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rjmhereunderprotest · 1 year

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I Survived the "Voltron: Legendary Defender" Fandom Ship Wars

I've seen my fair share of fandoms, and the subsequent warring that can go on within them. Shipping tends to be the primary focus of a lot of it, and that was no more true than "Voltron: Legendary Defender" and I'm reliving my experience with it because shut up.

I literally was only in this whole thing because, as the Megas XLR theme song states, "I dig Giant Robots", which is true of pretty much everyone. I wanted a fun space opera quest with giant friggin robots that was done better than the anime from the 80s. The prospect of former members of the crew of Avatar: The Last Airbender being on the project sweetened the deal. And for a time it was good... and then it all imploded because idiots had to ruin it.

This was honestly the dumbest dip in fandom engagement I've ever seen and it was all over shipping and seriously stupid fucking people. A series if idiotic actions that led to compromises at the creative level that severely undercut the end product. Everything that transpired in the run up to the series finale, from the 7th Season onward, perhaps even before that, you can trace to one thing... the Shipping War between which dude Keith, the Red Paladin, should fuck. His older mentor Shiro, who turned out to already be in a same-sex relationship, or Blue Paladin Lance... the literal Lancer of their five man band.

Oh it got ugly fast, Shiro was too old for Keith, they were reading too much into rivalry of Lance and Keith, accusations of pedophilia, nasty screaming about whether they'd LET these characters be gay, I watched it all and rolled my eyes thinking "Who gives a flying fuck?" Let's not even get into how the fandom treated the potential female rivals for Lance and Keith's affections. Allura and Lance shippers were a lesser front in the war of words. The main screaming matches were between the slash ships, but there was always a little ire reserved for anything hetero. I remember how desperate they all were to find a way out. To prove that Space Azula, Acxa, was not into Keith, maybe even his sister.

For a while it stayed like this, angry fans on reddits and twitters and tumblrs and forums of all sorts. Then the shippers did the big No-NO, what EVERY fan sooner or later seems to forget. You bring this drama to the attention of the creators... and you involve them in it. Suddenly it's no longer about preferences, it's about fans making demands of the creative team. "Make us Canon or die!" And it probably wouldn't have been so bad if the Voltron Team wasn't so active on social media, but they were! Poor sweet summer children, were they ever.

Any tacit support for one side over the other was seen as damning condemnation. How DARE the creatives speak about their own preferences? Or ideas? Or lend credence to that side over the others! Maybe they're pedos too if they seem to want Keith and Shiro to be together. How dare they dismiss all this evidence of Klance and ruin their whole super important character development that is clearly integral to the story about the intergalactic war against an even empire utilizing a giant robot.

I just did not care for ANY of this. I was paying attention to Pidge exclusively at this point as her story was far more engaging and or interest than over some stupid romance most people had made up in their head. And I felt that getting on the asses of the creators to bend to one side of the other was becoming more and more fucking disrespectful. Let them tell their story, ya jerks, stop trying to force them to tell what you want. Just write fanfics if you're that desperate.

Then... someone did something VERY stupid. Well, two someones actually. During a tour of Dreamworks Animation, someone thought it would be quite "corking" if they allowed their fellow "high school chums" a look at some classified storyboards and sketches. A few neat little spoilers online that they snuck out of the tour on a hidden camera. Clever little scamp, posted it online... and instantly drew the ire of Dreamwork's legal department. Net wide, Dreamworks demanded the removal of the spoilers. But one moron thought it would be a brilliant fucking idea to keep them up... unless demands were met.

"Make Klance Canon and I'll take the spoilers down!"

The idiot's understanding was, since other sites had the pictures, that they couldn't be liable for stealing anything. They didn't take the pictures, they just had them. So really, if the other sites were going to be pressured into removing the material, they could keep it up and use it as a form of protest. To make their stupid ship real.

Other people told them, that's fucking blackmail, that's illegal. And eventually that thought stuck.

Yeah ya did, Sunshine. People thought these two fans were one in the same, but from every indication it seems like it really was two people with the "blackmailer" likely being a really stupid kid who took advantage of a situation without realizing that their plan was gonna potentially land them in a ton of legal trouble. But the damage was done at this point. Because once fans start threatening to ruin ALL of your creative plans, that's when the higher ups get involved. That's when shit has to change and drastically.

To summarize what happened, from what most people have gathered, a lot of story points, ideas, plots, etc. got up ended by all of this. They had to alter their original ideas because the fans had fucked it up by going overboard. Now, whatever plans they had for the series were basically thrown out the window in favor of a new direction that NO ONE LIKED!

