#ptw30 pens

[ptw30]

Hunk tries to teach Shiro how to cook, Shiro owes Hunk Cooking equipment.

Sorry this took so long. I originally planned to have this up for Shiro’s birthday but…life. :) Thanks for prompting! 

Fic: Cupcakes and Camaraderie 

Relationships: Hunk & Shiro, past Shiro/Adam

Author’s Notes: Shiro is still the Black Paladin here…cuz.  

Shiro flipped on the light in the mess hall kitchen and cracked his knuckles. Making a few cupcakes shouldn’t be too hard, right? With some whipped cream and what did Adam always put on top? Graham cracker crumbles?

Whatever it was, Shiro was positive he could figure out, and since Iverson was off grounds for a few days to oversee the launch proceedings, Shiro could take all the time he wanted in the Galaxy Garrison mess.

Finding the pans proved more difficult than he thought, and did he really need to use the mixer? Maybe he could conscript the blender. Just what was the difference between a tablespoon and teaspoon? Did anyone really know?

Okay, on his tablet, he found a recipe for “easy red velvet cupcakes with vanilla icing.” Easy. It was in the title. He could totally do this.

Less than ten minutes later, Shiro found himself wiping off an egg, flour, and water mixture from his nose. Maybe he couldn’t do this. He was seventy-five percent sure the batter shouldn’t be gray-green.  

“What!” a new voice screeched, causing Shiro to whirl toward the doorway. “You-You did not just destroy my kitchen!”

Shiro paused from demanding, your kitchen, but it wasn’t like Shiro knew the garrison chefs well. Then again, Shiro didn’t remember ever seeing this cadet or officer before. Dark hair, an orange wrap, and a yellow-accented Galaxy Garrison uniform – what rank did that dictate? – he seemed out of sorts, standing in the doorway, glaring Shiro down.

Shiro dropped his tablespoon – or was it a teaspoon – on instinct and raised both hands. “Look, I didn’t think anyone would notice. I was just trying to – ”

“ – paint every single surface of this place in batter, if you can even call it that!” The man stalked forward, keen eyes glaring down at the green concoction as if it personally offended him. Then he looked up at Shiro – and froze. “S-Shiro?”

“Uh…yes?” He didn’t think he’d met this person before, but ever since the Kerberos mission announcement, so many people knew his name. “I’m sorry. I don’t remember…have we met?”

“…not yet, I don’t think.” The man straightened his shoulders and rubbed the back of his hair. “I…guess that wormhole wasn’t as harmless as we thought.”

“Wormhole?” Shiro echoed.

Before he could ask the person more, the yellow-clad officer replied, “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure Allura and Pidge – um, some people I know are working on it. Anyway.” He seemed happier all of sudden, scrubbing his hands together and smirking at Shiro. “What’cha trying to do here? Don’t tell me. Muffins.”

Shiro smiled with a slight wince. “Not quite.”

“Brownies?”

“Getting warmer…sorta.”

The man huffed loudly. “Please tell me you weren’t trying to make cupcakes. You have pepper in this!”

Shiro glanced away. “I couldn’t find the salt.”

“No, nope. Uh-huh. This cannot happen.” He pointed a sharp finger at a stool near the counter. “You sit over there while I clean up the mess and make a proper set of cupcakes.”

“Can’t I help –”

“No!” The officer sucked a quick breath, offered a gentle smile, and patted Shiro twice on the shoulder. “I mean, thanks for the offer, but why don’t you watch me work for a sec and tell me why you were trying to make some cupcakes? I’m Hunk, by the way.”

“Shiro.” Shiro took his designated seat and plopped his chin upon his fist. “Had a craving. My…uh, ex used to make them for me, but…he’s now my ex, so…”

Hunk began to measure out the ingredients – eggs, milk, butter, flour, salt, and vanilla – and nodded along. “Hard after something like that. What happened…uh, if you don’t mind me asking.”

“I’m, uh.” Shiro looked away, unsure why he felt comfortable explaining to Hunk this situation. It wasn’t like the entire garrison hadn’t been gossiping about it for the last week. “I was chosen for the Kerberos mission.”

“Oh, right! I’d heard that. Congrats, man! That’s awesome. Not sure why that means you have an ex. Isn’t he happy for you? Proud?”

“He didn’t want me to go. And I’m going, so…”

Hunk glanced around the room – looking for what, Shiro couldn’t tell – before reaching for a larger bowl with high walls to pour his current mixture into. “I’m sorry to hear that. Relationships can be hard. My girlfriend and I, we’re positioned on different sides of the…world. It’s hard to send a transmission to her sometimes, let alone actually see her. But she hangs in there, y’know? Good times, bad times. That’s how I know it’s forever.”

Shiro glanced away. “…I thought it was going to be forever. I’ve known Adam since…well, our first year at the garrison. We were flight partners, and then – y’know.”

“And I’m sure in some universe, you guys are still together, but in this one – you chose the stars and Adam chose to leave. That’s actually, really mature. You both decided what you could live with and what you couldn’t, and then you moved on and found someone who wants the same thing as you.”

Shiro blinked and sat up straighter, a knot in his chest unfurling. “No one – No one has ever put it like that before. Even Commander Holt said I should try to patch things up.”

“Can’t speak for Holt but it sounds like you and Adam want different things. And that’s okay.” Hunk hooked the larger bowl up to the mixer, and a high-pitched whirling added a soundtrack to their conversation. “Better to figure that out now than after you’re married.”

“Yeah, yeah. I guess so.” He couldn’t deny he would miss Adam, though, couldn’t deny he already did.

“But y’know, might not be a bad idea to at least try to clear the air,” Hunk offered, separating the cupcake wrappers in the tin. “Maybe apologize that things didn’t work out, not that you’re taking the mission.”

Shiro leaned back on his hand and watched as Hunk poured the batter precisely into each cup, wiping the edge of the bowl with a napkin. “Maybe. It’s still a few months away. What about you? You said your girlfriend lives elsewhere? Are you looking to close the distance?”

Hunk nodded. “Yeah, one day, but it’s kinda important the work we’re doing, my team and me. Shay understands.”

“Hm. Sounds nice.”

“It is, but not everyone has what we have. And not everyone finds it as quickly, either – or at all.” Hunk slid the tray into the oven and started the timer. “But when you do – when you find people who love you for who you are, not who they want you to be – you hold onto them.”

Shiro smiled as Hunk handed him the spoon to lick. “Sound advice.”

“Eh. I have a good team leader who knows his stuff.”

As soon as Shiro finished the spoon, he joined Hunk in cleaning up the thrown batter, despite Hunk’s disapproval. Hunk told Shiro he liked his kitchen a certain way, but Shiro wasn’t about to let someone else clean up his mess without any help.

As they worked, Shiro spoke about the mission, about Keith, about his days at the Galaxy Garrison, and Hunk talked about Shay, about his friends, and about meeting new people and learning new recipes.

The oven dinged not long after they wiped down the last surface, and soon Shiro was humming around a delicious set of red velvet cupcakes. They were the best he’d ever had, and he made sure to tell Hunk such.

Hunk blushed and took a bite of his own mini cake. “Hey, y’know, it might not seem like it now, but it sounds like you have lots of people who care about you, man. If you ever want them to bake you cupcakes, you just say the word. I’m sure they would.”

Shiro laughed, though it was hollow. “Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.”

“And maybe – you might want to tell Admiral Sanda or Commander Holt that when they start training on the Mecha Flex Exofighters, they should work with their best pilots, not cadets? That’s just…conducive to saving the world, y’know? Training the best rather than the youngest.”

Halfway through his second cupcake – screw his pre-mission diet – Shiro mumbled, “What’s an exofighter? I haven’t heard of those before – or flown them.”

Hunk winked. “Just trust me, all right? Mention it to Sam. Oh, and do the world a favor, Shiro. Stay out of the kitchen or only use it with adult supervision.”

Shiro would have glared, but he was too preoccupied with the cupcakes. He would do as many sessions at the gym as needed to finish off yet another two or three.

“Shiro? One more thing,” Hunk added just before he exited the room. “Happy Birthday – and many more.”

Shiro snorted. He didn’t know how many more there would be, but he was determined to enjoy the rest of this one. Hey, there was still a good half dozen left. Maybe he’d take a few to Keith and Matt.  

One Mission, Many Wormholes, and Two Birthdays Later

The door to mess hall slid open, and Shiro looked left, then right, before stepping inside. Immediately, the lights flipped on, and Shiro barely held in his screech.

“Hunk,” he managed once he breathed again. “You don’t have to guard the kitchen every year.”

Hunk lifted a tray of expertly decorated and undeniably delicious cupcakes. A few sported little Black Lions while the rest had the head of Voltron. “Yes, yes I do. Trust me on that. Now come on. Get your first cupcake before the rest of the garrison arrives.”

Shiro raised an eyebrow as he selected his cupcake, finger sweep around the edge of the icing. “The rest of the garrison…?”

In less than ten minutes time, the mess hall upon the Atlas was packed with the various teams, including Admiral Allura with her ship crew, Commander Adam West with his MFE Squadron, Prince Lotor with his Sincline generals, and of course, Shiro with his paladins. Black rumbled in the back of his mind, and as he sat among his teams, Shiro smiled and snatched another cupcake or three.

Eventually, he collapsed to the corner of the hall, eyes roaming over the people he held nearest and dearest to his heart. Hunk came to sit next to him and smirked at the wrappers on the table next to Shiro.

“Having a good day?”

“Yeah, yeah. Y’know, Hunk, someone once told me that if I ever wanted cupcakes, all I had to do is ask the people around me.”

Hunk blinked and then shrugged. “Well, y’know, I’m more than happy to –”

“But there’s something special about coming down to a set of cupcakes already made just for me.” He clasped Hunk on the shoulder and smiled. “Thanks, Hunk. It is nice to have people here who love me for who I am, not who they want me to be.”

Hunk smiled. “It is a nice feeling. And my kitchen stays intact. I like that.”

“That’s best for all parties involved,” Shiro laughed.

“Yeah, we wouldn’t be able to form Voltron without its head.”

