair. Hunk never pushed the subject, taking his friend's word.

Neither of the duo ever judged each other, not even when Hunk said he was going to grow his hair out so he could try braiding it, or when Lance asked his brother in all but blood to help him put on makeup. Their bond never strained or stretched, not over school breaks or when one met someone new and hung out a bit less. Pidge's presence only added to their bond as they both tried to add the other boy to their mini-flock, not that either would admit to doing so.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The last gladiator fell and a small bell sound rang through the arena, drawing Lance from his thoughts. Hunk was the one to swing the final blow, and Lance whooped at his best friend's success.

"¡Bien hecho, Malosi, mi hermano!" Lance crowed, dropping his rapier and jumping on Hunk's back with as much enthusiasm as he could muster, which is to say a lot. Well done, Malosi, my brother! Hunk's arms immediately came up to hold Lance's legs, now giving him a piggyback ride.

"Faʻafetai lava, loʻu uso e! Sa fai sina malie!" Hunk chuckled. Thank you, my brother! It was a little fun!

"Lo fue, ¿no? ¡Y eras muy guapo cuando aplastaste a ese robot!" It was, wasn't it? And you were very handsome when you smashed that robot!

"Anyone want to translate whatever that was?" Pidge butted in, her hand raised like she was a student in a classroom. Hunk smirked at the smaller paladin.

"Lance and I are bilingual and I taught him Samoan and he taught me Spanish, so we sometimes talk to each other in our native language. Usually we're alone, but I guess Lance got excited. Ain't that right, aulelei?"

"Yeah, lo siento, guapo." Lance rubbed his neck sheepishly, before turning to see the even more confuzzled looks of his companions. He sighed before translating. Yeah, I'm sorry, handsome.

"I congratulated Hunk, he said thank you, we said the training was kinda fun, and I told him he looked handsome. Aulelei means beautiful and guapo means handsome. We like calling each other that."

"What about Malosi?" Shiro asked. "That didn't sound like it was Spanish."

"It's not," Hunk confirmed. "My name is Malosi, whi-"

"Hold up, I thought your name was Hunk?" Keith all but cried.

"Yeah, and you thought my name was Taylor because that was my nickname in class," Lance quipped. The silence following caused him to turn once more to look at the Red Paladin, only to see him as red as his title.

"You thought his name was Taylor, didn't you?" Hunk deadpanned. Keith nodded as he stared at the ground. Shiro was attempting to hide his amusement, but Pidge didn't, instead full on cackling.

"But I guess since Lance has pretty much always called me Hunk, it makes sense that most people would think that's my real name," the Samoan continued, as though Lance wasn't currently dying of laughter on his shoulders. "Malosi is my actual name. It means 'strong' in Samoan."

"So you two call each other beautiful, handsome, strong and hunk?" Shiro clarified, brow furrowed. The duo affirmed this, before Hunk jumped back at the two Alteans that were suddenly right beside them.

"What is this Spanish?" Allura asked excitedly. "I thought humans were the only native sentient species on Earth?"

"We are," Lance spoke slowly, "but we have multiple languages because of we have multiple different cultures and countries. I'm from Cuba, so I speak Spanish as my first language, and Hunk is Samoan. The language that we all collectively use is called English, and it's the only one in the universal translator you aliens use. Hunk learned Spanish and a bit of Swedish because he likes IKEA stuff, and I also know Samoan, Italian, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, German, and I'm trying to learn Russian, Altean, and Galran. And maybe Balmeran, if I can get a communication to Shay."

"He's one of those super linguists that learn every language they can and therefore understand most people," Hunk interjected.

"I know Italian, too," Pidge huffed out, still catching her breath from the laughing she did.

"I'm Japanese."

"I know some Korean," Keith inputted, obviously trying to draw away from his younger self's mistake.

"Amazing," Allura breathed. "I didn't know humans were so diverse! And why is it you learned so many languages, Lance?"

"I learned Samoan for Hunk; Italian for Pidge; Korean for Keith; Japanese for Shiro; Chinese for the little Chinese place that's near my house in Cuba with the sweet family running it; German for my friend Sophia; Russian for Dominic, my sister's husband; Altean for Allura and Coran and so I can read some stuff in the library; Galran for Keith and missions; and Balmeran for Shay because we're trying to keep in touch." Lance ticked off the languages, seemingly unaware of the turmoil in all but the Yellow Paladin. The Cuban boy had always learned whatever he could to make his friends feel better, and Hunk had seen it firsthand when Lance had semi-successfully made a traditional dish he had heard his roommate mention when he was homesick. It wasn't the best, but it was enjoyable all the same.

The others had no experience with the Lance that learned his friend's language and made their favorite dishes as best he could and once helped Hunk figure out what his first tattoo was gonna be.

"Lance, I don't even know Galran," Keith mused, still wrapping his head around the fact that he was twice on the list and he was more Texan than Korean or Galran.

"But you're still part Galra, so I want to be prepared for when you learn it or when you need to translate something you find about your heritage."

"I'm done!" Pidge declared, walking away. "I'll be working on some coding before dinner! Come get me when Lance stops being so quiznacking good! First he finds a way to let us groom him, then he shows himself as a self-sacrificial idiot, and now he's somehow learned every language! When will it end?" Pidge kept loudly muttering to herself as she left the room. A few ticks after her absence, the team busted out laughing, Shiro and Keith leaving to shower and Hunk to start on dinner. Lance waited, gesturing for the Alteans to do so as well.

"What did you need, my boy?" Coran queried once the others were definitely out of earshot. Lance hastily closed and locked the training room doors, turning to face the advisor and princess nervously. With a deep breath, Lance pushed his wings out, spreading them just a bit. With the size of his wings, it was still easy to see all four of his wings when he stretched.

"Oh, Lance, those are beautiful," Allura gushed, calmly striding over to his side.

"They are indeed, my boy," Coran marvelled. "I don't fully understand why you would hide them."

"Well, they're impossible," Lance explained, beaming at the praise. "On Earth, some mutations are strange and not as accepted as others. Shiro's scales would be one, though it's rather small so people wouldn't make such a big deal. Pidge's and Hunk's would be considered beautiful more often than not. Keith's would definitely get people in an uproar. Wings like mine would make me an outcast in a tick. My town was accepting of me, and my family never once treated me badly, but I've heard enough stories of people with big mutations getting attacked to risk it."

"So, I take it you're planning on telling the others?"

"Yeah, and I was hoping you could help." The Alteans looked at each other, smiled, and turned back.

"How can we help?"

[faean]

Shiro x Pansexual Male Reader

Rating: PG; Pure, self indulgent fluff.

Word Length: 1,040 words

Title: For You Alone

Author’s Note: I do not specifically state otherwise, so feel free to perceive yourself as human, Altaen, Galran, or whatever you wish. Also, enjoy!

-----

          “You know, there are a lot more comfortable cuddling positions, my love.”

          Takashi only hummed in response, the vibrations rumbling across your chest as he laid atop you, head resting on your chest and his arms holding your sides while yours rested on his hips. He had been like this for a few hours, and you were not complaining. After all, it gave you all the time in the universe to gaze at him.

          Having travelled across the universe, meeting countless different civilizations and cultures, nothing and no one struck you as pure beauty except one man.

          Takashi “Shiro” Shirogane, or Takashi and ‘my love’, to you. You first met him when Voltron saved you and a group you were escorting from the Galra. Admittedly, you two clashed heads at first, considering you were skirting the boundaries of piracy before your time on the Castle Ship. You never exactly stole from anyone, except the Galra, and your services were more Robin Hood-esque. You provided safety during escorts in and out of Galran territory, performed hits on Galran and pirate installations, and made a living salvaging whatever ships and mechs you had to fight. As well as anything valuable just ‘lying around’.

          You actually had quite the reputation, and some even referred to you as the ‘Pirate King’ before you inevitably joined up with Voltron. Your intimate knowledge of trade routes, technology, and cultures made you invaluable, and your unmatched negotiation skills certainly helped you earn your keep, quite literally, too.

          Although, you did feel a little guilty. Not about the borderline piracy, but about the fact that before Takashi, you weren’t at all faithful. You had your fair share of flings with various people around the universe, regardless of gender and species, just because you could (and partially because you didn’t expect to live to see tomorrow). You wish you could go back in time and talk your younger self out of being so promiscuous, but at least it is a sign of growth. And all that matters now, is that you are always by Takashi’s side.

          “(Y/N), you have that look on your face.” He said, a soft smile on his face.

          A light blush dusted your cheeks as you smiled at him, meeting his sharp grey eyes filled with so much love.

          “I was just thinking about when we first met. I am so grateful we fought so much at first, otherwise I would have done something stupid and gotten myself killed. If that had happened, I would never have been able to experience true beauty.”

          Now Takashi blushed, and he buried his face in your chest as he murmured into it, “I almost did something stupid, too.”

          A chuckle escaped your lips as you wrapped your arms around his waist. “My love, that only proves just how oblivious we were. Look on the bright side, we’ve done a lot of incredibly stupid stuff since then… together!”

          You could feel Takashi smile against your chest, and you continued with your speech.

          “Not to mention I get to spend every day blessed by your beauty.” Takashi turned his head up to look at you, his blush deepening as he tried to hide his growing smile (and he almost succeeded, too). “I have seen wonders most people could only hope to dream of. Stars forming and ending, galaxies coming into view as you approach them outside of jumps, planet-sized creatures that baffle the mind, and so many different phenomena that I couldn’t describe as anything but magical. But you? You are beauty, the very definition of it.”

          You leaned forward off the pillows on the bed, Takashi now sitting in your lap as he covered his face to hide his blush. You loved to see him like this, and you were the only person who could make him feel like this.

          The pilot of the Black Lion. Head of Voltron. Leader of the Paladins. A leader who so calmly liberated entire worlds, fought against monsters birthed from the stuff of nightmares, and commanded the attention of anyone and everyone by simply walking into a room.

          And here he was, a blushing mess unraveling as an ex-pirate complimented him.

          “Your lovely grey eyes that I could gaze into for eternity. Those velvety lips that I long for when I miss you.” You took his human hand in your own, nuzzling into it and pressing a kiss to the palm.

          “The warmth of your embrace after a dangerous mission. The alluring sound of your voice when I first awake.” Takashi kept his hand against your cheek as yours went back to his waist, pulling him closer.

          “That reassuring smile you give that makes all my worries melt away. And the attention I need, lest I suffer a painful death.” Takashi couldn’t hold back the soft giggle you elicited, and he moved to wrap his arms around your neck, bringing your foreheads together, his sharp nose tickling your own.

          “Takashi, my love, there is nothing and no one in this universe, or any other universe for that matter, that I am in love with more than I am with you. My heart and soul belong to you and you alone. You alone are the reason I live, and I couldn’t think of a better reason to do so.”

          His blush was all but gone, replaced by a look of pure bliss. He whispered, oh so quietly, “You’re so cheesy.”

          And with that, he closed his eyes before taking your lips in his, a kiss filled with nothing but love and happiness. You were more than willing to kiss back, and you brought Takashi with you as you laid back down in bed, not once breaking the kiss.

          But when you two finally did, Takashi nuzzled into the crook of your neck, humming as he went to sleep. Your arms wrapped around him and his around you, you fell into the most peaceful sleep, the last thing you heard being his humming, and the last thing you felt being his heart beat alongside your own as you drifted off after him. Not once, did either of you break your embrace as you slept.

          And not once, did your hearts stop beating for each other.

-----

          Three down, just seven left. I had so much fun writing this; fluff is amongst one of my favorite genres to write for. Anyway, have a marvelous Pride Month!

[forgotten-daydreamer]

in defense of Allura

Disclaimer: I do not accept any kind of hatred under this post. I expect all readers to act politely toward those who don’t share their opinion, and I expect you to expose your own ideas respectfully. Toxicity is forbidden on my blog. I don't hate any character, and this is just an analysis. Anything that stimulates a mature debate is welcomed, as long as you do it politely. Thank you!

The time has come. Long enough I’ve dwelled upon the choices that the writers of VLD have made, especially in the last seasons: in this post, I’ll focus on the decisions concerning Princess Allura. 

We were introduced to Allura in the pilot of the show, and it only took a few minutes- should I say doboshes?- to understand her overall personality. The Princess stumbled out of the pod, disoriented and confused, and only an instant later- the time necessary to snap out of her groggy state- she defended herself against a possible threat, being Lance in this case: she physically overwhelmed him with only a few rapid moves, her grip on him steady. Everything about her body language and verbal language screamed “strength”, in the following scenes as well. As she remembered about her father’s death, and about her homeplanet Altea being destroyed, the initial shock faded rather rapidly, and in a few instant she recovered from it. This doesn’t mean that if she hadn’t done it she would have been weak, not at all; it means that Allura, being a leader, knew how to put her feelings aside for a better situation, in order to better focus on the mission at hand.

It’s immediately clear to us that she wasn’t minimally interested in Lance’s advances: she considered him as a teammate, and later as a dear friend, but nothing more than that was  shown in the first seasons. When Lance got badly injured, she didn’t seem too worried- though she immediately jumped into action to secure the perimeter. A couple of episodes later, when Lance exited from the healing pod, she spoke to the teen kindly, relieved that he was alright. Yet, this is not a sign of being in love: all of us would be happy if a friend of ours who was at risk was said to be finally out of the woods. 

Allura was very practical, focused on her mission: she wanted to save the universe at all cost. At the beginning, her continuous arguments with the paladins may have given the impression that she was annoying and too strict, but she was simply driven by passion and desire to prove to everyone, herself included, that she could do the right thing for the universe. Though she never made it explicit, it was obvious that Allura cared about the opinion that the others had about her (even when she simply insisted on thanking the Arusians) because she tried to overcome her own insecurities by making herself as useful as possible to the cause. Even when she “just” flew the Castleship, she always offered her support and ideas to improve training, strategies and team bonding. 

Throughout the seasons, we learnt that Allura had the tendency to blame herself, like when she thought that the Galra were tracking the team through her, for example. Allura also threw herself into battle if it meant saving the others, like when she pushed Shiro out of the way and ended up prisoner, or when she saved the Balmera and risked her own health, pushing herself too far to do the right thing and help the innocents that she couldn’t protect during the 10’000 years of absence. So, according to the evidence we had collected in the first seasons, Allura was selfless and caring, despite everything. 

And then, just when we thought we’d seen it all, Allura became the paladin of the Blue Lion of Voltron (I’ll talk about this event in Lance’s p.o.v. in a different post, don’t worry). She was uncertain at first, but ready to dive head-first into the battle, willing to learn and improve her skills. Being an Altean, she immediately connected with Blue, and everything seemed rather easy; though at the beginning her piloting skills weren’t the best, she learnt in the matter of a single episode, and if you don’t consider it quick learning, then I don’t know what it was. Added to that, Allura was also talented, “progressing a lot faster than any of [the other paladins]”, as Lance said some time later.

