#those dumb altean marks make me sad

[torveiglyart]

I went to draw surfer Lance as a warm up in my sketch book, as one does when obsessed with Voltron again, and I was struggling with the hairstyle. So I looked up some random references for surfers and a lot of them have that Sokka ponytail/bun look????? So I was like okay sure and- and Lance quite literally is space Sokka. Like, he looked like another Sokka drawing. I’ll post if wanted but I had to set the pencil down for a moment. If it weren’t for the Altean markings I would not think it was a Lance sketch at first glance.

EDIT: I have rendered it on digital and now he does not look like Sokka. I’m okay now.

EDIT 2: I have finished a full render and will post if someone asks.

[breezy-cheezy]

Allura, Eraserhead, Jason Todd, Miles Morales, Hornet :>

Alrighty here we go~

***Allura****

First impression: She’s so pretty!! Elf?? SPACE ELF??? Idk what’s going on with all the lions and stuff but I love her design. She’s so cute…

Impression now: I love her and she deserved SO MUCH BETTER than she got?? D:

Favorite moment: TBH when she started getting to pilot Blue and really got to grow into her leader role, I just thought it was so cool?? Also all magic scenes!!

Idea for a story: Let her go shopping for shiny things at the space mall!!!!

Unpopular opinion: Is it bad I still ship Shallura…………? But I also liked her and Lotor…….*I’m still not caught up btw HA but I have had spoilers sooooo*

Favorite relationship: I really really loved her familial bond with Coran, I wish we saw more of that! Wonderful space Niece and Uncle!

Favorite headcanon: Altean markings all over and that they glow. I’;m sorry I’m not more interesting on this front;;;;;

***Eraserhead/Aizawa***

First impression: ????what is with this homeless gremlin man he looks scary and kinda mean?? Is he high?? Why is he so mean to Deku??

Impression now: I love and support Eraserhead…he’s such a dad. Tough love dad, but a good and supportive dad. He grew on me real fast X’’’D Also please let him have sleep and all the cats he wants :T

Favorite moment: Every time he saves the kids…or gives pep talks…just…what a good dude…

Idea for a story: Sooooo daemon au?? Maybe his Barred Owl delivers messages over campus? Oooh I just imagined his mama owl huddled over a nest of stray kittens ;7;

Unpopular opinion: MHA is great, needs more Aizawa. ANd more cats.

Favorite relationship: His friendship with ALL Might and Mic? So pure…but also Tsuyu being his surrogate daughter? Super pure…

Favorite headcanon: Aro/Ace Aizawa ace aizawa ace aizawa ACE AIZAWA ACE— I think you get the point ;7;

***Jason Todd***

First impression: He is…the mean jock robin…he died once?? But he came back with a gun…poor dude with issues…

Impression now: SON. CHILD. PLEASE LET HIM BE HAPPY. I LOVE HIM SO MUCH.PLEASE GIVE HIM A BREAK AND MAKE HIM COME HOME TO HIS FAMILY AND ACCEPTANCE!!!

Favorite moment: Any time he quotes classic literature like the HUGE nerd he is!! And the part where he was sick and fell asleep on Bruce…ALSO that freaking “YAAAAASSSS” in Robin war, a current fave, I love that dumb scene so freaking much asndububfer 

Idea for a story: IDK I’ve always had this little plunny idea of some little girl he rescues from something just kinda plays with his hair and paints his nails and he just totally rolls with it. Anything with Jason and kids. I mean. Look how well he handles Bizzarro??

Unpopular opinion: Unpopular to DC I really wish he could just hug it out with Bruce and be done with all the family drama.......

Favorite relationship: Platonic Jason with Tim has been a huge fave...Berba pointed out they’re BOTH huge nerds and kinda jocks too, so that’s fun! But also Jason with Damian. And Dick. And Bruce. Jason bonding with the batfam?? But also Jason bonding with Bizzarro was one of the cutest things...lookit this softie :P 

Favorite headcanon: That Jay is actually a redhead but dyed it upon adoption to hide his identity as robin! Also that he’s aro/ace. And that he has claustrophobia that flares up at inconvenient times due to the whole “waking up in a grave” thing...

