#vld fic: blind love

[avidbeader]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let’s spread the self-love 💗   

Grabbed this from @goldentruth813. It was hard to pick favorites, but I stuck to completed works and tried to grab a sampling from a couple other fandoms besides VLD to shine a light on.

The Bracelet of Mitrana (T, Sheith): During a diplomatic visit, Keith catches the attention of the leader's daughter. She uses an ancient artifact to force Keith to remain with her as her new husband. But Shiro and Team Voltron have something to say about that.

My zine piece for @mersheithzine, which has been a highlight of my time in the Voltron fandom.

Rebuilding Reality (T, Sheith): Keith is running from his problems when he gets tossed through a portal to another reality. His fight to return sets off a series of unexpected events.

My contribution to fixing the disaster that was Season 8.

Searches (T, Sheith): Shiro has disappeared. Keith isn't taking it at all well as he tries to lead Voltron.

I’m still proud of how this one turned out, taking an idea for how Season 3 could have started and putting it together.

Vendetta (T, Sherlolly): Sherlock must find out why Molly Hooper is one of a select group of people being targeted before the assassin can finish the job. Set between "The Blind Banker" and "The Great Game". Hints of future Sherlolly.

I was pretty happy with the mystery plotline I came up with for this one while I indulged in pre-relationship Sherlock and Molly.

Hold Page One! (T, background Harry/Hermione): Hermione's ban on Rita Skeeter is about to expire, and she has a plan to give the reporter a very special scoop. What kind of stories will Rita chase now? And will it backfire on Hermione? H/Hr if you squint.

This one is a favorite because I took a character that was almost universally disliked and gave her reasons to do better.

[ao3feed-keitor]

Chapter updates for Nov. 4-5

1. Wings of a Phoenix by vagrantBreath

Read Chapter 14: http://archiveofourown.org/works/12474648/chapters/28809774

2. I’ll always come back, love by Abeebuzzing

Read Chapter 8: http://archiveofourown.org/works/11980059/chapters/28797600

3. flame on a starless night by icarusinflight

Read Chapter 2: http://archiveofourown.org/works/12632532/chapters/28797342

4. Blind Love by kyraensui

Read Chapter 7: http://archiveofourown.org/works/12559508/chapters/28784988

5. Respite by Talinor

Read Chapter 13: http://archiveofourown.org/works/11702004/chapters/28793925

6. Monster by Sidi

Read Chapter 2: http://archiveofourown.org/works/12360102/chapters/28782558

[kyraensui]

Solitude of heat and care

Summary: Lotor testing his luck and pride as an Alpha to court an infamous omega, Keith.

Rated: Teen & Up

Chapter 6 of 8

Can read at AO3: http://archiveofourown.org/works/12559508/chapters/28769541

Keith stood quiet near the door when he opened the lavish room. It was huge! Almost the size of the apartment that he stayed with Shiro. Speaking of Shiro, when did he kicked him out? He found out from Lotor when he wanted to go home that all of his belongings were packed up and left in the new room of this house. Meaning he was going to live with Lotor. He was going to kick Shiro's butt when he gets to see him. The moment he message him about his bond was the day he told Lotor to take care of him. He was given away to Lotor without his saying. Stupid Shiro. He also found out that Lance moved in with Shiro. Those jerks. Whatever. This was a huge upgrade in his pale life. He looked around the room with his hand touching the velvet walls and sheer curtains. Even the bed was huge for a single person as he took a flop on the plush mattress. He almost sank in and rolled on his back with his arms stretched out. It felt like he was in one of those fairy tale stories where the heroine gets a happy ending and most would get prince charming too. Instead, Keith was the heroine and he got a cheesy, perverted prince charming. His own fairy tale story was a little twisted and not quite suitable for kids. This room. It was his new solitude from his old place. He turned on his side and curled up with the oversize pillow. This will do now that his heat decided to kick him down and make him suffer. From what he had learned, his heat would become intense after forming a bond with an Alpha. The desire for the Alpha's presence to help fulfill his Omega's needs. Keith buried his face into the pillow. He was scared. He was scared of dealing with his heat alone.

Most of all, he wasn't ready to spend his heat with Lotor yet.

"How are you feeling, little one?" Keith shook his head and laid back on the chair. He was restless from staying up late into the night. It was a miserable first night of his heat. He can barely get out of bed without the help of the maids and escorting him to the dining hall with the weird woman. He was shocked to find out that the weird woman was Lotor's mother and the scary man from the party was his father. He was terrible in piecing the puzzles together. "Exhausted." "Eat up sweetie to replenish yourself. This soup is light, but hearty." His eyes cast down at the small white bowl of pale yellowish pond with big chucks of orange and brown. He shook his head again. She frowned, but got up from her seat and took a chair next to Keith's and sat down close. She grabbed the spoon on the table and carefully dip the spoon in the broth with few stirs. With careful scrapping to remove excess liquid, she held the spoon up to his mouth. "We can do two ways, little one. Either I can feed you or I can call my son in to feed you. I'm sure he would oblige happily to feed you." He shook his head fast and quickly took the spoon in his mouth as she pulled it back. Keith swallowed the flavorful broth. "It's not so bad now, is it?" He can tell now where Lotor got his snarky personality and brain from. She continued to feed him until the bowl was empty. She smiled when she saw Keith's content look and placed her hand over his forehead. "You're family now. You're not alone anymore and I won't let you deal with the heat alone. I can sense that you're not ready to spend it with my son yet." Keith can only nod in agreement. "You two are still young and new to this. I'm here for you little one. I will be with you to guide and help through this heat." "Where is Lotor?"

Keith found himself missing the idiot Alpha these past few days. He was avoiding Keith like he was the plague. Or maybe Lotor was being nice to stay away from him during his heat. The last thing Keith wanted was Lotor pouncing him when he wasn't ready. "He is spending his time with his father and having their usual talks. Aww'd~ You miss him already."

"No! I don't miss him! Just curious where he went. That's all!"

You're cute when in denial of your true feelings. I can see why Lotor worked hard his butt off to win you over.

"Tell me little one, have you ever thought of your future?" He cracked open his eyes, but it felt heavy to stay open. "I have, but not much thought about settling down." "How come?" "I don't know honestly. I'm so used to do many things independently that I didn't need to have someone." "You're afraid of commitment." "I didn't expect to encounter someone that can be so persistent in wanting to be with me. I thought he was blind and crazy." She chuckled with hand stroking his bangs. "You surprised us, little one. It was a first to see our son feel the attraction and working harder to win an omega's affection." "I don't get it." "Love is not easy to explain of how it works. It just happens. To Lotor, it was your smile. How about you, little one? What made you changed your mind?" "... It was his scent." Her hand went over and caressed his cheek. "You're the best partner that I can ever ask for my son." "...." Keith choked back on his sudden sobbing and found himself resting against the woman's embrace. He had long forgotten of how comfortable and warm a mother's embrace was. It was so long as he found himself snuggling against her chest with her fingers sliding through his hair. He wasn't alone anymore.