Shiro let out a quick laugh, which Hunk shared, and decided to assume Hunk was joking. Still, he’d stay out of the kitchen, just to make sure. 

The End

[ptw30]

I hope you don’t mind if I just add to this - 

slow burn or love at first sight (always slow burn)

fake dating or secret dating

enemies to lovers or best friends to lovers - both; I love people getting together, and both are fun. 

oh no there’s only one bed or long-distance with correspondence - Keep my main characters together. 

hurt/comfort or amnesia - Don’t forget you love the person! 

fantasy au or modern au - Modern au is my jam. I can read that forevers and evers. 

mutual pining or domestic bliss - Both. I just love it all. 

smut or fluff - All the fluff. 

canon compliant or fix-it-fic - “both, tho, honestly” - same; it really depends upon the situation. 

alternate universe or future fic - Same. Why continue the pain?

one-shot or multi-chapter 

kid fic or road trip fic

reincarnation or character death - NO CHARACTER DEATH! 

arranged marriage or accidental marriage - I just read “slow burn” when I see this. 

high school romance or middle-aged romance - depends upon the characters

time travel or isolated together - Isolated together is probably what I’ve read more of, but both work for me. 

neighbors or roommates - this. Love adults having adulting issues and needing each other. 

sci-fi au or magic au - I don’t know enough about sci-fi to get it right. 

body swap or genderbend

angst or crack - Angst with a happy ending, please. 

apocalyptic or mundane - give me “mechanic falls in love with diner owner” any day of the week over “the world has ended and we’re the only hot people alive.”

@eprime​ @sol1056​ @ashacrone​ @holysmotez​ @familyofpaladins​ @jeannettegray​ - I’m forgetting people, but enjoy!

Fic Tropes Game

Tageed by @limitless-paper Thanks! I don’t know you yet, but from a quick scroll through your blog we share a lot of fandoms!

Rules: Copy/paste and bold your fic preferences because why not, gotta choose one (near impossible, but go with your first gut instinct), and tag someone because, again, why not.

slow burn or love at first sight

fake dating or secret dating

enemies to lovers or best friends to lovers

oh no there’s only one bed or long-distance with correspondence

hurt/comfort or amnesia

fantasy au or modern au - this is rather ironic because fantasy is my favorite genre, but i often don’t care for fantasy fic aus for some reason

mutual pining or domestic bliss - bring in the agony

smut or fluff

canon compliant or fix-it-fic - both, tho, honestly

alternate universe or future fic

one-shot or multi-chapter

kid fic or road trip fic

reincarnation or character death

arranged marriage or accidental marriage

high school romance or middle-aged romance - there’s lots of potential here for years of angst and mutual pining. *grabby hands*

time travel or isolated together

neighbors or roommates

sci-fi au or magic au

body swap or genderbend

angst or crack - really, it depends on my mood, but i like the pain

apocalyptic or mundane

I will tag.... @thelionshoarde @wichols @nebluus @ptw30 @paladinpuppypile @raikovart @kalira9 @bosstoaster

[fyaokaga]

anjizu’s aokaga fic rec list (completed only)

I was asked for aokaga fic recs! I’ve got a lot of faves, but I decided to just link completed fics only~ btw most of these are AoKaga & mainly hosted on ao3

I’ve noted “kagaao” & “aokagaao” just in case you’re not into these. Plus some start with a different pairing but are eventual aokaga fyi.

I will add to this list. I may also add on-going at some point. For now this is a list of completed fics that I have read.

in no particular order:

Animal Attraction by EvilPeaches

Wildcat Blues by bexara

24 Hours by evership

Just Desserts by aoitoakai

For the First Time by bexara

(Look) What You've Done by furiosity

Clamorous Unspoken Words by Kaizokuniichan

Liquid Courage by Kaizokuniichan  

Kindred Idiots by risquetendencies

Christmas (dil)Do's & Don'ts by bexara

Behind Closed Doors by Kaizokuniichan (KagaAo)

Of Pain, Plans & Passionate Pursuit by bexara

Shape of My Heart by maunder

Insatiable Beast by maunder

Moan by dwindlingflame

Let's Get It On by bexara

Packed Like Sardines by animehead

The Other Half by monochromevelyn

Firefly Without a Light by furiosity

Love you (till you're seeing stars and stripes) by gunboots

Strangelove by acmrcreatives

Warmth by babbitly

Slamdunks and Stairwells by babbitly

Almost walk of shame by Kryzanna

Jealous Beast by Gusiruli

After All, I Still Loved You by Squatta

Home by Kathysweet

'Always' Universe by Squatta

Strut by Vee (KagaAo)

When dreams become reality by BrowsoftheTaiga

Girl With Golden Eyes by Shinsun  (AoKagaAo)

Secrets Verse by orphan_account

AoKaga [Not So Exciting Communication Remix] by Sylindara

Making Indigo by Quente (AoKagaAo)

Rewind > Pause > Play by rubyfiamma (AoKagaAo)

idiots (because that's what they are) by earliegrey (94k)

Of Course, Princess by laynacakes (KagaAo)

Let's Be Alone Together by laynacakes (AoKagaAo)

'Remember Me' Universe by Squatta (AoKagaAo)

The Power A Name Can Hold by Franeridan (KagaAo)

It Happens by TealObsession (AoKagaAo)

underneath the cup in a black, marker pen by earliegrey (94k)

Cherry Blossoms by Kryzanna

Even basketball idiots go to the library sometimes by BrowsoftheTaiga (AoKagaAo)

Twitter Project by totalizzyness

The Involuntary Way To A Man's Heart by n_nami (KagaAo)

The Hot Neighbour by touchinghearts

burning concrete by bimmyou

A Man's Fantasy by bexara

some kind of madness by magnificentbirb

Moonlight and Brandy by furiosity (KagaAo)

We're Gonna Burn Holes in the Layers of Our Clothes by homine (AoKagaAo)

Empty Shell by Franeridan

How Many Secrets Can You Keep? by Helisika (KagaAo)

S.A.A by dwindlingflame (AoKagaAo)

Love Letters in the Sand (I Remember You) by furiosity

Necessary Roughness by brizamartian (AoKagaAo)

A Journey into the 'Grey Area' by totalizzyness (KagaAo)

First Time Mates by aokagaisball

Applause by TheDwellingDarkness

Wild Eyes by brizamartian

Extra Game by Anonymous

Put A Ring On It by TheDwellingDarkness

Bruised Lips by kiyala (AoKagaAo)

Kids in Costumes by totalizzyness

Two To Love by TNSXBunny (ff.net)

My Promise by Kathysweet

The Care And Feeding Of by half_sleeping

The Second Door by Kryzanna

Thirty-six hours boyfriend. by LennyFace

Summer Magic (that Aomine could've done without) by TheDwellingDarkness

Invincible by madaliz 

 Home Is by tanktrilby

 ‘What If’ Doesn’t Apply by dwindlingflame

Soothing the Savage Beast by orphan_account

Dream Love by aokagaisball

A Dragon's Heart by Lycanwolff (AoKagaAo)

The Force Within by TheDwellingDarkness

TimeZoned by mazzie (AoKagaAo)

My Dream Was Actually You by rubyfiamma

That Feeling by DuskBeforeDawn

The Teikou Coven by ptw30

Coco Tiger by 3_idiots

The 'D' in Dysfunctional by 3_idiots

the arrangement by kaaogami (ghoulnoace)

For You by DuskBeforeDawn

Take Me Back to the Start by MochiUs

When it Rains it Pours by demonvampire180 (KagaAo)

It's Gayme (Game) Day by Jynova

Put a Spell on You by RachaelBmine

The Sound of Heartbeats by n_dp

The Dick Doodle by Araminthe_Ispwitch

Cats in the Cradle by MyBlackCrimsonRose

 Wait just a little longer by Qitana

 No One's Here to Sleep by brizamartian

 California Summer by HadenXCharm (AoKagaAo)

 Rumors by Shinsun (AoKagaAo)

 Young Hunks, Taking Shots by iBear

 Scars by SinisterAmix

 Petal-Soft Love by Stylish_Racoon  

 Unruly mate by Salakritz (AoKagaAo)

 Curiosity by AiraKT (AoKagaAo)

 Hush by mazzie

 A Colorful World by FlyAndDontLookBack

 Before You Knew You'd Know Me by iBear

 Last Summer by HadenXCharm  (AoKagaAo)

 hunting for you (for your hot heart) by roguerie (AoKagaAo)

 Between A Dream and A Miracle by hellsinki

Welcome Home by rhapshie

 Four Steps of Drunkenness by rhapshie

 Keep Your Eyes on me by rhapshie

we broke up for nothing by kyahgamis

Second Best by jenjen92

Someone I Once Knew by thunderingskies

never say by orphan_account

Shameless by Anonymous

Desires by Roxxane_bookdragon

pillowtalk by kaaogami (ghoulnoace)

To The Gills by Shinsun (KagaAo)

AoKa's Domestic Life by demonvampire180

The Away Game by thunderingskies

Good Vibrations by dwindlingflame

A Hero Is Zero Without Someone To Protect by Narcissistic_Jerk

The Fates by il_re

Kittens and Cubs, Models and Love by Jynova

Secret Basketball by orphan_account

Home Coming by earliegrey (94k)

Daiki Doesn't Share by aokagaisball

Electric touch by SA_White_Raven

I'll be your man by pyrodynamo [Podfic]

A Man Worthy for Aomine Daiki by monochromevelyn (ff.net)

Mistletoe and Wine/Beyond the Mistletoe by Kryzanna (ff.net)

The Memo by monochromevelyn (ff.net)

AoKaga Month by franeridan (tumblr)

Knock, Knock, Knock. by kachimatsu (tumblr)

[sol1056]

S7 data cronch pt2: get the hot dogs, the fandom’s on fire

Before I jump into the more tangled datasets, there’s something interesting I want to call out, and that’s the vlogs. 

In September of last year, DW released vlogs for Coran, Keith, and Allura. A month later, we got vlogs for Lance, Pidge, and Hunk. Shiro’s vlog finally arrived on June, this year. That final vlog now shows a July date, but when it was first discovered, its posting date was 6/28. (I have no idea why it was changed. Ask @ptw30.) 