When Keith confessed his Galra lineage, her attitude towards him was childish, but it was how someone would have normally reacted in a similar situation. People often have a hard time accepting someone that is unwillingly part of a group whose members caused them any harm; it’s one of the principles of racism, and that’s a synonym of ignorance as well. Human minds work like that, because we all tend to associate trauma with a certain group of people, or day, or any other input: it’s despicable, and sadly most people think like that. Luckily for all the Allura stans (me included, though I stan all the main characters of this show) she overcame this issue quickly. What I like about it was that she didn’t brush it off, but she apologised to Keith in person, evidently mortified for her behaviour, and after that she moved past it, accepting her friend and overcoming their differences happily. Mature people apologise, while childish ones pretend that their mistakes didn’t happen: by making amends for her mistake, Allura showed us just how mature she is for a 18/22 year-old (we do not have an official age, so my guess is as good as yours). 

Things seemed to be going well for her: she learnt how to better manipulate quintessence, she gave Keith space when he needed to find Shiro after his mysterious disappearance, she learnt how to better pilot her Lion and so on and so forth. It was all going well, until Lotor’s arrival: then, it all started to go downhill.

Lance became inexplicably obsessed with her again, and at the same time, Lotor slowly  manipulated Allura. Now, I don’t personally like Lotor since he willingly commits genocide for his own purposes, but I will not dwell further on the topic for it’s not my main discourse now.

Lotor tricked the Princess into believing him, she played into his hands, blinded by love. Mind that when I wrote “love”, my left eyebrow rose impossibly high. In fact, Allura had never shown to be interested in love; surely enough, she was romantically (and sexually, apparently) interested in people as we have witnessed, so the possibility of a love interest wasn’t odd at all. It was just sudden. Too sudden, for my personal opinion. 

The problem I have with Lotura (Lotor x Allura, and I specify because I had to google the ship name) is that it’s based on nothing. The team was wholly against Lotor, except for Shiro who was not himself, quite literally. Allura never gave any impression of trusting people easily: not only when Keith said that he was half Galra, but also when Shiro begged her to trust Ulaz. She was hesitant and not happy about having someone she didn’t trust on board. Thus, her sudden burst of trust toward Lotor was odd, especially when it was quite obvious to most of the audience that the Galra prince was not telling the whole truth. I also wish that we got to see more interactions between Pidge and Allura and Hunk and Allura in s6 and beyond, since they rarely talked anymore despite being on the same team. Even Allura’s interactions with Coran were so diminished in number that they looked like complete strangers in the second half of the series, and it hurt. 

I mark this point as the start of Allura’s downfall: from iconic character to mere love interest, which is not wrong at all per se, but it is when any other trait and development is purposefully ignored and forgotten by the writers “for the sake of the story”.

Thankfully, Allura seemed to recover quickly after Lotor’s betrayal (the scene when she flips him like a coin? Priceless), declaring all of her hatred towards the cruelties he’d committed and how he let her down irreparably. One good thing that Lotor did- and I have to admit that it was good-  was that he made Allura discover new abilities and become stronger, powers-wise speaking. Yet, all of this was secondary to her being a love interest with no other apparent purpose. Why do I say this? Because as soon as she got rid of Lotor, she got together with Lance, and to be honest it’s not quite clear to me how or why. 

I can’t deny that when I watched s1, I was an Allurance shipper; I was sixteen, a hopeless goofball who believed in all the clichés. Now, however, I do realize that Lance’s advances were annoying and obnoxious (and he’s my absolute favourite character, so this shows you just how honest I’m being, hopefully), and that I’m so grateful that Allura didn’t give in. At least, she didn’t do it at the beginning. In the last season, however, she fell in love with Lance in a single episode: when he asked her out, she seemed hesitant and only accepted because Romelle pushed her to give it a try. The dinner sequence was where Allura understood that Lance wasn’t the womanizer she thought he was, but I don’t believe that in reality that would have changed anything. You don’t simply fall in love in one evening only because your date’s family tells you that this person isn’t what they seem; in fact, that would worry me even more, personally, because it would mean that my date is a total stranger.

Lance’s “I love you” was not completely uncalled for, but simply very confusing: he seemed to be over her, but he became jealous when Lotor showed up. I tried so hard to see this as a “protective brother/friend” dynamic, but that sentence leaves no space for speculation (again, I’ll talk about Lance another time). What shocked me was Allura reaction’s to Lance’s confession.

She’d never looked at him with any kind of romantic interest, and even if some scenes may be seen as such (when she resuscitates him. And proceeds to hide it from the team. Yeah, another huge disastrous plotline), it’s undeniable that the Princess had trust-issues, and for a good reason too. That one time that she went against her team’s choice and trusted Lotor a bit too much, she got used and heartbroken. So why was she suddenly so in love with a boy that she’d always treated as nothing more than a good friend? My answer is: bad writing.

If Allura had shown any romantic interest in Lance for at least three consecutive seasons out of eight- to create a deeper connection- I would have taken it without complaining much. If Lotor hadn’t committed genocide and didn’t proceed to use Allura, I would have accepted Lotura too (friendly reminder that I don’t do ship hate unless ships involve rape, pedophilia and incest. So I’m not hating on Allurance and Lotura, though Lotor is a villain and I don’t like him, but that’s just my opinion). If Allura was allowed to be both strong and romantically interested in anyone, I would have taken it. But especially in s8, the writers erased her personality, turning a bright and iconic character into dating material. It wasn't fair to her nor to Lance, honestly.

The last straw was her sacrifice: Allura died to save the universe and since it was her main goal, I’m okay with it, though it hurt as she’s my second favourite character. What I didn’t like about it was that the villains got a happier ending than she did. Lotor, who committed genocide, got to live happily ever after with his parents, a violent conqueror and an abusive hag who ripped the universe apart to be with her son (I get it, mothers love their kids, but this is far too extreme). And furthermore, Lotor didn’t even like his parents, but still for some reason he was happy to be with them again, maybe because at least he got to spend eternity with someone that loves him despite everything. 

Allura, however, died without saying goodbye to Coran, the man who stayed by her side for all their- but also ours- adventures, the one who believed in her the most and who did everything to protect her. She died without getting a last look at the universe she left behind, at the people who weren’t there in her final moments but that cared for her and vice versa (Shay, Romelle, even Krolia. Even the mice, Kalternecker and Cosmo, really). Each character had about a half a minute to say their goodbyes, except for Lance, whose goodbye was the longest but also the least impactful, in my opinion. The writers played too much with the dramatic idea of it and the result was sloppy- as much as I love dramatic scenes, this was purposeless. 

Allura’s last act of kindness- as if saving the whole universe and every existing reality wasn’t enough- was gifting Lance with the Marks of the Chosen. Though, I’m not sure how to interpret it. In a fic I recently wrote, I theorised that “Allura gave you [Lance] these marks because she knew that you had greatness within, and they can actively remind you of it in your darkest moments [...]”. Of course, I’m far from sure that this is the real reason. My question is, was there even a real reason, or did Allura give him the Marks for dramatic purposes? If so, I’m glad that it wasn’t confirmed officially, because at least we get to make our own theories that surely are more satisfying than “we wanted fans to cry more”. Still, I see those marks as scars, and I will talk about it thoroughly in Lance’s analysis. 

In conclusion, I don’t think that Allura was bad at all. I think that, in the end, she was simply badly written, which is entirely different.

s1-s5 Allura was a strong, compassionate, empowering, trustworthy, bright, lovable and fun character and for that, she deserved a better- much better- ending. She’ll always be in my heart, and I hope that future reboots will treat her right. 

I will always remember Allura dearly. As Coran said in the final episode, “Just around this table I see so many lives touched by her actions. For some of us, she was a diplomat, a teacher, a leader, and a friend. But to those of us around this table, she will always be family”. Raising an imaginary glass, I just want to say... “To Allura”.

[angels17324]

The Violet Paladin (Keith x Reader) Ch. 15

Hows quarantine treating everyone? I know I don’t have to explain myself on not posting but guys I want you to know I am a health care worker I’ve been at work for almost 10 hours a day everyday for the last two weeks on both days and nights. So I love you all I know I am trying to keep writing but its hard. Guys if you don’t need to go out please don’t stay home find some new fics to binge read or shows to obsess over I don’t want to lose anyone to this virus.  Word Count:   Update Schedule: Unknown (Im gonna try and set myself a goal of updating on  Wednesdays call me out if I forget guys!!) [Masterlist] [Prev] 

When I got back on the castle I learned that Shiro would be in one of the healing pods for a while. I still hadn’t told them anything about what happened, but I’d rather tell them at the same time then one by one. We were all in the healing bay watching Shiro.

“Is he okay?” Hunk asked when we heard Shiro groaning. 

“Sometimes the healing process causes involuntary brain waves,” Allura explained. 

“It looks like he’s having a bad dream,” Hunk mumbled. 

“He just got blasted by a space witch and mauled by giant lizards, what dream could be worse than that?” Keith asked. We all waited for a short while longer before he started to wake up. We had all gathered closer and smiled at him when he opened his eyes. He told us about having a dream of a Galra soldier helping him and some coordinates in his arm. 

We waited for Shiro to get dressed before walking down to the green lions hanger. Lance was filling Shiro in on what had happened with him and Hunk and Mermaids? I wasn’t really sure, I was just thankful the attention wasn’t on me, I don’t even know how I’m going to tell them. 

“(Y/n)?” I heard Hunk called out. 

“Huh?” I looked to see everyone was staring at me. 

“You were kind of zoned out there,” Lance looked me. 

“Oh…” I breathed. 

“You know you’ve been acting really weird since you got back, you’re the only person who never shared what happened while we were all separated,” Pidge crossed her arms. 

I sighed, I was going to have to tell them sooner or later and I might as well just get it over with, “I don’t really even know where to start,” I stated. “A lot happened honestly,” I guess I should just ease the information in. “Well, I guess I can start with I crashed onto this planet where I was met by a girl who ended up being the planets princess,” I said I wasn’t trying to be vague but I’m still not sure how they will take it. “She ended up taking me to the queen, where I found out I was on the home of the original Violet Paladin, and at first the queen wasn’t very happy learning that I was the new paladin,”

I explained a bit of what I learned like how they had closed of all communication with the rest of the universe, and how the only reason I think they hadn’t been attacked is because in the Archives I learned that they never shared the location of their planet with anyone. Coran shared that not even Alfor or any of the other original paladins had been to the planet and that I was the first ���outsider’ I bite my tongue to hold back from correcting him at least yet. “Okay but none of that explains why you’ve been acting weird,” Pidge said ever observant she is. 

“It might just be easier to show you then tell you.” I pulled out my phone I had snapped a photo of the picture that the Queen showed me and I showed it to the group. 

“It looks like you, but it’s not,” Pidge state. 

“Is this some creepy twin in space thing?” Lance asked. 

“No, how do I put this… it’s true it’s not me, but it’s also not a twin thing… I mean, except the actual picture in this is over 28 years old.” I explained, I could almost see the wheels turning in their heads. “It’s my mom!” I exclaimed not really being able to take it anymore. 

“How!” Pidge was the first to speak up since she was the only person here to ever meet my mom. 

“Wait what?” Lance was the next one to speak up. I explained to them as much as I knew which still wasn’t much other then the fact that she was the queen’s little sister. It felt so much better to have this off my chest. We continued to the hanger to find out what if anything was in Shiro’s arm. The whole way down Lance kept questioning me about everything, I was kind of annoyed but I just ignored him. 

While we were waiting for Pidge to find the coordinates I just kept thinking about everything that's happened. I wonder if my mother would have ever told me about this? And if that was why she was mad that I had joined the garrison.

 Eventually Pidge found the coordinates, but Allura didn’t seem too happy about trusting something from the Galra but we went ahead and used a  wormhole to get to the base. In front of us were these large crystals they were kinda cool. 

“Well this is it. No signs of life, living or otherwise.” Coran said. “I don’t want to bring the castle any closer those xanthorium chucks contain highly unstable nitrate salts even bumping one can blow us straight to Wozblay,” Okay slightly less cool. 

“Are you sure this is right?” Shiro asked. 

“These are the coordinates Number Six gave me.” Coran said.

“Hey! My decryption is solid,” Pidge defended glaring at Coran. 

“We’ve gotta be missing something,” Shiro said. We ended up waiting a few minutes before alarms began blaring. 

“There’s an intruder in the Castle!” Coran shouted. Allura found him on level five. We all suited up and went down. We each began running through the halls to find this guy. Lance was the first to find him. I began to head back towards Lance listening to Corans commentary. Next they ran by Pidge. I soon found him dragging Pidge and being followed by Lance, and I joined following them. 

Then Hunk who somewhat blasted at us. We all chased him but kinda lost him as he ran towards Keith. That was the only good part of Coran’s commentary is we knew where this guy was. By the time Hunk, Lance and I caught up with Keith was quite literally hurled at us knocking the four of us down. 

We watched as Shiro and the guy were at each other’s throats before they both backed down. And that’s when Allura slammed him into the wall. When Shiro explained that the guy was the Galra soldier he’d remembered. 

We eventually had him chained up in our common room. Ulaz was apparently a Galra soldier in this secret underground revolution called the Blade of Marmora. The coordinates we had were actually corrected its just the base was hidden in a space fold. Honestly you could feel the tension between everyone from Allura’s mistrust of Ulaz, to the rest of us kinda being on the same side as her, except Shiro. 

Everyone except Lance, Allura, and Coran took the Red Lion to the base. We learned that they had several members in the ranks of Zarkon’s army including his main ship which is why we got away last time. Pidge asked about her family, which Ulaz agreed to transfer prison data to the castle of lions. 

“What’s that weapon you carry?” Keith asked. 

“It’s a ceremonial blade that each of our members carry,” Ulaz explained. “Oh, nice,” Keith said. Alarms began blaring again. We opened a screen to see another one of those stupid robeasts, but how did it find us this time? Before we left, Ulaz gave Shiro coordinates. Allura blamed Ulaz for us being found, but this time I think I agree with Shiro I don’t think Ulaz told Zarkon we were here. 

We waited in our lions but soon the fight was on. But this thing was nearly impossible to beat, it sucked in the crystals before blasting us, or it tried to suck us in. Ulaz left after the base was revealed… maybe he’s not one of the good guys. No time for that though as the beast tried to suck in the castle. We managed to stop that, but our plan to blow it up after didn’t work. It tried to suck us in again. 

“I’m going to take this down from the inside!” We heard Ulaz call. 

“No let us handle this!” Shiro tried. 

“Voltron is too important,” was the last thing he said to us before he flew into the beasts mouth, just as we thought it didn’t work it started to fold in on itself. He opened a space pocket inside the beast.