"Father." "Lotor." Another pause of silence. "I assume Mother is currently with Keith." "She's the perfect person who can make your mate feel at-ease during his time of sudden changes. It can be overwhelming if he is not used to the changes of his new environment." "Mother dotes him already with the way she took charge of his sudden move-in. She even bought clothes for him! How did she even know his sizes?" Zarkon chuckled. "She has her ways, but she can tell what he needs the most. However son, we are here to speak as Alphas and a father. I want to hear your future plans now that you've found a mate." Lotor sat back on the chair and closed his eyes for a moment. His eyes opened as he leaned in with his elbow rested on the table. "I'm not sure anymore." "Explain." "I had it all plan out how the future would be, but when we finally bonded, I felt stupid and inconsiderate." "Why is that son?" He looked at his free hand. "I can sense his feelings clearer than before. I was so focus on winning his heart that I didn't notice his internal conflict." "It is good that you were able to notice this early on. You did well to pull yourself away especially when it will be at his vulnerable time." "I wanted to have our relationship to last like you and Mother." Zarkon exhaled. "It's not perfect as you think, but we both work out our problems and differences through communication. There will be times where our emotions will get to us, but we both know when to speak up and learn how to say our apologies. We work with our differences." "Mother has told many stories how she had to hold your hands for a long time whenever Kova came close to you." "To this day, I can only tolerate Kova and her litters. All other cats are restricted within my presence." Lotor gave a sly grin. "You're afraid of them." He gave a deadpan look at his son. "We are not having another conversation about this. We are returning our conversation about your future. Do you wish to have a family of your own?" "I do, but I have not spoken about it with Keith yet. You have drill that long lecture in my brain about mutual consent and preparation." "Yes son. Speak with your mate. He will notice your genuine concerns and feelings about this matter. I did not raise you to have your primal urges rule your sane mind." Lotor nodded. "I've caught myself before it can happen." "It takes disciplines and patience to control, but the end results will be rewarding." "Thanks Father." "I'm only warning you ahead as your mate seems to have similar fiery personality as Honerva, but more openly." Lotor's brow quirked up as his Father took a drink of his coffee. So the rumor must be true. Will have to ask Mother later.

Keith hated nightfall. He can operate one-third normally in the day time, but when the sun sets, his heat overtook his body and rendered him useless. He was on his third day of his heat. About four more days to go. He would curled up or spread himself on bed in hopes to find some comfort to deal with the pain and fire of his sweating body. His thoughts lingered in thick fog of arousal. His body would demand extreme comfort and relief. It wasn't satisfied with his fingers only. It wanted more. It was clawing his brain to search out for his Alpha.

Lotor.

Lotor would take his time exploring his naked body to search out pleasure spots while showering him with affectionate words.

 Beautiful. 

 Lovely.

Cute.

And so on. He would tease him mercilessly until Keith would give in. His moans became loud with his hands roaming around his lower half when the thought of being knotted by Lotor popped up. He wondered how it will feel inside his burning body. "Lotor." in his breathy voice. "My Alpha." It sounded so stupid coming out of his mouth, but he can no longer hold back his wants and needs. This heat was killing him. Keith whimpered as he tried reaching out the sudden comfort only to be push back down. Both of his wrists were pinned down and he was tilting his head up to grant access of his moist neck. His Alpha has came. Lotor gave soft coos and kisses against his neck then to his face. He smiled when he felt Keith's legs rubbing against his pant. His soft mewls were heaven to his ears. Keith in heat was epiphany of sin and desire. He was tempted to give what he wants, but not today. He will give him some comfort so his omega can get a decent sleep tonight. "Shh... I will give you some relief so you can sleep better. I want to speak with you in the morning about our future."

Has Lotor changed his mind? He doesn't want me no more now that he finished his fun?

And what future?

Wait. He said our future?

"Love." He kissed his omega's forehead. "I am not breaking up with you if that's what you were thinking. I want to hear your thoughts and feelings about starting a family together."

A family of our own?

"I cannot fulfill your needs as you are currently in the most fertile stage. I cannot knot you." He released one of his hands and placed it over Keith's stomach. He gave gentle massage rubs. "I want you to be ready. I respect your decision if you don't want to carry, but I just want to let you know how I felt." A kiss on the tip of his nose. "And I'm sorry for overwhelming you as of late. I was so focus on winning you that I didn't stop and think of your opinions and feelings." If Keith had the energy, he would have rolled his eyes, but he won't. He could sense the genuinely of Lotor's words. His blue eyes spoke louder than ever.

Love.

Lotor was so in deep with Keith that he didn't know how to respond. With one free hand, Keith reached out and pulled Lotor by the back of his neck as their lips made contact. He could feel his other wrist being released from the hold. His arms snaked around Lotor's neck and pulled him down until their chests were pressed together. Their kisses deepen with some tongue actions. It felt good. He could feel it. The passion and love from his Alpha. For the first time in his life, he could actually see a desirable future. A future with Lotor as his mate for life.

[softsapphix]

Pidge finally takes the Green Lion out for a spin, and gets a bit of a shock when she returns..

[blairtrabbit]

The chapter where Keith does the ole fairytale wake-em-up.

Keith used the worst pick-up line I could think of. Its probably one he heard in a movie once but he just couldn't get through it.

This chapter was difficult. I had to put some  long overdue pay-off in there and I wanted to suggest that Lance was aware something wasn't right with Keith before anybody else. There are a few call-backs to the very first chapter as well as the chapter where Keith first enters the core memory.

If this chapter accomplishes anything I hope its making some of you look up what Kurt Russell looks like in Escape from New York. Lance had a crush on Mr. Russell when he was in middle school.

[chibi-pix]

MitD - Reviewing the Journey

Holy crow. Holy crow, guys. Moments in the Dark had come to an end last week. And it was... it was definitely a journey that I did not fully anticipate. 

It all started because I liked comparing Pidge to Toph from Avatar: The Last Airbender. And it became a written thing. A Shot in the Dark was the start of this indulgence and with one of my favourite moments from canon, when Sendak takes over the castle. Of course, I made changes because I wanted Haxus to be good. Fun fact, when I first started watching VLD, it was half a year after the show concluded. I knew nothing about it and didn’t look anything up so as to avoid spoilers. I wanted Haxus, even then, to be some sort of rebel because not all Galra had to be bad, right? Well, I didn’t know of the Blade of Marmora then. And Haxus died. Well then... 

Anyway, this whole Blind Pidge AU? It was not a journey I fully planned. When I worked on Moments in the Dark as a follow up to A Shot in the Dark, I had just hoped for a dumping place for a bunch of little one shots. I did not expect it to fully be canon divergent/compliant and go through with the general plot of VLD. It just... happened. 