I think about Jason alot?? But gosh DANG I cannot draw him consistently DX 

***Miles Morales***

First impression: Black spiderman? Cool! Never heard of him but he looks nice??

Impression now: LITERAL SUN/SON INTO THE COLLECTION YOU GO-- he deserved more hugs after all the crap he went through in Spiderverse :T I love him, he’s so sweet and funny and an artist!! :’’D

Favorite moment: LEAP OF FAITH!!!!!! OH MY GOSH!!!!!! but also the “who’s Morales” scene X’’’’’D I still think about that and laugh to this DAY

Idea for a story: I....really really like that Ballarino idea I’ve seen floating around...Miles in ballet would be so cool and funny!

Unpopular opinion: ....that first spiderman outfit was dumb and I know it’s the point but GOODNESS MILES X’’’’D makes it so much cooler when he gets his own!!

Favorite relationship:

I love Miles with everyone but gosh these friendships make me SO happy, also a platonic “I love you” BLESS!!!

Favorite headcanon: Seeing as Miles is an artist I bet he does all those Artist things like...buying new sketchbooks, despte having so many half finished ones, so many projects he needs to finish, always losing PENCILS, dumb stuff like that X’’D 

***Hornet***

First impression: I saw ads/posts about “SIlksong” long before I started playing Hollow Knight, so I thought she was going to be the sweet, cool, older sister figure! What a pretty bug!

Impression now: SHE’S BEAT ME UP SO MANY TIMES I feel like she says “get gud” every time and I suffer;;;;; I still love her and she’s freaking awesome~ visiting her little spider village was...sad tho...

Favorite moment: So far, when she went back to save the little Knight from the avalanche!! ;7; character development...

Idea for a story: I’d...love to see her go back and visit her mother’s grave (I’m ASSUMING it was Herrah, yes??) but also I’d love a human modern AU of some sort, with Hollow and the Knight as siblings...

Unpopular opinion: the spider charm is super helpful but I feel really bad about wearing it while fighting her, because now the little spiderlings are fighting their princess to protect me ;;7;; *guilt* but otherwise I die...! 

Favorite relationship: I love that “big sister” vibe that only grows every time she interacts with the knight X’’D 

Favorite headcanon: I like the idea that she sews stuff for other bugs in need, I think that’s super cute! 

WHEW ok gonna sleep now, sorry my answers are kinda boring;;; *tries to spice it up with gifs*

[rigel126]

Lance the Winter Mage

A Shance one-shot for Shance Secret Santa 2018 (unused pinch-hitter fic)

You can also read it on my AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17316854

A belated Xmas prezzie for my fellow Shance hoes @keirdark and @rigb0ner

Check out my other fics on Tumblr here on my Master List.

*

Lance the Winter Mage

by Rigel126

It was the Tenth of December, and a sheet of snow fell gently over the kingdom of Altea. Lance, the Winter Mage, had closed his tower and ventured out to a quiet spot deep in the West Forest as was his habit on the days of the full moon. He was heavily bundled in fur coats, and grumbled bitterly into his muffler, “By God, was I a fool to specialize in ice magic. Of course the Mages’ Senate would send me to the coldest town in the land! Quiznak!”

A strong gust picked up and Lance pulled his overcoat more tightly to his body. “Brr! I’m too gay for this crap! Ugh!”

A noise came from the left, off the pathway. Lance turned his head to scan the trees. He could not see anything, but he felt the unmistakeable resonance of magic being used. Sensing something amiss, Lance dashed into the tree-line, his right hand clenching around the stock of a magically conjured crossbow made of pure ice.

The noises grew louder, and Lance heard people shouting and chains rattling violently. Lance burst out into a clearing and found a pack of poachers in Galran attire attempting to restrain a full-grown, fully-transformed werewolf with a chain snare, long pikes and low-level fire spells. The mixed stench of blood-iron and burnt fur was stomach-churning, and red stained the snow on the ground like macabre winter flowers.

“What do you think you’re doing?” roared Lance, firing his crossbow skywards: the bolt transformed into a flare that exploded high above them, an emergency signal that would summon the Altean Rangers. “Werewolf-hunting is forbidden in Altea without a Senate De- whoa!” Lance dodged a fireball that flew past his head and set a tree on fire.