Allura and Lance get rushed into a relationship, Shiro's husband dies and he finds a new one some rando background dude. Any potential Keith romance is just thrown out because both sides are already losing, might as well not anger them more, oh and then lets kill off Allura next just as quickly as we finalized this relationship. EVERYBODY LOSES and it's all because a bunch of shippers could not fucking chill!

And I just laughed, I just had so much fun watching the rest of this trainwreck slide into the on fire tire fire on the garbage scowl before sinking into the sea and hitting an unexploded atomic warhead from a sunken sub! They all went ballistic, every single fan just fucking went off at once in a screaming angry tirade of abject total failure. But I was mostly cool, because Pidge got a great ending and I didn't care about anything else at that point. So out of ALL the fans of Voltron, I won. I won along with every Pidge fan and I was more than happy to watch the rest burn. And fuck'em anyway, they did this to themselves. Let them all shriek and screech and run around mad at the creators. They made themselves so fucking toxic, so goddamn impossible to deal with that I'd have probably done it sooner were I in charge and probably worse.

I'd have had Auxia kiss Keith full on the lips while she lifts one of his legs to lightly straddle her while both Shiro and Lance look on giving thumbs up and hugging close their own significant others. Shiro's would've been a dude at least because I'm not so cruel as to throw away LGBT representation. But still, totally would've done that shit in like season 5. Trust me, I would've drunk the angry screeching of everyone because they all deserved it at that point. ALL OF THEM. I have no sympathy.

Voltron: Legendary Defender is a lesson for fans the world over. Shipping is all fun and games when you keep it that way. Write fanfics, share your headcanon, create all the racey sexually explicit dude on dude, girl on girl, human on tentacle monster, etc. art you can paint or sketch to your heart's desire... but leave the creative team out of it. It's ultimately their story, not yours. And believe me, most of you here and Tumblr played RIGHT into all that shit because I know at least a few of you fucking did this.

As for me, to prove I'm not completely above it all, I'll pony up. I had one Voltron Ship, one I actually liked, supported and was totally cool with knowing it was never gonna happen. And it's not any of the ones you think... I wanted Lance to get with one specific person. Well, not person, fish-person.

Plaxum! That's right! I wanted Lance to end up with the Mermaid Revolutionary voiced by Mae Whitman! Because fuck it, Mermaids are fucking awesome and you can try however you fucking want to ruin the fantasy of mermaid love under the sea with your fish biology lessons, I know for a fact you're all wrong because if anything, mythical mermaids are more akin to sharks than regular fish and SHARKS actually DO have sex. The males have TWO big fat ones down under in fact, so what does that say about mermaids?

So in conclusion this has been a very long winded way of me justifying my mermaid fantasy and possibly grossing a lot of you out. I have no regrets and if any remaining Voltron Fans want to take issue with it, tough. The show's over I can make up whatever I want. Namely that Lance eventually returned to Mermaid world and had a hundred or so babies with Plaxum, because I live in fanfic land and you can't drag me out of it if you tried!

I have now thoroughly wasted ALL of your time. Good day!

#voltron legendary defender #shipping #Lance #Keith #Shiro #Fandom Entitlement #Lance/Plaxum Supremacy #I'm still Winning

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non-plutonian-druid · 1 month

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the concept for this is "what if voltron aliens were like, a little bit less humanoid." Galra (and alteans, not pictured) get to be the most humanoid because theyre main characters lol

[ID: various voltron aliens redesigned to remove many of their humanoid features. The Galra are largely unchanged; the only difference is that they have six limbs. Keith is demonstrating standing on four limbs; he looks not unlike a centaur, although the "horse" part is just a continuation of his body, not a horse (and is also the same color as his human skin, because it is human skin. sorry not sorry). Kolivan is demonstrating standing on two limbs, and towers over everyone else. Krolia is demonstrating standing on all six limbs, which looks uncomfortable but possible.

There is also an example of an Olkari; whose face is unchanged but now is built similar to a praying mantis; a Puigian, who retains the approximate locations of the face markings and horns but looks more like some kind of deer creature; an Arusian, which is built like a snail; and a mer alien, which now looks like a fish with hands and antennae. The Olkari is based on Ryner, and the mer alien is Plaxum. End ID.]