There were some parts that I wished I could go back and change, especially as I worked with other fics. One of which being Chip. I would have loved for Chip to be Pidge’s twin. He could have been a perfect fit. But... it didn’t happen. And by the time I thought to him possibly being there during the “Hole in the Sky” segment, I had been like ten chapters past that. So... that didn’t work out well for me.

Now, while MitD may be over, who knows, maybe new ideas will spark and there will be other side fics. That would be intriguing. 

I feel like there should’ve been more to talk about, but I’m struggling. I’m just... wow. I’ve been working on this AU in writing for so long. A Shot in the dark went up March 23, 2020 while MitD went up April 25, 2020. Over a year of writing. Wow. That’s just... so much. This fic was... it was definitely an adventure.  And thank you everyone who joined me on it, whether you were there from the start, you showed up sometime later, or you’ll find yourself checking it out. 

Feel free to check out any of the fics in this series of adventures. 

Anyway, thank you all for joining me on this adventure and this little review.  Until next time.

Edit: If you guys have any questions or comments about MitD and the AU, feel free to send an ask/message. Or any of my other AUs. 

[isassifras]

Keith and Lance from @thespace-dragon’s fic Meet Me on the Battlefield!! 

I’m bored so if you want to request a sketch, feel free to dm me <3

[icypantherwrites]

Fanfic end of the year asks 1 and 10?

Aww, someone actually asked me one xDD Thanks!

1. favorite fic you wrote this year

I went ahead and picked two for this question; one from AO3 and one from Patreon as I wrote a hell of a lot and it's so hard to choose!

AO3:

A Cup of Kindness

Summary: (Alternate Universe) Keith didn’t have much of a plan when he ran away from his latest abusive foster home, but at the time it hadn’t mattered so long as he got out. But now he has no direction, no destination and literally nothing except the clothes on his back, the bruises hidden under them and the constant fear that he’ll be found and taken back by the agency.

His wanderings and growling stomach lead him to a dumpster behind a coffee shop, but it isn’t garbage Keith ultimately finds to eat. Thanks to the shop owner, a man named Coran, Keith finds far more than just a meal.

He finds a chance.

This was honestly a guilty pleasure fic for me as it has a lot of very personal themes in my own life and based on some of my own experiences. Don't get me wrong, I adore writing Lance with a parental!Coran but I really love parental!Coran to Keith as well (to be honest, I love Coran parenting and supporting anyone so I guess it's a given ;p) and this story (and it series) just really brings me a lot of comfort.

Patreon:

For the Love of Family - April 2021 Summary: They said they didn’t want to hurt him. And Lance knew they didn’t, not really. They were doing this out of love, out of hope-fueled despair. But at the end of the day they wanted to use their magic to replace Lance’s mind and change his body to make him become their beloved, deceased younger brother and restore their family while ripping Lance away from his own.   And with a desperate plan like that… everyone involved is going to get hurt.

I just really loved the out of the box take I took on this story and I love love love "villains" that aren't actually villains; in this case blinded by grief. This story also featured platonic Hance is which remains in my top three relationships to write for VLD so between that and the imagery of a lot of this story and, no lie, the cover banner I made for it, it's a definite favorite ♥

10. shortest wip of the year

I'm afraid this is a rather boring answer for me as I only work on one fic at a time xDD So the only and therefore shortest WIP I have is my current one, which will be a 50k fic but right now is sitting at about 11k. It's tentatively titled Worth(less) and it's a rather graphic CSA commission.

Want to submit a fanfiction end of the year ask? Check out the list here!

[discordiansamba]

was thinking about the vld atla au again and:

love the idea of pidge collaborating with matt and hunk to build a rudimentary prosthetic for shiro

speaking of shiro’s missing arm, how did he lose it? I like the idea that he lost it trying to save people, in a very shiro fashion.

the airbender communities that have survived have either:

blended in with other communities and practice in secret

live in very remote (and therefore sometimes unstable) locations

so shiro lost his arm while trying to save younger kids when there was a cave-in. it was crushed and had to be amputated.

adam is also an airbender! he was against Shiro leaving, and feels bitter towards the rest of the world for not doing enough to help save their people.

neither kosmo nor keith’s komodo-lion have names until hunk comes around and names them both. they get adopted by everyone else even though Keith himself never uses them.

(he’s still waiting. they’ll tell him their names eventually. he’s sure of this.)

keith is such a fucking weirdo. I mean that’s true in canon too, but it’s obvious that the only person his age he’s ever interacted with meaningfully is romelle. other than that the only people he interacts with on the regular are kosmo and his komodo-lion... and wan shi tong’s knowledge seekers.

wan shi tong is NOT happy when he eventually brings a bunch of humans into his library and they PROMPTLY do THE ONE THING he told them NOT to

no animals are abducted in the making of this fic

romelle joins the group in book two bc in between keith and hunk leaving the si won desert and returning, her brother has gone missing and she thinks she has the best chance of finding him if she sticks with them.

bandor is an earthbender! romelle is not.

the order is switched up a bit bc here it’s ba sing se->northern water tribe->fire nation with the air temples scattered in between

hunk gaining confidence in himself and his bending abilities over the course of the fic and learning that he’s always been the courageous hero the world expects him to be is... *chef’s kiss*

yes there IS still a boiling rock prison break. who are they breaking out? good question! I’m not telling.

when Lance sees the devastation that their southern cousins have endured while they’ve turned a blind eye... he’s fucking pissed

so’s allura for that matter. her father never would have allowed this!

[akaeijis]

my wips that i am pushing myself to work on during these times! 

the sea and mountain belong to you; kl alternate timeline voltron fix-it ISH with religious undertones. slightly inspired by drowning knife (theme wise).  

excerpt:  “This ocean and these mountains!” Lance shouts and he feels reminiscent of the time they were on a foreign planet, young and blind, falling straight into curses, walking the line between humans and gods, “all belong to Keith!”

i really want to finish this but ? who knows... i was working on it w stacey (esbis) but i’m not sure the direction i’m going with it TT but i love the concept

Keith’s WikiHow Guide: How to Know if a Boy Likes You; vld kl romcom in keith’s perspective! i just really love romcoms and i think humor is rly funny and its really good lol i reread and i was like?? damn

excerpt: Keith doesn’t, in fact, ‘move on’. He goes to the bathroom. Look up on google: how to know if a guy likes you. Like yeah, they’re only on the second episode, but his heart is beating louder than the screen and his face is so hot it could probably cook at least two eggs. 

how i missed you; vld keith-pov garrison to present day timeline. about how keith ‘missed / messed up’ his chance with lance? sort of. about how they loved each other but coulsn’t due to the war

excerpt: Four seasons pass, the stars are still constant, and he meets blue eyes again, that glare at him and says, “the name’s Lance,” he forgets about the phantom that haunts his original days of the Garrison. 