In the first part, I mentioned audience engagement. The vlogs are a good object lesson. If we take the number of views divided by the number of days since posting, we get an idea of the daily ‘value’ of each vlog. 

Shiro clocks in at 6877 views per day, while the next closest, Keith, has 4796 per day. Hey, so maybe that’s just everyone excited after waiting almost a year. 

So, how about this graph?

Shiro has 4,293 comments. The next closest are Allura and Hunk, with 692 and 976, respectively. All told, Shiro got 1.5 times as many comments as all the rest of the characters together. Now that is audience engagement. 

Alright, now that you’ve got a bit of data on which character clearly gets the fandom engaged and talking, let’s see what else we can learn about S7. 

Hop to, behind the cut. 

so about that twitter debacle

There’s no way to fully illustrate just how incomprehensibly bonkers twitter was for awhile. I know there’s a toxic side to the fandom that weaponizes twitter, but... in general, the VLD fandom isn’t noisy, compared to other fandoms. Daily counts range from 30-100 tweets. That makes it harder to tell when things go dead quiet, but it sure makes it easy to tell when things explode. 

So let’s go back to the Sunday after S7 landed. For this season, I included sentiment analysis. At first I searched on #voltron, then I realized one of the trackers lets me go by keywords, so I did a comparative search on ‘voltron’. Hashtag use seemed to be for being seen by others, while keyword seemed to be more for conversation, reassurance, and reflection.  

That’s... pretty strong, for both. And I honestly had never seen a twitter stream get a sentiment analysis as negative as the one on the right. After working my way through 11,889 tweets (from Aug 10th to the 25th), I can tell you one thing for certain.

Everyone was angry about something. 

One group, predictably, was angry at being denied their long-awaited affirmation. A second was furious at the queerbaiting; that group overlapped with a third enraged at the Bury Your Gays trope. A fourth dismissed the BYG trope yet were angry at the lack of explicit relationship beyond a single break-up scene; that caused a few flare-ups between the 3rd and 4th groups for the latter treating Shiro as queer purely on his facebook status. A fifth group (oddly, calmer voices, for the most part) was upset at VLD’s treatment of Shiro in general, from his isolation to his tokenization. 

On the other end of the spectrum, the majority of positives loved the season but were angry that others didn’t or wouldn’t. A much smaller percentage took their own shots: insisting children don’t need LGBT+ rep, calling LGBT+ fans entitled, telling DW not to pander, or complaining DW/Netflix had mixed politics and entertainment. (There’s an answer to the last one, but that’s for another post.)

I believe the technical term for Aug 10th-25th would be clusterfuck. 

going deeper for context

Getting a clearer picture than the donut chart meant considering the context. In other words, for every seemingly-neutral tweet, I’d open the feed, and majority of the time I found threads voicing bitter disappointment, frustration, and hurt. These deeper threads almost never tagged anyone, and they tended to be more nuanced, compared to upper-level mentions loaded with easily-classed negative or positive keywords.

Here’s a snapshot of the twitter stream on August 10th, which includes metrics for those deeper contextual threads.

There’s just no way to spin that much of a backlash. By the end of the first day of release,��the signs were already there that --- at least as far as the majority of the internet-based fandom was concerned --- S7 was an unmitigated disaster.  

it’s just twitter, no one’s paying attention

That sounds like something a Boomer-aged exec might say. They’d also be wrong (not to mention ignorant).  

Note: I used two different analysis apps. Both were rather blunt-force, rating “S7 wasn’t half bad” or “brutal but what I wanted” as negative, while "go to hell, I loved VLD but not anymore" was rated positive. One of the two apps let me re-evaluate, but it only allowed for negative-neutral-positive. (Lesson learned: set up a twitter scrape ahead of time, so I can run it all against a good AI.) 

For this part, I used the second tracker and manually evaluated the values for ‘voltron’ mentions. Unfortunately, I had to rely on the tracker’s value for most non-English tweets. I designated ‘positive’ for explicitly pro-S7, and ‘negative’ explicitly con-S7. For any mentions that were ambiguous, incoherent, or personally-directed, I defaulted to neutral. My goal was to measure who was or wasn’t happy with the season itself, and not attacks on or support for the staff, DW, Netflix, or other people in the fandom. 

With that madness done, here’s the entirety of August.   

On the day of release, a total of 1853 mentions created a social media reach of 1.46 million. My next question was: is this low-influencer unhappiness vs high-influencer happiness, vice versa, or something else? This next chart is the data filtered down to influencers with a score of 7 or above (based on followers, retweets, and replies). 

That’s 78 negative mentions, 16 positive, and the remainder neutral. All told, 194 mentions had a social media reach of 1.36 million. That’s a lot considering the voltron keyword usually has a social media reach of 50K, tops.

This was a groundswell reaction. The reach was driven by big voices, but the bulk were individuals unhappy for any of a variety of reasons. Any apology --- after four days of fever pitch --- was going to have an uphill fight to calm the crowd, no matter how gracefully it was written.

On the 14th -- when news outlets began reacting to JDS’ apology -- we got a second spike. 1573 mentions with a social media reach of 1.3 million; the new megaphones in the stream were news outlets promoting articles. (Also, most of their tweets are strongly click-bait in tone, compared to the actual article titles.) 

If you googled ‘voltron legendary defender’ on the 14th, you got these results: 

Voltron Showrunner Apologizes to Fans Following Outrage over Gay Character’s Storyline [Syfy Wire]

Voltron Showrunner Pens Open Apology Letter [The Mary Sue]

Voltron Showrunner Apologizes for Series' Handling of Gay Relationship {CBR}

Voltron's Complicated, Imperfect LGBQT Representation Is Tearing the Fandom Apart [In-Depth-Gizmodo]

Joaquim Dos Santos Shares Letter About Voltron Queer Representation [The Geekiary]

The ‘Voltron’ Showrunner Apologized For Making a Mess of the Show’s Gay Representation [Hornet]

Of course, Josh Keaton got sent out to calm the anger, too. 

'Voltron' Star Josh Keaton On Season 7, Shiro's Sexuality, and How a Leader Grieves [Comicbook.com]

Shiro Voice Actor Responds to 'Voltron' Season 7 Controversy [Inverse]

Exclusive: Josh Keaton talks 'Voltron' season 7, Shiro's new arc, love and loss [Hypable]

You had to scroll past all that before you could get to anything remotely like a positive news item (and nowhere near the usual post-release deluge of compliments to the creators). 

On Aug 15th, more articles: 

Voltron: Legendary Defender’s Showrunner Offers a Genuine Apology to the Fandom [Gizmodo]

Voltron's Complicated, Imperfect LGBQT Representation Is Tearing The Fandom Apart [Kotaku Australia] (reprint)

Either these were latecomers, or DW was pulling out all the stops to hit every possible venue. Didn’t matter; the furor wasn’t dying down. Josh wasn’t sent out again, either. DW may’ve realized that ship had sailed (so to speak). 

On Aug 16th, these articles appeared: 

Voltron creator addresses fans over season 7's queerbaiting controversy [Polygon]

How “Voltron: Legendary Defender” Queerbaited Its Fans [NewNowNext]

Voltron showrunner apologises to fans after backlash over treatment of gay character [DigitalSpy]

Voltron: Legendary Defender showrunner apologises to fans after killing off gay character [PinkNews]

Why 'Voltron' fans are furious after season 7 [The Daily Dot]

Voltron Showrunner Apologizes for Season 7's Treatment of Gay Couple [ScreenRant]

'Voltron' Shiro: Stop Preemptively Outing Gay Characters To Generate Buzz [Inverse]

And it kept going through Aug 17, 2018.

Voltron: Legendary Defender Showrunner Joaquim Dos Santos Apologizes For Alleged Queer-bating Of Fans Over Handling Of Shiro’s Sexual Orientation [Inside Pulse]

Who's Sorry This Week? Lindsay Lohan, Sarah Huckabee Sanders and other public apologies [Mic]

Meanwhile, as of the 18th, the predictive algorithm for #voltron (the actual hashtag) was estimating +6% for the upcoming week, and +6% for the month. Not even half what S6 had in its first week after broadcast, but remember, the majority of S7′s traffic wasn’t happening on the hashtag. It was happening in mentions. 

You might think from the above that things quieted by the 19th. You’d be wrong. It’s still going on. Keep in mind these pie charts are cumulative by month. On the left are the totals through the morning of Aug 22; on the right, the totals through the afternoon of Aug 25.

Midday on the 22nd, we had another spike, one large enough to offset that these are monthly totals, not daily. (The most likely culprit is the DW marketing gif that showed the scene where Adam dies, thus kicking the hornet’s nest all over again.)

As we entered the third week, the predictive algorithm for #voltron dropped to -1% for the month, and -5% for the week; for #vld, it’s -2% for the month and -6% for the week. 

In fact, almost every related hashtag is predicted to drop in popularity and use over the next week or beyond. That includes: 

voltronlegendarydefender, -2%

keithkogane, -8%

keith, -3%

shiro, -9%

lance, -6%

lancemcclain, -1%

takashishirogane, -20%

allura, -5%

princessallura, -10%

hunkgarrett, -6%

lotor, -4%

katieholt, -5%

Even ship names: 

klance, -2%

shadam, -8%

adashi, -3%

plance, -2%

pidgance, -5%

sheith, -2%

lotura, -10%

kallura, -1%

The exceptions? allurance (4%) and pidge (1%). 

It took a bombshell EP interview to knock S6 off its upward rise. This time around, the fall looks more like people tiring of the fight and checking out.

one more part coming

Thanks to the additional manipulations I did on twitter this season, this section took more words (and I cut it down from walking you through every agonizing step, no need to thank me for sparing you). I’ve also added a new dataset, and that pushed the total word count beyond even my long limit.

I’ve broken the last part out, where i’ll cover the long-term impact and possible fallout of S7.  

[ptw30]

Shiro + Lance : the aftermath of Operation Kuron.

Title: Mending Paws

Pairing: Gen

Summary: See the prompt. It’s literally just that. 