“Kill that bastard!” shouted the Galran fire mage. Of the six poachers holding down the werewolf, three rushed at Lance, brandishing their weapons.

“Now you’ve done it,” growled Lance, his blue eyes glowing brightly with magic-infused rage.

*

The first Rangers to arrive on the scene were Coran and Keith, and they found Lance in the middle of a circle made from seven towers of ice, littered with broken weapons, blood and a torn metal snare. Lance was on his knees, gently stroking the head of a black-and-white-haired werewolf who was covered in blood, to the astonishment of the Rangers.

“What happened here, Lance? Are you alright?” asked Coran, prudently keeping his distance when he saw Lance’s eyes glowing.

Lance turned his face to Coran, but his shining blue eyes were unfocused like those of a blind man. “Ah, Coran, you’re here. I thought you wouldn’t come.”

“I apologize for being a tad bit late, but we of the Ranger always come when we are needed to defend the peace of the realm.” Coran grabbed Keith’s arm firmly before he could do anything that might provoke Lance while the Winter Mage was in one of his ‘episodes’.

“Excuses, excuses,” retorted Lance airily. “But since you’re here, then all is well.” Lance closed his eyes and tilted his head back, breathed in and let out a long, throaty sigh before sinking onto his back in the blood-stained snow. When he opened his eyes, they looked normal again. Human.

“Sorry about that, Coran, Keith.” Lance turned his head and nodded weakly at the two Rangers, who visibly relaxed and came closer. “I need your help to arrest these criminals.”

With a snap of his fingers, the seven towers of ice crumbled, revealing the Galran poachers and their third-rate mage-for-hire; they all fell on the ground, shivering violently and incapacitated by the biting cold.

“Their offenses include hunting without a permit, inhumane treatment of a Special Rights Beastman, resisting arrest, and especially, attempting to harm the Winter Mage of Altea, the fabulously stylish Lance McClain de la Espada IV!” Lance announced and then burst into tired laughter.

*

Christmas Eve was the busiest time of the year at Lance’s wizard tower. The queue was some thirty yards long with the denizens of Altea clamouring for charms and potions for the festive season.

In the back room where Lance had his laboratory, the Winter Mage himself was in a mad frenzy preparing his wares. Objects flew through the air, propelled by magic, while miniature ice golems manipulated long ladles to stir the contents of eight cauldrons lined against the walls.

“Lance, we’re running low on Sobering Potions and Cold Wards out here!” Pidge stuck his head into Lance’s laboratory and hollered.

Lance stuck his finger into one bubbling cauldron and tasted it. “Tell ‘em that the Sobering Potion is being bottled right now.” He swished his finger at the ice golem stirring the cauldron; the golem leaped off its stool and began dragging a wooden pellet filled with empty glass vials to be filled with the newly-brewed Sobering Potion.

“Shiro, did you finish checking the Cold Wards?”

Shiro, the black-and-white-haired werewolf who Lance rescued two weeks ago, looked up from his work. “Almost done,” he grunted.

“Then will you be a dear and bring the ones you’ve checked out to the front? I don’t want Pidge to be lynched by a bunch of angry housewives.”

Shiro was about to comply when he suddenly let out a vicious growl. There was the evident sound of an Arusian squeak.

Lance sighed. “No outsiders allowed in… oh!”

“Y-your Magnificence.” The tiny Arusian handmaiden gave Lance a nervous curtsey while keeping a watchful eye on Shiro, who towered over her with bared fangs.

“It’s alright, Shiro.” Lance waved at Shiro to calm him down.

“Princess Allura sent me to collect her order.”

“Ah, yes. Take those wards to Pidge, Shiro, and then I’ll need you to help me with some heavy lifting.”

Shiro huffed in quiet annoyance before hauling a crate out while the Arusian handmaiden scampered out of the way before Shiro could trample on her.

Lance worked into the night, long after he closed his shop and sent Pidge and Hunk home, checking his inventory of magical ingredients and balancing his accounts ledgers.

“Lance,” growled Shiro, all stretched out on his cot. Even in his humanoid form, Shiro still had wolf ears at the top of his head, and his long tail bushy tail swished across his muscular thigh.

