#allura has daddy issues

[autisticlancemcclain]

1.

Her first memory of the birthday song is so faint that she’s not even sure it’s real. She only hears it in her dreams, and it sounds blurry around the edges, like file that’s been long corrupted. She can never recall it when she tries, but sometimes in the dead of night as she watches nothing but the inside of her eyelids, she’ll hear a voice, deep and low and musical, and feel a gentle rocking against a soft chest.

The stars brought you here, one decaphoebe now

And I’m so happy and grateful

Let the stars keep you here one decaphoebe more

As long as they are able

Allura has no real memory of her mother. Any idea of the Queen’s face is born only from gathered photographs, regal and beautiful and strong; but those are portraits of Queen Melenor.

Allura has no memory of Mama.

Sometimes she wonders how her brain knew to hold on to this memory, when she was barely old enough to recognise colours. How her brain knew that this would be important, this first time she ever heard the birthday song, the first time someone held her gently on the anniversary of her birth and thanked the stars that she came to be. Her mother, holding her gently, rocking her, singing softly and quietly, maybe even singing her to sleep. It is her most prized and cherished memory.

But she wakes up every morning, and forgets it.

2.

The day Allura turns six decaphoebes old, she finally manages to sneak away from the castle unsurpervised.

It takes months of planning. She follows her father as she usually does, wherever she is allowed, carefully keeping track of the guards and their schedules. She gives her tutors and nannies and Coran the runaround as often as she can, slipping away and reappearing when they look for her so they get used to not seeing her. She spends hours after her bedtime, blanket thrown over her head, holding a small Balmeran crystal between her teeth as she studies her carefully-copied map from the castle library. She memorizes every bend of every curving path, every street name and courtyard. She bides her time until she knows everyone will be distracted with ridiculously overzealous birthday preparations, and she quietly slips away.

Her heart pounds even as she’s miles away from the castle; so far it is hardly the size of her small pointer finger. She feels as if she is checking over her shoulder constantly, terrified that at any moment she will discovered she has been followed, and she’ll be dragged back to the castle for a day of stuffy too-tight dresses and balls with no other children to dance with and fathers who are far too busy to give her all the attention she needs.

She doesn’t want to spend her birthday at the castle. And by the skies, she will not.

Forcing herself to act braver than she feels, she marches into the nearest town, past amused merchants and shop-dwellers and farmers who know exactly who this young child is and exactly why she is out on her own. Finally she makes it to a large fountain in the middle of what she knows to be Cuttleberry Square, of the township of Quintel’ro in the Cuttleorn province. She sits on the stone edge, legs crossed and tucked under her thighs, watching the elegant fish swim about. Several silver tokens rest at the basin of the pool.

Wishes.

Coran told her, once, that wishes are granted by ritual. The more powerful the ritual, the more powerful the wish. Most wishes are small, though, and don’t need much ritual at all, which is why a simple coin in a puddle of water will grant them, or the burning of a meteor, or even the celebration of one’s birth. Small things for small wishes.

Allura carefully takes out a silver coin from her little purse and clenches it in a small hand. She glances at the sky — too bright for shooting stars — and hopes that she can make do with two out of three. She squeezes her eyes shut, pressing the coin to her lips as she murmurs, and then tosses it into the fountain.

Then, she sits and waits.

Unfortunately, Coran didn’t mention how long these sorts of things would take, but she can’t imagine they would take long. The universe is vast and strong, after all. And she eats all her goo and mediates every day just like Coran tells her to, so her quintessence should be strong to match. Resolute and determined, she waits.

And waits.

And waits.

“Something has gone wrong,” she decides eventually. She glances down at the token she threw in the fountain, frowning at it. “You are defective.”

“Who’s defective? The fish?”

Allura yelps, startled by the sudden voice beside her. In her shock she loses her balance, tipping over, but her legs are too tangled to catch herself, and she goes splashing into the pond, making all the poor fishes swim away in terror.

She glares at the stupid token. Double defective. The stupid thing has cursed her!

“I’m so sorry,” the voice from earlier says. Allura looks up to meet the eyes of another child, with short, curly black hair and big dark eyes, pink marks on their cheeks.

“I didn’t mean to startle you,” they continue. “I was just wondering why the Princess was yelling at a fountain.”

“I wasn’t yelling,” Allura grumbles. She holds a hand out for them to take, and they helpfully yank her out of the pool, stumbling back onto the cobblestone. The take their hand back as soon as Allura is stable, crossing it behind themself and rocking back and forth on their heels.

“Sure sounded like it.”

“Well, it sounded wrong.”

They hold up their hands in surrender, frowning. “Sorry, Princess. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Allura deflates. “I’m not — I’m not upset with you, I’m sorry. I’m only — I’m upset because it’s my birthday, today, and my father didn’t sing to me like he promised he would. He is too busy.”

Her new friend brightens. “Well, that’s an easy fix!” They clear their throat, then sing in a loud, clear voice, so inviting that people listening in happily join as well:

The stars brought you here, 6 decaphoebes now

And I’m so happy and grateful

Let the stars kee you here 6 decaphoebes more

As long as they are able.

Allura smiles bashfully as they all finish, toeing the ground and avoiding their whoops and applause. It’s not the attention from her father that she really wished for, but it’s love and affection all the same, even if it’s from strangers.

“Come on,” the other child says, grabbing her hand. “My mama has some dry clothes for you to borrow, and then you can play with me and my friends!”

Allura dashes off to play with the group, gleefully using the wooden swords they find to play knights and paladins. She never learns the name of her friend — Coran finds her before she has the chance, too busy having fun — but she never forgets the sound of them singing to her proudly in the square, when everyone else forgot.

3.

Like most other thirteen year olds, her first birthday as a teenager is not one she handles with particular grace.

She’s overheard stories from various parents in her father’s court for years. Terrible twos all over again, mothers and fathers and guardians whisper, only this time they know how to argue.

Allura used to be scared of becoming a teenager, when she was little. She was convinced she was going to turn into some kind of monster.

Now that she is a teenager, she knows the truth — everyone is monstrous to her.

It sounds bratty and entitled, even in her own mind, but she knows that she’s right. Everyone treats her warily now, like they’re expecting her to be volatile, which only makes her volatile. Her studies have increased tenfold, and as have her chores, so she constantly feels like she’s busy and has no time for herself. Besides that, every morning she wakes up feeling as if she’s been stretched overnight, and her pants are somehow always too short whether or not she had just seen the tailor a week ago.

It’s miserable. She’s tired all the time. She’s lonely. Her father is busier than ever, and nothing is as fun as it was when she was a kid.

A knock on her door drags her from her slumber, and in a fit of half-asleep rage, she throws a shoe at it, shouting for whomever it is to go away. It doesn’t work, because of course it doesn’t, and Coran slips through the doorway.

Her heart sinks slightly, because she had hoped it would be her father. (Although she knew it wouldn’t. Her father has not been the first person to see her on her birthday since she was five years old. She is lucky if he is the last. She knows things are getting tense — things are always getting tense — but she would appreciate it if her father would consider her a daughter rather than an heir).

Although it is not Coran’s fault, and it is perhaps a point in his favour that he is here at all, Allura is furious with him, because he is not Alfor, and he is certainly not Melenor, and Allura wants her parents, the reasons she was born, to be happy that she is alive.

“Go away,” she growls.

“Happy birthday, my dear,” Coran says quietly.

Hurt blinds her. It cracks her in half and bleeds into all her broken parts. Tears sting in her eyes, because her arms ache with growing pains and she knows in her heart that the special outfit she had set aside for her birthday will not fit her when she tries to tug it on and it is too early in the morning for her to be awake and today she will have to attend her stupid birthday ball that she hates and that is only ever attended by people who do not know her and there is a picture on her nightstand, of her as a baby in her mother’s arms as her father and Coran look at Allura-in-the-picture in what can only be described as awe, and Coran is the only one here right now, and no one has looked at her in awe is as long as she can remember, and she does not have the energy in her to pretend to be okay.

“Go away!” she shouts, louder, voice cracking on the words, “I hate you!”

She regrets the words as soon as they’re out of her mouth. Coran face tightens, briefly, real pain twisting his features before he pulls them into a mask of calm. Guilt eats at her insides.

“Coran —”

“I’ll make sure no one comes to bother you for a few vargas yet,” Coran says quietly. He pats her twice on the shoulder before turning away. It is paternal and loving and more than she deserves. He walks quickly back to the door, and Allura can’t hold it anymore.