---

Shiro watched Lance approach the Black Lion, then walk back to Blue, before approaching yet again. He allowed the pattern three times before he let out a sigh and exited the Black Lion. When it appeared Lance had given up completely, he called out to the Blue Paladin. Lance’s back went ramrod straight, and he slowly turned toward Shiro with pale features and widened eyes. 

Shiro beckoned him over before putting a hand on the Black Lion’s paw and pushing himself up onto it. “It’s okay, Lance. I promise. I don’t bite.”

Lance’s laughter was high pitched, forced. “Ha! Good one, Shiro!”

“It’s really not.” He patted the paw next to him. “Come on. Sit.”

After a brief debate with himself, Lance surrendered with a sigh and took a seat next to Shiro. He remained tense and jittery, fingers twitching as he stayed uncharacteristically silent. When Shiro reached up to grip his shoulder, Lance flinched. His eyes glistened when they turned to Shiro, an apology deep within them. 

Shiro couldn’t stand it. “It wasn’t your fault, Lance.”

The tears fell then, aggressive and ugly, and Lance launched himself at Shiro, arms wrapping about Shiro’s torso in a crushing grip. Sobs wracked his being, shaking Shiro as well, and Shiro’s own tears stung the corner of his eyes. The apologies kept coming, thicker and more insistent, pleading for Shiro to forgive, but all Shiro could do was hold onto Lance and let him release all the emotions he’d been carrying since the Dalterion Belt. 

Hunk stumbled by, followed by Pidge and Allura, but Shiro motioned that he was alright. When Lance’s sobs finally calmed, Shiro lifted his hand from Lance’s back to ruffle his hair. 

“Lance, look at me,” he asked, voice gutted and trembling. It took a moment, but Lance eventually listened. Shiro cradled his cheek and neck with his hand. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“But I – I should have –”

“There’s no studying for metaphysical lions that are fueled by magic and souls. There’s no guidebook or cheat sheet to knowing that my soul was trapped in the Black Lion’s quintessence and someone had taken my place. Yeah, I was acting differently than I would have normally, but it’s just as much my fault as anyone else’s.”

“But-But-I should have asked. I-I knew. He told me that he wasn’t feeling well—”

Shiro laughed, rough but true. “And I’m sure you just knew that Haggar was behind Ryou’s sudden change in behavior, right? You knew that he was being attacking mentally and emotionally by the enemy and chose to do nothing.”

“No, but I said we’d figure out together. And I never followed up. I never—”

“Because I never reached out to you,” Shiro soothed, thumb wiping away Lance’s tears. “I was afraid of showing any weakness in front you and the team. I told you all that we needed to lean upon each other, but I didn’t take my own advice. When Zarkon was attacking the Black Lion, I didn’t ask for anyone’s help other than Black. I didn’t ask you or Keith or Allura for help. And I should have. Maybe if I have let you guys know me, then you would have realized that Ryou wasn’t...well, me.”

Lance still trembled, though his eyes weren’t as dark or as melancholy as they had been two minutes ago. “But I still should have—”

“That’s between you and Ryou, but I don’t think he’s holding it against you, either.”

“I’m not.” 

Shiro glanced over his shoulder to see Ryou leaning against the Black Lion’s opening, not unlike Shiro had himself. But when he came forward, his walk was more open, expression more serious than Shiro’s own. It was still a bit awkward and unnerving for Shiro to see his own face on someone else, but he’d had some time to get used to it when in the Black Lion’s quintessence. He also couldn’t deny the relief he’d felt that someone had helped the team while he was away, even if he’d wished Ryou had reached out to Keith before he’d left for the Blades. But Ryou didn’t have the relationship with Keith that Shiro did, though they were slowly forming their own bond. 

They all were healing and reaching out, connecting in ways they hadn’t previously. Shiro wasn’t sure what that would mean, but he was excited to find out. 

“Lance, I – I wish we had found out what was happening to me before Haggar took control,” Ryou said, coming close to knock Lance’s shoulder, “but I should have been more forceful, should have come to see you again.”

“And I should have asked.” Lance kept one hand on Shiro while reaching up to clasp Ryou’s. “I should have made sure you were okay.”

“We’ll all have regrets. That’s part of war, part of life, but we’re here. All of us. Let’s appreciate that, and in the future, we’ll make sure to be there for each other. All of us.”

“Okay.” The tears already had begun to dry upon Lance’s cheeks. “Okay.”

Shiro knew they would be. 

[ptw30]

Happy Birth-week! Maybe the prompt motorcycles/hovercycles like a race or a getaway scene? I’ll leave the pairing up to you and the setting. :) (Lol at first I thought you were asking for short stories for your birthday and I was like “sure!” XD)

Title: The Family Business

Pairing: Gen 

Summary: The Voltron Paladins - a team of thieves, smugglers, and outlaws - are hunted by cartels, the FBI, and Shiro's father. Yeah, life isn't easy, but the team has each other. And that's all that matters.

---

Shiro stepped on the clutch and shifted, sending his Dodge Charger—which he affectionally called the Black Lion—soaring through the almost empty streets of Daibazaal.

“You know this is your fault,” he said. A quick glance in the rearview mirror showed two black sedans chasing them. “You said we should take all the triggers.”

In the passenger seat, Allura typed furiously on her tablet. Dressed in a tight white and pink cold-shoulder top that cut just below her tighter-than-tight jeans, she looked more like a pop star than a high-profile thief. Her curly ponytail hit Shiro in the face when she shifted in her seat to look behind them.

“So then I am to assume you would have left the nuclear warhead triggers in the hands of not-quite-professional businessmen.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“No, you’re saying that you would have left them in the hands of nefarious criminals.”

“As opposed to non-nefarious criminals?”

Allura laughed. “Well, we aren’t exactly law-bidding citizens.”

The car wheels squealed when Shiro eased up on the accelerator, cut the wheel, and then tore down the nearest alleyway. The shadows of night wouldn’t conceal their taillights, and when the Black Lion rocketed onto the street, the sedans still clung to his bumper.

“I’m just saying that stealing a trunk-load of military grade explosives by having Lance and Keith start a fight in the middle of black-market weapons depot might not have been the best course of action.”

“Then what would have been the best course of action? Trying to steal the triggers after Zarkon used them to start World War III?”

“Of course not. I’m just saying—”

“And you know Keith and Lance weren’t acting. Lance actually did take Red for a ride the other day and put a scratch in her chassis.”

Shiro let out a heavy sigh. “Can’t you just let me live in ignorance?”

Allura laughed and leaned over to press a kiss to Shiro’s cheek. “At least they worked it out of their—Quiznak.” Allura’s tablet let out a warning beep. “Red Paladin, Blue Paladin, we’re going to need your special brand of street cleaning.”

As the Black Lion passed a main thoroughfare, two motorcycles roared to life—a red Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R and a blue Yamaha YZF R1. The two racers wore protective jackets and helmets that matched their bikes, though the red racer’s jacket had black and yellow accents, while the blue racer’s uniform boasted red and yellow stripes. The motorcycles tore down the straightaway toward two more sedans that suddenly screeched to a halt in the middle of the street, blocking their path.

Shiro narrowed his eyes. “Does the Blue Lion have a red chassis now?”

“Yes! Keith defiled my baby!” Lance bemoaned across the team’s channel.

Keith huffed, and the Red Lion swerved to evade gunfire. “Stop whining and help me take these assholes out.”

“‘Stop whining.’” The Blue Lion hopped the sidewalk and used the streetlights as cover. “Well, if you hadn’t hurt my precious girl—”

“Your precious girl just got a new coat, something you hadn’t even bothered to—”

“Guys!” Shiro yelled, but Lance was already shifting gears. “Chill, Shiro. We’ve got this.”

Sure enough, Keith and Lance came to the middle of the street and wove between the car blockade. Two subsequent explosions sent the cars rocketing into the sky. The Black Lion poured it on then and zipped underneath the elevated cars, which eventually landed upon the chaser sedans.

“Good job, you two!” Shiro praised. “Now get to the rendezvous point ASAP and lock it down.”

“Yes, sir!” Keith’s crisp voice sounded over the connection, followed by Lance’s mocking tone once more. The twin motorcycles zoomed ahead and disappeared in the labyrinth of city streets.

Shiro could practically feel Allura’s penetrative stare give way to a self-assured smirk. “They make a good team.”

“As long as they don’t kill each other.”

“Oh, give them a bit more credit, Allura.” He waited a beat. “Keith would make it quick.”

“If Lance didn’t talk him to death first—and if that cartel doesn’t catch us.” Allura tapped on her tablet. “Green Lion, Yellow Lion, status report.”

Instead of a voice confirmation, a loud explosion echoed through the connection. Allura shot up in her seat. “Pidge! Hunk!”

A few loud hacks, followed by fits of coughing, and Pidge sucked in a deep breath. “I said not to denotate until we were a safe distance away!”

Shiro heaved a relieved sigh and heard Allura do the same.

“Oooh. I thought you said, ‘Let’s go for crème brulee,’” Hunk said between coughs.

Shiro could imagine Pidge throwing up her arms. “That doesn’t even make sense.”

“Hunk, Pidge, report,” Allura repeated, shaking her head. Shiro stepped on the gas for one final burst of speed, and the Black Lion entered the private airport.

“The facilities have been destroyed, Allura,” Hunk replied. “The rest is up to you and Shiro.”

So it was. Once Shiro spotted the Red and Blue Lions outside of a private hanger, he directed the Black Lion inside the massive area—devoid of any planes—and threw the car into park. Allura tossed him a nervous grin, which he returned, and they exited the car.

Only Keith and Lance occupied the hanger. No shelves, no airplane, no grease. Off to the side, a simple garage door lifted with eerie screeches that echoed through the empty space. Once it stopped, a rather tall man with slicked back hair, sunken eyes, and a thick chin entered the hanger between Lance and Keith. In a black suit with a purple tie, he looked like a wayward stockbroker, strides long, haughty, and loud. His eyes narrowed as he stopped before Shiro and Allura, arms spreading in a regal greeting.

“Ms. Altea. As always, a pleasure.”

“I assure you it most certainly is not,” Allura replied, manicured fingers clicking on her tablet.

Zarkon turned to Shiro without missing a beat. “Shiro, I appreciate you joining us.”