#vld #voltron #voltron legendary defender #keith kogane #i feel like people use that tag more than #keith vld #even tho that is not his name lol #krolia #kolivan #galra #olkari #probably there is not a tag for arusians or puigians #there probably WOULD be a mer alien tag except they didnt fuckin give them a name lmao #keith should probably be wearing pants but it was important to me that you all know from the outset that he is not a cool centaur #thats human flesh just shaped wrong #with. admittedly. cool purple tattoos #my art #contributing to the voltron tag in a non-gravity falls au capacity for the first time in forever #primarily because these days every time i poke through the tag theres new anti activity i have to block #and i wanted to contribute something constructive to the tag #its been six years guys arent you tired yet

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verdantmeadows · 1 year

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These are my current orientation/gender headcanons for VLD! The tier list unfortunately isn't very exhaustive AND I'm only on Season 2 Episode 8 right now, so I don't know everyone. NO SPOILERS PLEASE!!! This is my first time watching VLD!

There are some I'm unsure on, like Shiro and Adam, I know they're canonically gay/MLM but I'm unsure if I view them as exclusively attracted to men or not! But there's some things I'm very concrete on, like gay Lance, bi Keith, FTM/trans Pidge, and aro Allura. I'm also super concrete on FTM/trans Lance and MTNB/trans Keith, although not so much for canon reasons like the others I listed. I really dislike the trope of flirty/womanizer/promiscuous bi, so the idea of Lance being bisexual would just...fit into an incredibly biphobic trope. I think he struggles with comphet. I think Keith is bisexual due to his autism (which is a headcanon although it's coded) making it hard for him to understand gender roles, and thus, this influenced his sexuality to be gender-blind. And Allura, I just can't imagine romantically with anyone, since her age is intentionally left ambiguous before they changed it since they just wanted her for shipping purposes, so I say no to any romantic ships with her! And I must always headcanon any fish or fish-related people as intersex. It is my duty. Some of these don't have any reasons

I transcribed/clarified my headcanons under the cut!

Plaxum- Intersex lesbian

Lance- FTM (exclusively) gay allo

Keith- Bisexual aro (umbrella term)/demirose MTNB

Allura: FTM/transfem aroace

Shiro: Cisgender MLM

Adam: MLM

Pidge: FTM aro (which labels his whole orientation)

Hunk: Not queer but not not queer cisgender

Coran: Queer (umbrella term)

Slav: Queer (umbrella term)

Nyma: Aroallo

Rolo: Alloace

#book of kells #vld #verdant liveblog

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crystaldragonette · 2 years

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ANYONE AND EVERYONE

JUST SEND AN ASK!♡♡♡

Imma do short stories, all you have to do is pick characters from this list, then pick an emoji and/or theme word. I'll type it up! Trying to get rid of writer's block.

RULES

NO NSFW

NO GORE

VOLTRON

NO HORROR

STRANGER THINGS

Steve Harrington

Robin Buckley

Eddie Munson

Wayne Munson

Dustin Henderson

Nancy Wheeler

Mike Wheeler

Ted Wheeler

Karen Wheeler

Holly Wheeler

Lucas Sinclair

Erica Sinclair

Sue Sinclair

Charles Sinclair

Max Mayfield

Susan Mayfield

Neil Hargrove

Billy Hargrove

Jim Hopper

Eleven/Jane

Joyce Byers

Jonathan Byers

Will Byers

Keith

Tommy Hagan

Carol

Chrissy Cunningham

Gareth

Jeff

Grant (unnamed freak)

Benny

Brenner

Sam Owens

Steve's Mother (I've named her Patricia)

Steve's Father (I've named him Richard)

Lance

Altean Lance

Hunk

Pidge (Katie Holt)

Matt Holt

Sam Holt

Colleen Holt

Shiro

Kuro

Kuron

Sven

Slav ( First dimension, Crazy)

Slav (Second dimension, Crazy but actually does field work)

Keith

Galra Keith

Princess Allura

Coran

King Alfor

Emperor Zarkon

Haggar

Kova (Haggar's alien cat)

Lotor

Sendak

Acxa

Ezor

Narti

Zethrid

Kolivan

Blaytz

Thace

Ulaz

Trigel

Gyrgan

Keith's Father

Space Mice

Space Caterpillar

Laika (Yupper, Basically a really really big alien that acts like a dog)

Commander Iverson

Sal

Rax

Shay

Plaxum

Ryner

Rover (small pyramid flying Galra robot that Pidge reprogrammed to help her)

Beezer (Robot)

Rolo

Nyma

Throk

Anok

Xiavon (an bird reptilian alien OC that is basically a father figure and was a prisoner with Lance in a story I wrote)