“Coran, wait, please,” she begs, voice cracking. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. I’m a monster and it burst out of me. I didn’t mean that. I’m sorry.”

The advisor stops at the heavy wood doors, gloved hand resting on the frame. He is visibly tense through his uniform. Allura has never seen him angry — playfully, of course, and many times annoyed or worried or exasperated or protective, but never angry — and she’s sure she’s about to see it now, in the quiet way kind people get angry. She is sure his hand will clench into a fist, and he will say to her ‘yes, Princess (because he has always called her Allura or a pet name, he does not call her Princess, because only those who do not love her call her Princess), you are a monster. You are a mess. You are too much to handle, and you are not my job.’ She is sure of it. She sobs, hearing the words already in her head.

Instead, his raspy, accented voice rings through the room, so soft she misses the first part through her tears:

The stars brought you here, 13 decaphoebes now

And I’m so happy and grateful

Let the stars keep you here 13 decaphoebes more

As long as they are able.

He says nothing for a moment after his final note rests, still ar the doorway. Allura stares at him in a twisted mixture of shock and fear and hope.

“I am grateful,” he whispers, finally turning around. “That the stars brought you to me. You are not a monster, Allura. You can never be a monster.”

Allura’s face crumples. “I said I hated you. That is monstrous.”

“Did you mean it?”

She is quick to answer. “No.”

Coran walks back over to her, cupping her face and smiling kindly so the wrinkles on his face deepen. “I know, child. I know. You are angry and hurting and I am here. It was bound to happen. I forgive you, Allura. I love you.”

“I love you too,” Allura chokes out. “Thank you.”

Coran presses a kiss to her forehead. “Of course.

———

(Allura does not know where the change comes from. Not really.

But for the next six years, her father is the first through the door on her birthday. He is the first to sing her the star song. He is the first to hug her tightly and look at her with awe. He treats her like a daughter, again, and not his heir.

She does not know where the change comes from. But she observes a difference in the way Coran and her father interact. A stiffness, almost.

She almost feels sorry that she may have caused it. But Coran looks at her, and smiles, and the guilt fades away.)

———

4.

There is no celebration of anything on her nineteenth birthday, weeks after she wakes from a cryo pod and her world crashes to her feet. She lies to the paladins when they ask. To them, Alteans don’t celebrate birthdays. There are no special traditions. There is no awe or joy.

It hurts less that way.

+1.

“So,” Lance says the second she walks in the kitchen for breakfast on the morning of her twenty-first birthday. The way he says it makes he freeze.

He knows. He must.

It’s not that that’s a bad thing, exactly. She has been living with and fighting alongside the paladins for two years, now. They are as much of a family as she has ever had, as Coran — and her father, although her view of him has become significantly less idolising over the years — has been. She trusts them. She trusts Lance, who has proved himself over and over again, in two different lions, that he is dependable, that he knows when to push a subject and when to drop it.

But, still. The rest of the paladins are gathered, also making note of Lance’s tone, looking at her curiously. She has lied to them for two years, even with good reason.

Two years since she has heard the star song. The paladins have their own traditions. She has not known how to share hers without revealing more of herself than she is quite ready to.

“Today is a very special day on Earth,” he continues. “June 21st. The summer solstice. The longest, brightest day of the year; the strongest day of the year, for many. In some places the sun does not set at all. It’s honestly celebrated in some way all over the world, in some small way at least.”

Again, his words are casual. He idly stirs his goo around with his spork, offering half to the mice as he usually does. He does not look up even when Allura takes her hesitant seat in front of him, feeling the weight below his words.

“It’s the day of new beginnings,” he says softly. This time he looks at her, finally, brown eyes as steely as they are soft. “The day of shedding the dark hardships of winter, however long it may have been, and basking in the light of the sun.” His speech is practiced, poetic. Lance is no poor speaker by any means, but he does not usually speak so carefully. This is planned. “This is a day to start anew.”

The rest of the paladins watch them sharply, not even feigning otherwise. Coran is the only one who looks knowingly, who hides a smile behind his hand. The rest are as confused as they are intrigued.

Allura would not be surprised to learn that Coran has told his favourite human of her birthday. She would also not be surprised to learn that Lance has discovered this for himself.

“There are no such seasons on Altea,” Allura says quietly. “Rain comes in small, unpredictable waves. No one on Altea had such long hardships as your winters.”

Lance hums. “Not everywhere on Earth had summers or winters. But people still felt the difference. The summer solstice still feels brighter than the other days.”

Allura says nothing. She pokes around at her goo, hand at her temple, gaze pointedly away.

It would be nice, to hear the song again. To hear the well wishes.

“We had this tradition,” she whispers. “The star song.”

“For the summer solstice?” Pidge asks, the first to speak up.

Allura smiles reflexively at her. “No. For — birthdays.”

“…Oh.”

“Sing it for us,” Keith asks quietly. He doesn’t look at her, but his gloved hand reaches for hers and squeezes tightly. She squeezes back, swallowing the lump in her throat. If there is anyone at this table who can most closely feel the pain she feels every single year, the pain of having no one to thank for her very existence, it would be Keith, and she’s grateful for his support.

She clears her throat, ready to sing.

The stars brought you here, 21 decaphoebes now

And I’m so happy and —

The lump in her throat grows too large for her to push past any words. The melody dies on her tongue. Tears drip down her face, steady, into her bowl, and her shoulders shake. Silence — pained, both from her and for her — blares through the room.

Someone clears their throat from behind her, and song picks up again.

— grateful

Let the stars keep you here 21 decaphoebes more

As long as they’re able.

Coran places a steady hand on her shoulder, and she leans into it, desperate to siphon the support. Before she knows it, another hand grips her fingers, and then there’s a smiling face in front of her, and her entire family squishes in front all sides, soft smiles and gentle hands, holding her together with all of their strength put together. At the same time, without anyone counting them in, they behind to quietly sing:

The stars brought you here, 21 decaphoebes now

And we’re so happy and grateful

Let the stars keep you keep you here many decaphoebes more

Longer than they are able.

#the song is to the tune of pop goes the weasel roughly i’ll post some sheet music soon #HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALLURA MY LOVE #vld #voltron #allura #princess allura #allura angst #coran #coran coran the gorgeous man #allura & coran #coran & allura #autistic allura #allura has daddy issues #understandably #grief #brown eyed lance #lance & allura #keith & allura #team as family #hurt/comfort #my writing #fic #longpost

[look-how-they-massacred-them]

Preliminary Poll

Lotor

Submission reason:

It's been a hot while but I'm pretty sure he had a sudden personality switch and was then left to die & the show then focused on redeeming his abusive mom (I support womens wrongs usually but come on. That was just in poor taste)

It's been a while since I watched it, but the general gist was that, though it seemed like Lotor was heading for a Zuko-esque redemption arc, the show ended up retroactively revealing that he'd done some unforgivable war-crime level stuff (and then killed him off).

They spent all that time building him up as a sympathetic abuse victim who contrasts with the more outright evil antagonists, only to randomly make him crazy and kill him off unceremoniously at the end of a season. Then they had the absolute audacity to give a redemption arc to his neglectful evil scientist mother. The disrespect!!!

When he was first introduced, he was this sort of anti-villain seeking to supplant his shitty comatose dad and reform the Galra Empire. He wanted to make things better for Galra-Alien hybrids like himself, even having a badass team of warrior women as his primary followers, and stopped at nothing to attain that goal. When Emperor Zarkon awoke and declared Prince Lotor a traitor to the empire, Lotor joined the Voltron team as an ally, forming a truly gorgeous relationship with Princess Allura along the way. Like, they had actual chemistry, with narrative parallels and some really good body language to show the interest was indeed mutual and affectionate. However, as soon as he killed his dad for the Voltron team, the narrative took a nosedive and turned Lotor into a people-harvesting madman seeking to take over the universe as an even worse tyrant than Zarkon, leading to him getting killed off unceremoniously. Lotor was probably the most deeply nuanced character the show had ever approached, alongside Shiro, and even then they completely dropped the ball and went back on all that character development, seemingly just to clear the way for Allura to briefly share a sauceless relationship with Lance before getting killed off herself, and give the sympathetic villain role over to his abusive mom Haggar, who is significantly less relatable and much more shitty than he ever was before they retconned him into being evil.

Propaganda:

He's an extremely tall (like 7 feet I'm pretty sure??) purple space elf with Legolas hair. Draw your own nsfw conclusions from that. Also he has daddy issues. And mommy issues.