“We do agree there,” Allura snapped. “It is the only way you will survive, Zarkon.”

“Ironic, is it not? To think I am standing here with my former partner’s daughter who has taken my son as her own partner, despite knowing the history between our families.”

“Shiro isn’t a two-timing, egotistical psychopath like you,” Lance spat.

“But somehow he’s still entered the family business,” Zarkon retorted with an all-too-delighted grin.

Rather than replying, Shiro hit the car remote and popped the trunk. He lifted the back to reveal the triggers. “Here’s what you wanted from the Olkari Cartel, right?”

An amused, almost proud grin crossed his features. “I will need to inspect the merchandise.”

“Yeah, about that.” He slammed shut the trunk. “You’re not getting anywhere near these devices.”

Zarkon’s gaze was anything but tolerant. “We already agreed upon terms.”

“Yes, we did, but now I’m changing them. Ms. Altea, would you like to do the honors?”

“Thank you, Mr. Shirogane.” Allura stepped forward and handed her tablet to a suspicious-looking Zarkon. “That is a live feed from Langley, the ‘Other Matters’ subdivision, which you run.” She paused. “Ran. Our operatives Yellow Paladin and Green Paladin took care of your stronghold. Call it a retirement gift.”

“I thought we were calling it a ‘going away’ present,” Keith asked, arms crossed across his chest.

Lance giggled.

Keith rolled his eyes. “What?”

“You cannot get rid of me that easy,’” Zarkon growled. “No judge or jury in the world will convict me, not with my record. And no one will believe you—my son who became an international smuggler and his partner, the daughter of my former partner who died under investigation.”

“Yellow and Green transferred all your dark files to the Federal Bureau of Investigation before making the big kaboom,” Lance laughed. “Seriously, man? We have everything and we know everything.”

Zarkon’s thick fingers curled about the tablet. “You have to know this is futile. You can sell those triggers you stole to another foreign power. You can leave the country, hide in some remote island, and look over your shoulder for the rest of your life, but I will still find you. And I will end you.” He stared directly at Allura with demonic glee. “Just like I did your father.”

Allura didn’t even flinch. “Good luck doing that from a prison cell at Leavenworth.”

“FBI!” a booming voice echoed through the hanger. “On the ground now!”

A SWAT team stormed the front opening while a tall blond man came in from the back. He wore in a tight suit with a purple tie, dark slacks and a FBI jacket. Four female agents, all wearing similar garb to the lead agent, covered him from the entryway.

“I said on the floor, now!” the agent yelled at Zarkon.

Keith went down first, having gone through a similar situation before. Lance followed and muttered about this not being the greatest plan after all. Zarkon tried to rebuke the orders, but the familiar FBI agent—Lotor, Shiro noticed—wouldn’t have it.

Eventually, Zarkon met Shiro’s gaze once they were both handcuffed and lying face flat against the cold concrete.

“This isn’t over,” he threatened.

“Yes, it is,” Shiro insisted. “It was over the moment you decided your greed was more important than family.”

---

Shiro didn’t know how long he’d been waiting in the interrogation room, though he figured he would be the last one the FBI questioned. Pidge would be the first as the youngest, followed the soft-hearted Hunk, the smooth-talking Lance, the sharp-edged Keith, and then the regal Allura, if Lotor wasn’t intimidated. Then, and only then, would Lotor pay a visit to Shiro.

When he finally did, he wore a tired but true grin. “Special Agent Shirogane. I told you to get a team you could trust to have your back when I couldn’t be there. This was not what I had in mind.”

Shiro’s handcuffs jingled as he sat back in his seat. “You don’t like my choice of team members, Special Agent Sincline?”

Lotor sighed dramatically and dropped his tablet to the table, tapping the edge and bringing up five pictures. “An X Games Motor X gold medalist who was raised by smugglers and the silver medalist with whom he does not get along. At all. A red hat hacker who isn’t even old enough to graduate high school. A chef turned motocross mechanic. Oh, and the daughter of my father’s former CIA partner, whom he killed. That’s who you decided you could trust?”

Shiro tossed Lotor a teasing smile. “Jealous?”

“Of course,” Lotor replied, crossing his arms. “We’ve had each other’s backs since forever.”

“Since we were twelve.”

“Just because we weren’t together since diapers doesn’t change the fact that we grew up together. We went to Quantico together. And now I only get to see you for clandestine meetings and the occasional coffee.”

“But it’s good coffee.”

“You’re my brother, Shiro. I’m supposed to protect you.”

Shiro knocked his shoulder against Lotor’s knee. “And you do. You handle the bureau. I handle the criminals. If I didn’t trust you with everything, this couldn’t work.”

“Do you trust them with everything?” Lotor motioned toward the blackened two-way mirror. “Not one of them said anything. Just asked for water—or in one case, iced tea. Sweetened with lemon.”

“Lance…is high maintenance,” Shiro laughed, “but in the best way.”

Lotor huffed. “He asked for it to be sent to Pidge.”

“Of course, he did.”

“And Hunk asked me to make sure Lance was given appropriate bathroom breaks, and Keith asked if Lance was gagged and then asked if he could be.”

“Sounds about right.”

“Allura, however, asked me for pictures from our teenage years.”

Shiro blinked. “…I’m not sure how I feel about that.”

“But they all asked about you.” Lotor clasped Shiro on the shoulder, firm and supportive. Lotor truly was his foundation, unwavering and firm. “I’m glad for you, Shiro. You deserve to have a family again.”

Shiro undid his handcuffs with a trick Keith taught him and reached up to cover Lotor’s hand. “I miss you, too, brother.”

“Hm.” Lotor held him a second longer than necessary, almost as if refusing to let Shiro go, but he eventually relented. A serious countenance overtook his face, and Shiro sat up straighter in response. Back to business.

“I’ve spoken with the higher-ups,” Lotor explained. “I’ll be in contact when Father goes to trial. You and your team might need to come in to testify, but right now, I suggest you find some place to lie low. Maybe a Caribbean island. A nice seaside Mexican resort. Disneyland. Stay off the radar and away from anyone Father might have worked with. Be safe.”

Shiro blinked. “That’s it?”

“That’s it. Unless you’re ready to come in from the cold.” Before Shiro could debate that question, let alone respond, Lotor flipped a switch. The two-way mirror went from black to transparent, revealing Shiro’s team on the other side. While four of his team members sat around a small table—Hunk was teaching Keith to pay some card game while Allura braided the longer strands of Pidge’s hair—Lance held a hand-drawn sign, scribbled on a yellow notepad, against the mirror.

Can we please have our Special Agent Shirogane back now?

Shiro thumbed toward the mirror. “Does he know I’m on the other side of this wall?”

Lotor’s eyes were narrowed; a look of confusion overtook his face. “How…did he get a marker and paper? That’s a monitored room. No one’s gone in there.”

Shiro simply shrugged. If his team was anything, it was resourceful.

Lotor crossed his arms and stared into the room, eyes resting upon the one person sitting on the right side of the table, talking to Hunk and Keith.

“Allura Altea. She’s…good to you?”

Shiro eyed Lotor. “Yeah. She’s my best friend. I trust her with my life.”

“But do you trust her with a picture of your teenage years?”

“I certainly can’t trust you.”

“That hurts, Brother.”

“You should have thought that before you showed Allura my awkward teenage years.”

Lotor rolled his eyes. “Don’t be so dramatic. It’s not like I showed her the pictures from comic con.”

---

“So…that’s it?” Hunk asked, watching as the black, non-descript FBI vans drove away. “We help to take down a dirty counterintelligence agent—”

“And blow up part of the CIA’s own headquarters,” Keith added.

“Only the bad part,” Pidge pointed out. “We left the rest still standing.”

“Yes, but that means we must lie low for a bit.” Allura walked toward a private jet on the tarmac. “Coran has been scouting new jobs for us and believes he’s found an interesting one. Shiro, how would you feel about visiting your childhood home, if you catch my drift?”

Shiro smiled. “Tokyo’s nice this time of year.”

“Smashing!” Coran greeted, lowering the stairs to the private plane. “Come along, Paladins! I’ve stocked the plane with all your favorite snacks along with the latest episodes of Riverdale and Legends of Tomorrow.”

Lance raced up the stairs. “Score! Dibs on the couch!”

“No!” Hunk whined. “You can’t call dibs until you’re on the stairs! Everyone knows that.”

Pidge raced after them while Keith turned to Shiro. “I’ll save you a seat and a pack of gummi bears.”

“Thanks, Keith.” Shiro stopped Allura at the end of the stairs, taking her hand in his. “Hey. If you ever need to talk about anything, I’m here. You know that.”

Allura’s eyes trembled as they stared into Shiro’s. Tightening her grip, she looked away. “Thank you, Shiro. I know this mission was not easy for you, either. It must have been difficult arresting your father.”

“Yeah, well. Lotor technically arrested him, and we’ve been preparing for this day for a long time.”

“As have I, but…we’re never really ready for it, are we?”

Shiro’s heart ached, especially when he remembered the look of disdain Zarkon sent him as Lotor led him to the FBI van. However, it was nothing compared to what Allura must have felt when she received the call about her father.

“No, I guess we aren’t.”

Allura hummed. “It won’t get better. I’m not sure there is a better, but Zarkon will finally stand trial for his crimes. For that, I am grateful.”

“Me, too.” Shiro held up his phone with a picture of Allura with braces and short hair. “I’m also grateful for my new wallpaper.”

“Takashi Shirogane!” Allura’s hand shot out toward his phone, but Shiro managed to duck and head up the stairs. “Get back here! You’re going to tell me who got you that picture.”

“I’ll never give up my source.”

She caught up with him just inside the plane and playfully knocked him against the wall. “Hunk, Pidge, or your brother? It was your brother, wasn’t it?”

“It was actually Coran. He showed it to me the first time we met, along with every other baby picture he has of you.”

“Of course, he did. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have an uncle to kill – I mean, fill in with our latest job.”

Shiro smiled, knocking her on the shoulder, and then headed to take inventory. Pidge and Lance took up the long couch, already halfway through the snacks, while Hunk sat in a reclining chair just to right next to them, his lap full of delicious treats. Keith lounged upon a loveseat and left a spot open for Shiro, while the seat next to it remained empty for Allura. She’d join them in a few.