Curtis

Adam

DANNY PHANTOM

Danny Phantom

Samantha "Sam" Manson

Tucker Foley

"Jazz" Fenton

Jack and Madeline "Maddie" Fenton

Box Ghost

Dark Danny

Desiree

Ember McLain

Fright Knight

Ghost Writer

Johnny 13 & Shadow

Kitty

Pariah Dark

Skulker

Nicolai Technus

Vlad Masters / Vlad Plasmius

Walker

Valerie Gray

Clockwork

Danielle "Dani" Phantom

Cujo

Wulf

GRAVITY FALLS

Dipper Pines

Mabel Pines

Grunkle Stan

Jesus Alzamirano "Soos" Ramirez

Wendy Corduroy

Stanford Filbrick "Ford" Pines

Waddles

Candy Chiu

Grenda Grendinator

Fiddleford Hadron "Old Man" McGucket

Sheriff Blubs

Deputy Durland

Bill Cipher

Gideon Charles Gleeful / "Li'l Gideon"

Pacifica Elise Northwest

Robert Stacey "Robbie" Valentino

OBEY ME

Lucifer

Mammon

Leviathan

Satan

Asmodeus

Beelzebub

Belphegor

Diavolo

Barbatos

Simeon

Luke

POKEMON

Trainer Red

Trainer Blue

Trainer Green

Trainer Ethan/Gold

Rival Silver

Train Lyra

POKÉMON LEGENDS ARCEUS

Akari

Rei

Volo

Adaman

Irida

Ingo

POKÉMON SWORD & SHIELD

Piers

Leon

Raihan

Marnie

Peony

Victor

Gloria

Of course most of the pokémon as well

MY HERO ACADEMIA

Nezu

Recovery Girl

Tomura Shigaraki/Tenko Shimura

Dabi/Touya Todoroki

Himiko Toga

Jin Bubaigawara/ Twice

Spinner

Mr. Compress

Magne

Kurogiri

All for One

Aizawa Shouta/Eraserhead

Toshinori Yagi/All Might

Hizashi Yamada/Present Mic

Nemuri Kayama/Midnight

Snipe

Yuga Aoyama

Mina Ashido

Tsuyu Asui

Tenya Iida

Ochaco Uraraka

Mashirao Ojiro

Denki Kaminari

Eijiro Kirishima

Koji Koda

Rikido Sato

Mezo Shoji

Kyoka Jiro

Hanta Sero

Fumikage Tokoyami

Shoto Todoroki

Toru Hagakure

Katsuki Bakugo

Izuku Midoriya

Minoru Mineta

Momo Yaoyorozu

Itsuka Kendo

Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu

Neito Monoma

Mirio Togata

Nejire Hado

Tamaki Amajiki

Hitoshi Shinso

Mei Hatsume

Emi Fukukado/ Mrs. Joke

Yo Shindo

Inasa Yoarashi

Camie Utsushimi

Enji Todoroki/ Endeavor

Keigo Takami/Hawks

Kugo Sakamata/ Gang Orca

Taishiro Toyomitsu/Fat Gum

Kai Chisaki/ Overhaul

Hari Kurono/ Chrono/ Chronostasis

Naomasa Tsukauchi

Eri

Oboro Shirakumo/ Loud Cloud

Masura Bakugou

Mitsuki Bakugou

Inko Midoriya

Hisashi Midoriya

MIRACULOUS LADYBUG

Marinette

Adrien

Nino

Alya

Luka

Juleka

Rose

Lila

Ivan

Cloe

Sabrina

Nathaniel

Marc

Jagged Stone

Penny

Lê Chiến Kim

Alix

Max

Kagami

Mylène

Felix (but like original concept for Chat Felix, not canon gremlin Felix)

ANIMAL CROSSING

Redd

Tom

Timmy

Tommy

ZELDA

OOT Link

Malon

OOT Zelda

BOTW Link

BOTW Zelda

Sidon

Yunobo

Riju

Teba

Kass

Beetle

Urbosa

Mipha

Revali

Daruk

LINKED UNIVERSE

Time

Twilight

Sky

Warriors

Wind

Legend

Four

Wild

Hyrule

INVADER ZIM

Zim

Gir

Dib

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ao3-feed-shadam · 2 years

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Dancing Dragons

by zayniebaby

It's sixth year for Lance and Keith at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Lance and Keith have always been rivals, neck and neck, but will the cultural festival between the wizarding schools of Europe change things? Hogwarts AU with amortentia potions, quidditch, yule ball, dragons, and lots of magic.

