#mer!hunk

[autisticlancemcclain]

fic rec friday 58

hello and welcome to fic rec friday! where, on friday, i rec five of my favourite fics.

The Value of a Moment by @a-fools-errand

When Lance’s previously obsolete skills in language suddenly become very useful, he finds himself wondering why aliens can’t account for the fact that humans, particularly him, need sleep and would prefer linear timelines. (Or: an Arrival AU because I love that movie)

yall OBSESSED does not begin to cover it. i have never read a fic where lance was so goddamn cool. and in like. the insanest of ways?? like of course lance is a polyglot but THIS....this is a whole new level. i havent even finished it fully yet but like god this thing is so fucking cool. if ur looking for a longfic stop looking

2. Rest Stop by @flaming-potato-arsonarson

Lance wasn't like the rest of the world. And he had never had a loving mother tell him it made him stronger for it. So he told himself, gathering up his courage and grit to face a world of winged humanity, when he, in fact, has no wings and turns into a mermaid instead. A world that wants him to die. So he'd keep this secret like a knife in his boot, a sharp weapon until he died on his own terms. Not because of who he was. Except, Team Voltron isn't so sure why Lance is all rough edges and sharp points about showing off his wings. Or acting like a member of the Flock in general. It's clear he cares for them, but he's never shown an intimate part of him. Until he has to.

oh god this has gotta be one of my CLASSIC fics. read it a few dozen times. i read it right when it came out, six ish years ago (goddamn), i can remember curling up in my old bunk bad and eating this up as the hours ticked by. i was HOOKED. my jaw was dropped my eyes were glued. could not get enough. if youre looking for mermaid lance with a twist....brother this is it

3. Looking for Rain by @thewriter2

Like most things, it starts with the little things: his smile, his confidence, his talent. Eventually, all these little things add up to one big thing that threatens to crash over them like a heavy rain. But, maybe that wouldn't be a bad thing. Maybe something beautiful would come from it. A 5+1 (really a 10+1) of Lance and Keith falling in love.

oh god guys..... @thewriter2 knows how to fucking haunt you. if a 10+1 (!!) isnt enough for you, i want you to know this line has been echoing in my head since i first read: "He looks at you like you’re a storm and he’s a desert desperate to drown." UM??? EXCUSE ME???? SIMILE OF ALL TIME ACTUALLY???? keith being so so visibly obviously in love with lance is my actual roman empire shit never leaves my mind

4. Astronauts by @thewriter2

When they entered the Blue Lion, Keith was Lance’s rival--the person Lance was working so hard to surpass. But slowly, Lance found himself thinking of Keith less as a rival and more as something close to a friend. So of course, Lance’s traitor of a heart decided that it would be Lance’s kind of friend that it would fall in love with.

tags to sell you: "keith is a dork but lance loves him anyway" (dorky keith my beloved), "hunk is an a+ friend" (yes he is), "lance is a lovesick fool" (yeah), and "allura is older sister goals" yes yes YES you get it. and like....while keith pov is my favourite to write by far, lances pov as he realises he is in love....that will always hold such a special special place in my heart

5. his own worth by frogsterz

In the middle of the conversation, Lance stops talking and no one notices. It’s not like he had been leading the conversation, for he hadn’t been, but somehow the fact that his lack of input or opinion isn’t noticed tightens the grip loneliness has on his heart. He looks down at his food, his face burning, his throat tightening up.

now usually anything but team as family isnt my deal. im not big on classic langst. but keith as a knight in shining armour.....what can i say i am weak willed. deeply. also " It’s what made it worse. I miss home and I miss being held and the rain, and I loved you. I thought you hated me." got me so bad got me WEAK like i have never recovered from that line and i doubt i ever will

that’s it for today!! i’ll see y’all back next friday for the next fic rec post!!!

[scattered-winter]

klance lighthouse au........keith is a lighthouse keeper and lance is a mer who is wounded by fishermen and swept into a storm and washes up on the shore where keith finds him.......if u even care.........

[tyanis]

If HUNK was a merman what color would his tail be?

Back with some more Resident Evil MerMay polls!

[rendy-a]

hello if u dont mind, may I request your newest post with the rumored ramshackle girl with jade, azul and floyd please?

In case you are new to these prompts, this is a series where the students of NRC suspect the Prefect of Ramshackle might be a girl and are terribly interested in confirming if this is true. In the interest of keeping my writing gender neutral, the results of this investigation are always left up to the reader.

The bootcamp Azul, Jade and Floyd had attended before coming to the surface had covered many things about surface dwellers and their lives but some things remained a mystery.  “So, tell me again why I can’t just ask the Prefect to see their little leg?” Floyd asks in an annoyed voice.  Azul sighs deeply, the conversation having gone on for quite a while, “Firstly, that’s not a leg and secondly, it just isn’t done on the surface!”  Floyd gnashes his sharp teeth in frustration.  “My, my,” Jade coos, “What an unfortunate mystery.”  Azul scowls over at Jade, “This isn’t helping anyone.  We need to sit and think about this rationally.” 