When we returned to the castle no one seemed in too high of spirits. I decided to walk around for a bit too maybe clear my head. So much has happened in the last couple of days its been a lot to process. Honestly, how long had it been since we’d left earth? It didn’t seem like that long but there was no day in night in space, we had a schedule but it was more like we slept for a few hours and we stayed up until we were ready to pass out. 

I finally decided maybe going to bed would be the best option right now to clear my mind. I slowly walked down the hall being quiet because I’m sure everyone else is probably trying to sleep now. I was almost to my room when I noticed Keith in front of my door. 

“You need something?” I asked. 

“Oh yeah, I just wanted to talk,” He said.

“About?” I wondered what he wanted to talk about. 

“A few things actually,” He said. “Would you mind if we went in my room for a minute?” I blushed a bit at the request but nodded I did tell him we could talk if he ever needed to. We went to his room. We both sat on his bed. 

“Alright what’s up? I’m not the only one who’s been acting kind of weird lately you’ve gotten more reckless,” I said noting his behavior from the last few days? Weeks? But it was more than that almost like he was also being protective. “Remember that sword Ulaz had?” He asked.

“Yeah, you seemed pretty interested in it,” 

“Well it’s because of this,” Keith pulled out a dagger from under his pillow, it had a weird marking, kinda like Ulaz. 

“Where or how’d you get it if you don’t mind my asking?” I looked at him. “I’ve kind of always had it, I thought it was weird but now it's even weirder because the marking is similar to Ulaz,” Keith explained. “That means the Galra were on earth at some point,” 

“But Ulaz also did say that only the Blades of Marmora had them,” I said. “And I’d reason that if my mom and possibly my dad made it to earth without being detected by the garrison then who’s to say someone else couldn’t? And for all we know, maybe it was imbedded in a meteorite or something and your parents found it and thought it was cool,” 

“You might be right,” He smiled a bit. 

“What else do you want to talk about?” I asked. I could tell there was something else, we didn’t know about the Blades until today so he hasn’t been acting weird because of that. 

“Oh, well, how do I put this…” He said looking down. 

“Keith-” I was cut off, I was so shocked Keith was kissing me! 

[Next]

Tag list~ (if you’re not tagged please check your settings!) 

@somebodytouchedmysaeran @ittie-bittie-tittie @izabellah816 @zanysouleggstudent @rickxreader1shots @chewymoustachio

[disneygirl2202]

I Need You More (Keith x Shirogane! reader)

Requested?: No 

Warning!!!!: Reader looses dominant arm, if that will affect you, please be careful reading this...

Your P.O.V.

You look around (Y/C) Lion as you are dodging all of the Galra’s blast. You growl as one of the rays barely misses your lion as you reach the ship that you need to get onto. 

“I’m going in.” You start 

“Be careful Y/N, it’s only you. You’re going to have to improvise quite a bit.” Shiro says

“When am I not careful?” You ask 

You hear the others as the chuckle and you head towards the command center of the ship. 

“What exactly am I looking for here?” You ask 

“Anything that can help us find out where they are going to attack next.” Coran says 

You begin to type away on the control console. You were too focused that you don’t even hear the door open. The next thing you know, you’re being thrown into the wall next to you. 

“Well crap.” You laugh 

“Y/N/N, what’s going on?” Lance asks 

“Just been found.” You say as you get up, your bayard in your hand and ready to go “Just got to take care of this then I should be ready for extraction.” 

You look at the Galra commander and go to attack when he just hits your gut and sends you flying again. You let out a slight groan as you hit your head on the wall. 

“How are you coming in there Y/N?” Shiro asks 

“I have the information. Just give me a few more minutes.” You tell your brother 

You look at the commander as you laugh and get back up to fight as they laugh and watch you with amusement in their eyes. 

“Think you can beat a Paladin of Voltron that easily?” You ask

“Don’t need to.” He says 

You watch as he throws something at you and it pins you against the wall. You watch as he slowly walks over to you and brings his weapon level with your dominant arm’s shoulder. 

You look at him as you finally process what he is doing. He swings it done and you let out a scream of pure pain out. 

Shiro’s P.O.V. 

“Y/N?!” I yell 

“Shiro, we can cover you. You need to get to Y/N!” Pidge yells 

“How are her vitals looking?” I ask as I turn the Black Lion towards the ship with (Y/C) Lion 

“They aren’t looking too good. Lot of blood loss.” She says 

I growl as I urge the Black Lion to go faster. 

I dodge a few of the fighter pilots as they come shooting towards me. I roll around them when a beam hits my lion’s side and sends up flying farther away from the ship. 

“Come on!” I yell 

The Black Lion senses my urgency and speeds up, just crashing into the rest of the ships as I can hear Y/N gasping for air on her side of the comms. 

“I’m coming Y/N. Just hang on.” I say 

I land on the ship and head through the same way that Y/N entered the ship. I look around until I see the command center and I run to where I can see the room. I look around and see Y/N pinned against the wall, a pool of blood around her.

“They cut off her dominant arm.” I yell into the comms “Coran, we’re going to need a healing pod!” 

I run over to her and throw whatever is pinning her across the room and I look at her as she looks at me and slowly closes her eyes. 

“Hey, no going to sleep.” I say 

“I’m sorry that I wasn’t strong enough.” She says 

“Hey, there is nothing to be sorry about. You weren’t supposed to do this alone.” I say 

I pick her up and fly us both towards the Black Lion and fly us back towards the Castle of Lions. I look back at see (Y/C) Lion following us. 

-~- 

I look as Y/N is asleep in the healing pod. I rub my eyes as I slowly stand up, looking over at Coran. 

“You should get some sleep.” He says “Y/N wouldn’t want this for you.” 

“I know. But hopefully Keith gets back today because I need to talk to him.” I start 

“Don’t go too hard on the kid.” Coran says “He thought he was going to be back in time.” 

“Yeah, but look where that got Y/N.” I say 

I look back at Y/N as she looks so helpless. 

“I made a promise that nothing would happen to her.” I start 

“You guys are both Paladins. It comes with the job.” Coran says 

I sigh as I look at the ground then over at Coran, running my hand through my hair. 

“I guess you’re right.” I say 

“Go get some rest. I’ll let you know if anything else changes.” He says 

I nod as I walk out, heading towards the lounge. 

Keith’s P.O.V. 

I walk onto the ship, looking around for everybody. 

“Maybe I actually got my wish and I can avoid them.” I whisper to myself

“Look who finally decided to show up.” Lance says 

I turn around and roll my eyes as I go to push passed him and head towards Y/N’s room. 

“She won’t be in there.” He says 

“Why do you say that?” I yell back towards him 

“Cause she’s in the med bay, in a healing pod.” He says 

“Why is she in a healing pod? What happened?” I ask 

“You not being there happened!” Lance yells “That mission where you two were supposed to gather the information together? You missed it and it resulted in her almost dying!” 

I look at him and shake my head. 

“Y/N can handle herself. She shouldn’t need somebody there to help her.” I start 

“Why don’t you stop acting like you care about her and actually show it?” Lance says 

I look at him as I feel the anger start to set in. 

“What is that supposed to mean?” I start “I’ve always cared about her! Who was there for her when James was bullying her? Who was there after Shiro disappeared?”

“But now? You are never there anymore Keith! You don’t see her every time she comes back from something and doesn’t see that you’re here.” He says “You don’t see the heartbreak she goes through everyday when you don’t show up for something that you said you would. You didn’t see how weak she was after this last mission. She needed you Keith! Yet you weren’t there!” 

“I know that Y/N can protect herself. She doesn’t need me every single time we go out.” I yell

He shakes his head as he looks at me, he finally gives in and starts to walk away. 

“If you don’t want to believe me? Then fine, but I would steer clear of Shiro for a while.” He says

I watch as he walks away. I walk towards the lounge where I know I’ll find everyone. 

I walk in and everybody looks back at me and Shiro sighs as he stands up, grabbing my shoulder and directing us back into the hall. 

“Lance already told me she’s in the med bay.” I say as I turn to head that way 

“Did he tell you why?” Shiro asks

“No, all he told me was that I should avoid you for awhile.” I say 

Shiro shakes his head as he takes a deep breathe. 

“How about I show you what happened...” He says 

I look at him as he starts to walk towards the med bay and I follow shortly behind him. 

We enter the med bay and that’s when I see Y/N in the only healing pod being used. I take one good look at her and see one thing missing. Her arm...

“Shiro, what happened?” I ask 

“Because you were so reckless and didn’t bother to show up for the mission that you said you would help us with, Y/N had to go in alone with no backup.” Shiro says “She was trying to get the information when the commander of the ship was able to surprise her with an attack.” 

I look at her then the ground. 

“I should’ve been there.” I start 

“You really need to learn how to balance your life with the blade and Voltron.” Shiro says 

“You can’t keep telling me what to do!” I yell 

“If it involves the safety of my sister, I can!” He yells “She lost her arm because you couldn’t balance the two!” 

He looks at her then at me as he runs his hand through his hair. 

“We almost lost her due to so much blood loss.” He says “We can’t afford to lose anyone.” 

I look at him then nod as I look back at her and I hear the pod start to open. 

“I should go, I’m probably the last person she would want to see.” I say 

“Keith...” Shiro starts 

“No, you’re right, this wouldn’t have happened if I was there.” I start “So until I figure something out, it might just be best that I stay away from Y/N.” “

I walk out of the med bay and head towards my room. 

Your P.O.V. 

You walk into the lounge and see Shiro sitting there with the other Paladins and you decide that it’s time to finally accept your current reality and head towards the empty seat next to Pidge. 

“Y/N, you finally came out!” Hunk says 

“Yeah. Thought it’s about time that I come out and see everybody.” You say with a laugh “Except somebody’s missing.” 

“Like always.” Lance says

You look over at him as he is just staring at the ground and you kick his shin slightly. 

“What did I miss between you and Keith while I was in the pod.” You ask

“Honestly, just another fight.” Lance says 

“A fight about you though.” Pidge says

You look at Lance as he shrugs and goes back to watching his feet. 

“Lance? What does Pidge mean about that?” You ask 

“We just started fighting about things to do with you and him.” Lance says “I was just sticking up for a friend.” 

You look at him with an uneasy look then run your hand through your hair, moving it out of your face. 

“You still need me to help pull it up?” Shiro asks 

“Yeah, just until I get the hang of only having one hand.” You say 

You watch as Shiro stands up and walks behind you and starts to put your hair into your normal hairstyle that keep it out of your face. 

“About that, Hunk and I think we could make an arm like Shiro’s for you.” Pidge says “It wouldn’t be as powerful, but you know. It would be better than nothing.” 

“That would be wonderful Pidge!” You say

You watch as she smiles and you go to stand up. 

“I’m going to go train by myself for a little bit.” You say “If you guys see Keith, can you tell him that I want to talk to him.” 

You look as everybody nods as you go to walk out and head towards the training room. 

Keith’s P.O.V. 

I watch as Y/N walks out and I walk over to the others. 

“Go talk to her.” Shiro says 

I look over at Shiro and nod then look over at Lance. 

“You didn’t tell her what our fight was about?” I start “That could have been your chance to finally win...” 

“I couldn’t get myself to do that to you guys.” He says “She really loves you.” 

I nod as I walk after Y/N and I see her walk into the training room. 

I walk into the viewing area and watch as she takes the first level and starts to attempt to fight with her bayard in one hand. 

I watch as the guardian knocks her onto her butt for the fifth time in the last three minutes. 

I walk out of the viewing area and head towards the actual training grounds. 

“Simulator off.” I say 

“Keith?” Y/N asks 

“You are not going through any of that until you can actually handle the bayard with one hand.” I say 

“Who are you to stop me?” She asks, giving me a ‘try me’ look 

“I’m the boyfriend that needs to show that I actually care.” I say 

“Lance talked to you...” She says 

“He has a few good points.” I say with a shrug “Now lets get to your training.” 

“You don’t plan on leaving in the middle now do you?” She asks 

“No. I don’t plan on leaving until you either get a new arm or I know you can handle yourself with one arm.” I say 

She looks at me with a small smile as she slowly starts to nod. 

“Good. I need you more now than ever.” She whispers

[freedomfighterposts]

Pidge x Reader. An Interstellar relationship.

Aboard the Galra battle cruiser was a multitude of prisoners. Almost none of them shared the same home worlds. All of them were slaves, gladiators to the Galra empire. They dressed in rags and wallowed in self-pity. Except one. One was too proud to simply submit to the Galra. And after slaughtering three of them in the gladiator’s ring, she was allowed the simple comfort of wearing the clothes she was capture in. Which still was not much. White bands similar to bandages wrapped and bound (Y/n)’s chest loosely so that she could still retain some comfort. A short, sleeveless black vest covered her shoulders and the sides of her bandages but left her sides and stomach exposed. Two gilded, gold leaf cloth rings circulated the end of (Y/n)’s shoulders, giving off a very royal vibe. Her pants were made for fighting, a simple style of lightweight and comfy white pants with a slight bag covered her lower half. Around her waist, a long double ended blue ribbon covered most of her midsection. One thing that made her pants comfortable was the hole in the back that allowed (Y/n) red monkey tail to swish about freely, without restraint. Her hair, although smudged and dirtied, still shone a pale yellow in the dark lights of the Galra ship.