Lotor is great! I was a huge fan of him during his first season or two. He definitely operated in a moral grey area that involved a lot of underhanded tactics, but he still remained a sympathetic character in his motivations (and had one of those classic tragic backstories that always makes you want good things for a character). He led a team of four female generals where all of them, including Lotor himself, were societal outcasts. It originally seemed like he placed a lot of faith in them, and there was a really cool ""power of friendship but evil"" vibe. Lotor even switched sides and started making friends with the protagonists, so I think towards the end most people were guessing he'd get some sort of redemption arc. I remember watching the episode where they revealed his space-war crimes and killed him off and going. huh. that was like. a fever dream, right? They didn't actually just turn this cool morally complex character into an unforgivable monster, right???? Like, I'm generally really cool with bad writing and iffy characterization--that's what fic is for!--but Lotor's whole thing was on another level. He got run through the blorbo blender fr

Princess Allura probably counts for this too, considering how she got red-stringed into dating Lance after seeing her last boyfriend go nuts and die, and then got dragged into a heroic sacrifice with very little setup. Also, Lotor's whole arc before the switcheroo was broadly seen as a good allegory for children from interracial relationships being isolated from both of their parents' cultures, as well as a child growing up under abusive circumstances overcoming their abuse and building a life for themselves above their upbringing. It could have been so good. But they seemed far more interested in this hollow tragic villain setup for Haggar and this similarly lifeless dating arc with Lance than going through with the better option.

#look how they massacred them poll #look how they massacred my boy #lotor #vld lotor #voltron lotor #vld #voltron legendary defender #voltron

[palidinus]

ramble time since shiro won’t disclose any of this at any point any time soon:

shiro’s parents were killed in a car accident when he was in his teens

he could never live up to his father’s expectations and thus had a turbulent relationship with him; at 14 he was kicked out after being caught in the back shed with a boy (because his father was very strict)

he lived with his grandfather until he was 18, when he enlisted into the military, then graduated into the galaxy garrison, then moved up in rank via good behavior and excellent performance

he’s been sick all his life— he was born with DMD which progressed at a much more rapid pace around the time he turned 17

shiro was not always a “good” student nor son. he relates to keith heavily in that he sees himself in him and that subsequently urges him to help him

shiro used to be a lot like lance and was a huge arrogant show-off, which is why they butt heads

the inferiority complex/daddy issues are real with this one, he just does a very good job at Not Showing It. or much of anything else beyond near toxic positivity

much of his drive to be the way he is today is fueled by the way he used to be in his past; his past is a big part of who he is and learning to leave it behind is part of his motif

he struggles to let go of his past thanks to his trauma— it’s why there are times his past seeps out of and through him out of his (usually) impeccable control

shiro struggles with crying in front of people. in the past three years my muse has only ever done so in front of pidge. even canonly, he did not ONCE shed a tear until allura’s passing

shiro is a bit of a control freak

#→ ooc #→ headcanons #i'm aware this is old but i'm bringing it up again for new(er) mutuals

[whatthehelliswrongwithme]

Voltron Part 28

Everyone says that S7 and S8 are bad. But at least they dont have this stupid half-season thing going on. Season 6, episodes 5+6! These ones were pretty wild. Let's go!:

The aaangst! So much aaaangst!

Also. Congatulations, it’s a Sheith!

Keith once again went off on his his own because of Shiro...

Colourful Ty Lee, Big Gal! Don’t call Shiro “it”. He’s our fucking space daddy!

Space witch calling Keith the “Red Paladin” is literally me. Like. Guys, you’ve had your new lions long enough! Colour coordinate accordingly!

This entire episode, I'm just that meme, “Hey. Check out how hard I can cry”

Stone Cold Bitch is hesitant to shoot Keith! The brOTP continues!

Is the virus affecting the castle supposed to be created by Shiro/space witch? And therefore it knows what Pidge would do?

Lotor don’t talk to your mother like that. She may be an ass, but you’re the bigger ass

Lotor got his girlsquad back, eventhough he doesn't deserve them

OH FUCK! OH SHIT! OH FUCKING SHIT! OH SHITTING FUCK!

That stupid fucking clone theory got it right!

AND I FUCKING HATE THAT!

NO!!!! THAT'S DUMB! I DON'T LIKE THAT

Okay. First of all: How did people think of this theory? I only knew that it existed because of old Voltron-fandom videos on YouTube. Did I miss so much foreshadowing?

Second: I absolutely hate this. I want MY Shiro. Not some stupid clone

Third: That discovery scene was really well done! Kudos to the people responsible

(Fourth: There probably exist a Sheith Gangbang fic on AO3 based on this scene. And i will find it)

It’s time for more ANGST!

That fight scene is SO anime

Tam Voltron, don’t fucking mistrust Shiro (even though you now know that the virus is his doing)

Did Keith just have goddamn yellow eyes? It’s probably a Galra thing, but I just wanna send him to an optometrist

“Shiro”, honey. That “Your parents abandoned you”-thing won’t work on Keith. He basically just had a 2 year pep talk with his mom

I know it’s an animation thing, to show that Keith's breathing heavily. But the Paladins armor must be really shitty if it just bends like that

Keith said “I love you”. I repeat: Keith said “I love you”

(I know it won’t be canon because apparently !No! shippers were happy with the ending. But just let me have this)

And their backstory is so cute!!!

Is Shiro good again? Because of the power of love, or something like that?

God. This episode was just an emotional roller coaster...

.-•-°-•-.-•-°-•-.-•-°-•-.-~☆

Hey, it's the spirit realm where Shiro fought Zarkon!

It's good-haircut-Shiro!

God. Him telling Keith he died broke my fucking heart...

Sooooo. What are you gonna do with "Shiro" ?

~I predicted it~ ~It's time for some Allura-angst because of this whole situation with Lotor~

Is it bad that I don't feel that sorry for her? Because, like. Lotor was obviously still an evil ass

And being a Leader, she should have a better judge of character

But. At least we got a good Allurance moment out of that

Big Gal and colourful Ty Lee are suprisingly okay with siding with Lotor again. That's either non-developed character motivation. Or part of some greater scheme(?)

Moustache man, sorry but I do not care about your b-plot of trying to fix the castle.

(But also: Good for you, for living this ~Disney princess life~ with all these animal companions)

Lotor. I don't think that anyone still believes that you're a good guy

Does Allura get to kill Lotor?

His reaction to being compared with Zarkon sure was something. Dude got some serious daddy-issues to work through

Wow, Lotor you're such a great guy~♡. Talking about, being the Altean's great leader and erasing Allura+her dad from history. Such a good guy~ ^^

And the girlsquad abandoned him again. Nevermind

Why did Lotor decide to have his 99cent-version of Voltron be a scalie?

It's kinda sad that Keith has to listen to his friends potentially dying.... But I'm also pretty impressed that he's still getting signal all the way in space...

Shiro said his line! "Patience yields focus".

And now Keith had his magical-girl transformation sequence with the black lion!

So the final episode gonna be an epic mecha battle? Again? Like in season 2?

Is Allura gonna "die"? Again? Like in every other season-finale-episode?

Also they still have to figure out, what to do about this entire Shiro and "Shiro"-thing

#voltron #voltron legendary defender #vld #voltron season 6 #netflix #sheith #honestly #otp #right there #keith kogane #keith #vld keith #shiro #takashi shirogane #vld shiro #shiro/keith #allurance #allura #lotura #lotor #moustache man #kuron #jiro #i dont know how to tag #clone shiro #pidge #katie holt #krolia #seriously. if someone wants to explain the foreshadowing #please do!

[thevoxmachinafamily]

What some people say about Vox Machina (that has been seen and heard online) which has confused some of those who haven’t watched Campaign 1:

“VM are goody-two-shoe heroes.”

“VM are ***holes.”

“They’re really mean to everyone.”

“They’re only mean to people who are mean to them.”

“VM decided they liked someone after they heard he had daddy issues.”

“They have so many friends and allies!”

“Half of VM ‘friends’ and ‘allies’ are just people they paid to fight for them.”

“They’re not as much of a family as M9 are.”

“What do you mean they’re not a family? Have you watched Camapign 1?”

“VM are the Avengers whereas the M9 are the Guardians of the Galaxy.”

“...But Grog is literally Drax and Scanlan poops in their enemies’ beds.”

“VM are actually a mix of Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy.”

“VM are nothing like either of those superhero teams.”

“You do know what they used to call themselves, right?”

“Both VM and M9 refer to themselves as ***holes though...”

“They aren’t as relatable.”

“VM are so relatable!”

“The M9 and VM are both awesome - y’all just biased.” (I like this person, whoever you are)

“They’re greedy and are always haggling people.”