Floyd continues to mutter discontentedly but does move over to one of the sofa’s that flank Azul’s desk in the private back office of Mostro Lounge and takes a seat.  Jade slides to sit across from him in his signature gentlemanly manner.  The brusque air in which Azul plops down in his chair is testament to how preoccupied his thoughts are; even his suave persona is showing cracks.  He gathers up some pages of notes, trying to sort them before giving up and tossing the messy pile next to a stack of books.  Jade eyes the titles and smiles amused at the confused collection including such things as “What Women Want” and “How to Land Your Hunk in 10 Easy Steps.”  Azul notices Jade’s attention and quickly slides the stack of books into a desk drawer while flushing deeply. 

“Ah hem,” he clears his throat, “Sometimes even well thought out plans need to be adapted and changed.”  He looks slowly down at the stack of discarded notes, “And then changed again and again,” he softly mutters.  Jade smiles widely at Azul’s agitation.  “Ah hem,” Azul clears his throat to prepare to steer the conversation, “Now, what we need to discuss is how we are going to solve this little mystery.”  Floyd takes in a big breath and Azul quickly adds, “In a way approved by surface dwellers!”  Floyd frowns and mutters, “This blows.  Why do humans make everything so complicated?”  Jade places his gloved hand over his heart and commiserates with his sibling, “Why yes, it is a shame the Prefect isn’t attending school under the sea with us.  Things are so much straightforward with mer.”

Jade likely hadn’t intended to be helpful, as he was so enjoying the distress of his companions, and yet his comment caused Azul to take a long pause.  “Under the sea…” the pensive dorm leader trails off.  Jade narrows his eyes a bit, considering Azul.  Then he ventures a snide comment, “You aren’t planning to ask the Prefect to show you their tail fin, are you?  Because I’d certainly enjoy watching that conversation.”  Floyd shares a chuckle with his twin.  Azul glares at the duo before sitting back and steepling his hands, “Well, maybe I will.”  Floyd’s expression immediately changes into a scowl, “I thought we couldn’t ask the Prefect to show us their little leg!”  Azul’s brow knits tightly as he glares at Floyd again before he lets out a long-suffering sigh and lets it go.  “Come here boys, I’ve got a plan.”

The Prefect of Ramshackle dorm follows Jade eagerly down the glass hallway leading toward Octavinelle.  “Are you sure there isn’t some sort of contract waiting for me?” you ask again.  Jade smiles at you, appearing to be amused rather than annoyed at your repeated question, “I assure you, Prefect, that this outing is entirely for our benefit.  In fact, it is you doing us a favor and not the other way around.”  You can’t help but maintain your suspicion, “Maybe I should be negotiating for something more then.  Get the most out of this deal while Azul is being so generous.”  Jade bows apologetically, “I’m afraid, Prefect, that the potion we’re providing you complementary is the extent of our benevolence today.”  You follow silently for a moment before you can’t help but interject, “But it’s free, right?” 

Instead of answering you, Jade sweeps open a door and gestures for you to proceed him.  You’ve arrived at Octavinelle.  You always feel a certain way when you cross the threshold of this dorm.  It’s like a certain sense of foreboding that warns you that dangerous creatures lurk in the dark of the deep ocean.  As usual, you push down any minor unpleasantness and follow your eel guide deeper into the lair of your host. 

When you arrive at the lounge, Floyd catches sight of you first and bounds to his feet.  “Shrimpy, you’re here!”  Then he uses his unusual strength to swing you off your feet as you chide him to set you down.  He is in an exceptionally good mood today, for which you are grateful.  You wouldn’t want to set out on such an undertaking with Floyd in a bad mood.  “Give our guest some space, Floyd,” Azul admonishes gently, “You’ll have to forgive him.  We are all very excited for the outcome of today’s experiment.” 

This reminds you of your unusual task today.  Azul had explained it as an exercise in advanced potion making.  He was tweaking a transformation potion to not only allow for a human-to-mer transformation but one that also let the potion maker control the type of mer they transformed into.  Azul had lamented that he was unable to get the assistance of Jade and Floyd or take it himself, “For you see, Prefect, the results would be inconclusive as we are already mer.”  While that did seem to make sense, you’d long since developed a healthy amount of caution with anything the trio was tied to.  You’d have steered clear of Azul’s scheme entirely if it wasn’t for the alure of transforming into a mer.  That was an experience you just couldn’t resist.

You gaze at Azul cautiously and hesitantly ask, “So what sort of mer do you have planned for me?  It’s not something crazy like a whale or shrimp, right?”  Floyd smiles when you mention ‘shrimp’ but says nothing.  Instead, Azul sweeps in with his businessman persona to finish ‘selling’ you on the experiment.  “Of course not, Prefect!” he soothingly says as he dramatically gestures, “I assure you that we’ve chosen something simple for you.  This is just a first experiment, after all.  We didn’t plan on going into elaborate trials yet.”  You deadpan, “Just tell me.”  Jade chuckles at your reply and steps in, “It’s a Koi fish.  Nothing to be alarmed at, I assure you.”  Well…that actually sounded fine.  It was at least a fish you’d heard of, and you couldn’t really think of any objections to it.  “Once I’m transformed, you aren’t going to do anything funny to me.”  Floyd, bored with waiting, jumps in, “Come on Shrimpy, we just wanna see your tail and then we are good.”  Then he leans in toward you, “After that, I’ll take ya swimming.  Show you around the reef.” 