Sitting in silence was boring. (Y/n) didn’t care what the old prisoners thought, silence was boring, boring wasn’t fun… Beating someone to death was fun. (Y/n) allowed herself a small, menacing smile as she thought about the arena. While she was a prisoner, her body was free. Her inherited want for a fight was satiated, so that was good. However, these fights didn’t last long and they were always boring. And if there was one thing (Y/n) hated… it was boredom. That’s why, when the Galra commanding her ship rushed past spurting something about attackers, (Y/n) leapt into action. With ease (Y/n) simply kicked her cage door open, pinning several Galra soldiers to the wall. The remaining Galra looked at (Y/n) and shakily raised their weapons. (Y/n) simply smiled as she stalked towards them, her hands glowing with power. Meanwhile, not too far from the escapee, a duo of heroes raced down the halls of the Galra ship. Their intent was noble and pure, to rescue those wrongly imprisoned by the Galra Empire. These were Paladins of Voltron, the legendary defender. Their minds and bodies radically different, but their hearts the same. Running down the halls, the Green Paladin looked to the leader of Voltron’s Paladins. “Shiro, we have to hurry. Lance and Hunk could be in serious trouble.” The short and lean Paladin was rushing, for these prisoners could also aid in the quest for two very important missing people. Shiro looked down at his friend with confidence. “Don’t worry Pidge, we’re almost there.” Suddenly and rather abruptly, a Galra surveillance drone flew around the corner. Its red lights started to flash in alarm, however, Pidge thought quicker and managed to send a short blast of energy to the drone, knocking it to the ground. “That thing saw us, we should get out of here.” Shiro said, concern hidden in his voice, but Pidge had other ideas. Crossing a few wires Pidge smiled. “Wait, I think this might come in handy.” Suddenly, the lights flashed blue and the drone was now working for Voltron. “Awesome, I’m going to call you rover.” Shiro rushed to the end of the hall where a giant solid metal gate enclosed a few shadows of darkness. Shiro tapped on the door making a loud thudding sound. “Anyone in there? We’re here to help you escape.” He asked, a few murmurs answered back at first but then Shiro saw the shadows form into the bodies of real aliens as they stepped out of the darkness. “Champion. You have come to save us!” One said. All the others were now happily murmuring to themselves. As Shiro conversed with the prisoners and tried to calm them down, Pidge worked on the lock for the door. However, it was proving to be some challenge to the new Paladin. “Argh. This tech in insane. It’s nothing like what Earth has.” Pidge cried in dismay. But suddenly, a new voice cut through the artificial air. “Perhaps I can help?” Shiro and Pidge looked back the way they came to see a woman in her mid-twenties standing behind them. Pidge had to look up at the woman who was easily six feet tall. “Who are you? You don’t look Galra.” Shiro asked in suspicion. The woman smiled, her slightly yellow teeth akin to a shark’s. “Until about twenty ticks ago, I was a prisoner on board this ship. Now, I’m an escapee.” “How?” Pidge asked, also suspicious but enamored by the tall Amazonian woman before her. “I’ll show you.” Walking towards the cage door, the woman simply dug her fingers into the metal as if it were soft butter, and tore the gate from its mechanism. Shiro and Pidge were stunned at the sudden display of power. The prisoners rushed from their cell and the mysterious savior simply dropped the gate back into the cell. As the woman turned back to face the Paladins, Shiro gazed carefully at her. “Who are you?” The woman smirked evilly at the Paladin’s question. “I am (Y/n). Now, I would like to get out of this ship.” Turning to Pidge, Shiro shrugged. One of the prisoners stepped forward. “I must agree with the powerful one. The Galra will be here soon. We must get to the escape pods.” He said, nodding Shiro turned to Pidge. “You and (Y/n) cover the rear. Everyone follow me” Everyone gathered in a group, but it seemed that (Y/n) wasn’t happy with the situation. “Me, in the back like a commoner? I shall not be treated as some low life!” (Y/n) demanded, but Shiro and the other prisoners were already rushing through the halls. (Y/n)’s demands fell on the ears of Pidge who wasn’t pleased by her new company. “You know, you could try to be nice to the people who are rescuing you.” Pidge scoffed as she and (Y/n) chased after Shiro at a jogging pace. Pidge couldn’t quite understand it, but (Y/n) radiated this confidence that was infectious. The green Paladin hadn’t felt this sure and confident in many years. (Y/n) scoffed as her feet slowly lifted off the ground, as if she had deemed the very Galra ship to be unworthy of her touch. “If I could breathe in space I would have escaped many years ago.” As (Y/n) flew ahead, Pidge struggled to keep up. After all, Pidge was more useful at a computer than the training field. However, it was as (Y/n) turned a corner that Pidge finally noticed a striking difference between the woman she was following and herself. A fuzzy, red tail, protruding from the back of (Y/n)’s hips, swished through air. Pidge blinked rapidly for a moment and pondered if asking what race (Y/n) was would be appropriate. However, all thoughts of asking the powerful woman left Pidge when (Y/n) stopped moving. After nearly crashing into her, Pidge stepped to the side to see what was happening. Shiro was battling a few sentry bots as the prisoners cowered in fear in the only escape pod. Pidge noticed as Shiro finished the last of the robotic Galra that his hand was glowing a light purple and made mental note to ask him later. As he cut down the last robot, Shiro dropped to his knees in exhaustion. But more Galra were approaching fast. Pidge activated the green Paladin’s bayard, ready to defend Shiro. But (Y/n) smirked again. Her voice sounding pleased as she spoke and Pidge noticed that the woman’s tail was swaying more rapidly now. “Perfect target practice.” As the sentries closed in on Shiro (Y/n) raised her hand, aiming at the robots and Galra. Pidge was fascinated as an orb of pale green light started to emit and pulse within (Y/n)’s hand. Then, without warning, (Y/n) launched her attack and the orb sped faster than anything Pidge had seen before and the next thing the Paladin knew was that the Galra were lying dead on the ground, the orb had returned to its owner’s hand before promptly vanishing. Sighing with relief, Shiro finally managed to stand. The glow from his hand was slowly fading. Meanwhile the doors to the escape pod were closing as it began its departure. One of the aliens thanked Shiro who tried to ask him a question. Pidge ran to Shiro and eagerly tapped the previously glowing arm. “That was awesome Shiro! Where did you learn to fight like that?” Then the Green Paladin turned to the mysterious (Y/n) who was floating beside them. “And how did you do the thing with that disco ball?” (Y/n) raised an eyebrow in question. “Disco ball?” she questioned. “None of that matters now. We gotta get the Green lion and head back to the castle.” Shiro stated, urgency clear in his voice. The road back to the Green Lion was simple and easy, only one patrol managed to find them and they were quickly dispatched by (Y/n) who conjured another green ball of light. Shiro and (Y/n) quickly followed Pidge onto the Green lion where the Green Paladin quickly detached from the Galra ship and followed the Red, Blue and Yellow lions down to the planet below. Altaia. After a few rushed introductions, and a very hurried ceremony. (Y/n) watched as the gates to the sanctuary of the Black lion slowly shuddered upwards. Shiro, Pidge and the other Paladins gasped in awe as the large mechanical beast roared in approval of its revival. The mechanical leader of Voltron dipped its head to allow Shiro to enter. Suddenly alarms started to blear from all around the castle. (Y/n) and the princess of Altaia, a woman around her own age rushed to the control center of the Castle of Lions. “A Galra ship is entering our atmosphere. We need Voltron now!” Allura demanded. (Y/n) scowled as the ship launched its many fleets of fighters. Allura, the Altaian princess, managed to shield the castle just in time as the fighters started to launch blasts at the dome shield. Coran, Allura’s servant, gasped in relief as the five lions of Voltron landed in front of the castle. The lions burst forth, tearing and blasting the drones that threatened the castle. Meanwhile, (Y/n) watched as the main battle ship started to shine. Looking closely, (Y/n) saw that it was charging its ion cannon. “That doesn’t look nice” (Y/n) mentioned, Allura barely had time to look up before the dangerous ray of concentrated energy, burst from the ship towards the castle. (Y/n) was vaguely aware of the cries of worry from the Paladins as they watched the attack. The attack exploded against the castle’s shield, covering (Y/n)’s view with fire and smoke. Miraculously the shield managed to hold, but it wouldn’t shield them for long. “Hurry Paladins. The castle can’t hold much longer.” Shiro led the charge as he and the other Paladins fought against the Galra. Meanwhile the ship was charging its cannon again. “Come on guys, we have to hurry!” Shiro’s voice was heard on the console in front of (Y/n). The mysterious warrior raised a brow at Shiro’s words, but kept her eyes on the battle of Lions. The Green lion leapt into the air and tore a Galra fighter jet into bits with its powerful jaws. Pidge yelled excitedly from inside the beast before falling back in line with Shiro. Lance had turned his lion around and had begun using the laser on his lion’s tail to precisely explode individual fighters. Shiro, Hunk, Pidge and Keith flew their lions into the air in an attempt to disrupt the Ion cannon firing process. But they were too late. The purple ray of destruction once again sped its way to the castle. This time, its power was too much and the shield barely held off the attack before disengaging itself with the loss of power. “Castle shields are down! Now Paladins form Voltron! You must!” Allura said, worry clear in her voice. “We don’t know how!” Keith reminded them, “We barely got these lions in the first place” “Yeah, no offence princess. But a little tutorial could have gone a long way.” Lance actually agreed with the Red Paladin. “There are too many of them!” Hunk yelled as his Yellow Lion was bombarded with fighters. “It’s been an honour serving with you four.” Shiro said, his voice calm and defeated. “I’m sorry princess. We failed” Shiro’s concerns were well placed, as he and the other Paladins began to float defenselessly towards the Galra, entrapped in their tractor beam. However, the Galra weren’t finished. The ion cannon began its firing sequence once more. Much to the dismay of the Paladins. Coran turned to his princess, defeat and sorrow in his eyes. The princess, now crying was stunned. Hunk was whimpering in his seat, Keith was trying to regain control of his Lion. Pidge and Lance both looked defeatedly at their controls. His mind racing, Shiro grabbed his controls once more. “You better not be giving up” came a new voice to the battle, Allura looked back to see (Y/n) staring up at the lions. “What sort of Paladins give up at the first sign of challenge?” “She’s right.” Shiro said “We can do this. We have to believe in ourselves” The other four Paladins looked to the Black Lion, their hope returning. “We are the universe’s only hope. Everyone is counting on us. We can’t fail. We won’t fail. If we work together we can form Voltron!” Hunk and Lance shouted their agreement. Pidge and Keith smiled at their leader’s face via the onboard screen and together they formed Voltron. But it was too late. By the time Voltron was formed for the first time in 10,000 years the ion canon had already been fired. Coran and Allura watched on in fear as the ray of death descended upon them. Suddenly however, something materialized outside the castle, right in the path of the canon. Allura recognized the waving blue ribbon and red monkey tail. She didn’t know how she had done it, but (Y/n) was now outside the castle, staring down a death ray. “(Y/N) GET OUT OF THERE!” Allura shouted in alarm. The warrior simply smirked once more. “This is just a warm up” (Y/n) said as she held up her well-muscled arm, the ion strike slammed into her hand yet (Y/n) showed no signs of discomfort. Allura watched on in awe as Voltron tore apart the Galra ship and this new comer blocked a full power ion blast from a battle class Galra ship with her mere hand. With a laugh (Y/n) sent the ion energy hurtling back to the Galra ship, finishing the job, Voltron had started. With an explosion that shook the castle, (Y/n) watched as Voltron disassembled into its separate lions. Her hair and tail feeling the warm breeze of the aftermath. Allura and Coran hurriedly rushed to congratulate the Paladins, while (Y/n) leisurely floated down to them. Allura stopped before her Paladins, clasping her hands together in celebration. “Great work Paladins, you’ve done it!” She congratulated, Lance smirked playfully as he tucked his blue stripped helm under his arm. “Thanks pretty lady.” He said. Shiro smiled joyfully at the truth. “We did it! How did we do it?” He asked not really caring, too happy to care. “You got that right” Said Keith. Hunk yanked his helmet from his head with some degree of difficulty. “I was kinda just screaming the whole time. Maybe that’s what did it.” He said. By now, (Y/n) had joined her rescuers, but a smile did not adjourn her face. A shame as Pidge thought the woman looked beautiful with one. Allura noticed the arrival of the woman. “You, you must be a Saiyan! No one else could have stopped a direct ion cannon strike!” The princess said in awe. (Y/n) was indifferent. “Tch, a toddler could have done that.” She said avoiding the gaze of the princess. What was presented to her when (Y/n) moved her gaze was Shiro comforting Pidge. “We’ll find your brother and father Pidge. I swear.” Shiro said, Pidge nodded but didn’t smile. (Y/n) took mental note of this and showed Pidge a rare, non-scary and genuine smile. Although Pidge was almost certain it never existed as it was gone as soon as it appeared. Allura however, started rambling more bad news. “We’ve won the battle, but the war is just beginning” She said, Coran nodded his agreement. “I’ll say. And it’s good you know what you’re all doing, cause you’ll need to form Voltron again and again.” The butler stated. “Say what now?” Hunk muttered in disbelief. “We barely survived forming Voltron this one time!” Lance stated. “Ho, and you only had to verse one ship. Imagine the next time against a whole fleet! It’s not going to be easy being the defenders of the universe.” Coran stroked his mustache in thought. The eyes of all the Paladins widened at the realization of the gravity of their situation. “Defenders of the Universe, huh.” Shiro said, the others looking to him “Has a nice ring to it.”

[a-shiro-by-any-other-name]

Welcome Back (Shiro x F!Reader) N$FW

Hi guys! Here's a little something I've been working on for a long time that I forced myself to finish by Shiro's birthday. Happy birthday to everyone's favorite sexy space dad! ;3 

I hope someone out there enjoys it.

(The under the cut function on mobile is fuckin up and I cant fix it atm. My apologies)

To read on Ao3 under my main account CapsuleCorpDame:

https: //archiveofourown.org/works/17957087

        Shiro had finally returned to the Castle of Lions after disappearing. Relieved from the constant anxiety you felt in his absence, your emotions got the better of you. But before you could cover up your true feelings, he confessed his love to you. Later in the night he noticed you were wearing his shirt to sleep.

        “You can have it back if you want it.”

         “No- no, you can keep it. It looks good on you.” He smirked.

         “Are you sure?” You grabbed the bottom hem of your shirt with crossed arms about to lift it up past your shoulders. Slack-jawed and beet red he stared down at where your hands were.

“W-well….when you put it that way…”

“Y/N” Shiro stood there before you with his freshly cut hair and clean-shaven face. The day before, he had emerged from the shuttle with straggly long hair, a thin beard forming from his jaw. His haircut made him look more youthful than the undercut he had before. He was cleaner now, but you could still see the dark circles under his eyes. Of course you had been worried about him since he disappeared. The others were upset too but it showed on you and Keith the most. As stubborn as Keith was he didn’t want to talk much about it, and you didn’t want to burden anyone else with your pain; but it did show.

Upon his arrival you caught a glimpse of his disheveled face and ran off to your room to cry. To you it was irrational. You were happy he was back but who were you to him really? To sob in front of everyone was too embarrassing. You decided to wait for him to approach you first which didn’t take very long.

           Looking up at him you were speechless. You knew you looked like absolute hell and chose to bury your face in his chest, arms squeezing his waist tightly. Your breath hiccupped as the tears made their way onto his shirt.

“What- happened to you…?” It finally came out. He ran his fingers through your hair as you trembled against him, digging your nails into his sides, in an attempt to stable yourself.  

“I only remember escaping from a Galra ship on an escape pod. I have no memory of anything before that…” His other hand wrapped around your back. You grip on him loosened and you turned your head to press your forehead against his chest. A deep breath helped you compose yourself.

“I’m so glad you’re back.” You tried to smile at him knowing that your feelings for him were probably very apparent.

“I wanted to talk to you about something… do you mind if we take this to my room?”

Your heart skipped a beat. His room? Was its really that personal and private? Maybe he wanted to confront you about your feelings and didn’t want to embarrass you out in the open. You let go of his waist and nodded in acceptance. The two of you walked side by side in silence down the hallway. Shiro looked around when you approached his bedroom door, assuming it was to make sure no one was around to see. The door slid open and he ushered you in. It was amazing how immaculate his room was after all this time, the man sure was disciplined. He sat down at the edge of his perfectly-made bed and patted the spot next to him to signal you over. You tried to sit more comfortably than you felt but kept a small distance between you as to not seem so clingy.