No response from Lance.

“La-nce,” Shiro whined.

“Go to sleep, Shiro,” said Lance idly, scratching his quill across his ledger.

Shiro started whimpering and whining like a puppy.

Lance’s quill snapped in his fingers, splattering dots of ink on the page. “Quiznak, will you stop that?!”

When he looked up to glare at Shiro, the big, hulking werewolf was looking at Lance with big, sad, puppy eyes. It defied logic how a ferocious werewolf could make himself look so… adorable. The thought of it made Lance’s head hurt and his squeezed his eyes shut, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers.

Lance let out a surprised ‘oof’ when Shiro came and sat on his lap uninvited, like a big untrained dog, and just slumped bodily against Lance.

“Get off me, you dumb mutt!” Lance half-scolded, half-gasped, wriggling under Shiro, but Shiro was just too heavy. “I can’t breathe!”

“Lance,” Shiro said, happily ignoring Lance’s protests while he nuzzled the wizard’s neck to breathe in his scent. “I missed this. Missed you.”

“What are you talking about, you doofus?” grumbled Lance, blushing red. “We were together all day in my tower, weren’t we?”

“But I couldn’t touch you. Couldn’t smell you.”

Lance’s eyes narrowed. “Excuse me? Are you saying I, the magnificent Lance McClain de la Espada IV, world-renowned Winter Mage, smell?”

“Mmhm! Like spring water, milk soap and family.” Shiro was oblivious to Lance’s sarcasm and proceeded to happily scent-mark Lance by rubbing his stubbly cheek along Lance’s lower jaw.

Lance’s face was so hot he could combust like the sun. “Alright, alright. Get off me already so that I can go to sleep.”

“Okay! Sleep!” Lance could barely walk to bed with the way that Shiro clung to him, unwilling to be physically separated. It was annoying, but Lance would be lying if he said that he didn’t not find it a tiny bit endearing. Especially since Shiro in his humanoid form was brawny and handsome the way Lance liked his male companions to be.

No, Lance, you can’t! Lance chastised himself internally when his legs finally gave out and Shiro hauled him over to bed like a sack of potatoes. Shiro’s behaviour is so innocent and childlike, he’s almost like a child. I can’t make a move on-

Lance’s internal struggle died when Shiro plopped Lance on the bed and pounced on him. Shiro giggled and sniffed and nuzzled Lance a bit before spooning Lance against him, Shiro’s nose buried in the wizard’s brown hair.

“Good night, Lance.” Shiro yawned and quickly fell silent and still, save for his soft snoring.

Squirming a bit in Shiro’s warm and muscular embrace, Lance wondered if the gods had granted him a boon or were playing a cruel trick on him. Either way, Lance was not going to be able to sleep well that night.

Merry quiznaking Christmas to me, thought Lance.

END

[quiznakwaffles]

About Voltron’s S7 and its flawed writing

Have you ever thought « Wow, this is so amazing. The person who did that is incredible, I would have never thought of that. This is so clever ! » ? I've had. When I read FMA. When I read books written by Marguerite Yourcenar or poetry by a lot of talented people. When I read amazing fanfictions this fandom come up with.

You know when I've thought the opposite of that ? When I watched Voltron's season 7. I've rarely felt so disrespected as a viewer. I've rarely thought my intelligence had been so insulted, and I've watched Besson's Lucy. A lot of people have correctly wrote about the queerbaiting the show pulled at us. What was the point of introducing Adam and building up the hype around his relationship his Shiro it was to kill him for absolutely no acceptable reason ?

What I'm going to address isn't only the queerbaiting of the show, that a lot of people simply reduced as « being angry because ships weren't made canon ». If you really think that, maybe you should educate yourself on the matter of representation for the LGBT+ community. Who is a lot, lot larger than you think, but isn't in your mind because we're not represented anywhere. And when we're barely represented, it's for us to appear evil and/or die (or suffer endlessly). But yeah, continue thinking it's because ships weren't made canon.

What I'm going to address is the lazy and flawed writing in this season.