Honestly, it sounded like a rare experience, and you couldn’t help but be excited.  So, you ignored any last lingering doubts and held out your hand for the potion.  Jade sets the potion in your waiting hand, and you hold eye contact as you uncork the potion and throw it down your throat.  The initial taste was vile, but it had a slight fruity aftertaste which suggests Azul had at least attempted to soften the flavor for you.  You wondered at the consideration and the associated implications before feeling a twist in the pit of your stomach.  “Where is the pool?” you demand as you feel the urgent need to be in the water.  Floyd grabs your hand and pulls you along after him before pushing you into a room and closing the door behind you.  “Go on Shrimpy,” you hear him call out with a laughing voice from beyond the door, “we’ll catch up to you after.” 

You feel the beginning of a shift and quickly remove your clothing, not even bothering to fold it nicely and hastily dive into the pool.  There is an immediate sense of relief as the sea water fills your emerging gills and you marvel at the gold, white and black speckled tail emerging from your bottom half.  You arranged some shell adorned clothing you’d brought with you to cover your top in what you hoped was a cool mer-inspired fashion and decided you were ready to exit to the reef beyond.

Two shadows pass overtop of you and you startle and look around for the source.  You fail to control your surprise as a long tail wraps around your new tail and another around your arm.  You struggle for a moment before realizing this is what they want and let yourself go slack.  Jade chuckles and Floyd huffs before they release you and allow you to spin yourself around and look into their too smug faces.  “Why Prefect, how koi of you,” Jade drawls in amusement.  It takes you a moment to understand his pun and ask, “Was that what this was for?  So you could make fish puns.”  Floyd scoffs, “Nah, these days Jade is only into mushroom puns.”  You roll your eyes, “Sorry for missing the perk of it then.”  Jade and Floyd share a look, “This variety just has many hidden benefits.”  You peer at them suspiciously, “Like what?”

When neither of them answers beyond an ominous sounding chuckle, you ask again in a panic, “Like what!”  They have no time to answer as, with a sudden yelp, they are yanked from your side by a pair of dark tentacles.  “Jade, Floyd,” drawls Azul, “You are being rude to our special guest.”  Then he slowly slides to your side as you attempt to not stare at his octo-mer form.  One sleek tentacle rises and taps one of the shells you decorated yourself with.  You fluster, noticing none of the others had chosen to wear anything decorative like this.  “I thought it was a nice touch,” you mutter embarrassed.  “Why yes,” Azul quietly replies, “it does suit you quite well.”  His compliment relatives some of your tension, “Does it look strange?”  Now it was Azul’s turn to fluster.  After several false starts, he finally squeezes out a response, “I see you are the traditional sort.” 

You looked at him questioningly and Jade sweeps in to alleviate your confusion, “Shells.  Both the Mermaid Princess and the benevolent Sea Witch were said to have worn shell accessories.  You look like quite the proper mer.”  Perhaps it was the smile or the fact that you now felt like a very fashionable mer indeed, but you didn’t question them further when Azul instructs Jade and Floyd to take some measurements of your tail.   You watch them span a measuring tape around several areas of your tail to take its width.  They also appeared to have great interest in the degree of transparency of your fins. 

With each item Azul added to his notebook, he muttered, “I see, I see.”  You curiously asked, “Are these the results you were hoping for?”  He meets your eye and softly replies, “I’d have been happy either way.  It’s the knowing that is important.  You can’t plan without knowing.”  You look over to Floyd and ask, “Plan what?”  Floyd gives you a little giggle and reaches out to seize your hand, “Hey Shrimpy, this is getting boring.  What do you say we have ourselves a race?”  You privately agree that this was dragging on, so you give Azul a look as though to ask if you were free to go.  He sighs and gives you a nod. 

You give Floyd’s hand a shake in response and shout, “Alright!  Let’s give this tail a real trial now!”  Then you kick off and shout, “First one to that coral formation is a cuttlefish!”  Floyd laughs manically as he shoots after you.  Jade gives Azul a measuring glance and they share a knowing smile before he follows along, observing at a distance.  Azul makes no effort to follow and instead turns his attentions to his notebook and plans.  You spent the rest of the time your potion lasts happily swimming about the reef, blissfully unaware that three predators had firmly set their sights on you.  And, now that their little mystery was cleared up, there was nothing standing in the way of their schemes.

[changelingsandothernonsense]

Wip Whenevers!

Got tagged by @throughtrialbyfire for wip Wednesday :3

We got some writing and art

Some progress on the Josh piece. Did a bit more detail on his hair and started scaring. Body's a bit sore so i'll pick things back up tomorrow.

And something from a fic i'm working on. Specifically, Josh traversing Ilunibi.