it’s sort of like a Dual Perspective on let me melt but with a different timeline

i think this one is fun to finish because keith is usually easier to write during romcoms because he’s so direct and to the point and hilarious and it’s easier for me to explore lance’s mindset since i feel like i understand lance. so this one is a challenge yet still something i want to explore

midday, morning, night: ANOTHER vld keith romcom. basically keith is whipped and its funny

excerpt: “Did someone say infomercials?” Keith comes out, rubbing a towel over his head. In Pidge’s peripheral vision, she can see Lance flailing around like an octopus and various of facial expressions that vaguely remind Pidge of the lion in Madagascar. 

i wrote this a while ago and i still wanna finish it TT why do i have so many vld fics PRES2

stays where he can see the sun: vld fix-it lance centric where lance leaves voltron

excerpt: The more time he spends on Earth the more he questions why he ever left. He becomes a bit daring with his adventures, sneaking out into town squares where the people are lively with music and soft lights and bustling laughter and begins flirting with pretty girls and boys again. 

this one is lance pov and near and dear to my heart since i get to go back and explore his head and how much i miss him! it explores a lot about the holt family dynamics, etc. 

me tangere: vld soulmate kimi no nawa amnesia ish fic

excerpt:  “Look at me,” rough hands barely whisper across his face and are snatched away in a second. “Don’t you dare forget about me,” someone whispers in his dreams. He can’t place the voice, could be a figment of his imagination, a stranger on the street, or even his own. “Because I’m going to find you.”

timeline where the gang’s memory is wiped after helping in space, but the body doesn’t forget so they’re trying to 

I WANT TO FINISH THIS SO BAD OMG

Junhoe is #Whipped; ikon junhwan fic(s) there’s multiple fics in this doc: chanwoo’s 3rd person view of junhwan, stan twitter au haha, and just some introspective jinhwan, there’s also a teacher AND convenience store au i wrotehaha

excerpt:  Which is how they both found each other in coats and heavy scarves and face masks. They make their way to ‘their’ spot that they go out to when they feel like it. They started going there when Junhoe just wanted everything to stop, fuck, he was only fifteen and they were against the world. Jinhwan didn’t know what else to do so they went to the river and watched the stars and yell or cry or whatever they needed to do.

i think it will just be fun to do! 

more than i am; spamano sort of cmbyn atmosphere inspired antonio is a charismatic traveler and lovino is looking for adventure but a lot of soulmate gothic kind of content

excerpt:  “You’re me, we have the same feelings, same wants. But you’re just more. Everything I am, but more.” Lovino brushes his hands through Antonio’s hair. “I feel like you’re more me than myself.”

idk i just wanted to write soulmate almost dangerous dependency 

in another life time, i was there; spamano nation verse with lovino and antonio exploring what it means to be nations as well as their history of being together and marriage 

excerpt: But in the same note, to repeat myself. He is spending more time in between trips, he is tired, he is carrying the world on his back - I cannot help but see Father’s eyes in his. Today, the setting sun reflected such a bright orange similar to burning cinders.

i want to finish this very dearly! its sort of based on my time in Spain so and its really well written ;-;

[azurehyn]

I hate to sound like a toxic 'fan', but there's probably no other way to describe this, because this is a rant of everything I personally found wrong with Voltron, as a fan who does love the show but isn't blind to the fact that...they fucked up.

I know someone's going to say "well if you don't want to be a toxic fan don't post stuff like this" well excuse me but fuck off, i need an outlet after that emotional trainwreck

If you're here for positive allurance you ain't gon get that

If you're here for positive klance you ain't gon get that either

Because why? This season was a fucken mess and screwed most us over. Hello and welcome to my poor and angry Ted Talk

They shouldn't have introduced so damn many plot points and leave over half of them hanging

They lied? Multiple times? Example: was Keith's suicidal moment properly addressed like they said it would be?

THEY FUCKEN BAITED US WITH KLANCE. IF YOU WEREN'T GOING TO MAKE IT CANON WHY DO ANY OF THAT SHIT?? LM AND JDS I AM GODDAMN LOOKING AT YOU

Lance being Altean? You handle that well with good clues scattered throughout the seasons and DON'T EXPLAIN HOW HE IS ALTEAN TO BEGIN WITH?

Lotor. Was. Wrong. I'm turning to @astralscrivener on AO3 with their fix-it fic because yeah Lotor's arc was good one but felt fucking off because he deserved a redemption arc and I DON'T SEE THAT ANYWHERE

Rift monsters anyone? There is a whole beautiful avenue of story there and y'all just left it hanging

Allura was also kinda wronged? Her character started off inherently hating Galra and quick to jump to the worst conclusion about them. What Lotor did was shitty af, but the way Allura handled that entire situation invalidated her growth from hating Galra for being Galra. If she had properly grown as a character and the writers/showrunners actually showed that, she maybe would have reacted differently to SHOW it, to show that growth. This is just my personal opinion, the situation might have ended up the same either way, but i dont like how it was handled.

Call me a Klance fan for hating on the show but i am never going to get over or forgive this; KLANCE WAS WRONGED AND WE WERE FUCKING BAITED. I feel like many Klance fans wouldnt be as bitter as we are now if only we werent fucken BAITED

Tim Hendrick is the real MVP

Which reminds me; how is it good rep to show us Shadam, and we only know it's Shadam from the comic-con because it is not even PROPERLY PORTRAYED IN THE SHOW ITSELF that this is a gay relationship which could/would have been construed as roommates/friends NOT LOVERS, kill Adam so that so that we know little to nothing about him, then AT THE END OF THE SHOW pair Shiro with someone, again, we have little to no connection to? I feel like Dreamworks or whoeverthefuck was trying to squeeze too much rep into one single character, with Shiro being Japanese, disabled, mentally scarred from his trauma, oh and also gay but still a great role model. Look, i have no problem with Shiro being any and all of the above, but as has been mentioned by others, they relied too much on our love for Shiro, and tried to fit in too much rep in a single character when it could have been evenly spaces out between all or more than (1) one of them.

You know something ain't being done right when a plethora of fanon is lightyears better than canon. Again, dont get me wrong, i do love the story of vld, BUT that does not excuse the smell of the stanky shit they pulled multiple times.

...y'all there's 200k word fics out there better than what the beauty of Voltron derailed into

They had a chance to be a groundbreaking american animated show in terms of represention and instead they chose to skate close to the ground instead of shattering it by screwing up on multiple accounts.

LANCE WAS A WASTED CHARACTER. SO MUCH POTENTIAL, BEAUTIFUL POTENTIAL THAT WENT TO COMPLETE AND UTTER SHIT

As a hardcore Klance shipper, i say Allurance would have made more sense and sent a better message if it wasn't some half-assed shit sprinkled into s7 and shoved down our throats in s8. By making it canon you're essentially saying its totally fine for a guy to make repeated attempts on a girl when she's said no, and he'll eventually get her through dogged determination. LANCE WAS A FUCKIN REBOUND. WHY SAY HE'S GOING TO BE SOMEONES FIRST CHOICE (do not @ me about The Feud) THEN GET ALLURA TO 'CHOOSE' HIM AAAAFFFFTTTTEEERRRR LOTURA BECAME A CANON THING???