I've caught up with Voltron in July, and was pleasantly surprised about it. A lot of unresolved plot lines came to term in season 6, and the way it ended. It was so promising ! Paladins journeying through space, having so much time in their hands that they actually could deepen their bonds... It had so many opportunities for good content. So. Many. They were actual good moments, particularly with Hunk. And yet, I can think of a hundred ideas to give a much better content with these characters than it actually did.

What with bored and angsty Paladins in space when they could've been finding ways to keep themselves entertained and get to know each other better ? What about Romelle written as annoying when she hit it off so good with Hunk in the first episode and had a lot of potential as a comic character and strong ally to Allura (or potential love interest but that’s just me fantasying) ? Hunk had good character development about him, but even that could have been even better paced with little effort.

I see a lot of people saying “ It's a kid show, stop making it about yourself “ or "We were hyped by what we expected of it”. And of course we did, that’s what all fanbases around the world do because we’re smart being who like thinking about the plot and hoping for good content. And do you think kids are stupid ? Do you think kids don't care about relationships, friendships, conversations about feelings ? Hunk and Keith's discussion was so important, and I wish it was given more time, more consistency, and was done with other characters.

  Of course giant robots and beautifully animated intense fights in space are cool. But you know what else is ? Emotion awareness. Kids need it so bad. As we grow up, because of our misogynist society, we often see being vulnerable and talking about feelings as something feminine and shameful. Because it would be considered weak. Voltron may be a kid show, and it's for this exact reason it needs to show them how talking about your feelings and your identity, struggling about it but coming to terms with it by actually sharing about it with people around you is crucial.

But what is Voltron doing ? It's queerbaiting its fandom, killing LGBT+ characters for no purpose and making them at best invisible and at worst evil. It's portraying its own characters as unimportant, inconsistent and dumb.

  Keith and Lance have made steady progress in their relationship since season 3. But then suddenly, Keith is doubting Lance abilities when he was giving him leadership on the team before ? Keith is insulting Lance, saying he wouldn't want to be stuck up with Lance forever when they've been sharing their insecurities and trusting each other over leadership ? Have we seen the same show ?

What would it had cost them to make Keith say something like “ Lance has a family on Earth he wants to go back to so bad. And I've just reunited with mine so I guess I would want him to experiment this as well. “ Keith has grown for two years apart from them. He was supposed to be more matured, more in control about his feelings. What about those awful inconsistencies in his writing ? Making him say that wouldn't even had been a ship thing, it would just had been true and nice from him ! It would have created emotional value in the show ! What kept them to do that ?!

And Allura, oh my god ! She's such a strong and great woman, trusted with an infinite Altean's knowledge about alchemy but in season 7, she's reduced to being Lance's love interest ?! I wouldn't have minded their relationship, because it could be very sweet. But she's shown no romantic interest in the boy for the past six seasons. In season 7, they barely even talked, apart from the « Would you just shut up Lance ? ». Barely interacted on their own. And now, suddenly, they just say at each other to stay safe while blushing and really ?

Veronica, while she never saw Lance and Allura interact at all, said « I think the princess likes you back ». Like really ? You're pulling this hetero-normative trope of a third party watching a man and a woman they'd never seen interact before and judging they're in love ? This is so boring and forced. I've felt I was being talked to as if I was a kid when I watched this scene, like the show was screaming at me “ Look !! Allura never reciprocated Lance's feelings for six seasons and now, for absolutely no reason the show even bothered to tell you, she's suddenly returning them ! “ I felt like the sandwich guy from the meme. I am. I am the idiot sandwich who wouldn't understand hints about a developing relationship. I felt so embarrassed watching that whole season, wondering if the show was actually doubting my own thinking ability.

And now, my personal pet peeve. A strong woman being pictured as evil for no reason and then dying so she can atone for her sin. I couldn't even remember her name. She was the head of the Garrison. Adam was a sacrificial paw to show just how threatening Galra were (yeah, I couldn't deduce that by myself, not like they've been conquering the whole universe for ten thousand years. Silly me !) and how this woman was evil, having no second thoughts sacrificing people for absolutely. No. Purpose. We don't get a backstory or a single flashback. Once more, what would it had cost them to add something so we could have understood her reasons ? Or, more, what would it had cost them to not make her evil because she was a strong and smart woman ?