Words: 4122, Chapters: 1/3, Language: English

Fandoms: Voltron: Legendary Defender, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/F, M/M

Characters: Keith (Voltron), Lance (Voltron), Pidge | Katie Holt, Hunk (Voltron), Shay (Voltron), Rax (Voltron), Veronica (Voltron), Romelle (Voltron), Allura (Voltron), Shiro (Voltron), Adam (Voltron), Thace (Voltron), Coran (Voltron), Alfor (Voltron), Kolivan (Voltron), Ryner (Voltron), Plaxum (Voltron), Blumfump (Voltron), Matt Holt, Sven (Voltron)

Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron), Adam/Shiro (Voltron), Hunk/Shay (Voltron), Matt Holt/Veronica, Allura/Romelle (Voltron)

Additional Tags: Hogwarts, Hogwarts Sixth Year, Ravenclaw Lance (Voltron), Gryffindor Keith (Voltron), Slytherin Pidge | Katie Holt, Gryffindor Shiro (Voltron), Ravenclaw Matt, Hogwarts AU, Hogwarts alternate universe, Hufflepuff Hunk, Hufflepuff Shay, Ravenclaw Allura, Amortentia Potion (Harry Potter), Yule Ball (Harry Potter), Quidditch, goblet of fire - Freeform, Lance is really smart, Mutual Pining, Confessions, Dragons, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Gay Keith (Voltron), Voltron, Voltron au, Pining Keith (Voltron), Pining Lance (Voltron), Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Minor Hunk/Shay (Voltron), Lesbian Allura (Voltron), Minor Allura/Romelle (Voltron), Minor Adam/Shiro (Voltron), O.W.L.s | Ordinary Wizarding Levels, N.E.W.T.s | Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Tests, Socially Awkward Keith (Voltron), Hunk & Lance (Voltron) Friendship, Oblivious Lance (Voltron)

source https://archiveofourown.org/works/42278802

#adashi #shadam #voltron #vld #voltron legendary defender #ao3feed #fanfic

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fire-bear · 1 year

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This one just needs edited!

Description:

While Lance searched, Keith turned to the others. Both Pidge and Hunk looked amused. Keith fumbled for something to distract them, and said, “So, are we all going to the Informal together?”

Beside him, Lance paused. Hunk seemed to notice but didn’t bring it up. Instead, he said, “Nope! I’ve asked Shay if she’d go with me and she said yes.”

“Isn’t Hunk awesome?” Lance said, grinning over the table at him. “He’s already got a date. It’ll just be the three of us.”

“Nope,” Pidge said. “I’ve got the academic decathlon that day, so I won’t be home till late. I’m gonna crash when I get home instead of trying to rush back to school.”

“Aww!” Lance pouted at her. “Boo. Come play with us, Pidge.”

Pidge rolled his eyes. “Whatever. It looks like it’ll just be the two of you.”

“Allura, too,” Lance pointed out. “And Plaxum, Florona, Swirn. Blumfump, Bandor and Romelle as well, actually. Rax, I guess. There’ll be a whole group of us. It’ll be great.” He glanced at Keith and Keith gave him a weak smile, unable to say that he’d rather it was just the two of them.”

#wip wednesday

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dammitadolfnomorecake · 1 year

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**Cultivating Love**16**

Lance spent days in fevered agony. His chest burning as deeply as his fever did. At one stage he wondered if he was dying when the Queen of the mermaids visited him personally. Even his memories of that were vague. Each time he’d opened his eyes the world had swung back and forth, compounding the utter misery he felt. They’d whispered around him, wanting to delay the ceremony to seperate his soul from Allura’s, but it was a race against time as they feared he’d die before they could. They’d gone ahead. The ceremony agony as his soul, and Allura’s, left his body. He’d seen it leave. A dark and pretty light bathed in shimmering golden lights that sparkled. It’d looked like a shimmering lotus flower. Something so incredibly precious and beautiful arising from the muddy swamp of his body.

The ceremony had taken days. He’d hung there, not dead and not alive. He now sat on the windowsill of his room, holding a black pearl that contained Allura’s soul fragment. The pearl felt light. Far too light for the weight of the soul. Much like Allura, the pearl was beautiful, and much like his last extended time with Allura, it could very well kill him. Anything could. Without a stable soul, his body was highly unstable. The slightest knock or blow could cause his body to disintegrate.

A small knock came on his door, Lance pushing a smile to his lips as Plaxum came to the edge of the bubble which encompassed his room. Smiling at him, she’d been a good friend to him so far, helping him by not explaining anything to his friends. They’d told him as they’d started the ceremony that he was basically condemning himself to a half life where death would always be looming over his shoulders

“Lance. How are you today?”