“How about you look up their backstories and you might find out why.”

“Level 20 VM are loaded with money.”

“And Level 10 VM were poor as **** - what’s you’re point?”

“There’s never been a more accurate representation of a family.”

“They’re ignoring Scanlan!!/Scanlan isn’t expressing himself!!”

“People are comparing mid-campaign M9 to Level 20 veterans. Why?”

“They’re accidental heroes.”

“They’re archetypical heroes.”

“Some have only watched highlights and YouTube clips of VM instead of their actual campaign or any of the VM Talks Machina and it shows.”

“Flying cows. Nuff said.”

“Didn’t VM make friends with a Mind-Flayer?”

“The cast love their characters equally so why argue?”

“Matt Mercer had to bend over backwards to make them heroes.”

“They’re not heroes, they only fight for themselves.”

“Oh yeah, the people who rescued children, saved Lady Kima, freed a friend’s city and helped shelter and evacuate families from Emon before saving the rest of the world are totally not heroes.”

“Aren’t they dull compared to the M9?”

“A broom was stolen from a guest PC...”

“VM are more morally good than the M9.”

“The M9 are more morally good than VM.”

“Percy could literally play as Lawful Evil and no-one would notice.”

“VM/M9 would obliterate VM/M9 in a fight.”

“VM/M9 would love VM/M9, are you kidding me?”

“VM are children who Allura, Kima and Gilmore must babysit.”

“They had one brain cell among them and most of the time it was absent with Pike.”

What Vox Machina are:

Inexperienced travellers whose smaller quests lead them headfirst into a massive end-of-the-world adventure that no-one else seemed capable of dealing with so they decided to do something about it...

Strangers from all walks of life that needed to work together for money and eventually bonded as a close-knit family.

A group of fantasy characters that a bunch of nerdy*** Voice Actors created for no-one but themselves so they could play D&D for their friend’s birthday before they had an audience.

#critical role #vox machina #vox machina family #the mighty nein #mighty nein #cr #cr spoiles #mild spoilers #vex’ahlia #vax’ildan #scanlan shorthalt #pike trickfoot #grog strongjaw #percy de rolo #percival de rolo #keyleth

[cadykeus-clay]

i would low key love to hear your tangent about the differences there are between how VM and TM9 react with the world

ah, the perfect excuse for me to put off my 30 page reading, thank you :3

(i’m also going to preface this by saying most of this is stuff i’ve picked from other people’s various metas and i absolutely do not remember who those authors might be so i apologize jsdlkfsd)

....

but uh ... basically i feel like vox machina and the nein have a completely opposite standard for how they interact with the people the consider to be their “inner circle” vs. everyone who doesn’t qualify as that. 

vm is a group of individuals who, overall, had one cruel person that slighted them but didn’t really destroy their faith in humanity. (their faith in themselves is a whole different horse. that ones .... woof. looking at you percy scanlan tary keyleth.) Percy had the briarwoods, Grog had Kevdak, the twins and tary had their father. so, the way that they interact with just random people that they meet is - with exceptions of course - amicable, or at the very least, respectably polite. 

they’re the saviours of emon, the freers of whitestone. they have festivals held in their honor. they have kid fans and random farmers knocking on their doorstep for aid because they’ve heard tales of the kindness. sure, vex can be a hassle when she’s haggling down a price, and keyleth tends to poke buttons in way that gets her arrested a fair amount of the time, but at the end of the day they’re the people’s heroes, and they’re happy to be that!

their inner circle, however, is much more closely guarded. they have a few chosen allies (gilmore, allura, kima, kash and zahra, cassandra) and that’s it. They’re hesitant with anyone else trying to creep into their personal fold. Hell, it took beating up tary and him breaking down sobbing for them to even consider liking him. they’ve been burned by raishan and clarota and hotis, by individuals they let in and who then stabbed them in the back. they’ll do almost any favor for a stranger who asks, but they’ll be damned if they trust anyone to actually join their midst. vox machina is vox machina is vox machina and that’s incredibly hard to change. 

the nein, on the other hand, are fundamentally a group of rejects. some of them have specific people they can point a finger at and say “i hate you”, but those problems stem from a greater societal rejection. beau has daddy issues, but she also felt rejected by the entire cobalt soul until dairon found her. caleb has trent’s fucked up shit, but he also has this constant pressure of having failed his entire country, not to mention the faceless hate piled up on him from living homeless for a year. jester’s whole deal is that she had to hide from LITERALLY ALL OF SOCIETY for her entire childhood because she wasn’t supposed to exist.

and so, the nein are shitheads to society right back. they’re mean to random barkeeps, they trash their inns and don’t say sorry, they mock most NPCs behind their back (or sometimes right to their face. @ marius).  Every favor asked of them comes with a ton of deliberation and arguing about whether its bait or not (ie bowlgate, the giants in the mine outside rosohna, essiks “favors”). 

but, on the flip side, they’re willing to tug just about anyone into their ranks. if society already hates them by default, what’s there to lose if they get close to someone? nothing, there’s only more love to be found! so it’s adopting random bird girls on the road, its sending cupcakes to a hag that cursed your friend, its sending messages to everyone you’ve ever met just to check in, it’s making someone sit in the hot tub with you and share trauma and then when you find out he started a war you say “we get it bro” and kiss him on the forehead. it’s “welcome to the mighty nein”. 

and it’s also very interesting, i think, to talk about the ways in which the party interacts with themselves. vox machina was a family, undoubtedly, as is the nein now. but vox machina ... had a lack of desperation to their attachment. i mean for one, they took a full year off from adventuring together and scattered cross continent. even if the nein gets down time like they did, i expect they’ll just trail each other around like lemmings. (its kind of what they’ve been doing from hiatus until now with the eiselcross arc starting). 

but vox machina just ... went. and scanlan walked away from the party and (after the heat of the moment), they agreed to just let him be. and pike would spend weeks on quests for sarenrae without much of a complaint. even at the end - and this will be a controversial take, i know - but they let vax go pretty easily. (sure, mechanically they were wiped from fighting, but besides tears the only attempt to defy trq was from percy, which even he gave up on with minimal struggle because vax said to stop it). that’s not to say they don’t miss each other when they’re gone! of course they do!!! but they trust each other to go off into the world, because the world as whole is a place they trust. 

(the one exception to this might be vex, who fought every one of these situations adamantly, but that’s a whole separate essay about her issues stemming from an innate sense of ‘failed family’ that she’s desperate to not repeat, and less about a mistrust of everyone until proven otherwise)

the nein on the other hand. hoo boy. they’ve been hot glued to each other’s hips since day one. So many quotes (many from beau, which could be worked into my previous vex essay, as they’re very much cross-campaign foils. getting sidetracked again) are about their inability to separate. “You don’t get to choose who cares about you”; “No one goes”; “If one of us is gone for more than 7 days assume we’re dead and have a funeral”; “Do we have co-dependecy issues?” Jester’s cool personal vacation to her god’s get together turned into a party with everyone because why would she go anywhere without the nein? Veth’s time with Luc and/or Yeza is constantly overrun with the rest of the nein dropping in for fun. Even small things like shopping trips are so much more “oh well if you’re going then i’ll go” snowballs than they ever were with vm. 

Also, ashley’s absences had to be much more forceful than in c1. Post episode 11, the only time yasha left the group (rather than someone else piloting her) of her own free will was when she ran in grief from molly’s grave. And yes, there’s something to be said about “oh they were on a boat for a long time she had nowhere to go” but if Matt can justify astral projection pike, i feel like he could justify ‘the stormlord teleports yasha away for a bit’ and he chose not to. 

Because!!!!!!!!! of the dynamic that the nein has!!!!!!!! Because of this idea that the world is bad and cold and full of hate and in here in our little hut (soon to be mansion??????) it’s safe and good and full of love and no one can leave because then you’d be going somewhere much more dangerous and we can’t have that, now can we? 

.....

well uh. that’s a lot of words. i hope they made some sense??? and were at all what you were expecting???? thank u for sending the ask tho this was very fun to write!!

tldr: vox machina is a group of people who were betrayed by one bad figure, so they trust the world and are wary of the individual; whereas the nein is a group of people who were failed by the world at large so they welcome the loner and fear the pack. 