I’m unsure how long I had been walking for, maybe fifteen minutes maybe far longer but I was beginning to grow suspicious at the lack of any real adversaries outside a bit of frigid seawater. I was beginning to feel thirsty as I felt the effects of my spells begin to wane. I recast them as I searched my pack for my waterskin. It was as I was taking that long-awaited drink that I heard something calling out from the darkness. Faint whisperings of a name I do not answer to. It baffles me as to why they insist on using it when every one of those fucking cultists I’ve had the displeasure of running into already knows what my fucking name is! ‘­—He bids you welcome, Lord Nerevar.’ I shuddered as I quickly threw my waterskin back into my pack and reached for my dagger. In the distance, I could just make out the willowy silhouette of a mer holding what appeared to be some sort of mace or club. I could not tell from here if the bastard was infected or not and I was not ready to find out. I recast my spells yet again, making sure I was still undetectable by most means and began my approach, dagger drawn and held ready to strike. I kept close to the cavern wall, the place too dark to really make out the state of the mer until I was almost face to face with him— and I didn’t know what to make of what I saw. The Dunmer was filthy, covered in ash and blood from head to toe. His eyes glazed as he searched the cavern for my presence. His teeth were stained black with what I assumed was old blood and the smell of rot and filth almost engulfed me. The putrid stink certainly wasn’t helped by the rotting hunks of flesh that the bastard hung around his neck. I’d seen flesh used almost in decoration by the Sixth House cultists before though it’s usually hanging in chunks from their shrines. I wondered how far gone one had to be to wear it on their bare skin— Then again if the bastard’s been infected long enough the disease was the least of his worries. Though he lacked evidence of any large, deforming growths on his body. Just an emaciated form with a great, descending belly popping out from rows of defined ribs. And I thought mine looked bad— The Dreamer stared at me…or through me to be more accurate. His eyes darting about madly as he searched for me. I readied my weapon and waited for the bastard to turn around. ‘He will not come to you, Lord Nerevar. It is you that must beg his forgiveness beneath Red Mountain. Join us and bring his glory.’ I shivered at the thought. I still don’t know what these things insist on calling me that. It’s bad enough that the damn Empire’s puppeting me about as the fucking Incarnate and that the Ashlanders seem to be entertaining the idea too… I just wish it wasn’t playing into the Empire’s hands. But I have no say in any of this.

[discordiansamba]

Keith is... hesitant to show Shiro what he looks like in Mer form. It's understandable- the Mer that attacked Shiro was clearly a Galra mer, even though the one who ultimately transformed him and took control of him for so long was an Altean mer. Shiro knows that Keith is part-Mer, since he's been told as much, but his actual memories of his time under Haggar's control are... shaky at best, so he doesn't really remember what Keith actually looks like.

While Shiro is recovering, Keith visits him often. Given his injuries, Allura seemed to think it was best that Shiro stayed in Mer form while recovering, and Keith knows that being confined to his dad's old recovery pool is probably chafing at Shiro. He's not the only one who visits- Allura, Romelle, Lance, Coran, Adam and Hunk all do, and eventually, they get Pidge and Matt to come, helping the latter finally reconcile with Shiro.

The four Altean mer all sometimes join him in the recovery pool- and Keith does too, sometimes, except he always chooses to stay in human form instead. Shiro has a sneaking suspicion as to why, after Lance and Romelle let it slip that Keith is part Galra mer, along with his own hazy recollections of a large purple Mer that looks vaguely like Keith.

Shiro can understand why Keith might be worried (and he'll admit, it's surreal to think that Keith is bigger than him in Mer form), but he wants to make sure he understands that he doesn't think this is a problem. Keith is Keith, no matter what form he takes.

Besides, just think about the prank we could pull on Adam.

[ethereance]

Screw it. *Genderfluids your Lance* Post s8. Fix it.

Lance thought his Altean markings were cosmetic. Nothing more. Nothing less. A gift from Allura, leaving a piece of her with him, to look back and remember with fondness her company. As if he could ever forget a girl as incredible as her.

It’s not until much later he realises it’s something more. That maybe Allura gave a portion more than he expected. He stares, face to face with his mirror. Something off. Something strange. Something that grabs his attention before he really knows what he’s looking at.

His ears slowly shift back to human. But they were there long enough. He saw the Altean ears.

“Incredible,” Coran says when Lance broaches this to him, and after multiple attempts at trying at failing at repeating what happened in the mirror. At last he succeeds. “You’re shifting just like an Altean.”

“I’m not turning Altean, am I?” he panics. He’s pretty attached to being a human and all.

“Haha! Don’t be ridiculous number three, you can’t just ‘turn Altean.’ Good one! Turn Altean, he says. That’s one to remember for an open mike.” Then Coran takes one look at his genuine distress and sobers. “Rest assured, my boy, you’re one hundred percent earthling, ears and all. Allura wouldn’t change you so completely when she loved you the way you are. It just seems she passed our chameleon-like abilities over to you. I can’t say I’ve ever heard anything like this ever documented before, but Allura…”

“Has a way of accomplishing the possible,” Lance offers when Coran’s eyes grow distant, bittersweet.

“Yes,” agrees Coran. Something proud, something sombre, “That she did.”

***

Lance practices often, following Coran’s guidance. Even Romelle drops by at Coran’s request, eager to show someone the ropes.

“In the colony, we had little need to shift as our ancestors had. Our only home had been there, tucked away in a corner of the universe. We understood little of the outside world except what Lotor brought us. Even so, it was an ability we never lost. When you have mastered it, it’s like walking. It becomes natural. To some more than others,” she says, a surprisingly patient teacher. He wonders where this side of her was when she was trying to get him to teach her to pilot. “You may be the ‘others’! But that okay. My… my brother Bandor was the same.”

For such a bright supernova of a person, it is easy to forget that, like Coran, Romelle has been touched by grief. And grief again.

“You strike me as an adaptable person, pointy chin. Like rivers and oceans, it has made you you. I have full confidence in your abilities. And if Allura were here.” She smiles, and it is pain, but beauty. A flower unfurling in the wake of a storm. “I know she would say the same.”