As they took the skies, Shiro wondered not for the first time why Zarkon and Honerva took him in and taught him right from wrong, just to pervert those morals themselves. But he dismissed the thought quickly as he threw an arm about Keith and pulled him close. While he would forever regret the cycle of events that brought him to the world of drag racing and smuggling, he would forever cherish the family he found there –

Shiro’s phone vibrated with a message from Lotor.

Forgive me.

The cockpit’s door swung open to reveal Allura, a bright smile upon her face, her cellphone in her hand. “You cosplayed at comic con!”

– most days.

The End

---

Thanks for the prompt and birthday wishes! 

[ptw30]

Working on my birthday prompts for Shiro’s birthday. So what if I’m, oh, four months behind? That’s another eight months ahead. :)

[ptw30]

I’ve been working off and on (more off than on) on an arranged marriage AU for the last...oh, seven months? I’m not far along, only 9k or so, but I have a pretty detailed outline. And I’ve been added to it here and there when I can. 

One of my favorite fanfiction authors published a similar idea about a month after I started this idea, and I haven’t read her story yet because I don’t want to lose traction on my story. If hers is as awesome as I believe it will be, I’ll falter and probably not finish, and I really like how this outline and how the story is shaping up. 

...but I’m bored and I really, really want to read her story! I didn’t think it would take this long to finish mine, and I probably won’t finish writing mine until March or so...if I’m diligent. 

Sigh. 

/end whine

[ptw30]

Prompts are now open

So my birthday is on Wednesday. Figured I’d open prompts for a bit.

Any VLD prompts. Any pairings. If you send a prompt, you’ll get at least a three-sentence story from it. Possibly longer. Prompts will be posted as I finish them.

Prompts close on Oct 2nd at 11:59 p.m.

Here’s where you can submit - Prompt me, peeps!

[ptw30]

Fic: The Blend of Marmora - Chapter Six: The posts are coming from inside the house

Chapter summary: Shiro confronts the person who has been posting pictures without his consent; he also finds out just what Keith has been keeping from him. 

Link to AO3

Excerpt:

As Keith used his free hand to pet Black, he asked, “So what happens now?”

“We go about our business,” Shiro said, like it was easy. It wouldn’t be. He knew that, but eventually, they would get there. “You go to work, do your thing. I’ll go food shopping and rake the leaves again. We’ll go for a run every morning like we do now. They’ll follow us around for a bit, no doubt, but they’ll get bored eventually. And then they’ll leave.”

“Just like that?”

“Just like that.” Shiro shrugged. “People want drama. They want to see into the private lives of celebrities until they realize we’re just people, and they don’t want to see normal people doing normal things. That’s boring.”

“We can’t let it end just like that.” Keith took out his phone and with a challenging grin, fell back onto the bed. Shiro followed him and tipped his head to the side, so his temple pressed against Keith’s hair.

“Say espresso,” Keith ordered before snapping another picture.

“What are you going to write with this one?” Shiro asked as Keith typed.

“ ‘Meet Takashi Shirogane, my boyfriend, best friend, and favorite son of Marmora. He likes venti sugar free Caramel Macchiatos with skim milk, an extra shot and extra hot with extra whip, and he can watch his own movies and laugh at them. Yes, he knows how bad Return to Beta Traz was, but he hopes you enjoyed it anyway. And while he’s your Shiro outside of Marmora, he’s my Shiro here.’”

Shiro shifted to press brief kiss against Keith’s temple, blinking back the tears that stung his eyes. “Staking your claim a second time, huh?”

Keith settled against Shiro’s side, his warmth addictive and welcome. “I know I have to share you with the world, but…I missed you. I know you have to go back, but I sometimes wonder what would have happened if we hadn’t been in the accident, if you’d finished your degree and went on to work for the Galaxy Garrison.”

Shiro’s fingers brushed a cool path along Keith’s forehead. “I’ve thought about it, too.” A beat passed, then another. “If-If I’d have asked you to stay in L.A. with me, all those years ago, would you have?”

[ptw30]

I was wondering something. Obviously, animation is expensive. But, does character design have any significant influence on the cost? That is to say, presuming two different shows are animated with the same frame rates, will the one that looks like VLD cost a lot more than the one that looks like She-Ra? I ask because it seems evident to me that, while the writing was atrocious, the aesthetics of VLD draw in A LOT more people. People just like that look better. So why do Companies not use it?

I’m going to ask others who know more than me to weigh in, but from my understanding of working in comics, the character designs are a completely different budget than the sequential art (or frame rates?). Same with how there was a separate budget for the opening of VLD than the actual episodes. So more character designs might significantly impact the overall budget but not a single episode’s budget.

However, it sounds like your question is geared toward style. She-Ra has a different house style than Voltron did. So it could theoretically cost the same but the styles are just different. She-Ra’s style is actually very similar, IMHO, to Noelle’s previous projects. 

There are other factors that affect the overall price of project - different studios (She-Ra did not use Studio Mir), the number of episodes (She-Ra 52, VLD 78), and project management. (She-Ra wrapped up production last May - many months if not years before the final episodes air, compared to VLD that only wrapped up production three months before drop.) There’s also the make-up of the creative team that can lead to lower costs (for She-Ra), and all these things affect the time and detail put into animation or any series, for that matter. 

But I think in this case, it just comes down to the style of She-Ra vs. the style of Voltron. And despite all its faults, Voltron was just more visually appealing. 

(I can also tell you from my experiences on Tumblr - the She-Ra team was not happy when people voiced displeasure over their style, so it sounds like it was a point of contention at DreamWorks, too.) 

[ptw30]

Sheith Cuddle Prompts: Strangers

Sheith Cuddle Prompt-Fill Masterpost

Summary:  After a dangerous Blade mission, Keith flees onto a skyway train to hide from sentries. He takes cover between two taller riders, and one of them happens to the fugitive Champion. (SFW)

“Love at First Cuddle” 

This is awkward, Keith mused.

He’d finished his latest job for the Blade of Marmora – stealing the shipping routes for the Javeeno Star System – and barely escaped the empire’s stronghold. He threw on his father’s old jacket, kept his hood up but deactivated his mask, and disappeared into the throng of skyway riders at the nearest transportation hub in New Daibazaal, the current capital planet of the Galra Empire.

Kolivan was going to ream him out for being seen – again, probably with the usual lecture.

“I believe you actively, if not consciously, ignore my orders. You need to calm you down, focus on the mission and not react like the chaotic force of nature you are.”

Keith scoffed and told Kolivan he always got the job done, even if the Blade leader didn’t approve of his methods.

On the skyway, Keith slid into a small empty spot between two taller riders to hide in plain sight. One of the riders was a head taller than Keith with broad shoulders trapped in a leather jacket and a hood casting shadows over his eyes. His hands were tucked near his elbows, and his chin rested against his chest. 

He would help to provide adequate cover from any Galran soldiers or sentries, along with the massive Dryten. That lifeform sported twin sets of arms, biceps the size of Keith’s head, and bent knees that reached Keith’s shoulders.

Unfortunately, the Dryten got off on the skyway’s second stop, and the being who took its place was barely taller than Keith. Perhaps getting off the skyway and crossing the city on foot, would have been a better option – but something heavy settled against Keith’s shoulder.

Keith reached for his blade but stopped before slicing his “attacker.” It was the broad-shouldered rider. He’d slid down on the bench, arms still crossed, covered head resting upon Keith’s shoulder. Keith peeked under the hood, and sure enough, the rider was asleep.

A simple elbow to the ribs would wake the guy up but also draw attention to Keith. And Keith couldn’t deny the pleasant feeling in his belly from rider’s heavy yet comfortable weight against his side. The rider’s warmth was addictive, and Keith imagined what it would be like to lay next to someone like this rider did, completely relaxed and unguarded.

As the skyway rocked from one stop to the next, the rider’s arms unwound. One fell upon Keith’s thigh, while the other rested across Keith’s torso, hand clinging to his opposite hip. Cuddling. There was no other explanation for it. When they went over a groove in the track, the rider jerked, not quite waking, but his hand squeezed in a protective grip.

Keith endured the hold to delude the soldiers who would eventually board the skyway—or so he told himself. He couldn’t quite deny how nice it felt to be held, how he enjoyed the smooth skin against his own. His cheeks burned, and he squirmed a bit to get more comfortable. But he stilled when soldiers stepped into the skyway car. As he turned his head toward the rider’s, he hid his face in the man’s hood and knotted their fingers together like bonded mates. He only breathed again when the soldiers and sentries left the car, though he remained close to the rider.

Keith’s stop rapidly approached, so he decided to peek under the hood to get one last glimpse of his unlikely savior.

A shock of white hair; a fairly new scar across his cheeks and nose; soft, handsome features of a human—the metal fingers against his own confirmed the man’s identity. The Champion. The rider cuddling him was the Champion.

Kolivan would disapprove. He hadn’t supported Ulaz’ decision to save the would-be freedom fighter, but Ulaz followed his instincts. Then he left his post on Sendak’s ship for the base on the far edge of the solar system, while the Champion disappeared off the grid. Not even the Blade could locate him, so for Keith to find him in New Daibazaal of all places—well, he figured it must be kismet.

Like Ulaz, Keith trusted his instincts, and he nudged the Champion’s head with his own chin. “Hey…”

The Champion mumbled something too low for Keith to catch, so Keith elbowed him this time. “Hey, come on, Champion. We’re the next stop.”

“Huh…?” the Champion muttered, until his eyes shot wide. They locked with Keith’s for a split second before he noticed their joined hands, close proximity, and most likely Keith’s light purple skin and darker facial markings. The Champion started to jerk away, fear in those trembling eyes, but Keith held firm, keeping their fingers joined.

“Hey. It’s okay. I’m with Ulaz.”

That stopped the Champion cold. “You…You know the Blade of Marmora?”

Keith was wondering how he was going to get the Champion to confirm his identity, but the human managed it by himself. Keith unzipped his jacket with his free hand, opening it just enough to show the tip of his blade’s hilt.