#critical role #vox machina #the mighty nein #critical role meta #hey the actual essay bit turned out be 1200 words On The Nose

[finnskeeper]

Critical Role - Campaign 1 (Thoughts Machina): Episodes 81 - 93

AKA: TYING UP SOME LOOSE ENDS

Laura breaking character to yell at Travis for almost tossing a Deck of Many Things is SENDING ME

LIAM'S REACTIONS ARE GREAT TOO OMG

OH GOD HE PULLED A CARD

ROFL Everyone is sweating

Well, that could have been much worse

ROFL poor Ker

I love that Liam randomly takes time outs to announce that D&D is, in fact, the best game ever (he is not wrong)

ALLURA

Awwww, Scanlan...

Man, Heroes' Feast really is the bane of green dragons, huh?

I gotta say, the image of hundreds of corpses falling upward and then adding to the terrible, writhing mass on the ceiling is...an image.

Hey, Raishan isn't actually standing there. Who could have possibly guessed?

Matt had to amp this fight up quite a bit given the two high level NPCs are with them plus Kerrek

ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN POINTS OF DAMAGE?!?!?

LOL @ Liam: "New campaign next weeeeek!"

"We don't do anything with dignity." ROFL

Are those really Scanlan's last words? A bad joke about a horse?

KIKI

There goes Percy again...man, this fight is brutal

Kerrek is only level 7?!? How is he still alive??

Oh, Scanlan...oh man...

LIAM STAHP

That ritual...I'm not crying YOU ARE

I'm honestly surprised they've never heard Matt make the cork pop noise. I thought that was like 101 in voice acting?

Ok, the  man just died. Can we not cover him in pudding?

Aww, I forgot about Senokir's wife

Earthbreaker Groon!

Oh dear...Scanlan is not happy

WHAT'S MY MOTHER'S NAME?

I mean, I knew this was coming, but it's still heartbreaking

OMG This entire Tary introduction is sending me. Laura's pissed. Liam is in disbelief. Marisha's in denial. I love everything about this.

LITTLE ELF GIRL? OHFUCK

Keyleth: "I don't like new people right now, as of yesterday!" LOL

"I'm a bit of a tinkerer, I could show you a few things." OMG

All of these book titles are gonna kill Matt

I know they keep ragging on Tary because they're roleplaying well, but I still feel bad for Sam

I love that they keep purposely mispronouncing his name and Doty's

Vex: "JARRET! You sold Scanlan drugs? Is this why you were expelled from Marquet!" Jarret: "Noooooooo...."

Was that the birth of Boulder, Parchment, Shears?

ROFL they just fucking jumped Tary and Doty

AND VAX ROLLS A NAT 20 ON SNEAK ATTACK

MATT'S FACE

Also, this is the 2nd time Vax has sneak attacked a person as a test.

Oh, no, poor Tary. Sam is laying it on thick and I love him

YOU SHOULD HAVE LED WITH DADDY ISSUES

They all love him now and it's so good.

"Did it sound like a llama being torn apart by a pack of wolves?"

One of my favorite things about this game is Vox Machina going "We wanna go to [insert name of city they haven’t been to in forever]." and Matt mentally scrambling through his NPC rolodex like “Okaaaay.”

Ring of the Ram? That's such an old school item!

Science Bros!

"And it was the metric system!"

OMG A KRAKEN?!? MATTHEW MERCER

Uvenda, about Keyleth’s mom: "We only found her leg." Keyleth, immediately: "She's still alive." *insert side eye teddy meme here*

I love how they haven't even introduced themselves to Tary three episodes later

Matt as Trinket is gonna make Laura cry

If Vax rolls a high enough stealth check, can he hide from the RQ herself?

LOL it is so appropriate that Tary is the one who aggroed the Kraken

Matt is way too happy to be killing them with this kraken

Aaaaand now he hates all of them. Eels, man.

Man they weren't even this dejected during any of the dragon fights. This is brutal.

LOL Grog just leaving Tary is the best

“THROW THE NITWIT THROUGH THE DOOR!”

Kraken: "I'm coming soon enough!" Me: "That's a tomorrow problem."

PIKE'S BACK BISHES

LOL Pike and Tary's first meeting is so good

"Long may he reign." OMGTALIESIN

dragonkeylethdragonkeylethdragonkeylethdragonkeyleth

MOM PIKE SAYS STUDY YOUR FLASHCARDS

Shopping episodes are so great

Man, Voice of the Tempest is such a badass title

LOL I love the episode title: Vox Machina Goes to Hell

Bacon-wrapped baby Hotis in prison?

Percival...take just a moment before taking a deal in Hell, won't you?

All I can see is that Galavant scene with drunk-Gal and drunk-Richard sneaking around the castle very badly

ROFL that guest was waiting FOREVER

LOL @ Travis keeping count of Laura's swears

There's a lot of fire here, yo

They are all dedicated to those bat mimes, and I love them

LOL Keyleth goes down and Liam starts flipping through the handbook FURIOUSLY

Three successive characters either heal Keyleth or otherwise cast protective spells on her because if she goes down, VM is stuck in this hellish prison FOREVER

I have never identified with this cast more than right now, when half of them break out into a rowdy chorus of MmmBop. Such a millennial moment.

RIP DOTY

I don’t even have character thoughts any more, y’all. I love them all. My heart is going to be ripped out violently in another 20 episodes or so. Please respect my preemptive grief during this difficult time.

#critical role #campaign 1 #vox machina #vax'ildan #vex'ahlia #percy de rolo #keyleth #grog #scanlan shorthalt #pike trickfoot #taryon darrington #thoughts machina

[ashkazora]

Truth to be to Five!Lance's "I AM THE DADDY HERE!" can be directed at any character that is not Hunk and it will fit, like Shiro? Space dad, therefore is the daddy issue, Keith? Orphan, has daddy and mommy issues (leans more towards mommy issues), Allura? Also orphan, also has mommy and daddy issues, Pidge? Doesn't necessarily have daddy issues but does have family related trauma, Coran? Again, is the daddy issue here, Kuron? Identity crisis, Lotor? Do I even have to say?

Anon you are so RIGHT. Everyone has daddy issues and Five!Lance knows it. The only one exempt is Hunk, but that’s because he has two mums and was spared from any daddy issues.

Lotor latches onto any vaguely-daddish father figure. Romelle lost her father. Matt is just like Pidge. Every single character has daddy issues. And that’s a fact.

Once everyone finds out that Lance is actually Quite Old, everyone’s daddy issues goes a bit haywire. Realistically Lance is the daddy here. He’s the old one. The only one without daddy issues. He’s an angry grump. But he’s also in the body of a scrawny, vaguely dorito-shaped 17-year-old. He may be an alcoholic, in a relationship with an inanimate object, and very worn from the past (future?) but he’s also baby. In looks, anyway. 

Everyone in the team and the extended team have a lot of daddy issues with Lance, Coran and Shiro. Lance is the more fearsome of the three, but it’s really hard to take someone seriously when their voice cracks in the middle of a Stern Dad Talk (tm).

At least everyone has experienced Five!Lance’s ‘I AM THE DADDY HERE’ once. His outbursts are famous amongst the coalition. It’s an experience everyone fears. 

#anon you've made a great point #SUCH A VALID POINT #the only ones with vague mommy issues are Lotor and Keith and they're both stiff affected by Lance #Five!Lance has a mum voice specifically for them #five!lance au #vld #voltron #ask #anon

[demiboydemon]

Hybrids

Keith wasn’t sure what was happening or where he was. All he knew was that he was, at the moment, laying on a hard surface and that his head hurt.

Without sitting up, Keith tried to remember what had led him here. After a moment of concentration, he remembered Lotor giving them the information about the work camp.

Fanfic continued under cut 

“I believe that the Green Paladin’s father may be at this work camp,” Lotor had said as he pointed to a figure on the holographic map.

“It is one formally under my control,” He continued, “I know that there is a genius human being held prisoner there. Your father is the only human genius of whom I am aware.”

“My father?” Pidge demanded, slamming her hands on the table with both an excessive amount of force and the implication that she’d rather be slamming her hands on Lotor. “You had him all along?”

Lotor waved his hand dismissively, not at all seeming threatened by the outburst. “Perhaps you remember incorrectly. Until mere pheobes ago, I was working against you. I had no reason until now to share with you this information.”

“Well, why’d you wait so long? You’ve been working with us for six months!”

Lotor raised an eyebrow at her. “I was a bit busy helping you all with saving the universe. There are things that are of more importance than family.”

“Easy for you to say!” Pidge snapped. “You don’t have a real family!”

“Pidge,” Keith said, forced calmness beginning to wear thin, “We understand that you miss your family. We all miss our families. But Lotor also has a point. He had no reason to share this information with us until now.”