"Better an open-ending for Klance than a definite no possibility of it" bitch the fuck, don't bait us with Klance and make it such an obvious ship from FUCKING SEASON 1

"You'll be happy with the lgtb rep" *insert most deadpan expression in existence* does this look like the face of a happy camper

If you could make Korrasami a thing on freaking Nickelodeon, how did you fuck up so badly with Klance on NETFLIX?

"Voltron was targeted at 7-12 year old boys" KIDS WERE SEEING THAT KLANCE WAS HAPPENING. MY 6 YEAR OLD BROTHER SAW IT AND THE KID'S MORE INTERESTED IN FOOTBALL THAN LITERALLY ANYTHING ELSE IN LIFE

Unrelated but also related: if the Dragon Prince doesn't deliver on the GOOD lgbt rep they promised within the next 1 or 2 seasons, i am never trusting any american animated show that throws out the "oh we'll have lgbt rep just you wait n see" bone ever again

As someone who identifies being both demisexual and bisexual (demibi? Because apparently demigay Keith is a thing which just hurts now), i am sorely disappointed by, and hurt by voltron. The show isnt even bad! Its a good fucking story with good characters, a number of whom were utterly wasted. I think the whole mess vld derailed into in later seasons could have been avoided if they just didnt try for any romantic angles. Because, as they said, this is a show for 7-12 year old boys. Do you really think boys that age give an actual shit about romance.

Do you guys who read fanfics notice there is no 'fix-it' fics for the first 3 seasons? Those only turned up season 4 onwards. Does that say something? Hm...

I am just so angry and SAD and disappointed with THIS being the end to our journey with voltron. Just what the fuck. I know there's the comics but it's kind of not the same? And after what happened with the show i am wary about the comics now too.

Fucking KICK forever, fuck all of you haters and shit writers of the latter seasons, and bitches i can say that because I AM A WRITER AND HAVE BEEN ONE FOR 10 YEARS, I CALL IT LIKE I DAMN SEE IT

Finally, to end this rant, I leave you with what Tomoe from Kamisama Hajimemashita (dub) once said: I AM SEETHING. SEETHING WITH PURE RAGE.

*sits back and prepares for the hate*

[ninja-knox-ur-sox-off]

WIP TAGGING GAME

Tagged by @cheeseeatingtrashmonster (more or less :P ) 

Post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Send an ask with the title that most intrigues you, or interests you and I’ll post a little snippet or tell you something about it! 

Buckle up buddies. We’re going through my WIP folder. I’ll organize by fandom lol XD (these are all various shippings except for the Voltron which is literally Klance XD THEY’RE FUN TO WRITE OKAY)

Miraculous:

Untitled 2

TooMANYBEFIES#Closecallsandfindingout

The Cat and the Ladybug

Sick, big room, small friend

Mari and Sad Chat

GENDAAHHBENDM-aculousADRIANNA MARTIN/MARIN/PROBABLY MARTIN

FeiXBri

DemonDi

Bricat#WhoahThereKnox

#Miraculous!MERFOLK (Mir-MerAU)

#Miraculous Music AU 

dgfagdf

This is *PANIC* (Félix realizes he has a fever/crush) 

Marinoka

Félix Take Two re-write POV Fé

Félinette Avian AU

Smol li’ll bit Minstrel Runaway Prince AU XD

Félukanette Childhood Friends AU

Fantasy AUjfalsdkjs

26 Villian!Félix HA yeah no I can’t write him as a villain LOL XD

Féluka Lulix Curse AU / Untitled 

Untitled 5

Detective/Private investigator/eyeNoir

Voltron:

Spidey-Keith Klance AU

SL LK AU fic

Red; the Magic Flower Shop (Klance) 

Oil change/Car trouble K-L one-shot

More vld stuff randmo ideas

Langst-no-long-oneshot (lol) Lost Legs AU

Keith Kid AU (are we really calling it that lol)/B-b--b-b-b-BAAAHHH!!!

KEITH BABY IT’S OKAY TO FEEL EMOTIONS!!!!

Just and idea I guess

Just a highschoolAU (luv deese dorks)

I DUNNO OKAY?!

Bug Boi and Espanolia Flirty Cat/Summary Red Beetle Blue Paw Lance/

BUG BITE MWAH HA HA HA HA HAAAHHHHH!!! >=D

BUG BITE LAAAAAAH HA HA HA HA!!!

Bodyguard-Sharpshooter-Altean-Lance Prince-Galra-Keith I’M DYING I LOVE THIS TOO MUCH

Blind!Sharpshooter AU

AlteanFae

Um...*blinks*

Highschool Nerd AU

Catch Me (Langst) 

Light My Soul on Fire (to keep you warm)

Untitled 6

Untitled 8

(And these are just the ones I’ve actually started writing. Let’s not mention the concept ideas and small summaries I have scattered through out everywhere LOL And I know non of you followed me for Ninja turtles so I’ll leave those ones out :P) Tagging @bugaboowritings @nottesilhouette and @vulpes--vulpes if you guys wanna do the game XD AND ANYONE ELSE WHO WANTS TO AS WELL

ALRIGHT. KNOCK YOURSELF OUT XD

[ao3feed-keitor]

Chapter Updates for Nov. 6

1. Wings of a Phoenix by vagrantBreath

Read Chapter 15: http://archiveofourown.org/works/12474648/chapters/28833210

2. We Pick Ourselves Undone by edenaaa

Read Chapter 2: http://archiveofourown.org/works/12551856/chapters/28749264

3. TheStruggle by WynterArlene

Read Chapter 4: http://archiveofourown.org/works/12226530/chapters/28816896

4. Blind Love by kyraensui

Read Chapter 8 (Final): http://archiveofourown.org/works/12559508/chapters/28820082

[kyraensui]

What kind of bond is this?

Summary: Lotor testing his luck and pride as an Alpha to court an infamous omega, Keith.

Rated: Teen & Up

Chapter 5 of 8

Can read at AO3: http://archiveofourown.org/works/12559508/chapters/28737124

Keith had made some odd decisions before in his life. There were a few good ones, but somehow, he attracted some bad ones without lifting a finger. He wondered if someone had curse his luck and didn't know about it. He wasn't sure if this was a blessing or a curse as his finger made soft scratches on the juncture of his neck. It was still fresh, but it made his body shivered from the phantom feels coursing through his skin. And it was so embarrassing too. His whole face flushed when he remembered how he lost control of his own body. The heat and passion of the stupid Alpha's touches and words. He shook his head and slapped both of his cheeks. Lotor was definitely a different kind of Alpha who doesn't let his urges control him. He liked that part of him. He treated Keith as a person, not an omega who needs to be claim by society’s standards.