The Champion blinked. “…what? Is that a sword or something? Are you threatening me?” He almost sounded amused.

Keith rolled his eyes. “That’s my blade. Y’know, as in the Blade of Marmora.”

“Oh.” Definitely amused now. “I didn’t realize you guys were so literal.”

Keith rezipped his jacket and stood as the car entered the station. “Come on. This is our stop.”

Their hands remained joined as they stepped onto the station platform and made their way to the ground floor. Out into the streets and down a few alleys, the Champion finally asked, “Where are we going?”

“A Blade safehouse. It’s registered to an officer in Prorock’s fleet, so we don’t have to worry about being found.”

The Champion kept glancing over his shoulder, and Keith guessed that wasn’t a bad habit to get into, despite struggling with his own feelings of regret. “Why can’t we leave New Daibazaal?”

“Why didn’t you when you had the chance?” Keith shot back, though there was no heat in his words, only curiosity. “Ulaz freed you, and then – ”

“The empire shot down my ship.” The Champion flinched; his hand trembled in Keith’s. “I barely escaped the pod before it exploded, and then I found myself here, in New Daibazaal.”

And barely sleeping at all, if the bags under his frightened and weary eyes said anything. Keith hoped he could change that with a few hours of rest and maybe a decent meal.

They came to a tall, dark building that reached high into the night sky. Large windows led to small balconies, granting the building an apartment-like feel. The opening had little fanfare – a hand scanner to admit officers, a sliding door, and a few sentries to shoot first and ask questions later for anyone denied entry.

Keith turned to tug down the Champion’s hood and cover most of his face.

“Stay close to me,” he ordered and then led the Champion up to the entrance, where Keith’s handprint allowed them access into the lobby.

Glowing florescent lights lined the dark corridors but cast shadows, granting them anonymity, though Keith still pushed the Champion out of sight when he spotted drones. They reached the elevator, then the eleventh floor, and then the seventh door. Even for a single officer, the suite was cramped with a kitchenette along the right side and a sitting area just beyond it. A small balcony overlooked the city, and to the left, an entry way led to a bedroom and off it, the bathroom.

Keith tugged off his hood and tossed his father’s coat over the back of the couch. “Why don’t you take a shower. I’ll find you something to wear.”

The Champion hesitated, eying Keith distrustfully for the first time since they met. It made sense. Now alone, enclosed, with only themselves to believe – the Champion probably wondered if Keith was really a rebel fighter or worked for the empire to bring him back to the arena.

Fine.

Keith tossed the Champion his sheath – blade and all – and unzipped his uniform. As he peeled it away from his body, Keith could feel the Champion’s eyes assessing the planes of his lavender skin, the maroon lines that not just accented his cheeks but also curled about his biceps and hips—gifts from his mother’s side of the family. From his father, he received a lean, swimmer’s body with strong core muscles and sculpted thighs.

When all that remained were his black briefs, he asked, “Satisfied, Champion?”

By the slack mouth and dumb nod, Keith thought so.

But then the Champion shuddered and averted his eyes. “Don’t—Don’t call me that. Please. It’s Shiro.”

Shiro. The name settled in Keith soul, sealing a previously unknown void. “All right. Call me Keith.”

The Champion’s – Shiro’s – eyes widened. “That’s���That’s a human name.”

Keith shrugged and turned toward the kitchen. “My dad was human.”

“Out here?” Keith heard Shiro’s astonishment. “So your mom’s Galra?”

“It’s a long story.” Perhaps he’d tell Shiro one day.

As Shiro headed off into the bedroom, Keith lifted his jacket and pulled out his communicator. He sent off fury of quick messages. One went to Kolivan, informing him of the secured plans. One went to Ulaz, informing him of the secured Champion. And one went to Thace, informing him of their occupancy of his flat.

Kolivan wouldn’t be expecting him for a few quintaints, which would give Keith enough time to figure out what to do with Shiro. He couldn’t toss him back to the wolves or the empire’s mechanisms, but staying here was most likely out of the question. Keith would have to bring Shiro back to the headquarters for the time being, but it would an understatement to say Kolivan wouldn’t appreciate the new, non-Galran recruit.

Perhaps Ulaz would have a solution, but depending upon his location and status, Ulaz might not respond for a few quintaints. Best to wait and hear, then decide a plan of action. Until then, Keith raided Thace’s refrigerator and cabinets, fixing up a servable if not satisfying meal for himself and his guest.

Shiro took his time in the shower, which also allowed Keith to find a set of sweatpants and T-shirt for him. They’d be a few sizes too big, but at least Shiro wouldn’t be forced to walk around naked until his clothes came out of the refresher.

Of course, Keith wouldn’t have minded that. The bathroom door opened while Keith was putting the clothes on the bed, and he barely remembered to breathe. A chiseled chest served as a canvas for battle scars, including nasty discoloration above Shiro’s elbow. Burns spread across his shoulders, and a rather deep gash tore up his abs. They did nothing to deter from the impossibly ripped core muscles, though. Shiro wore a white towel about his waist, which hung low upon his hips and showcased a black patch of hair that led to parts below.

Shiro smiled a private grin while a bright rose color darkened his cheeks. “Uh, thanks,” he said, though the prison had obviously stole Shiro’s modesty. He had no qualms dropping the towel and pulling on the clothes, though Keith spared himself a moment to wonder if perhaps Shiro wanted to show him everything.

Keith, of course, was only human and Galran, and well – he peeked.

He wasn’t disappointed.

They ate in relative silence, though it wasn’t as awkward as Keith feared it would be. Shiro ate up his entire serving, appearing as hungry as a former prisoner could be, but before Keith could offer him seconds, his eyes began to flutter.

“Hey. I’m waiting for a call anyway,” Keith offered with a hand upon Shiro’s shoulder. “Why don’t you take the bed first. We can switch later.”

Shiro nodded and all but stumbled into the bedroom while Keith took up residence on the small couch. Legs crossed, tablet in hand, Keith scanned the local transmissions. Though sentries and a few soldiers pursed him, the theft itself hadn’t made local news. Either the Galran stronghold didn’t want anyone to know someone had stolen the information, or the empire didn’t know exactly what he stole. In any case, there wouldn’t be a manhunt, and Keith could relax for the time being.

After a few vargas reading articles and awaiting updates, movement in the bedroom caught his eye. Keith immediately reached for his dagger, only to realize Shiro had never handed it back, and with a sharp inhale, approached the bedroom door.

His dagger sat upon the nearest end table, away from Shiro who looked so young, so vulnerable in the massive Galran bed. He sat with his back to the headboard, elbow resting on his hitched-up leg, as he stared out the floor-to-ceiling windows at New Daibazaal.

Keith leaned against the door, arms crossed, tone teasing. “Don’t tell me you’re one of those sleep-when-dead people.”

“I’m not,” Shiro assured and tipped his head back. “I’ve just been running on overdrive since Ulaz freed me. Then I passed out on the only Galran-human person in the entire city, maybe the entire empire. You saved me, clothed me, fed me, and I just keep thinking it’s a dream or a nightmare. And I’m going to wake up, back in cell, one fight away from the end.”

Keith ventured onto the bed, sitting in the corner to give Shiro enough space. “How long did the empire have you?”

Shiro jerked a shoulder. “Not sure. It took my crew five to reach the edge of the solar system, and that’s when the empire found my crew. Don’t know how long I was in that prison. Dates and times don’t really match up with Earth’s movements, y’know? As far I know, it’s been a few months or maybe a few years.”

Keith couldn’t fix everything, but he was able to do some things. “When did you leave Earth? The date?”

Shiro told him. Keith inputted the time in to his tablet and reported, “You’ve been away from Earth just over eighteen months. It would be August 4th, if you were on Earth.”

Shiro nodded, distracted, eyes not focused, and then he clenched his metal fist. “…a year and a half. I’m…I’m twenty-five,” he whispered, like he couldn’t quite grasp the issue. “…I’m almost thirty.”

Keith snorted. “You are not almost thirty.”

“How old are you?”

“Two hundred and twenty-three feebs.”

Keith schooled his face for when Shiro’s eyes widened. He barely lasted a dobash.

“That’s twenty-two in Earth years.”

“Oh.” Shiro glanced away, and in the dark light, Keith needed to squint to see the light rose coloring of Shiro’s cheeks.

He wasn’t quite sure about the mating rituals of Earthlings, and Galran traditions were a bit different, according to Krolia. But Keith saw how Kolivan looked at Antok, how Thace looked at Ulaz – or rather, how they looked away and then back at their mates after a charged moment.

Keith wasn’t a coward by any shape or form, so he crept forward to rest against the headboard next to Shiro. A silent dobash passed, then another, and Keith glanced over at Shiro. He followed his gaze out the windows to the brightly lit city. It almost looked beautiful, with the shades of teal and purple and green accenting the dark buildings. The skyway’s red light blinked along the rail while various warships took off for parts unknown.

“It’s so different from Earth,” Shiro whispered, into the shadows, to the universe’s soul. “From where I grew up. I never imagined—I always hoped, but this—I never thought there could be an…empire. I just…I guess I thought…they’d be a union, a coalition. That the people out here would be so much more civilized than Earth, so much more…further. No war. No poverty or starvation.”

“No one dies of starvation,” Keith replied, “not if they accept their role.”

“Like a gladiator,” Shiro offered.

“Like a gladiator.” Keith looked down at Shiro’s Galran hand, fingers clenched in the sheets. “They cheered for you in the arena. Even my uncles heard of you. You were a legend. I have no doubt that if you went back, you would be brought into the empire ranks. They have use for a warrior like you.”

Shiro was silent for a long moment, so long Keith wondered if he should reach for his dagger. Perhaps a life as a warrior in the empire was more attractive to Shiro than a life running away from it. Perhaps Keith was wrong to welcome him into Thace’s quarters, but he, too, had hoped. For what, he wasn’t sure.

“No,” Shiro eventually said. “I won’t be their weapon.” The conviction in his voice slew all Keith’s fears.

“What would you do? Right now, if I could get you anywhere in the universe, where would you go? Back to Earth?”