“Hello, Plaxum. I’m the same as yesterday, and you’re just as beautiful. Does Queen Luxia want to speak to me?”

“She does. She wishes to speak to you tonight in the Bakku gardens. I bring news of your friends”

He missed them. Being separated felt cruel after they’d come so far together

“How are they? I miss them immensely”

“About that, our Queen has granted permission for you to meet them above ground. She has tasked me to take you to see them, should you feel up to it?”

Lance didn’t particularly feel up to it. Moving felt as if he were being torn apart at each joint and muscle. Walking felt as if someone had tied huge rocks to his feet, leaving him slow and clumsy

“That would nice, thank you. It’d be nice to show them I still live, in person that is”

“I thought you’d be pleased. Please get yourself ready and come out when you are”

Knowing he’d be in the care of the mermaid for some time to come, Lance brought Blue along with him. All the mermaids had the cutest sea life companions. A jelly fish sitting on Plaxum’s shoulder with its tentacles across her neck. They were a gift from the Bakku Gardens, a somewhat sacred ground to the mermaid folks. Keeping pace with him, he and Plaxum chatted lightly about his condition as Lance moved to mentally reassuring himself that things wouldn’t be as awkward as he thought they were going to be. Pidge would be mad, but he had something far more important that he needed to tell her.

Lead to the upper palace, his friends were waiting on a coral balcony. Lance wished he could scent them, but the ocean washed away the scents of the palace leaving his nose twitching. As Lance walked out, Pidge’s eyes lit up. Lance stepping back as he foresaw her leaping on him

“Wait! My body isn’t stable. Jumping on me could kill me”

Pidge stopped mid rush. Lance feeling guilty for being so blunt

“I’m sorry, Pidge. I didn’t mean to scare you. Come here, I need a Pidge cuddle. And don’t think I don’t see you, Hunk. Get over here, big guy”

After two weeks, Lance sank into the hold of his friends. Letting himself have a long moment, Lance didn’t know how to say what he wanted to. Hunk, not facing the same issue as him, didn’t think twice as he asked

“How are you? How do you feel? Are you okay, man?”

“I’m healing, my friend. I’m healing. I need to give you guys something”

Lance let go of Pidge and Hunk. His fingers numb and clumsy as he took the pearl from inside his robe

“They managed to do it. This is Allura’s would fragment. I need you guys to keep this safe for me”

Hunk went to reach for it, Pidge getting in first and snatching it from his hand. Holding it up, she examined the pearl as she held it up to the light

“They did it?”

“They did. It needs to go back to Allura as soon as we’ve left here. I’m trusting you to keep it safe”

Pidge nodded, then slipped it inside her robe

“I’m only letting her have it because she saved you. How’s the palace treating you?”

Right. This was the trickier bit. Lance was sure he wasn’t supposed to notice the feel of the Bakku Gardens, yet he had. Maybe it was his own corruption, but he could feel it in the palace and in particular he felt something deeply dark and wrong from the garden’s direction. There’d been no time to stop to ask questions, in the time he’d spent waking after Allura’s soul had been removed, he’d started noticing things weren’t the way they seemed. At what should be the night hours of the day, long shadows would creep across his room, almost as if he’d fallen back into fevered delirium and demon beasts danced around his body. The feeling that he was being watched constantly lingered, and a great fear lived inside him.

Holding his arms open, they barely stayed up. Pidge and Hunk moving into another hug, where Lance used the proximity

“Something’s wrong here. I do not know what. Do not let them know I’ve noticed. I think the Queen is hiding something and I need you two be careful until I know more. The magic they used should have came at a great cost and I have not been told that cost. Whatever you do, don’t let that pearl leave your sight. It must get back to Allura”

Patting them on the sides, Lance then drew back

“I’m sorry guys, I’m still exhausted. I’m not meant to be running around the palace yet. Plaxum…”

Noticing a jelly fish on Pidge’s shoulder, Lance realised he’d been set up. Reaching out, he tore the jelly fish from his best friend’s shoulder, Pidge crying out in pain as the small creature burnt Lance’s hand. Throwing it down, he stepped on it, rubbing it into the floor as he reached for the one on Hunk’s neck. Pidge didn’t know what was happening, and with his eyes on Hunk, Lance didn’t see Plaxum moving.

Grabbed from behind, Lance cried out in pain. Plaxum trying to pull him, meaning he was pulling on the jelly fish, Hunk starting to fight against him

“Pidge, get it off him!”