He felt love. He just wished Lotor would stop making him feel embarrassed when he says stupid things to him. It was cheesy and ridiculous, but Keith find himself being red every time. Lotor was the most cheesiest Alpha he had ever met, but holy heavens, he was ungodly one handsome man.

Keith sat up on bed in fetal position and wondered if he was ready to take another important step in his life. He could feel it coming. His stupid heat decided to come out of hibernation now that he found his stupid Alpha to bond with.

[Earlier in the day]

Keith could feel the back of his hair standing on its end from the warm breathe breathing down on his exposed skin. He wiggled his body in hopes of escaping, but the grip has not loosen one bit. "Lotor please. Someone will see us." His nose nuzzled behind his ear. "Let them be. I want everyone to know it's you I want." Too close. His lips was too close to his hot skin. It didn't help that Lotor was topless when Keith had walked in on him doing some bench press. Perfect six packs and broad chest can make any omegas fall to his feet. The thought of his hand feeling the ripples of those abs and how firm those muscles are was very tempting. It was calling him to touch them. To run his hands all over like a paint brush on the white canvas.

No no no. What am I thinking?!

He was losing himself with each whiff of Lotor's scent. The one scent that gave Keith many sleepless nights after he took his first whiff. He wanted to be wrap up in the scent like a blanket on cold nights.   "Keith." His body trembled when Lotor whispered against his ear. He bit his lower lip to hold back. He won't give in. "Can I tell you my little desire if I get that special invite?" Lotor loves to talk a lot, but then again, Keith likes to speak as little as possible. Keith hummed softly and nodded. He yelped when he was pulled back and sat on Lotor's crossed legs with his arms still wrapped around his small frame. "Thank you." His nose went back to nuzzle against his neck. "Let me show and tell you." With one arm holding firm on his cute omega, Lotor lifted his finger up and placing it on lower lip. "A kiss to greet." His finger moved to his left cheek. "And here." Then to the other side. "To shower you with affection." Keith shook his head, but bit back again when his slender finger traced along his neckline. "Paint this with small kisses. No wait, one long lick sounds better. To taste your salty skin. Mmm..." "Pervert." He whispered. Lotor chuckled. "Affectionate, love." Low whimpers escaped when his fingertips circled around the juncture of his neck. "Omega's sacred spot. One of few places to entice extra pleasures to an omega. A spot where an Alpha can lay their claim." His lips leaned closer and blew a puff of warm air against it. He was rewarded with delicious shivers from his cute omega on his lap. "Since it's sacred, I can wait with great patience for the invite from the pretty goddess. To feel worthy to be his protector." Keith wanted to melt, but he wasn't sure it was from embarrassment or how awkward he felt about Lotor's fancy way to confess. "You could have---" His violet eyes cast down. "You could have use your special scent to make it easier." "No Keith." His finger moved over to his right chest and tapped. "I want to have this with your conscience mind. I want to have our commitment to last and built on honesty." "Lotor..." "That way, we can do our hot and steamy sex later." Keith's face felt very warm and if he had a mirror, he would see his whole face turning beet red. He twist, turn and wiggle on Lotor's strong hold until the warmth went straight to his ears.

Oh my god. Oh my god. I did not... I just did not feel that.

"Do not worry Keith. I won't doing anything to defile you, but trust me, if you keep wiggling your cute butt like that, then I'm going to tie you down to a chair and make you watch as I take my release with my hand over my c—-" "Pervert pervert! Too much information!!" He chuckled. "You will take sole responsibility for my arousal, Keith. It’s not my fault that I’m very attracted to you. Want to know in much better details of how I will make your body melt to my great touch?” "Qu---quiet you!" It didn't help when he felt it too, but he was not going to let Lotor know. Just the feel of it was enough to make him feel tingling hot. He spoke the words with lightning speed. Lotor blinked with confusion spread all over his face. "......" "......" "Keith?" Keith looked down and away with shifting eyes. "Don't make me repeat it." "......" "......" "Please?" "You're invited!" He took several deep breathes and squeaked when he found himself shifted and turned with his back laying on the soft rug. His eyes looked up and his breathing hitched when he saw those shimmering blue eyes stared down at him. Platinum hair cascaded down on him like beaded veil. Keith tilted and shifted his head away when Lotor came down with his lips rested softly on his neck. True to his words, his neck was peppered with small kisses. Soft moans echoed in the vast room. He spread his legs apart for room and feeling his firm thigh rubbing against him. It felt like heaven. "Thank you Keith." Keith looked up at the ceiling with glossy eyes. Just when did he fell? He wrapped his arms around Lotor and held him tight for what's going to come. A strong anchor to hold him down. "Shh... Relax love."  Love. It had a lovely ring when Lotor called him. His eyes widen and his body jolted up against the Alpha above with his fingernails scratching Lotor's back. He mewled with sights of little color specks in his vision. It felt so good.

Shiro would be happy now that I'm bonded with Lotor. This will ease off his stupid over protectiveness. And get Lance off my case for being picky.

Keith hugged his legs closer and buried his face between his knees.

Oh god. I can't believe I came when he marked me.

Lotor was nice enough to let Keith go, but without laughing at him for being a shy omega. He punched him on the shoulder before running to the bathroom. What's taking him long in the shower? It's not that Keith was waiting for Lotor to finish his shower. He was not that kind of person.

Nope. I should just sleep before him.

Just when he was going to turn in, his eyes became wide and immediately looked away.

Crap! Why am I acting like a blushing virgin?!

Lotor chuckled at Keith's cute antic when he came out of the hot shower with only a white towel wrapped around his waist and drying his long hair. "You---you took too long!" He stuttered. "Of course I did. Do you know why I took long?" Keith shook his head without looking at him. "Because I kept rewinding that special moment when I was invited to claim you." He ruffled his wet hair and placed the towel around his neck. "A cherish memory that I finally was able to win you over with my charms." "Your charms are still cheesy." "You still enjoyed them." He smiled, but it turned into a sly grin. "You know I can't wait to hear those lovely sounds again and the feel of your supple body against mines. Your body felt so nice and firm. The way you moved--" "PERVERT!" He immediately threw the blanket over his body and curled up in hopes that it will make him invisible. It was a pitiful thought when he felt the bed shifted in weight and felt a pair of strong arms wrapped around his torso. Those chuckles were crystal clear in his ear. "No no, my lovely omega. It's called love." Lotor nipped the soft flesh of his ear. Keith whimpered. "And I can make you become addicted to my love..." His tongue went inside his omega's ear and licked it. "with your upcoming heat."

Noo! I take back my invitation! Restart, restart!

He found it a blessing and a curse to be bonded with Lotor. Keith had hope his heat would lay dormant a little longer, but alas, he can't win over his stupid body.

You traitor.