Shiro’s silence lasted shorter this time, barely a tick. “I would go to where the rest of my crew is, and I’d free them. I wouldn’t leave them behind. And then – I guess I’d see if there were any freedom fighters out there, see if I could help them in anyway. Maybe…if you – or Ulaz – had use for me, I could help the Blades. I can’t just go home now, knowing the empire exists. I have to do something to stop it.”

The stench of burnt toast snatched Keith’s attention, and he placed a hand upon Shiro’s shoulder, startling Shiro enough to unclench his fist. His purple faded from Shiro’s hand, and with a few pats, the comforter’s fire was out.

“You need to relax,” Keith explained, refusing to take his hand off Shiro now that he’d bridged that short distance. “Turn off your brain and reflexes for a little while.”

When Shiro looked over him, there was such vulnerability in his eyes. “I don’t know how.”

Keith did. “My mom told me about my human side, about how they are like Galrans in this way. We sleep best with our mates. We like to feel their warmth against our own and take in their scent. It brings us comfort.”

“So you’re saying we should…cuddle.”

Somehow, the honest question outweighed the incredulity. “You fell asleep on me once already. At least we’re alone now.”

Whatever Keith expected from Shiro, it wasn’t the resigned sigh. “Okay, so…how do we do this?”

It took a bit of awkward maneuvering, a couple of burning cheeks, and an elbow in someone’s gut before Shiro’s arms fit about Keith’s waist, and Keith rested his head upon Shiro’s chest. The steady if rapid heartbeat murmured in his ear, while Shiro’s warm exhale brushed his bangs. It should have annoyed Keith, but instead, he pressed his nose into Shiro’s shirt to smell the unique blend of soap, pine, and sand.

As sleep began to claim him, he wondered what Kolivan would say when he brought the Champion of all beings back to the headquarters to greet him. Then he found out it didn’t matter. Being near Shiro, laying next to Shiro, on Shiro – made Keith feel something he never had before.

Calm.

Keith thought Kolivan would like that.

Later

Thace motioned to the two sleeping figures on his bed. “This is all your fault. You freed the Champion.”

Ulaz crossed his arms. “You were the one who marked him as a potential asset.”

“Fine. You may blame me, but you get to tell Kolivan about this.”

“All right.” A smug smile teased Ulaz’ lips. “Then you have the pleasure of telling Krolia.”

Thace blanched.

The End

Sheith Cuddle Prompt-Fill Masterpost 

[ptw30]

Ficlet: The stars called

Summary: Shiro gets the happy ending he deserves. 

A/N: Written for the third anniversary of VLD’s premiere date. 

---

The stars called.

Allura and Lotor split their time between New Altea, New Daibazaal, and Earth. There were no emperors or queens, no empire or dictatorship. Only democracy, born from the planets the Galra once ruled and free people who sought peace. 

But the stars whispered a promise of adventure, of desire, of love. 

Pidge and Lance worked for the Coalition, stationed on Earth. They spent a majority of their time at the Galaxy Garrison headquarters, Lance an instructor and Pidge the head of their tech division. But they went home to Cuba frequently, and at least one of Lance’s family was always present in their apartment. 

The stars sang ballads, recounting tales of friendship and camaraderie, of the bonds forged that refused to break. 

Hunk went home and then to Shay, and then to the universe as a diplomat. Along with his words, he brought his recipes and kind disposition. He brought love and hope; he brought delicious foods that came from the heart and warmed the stomach. He taught others to drop their weapons and to pick up their forks. 

The stars waited and would continue to wait. Eternity was not that long for them. 

Keith spent time with his mother and Kolivan, with the Blades and the universe. He stood at the Kral Zera and alongside Lotor and Allura, did not command a new peace but embraced one. His wolf then zapped away, returning to the side of another. 

Stars shone brightly in the evening sky, together. Never alone. 

They settled on a year. Allura and Lotor would see to New Altea and New Daibazaal. Keith would help free the remaining planets under Galra rule with the Blade. Pidge and Lance would reconnect their loved one and connect with each other. 

Shiro would take Ryou to see the home he never knew but remembered. They ventured into the bustling streets of Yokohama. They dove into large bowls of ramen. They traveled to the seaside towns, and they walked along the beach, warm sands under their feet, cool waters lapping their ankles. At night, they climbed to the top of their apartment building and lay upon a blanket, watching the heavens above, listening to its countless tales, and longing to be among them again. 

“You miss it, don’t you?” Ryou asked. 

Shiro leaned upon his hands, eyes never wavering from the heavens above. “I was born here, Ryou, but I don’t think I belong here.”

Ryou nodded, understanding, perhaps even empathizing, and then they fell in comfortable silence again. Between them, Cosmo huffed and lay his head upon Shiro’s stomach.  

As a year came to a close, Shiro headed back to the garrison’s main compound in America. He readied himself for what he was sure to find - no one. Lance and Pidge had gotten comfortable, settled, and would refuse to head back to the heavens. Allura and Lotor had chosen to stay on either New Altea or New Daibazaal, literally worlds away. Hunk accepted his new mission and decided to stay wherever the breadcrumbs took him. And Keith...Keith finally decided to embrace his biological family, choosing them over the one he’d made. 

Even Ryou wanted to stay on Earth. 

“But I won’t,” Ryou admitted, hand resting upon Shiro’s shoulder. “Maybe one day but I’ll follow you to the end of the universe and back.”

“Me, too.”

Shiro turned toward the new but familiar voice, and an unconscious smile found his face. “Keith.”

Keith’s hug was tighter than Shiro expected, clinging - and Shiro buried his face in his best friend’s hair. Keith had missed him just as much as Shiro had missed him. 

“Hey, stop hogging the leader, Mullet,” Lance teased from behind Keith, and tears prickled in the corner of Shiro’s eyes. 

Shiro went from Keith to Lance, to Pidge, to Hunk, and Ryou followed suit. As they approached the Atlas, Allura stood just before the lift, dressed in her pink and white uniform. Lotor stood by herself, along with his generals, each dressed in their own version of the Galaxy Garrison uniform. 

“Permission to come aboard, Admiral,” Shiro asked. 

“Not without a hug, Black Paladin,” she teased and opened her arms to him. 

After he settled in his bunk, Shiro went down to the hanger where Black waited, forever patient for its paladin. 

The stars called.  

Shiro answered. 

[ptw30]

Cuz we all need a little more fluff in our lives...

Fic: The Blend of Marmora

Summary: Betrayed by a close friend, Shiro returns home to the small town of Marmora to reconnect with the friends and family he missed, including the boyfriend who dumped him five years ago. Trust returns easy but staying proves hard as secrets come to light and Shiro needs to decide between the role of the lifetime and his career. 

Ships: Sheith (side ships: Lotura, Plance)

Chapter One: Five years, two months, three days, and seven hours, but who was counting?

Excerpt:

With the house only steps from Main Street, Shiro could see the town’s only streetlight and the corridor of turn-of-the-century storefronts from his bedroom room. He used to do his homework from the window seat in the tower and look down at the corner coffee shop, which was owned by the town’s curmudgeon, Kolivan. It wasn’t that the man was overtly rude, but Kolivan was a demanding man who suffered fools poorly. On days when his best friend Keith had a shift after school, Shiro would take up the café’s largest table. Kolivan never let him get away with it, though the owner never uttered a single word. Instead, he just stared at Shiro until he collected his books and found a smaller table.

It seemed like a lifetime ago, Shiro mused as he pulled his black Charger into one of the parking spaces lining the town’s corridor. Shiro never dreamt of leaving Marmora, but a school play, a single meeting with an agent, and one horrific car crash later found him living on California’s warm coast.

While he’d find his way to Marmora every so often, he’d never returned with two duffels, his aptly named cat Black, and his car, not a rental. It was only sheer luck that he’d been in New York, completing interviews for his latest movie, when the leaks dropped. Shiro packed without thinking and drove without a destination, somehow finding himself in New England by dawn.

From the passenger seat, Black flicked his tail at Shiro and let out a tiny meow, demanding attention. Shiro was all too happy to oblige, scratching behind Black’s ears before snatching his beanie and sunglasses.

Sure, his white tuff would still peek out from underneath the wool hat, but no one would give him a second glance. Shiro was surprised anyone did after that drunk driver slammed into his car almost seven years ago, but Shiro banished that thought from his mind. It was too early in the morning to be melancholy.

Story on AO3

[ptw30]

The Blend of Marmora: Chapter Five - #Sheith

Last time on "The Blend" - Shiro and Keith got back together, and Shiro learned Keith gave up his dream to fly for the Galaxy Garrison to get a degree in Creative Writing. Shiro invites Keith to join him in Boston for a screen test for his next gig.

This chapter - Shiro and Keith's relationship hits social media.

Link to AO3

Excerpt: 

The familiar dark road lay ahead, though Ojiisan’s car headlights cut through the moon’s shadows. Keith devoured his cookie and cream ice cream in the passenger seat, humming thoughtfully in appreciation. He’d convinced Shiro to drive all the way to Puig for fresh serve, but the discussion had been short. Shiro loved spoiling Keith, and on a carefree summer night, ice cream with his boyfriend was the perfect date.

Shiro wanted eternity to be just like this.

A squeal of tires, lights flashing across the window shield, and a pick-up barreled toward Ojiisan’s Ford Focus.

Everything happened so fast. The shattering of glass, the screech of metal, pain – unimaginable pain. He couldn’t move his right arm. Even cringing hurt, but when Keith called to him—he sounded so far away—Shiro used all his remaining strength to turn his head.

Keith loomed over him, tears glistening in his eyes, ice cream smashed on his T-shirt, cheek weeping blood. When he spoke, only his mouth moved; Shiro couldn’t hear the words over the buzzing in his ears.

With a breathless gasp, he jerked awake, arms unconsciously gripping the waist in front of him. Tasseled black hair slid across his pillow, and then sharp but tired indigo eyes flashed toward him.

“Hm…Shiro?”

[ptw30]

The moment when you’re like - maybe I should reblog that since maybe people didn’t see but it also has a pathetic low number of notes so those who see it now will know I reblogged it cuz no one liked it but this is my blog so who the fuck cares? Apparently no one anyway.

...I’m an adult. :)