***

He finds himself slipping into other forms like a glove. It becomes easier, a swifter motion just as Romelle had said.

It’s freeing, in a way. To walk as something so slightly adjacent to him. A Lance of another life. Altean, balmeran, olkari, puigian, anything he can think of.

He loves being Plaxum’s species the most. A mer. Beneath the waves, it feels like coming home. He’s a missile underwater, swimming loops around coral.

Dreams really do come true.

***

There’s something about transforming that pulls him that much closer to Allura. Her quintessence sings to him, and his skin dances. He feels alive as he hasn’t in a long time.

Happier maybe. Or that much closer to it.

He wishes he could take a photo of Keith the second he catches sight of Lance, a good extra foot on him, and purple as a plum.

“So this is a… thing,” says Keith eventually. And what an observation that is. Lance explains.

“Don’t let Hunk catch you like this,” is Keith’s response, a hint of tired amusement, “He’ll call you Galra Lance and never stop.”

***

It starts with him shifting into an unilu. He needs the extra hands. Lance doesn’t realise the gender he’d chosen until Coran points it out offhandedly. Now, Lance knows that not every species is going to be quite so clear cut as biologically male or female. Some have more some have less. Some won’t even know what the word gender means. He has experienced a taste of the universe. He knows how vast and diverse it is. When shapeshifting into a species like that, it makes sense his gender isn’t something he’d retain.

Female. He’d made himself into a female unilu. It was a matter of size and facial shape. Nothing too strange, no stranger than his body shifting into a skin it wasn’t born into, but noticeable enough.

And isn’t that something.

***

It’s out of curiosity he tries the same as a human. Curiosity and nothing more. Just because he can. Really. Honest.

Lance half expects his girl!sona would just be a carbon copy of Rachel with the added blue scales residing beneath his eyes. But that isn’t who he sees in the mirror.

He sees. Well, he sees himself.

Herself.

She looks, feels, kind of pretty. Which makes sense. She’s Lance. Of course she looks great. Goes without saying.

Lance’s lip twitches.

***

So. So maybe he throws on the form again. And again. And again. Maybe a little more than he does with any alien species. But can you blame him? He’s just found out he has a free trial at being a girl so quiznack if he isn’t going to try it out.

Her hair is long. Her hair is short. She pulls off both looks well, she thinks. Being a girl is kind of awesome, actually.

It’s not always the case. Sometimes it just isn’t right. But others? Sometimes he finds himself slipping into her without realising it. It’s just what feels right to her in the moment.

There’s something nice about strangers using ‘she’ and ‘her’ and they don’t know. They don’t know. Something in her bubbles, giddy, they don’t know.

But Lance’s family do. Pidge does.

They look at Lance—now once again a boy—and hum, thoughtful, considering.

“Are you are girl?” they ask. Pidge does not beat around the bush. It throws Lance through enough loops to put him in a spiral.

“No”, says Lance. But for some reason that doesn’t sound quite right. “I mean. I’m not always. But—”

“You are sometimes?”

“I guess. But it’s just shapeshifting. I’m not actually—” Lance trails off, lost. “Am I?”

“Do you want to be?” Pidge asks, and huh. Does he want to be? Is it really that simple? He’s always seen himself as a guy, and had no problems with that. But.

Well.

“… Maybe. Maybe sometimes.”

Pidge grins, wild and victorious. “Welcome to the club.”

(Something in his chest feels lighter. There’s a cavern, because it has made its mark and stayed. That has not changed. But this is this.

How wonderful it is to find the answers to secrets within oneself. He could have lived his whole life without knowing, a part locked away without him ever knowing there was a lock. But now, how could he?

It’s like he’s no longer holding in a breath.)

***

Pidge later tells him it’s criminally unfair he can change his body on a whim. They are fine with she, they are, but they are them. Sometimes she is just too much she to match their they.

Lance wonders how much Allura managed to see him. He remembers how close they became, how she became someone he’d call a best friend, then a lover. How she perceived him better than most throughout it all. Looked to him and saw greatness where he, despite wanting to be so much more, only saw failure. He wishes he knew what she saw when she looked at him. The person he was. Is. Lance.

If she knew what these markings have done for him. Did she know?

She can’t have done. Lance didn’t even know.

(But if she had—

It’s not like Lance can ask.)

***

Allura comes back.

She descends like a shooting star, the blinding light of an angel’s fall. She falls home and it is at home she stays. Days are bliss. A dream Lance dare not wake from.

“You’re not dreaming,” she tells him, soft, and kind, but aching, “I’m here. I won’t leave again. My duty to revive the universe is fulfilled. I’m here to live. And I chose to live with you.”

He kisses the words from her lips, blissfully sweet. She more than happily complies.

“I never meant to hurt you this much.”

“You’re here now,” Lance says, and it sounds so beautiful spoken out loud like this. How long he’s dreamed for such a moment. “That’s all that matters. We can move forwards together.”

This is their start.

***

It takes a while. But she tells Allura.

Allura kisses her senselessly. Lance loves it.

“Though I can’t take credit for this being my intention, I’m glad you learned more of yourself.” Allura’s fondness is an ocean she could drown in. “I love the person you are.”

“Yeah?”