Am I the only one, as a 23 lesbian, feeling insulted by Voltron's trying to making me believe this experimented woman, head of the Garrison, just went on the enemy's territory and thought they would respect the bargain, not listening to experienced people ?! Why would this lady do such bad choices ? Am I supposed to believe she couldn't think of anything else ?! And of course, who's the nice ones trying to fix this lady's issues ? Nice guys obviously ! This mean lady made Sam Holt and that guy who spent years yelling at children and deprecating them as the nice ones !

And what about Shiro not getting closure? Neither on his relationship with Adam, neither by taking down Sendak himself, letting Keith get the spotlight (once again) and robbing him of this moment? What were the writers thinking?

And I’m not even talking about Zethrid and Ezor who were coded as romantic, unsure and supportive lesbians for a minute before swiping to evil and masochist lesbians. And I think I've already made a point about Romelle. I'm not mentioning Acxa because I didn't really thought when I watched her scenes with Keith that they were romantically coded. I think she's fond of him in a sibling way, and for once in this post, I'm not sure Voltron tried to made us think other way. But, hey, it's heterosexual so after all, no reasons for it not happening since, you know, it’s not LGBT+.

They had so much opportunities to make this show mark history. To make it meaningful, touching, ground breaking with amazing characters and sweet LGBT+ relationships developing with time. They had gold in their hands and just wasted it. That’s why I’m so sad and hurt. It could have been so great.

[san-bika]

The Good Night

Rating: General 

Pairings: Klance

Length: 2,208 words

Tags: S4 Continuation, pining!Keith, world-building, hurt-comfort, Langst, Cuban Christmas traditions, soulmates, soul marks

Notes: Merry Christmas @why-this10 @klance2017secretsanta !!! I had fun thinking up ways to meet your wishlist and put a fun Christmassy twist on it. In this universe, people have a naturally occurring tattoo that matches their soulmate and gives them some clue via a picture or text who it is. When you find your soulmate the marks become permanent and more intricate and colored in. But in this universe soul marks can fade over time, meaning the chances of finding your soulmate have gotten lower due to distance, death, missed opportunities, or mysterious circumstances. If your mark fades completely the odds of finding your soulmate are pretty low. Enjoy!

————-

Keith had passed enough time with the Blade that he felt distinctly awkward wandering the halls of the Castleship. He kept pausing as he assessed the creaks and rattles trying to figure out if he had found his target, hoping he didn’t look too creepy as he stood in the shadows in his Marmora uniform and mask.

You’re not creeping, you’re looking for something, he thought grumpily.

Not something… he thought in a snarky, familiar voice. Keith gritted his teeth and kept walking.

It would have been more awkward to admit that he was looking for someone. Or you could’ve just asked where Lance was at the beginning of the meeting, like any other person would’ve.

Lance being absent was strange and hadn’t been explained. If he had been injured Keith would’ve heard about it… right?

A nervous thrill shot through him as he crept along. He kept picturing Lance, trembling and bruised and voice weak as he clutched his hand ages ago. Maybe they won’t tell you what’s going on. Maybe that’s what happens when you resign from Voltron. You don’t need to know these things anymore.

He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he almost didn’t catch the squeak behind him and whirled around suddenly, hand reaching for his sword as he met Pidge’s thoroughly unimpressed gaze.

“Gee, I wonder who you could possibly be looking for?” She said in a deadpan tone, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall.

Keith flushed before dissolving the faceplate of his Marmora helmet. "Why would you think that?” He said lamely, attempting a neutral expression.

Pidge’s lip curled up as she took him in and he knew she didn’t buy it. She groaned dragging her hand down her face. "Look, I’ll take pity on you but if I tell you where Lance is, you need to promise not to bother him.”

Keith bit his lip trying to fight off the concern that was wrinkling his face. He managed to offer a tight smile and hoped Pidge would believe it.

She had cast her gaze at the floor looking oddly somber. "Lance went on leave, kind of, he’ll be back later tonight if you wanted to wait up for him. That is if your team will let-”

“Leave? What for?” Keith would normally wait to learn more but it felt like he couldn’t control his mouth or his body as he rushed forward.