“I’ve had a lot of time to think since I’ve been trying to get back to the castle…I had been trying to avoid talking about this for a while now until I saw how upset you just were.”

Involuntarily you gulped but tried to hold eye contact. Gears were turning in your head to try and find any words to stop him from finishing.

“I don’t want to hide it anymore. The gravity of our situation kept me from acting out on it but now I grasp that we could die at any time out here…”

What was he talking about? You suddenly realized this wasn’t about what you thought. “I’ve had feelings for you for some time now…and I don’t expect you to reciprocate them, but I wanted to tell you so that maybe we could move forward.”

“…What?” your mouth wouldn’t close. Did he just confess that he likes me?

“I- I don’t mean we have to have a romantic relationship! I just meant that if you didn’t feel the same that we could look past this and pretend it never happened!”

“I don’t understand… I’m a potato. Why would you want to be with a potato?”

He looked more confused than you. “A…potato? Why would you compare yourself to a potato? You don’t look anything like a potato, unless it’s because they’re delicious?”

You snort laughed at his response and covered your mouth, smashing your forehead into his shoulder. God he was so cute. You threw your arms around him in an embrace. “I don’t think I’ll ever comprehend why you like me, but I thought it was obvious that I liked you…”

He held you back tightly, pressing his nose to your temple. “I knew you cared for me, but I didn’t want to assume it was more than friendship. I really missed you… I was afraid I’d never get to tell you how I felt.” His breath tickled your ear as he spoke.    

“I always felt like I was just annoying you!” you practically shouted into his neck.

“I don’t think you’re annoying, I think you’re fun!” He pressed a kiss to your cheek and your face immediately became hot. “Does this mean…you want to give us a shot?” He pulled back to look at your face. He too had a blush on his cheeks under his scar. Agreeing that time was too short, you began to close your eyes and lean in to him. The tips of your noses slid past each other abruptly bringing your lips together sloppily. You could feel how smooth his lips were when you brushed by them.  It took a second to reform your lips for a proper kiss, aiming to place your lips around his bottom one. You had dreamt of this moment for so long the feeling was overwhelming. He initiated the second kiss gliding his hand from your hair across your jaw cradling your face. Outside the door you heard a small stampede passing by, a certain blue paladin shouting: “Dinner!” as if it were miracle.

“Maybe we should…” Shiro pulled away as if to suggest following them. You nodded in agreement, unsure of how the two of you would eventually reveal your relationship to the others. The two of you went to the dining hall rather awkwardly, at least to you. Throughout dinner you couldn’t help but steal glances at Shiro now that your brain was overclocked with thoughts of him. When he caught you, he would smile until someone distracted him with conversation. At one point he silently gestured you had goo left on your lip, to which you used your thumb to wipe it off before licking your thumb. It was innocent enough as you weren’t looking directly at him when you did it but the thought sparked something in him.

Dinner was over and it seemed that everyone decided to go their separate ways for the night. Shiro had said he was going to retire for the evening but you weren’t sure if you should talk to him further. Trying to keep a sense of normalcy you said nothing and went to your room to shower.  

Shiro wanted to continue being with you but was unsure what he would say. He ended up walking up to your door, stopping when he heard the sound of your voice. You were…singing. He rested his hand on the door, pausing to recall the times you had sung in the shower before. The words were often muffled but he still liked to sit outside your door to listen so long as he knew no one would come by and spot him. He took a seat next you your door for old time’s sake.

The shower had taken a tad bit longer than you planned once you decided to shave. Shave for what? Most of the time you didn’t care about your body hair since no one ever saw it but… maybe tonight…no. Outside the bedroom door sat Shiro, waiting until he felt enough time had passed to let you unwind after the shower. Hearing footsteps in the hallway he immediately got to up to go back to his room to avoid whoever it was. Given up, he decided to wait to talk to you tomorrow instead.

You lie down on your bed naked, chosen to air dry tonight. The sheets felt good against your newly smooth skin, but you couldn’t stay nude all night. You never knew when there’d be an emergency, and learned that the hard way. Over time you had secretly collected shirts from the other paladins (aside from Pidge since she was much smaller) to use as sleep attire. Hunk and Shiro’s shirts had proven to be most useful but when Shiro had disappeared you couldn’t help but take a few more from his room out of grief. The scent brought you comfort. His shirt and a pair of shorts would be your usual pajamas.

Lying in bed unable to sleep, you had no idea how much time had passed but you were growing restless. Boldly you chose to go bother Shiro, but it took you a while to finally get to the door. You contemplated what you would do if he were asleep. You couldn’t just wake him up after all he’s been through. The halls were dark and quiet except the faint sound of the video game you assumed Pidge was playing on the big screen in the common room. Taking a deep breath, you knocked on his door lightly.

“Shiro…?” You tried to stay quiet by bringing you mouth close to the door.

“Come in.”

You pressed the button on the code entry to have the door slide open for you. Back pressed against the headboard Shiro sat up in his bed. You stood in the door-way unsure of what to do. He waved you over with a smile. Practically jumping onto his bed

 “Is this my shirt?” He slipped his thumb into the back of your collar to look at the tag.

“Did Takashi Shirogane just look down the back of my shirt!?”

“Well technically it’s my shirt so…”

You play-slapped his chest in awe at his joke. “You can have it back if you want it.”

“No- no, you can keep it. It looks good on you.” He smirked.

“Are you sure?” You grabbed the bottom hem of your shirt with crossed arms about to lift it up past your shoulders. Slack-jawed and beet red he stared down at where your hands were.

“W-well….when you put it that way…” He touched his forehead to yours before pressing your hip back downwards to the bed. This was really happening! You slid your hands behind his neck to plant a kiss on him, gesturing approval. His Galra arm was positioned above your head, supporting his weight over you, as his left hand gently cupped around your hip. His mouth never left yours even when he paused to bite his lower lip in anticipation. You ran your fingers through his hair relishing the soft texture between your digits. Stealing glances at his face, you became proud at how intense his expression was as he hovered over you. His eyes stayed closed as you began to nudge his mouth open with the tilt of your head. You softly bit his bottom lip, arching your back as the kiss ended. This triggered him to let out a breathy exhale at the crook of your neck, sliding his rough hand up the hem of your shirt.

“Y/N… we shouldn’t…” But his mouth ended up on the soft spot of your neck.

You let out a gasp from the tingling sensation. “W-why not?” You raised your knee to graze your thigh against his groin, feeling a hard surprise. In response he ground into you, while bringing his thigh up against your wetness.

“Is this really what you want?” He completely stilled himself awaiting a response.

“Yes…” you thrust yourself against him again, this time attacking his neck with kisses.

With a groan he followed your rhythm with his hips, no longer concerned with any doubts he may have had. Over and over, he kept the pace, gradually increasing the pressure as much he could without inciting a burn. Your hands slid around his shoulders and down to the waistband of his sweatpants. Hooking your thumbs under the fabric, egging him on. He gave a husky growl, causing him to stop and trace both hands up your sides under the fabric, face buried in your neck, looking into your eyes asking for permission to continue. You arched your back and slid downwards on the bed, letting him glide the cloth up over your breasts and taking it completely off you. Immediately he nuzzled his face against your chest, gliding his tongue over your nipple. You produced a moan before he took it upon himself to knead the other nipple between his fingers.  

           “Jesus Christ!” Your thoughts were going wild and you resumed dry humping the life out of him. You grabbed at his shirt feeling his toned back, as you desperately wanted to feel his skin against yours. He paused when he realized this.

           “Y/N-” He didn’t bring his eyes to yours. “My body isn’t… all that pleasant to look at.” Imagining that he was referring to his scars, you reassured him.

           “I don’t believe that. I need to feel you against me.” You pulled at his shirt again with no more resistance from him. The poor man was battered and littered with pink, raised scars. Despite that he was of course jacked beyond belief. To avoid possibly seeing your shocked expression he immediately went back to fondling your chest with his tongue. You arched your back and relished in all the warmth this man was bathing you in. His fingers traced your skin downwards, leaving a tickling sensation behind before slipping his massive hand under both layers in your shorts. You let out a gasp at his bold gesture.

           “Nnhh you’re so wet.” His fingers were sliding around every crevice that was smothered in your wetness, trying to spread it was far as he could. Out of desperation you bucked your hips causing his finger to slide into you inadvertently. You both groaned in response. Immediately he pulled out and yanked your shorts and panties right off your hips. In slight embarrassment you clamped your thighs together, face turning an even brighter red.

           “Now now, no need to be self-conscious. Today we’re overcoming our insecurities, right?” He gingerly grabbed your thighs and pried them open, watching your expression to make sure you still wanted it. Your insecurity washed away as soon as he plunged his finger back inside you. It was thicker and deeper than your own fingers could ever go. Moaning, you moved against him in response. Taking the hint, he drew out his digit and slowly pushed it back in, feeling you from the inside. The wet sound and glistening image drove him over the edge. Using his other hand, he parted you open and dove in tongue first against your clit. You let out a long moan in pleasant surprise. It had been so long since you felt this good. His tongue lapped you up while his fingers filled you over and over; it was getting to be too much in the best way. Seeing the muscles on his back flexing as he fingered you was exciting you even more. “Oh fuck…” you couldn’t help but to moan as your back arched. It was too late to turn back; the intense stimulation had you seeing stars before you could stop yourself. Riding out the wave of pleasure; you knew it wasn’t going to be enough. He pulled away and wiped his mouth on his arm.

Reaching your fingers around the elastic of his pants, you began pulling them down away from his hips. You kissed him as leaned back, as he helped you undress him. Springing forth from his boxers his member looked strained for release, immediately hitting his stomach, erect.

As you egged him backwards towards the bed you crawled downwards to trace your tongue along his shaft. He let out a deep groan when you wrapped your lips around the tip. Unable to take him fully in your mouth, you used one hand to grasp the rest and the other hand slipped under his balls. You sucked him as far as your throat would let you without gagging. Rhythmically you slid him in and out making sure your tongue massaged every inch it could. His groaning was red-hot indulgence to your ears. You could tell he was trying not to slam dick down your throat. “Y/N…” your name escaped his lips. Hissing, he gently pushed you away from his groin to steal a kiss. Sliding his big hands under your ass, he scooped you towards him making sure your wet slit was pressed up against his crotch. Mouths intertwined, your hands around his neck, he pulled you back and fourth against him making sure you were good and soaked for him to enter. Gingerly, he slid the tip inside of you causing you both to shudder. Slowly pushing you towards the bottom of his shaft, Shiro let out a throaty moan, clearly excited. You could tell how tight you were by how big his dick felt inside you. You began to move gently against him knowing by his hesitation that he didn’t want to hurt you. Rolling your hips really helped to completely sheath him within you. He waited for you to move faster to be sure you were ready. You built up a steady pace before he started moving his hips with yours. The room was echoing with your panting breathes. One fist in his hair, you whispered in his ear :“I want you to feel good.” You found the soft spot on his neck and began to suck until he squeezed your ass in reaction.

With both hands he lifted you off him and pushed your back against the mattress. With both hands placed above your head he slid his dick back inside you. The new position let you feel his hard-sculpted body against yours, his pelvis rubbing against your clit with every push. Wrapping your arms and legs around him brought you closer. Although he was kissing you gently his pounding was forceful. He was beginning to lose control. Pumping in and out of you, his grunting became more erratic. Knowing that he was enjoying himself brought you great pleasure which you expressed by moaning loudly. “Y/N I can’t hold it much longer. Nngghh. You feel so fucking good.” This was exactly what you wanted to hear. “Takashi…please cum for me.” With those words he pounded you into the mattress. Back arching, you let out the build up that was growing within you. The deep hum of his groans and increased speed had you seeing stars. With one last deep thrust he hovered above you panting for air. He cradled you in for a soft kiss as he pulled out, rolling over so you could lay on top. Being there on his chest was all you’d been fantasizing about for months.

“Thank you…” He pressed his lips against your ear. “It’s felt like a lifetime since I’ve been able to immerse myself in anything other than fighting the Galra… You make me… happy.”

“I missed you so much Takashi.” Your words barely a whisper. “I’m glad I can bring you joy after all you’ve been through.” For the first time in years, the tears you shed were rooted in bliss.

[shirolovesu]

Can I request a Shiro x gender neutral reader where the paladins + the reader get back from a huge battle and they are all badly wounded and Shiro gets a ptsd attack and the reader takes him back to his room to you know heal him or whatever. But like there’s comforting and confiding and whatever else is angsty. Maybe it ends in a makeout session idk ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I live for those angsty comfort scenarios thankyou so much

You can see that Shiro’s holding his side despite his armor and your heart immediately drops. Over the comms, everyone had checked in and reported no major injuries, but Lance is limping, Keith is already headed to the healing pods without a word, and Shiro… Shiro is leaning against the wall and avoiding looking at anyone else. It’s hard to tell from this distance, but you’re pretty sure he’s shaking.

“That was a hard battle, but thanks to all of you, the Castle is mostly undamaged,” Allura says. She’s still in her battle gear and even she looks exhausted from the hours-long fight to defeat the Galra ambush. “The scanners don’t show any remaining ships in the area, so there is time to rest and recover. We’ll debrief tomorrow and go over any important information. You’re all free to go now.”

With that, the paladins scatter in the direction of their own quarters, eager to shed their armor and tend to their wounds. You’re as beaten up as any of them, but your injuries are pushed to the back of your mind as you trail after Shiro.

“Hey,” you call softly, but he doesn’t stop. Maybe he didn’t hear you. You follow him until he pauses at his door and half-glances in your direction.

“Thanks, Y/N. But I’m okay. Go take care of yourself.” He moves quickly, entering his quarters and shutting the door before you can argue.

He says he’s okay, but you’re not convinced. Any time that he refuses to look you in the eyes is never good, and he’s kept his back to you since he returned from the battle. Also it’s not like him to be so distant; he barely glanced at the team and he didn’t stay around to make sure everyone’s injuries were taken care of. That in itself sets off alarm bells in your head.

You knock at the door, expecting and receiving no response.

“Shiro, I just want to check on you.” Taking a deep breath, you brace yourself. “I’m going to open the door now.”

There’s a hiss of hydraulics as the door slides open, but inside the room is silent. All the lights are off and it takes your eyes a moment to adjust. Finally you can make out Shiro sitting hunched on his bunk, still wearing all his armor.

You take a step forward and the door shuts behind you, dimming the room even further. “Hey. You with me?”

You can tell that he’s lost in his mind and the last thing you want to do is startle him. Finally he stirs and looks up; his expression is invisible in the darkness.

“I’m worried about you,” you say again. You’re desperately hoping for some sort of response – a brusque dismissal, a chuckle at your anxious hovering, anything. But he only stares at you for an uncomfortably long time without a sound.