Keith turned to Lotor. “Lotor, please explain to us where Sam Holt is being held.”

Lotor smiled at the Black Paladin, fangs glinting in the castle’s artificial sunlight. “Gladly.”

Keith remembered making plans to infiltrate the work camp. He remembered the gas filling the room. He remembered putting his helmet on, hoping that it wasn’t too late. He remembered that Lotor had passed out before him, as did Pidge and Hunk. He remembered being thrown, barely conscious, into a cell with Lotor.

After remembering all of this, he forced himself to sit up and open his eyes. He was still in the cell with Lotor. Lotor was already awake, sitting across from Keith.

“Finally, you’re awake,” Lotor said.

Keith looked around the cell. Unsurprisingly, there were no clocks. Why waste clocks on prisoners? It’s not like it was important for them to know the time.

“How long have we been in here?” Keith asked. “And why’d they put us together?”

“How would I know how long we’ve been here?” Lotor asked. “I’ve been awake for about two Vargas, but our actual time of imprisonment is unknown.”

Lotor paused a moment before speaking again, “We were put together because we are both half breeds. The humans are together, as are the Alteans. I assume based on previous knowledge that they are separating their invaders by species.”

Keith nodded, silently thanking Lotor for not making him ask. “Makes sense.”

“It’s true, then?” Lotor mused, talking more to himself at first before turning his attention back to his cell mate. “I did not know you were half Galra.”

Keith glared at the wall. “I wish I wasn’t.”

Lotor tilted his head. “I mean no disrespect, Black Paladin, but why do you regret your Galra heritage? We are the most powerful known species in the universe.”

“The Galra are evil.” Keith said, “They killed all the Alteans, they took Shiro’s arm, they captured Pidge’s family.... the list goes on and on.”

“The Empire,” Lotor corrected.

“What?”

“The Empire did those things. Not the Galra race. The Blade Of Marmora, for example,” Lotor said, “Fights against the Empire. You and I fight against the empire.”

‘I wonder if my mother fought for or against the Empire,’ Keith wondered.

“I guess,” Keith said. He decided to change the subject. “You’re half Altean, right?”

“How did you know?” Lotor asked.

Keith smiled a little. “It’s pretty obvious. Pointy ears, furless face, British accent, white hair.”

Lotor laughed. “I suppose it is quite obvious to someone looking for it. Although I am not familiar with a British.”

“It’s a country on Earth,” Keith explained, “They’ve got voices with the cadence of yours and Allura’s. Coran’s is more of a New Zealand accent, though.”

“Is that another Earth country?”

“Yeah. They’ve got the same language as America, where I grew up.”

Lotor looked alarmed. “The same language? That implies.... Earth doesn’t share the same language?”

“Earth has over 6,000 languages. I only speak English, Spanish, and Korean.”

“Your people have yet to agree on a common tongue? Fascinating.”

“Yeah. I think Mandarin Chinese is the most common one, but it could have changed since I read that.”

“Earth astounds me.” Lotor said, “Earth people are so weak, and they disagree on everything. Yet their planet still thrives after millions of decapheobes.”

Keith nodded in agreement. “I don’t understand people, either. It probably shouldn’t have been such a surprise to find out I was Galra.”

“You see it as a weakness, Keith, but I see it as a strength,” Lotor said, moving a bit closer to Keith. “The Galra Empire only ever saw my Altean half as something shameful. The Empire values physical strength and power. They value victory and fearlessness. Bravery to a foolish extent. But I am not fully Galra. I am an equal amount Altean. Alteans value intellect and knowledge. Wisdom, curiosity, diplomacy. As a hybrid, I carry with me the values of both cultures.”

Lotor looked at Keith with a determined expression. “As a hybrid, you carry the strengths of a human, but you also carry the strengths of the Galra.”

“You think Allura would like you more if she knew you were half Altean?” Keith asked.

Lotor nodded. “Undoubtedly.”

“Then why don’t you tell her?”

“I do not need her approval. I have faced decapheobes of prejudice because of my mixed heritage. The princess not trusting me is the least of my concerns.”

Lotor paused. “I don’t want her to trust me because of my race. I want her to trust me because of the things I have done. I want for her to realize that just like the Alteans have done wrong, the Galra can do good. If she knows I am half Altean, she will start viewing my wrong doings as the fault of my Galra half, and my acts of kindness as the virtue of my Altean half.”

Keith nodded. “I completely understand. You don’t want her to think of you as two people, one Galra, one Altean. You’re not two people of different races. You’re a hybrid.”

“Exactly,” Lotor sighed.

“When Allura found out I was Galra,” Keith started, “She started treating me differently. Like I was a threat. Like I wasn’t me anymore. I wasn’t the same Keith who had saved her life, or the Keith whose life she had saved before. I wasn’t a Paladin. I wasn’t helping her save the universe. When she looked at me, she saw a Galra.”

Keith laughed coldly. “I don’t even look Galra. Shiro says I had sharp teeth when I was younger, but they’re pretty normal now.”

Lotor placed his hand on Keith’s. “Life has never been easy for hybrids such as us. My Generals- former generals now, I suppose- have had difficult lives as well, because of their mixed blood. We tend to be either viewed as dangerous or deeply underestimated.”

“People will always see you as their enemy, I guess,” Keith said. He stood up. “We need to get out of this prison.”

“I tried to escape before you woke up, but this is one of the most secure Galra prisons I have ever been held in.”

Keith turned to him. “C’mon, Lotor. We can do it. Two people, one human, one Altean, and two Galra. The math doesn’t add up, but that’s fine. We hybrids have never really given people what they were looking for anyway.”

“I appreciate the pep talk, but I have no idea what you mean.” Lotor said.

“You said that the Galra Empire constantly underestimates hybrids. That’s an advantage to us. We can use it.”

Lotor nodded. “I suppose. I’ve never used that strategy before.”

“You’ve been alive 10,000 years and you e never done that?” Keith asked, unbelieving.

Lotor sighed. “Much like the Altean Princess, I spent a good portion of my life frozen in a pod.”

“Wait, what?” Keith asked. “Why? It’s not like you were sick or anything.”

“No, I was not sick. Truth be told, I didn’t need to ever be put in a pod. But my father would often force me in a pod as punishment when I misbehaved, or even when he was simply tired of me.” Lotor said.

‘He sounds bitter, but in a different way,’ Keith noted mentally, ‘Like he used to be upset, but now he’s resigned to it.’

“So, how old are you?”

Lotor pondered this for a moment. “I’d guess that I’m about your age.”

Keith shook his head. He tried to think of how to escape.

“I’m going to pretend to be sick with a human illness.” Keith started, “When they open the door to see what’s wrong, you take them down. Then we take their weapons and free the others.”

Lotor nodded, but he was frowning. “That’s not a very good plan.”

Keith shrugged. He cleared his thought and started yelling. “Help! I’m throwing up all over your nice dungeon. I have chicken pox!”

“Oh dear lord!” Lotor screamed, playing along, “This is horrifying to watch! He’s so weak, and he is vomiting because he is a hybrid!”

Keith thought that Lotor’s words were overkill, but the guards must have thought otherwise, because they opened the doors. Lotor took both guards out very quickly.

Lotor and Keith took their weapons and the keys to the cells.

“If I’m correct, the others will be over this way,” Lotor said, walking quickly down a corridor. Keith followed him.

“You know,” Lotor said offhandedly, “You and I have an awful lot in common, Keith.”

“Hm?” Keith responded, mostly focusing on the mission, but still curious to hear what Lotor had to say.

“Well,” Lotor continued, “We both wish to overthrow my father, we’re both half Galra, we’re both incredibly attractive, and we both have... what is it that Lance called it? Ah, yes. Daddy issues.”

Keith stopped walking. “What was that last thing?”

“Daddy issues,” Lotor said casually. He turned around to look back at Keith. “Do keep up.”

Keith had to take two steps for every one Lotor took, but that wasn’t what was on his mind at the moment.

Was Lotor hitting on him? There were a few ways to find out. He could either ask Pidge and risk her mockery, or he could ask Lotor and risk his.

Keith weighed his options, and eventually decided that Pidge was far scarier than Lotor, mockery-wise.

“Are you flirting with me?” Keith asked.

Lotor looked back at him, eyebrow raised. “Yes. I thought it was obvious.”

Keith wasn’t sure how to respond to that, so he didn’t.

They finally got to a cell. Lotor pressed his hand to it and it opened. “Royal Galra blood,” Lotor explained before Keith could ask.

“Guys!” Hunk said. “Thank quiznack you’re here.”