Dazed, Pidge blinked, Lance gasping sharply as something was driven into his lower back. The next part happening all too fast for him.

One moment he was up, the next he was down. His body had fallen wrong, a bloodied cough exploding from him as he tried to roll away from his own pain. Then Pidge was scream his name, and for some reason, Hunk was screaming Keith’s. Lance didn’t know why Hunk would…

Flopping to his side, Lance wheezed. More blood coming from his lips as he tried to breathe. Hands came to his face and he couldn’t open his eyes to see who’s. He should have been more suspicious over the sudden allowance to see his friends. They’d said no. They’d said no so then suddenly saying yes led him to believe he was better than he was. He didn’t know what was happening, but he was scared.

Keith was not having a fun time. The palace was too big. He couldn’t find Lance. He couldn’t find Pidge. He couldn’t find Hunk. Some great big slimy eel that didn’t know its only purpose in life was to die and be grilled to perfection, had tried to murder him in his sleep. Waking to the pressure on his chest and red beady eyes staring down at him, the thing had fled once it saw he was awake, leaving black slime on his robe before it darted off into the water and out of his room.

Gathering his things, Keith had gone searching for Pidge and Hunk. Something was seriously wrong in the mermaid palace. He’d asked over and over to see Lance, only to be denied for over a week now. When he’d tried following the pendant to Lance, he’d been restrained and removed back to top part of the palace, where Hunk and Pidge had both told him off for risking the mermaid’s hospitality. There was hospitality and there was hostility. Keith feeling a whole lot hostility and next to no hospitality. When he’d gone to find his friends, both their rooms had been empty. His damn nose was no use either, the salt in the air drove away all the other senses. Generally he’d describe his current feelings on par with those he’d had about Lance leaving. Something in his gut screamed at him to get Lance, then Pidge and Hunk, and get away from the palace as fast possible.

Feeling the pendant around his neck suddenly grow hot, Keith’s steps faltered. It’d been a warm reminder to him that he was still close enough to Lance that he still had a chance to apologise, and that more importantly, the warmth meant Lance was still alive and breathing. Now the pendant was hotter than he’d ever felt it before. Lance was close. They’d finally let him out of the lower depths. Once he found Lance he’d drag him from the palace. He’d get him out first. Lance couldn’t be caught up in anything there, not if he was ill. Keith wouldn’t make the same mistake of allowing Lance to be harmed. No, he’d rather give his own life than let that happen.

Creeping his way along the palace passages, Keith nearly bumped into Lance. Opening his mouth to call out Lance’s name, Keith covered his mouth at the last second and forced himself to stay back. Right there as his wayward boyfriend, smiling softly as he followed a mermaid along the passage. Keith didn’t like to think he was a paranoid person, yet seeing Lance smiling like that, he wondered if the others had been allowed to see Lance without him and if somehow his scent had gotten on them, disrupting his senses because his mind was so focused on Lance that some part of it was upset by him not meeting with him and he was acting out.

Then again, something had tried to climb into bed with him. So perhaps he was overthinking his overthinking and should simply trust his gut. Giving Lance a good head start, Keith then moved from the hallway, following towards where Lance had been headed. Lance had always said he was rash and impulsive, bursting in on whatever was happening would be the very definition of that. As he watched the mermaid open the door Lance, the pair disappeared into the room. Keith changing his tactics at the last minute. Thankfully the hallway had doors, trying three they’d been locked, finding luck with the forth.

Heading straight through the room to the window, sticking his head out and noting the whole row joined to the same balcony made of coral. He could also hear the sound of Lance’s voice, making his heart give a particularly strong beat. Lance was right there next to him… but then he heard Pidge… and Hunk, as he climbed out onto the balcony. Lance sounded as happy as his friends did to be reunited, Keith feeling suddenly there was no space for him. Lance didn’t need anyone, not particularly. He was well adapt at taking care of himself… No. No. He was being foolish again. He had a few things to say to Pidge and Hunk. Namely, how long they’d been meeting with Lance behind his back.

Creeping along the balcony, Keith watched as Lance hugged Pidge and Hunk. His ears flicking, trying to hear what Lance said… Horrified, things suddenly changed. Lance was attacking their friends. He couldn’t wait any longer.

Watching Lance stomp on the beast he’d torn from Pidge’s neck, Lance was yelling at her to move. Behind him, the mermaid turned vicious. Almost as if a switch had been thrown. Her eyes reddening as a large jellyfish floated up from under her hair. Whatever that thing was, it wasn’t good. Keith drawing Black as his eyes met the mermaids by accident, a sick grin spreading across her lips as Keith charged forward.