“Can I sit down?” The question is rhetorical, more to give him a heads-up than to ask permission. Nevertheless, as you wearily sink to the mattress next to him, Shiro shifts away ever so slightly. It makes your chest hurt that even now, after all your time together as friends and more than friends, he could still harbor any unease in your company.

You know that drawing any attention to that will only make him feel guilty, so you decide to take a safer approach. “My shoulder really hurts,” you say, which isn’t a lie. Your whole right arm throbs with growing bruises where an explosion flung you against a wall. “I can’t reach around to unbuckle my armor. Can you help?”

Maybe it’s cruel of you to use Shiro’s eagerness to help against him, but right now you’re far more concerned with his uncharacteristic silence and withdrawal.

There’s a long minute when you’re not sure he’s going to respond at all, but at last he shifts to face you and waits for you to turn your back to him. He’s still not talking, but this is progress, right? You try to tell yourself it’s a good thing even though his hands shake so badly that you can feel it through your armor. He fumbles with the buckles for longer than necessary and finally works them free, letting your chestpiece drop to the floor.

“Thanks,” you say, honestly meaning it. You carefully stretch your arms and roll your uninjured shoulder; it feels good to be out of the hard, restricting shell. “Want me to help with yours?”

It’s hard to see, but his head gives a slight nod. More progress. Good, good. Now to coax him into talking.

You have a feeling that anything dealing with the battle or the Galra are bad topics right now, so you wrack your mind for something safe to talk about. But before you can settle on anything that won’t possibly lead down a darker road, Shiro lays a hand on your arm.

You still instantly, the buckle on his chestpiece half undone.

What is it? you want to ask, but the look in his eyes stops you.

He stares up at you, dark eyes lost in the shadows on his face, until he finally lets out a breath you never noticed him holding.

“You’re really here.”

Of all the things you expected him to say, you don’t know how to respond to that. “Yeah, of course I’m here,” you respond. You raise your hand to his face and brush your fingertips lightly along his cheek. “What made you think I wasn’t?”

He moves again, turning away from you and bowing his head. “I’m not sure. I’m not even sure where I am right now. I don’t know what’s going on…” Shiro’s voice is soft, yet it strikes pain into your heart.

“You’re right here with me,” you say, kneeling down to try and see his face. “You’re on the Castle, safe, with all the other paladins. There was a big battle but everyone made it through okay.”

Well, okay may not be the best word. You’ve seen Shiro’s panic attacks before but this is something new.

“I feel like I’m going to wake up at any minute.” Shiro clasps and unclasps his hands – with his gloves on, both hands look the same.

“This isn’t a dream, if that’s what you’re thinking. There’s a bit too many bruises for this to be a good dream.”

He shakes his head. “But this is one of the good dreams. You’re here to take care of me and I feel safe and like I might actually make it out of here. It’s too bad…” he flinches before forcing himself to continue, “too bad I’m just going to wake up in the arena again.”

Shock stabs through you. “What? No!”

“No?” Shiro smiles wanly. “Come on, none of this is real. You’re just a part of my mind. And since I might wake up any time, can’t I at least get some happiness while I can?”

You’re not even sure what to say. What can you say to something like this? Shiro’s never dissociated this badly before, at least not that you’ve ever seen. The thought crosses your mind that it might be bad to bring him back to reality, the same way that it’s bad to suddenly wake a sleepwalker. And since Shiro is really here, really safe, there’s no harm in giving him what comfort you can.

“Of course,” you say. It’s clear that Shiro prefers living in a dream rather than facing whatever nightmares from his past are haunting him right now. “So tell me how I can make you happy.”

“Honestly, just being you being here is nice. I’m always alone in my cell, except when the guards come in to rough me up or drag me off to another fight. Just…”

“Just what?” From the self-conscious way he cuts himself off, you can tell he is about to ask for something he thinks he doesn’t deserve.

“Would you mind… could you… please kiss me?”

Your held breath comes out in a laugh. Of all the things you’d be willing to do to help Shiro, kissing him is the very least you would do. Never mind the fact that it’s as pleasurable for you as it is for him.

“Come here,” you murmur. He willingly leans closer and brings his left hand up to cup your cheek, as if to ground himself and prove that you really are here for him.

Your lips touch his -- a hesitant kiss at first, like he’s kissing a ghost, but it quickly morphs into pure desperation and passion. Shiro moans against your tongue and presses his mouth harder against yours, deepening the kiss. You’re more than happy to give him everything that you have and you let him plunder your mouth with abandon, responding with moans of your own.

“More, please,” he says, words squeezed into the breathless silence.

Anything for you. But you don’t say those words, instead proving your willingness to him by tugging at his lower lip, nipping gently with your teeth, making Shiro close his eyes and lean more of his weight against you.

You two stay like that for a long time, bruises and battle wounds forgotten in the comfort of each other’s embrace. Shiro’s desperation finally eases and he kisses you one more time before slowly, reluctantly drawing away.

When you regain enough of your senses to open your eyes and focus on him, you’re relieved to see a spark of recognition in his gaze.

“This really is real, isn’t it? You’re real.”

“Yeah.” You nod. “Everything you see, it’s real. You survived -- we both did. We made it to the other side and now we can be happy.”

A soft smile curves his lips and brushes a thumb along your cheek.”

“I’m so glad. Thank you... for indulging me.”

You scoot closer to him on the bed until your hips are pressed together. “Don’t mention it. I’m happy to bring you back to reality any time you need it. But meanwhile...” You roll your shoulders and feel a twinge of pain. “...we should probably get patched up. Then we can get back to making out. Sound good?”

“Sounds absolutely wonderful.”

[breezy-cheezy]

Your drawing of Tim in the Voltron AU is so lovely! I love you added freckles in his face, he's such a cutie 💚 I would love to hear your ideas for this AU! More about Tim's role and the other batfam members as well, it sounds like a really interesting AU :D

HE IS SUCH A CUTIE DANG IT I LOVE HIM???? Timmy needs more love. I can’t help the freckles, I’m glad you like them >v

Oh! Thanks for asking! I can try and give a synopsis…of sorts…I haven’t hashed this out very well yet but!! Musings and extra doodles under the cut!!

Timmy is Pidge’s role! I think he was enrolled in the Galaxy Garrison by his parents; they paid alot, they’re super rich. Now he’s in a very high standing education, and they don’t have to care for him anymore…it stings a lil for Tim, but he’s used to it. What he’s not prepared for…is Bruce. (Bruce is Shiro’s role) He takes Tim under his wing; he tends to do that for students he sees something really special in. He saw it in Richard (Lance’s role), in Jason (Keith’s role) but he dropped out. I wish i knew more about how the garrison worked, I’d be able to flesh this out more. But yeah, Bruce looks out for Tim, and it’s very clear to him Tim is extraordinary. He gets absolutely bored in classes; he’s so ahead already. Bruce teaches him all he knows, and prepares ways for Tim to flourish without the system getting in his way. Bruce becomes the father figure Tim never really had.

Bruce is pronounced dead on the Kerberos mission.

Kinda like in the comics, where Bruce disappears and no one believes he’s alive except for Tim, he draws into himself, doing everything he can to search for Bruce. He knows he’s not dead. He can’t be…

I’m thinking…around here, Tim’s unnamed roomie drops out; he doesn’t care. Except he gets put with a very LOUD and irritatingly friendly roomie. Richard Grayson. Even more irritating is that the notorious Damian Wayne (Hunk’s role…it’s not perfect, but it works) is put in with them as well, since Dick is literally the only person that can deal with the brat. (Damian is also a prodigy, but instead of drawing into himself like Tim, he lashes out and belittles others for not keeping up. He gets bullied alot, which only feeds the flames. Dick watched a bullying episode and immediately adopted the kid in his mind lol)

(some sketches of their Garrison days lol, and some Galra Jays) 

Anyway, Tim’s main focus is finding Bruce, and Dick is pretty annoying at first, but quickly worms his way into his heart as almost like a brother. As he does to many, he’s a sunshiney guy ^^ Damian appreciates him too, he’ll never admit it. Tim never tells them of his search, but they unintentionally help from time to time. 

The day the meteor hits, Tim KNOWS he has to check it out. Richard is curious and follows along, to his dismay. Damian goes because Dick is going. As usual. Jason is in the facility before them, having been searching for his mother all this time (after uncovering some information of her being missing in space long ago) and is shocked to find Bruce of all people here. Drugged up, scarred beyond belief, and with a cold, metal, alien right arm. They had a falling out of sorts long ago, but can’t help worrying about his past mentor and wanting to rescue him. In comes the rest of the gang, Dick is a HUGE fan of Bruce’s, and insists on helping as well. This is who Tim was looking for too!! Bruce is literally Damian’s father in this AU too, I just haven’t figured out the details of his backstory yet ^^;;; Anyway, cue rescue hijinks!

The rest goes about the same. Jason points out the mysterious cave, Damian figures out the coordinates, and they discover the blue lion. Dick is accepted as the blue paladin (shocked as he is) and flies them all to the castle ship, where they meet Starfire (I was debating Kori or Cass for Allura, but Suki pointed out she’s already a powerful alien space princess…so yeah. It works) and Alfred (Coran). 

“Hi. I’m Richard Grayson. And you’re right here in my arms…you’re safe.” Is very likely something Dickie would say, but in a more reassuring manner…before Kori beats him up anyway X’‘D He’s head over heels for her from the beginning, poor bab. 

Anyway! So Tim is Green, Dickie is Blue, Jason is Red, Damian is Yellow, and Bruce is Black. As for the rest of the batfam/dc verse, they’re either rebellion fighters, aliens, etc. Cass is Shay here, part of some shadow alien race that can’t speak very well. Damian is still obsessed with animals and misplaced creatures, so he’d be a total advocate for her oppressed race, and many others. I like to imagine she goes with the team. I could easily see Duke and Steph as Rebels…it could go on. Kent fam is already aliens, I’d love to see Jon meet Damian…haven’t figured that out yet though. Also I have hilarious images of Bruce struggling to trust Clark’s super powered alien race and build an alliance, but genuinely becoming friends over time! 

So yeah! Lots to play with here! Granted, I haven’t finished Voltron yet, so I don’t have it super solidly planned, but…it’s still fun! Here are some more sketches of the au:

Let me know if you have anymore questions! They help plan more  ^^ Thank you for asking!!

[rachello344]

Anti Blog Spotter’s Guide

I’ve been thinking about making this post for a while, so let’s get this started.  An incomplete list of the (many) ways I identify antis.  A brief note before we begin:  Many of the traits on their own are totally harmless, but more than three or so marks a pattern.  Most of the time, they self identify, which is helpful, but anti ideology is rampant these days.  You can never be too careful.

A secondary note, I advocate for blocking antis, but if any of them change their mind, if they leave the ideology behind, I am all for welcoming them with open arms.  We all make mistakes, and we’re only human.

All under the cut for length

They call themselves an Anti, or in some cases an Anti Anti (Anti Antis are typically against antis in cases where they’re affected, but they might actually be an anti in a different fandom.  i.e. someone who ships Sheith, but is anti-BakuDeku might identify as an Anti-Anti even though they are themselves an Anti )  

Pastel Icon or a character with a particular pride flag overlaid (this one is obviously not always the case, but should be seen in conjunction with other things like username and content)

Character-Against-Thing (Thing = Pedophilia, Incest, Rape, etc.)

“It’s called having morals”

“Why can’t you freaks be normal”

All things they hate in fiction directly tie in to sex and sexuality and romance.  No outrage against regular violence (except “abuse” which is a very broad category when wielded by an anti)

“Kink Critical”

No redemption for any bad characters

You must classify your interest in anything problematic or else you condone said problematic thing

Thinks Ao3 condones and promotes Bad Fictional Content, but still uses Ao3 on the regular

“X relationship is abusive and will always only be abusive”

“X version of the relationship is BAD, I only support the healthier version, Y”

“ya nasties”

“Do not follow/interact” lists; seriously do not interact is like a huge flag for me, no matter who they’re apparently against interacting with them

“X is just another word for Y” (usually X being some Ao3 tag and Y being abuse, rape, incest, or some other word they can use to shut down the argument)

“Queer is a slur”

“straight people are wild” or “all men are X” (X being abusers or something else negative; this is actually recycled exclusionist/radfem rhetoric, but none of them seem to notice that since they’re all “woke” and would never exclude anyone, except “nasty” people who deserve harassment and bullying)

“fujoshit” “fujoshis are fetishizing mlm”

Fetishize, romanticize, and normalize used all the time

“soft sapphic” “pure” “wholesome”

“it’s not censorship, it’s common sense”  (It’s definitely censorship)

“you can write your gross shit in some journal instead of exposing the rest of us to it”

“bad content can be used by abusers/predators to GROOM MINORS”

“think of the children!”

"[Why do you/Just say you] hate [lesbians/gay men]"

Responds to any and all arguments in the same way as all other antis, parroting their lines word for word.  Also, shuts down arguments with insults or pithy one liners.  (Largely performative outrage and virtue signaling.)

“it’s not bullying, it’s justifiable criticism.”

“if you write/draw gross shit, you should be held accountable” but they never go after the mainstream

“fiction affects reality” used as some kind of catchall

“block me if” instead of blocking on their own and curating their blogging experience

An apparent inability to use a tag blocker or exclude tags from the search results on Ao3.  Even knowing the Bad Content is there is apparently too much.

Generally 13-25 years old, genders and sexualities vary, although I’ve never seen an anti ID as queer.  If someone has, I’d actually be interested to hear that.

The two most common ships I’ve seen have been KL and KRBK but I’m sure there are others.

People who dropped Voltron for Dragon Prince and SheRa are almost all invariably antis.

People who think that there are no antis in My Hero Academia

In Voltron specifically:  ships Klance, ships "Leakira", ships Shadam, and/or Broganes Only.  frequently self-labeled as anti Pidge/other Paladins, anti Shiro/other Paladins, anti Shallura, anti Kallura, anti Lotura, anti Shidge, anti Sheith, and/or hates Allurance, Keith/Axca, or any of the above.  Hated Season 7.  Wanted to replace Voltron with their “reboot” (”Leakira” etc.).

[forever-more-never-again]

The White Lion (Chapter Two)

Word Count: 2849

Pairing: Keith X Lance X Blind!Fem!Reader

Warnings: General Voltron fighting and angst

Masterlist

Chapter: One Chapter: Three

A/n: So this started off as a small idea I had one day. A lot of you showed interest in the snippet I shared earlier. And let me tell you…this fic has grown! It will be multiple chapters cause as of right now I am at 10k Words and still writing! I will have a masterlist for this series so let me know if you want to be added! And enjoy!

Shiro landed first, after the strange white lion. The fact that they had managed to connect with them during Voltron, had been scary and unsettling. They now knew that something else could attach themselves. They didn’t know what this meant for Voltron.