“Thanks for saving us.” Shiro added, “Let’s go find Coran and Allura.”

The rest of the escape was uneventful. They only had to take out one guard, and their ships weren’t locked up very well.

“It’s a very minimum security prison,” Lotor explained on the way back. “As I said in my previous information, it was mostly used as a labor camp.”

“Your information was wrong!” Pidge said to him angrily. “You led us right into a trap!”

“I also fell victim to that trap,” Lotor pointed out, “Perhaps you don’t recall. That can happen sometimes, after you get knocked out. Also, I helped you escaped.”

“But you still fed us false info,” Pidge protested.

“Pidge, Lotor tried his best. He didn’t have any way to know that your father had been moved, or that there would be traps.” Keith said. “Lotor, Pidge has the right to be angry. She misses her father, and she thought she was going to get him back. Both of you need to calm down.”

Pidge nor Lotor spoke for the rest of the flight back to the castle.

The next time Keith saw Lotor it was in the library. To be honest, Keith hadn’t meant to come here. In fact, he hadn’t even known the castle had a library, but here he was.

Lotor was sitting at a table with about twelve books laying open upon it.

“Hello, Keith,” Lotor said without looking up.

“Oh, um, hi.” Keith responded, mentally chiding himself for sounding so flustered.

“Can I help you with something?” Lotor asked, finally looking up at him.

“Nope. Just… came to get a book.” Keith came up with, pleased to find an excuse that fit the situation. Truth be told, he was there because he had gotten lost looking for Shiro so they could spar, but that didn’t sound as intellectual.

“Oooh,” Lotor said, “Yes, books are lovely. Do you have a particular one in mind, or do you need a suggestion?”

Keith shrugged. “I don’t have one in mind. What would you suggest?”

Lotor stood up and walked over to a section labeled with an Altean letter. He pulled out a book. “Personally, my favorite book is A Darker Morning by King Greogory the Infirm. It’s a splendid read.”

Keith nodded and took the book. He hoped that it was written in English, by Altean was not s language he could read. “Thanks. I’ll be sure to give it a look.”

Lotor smiled down at him, then walked back over to his many books.

Keith followed him. “Why do you have so many books out?”

Lotor looked up, eyebrows raised. “Oh, I’m looking for information on Alteans. Growing up in the Empire, I wasn’t allowed to ask about my Altean half, but now that I have the resources to research for myself, I refuse to continue on the path of ignorance.”

Keith nodded. “That makes sense. I know that if I was able to look up Galra human hybrids, I would.”

Lotor titled his head. “Does Earth not have any hybrids?”

“No,” Keith answered, “I mean, there are mixed breed dogs and stuff, but no humans.”

“What about furries?” Lotor asked.

If Keith had been drinking water, he would have done a spit take. “What?! How do you know about furries?”

“Lance told me about them,” Lotor said, head tilted in confusion. “Why do you seem upset?”

Keith shook his head. Dammit, Lance. “Furries aren’t hybrids, they’re people who dress up as animals.”

Lotor looked shocked at this new piece of information. “Well then. That’s... something.”

“Yeah. Don’t believe anything Lance tells you about Earth.”

“So there really aren’t any hybrids on Earth,” Lotor mused, “It must have been hard for you to grow up there.”

Keith shrugged. “I guess. I didn’t know I was Galra until a few months- er, phoebes ago when we met the Blade of Mamora.”

Lotor nodded. “Ah, yes. The Blade of Mamora. I tried to join their army when I was first banished, but they believed I was working for my father and refused to allow me to join.”

Keith frowned. He understood why the Blade hadn’t let Lotor join, but it still irked him. It wasn’t his fault that his father was who he was.

“If you’d like,” Lotor said, bringing his hand up to his chin for his head to rest upon, “I could teach you a bit about Galra culture and anatomy. It could be.... what is it you humans call it? Ah, yes. A date, perhaps?”

Keith tried to appear nonchalant. “Sure, that would be fine.”

Lotor grinned at him, “Perfect.”

#keitor #vld #voltron #Keith vld #lotor vld #fanfiction #pidge vld #Hunk vld

[ladyemberswrites]

“Picking Up the Pieces”

                 [Keith Leaves and Lotor’s left picking up the pieces]

                                                    -

Dotu! Lotura

1k+

Warning!: Features references of Abuse! and implied Character Death!

                                                        -

Lotor knew heartbreak when he saw it. When Kogane left he broke her, tore her heart to pieces and left him to clean up the damn mess he made. 

It's funny, he thinks how it's always him that has to fix what others break. It was him who tended to Lora's injuries when his father struck her bloody. It was him who brought her meals when she no longer had the energy to leave bed. It was him who combed her hair, and tended to her clothes when she no longer had the strength.

His father broke Lora and he was left to put together the shattered pieces of her soul.

The situation was reminiscent of his childhood. And though Kogane would never do to Allura what his father did to his mother he still hurt her all the same by abandoning her and breaking her heart.

He heard her cry at night, he didn't sleep much these days and wandered the castle, so he became rather intimate with her grief. Listened to her sobs until she exhausted herself. Seeing her enter the dining room with red rimmed eyes and slacked shoulders and anguish written in crystal blue eyes; It was his youth smacking him right in the face once again. Unwelcomed, Unprecedented, unremorseful.

Allura tilts her head and smiles in the way Lora did to ward off questions. They knew. He knew. When she kissed his cheek and told him everything was going to be alright despite half of her face being marred black and blue by Zarkon's fist. Lotor excused himself from the table and ended up vomiting what little he ate that morning. Cursing and heaving, he felt his face moistened. Strange, he thinks he can't even remember the last time he cried. It must've been eons, ages, he lost count over the years.

It’s apparent to him that Allura reminds him of Lora in the worst possible ways.

It's why he almost breaks Coran's neck the moment he overheard him and Allura's nursemaid discuss marrying her off despite her protests. Without Kogane, Voltron cannot be formed and thus they're ripe for assault. Someone is needed to fill in the gap the captain left. In their genius, they decided up a complete stranger; a King from a close planet.

Lotor nearly sees red. How can they be so damn careless! Have they any idea what he might do to her? She'll be used, she'll be beaten and degraded. Trapped within a cage that she'll never be able to escape. 

Will they clean her rags and bandages? Will they help bathe her when she’s far too wounded to move? Who will feed her when she can no longer feed herself any longer? Who will read her books and stories at her bedside to assuage her worries at night? OR sleep by her side when she’s ailed with nightmares and fevers?

Coran calls him a hypocrite.

He doesn't answer that "then give me the key." He says vehemently and Coran balks, Nanny says he has no right to make demands "I'll be the Black Lion's pilot if it means Allura isn't sold off to be some bastard's broodmare."

"You can't be serious?"

"I'm plenty serious. I've never been anything less than serious."

"You'll go to Doom with Voltron's secrets"

"Daddy dearest wants me dead." He counters with an open palm, silently demanding the key.

"You'll bargain" he snorts sardonically.

“You do not know my father then? Secrets or no, he'll slay me regardless. He has no honor, he is loyal to no one but himself. In his eyes I'm no more than a tool. Give me the key. I'm best the warrior Arus has to offer, better than Kogane. I know the inner workings of my empire which can be useful for your cause"

He can see the wheels in the adviser's head turning "and what do you get out of it?"

"My throne. My birthright. With it I'll help end this senseless war" 

"Coran!" Nanny cries "you can't be considering this monster's proposal!?"

"Allura has the key, not I"

"Coran!" 

He storms away to find Allura in her garden. She's watering and tending to the various rows of herbs. She nearly jumped at the call of her name, she swung around with eyes still red rimmed. Instead of pink, she's adorning a blue gown and Lotor finds his world falling off its axis again. Catching himself he decides it's better to be straightforward. Allura hates dawdling, so does he.

"I want to be your new pilot" 

"I don't understand-"

"Allow me to be the Black Lion's new pilot" 

Her lips part, her shock is pliable, she's motionless for a few seconds "w-why?"

"Because I want to fight for Arus" 

she frowns at him"You’re not being very funny" .

"It is not a joke. I mean it, let me be your pilot, let me fight for you." Her eyes lower, she drops her watering pot and finds a seat on a stone bench. He follows her, kneeling before her in all sincerity, to make his point clear.