It kicked him hard two days later.

[youremarvelous]

top 5 fic that you've read?

ooooh ok! here’s a random smattering of fics I’ve read over and over again:

solstice by threesmallcrows

noragami | yato & yukine & iki hiyori |  au, homelessness, past child abuse

There’s a kid in the bathroom stall. He’s curled on the floor, asleep or passed out with his forehead pressed against the toilet’s base.

In which Yukine is a runaway, Yato’s homeless, Hiyori works at the local shelter, and it’s the winter of the deepest freeze Tokyo’s seen in thirty years. Human!AU

if you know anything about me, it’s that gen found family fic, especially surrogate parent fic, is probably my favorite genre. despite having that trope built into the plot, there really isn’t enough of it in the noragami fandom. this one is a real gem. captures the personalities and dynamic of Yato and Yukine, but taking into account the unique circumstances of the plot that round out the characters and inform their actions. it’s a sometimes brutal but beautifully written and considered fic. 

homeward by icinks

aldnoah.zero | slaine troyard & kaizuka inaho | post-canon, hurt/comfort

Slaine had long since abandoned the hope of ever having a place to belong. He thought he had given up on himself, as well, but finds that someone simply won’t let him. [Post ep 24] 

in my opinion, this fic and the sequels shattered chains and 60 seconds, are worth reading even if you haven’t watched (or didn’t like) aldnoah.zero. seriously, read a summary of the show and then read these fics. that’s all you need to enjoy it. the characterization and relationship dynamics are well-written and refreshing, and I appreciate that the nature of Slaine and Inaho’s relationship is strong but never clearly stated. they’re not lovers, but they couldn’t live without the other, either. (and for my whump loving followers because I know there are a few of you, there is a lot. especially in the sequel, shattered chains.)

lacquer by animegoil

d.gray-man | kanda yuu & lavi & allen walker | hurt/comfort, au

Wisterias stand for helplessness, plums for courage and perseverance. Jilted by life, blind, deaf and mute, they build a world of their own through each other in this war-torn castle.

yeah, I know what you’re thinking. ‘katy, this fic is on ff.net wtf.’ but look, it’s gorgeous. kanda, lavi, and allen are living together in a hospital repurposed from an old castle in a war-torn civilization. they help each other to cope with the disabilities resulting from their various traumas. it’s a pretty simple premise but rendered beautifully and with care.  

stages of deterioration by aradian nights

young justice | tim drake & jason todd | ptsd, au - canon divergence

After Bruce finds Jason Todd, catatonic and traumatized, miraculously alive on the streets of Gotham, Tim, Dick, and Barbara attempt to fix their broken brother. AU for Invasion.

full disclosure: I have never watched young justice. I do, however, know a good bit about batman canon and the characters, and that’s enough to make this a highly enjoyable read. the descriptions of post-resurrection, catatonic Jason and his relationship with a mentally distraught, guilt-ridden Tim will sink your heart into your stomach. the dynamic is complex and feels so real despite the fantastical circumstances. patty cake by froldgapp

voltron legendary defender | keith & shiro | friendship, hurt/comfort

Quiet, aloof, and alone, Keith is distant from the rest of the team. Hunk begins to suspect why, and it’s only when the red paladin pushes himself too far, the Voltron gang realise he’s just as vulnerable as the rest of them.

froldgapp has hands down one of the best and most realistic portrayals of keith I’ve read in vld fic. not in small part due to the fact that she takes into account the class difference between keith and the other paladins. this fic, in particular, touches on so many of toxic aspects of keith’s relationship with the other paladins and begins to resolve them in a way that is harsh but cathartic and accounts for the complexity the situation demands. voltron canon wishes it had written its characters with such depth. 

[farbeyondtheuniversethings-blog]

The Only Date Where You Can Make Money

AHHH I Wrote a thing!!! Okay quick story quick story: So I was sitting in the library working on homework and my dear friend starts laughing. Apparently they’ve been looking through a list of cute date ideas to get some inspo for a fic they’re gonna write (not VLD related... someday i will convert them) and apparently number 113 or something like that on this list of 130+ is “Panning for Gold: it’s the only date where you can make money” and we’re dying because lol it’s 1) a great date idea and 2) super stupid and silly also. BUT they challenged me to write it into a Klance fic and me, having wanted to write a Keith birthday fic but not having an idea for a cute date for them to go on and also having missed his birthday had jsut let the idea go, was all for it. AND SO HERE WE GO:

“Keith… Keeeeiiiith,” Lance hissed.

Keith turned over and glanced at the time. He hadn’t even been sleeping for three hours so he ignored his boyfriend and pulled the covers up to keep the light out of his eyes.

“Keeeeiiiith I know you’re awake,” Lance leaned into him and started tickling.

“Ugh, Lance,” Keith sleepily pushed his boyfriend away. Normally he liked having Lance’s face close to his but at five in the morning it wasn’t really the view he wanted. He’d much rather be looking at the back of his eyelids and dead asleep.

“Happy birthday, Keith. Wake up!”

“Lance, my birthday… Did you actually forget?” This wakes him up because Lance forgetting his birthday is so out of character. His boyfriend remembered pretty much every little detail especially when it came to sentimental things like birthdays.

“Of course not, silly, I just wanted to be the first to celebrate it with you.”

“So… we’re celebrating a day early?” And now Keith is sitting up.

Lance’s smile is as wide and as bright as the moon. “Everyone wanted to surprise you and show up in your room at midnight tomorrow—pretend you’re still surprised, please—with gifts and such but I really wanted to gift you an experience—and no, I know that look, I’m not talking about birthday sex—and I wanted to give it to you before anyone else could give you anything.”

Keith blinked. And blinked again. He wasn’t sure if it was endearing what Lance was doing or not, but, hell, it was definitely cute. “So, no birthday sex?”

Lance punched him in the shoulder gently, “Of course there will be birthday sex but I figure we’d save that until after cake tomorrow. Besides! We need to get going now if we’re going to make it in time.”

“In time?” But Keith let Lance pull him out of bed.

“Get dressed and meet me in the hanger.” Lance scurried out and then ducked his head back in through the door, “And be stealthy about it, my plan is to be back before anyone misses us.”

…

Lance ushered Keith into one of the smaller ships they kept for recon. It fit two people snugly and Lance had apparently padded the insides with blankets and pillows. It was incredibly comfortable and Keith lowered himself into a particularly plush corner, yawning. He might actually fall asleep on the ship…

“How long have you been awake?”

Lance looked up from the dashboard where he was plugging their coordinates in. “Hmmm. To be honest? I haven’t actually gone to sleep yet.”

“Ugh,” Keith gurgled. He’d never been one for all-nighters. “But doesn’t it seem so much better to come over here and nap?” He held his arms out for Lance to climb into.

Lance chuckled, finished what he was doing, and let the ship boot up auto pilot and begin their journey. “I’m too excited to sleep,” but he crawled into Keith’s warmth anyways. “Besides, we’re not going far at all.”