In a matter of what felt like a second, things had changed. Keith screaming Lance’s name as he snapped. The mermaid grabbed Lance. He’d been too late. Again. Again Lance had been hurt. Before he could reach him Lance’s knees gave out. Keith letting out a feral snarl, incinerating the creature floating near the mermaid, and sending the mermaid flying backwards where she didn’t get up again. Rushing to Lance, Keith threw himself down. Lance’s eyes were already closing and his chi fading. Blood all over his lips and running down his chin and across the floor beneath him.

“Lance! No, no, no. Come on. Don’t you die on me. Open your eyes. Open your eyes for me”

He needed Hunk to heal Lance. Turning his head, he found Pidge trying to get close to the creature on Hunk. His gaze whipped back to Lance

“Keep your eyes open for me”

Lance gave a weak smile

“You have to… you have to…”

“I have to what? Lance, what do I have to do?”

“Pearl… get the pearl to Allura… get the pearl… to her… to her…”

Lance was fading too fast… it had to be because his soul wasn’t complete and he couldn’t regulate his own chi. Lowering him, Keith quickly took the pouch off. He had no idea how to reunite Lance with his soul. He didn’t know how to do this. No one had told him how and now he cursed Shiro all over again for not being there to help Lance when Lance needed them. Pressing the pouch to Lance’s chest, Keith suddenly found himself thrown back. A powerful mermaid standing in the doorway to the room. Pushing himself up, he lunged forward, only to be too late as Lance vanished from right in front of his eyes in a haze of dark red magic from the mermaid.

Keith didn’t care who this mermaid was. Evil intent oozed from her, Pidge and Hunk clutching at each other as the other mermaid cowered back with hands over her mouth. Lance couldn’t be gone. He couldn’t. He hadn’t died… and his body wasn’t lying on the floor. Baring his teeth, he stood against the mermaid, Black in his hand as he snarled

“What did you with him?!”

“He served his purpose. Come, Bakku”

Holding out her arm, the same eel that attacked him darted up the side of the balcony, weaving its was towards the mermaid. Keith going to lunge, as Hunk let slip

“She’s the Queen of the Mermaids… She’s killed Lance”

Keith wasn’t so sure she had. He’d felt the pitch black negativity of the magic that’d taken Lance away, but it made no sense she’d kill him and not do whatever it was she’d done to the other mermaids in the palace. Rushing the Queen, the other mermaid screamed out

“Don’t kill her!”

With her free hand, the Queen shot a spell towards him, Keith annoyed as he was thrown back again. The moment’s hesitation at the other mermaid’s yelling was all that she’d needed to get the upper hand. Behind the Queen other mermaids had started gathering. All of them with those weird things on their necks, their eyes glassy as if not seeing what was right in front of them. Stopping his charge forward, Keith leapt back, placing himself in front of Pidge and Hunk. He could see red residual lines on them but none of those creatures

“Do you have your weapons?”

Hunk groaned as Pidge shook her head, answering quickly

“I don’t know where they are”

“Try summon them to you. She’s got a whole army under her control. That eel has something to do with it. We need to kill it first if we’re going to find out what happened to Lance”

Hunk reached out his hand, squeezing gently on Keith’s arm. He sounded utterly devastated

“She killed him… he… he’s gone…”

No. This was Lance. If he left himself believe that he’d just lost the chance to ever apologise then Keith knew he’d fall straight into corruption. Lance was tenacious. He’d survived an assassination attempt. He was smart and quick witted… She had to have sent him somewhere else in the palace to deal with him once she’d dealt with him

“Focus. I can’t take them alone…”

“But, Lance…”

“He’s not dead. He’s not. I can feel it”

“Keith…”

“For heaven’s sake, Hunk. Pull yourself together. They’re coming”

Keith didn’t have time to hold Hunk’s hand, the first of the mermaid army slipping past their Queen. Even on land they were agile, keeping balance as they slithered across the floor towards the three of them. As he raised Black to strike, the mermaid servant on the floor shrieked

“Don’t kill them! They don’t know what they’re doing!”

It was a mistake on her part, turning herself into a target. She might be the enemy, but at that moment she’d turned herself into the enemy of his enemy… plus, if they couldn’t kill the Queen, she might be the only one able to help them find Lance. Flipping Black, Keith placed the dull edge out, it’d hurt yet they’d live. Unless Lance truly was dead, then he’d burn the place to ground, ancient magic be damned.

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