Allura spoke, as they flew to the moon, that there should be no other lion. And that she knew just as much as them, which was...not much.

“Are we sure they aren’t the enemy? They listed Daibazaal as their home planet, isn’t that Galra?” Lance asked. His voice nervous.

Allura shook her head, “It can’t be. Daibazaal was destroyed over ten thousand years ago and unless they are like Zarkon… I doubt they have lived that long.”

Landing, the Paladins walked out of their lions, bayards at their sides. Cautious.

Standing beside the white lion, stood a figure, clad in white robe like attire. A scarf winding around their face, hiding it from view.

~~~

I held my breath. My anxiety spiking as I felt the energy of the lions surround me on the moon.

Blanche spoke to me, calming me down. Letting me know where they were, and how many.

Five pilots. Two Alteans. One of who...I had hoped to never meet again.

“[Y/n] Kolvason, right?” The oldest spoke. The leader. The black lion.

I nodded in his general direction, “That is my name. May I ask yours?”

The darkness in my head blocked his movements, I could not see him nod and wave his hands as he introduced his team.

“I am Shiro, Leader of Voltron. Lance pilots our Blue lion. Keith, our red. Hunk is yellow and Pidge flies Green. Then we have Coran and Princess Allura.”

I recoiled as the energy of the Altean came close. The energy halted, having seen my drastic reaction.

“We wish you no harm, Paladin. You fought along with us, we just wish to know more about you and your lion.” That soft voice.

I paused, choosing how best to say what I needed to. “I am sorry...Your...highness,” I had to bite back the formal introduction that I had been trained to say, “But I would feel more comfortable if you stepped back.”

I could practically feel everyone’s confusion at my request. But I breathed easier when the energy faded to the background, indicating that she had moved away.

“Princess Allura would not harm you. Nor would any of us. You helped us back there with the Galra.”

I smiled, but it was a bitter smile. “I know. And I will explain my odd behavior in a moment. First, I would like to start with saying...I am not from this reality.”

A collective gasp. And then a sharp, eager voice, “Are you saying you’re from an alternative Dimension!? How does that work? How did you cross? What’s your reality like?”

“Pidge.” A warning from the leader, Shiro.

I Was starting to piece together the energy signals to their respective person.

I sighed, knowing that I had to explain, Raising my hands, I gestured to them to stay quiet, “I come from a reality where Galra have all but been exterminated.”

A wary, accusing voice, energy laced with blue sparks, piped up, “How do we know you’re telling the truth? The Galra are ruthless killers!”

I shrugged, “You don’t. You just have to take my words. I do promise,” I added as their energies spiked with apprehension, “That I am telling the truth. I having nothing to gain from lying.”

“Continue.” Shiro spoke. Smoky Black Energy wafting towards me.

“Ten thousand years ago. A comet struck the planet Altea. Their leader, a man by the name of Foreal, used his Alchemy knowledge and built the six lions of Nortlov. At the time, there was peace throughout the Universe. Daibazaal, was a peaceful planet, with strong, willful people. Known as the Galra. They were the guards, protectors, of the Peace.”

A snort of derision. Red flames licking up to the sky.

I turned to the energy, lowering my head towards the man. “You think it’s silly?”

The voice was cold, calculating, but with an undercurrent of something else, “I just don’t see the Galra as being peaceful. And your story is wrong. The comet landed on Daibazaal and there were only five lions created.”

I opened my arms, “Aw, but this is not a story.” I reminded him, “It is my life. There were six lions. Fuschia, the right leg. Coral, the left leg. Violet, the right arm. Vermelin, the left arm. Ebony, the head. And Blanche, or white, as the heart.”

That voice. Femine, soft, hesitant to speak up. Energy swirling white with pink. “Heart? Your lion...during Voltron, had settled in Shiro’s chest. What exactly does the heart do? And why does your lion have a mane?”

I got excited. I loved Blanche, and flying. And the lore of Noltrov was one I loved hearing and telling.

“In a pack of Lions, there is one male and many females.”

Affirmation in the form of grunts from the surrounding people.

“Have you ever seen lionesses on their own without a male leading?”

Confusion.

“It’s true that they can survive without a male. But the females are the hunters. The male's protect the children and the females and cares for them. With no male, the females must be the hunters, protectors, everything. The stress tears at them and it’s not long before they turn on each other. The male balances them out. Keeps them together. He is the glue to the pack. The heart.”

I picked up speed as I grew more excited talking, “There is a head lioness, the main huntress. That would be the head. But the Male protects. Foreal knew this and created five female lions and one male. Blanche. Surely the lions have spoken to you, and you have sensed their femininity?”

I asked. Tilting my head.

Confused energy, before Shiro spoke up hesitantly, “They don’t speak to us...so much as we feel them in our minds. But yes, now that you mention it….I do sense Black is a female.”

“I always knew Green was a girl.”

“Blue has been my best girl since day one!”

“Wait! So Red isn’t a boy?”

I laughed silently, listening to these humans. They were so out of sync with their lions. Nothing like the bond my Rebels had...I shook my head. Clearing those thoughts.

“Anyways. Blanche has a mane, because he is the protector. Each of your lions have an ability? Right? At least, the lions of my reality did.”

The flames, “Yes, of course.”

“Blanche’s is shielding. He can put forward a barrier. And his mane is made of projectiles that can cut through most anything. Blanche can also open Wormholes...it's how my team flew around the Universe.” I loving looked up at my lion. Blanche purred, pleased.

“I saw that. Altean magic. If I’m not mistaken.”

I flinched, “Yes. Blanche changed his controls to Altean Consoles, easy to control with my energy, controls that worked for me when we bonded. Since I had no prior flying experience.”

Silent awe… “So you’re…”

I sagged, “Yes. I’m part Altean.”

“Part?” Blue like the water of the sea I saw once on a faraway planet, caressing around me in familiarity. But I couldn’t forget that these weren’t my Rebels.

I nodded, “The reason why I left my reality. In part. Was my bloodline.”

“What do you mean, partly why you left? What was so bad about your reality that you came to this one?” Fire licking up my face, the heat warm, but not harsh.

“After the lions of Noltrov were built...the Alteans became power hungry. Convinced they could bring peace under their rule. In a panic of what they could do if the lions were all piloted by Alteans, the leader of the Galra took them and hid them around the universe. But that did not stop the Alteans.”

I stopped. Taking a breath. Pain piercing my heart as I told my story.

“They began conquering planets, enforcing their ideals and practices on the inhabitants. The Galra tried to talk to them, tried to reason that this was terror, not peace. But Foreal would not listen. In a large battle that erupted weeks later...Foreal destroyed Daibazaal killing all Galra except for a select few who had been on peace missions elsewhere throughout the universe.”

The somber energies. The confused ones. The angry ones. I let them sweep over me. All but one. Pink with white. Spinning uncontrollably as she absorbed my words.

“As the years went on, the Altean Empire grew. And then Foreal died and a new leader came to the stage. One more ruthless and powerful than the Empire had been. Empress Allura of Altea. She stole Quintessence from planets to prolong her life,Letting her rule over thousands of years, corrupting her further.”

Horrified gasps filled the stagnant air.

Blanche kept up a steady stream of reassuring words, knowing how hard this was for me.

“The Alteans were peaceful people. We wanted to share our knowledge and peace with everyone, but we would not force it. I am not an Empress. I am merely Princess Allura.”

I nodded, “But you see why being near you is hard. I may know you are not like her, but it will take time for my mind and body to realize that. You’ll understand in a bit.”

I took a deep breath, “For the Alteans...Blood determines everything. From how high you can climb in the general ships, to how many slaves and planets you could look over. And for someone to have Altean blood but not be fully Altean...That was a crime of the highest order. The punishment, Death.”

Another shaky breath, “My mother was Altean. She met my father, a lost Galra rebel, during a recon mission. It is why I claim Daibazaal as my home, in honor of my father. My father was not full Galra either. In my Reality, Earth had already joined the vast expanse of the Universe, and so my father was part Human.”

Feet scuffed the moon’s surface. I could hear them thinking, putting the facts together in their heads as I spoke.

“She tried to kill him. But fighting turned to friendship. Turned to love.” I mused softly. A soft smile as I remembered the love my parents found in the middle of war.

“My mother took my father and told everyone he was a slave. But he had freedom to come and go as he wished. They would sneak around. Until...they couldn’t. My mother became pregnant. With me.”

My next words were cold, harsh, “When the Empress found out, she ordered immediate execution of my mother, demanding she tell her who the father of the abomination was. I was not supposed to live. But my mother begged for my life. She pleaded with Empress Allura to spare me and kill her instead.”

I chuckled darkly, “The Empress had a sick twisted sense of morality. She used to tell me the story all the time to remind how pathetic my parents were. I only saw the pain and the courage they had. She agreed to let my mother carry me to term, if she was the one to kill my father. She did it, watching her lover’s blood flow over her hands, tears falling and mixing with the Galra blood that was now growing inside her.”

“I was an abomination in the eyes of the Altean Empire. Someone who had their blood, but shared it with Galra and Humans. Once I was born, my mother was executed. I was raised in the slave hold by an Alkarion. I never had a name. I gave myself a name when I could talk. Growing up, you would never know I was anything but Altean. But once I hit puberty...my markings showed.”

I lifted my scarf from my neck, Careful not to reveal my whole face, showing the triangular purple markings that grew from my shoulders up my cheeks.

“I was assigned as the Empress's personal slave. I served on her battleship. Working day and night, endlessly, to please her. Beatings and lack of food was normal.”

The pink and white energy grew frenzied. I knew this must be hard for her to hear, what her other reality self did, but it had happened to me. And it still hurt.

“One day...I spilled Nunvill...on her robes. I pleaded, and begged, promising to clean it and that it wouldn’t happen again, but the Empress had this look in her eyes. She grabbed me and threw me across the room. None of her generals stepped in. I was an abomination and I often heard them ask why I was still alive and why Empress Allura hadn’t killed me as a babe after killing my mother.”

I lowered my scarf. Getting ready to unwrap it from my face. Hands shaking.

“She looked at my Altean markings. My galra markings. My pale, human skin. And she smiled. She said that I was a mutt, but that I should wear it proudly. That she would even give an Empress royal seal for all to see that I was something special. So she raised her hands...and she did this.”

I dropped the scarf. A strangled scream from the one who said she was just a princess.

“Quiznak” Soft gasp from the orange Altean energy beside her.

“Oh fuck…”

“Shiro..”

“Your eyes...”

“How can you fly?”

I laughed at the causal question spoken from Pidge, the one with the rolling green energy.

The only one who seemed undisturbed at the scarred exes across my eyes, now pure, white. Blind.

“After I was blinded by the Empress, I was thrown into a cell. Left for dead. A week later, I was rescued by a group of Rebels. They had found five of the six lions and had been drawn to my energy. And then Blanche found me.” I gazed up at my lion.

“He came flying through the sky and the rebels fought over who would pilot him, but I heard him. Clear as day. ‘You are my pilot.’ And I walked in without any assistance. I can see...through his eyes. When I’m flying him. He links his mind with mine. He speaks words. Not just emotions. Actual words. In a language I cannot define, but that I can understand.”

“I’ve never heard of anyone having a bond like that..” Princess Allura whispered. Half to herself.

“Blanche, with the other lions...formed Noltrov and we battled the Alteans. We freed countless planets and their people. We called ourselves the Rebels of Noltrov and we were a family…” I trialed off. Tears springing to my nonexistent eyesight.

“I’m guessing this is the other reason why you skipped realities?” Soft, determined Shiro.

I smiled at him, a hardened, grief ridden smile, “We were battling Empress Allura herself after years of running and fighting her smaller generals. But she had been prepared. A shot of pure Quintessence tore us out of formation and then there were nets...Everyone was caught in one except for Blanche and I. We managed to evade them. The nets were made with something...something I had never seen. My teammates couldn’t get out and then the screaming started.”

I couldn’t stop talking. Remembering the horrified, agonized screams of my team, as all I could do was listen.

“Empress Allura was dragging their quintessence straight out of them through their lions. The nets acting as a conduct for her magic. I tried to free them. But I couldn’t...My leader...my best friend… Snark...yelled for me to flee...so that the Alteans would never have the full power of the six lions. So...with tears in my eyes and a scream in my throat...I flew to Altea and found the rip in space time that the comet had left , it had never been destroyed… and with Blanche...I ran.”

I angrily swiped my hands over my face. The feeling of wet tears smearing across my face.

“My last memory of my teammates was hearing them die over our communications...Hearing their last gasp of air...My Rebels...My family…”

A heavy pause as everyone took in my words.

“This just happened?” Red flames, gently folding around my hands.

I gripped Keith’s hands as he supported me, “Yes. Just a few Vargas ago...before you found me and we fought the Galra. I haven’t..” Suddenly my legs gave out and I fell.

Before the ground could meet me, I was caught in strong arms.

“Woah, you okay?” Keith. Scared, nervous.

“Obviously not dude! What kind of question is that?”

A soft smile, Lance.

“Okay! Let’s get her to a healing pod. Between everything she’s been through and us questioning her, her bodies probably run through its energy.”

Straight to the point Shiro.

I felt myself be moved and cradled in someone’s arms and I slipped into unconsciousness to the sound of red heartbeats.

FOREVER Taglist:

@sxph-t @mialeelavellan @rainydaysrnevergrey  @platonic-plots @sociallyawkwardcircus-freak-hi @ayyidkeither @mcuimxgine @mythixmagic @chas-z @thefridgeismybestie @strangersstranger

[kallura-icedcoffee]

poppy: body/role swap

A flower that blooms in the desert

Plance x Kallura Week 2018

A/N: Hi, I’m late to everything :) Also this fic is a continuation of sorts of this drabble. If you don’t want to read it, long story short, Allura needs to work on her quintessence wielding.

Mix & Match: There’s a little bit of you in everything I do

The first time Keith and Allura had swapped quintessence, so to speak, it was more than they had bargained for and they ended up seeing each other’s entire lives through each other’s eyes. It was a lot, it was overwhelming and it should have been a one time thing, but now they couldn’t help themselves. The addiction of feeling each other so intimately was real and they often stole themselves away to engage in this practice of cycling their life force into one another with Allura as the conduit.  

Except this last time.

“It’s MY console!”

“It’s OUR console!”

“You helped get it for me! Me! Not you!

“I crawled into that damn fountain and nearly got arrested by mall police! That baby is as good as mine as it is yours!”

“That was a gift! You don’t try and take a gift you gave to someone else!”

“Ugh, can you guys please settle this?!”