Allura’s hand trails Lance’s ear. “Yes. Very much so. It’s an added bonus that I managed fix your ears. You have tried an Altean form, right?”

Lance jolts. “Allura!” she protests, a little put out. “What’s wrong with my ears?”

“Nothing,“ she says, warm and amused. “Nothing at all. I find that they have grown on me greatly. They’re cute. Just like the rest of my girlfriend.”

Oh. Girlfriend.

Her heart is full.

[catspawcreates]

I drew @haunting-void adorable shy hunk Lypi’s mer version for an exchange!

[dnightshade0]

Voltron alien defenders (aka the reality where lance is a mermaid)

A voltron AU where the paladins of voltron are actually all aliens. Well, all except for shiro, he’s the only human on the team.

Shiro- human

Keith- galra

Lance- Mer

Hunk- Balmeran

Pidge- Olkari

In this reality, The paladins don’t find the blue lion together and get taken to the castle of lions. Nope, in this reality, they each find their own respective lions on their own and are brought to the castle.

The first chapter tells how Lance the Mer finds the blue lion.

[autisticlancemcclain]

Hii i was wondering if you have some mermaid lance fics recs? I have no idea how is the tag in ao3

yes! i haven't checked the mer lance tag in a while so i'm gonna put it here in case y'all want to take a look. but i have 12 works specifically that i can rec for y'all!

amazing plotlines:

Starsong by @tomminowrites

The paladins are crewmates aboard a mercenary space vessel, sent to the outer reaches of the system to investigate the recent disappearance of Empire ships. Keith discovers that the ship's captain, Sendak, has actually been hired to capture a different prize: mermaids.

With siren calls that interfere with ship scanners and songs that mimic the distress beacons of friendly crafts, astral mermaids are a threat commonly believed to be myth among most spacefarers. But when lives are at stake, the crew is soon to discover that one among them is not quite as human as he appears to be...

this story had me GAGGED. genuinely i was in awe. pirate au?? witih mermaids?? in SPACE?? like holy shit!! insanely cool storyline, felt like a movie. highly recommend!!

2. Rest Stop by @flaming-potato-arson

Lance wasn't like the rest of the world.

And he had never had a loving mother tell him it made him stronger for it. So he told himself, gathering up his courage and grit to face a world of winged humanity, when he, in fact, has no wings and turns into a mermaid instead.

A world that wants him to die.

So he'd keep this secret like a knife in his boot, a sharp weapon until he died on his own terms. Not because of who he was.

Except, Team Voltron isn't so sure why Lance is all rough edges and sharp points about showing off his wings. Or acting like a member of the Flock in general. It's clear he cares for them, but he's never shown an intimate part of him.

Until he has to.

this is an older fic!! baby me was in awe. this was the first wing fic i ever read, and i loved the entire concept here. insanely cool. the worldbuilding was dope and lance's guilt and self-loathing just made so much sense, you really get wrapped up in the emotions of the story.

3. True Affection Floats by @somethingaboutwriting

Under the sea, Lance dreams of living in the human world, disobeying his sister Allura's rules left and right. On land, Keith is tired of his royal life in which nothing ever happens. That is, until his ship wrecks and he is rescued by a mysterious boy with white hair and bright blue eyes.

A fluffy little(ish) fic about two hopelessly oblivious boys falling in love in a Disney universe. What could go wrong?

ARIEL AU ARIEL AU ARIEL AU. sometimes u just have to take a disney movie and make it gay. sometimes u just need that in ur life

4. Son of the (Very Alien) Sea by @phoenixyfriend

In which everything is the same, except Lance was born on the mermaid planet.

(And Blue was left there, too.)

i'm obsessed with this one. it's my fave of the bunch. the entire concept is so cool, and you can tell how much thought went into the fic! i would read seven novels in this universe, the entire premise fascinates me. also, if i remember correctly, this is in hunk's pov and as per usual hunk's pov is elite. oh AND its got like trans everyone, its great!! first thing u should read on this list fr.

cute pieces:

5. it's not enchanted without you by @adelfie

He rolls his shoulders back and shifts into his wolf form. He’s all dark fur and lupine when he raises his head again. Like this, he can match Lance’s height — head to tail. Not that it’s a competition. But still.

-- In an enchanted forest, wolf shifter Keith and merperson Lance are best friends. They're not supposed to be.

(Or, a cute kid fic in which Keith and Lance both have swishy tails and Shiro is Strict™)

okay this fic will rot ur teeth its so cute and sweet. yes its a little sad, especially at the end, but mostly u just want to squish their cheeks. the little wagon just as a concept was ADORABLE.

6. Part of Your World by @floranna

Keith sat at the dock, glaring at the water, wearing only his speedos. It was a bright, warm, and sunny day, with slight enough of a breeze to keep the worst of the heat away. Not like Keith cared or anything like that, of course, but…

Everything spelled that it should have been a beautiful, wonderful day, full of wonderful memories, if only that sharp-toothed half fish would actually show up!

all hail monstertron! i love mer fics where the mer is like. not human at all. pleases me greatly. this one is short and fluffy and most importantly lance has very sharp teeth

everything is the same except lance is secretly a mermaid:

7. Space Bears Aren't Cool by @angstyzebra

When one of his team members is in danger, Lance might have to give up his secret to save them.