She peeked up from under her bangs and he couldn’t catch his breath. She looked so sad. “Look Shiro asked us to be discreet but I still think you’re part of the team and if anyone knows it should be you.”

Pidge straightened and Keith was surprised to see she’d grown a few inches since he’d left with the Blade.

Did you think time would just stand still after you left?

“Lance is on leave because of his soul mark… it started to fade-”

Keith was sprinting away before she could finish her sentence.

That didn’t stop her from shouting down the hall. “Dammit Keith, he just wants some space!!”

He jogged to the hangers and tried to find the little spark in his chest that he’d felt when he first connected with Red.

————

Keith was standing in front of Red watching Lance’s prone form draped over her paw. The other paladin hadn’t moved and clearly had no idea that he wasn’t alone.

All right maybe this is a little creepy.

Keith was big enough to admit that spying on a friend unawares on a uninhabitable moon might be considered extreme.

But even though Blade craft were designed to be nearly undetectable, Lance’s situational awareness was piss poor. He was doing him a favor.

Whatever helps you sleep at night Kogane.

He decided to break the silence by scaring the daylights out of the paladin.

“Hey cargo pilot!”

It was so satisfying to hear an ear-splitting shriek.

"Are you going to sit there moping or put your big boy pants on and deal with your problems?”

Lance sat up with a disgruntled expression, blue eyes cold. Even so Keith’s heart started to race.

"I’ll have you know sitting here with Red questioning my destiny is cathartic and not moping,” the paladin sniped as he jumped down and landed hard on his rear.

He muttered a low curse and sheepishly turned his head up to Keith. “I must’ve been gone a long time if they sent you after me. I’ll go back! I just needed a moment.”

Keith smiled before realizing all Lance could see was the cold Marmora mask.

“Pidge told me what was going on and I wanted to see how you’re doing. Let’s take this conversation inside Red so I can see the damage.”

Lance groaned, “Of course she did.” He made a big show of getting up and rubbing his back but Keith had caught the genuine sadness in his eyes.

Red lowered her jaw suddenly and her eyes flashed in approval. Keith knew she was missing him but there wasn’t much to do about it so he’d shuffled the guilt he’d been carrying to the back of his mind.

“You like that Red? It’s good to see you, girl. Has Lance been taking care of you?”

Red thrummed with delight as the two walked up.

——–

Keith was growing antsy, almost wishing he had his mask on to hide his nerves.

He’d never really relied on his soul mark. His dad hadn’t had one so when he got one he just shrugged it off. He didn’t like the idea of some unknown force telling him his fate.

And since his mark was on the back of his neck, out of sight and out of mind, he could just move through life by instinct without the weight of it influencing his decisions.

But here he stood trying to comfort someone he cared for about something he didn’t even believe in.

And he was failing pretty badly.

He and Lance had played catch-up and had talked about literally every angle of all of the intel the Blade and Voltron had.

What they hadn’t done was talk about Lance’s soul mark fading or why Keith of all people had shown up out of the blue.

He knew he was blowing it. They’d been there a while at this point and had fallen into an uneasy silence.

But he could tell Lance was freaking out. His gaze was stony even as he fake laughed and his shoulders were tight and high.

He turned to Lance and met his gaze straight on. He couldn’t really get enough of those cornflower blue eyes. But he ignored them and held out a hand.

“Show me your mark.”

Keith grimaced at his own stupidity.

Soul marks were generally a private matter. They weren’t usually shown unless to a family member. They had some special meaning or clue to help you figure out your soulmate but it was essentially like asking someone to take off their clothes.

Lance was stunned, mouth open and eyes the size of dinner plates. He gaped and kept trying to say something but gave up the attempt before shaking his head and taking off his helmet and upper body armor.

His voice squeaked before evening out.

“I mean, it’s not that big of a deal, I’ve heard of others who found their soulmates even after they lost their mark. It’s not unheard of…”

Keith interrupted with an eye roll.

“Yeah but for a big softie like you it is a big deal. You’re a romantic and you always have been.”

Keith had hoped to prod Lance into a better mood by playing around but instead the younger man seemed to deflate.