Keith pulled Lance close to his chest, arms around his waist. Lance’s hands were cold and he slipped them under the back of Keith’s shirt. Neither of them moved, content to just sit and cuddle, and Keith felt himself drifting off to the sound of his boyfriend’s heartbeat.

And then Lance was waking him up again, shaking Keith gently by the shoulders.

“Wha—what time is it?” Keith wasn’t really ready to let Lance go yet but he was extricating himself from the cuddle-sphere.

“It hasn’t even been half an hour. Now, come on, we’re here. Come on, babe,” Lance was helping Keith to his feet. “I promise, when we get back after your gift we can cuddle all day if you want. This is basically your birthday 0.5 so the day is all for you.”

“If it was all for me we wouldn’t be awake at this hour.”

“I love you too, now, come on,” Lance opened the door and pulled Keith out.

The sun was rising at that very moment and Keith was blinded. He covered his eyes with his free hand—Lance was happily holding his other—and when he finally lowered them he saw that they appeared to be at the base of some mountains. Desert stretched off into one direction, though the sand was much lighter than earth sand; on the other end the mountain range rose up, peaked with what appeared to be snow. And weaving down the mountain, running right past them, was a rushing stream.

Except instead of clear blue like water tended to be, this was a dazzling silver, which was perhaps by Keith had been so blinded upon entering the alien planet.

They weren’t in their paladin armor so the air was clearly safe to breath and it was fresh. In fact, it felt a lot like breathing in earth air. Besides the subtle difference in the sand and the silver water the planet was one of the closest to earth in appearance that they had been to.

“Do you like it?” Lance asked carefully, judging his boyfriend’s reaction with caution.

Keith smiled and squeezed Lance’s hand, pulling them closer together. “It’s beautiful.”

And really, it was such a comfort to be here. It reminded him of living in the desert, which, while it had been a lonely time, had also been incredibly peaceful. He’d never felt comfortable around a lot of people, and while he didn’t miss earth the way that Lance and Hunk did, there was something innately comfortable about his home planet.

“Alright time for your present!” Lance ducked back into the ship quickly and came out again with two green pans about the size of frisbees.

“I thought this planet was my gift?”

“I told you I wanted to gift you an experience. And while this planet is absolutely gorgeous, and I was hoping you would really like it, Allura mentioned that in this river there’s a special type of mineral that, apparently, can be found the same way that people pan for gold.”

Keith laughed, “Wait, you’re serious? There’s gold in this river?”

“Not gold; it’s called Heleorite. And it’s actually pretty cool. Apparently it lights up and glows under certain circumstances.” Lance handed Keith one of the pans.

“Okay, I’ll be honest, I’ve never panned for gold in my life,” Keith admitted.

“It’s pretty easy; there’s this amusement park near where my brother lives and sometimes I take my niece and nephew. It’s wild west themed so one of the attractions is panning for gold.”

Keith knelt next to Lance by the river. Where the water hit the sides of the bank it splashed up and chilled his skin. But as the sun continued to rise he assumed it would get pretty warm. Which, speaking of, the sun was rising fairly quickly.

Lance seemed to read his mind: “The days here are really short and it can get pretty dangerous at night, so I wanted to maximize our time. We have about a varga and a half before we need to go.”

Keith was a fast learner and Lance was a surprisingly good teacher. Fill your pan with gravel and sand and bedrock from the bottom of the stream. Keep the pan slightly under the water and shake vigorously and carefully so that nothing is washed out. Now shake in a gentle circular motion so that the water slips in and out, taking the lighter pieces with it and causing the gravel and such to swirl in the light current—Keith had to practice this a few times before getting the hang of it. Now, back to shaking, but this time with the addition of pulling out the larger rocks. Then, after a few doboshes of patience, carefully letting the water pout over the sides, leaving the debris behind.

“That’s Heleorite!” Lance said, pulling out a miniscule piece of rock. It was silver like the water but when he put it into Keith’s hand it started to glow as if from the inside. It was a warm light washing out from it and Keith smiled.

“Bet I could find more than you,” Lance challenged and dived into the stream, standing knee deep in it and getting splashed so much by the water that he was quickly soaked.

“Not on my birthday!” Keith followed him into the river.

The Heleorite panning quickly devolved into the two of them splashing each other and getting into a water fight, the pans lost as they floated down the stream. A small pile of the Heleorite they found had been formed on the bank; it was maybe enough to fill two thimbles.

But in the water Keith had finally pinned Lance against the bottom of one of the shallower areas. He wasn’t worried about his boyfriend accidentally drowning but it was deep enough to go over his shoulders and leak onto his chest. Keith’s arms were pinning Lance’s down and their bodies were pressed flush together, legs tangled up in each other. The water continued around them, a Zen rustling that blanketed them.

Keith leaned down, closing the distance between their mouths, and kissed Lance deeply. Lance kissed back and Keith smiled into the other boy’s mouth.

“Happy birthday, Keith,” Lance said, voice heavy with desire, when they broke for air for a moment.

After kissing for a bit more they both realized it was getting close to time for them to leave. They climbed out of the stream soaked through and smiling and definitely more than a little horny. Lance stooped down to pick up the Heleorite they had collected. Inside the ship Lance pointed to the towels and then started tinkering with something in his hands.

Keith rubbed one of the towels through his hair and did his best to dry his body off while keeping his clothes on—it wouldn’t do to get an impromptu video call from the Castle Ship while they were both naked.

As the ship took off and Keith was tucking himself back amongst the blankets—they would dry eventually they were just blankets—he asked what Lance was doing.

Lance sat next to him on the blankets and showed him; it was a little bottle on a leather cord and inside the bottle, filling it up about three-fourths of the way, was the Heleorite. Lance handed it to Keith and as soon as it touched Keith’s hands it lit up like his own, personal, little sunset. It had all the colors of a desert sunset and he couldn’t help but pull the necklace up to his eye.

“Do you like it?” Lance repeated his question from earlier.

“I love it,” Keith breathed, looping it over his head and pulling it against his heart. He kissed Lance again, as a thank you. “What makes it glow like that? You said it was only in certain circumstances.”

“Well, it’s actually pretty cool. First, it has to be given to a person by someone they love,” and Lance smiled widely at this, “and, second, any time after that exchange, when the owner is near that person, the Heleorite will glow to let them know.”

Keith pulled him in again for another deep kiss. Lance tried to pull away—damn breathing—and Keith hooked his fingers into the wet shirt, keeping them together.

Eventually, because it was already a dizzying kiss and they didn’t need one of them fainting, they did pull apart.

“Happy birthday, Keith.”

“I love you Lance.”

They piled into their cuddle position again.

“Can we go to sleep now?” Keith asked, carding his fingers through Lance’s hair.

“Anything for you, birthday boy.”

And so they did.