He really should have thought this through more.

i will always always always be obsessed with fics where everything is the same except lance is secretly a mermaid. theres just something so chefs kiss about it. its always so fun and dramatic

8. sullen as a sunken ship (and twice as cold) by heyhoneybird

In which Lance Mclain is a merperson, and he'd really like to keep that fact under wraps, thanks.

He's not going to, obviously.

my dumb dumb self read this before i realised it was abandoned and got super invested lol so im inflicting it on u all. come suffer with me and be sad that it is no more

9. Just Keep Swimming by @sevansa

Shiro thinks Lance is hiding something big, he was right. Except, it really wasn't what he expected it to be. // Or the one in which Shiro worries and Lance is totally not a fish.

lance and shiro fic!! im always a hound for fics that explore their relationship, and this one does p well! this is a very early vld fic as well if i recall correctly

spicy:

10. Catch of the Day by @caeseria-k [EXPLICIT]

Keith returns from a hunting trip with a courting gift for his lover, Lance. Instead of the greeting he expected, he finds Lance asleep in his hammock, in human form, laid out like an unsuspecting but extremely desirable feast. Keith figures he might as well get a taste...

[a.k.a. the one where Keith sucks Lance's cock while he's lying in a hammock, and then fucks him with his mer cock on the beach ;) ]

caeseria is always a fun read, and this fic in particular is so descriptive that u cant not imagine it lol. definitely an interesting read!!

11. Courting, Kidnapping, Same Difference by GemmaRose [EXPLICIT]

Lance stared for another second, then two, then dropped his head and slammed his forehead into the floor, breaking the ice there. “Why is this my life.” he groaned.

“I’m- sorry?” the dragon stepped closer, and Lance tilted his head to actually get a proper look at it.

“It’s fine, it’s fine.” he sighed, lifting his head to rest in the palm of one hand. “Just, figures that out of everyone I know, I’m the one who gets hit on by a dumbass dragon.”

despite what the title may imply, this one is hilarious. to sum it up with my bookmark notes: lance is so funny he gets kidnapped and two minutes later is like “hey. wanna fuck” truly a bisexual icon

12. Waves by @sanazyung [EXPLICIT]

“I haven’t seen you in a week, I’m stuck with my stupid family while you’re off at your friend’s beach volleyball tournament, you leave me after the most amazing dirty talk I’ve ever heard in my life and all you can talk about when you see me again is my fucking face?”

Hunk winced, smiling sheepishly as he took a hand from Lance’s back to run it through his own hair.

“I’m sorry,” he made puppy-dog eyes at Lance. “Forgive me? Your face is just so pretty manamea.”

Lance felt red dust his cheeks once again, and tried to shake himself out of it. It wasn’t fair that he was the hottest piece of tail under the sea but in Hunk’s arms he turned to mush.

hance! lowkey miss when hance was more popular in the fandom, bc its a lot of fun. best friends to lovers, babey. always hits. this fic in partocular is established relatioship and smutty banter :))

shameless self-plug:

13. Land or Sea, I've Got the Power (If I Just Believe) by me :DD

“You’re a fish,” Keith breathes after several minutes of stunned silence. Lance can’t help the haughty snoot, as ridiculous as he knows he’s being. “Half fish,” he corrects. “I am still very much half god of sexy. You know what, I don’t even have this thing —” he flips his tail, causing Keith to jump, which makes Lance smirk despite himself and the situation — “all the time, so technically I’m only a quarter fish. An eighth, maybe.” “Why the fuck are you a fish?!” --- OR: When Lance touches water, he turns into a mermaid. He does everything he can to keep that to himself -- it's just easier for everyone. What happens when Keith finds out?

im real proud of this one!! it features my fave trope (everything is the same except lance is secretly a mermaid) and dumbass klance banter. enjoy!!

okay i hope that was enough mer lance recs for u!! send any particular trope requests my way bc organising shit like this tickles my brain like u would not believe. its the big girl equivalent of sorting blades of grass by length and colour at recess

[themagicmerci]

My Lieutenant Ozar doodle dump

Not really unsafe- goofy and some hints to who I’d ship him with for fun! (Go to end for ship expo ^^)

I just really had to get him done! So much fun with doodling my blue man! Good for warming up to the future! Also…my first in a hot while post! And it’s actually a drawing! Wowza!

Anyways, He has big ears, they twitch in tune to emotions and whatnot.

He also got a tail (I hc) because…why not.

Matt and Ekkiki were waiting to wash that ol’ trench coat and a uh…shrunk (the shrikening incident which was fixed by Onito’s grace)

Fun story on the Ozar/Plaxum/Varkon ship I have as a bonus

Ozar met Plaxum first during a meeting with the Mers. Side he had been tangled up with the war and a previous Bad relationship, he didn’t exactly have the new feeling click till he was already gone. Though he did return when needed. On those times and before the would leave with those accompanying him, he did get back into contact with Plaxum. Overtime he would become familiar with her and the culture of the mers, and she would become more aquatinted with his type. Besides the paladins (Lance and hunk) she hadn’t interacted with many ‘land dwellers’ though he does find them weird yet charming.