He started to unzip the back of his black suit and Keith’s pulse jumped. He turned away to hide his blush. “Uh it isn’t in like… a private area, is it?”

Finally Lance sneered at him with an annoyed glare. “Even if it was you were the one who asked to see it mullet. It’s on the back of my arm is all.”

Keith coughed feeling nervous and excited all at once.

Lance managed to roll the Altean fabric down and turned the inside of his bicep sheepishly outwards.

Two fairly large numerals, 24, in black ink curved perpendicular to his inner arm, dark lines stark against his golden skin.

Inside the numbers was a dark starscape with a nebula just like the one they had flown past to get to this moon. The lines looked faint around the edges, just as marks looked before disappearing.

It was beautiful still. Keith could barely speak, his heart was pounding so loudly.

Lance looked at the floor. “I mean this is everything you need to know about me. I always wanted to do something amazing, even as a dumb kid, but when this showed up on my 12th birthday I knew I had to go to space, I knew I’d find my soulmate there. So I worked really hard. And I made it here and now it’s fading so apparently,” his voice shook a little, “I did something wrong.”

Keith put his hand on the back of his neck, forcing himself to focus. His nerves were shot after seeing the mark.

“What does 24 mean? Is that the age you’re supposed to meet them? Is that their age?”

Lance sighed rubbing at his mark dejectedly.

“That’s what my sisters said. My mom. But I knew it was for Nochebuena, December 24.” At Keith’s questioning look Lance just sad, “Yes that’s today.”

"But growing up, that day is my family’s Christmas. It’s my favorite day. There’s like a hundred people at the house. My dad and Abuelo and his brothers roast an entire pig all day. My Mom and aunties and Abuela and us kids we just make dessert and food and eat. Then we played games and took pictures. We went to Mass at midnight and if you wanted your presents you had to stay awake until then. It’s a great day.”

He grew quiet for a minute, his face solemn and still. He looked as if he was wrestling with something.

Keith was scared he’d start crying and hovered his hand behind Lance’s back.

“I was so happy to see that number because it meant that my soulmate was someone who would… get me and my family. Someone who would join in those memories. And it meant my family would be a part of my future. I didn’t think I’d have to give it up to be a part of Voltron, that I would have to give up my future to save the universe.”

Lance’s voice broke with the strain of holding back tears. His fingers were shaking as he traced the fading edges.

Keith let out a sudden breath that sounded like a chuckle only to be met with Lance’s red-rimmed stare.

“Are you seriously laughing at me mullet as I’m pouring my heart out to you?”

Keith shook his head trying to find a way out of the hole he was rapidly digging.

“No I, I wanted to show you my soul mark but my hair is, uh, stuck. I need your help to get it off the uniform.”

Lance lifted his eyebrow and frowned but moved behind Keith to lift his hair. “Whatever man.”

Keith’s heart was beating far too fast to be healthy as he felt long fingers gently tugging and pulling his hair into a makeshift bun.

Lance had to see it. The 24 on the back of his neck. The nebula. The soul mark he’d neglected for as long as he could remember. The matching mark that linked them forever as soulmates.

Keith heard Lance gasp sharply as they both felt the mark seal and color itself on their skin. He felt a hot droplet hit his mark and the way Lance’s hands had started tremble. “Mullet” the red paladin managed in a watery voice as his fingers started to trace the mark. “What is this? Is this-?”

Keith swallowed nervously. “It is,” he said, “but I swear I didn’t know until I saw yours. I’ve never cared about it.. until now I mean.” The more Lance talked the less he could say in between muffled sobs. “Y-you mean you’re m-my, and, and I’m yours…”

Keith couldn’t stand it anymore and turned around pulling Lance tightly against him by his upper back and cradling his head against his shoulder. Lance collapsed into the hug, heart pounding rabbit-fast, crying openly and somehow laughing in between tears. “I thought I’d l-lost you.”

Keith caressed the tousled hair and rubbed Lance’s back. His voice was tight and choked with happiness. “Never.” I would never let you lose me, Lance.

They stayed wound around each other for a long while, Keith silent and thankful for the Christmas Eve luck. It really had been a good night. The best.