Pidge and Lance had stormed into Allura’s room at the Garrison, completely ignoring the part where Keith and Allura were sitting on her bed, hands held in a meditative state.

“I’m the one who wanted the video game in the first place! It should stay with me!

“But you wouldn’t even have it without me!”

The two paladins continued to squabble over custody rights, and the fighting got louder and louder, and Allura’s eye twitched and her mouth curled into a scowl as parts of herself and parts of Keith were flowing in and out of her body and they wouldn’t shut up about this goddamn game and finally…

She just…

Snapped.

“ENOUGH!” Allura screamed and in the process, a burst of energy rippled from her epicenter and moved outward, knocking Keith back and sending Lance and Pidge into a wall before they slumped over onto the floor.

“What was that?!” Lance blinked as he came to.

“A reminder not to piss Allura off.” Pidge held a hand to her chest trying to catch her breath.

“I’m so sorry, is everyone all right?!” Allura looked over them with concern.

“We’re ok. I think.” Keith’s thoughts felt jumbled and he himself felt disoriented.

They dusted themselves off and nothing seemed immediately out of place so they chalked it up to just a random experience, an “Allura is doing her weird magic stuff again” and went to bed without giving it a second thought.

When Lance woke up the next morning he didn’t think he felt any different. Breakfast went normally and it wasn’t until he spotted Pidge in the hallway that he sensed something was off but couldn’t figure out why.

He had never seen her wear makeup since he’d known her, but here she was dolled up, hair styled and surrounded by a group of young cadets. She was chatting away, laughing, being playful.

“Scott was it?” She smiled while autographing a slip of paper before sticking a lipstick kiss on it.

Lance’s brow arched.

“I can’t believe we know THE green paladin of Voltron! Can we get a selfie?” The boy asked and the others nodded in agreement.

Pidge stood, nestled in her little harem and smiled at the camera being held out, hands formed into finger guns. There was something about this that seemed awfully familiar and the entire scene had Lance seething. First of all how dare she look this gorgeous so early in the morning and second, how come she never giggled and slapped his arm like that while telling him how funny he was? He stormed over and snatched her away just as they finished up the photo session.

“Ow! Chill much?”

“What are you doing?!”

“Making friends.”

“Flirting! You were flirting and frankly you should be ashamed of yourself, do you even know those boys?”

“No, but who cares, they know me.”

She took a compact out of her pocket and began checking her lipgloss. It wasn’t until she stared at her reflection that she seemed to snap out of her…whatever it was that had come over her.

“What am I doing?” She looked up at him.

“You tell me lovergirl!” He placed his hands on his hips.

Their conversation was interrupted by Pidge’s father, who approached them with clipboard in hand.

“Lance, Katie.”

“Hi dad.”

“Did you forget you promised to help us brainstorm options for creating a cloaking mechanism for the Atlas?

“Do a what for the what?” Pidge looked at him utterly confused.

“A cloaking mechanism for the Atlas” Lance repeated. “Realistically you have a few options. We could use optical camouflage or reduce temperatures of the outer surface of the ship to lessen electromagnetic emissions.”

Sam and Pidge stared at him, mouths agape. Sam’s glasses slid down his nose.

“What?” Lance shrugged.

“Lance you can barely remember what you had for breakfast, how the hell do you know about cloaking techniques?” Pidge asked incredulously.

Lance went to answer except, he wasn’t quite sure. It had sort of just rolled off his tongue naturally.

“Something’s wrong” Pidge blurted out.

“Very” Lance agreed.

Meanwhile Shiro and Hunk were sitting in the dining hall with Keith, gawking as they watched him eat. Not only had Keith come to breakfast with his hair neatly gelled and brushed back, but he was currently sitting with impeccable posture while cutting his pancakes into perfect identical pieces. A napkin was unfolded in his lap and after he took each bite he’d sip his juice delicately, never slurping, that was bad manners.

“Keith…”

“Yes Takashi?”

Shiro and Hunk glanced at each other before he continued.

“Is everything ok?”

“It’s splendid, why do you ask?” He smiled.

Another flicker of eye contact between the captain and yellow paladin.

“Nothing. You just seem…different” Hunk chimed in.

“Well I feel fine. Although…”

They both leaned in.

“Yes?” Shiro urged.

“It’s silly.”

“Just tell us.”

“Well,” Keith placed his fork and knife down on the table, “I’ve been feeling a little self conscious this morning. I woke up and I just thought…well my ears are just so ugly.”

Tears welled up in his eyes.

“Wait what?” Hunk nearly did a double take.

“They’re just so round!” Keith erupted into a blubbering fit, snatching the napkin to hide his face. “How will Allura ever love me with ears like this?”

He blew his nose into the napkin with a loud exaggerated honk.

Shiro’s face perked up while Hunk was still dumbfounded.

“I’m sorry, did you just say ‘how will Allura ever love you’?”

Keith realized what he’d just said and his face turned fifty shades of pink before he quickly got up from the table.

“E-excuse me, I have things to attend to!”

Shiro and Hunk watched him run out, not sure what the hell had just happened but pleased that they now had blackmail on the black paladin.

Keith darted out into the hallway when he nearly collided with Pidge and Lance.

“Keith! Thank god we found you. Are you feeling, y’know, ok?”

“Honestly? I just had a rather humiliating exchange in the cafeteria that I would rather not discuss, but yeah I’m not ok. I know it sounds crazy but I don’t feel like myself.”

“Oh my god us too!” Pidge grabbed him by the arms.

“Are you wearing mascara?” Keith sniffled as he dabbed his nose with the cloth.

Pidge quickly let go of him with a glare before quickly changing the subject.

“You guys don’t think this had anything to do with that incident last night do you? When Allura got all mad and did that little blasty thing?” She tapped her finger to her chin.

“The shockwave of concentrated quintessence caused by the princess’ momentary emotional outburst could be what’s causing the current abnormalities and changes in personality traits that we’re currently experiencing” Lance said nonchalantly.

Keith and Pidge blinked at him silently.

“What?” Lance looked at them, puzzled.

“Let’s find Allura. Now!” Keith shook his head and marched off with the other two in tow.

After asking around they finally found Allura in an empty hanger. She was climbing on top of a hover bike that clearly did not belong to her.

“Thank goodness we’ve been looking all over for y-”

“Are you stealing that?” Pidge pointed to the cruiser the princess was currently perched on.

Allura sat up on the bike. She had her hair down, some of it obscuring half her face. Her cadet jacket was off and tied around her waist, revealing the white fitted tank top she had on underneath.

“I’m not stealing it, I’m just taking it for a little spin.” The normal lilt in her voice was gone, replaced by a deeper tone dripping with attitude.

“Princess taking things that don’t belong to you is wrong.” Keith’s brow furrowed.

Allura scoffed and rolled her eyes before leaning over on the handle bars and narrowing her eyes at Keith.

“So then you don’t wanna ride?” She bit her lip.

“I’d love to” Keith blurted out, stumbling toward her before Lance grabbed him by the collar.

“Allura that blast you hit us with last might has us all messed up, you’ve got to fix this!” Lance pleaded.

The princess pondered his words. She had felt off all morning, and irritated, and every time she saw James Griffin she wanted to deck him in his chiseled jaw.

“Perhaps you have a point. Keith and I were in the midst of exchanging our quintessence when you interrupted. I may have accidentally exchanged all our quintessence.”

“Well can you put everything back?” Pidge asked.

“I’m sure I could…but I’m gonna go for that ride first.” Allura smirked starting up the bike.

“Are you serious?!” Lance yelped.

“Very. Coming?” She winked at Keith who was looking at her, utterly smitten.

“Yes!” He pushed Lance and Pidge aside and slid on behind her, wrapping his arms around her middle, holding her tight.

Lance and Pidge watched in dismay as they took off into the desert leaving a cloud of dust in their wake.

“So what do we do until they come back?” He pouted.

“Lay low I guess…” Pidge shrugged.

There was an awkward silence, before Lance spoke up again.

“You weren’t really hitting on those guys earlier were you?”

“Worried?” Pidge gave him a knowing grin.

“No! I’m just curious is all.”

Pidge giggled and patted his shoulder.

“You have nothing to worry about. My relationship with those guys is purely planetonic” she assured him before walking away.

Lance sighed with relief before his face twisted into a perplexed state.

“Wait a second, THAT’S NOT EVEN A REAL WORD!”

AO3 LINK

[hi-i-love-u-bitch]

Okay, let’s real talk about Voltron S8...

This is probably gunna be a long SPOILER FILLED rant so I’ll just leave it under the cut. But before I do that let me just throw out one truth bomb...

Y’ALL MOSTLY HATE S8 BECAUSE YOUR SHIPS WEREN’T CANNON!!!!

Though I know that’s not ALL that you hate about it, I’ll get to that later, but it’s the main that’s made this fandom so infamous. Look, I’m gunna be real here, I knew (we all knew) since the beginning that Allurance (Allura x Lance) was going to be end game. There was literally no other option (*cough*yes there was *cough*) other then for them to get together, it’s a very common and basic formula used for all romantic tropes in cartoons. When two people from the opposite sex so much as glance at each other in a semi-romantic way (even if it’s only just one of them) they WILL most likely get together. It’s just cartoon logic. This formula has been used time and time again so I wasn’t very surprised when Lance and Allura got together. Even when she still had that thing with Lotor I KNEW her and Lance were still gunna end up together, some how.

Now I have nothing against Allurance, I think it’s a cute ship and the moments they had together during S8 were nice but I just don’t like HOW they got together. This was obviously a rebound relationship for Allura because she was emotional and heartbroken and needed someone who loved her unconditionally. That being said I’m pretty sure Lance also knew this was a rebound relationship, they’re in the middle of war, emotions are high, and he was so in love with Allura that he was desperate to take what he can.

So does that make them bad people by forming a relationship in the midst of a war just to gain a little emotional support? No. In fact, it could of been a very interesting concept to play around with and help both characters grow. Lance could have seen that he didn’t need someone to feel whole and accomplished in life, while Allura could have healed from the heartbreak and come out a much stronger person. HER AND LANCE COULD HAVE EVEN BECOME CLOSER AS FRIENDS WITH MAYBE A HINT OF A RELATIONSHIP SHOWN IN THE FUTURE IF YOU’RE REALLY TRULY DESPERATE FOR THAT SHIP!!! But the way they got together was so...sloppy and rushed and forced. Nothing was natural about it because since the beginning the only one who has shown interest in a relationship was Lance. If Allura had also shown interest in wanting to be with Lance earlier on (even if it was during s3 or s4) they could of had time to develop into a more believable romance.

The reason people gravitate more towards Klance (Keith x Lance) was because it had believable chemistry that we liked. Be it platonic or other wise, Keith and Lance help were very important to each other for their growth throughout the series. It was a natural growth that was interesting to watch which is why people latched on to it even though we knew, deep down, it was never going to be nothing more. I know there’s this whole thing about “queer baiting” but let’s be realistic here, this is a cartoon show made for kids, run by a company who only confirmed Gobber (from How to Train Your Dragon) was gay in one interview and nothing else, and killed off Adam (Shiro’s supposed fiance) without even confirming in show that him and Shiro were even together. It was never gunna happen and we should all just get over it. The moments we got with them were only there to either move the story along or appease us and nothing more.

Okay so moving on, story wise it was alright, nothing spectacular but I found it interesting. Granted they diverged from their original story in S1 a whole hell of a lot but it was sort of interesting to watch. Sometimes seasons were very inconsistent with what has already been established but the overall plot was somewhat engaging. This season I thought was pretty decent enough, but the ending just...wasn’t as grand as I was hoping it to be. I mean the whole battle scene with Honerva was amazing but the ending after was just very...meh.

ALLURA SERIOUSLY DID NOT NEED TO DIE!!!

I’m just putting it out there now! There could have been a million different ways to execute this if really did want her to die but this just felt half assed! You know why? BECAUSE SHE DIDN’T NEED TO DIE!!! You’re just gunna put a character through all that suffering and NOT give her the happy ending she deserves? You know who SHOULD have died?

HONERVA! HONERVA SHOULD HAVE DIED! I DON’T CARE IF ALLURA OR THE PALADINS WERE BEING THE “BIGGER PERSON” ABOUT IT, SHE SHOULD HAVE DIED! SHE WAS GOING TO DESTROY ALL OF REALITY AND EXISTENCE! ALL BECAUSE SHE COULDN’T LET GO OF THE PAST AND GET WHAT SHE WANTED!!!

I have no sympathy for her, I have no sympathy for Zarkon, and I have no sympathy for Lotor! I don’t care that they have tragic, misunderstood backstories THAT STILL DOESN’T GIVE THEM THE RIGHT TO DO THE THINGS THEY DID!!!

Don’t get me wrong, villain redemption arcs are totally valid in any other context but sympathy or pity for genocidal maniacs IS JUST SO MANY SHADES OF FUCKED UP!!! (ex. THE FUCKING DIAMONDS FROM STEVEN UNIVERSE).

So yeah, Honerva should of died, Allura should of lived, and many more things before this season could of been planed better. Also that ending scene with Shiro getting married I thought was pretty cute. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not really a TRUE form of lgbtq+ rep, it was rushed and probably a sloppy form of an apology for killing off Adam but I don’t think we should hate on it. It’ll only discourage other creatures in the future from truly making representation we deserve. Plus, I’m glad that Shiro was able to find happiness after all the shit he’s gone through! I thought all the little glimpses in to the future end cards were very fitting and nice. Well, all except foR LANCE!!!

SERIOUSLY?! SERIOUSLY, YOU GUNNA DO MY BOY LIKE THAT?!

Like, I’m glad he stayed with his family on Earth (I know a lot of people think he left to settle in Altea but checked back and am here to confirm that is NOT true) but did they seriously had to make him a farmer?!?! Yes, I wanted him to be with his family and stay on Earth BUT there is so much more they could of done with him! Pidge stayed on Earth with her family and made huge technological advances and you’re telling me Lance couldn’t have done something similar? I mean, I get that after all of it he’d want to spend time with his family and get away from the war and adventure of it all but there was still so much that needed to be done! Coran, Keith, Shiro, Hunk, and Pidge were all still trying to bring together a broken universe because, as anybody could tell you, just because the war is over doesn’t me everything is fixed. And like HELL would Lance just take a seat while his friends were out there rebuilding! It is like a MAJOR disrespect to Allura’s memory! One that Lance has made very clear that he want’s to HONOR in the best way possible and the writers thought that him having a FARM was be best thing to do that?!

NOT A FUCKING CHANCE!!!

Okay, so after breathing for a moment, I have to say that I actually did enjoy this season. Sure, then ending of it was lack luster and the whole Allurance thing was cute but poorly done but other then that I really, really liked it. Could it have had a better send off? Yes. But the one that it got WASN’T the worst thing in the world and I would gladly watch Voltron all over again. In fact I’m going to because I like the show and it’s characters and even the shitty fandom it has. Sure, it’s flawed but so is everything else in life so there’s no use in crying over something that is over.

Either enjoy Voltron for what it is or just put it out of your life if it’s causing you that much misery. At the end of it all it’s just a show.