Time passing by, Ozar would end up forming a closer bond with her over her interest in cooking and sea gardening. Learning a bit from her as she would from him and the land above. Eventually Ozar and Plaxum would enter a secret relationship before Olia found out as Plaxum questioned her on what types of fish he’d enjoy eating raw. After that nothing out of the ordinary occured besides a few swimming and diving scares. Once Olkarion was sought to be the headquarters of the Voltron coalition, Plaxum would become one of the first Mer, to fully become land bound by her own choosing. To which Ozar helped her become more accustomed and have better access due to the limited mobility.

Allura and the paladins opted to take some of the fighters out to the space mall for a day trip. Plaxum hadn’t gone far from her home so she jumped at the option. With some time and a bunch of patience on both ends- Ozar and Plaxum were able to make it work.

After an accident with the mall cop(s) and Keith, Varkon would end up spotting the two from afar after they made a run to the Mall’s food court, taking the chance of meeting these two new, if not oddly placed faces, he would figure an idea on approach them. Mostly by scootering over and blurting out an offer of soda from Vrepit-Sal’s. Which was one of the areas Plaxum had been wanting to try anyways. In the end— Varkon got to meet the two a bit more and sort of made a connection between them. Resulting in the trio having more little ‘dates’ in secret before Varkon ended up having to leave his position due to the connection with them. (And when they realized who was being affiliated with)).

Varkon would end up sticking with Plaxum on Olkarion as some extra hands with her cooking for the refugees and coalition members. Ozar drops by often and keeps in constant communication with the two. When he’s able to he’s often seen trying to learn a bit of cooking from Plaxum—though often ends up with Varkon having to put out the resulting flames from his attempts of cooking. Overall they live a fairly uneventful live during the period with the Voltron coalition and it’s expansion over the falling Galra empire.

Just a little brainstorm, I wanna draw more because…well, I love to ship and just do fun stuff with this stuff. Also! Another note…Alfor/Thace is still there just got this done to clear my mind up.

[veilofemptyspace]

“You do realise they’re probably gonna drag us to our doom, right?”

“...I’m okay with that...”

“Oh my gods...”

[discordiansamba]

spitballing some more about the Mer AU because I can. it's my blog and I make the rules.

I like to imagine that before Hunk and Lance can even like, consistently communicate with each other, they've already established a tradition I would like to call 'bring the other the coolest thing they can find and show them off'. Show and tell but it's a human and a merman.

Hunk introduces Lance to human cuisine. Lance brings Hunk fish in return, which Hunk brings to his parents. He got them from his friend Lance! :)

Hunk's mom, unsuspecting: Oh, Hunk must have befriended a fisherman's son.

The town of Plaht City is actually relatively close knit, so when Keith goes missing after his father's death, everyone goes looking for him. No one thinks to look in the ocean.

Heath was originally from out of town. He's a marine researcher who lives on a remote piece of property on the beach, complete with a recovery pool for injured marine life housed in a shack he built on the water. The townsfolk hear rumors that he has a partner, but no one ever meets her. One day he comes into town with a son.

I think Mer actually lay like. the mer equivalent of fish eggs but they can also get pregnant in the human sense in their human forms. This means every other Mer but Keith was hatched from a fish egg (and also probably part of the reason why Keith prefers the surface).

When Keith abruptly turns back up again after going missing for a year and a half, it's huge news at the time but things have calmed down now. He's taken in by Shiro's parents after some debate over who should look after him.

When Shiro's parents die, Keith just sort of assumes he'll be on his own from now. Shiro catches him halfway out the window with a bag of his stuff and has to explicitly tell him he can stay before he gets the message.

Keith just sort of aimlessly drifts though life. He's not really sure what he wants, or even sometimes where he belongs. He's never met another half-Mer, or even any other Galra Mers. All the Mers in Plaht City are Altean Mers.

Lotor is a highly successful businessman who invests a lot of his money into the town's infrastructure. He's generally well liked, except by Keith, who can't stand his face. The feeling is mutual.

Even in human form, Keith's lung capacity is well above average. He can open his eyes underwater with no ill effects.

Allura is eager to befriend Keith, despite his strange, surface-dwelling ways. Lance is also not totally hiding from Allura because he knows if she seems him and Hunk hanging out together, she'll put two and two together and realize that Hunk knows what he is and then he'll get in trouble.

Romelle and Allura are childhood friends. She's heard her talk on a few occasions about the strange mute Galra Mer she befriend that she calls 'Red', but she doesn't have any reason to connect him to Keith.

Mers can send and receive thoughts in human form as well... except for Keith of course, who can't even receive thoughts in human form. Lance thinks he's just being rude, Allura thinks he just prefers verbal communication. Only Coran has correctly deduced the truth.

(Shiro can send and receive thoughts just fine once he's freed from Haggar's control, which is... an adjustment for him.)

Keith's the only Mer who knows how to swim as a human. If you toss Lance into a pool and tell him to swim, he's just gonna drown. Keith thinks this is incredibly funny.

[curiosity-killed]

besties :)

Lance is almost definitely regaling Hunk with some story that’s 86% exaggeration while Hunk tries to get work done 

[artbymaryc]

i made this as a merch print for @voltronmerzine last year. had a ton of fun designing his beluga/narwhal fusion tail :3 i'll be adding a large print of this to my Voltron Mystery Prints rotation soon, but you can get one now at the Seaborne extras sale !

[mikossu]

Getting in a little sun while working on a tailet for his best friend. I kinda liked the lineart version of this better, but I had already colored it so have both.