"I-I don't get you, Lotor" her hands curl in her lap "when I think I understand you, you turn around and do this. Why should I trust anything you say-"

"You said before that I was a senseless brute. That I cared for no one but myself." She eyes him cautiously "let me prove to you the depth of my feelings for you"

"Is that what this all about?" The image of her beaten bloodied chills his body, he's reminded of his mother's dying breaths, reminded of having to watch her waste away into nothing but a shell of someone once human. Even if he cannot have her as he wants, the thought of her sad and miserable tears at him. If she’s smiling and happy-then he can accept that at least, as long as she’s safe he can be satisfied. 

"No" he admits. Maybe the reason is more selfish than he realizes, but he does not know if he could withstand seeing what happened to Lora, happen to Allura if he can help it. He's not a helpless child any longer.

"Perhaps, not"

"Then what is it really?"

"Does it matter" she fidgets "you're down one pilot and I'm a fugitive with nowhere to go."

"How can I trust you?"

"Trust can be built" 

"Not on a shattered foundation." She argued.

"You can always start from the beginning again"

"How do we do that?" 

He ran a hand through his hair "I wish I knew" that earned him a genuine smile, the first he's seen in months of Kogane's departure. The first he's seen directed at him. It warms him in a way alcohol could never hope to achieve. 

"Your odd, Lotor." She says.

"Am I?" 

"The strangest man I've ever met. So far at least" she murmurs.

"Will you let me pilot?" She goes quiet again, rolling the question around in her head.

"The others won't like it"

"I do not care much for their opinions." 

"They'll hate me"

"That's their issue"

"Why did he leave…." his first answer would be that he was a coward and a fool. But, that would be cruel to say to her right now "I thought-I thought-" her voice cracks.

"I thought he'd always be here fighting by my side. I thought everything was fine, he always told me everything was fine and that I should rely on him…." She sniffs "and then goes on and leaves me. How could he do that?" Lotor has no answers. He has no idea why Kogane left and honestly he could care less. She leans over letting her head fall in the crook of his shoulders, sobbing into the leather of his armor. Lora used to do that, when he was small she'd gather him up in her arms and wail so quietly, if he wasn’t so close and his senses weren’t as acute he wouldn’t have heard a thing, clutching him to her chest in an iron grip, as she rocked them back and forth. In return he cradled her head while she cried, despite kneeling he still towered above her, though the position was hell on his joints, but he didn't dare move. If he did he was terrified she might crumble in his grasp.

When she comes to, she wipes her eyes and face "Do you really mean it, you'll fight for Arus?"

He grabs her hands and squeezes "Yes, I will"

With her tears drying over her red cheeks she gives him one last cautionary glance "the  boys really aren't going to like this" 

Once again the cycle repeats only this time, he's determined to change the outcome.

#dotu lotura #lotura #defenders of the universe #Voltron Defender of the Universe #voltron dotu #Lollura #dotu lotor #dotu allura #tw: abuse

[piixiefawn]

🌱🔥

Hello and welcome to my kidge Ted talk. We’ve wrapped up season 8 and I’m sure everyone who wants to see it has seen it by now.

I figured I’d make a little post dipping into pidge and Keith’s relationship through the entirety of the show.

To my fellow kidge fans, we hear a lot of “kidge? They hardly interact.” Which is... not true. But even if they didn’t, why hate on creativity? I’m here to compile the moments that really set the kidge shippers into motion.

I’m on mobile, so unfortunately I won’t have too many pictures, but I’ll try my best. (I also have no idea how to insert a read more on mobile so I’ll apologize in advance)

The obvious

Keith and pidge are often depicted next to one another.

Since the beginning of the show, the animators make it a point to depict them near one another. This is an obvious, as for half of the show they’re the “arms of voltron”. It makes sense, in the same way lance and hunk are depicted next to one another. However, after Keith is no longer piloting the red lion, these two are still always kept in a close proximity. Without getting too “shipper goggles” I’d like to point out that this displays a closeness between the two.

Now that we’re past the basic, surface level observation, I want to get a bit more into their character arcs.

Parallels

Keith and pidge have one thing in common as kids: bullying. Pidge is picked on by kids in her class for being a nerd. Keith is taunted for being “emo” and the loss of his parents.

But they both have something else in common

They both have a similar “comfort person”. Pidge finds this in Matt (her brother). While Keith finds this in Shiro (someone he has regarded as being like a brother). These people inspire them and make them want to excel and do better, despite the bullies or feeling lonely.

Another big parallel is that these people who mean so much to them go missing and propels them both forward to start their arcs.

They become obsessed with finding them

While Keith finds shiro in the first episode, his journey is not done there. While pidge is looking for her father and brother, Keith is trying to discover where he comes from and how he’s related to the galra.

He ends up finding his mother around the same time pidge is reunited with her father. These arcs resolving around the same time is very harmonious and gives them both a sense of peace that makes them stronger characters.

Now that all that’s out of the way, let’s look into the big interacts they’ve had.

S1

We get the Paladins learning to work together, which gives us this excellent “go loose, pidge!” Scene. They work well together from the get go. They are the arms of voltron, after all.

But there’s a dissonance when pidge tries to leave the team. Keith is furious. And I think this is more than a “The team won’t function” right sort of thing, but an abandonment issue. Keith has lost people. Being the arms of voltron, they are a team. If pidge leaves, Keith is alone in that regard and I think it’s evident in how happy he is that she decides to stay.

S4

In the beginning of season 4, keith leaves voltron. They all go to hug him and pidge expresses how much they’re going to miss him. This is another display of closeness. As pidge is on the verge of tears at the idea of him leaving and he gives her a very soft smile that we rarely see from him. (I don’t have a picture of this my bad).

S6

Keith returns to voltron. When he is down pidge helps him up. Not much to say about this but I liked this moment.

S7

This is the big daddy of kidge moments for the show.

We gonna start with the obvious when they get captured. Lance is the first to move, being immediately taken down by Ezor. This is also huge for plance shippers, but I won’t get into that right now. Keith yells for them to let her go. He’s angry and panicked, but they have some sort of blaster pointed at him, showing that they deem him as a threat. He can’t do anything. This will connect to a point I’ll be making for season 8.

We get this cute little moment when pidge asks “what’s that?” And Keith tried to gently explain the drills to her, with a soft smile. This is behavior Keith doesn’t usually display. Zethrid was completely right when she says the team has a soft spot for pidge. Keith is no exception.

There is the scene when they’re fighting the Druid. From Keith’s vision we see him look from Kolivan to pidge. These are people he wants to protect and keep safe.

While they’re floating in space, throwing insults at each other, no one has anything to say about pidge. Because they don’t have negative feelings towards her.

In this same episode, we get the famous scene of pidge grabbing Keith while he’s hallucinating. I’ve talked about this in another post, but I’ll reiterate it here as well. Pidge is on the tail end of the chain when Keith starts swinging. She jumps up from the very end and goes to grab Keith, breaking the hold hunk has on him. This immediately snaps Keith out of it. The animators made it a point to have the person farthest away from him be the one to pull him back. Animating isn’t easy so this is something they had to have gone out of their way to do.

It’s another display of closeness. Much like in the scene with the Druid when he looks to pidge, this is someone he cares about.

S8

Pidge and Keith didn’t get a huge focus this season (which I’m fine with. Gotta let the others shine). But there were two significant scenes that the kidge shippers lost their marbles over.

Not only do we see them sitting together through most of the season, but we get this cute lunch scene during episode 7. Judging by how most of the people kinkade and razavi interviewed were intruded on, I’d say this is probably no different.

There is a moment where Keith is looking at pidge, even afters she’s finished talking. He only stops when Razavi calls out to him. Through his portion of the interview, he visibly becomes more annoyed. At the end he’s asks “is this interview over now?” (Or something along those lines) indicated that he felt intruded upon.

Keith and pidge had seemingly planned to enjoy lunch with one another but were intruded upon, this accounting for Keith’s long look and continuos annoyance.

Then we have the hand grabbing scene. Keith could have reached for anyone; lance, hunk, allura. But as usual, pidge was closest to him. His focus in this moment doesn’t seem to be entirely on the team, but mostly in pidge. They’re clinging to each other and he’s trying with all of his strength to pull her back up.

When the Paladins finally disappear, Keith falls to his knees and begins banging on the ground in distress. Much like the scene with Zethrid and Ezor, Keith gets very panicked and upset when he can’t help those he cares about. He feels helpless.

But an important thing to note is that pidge is holding onto Keith as much as he’s holding onto her. This a mutual bond between the two. It comes back to the scene in space when she grabs him. They’re a figurative lifeline for one another. Both literally and figuratively trying to pull each other out of dispair.

Whether romantically or plantonically, I think it’s important to regard how close these two actually are. As Bex said and the writers and animators have indicated, they “secretly adore each other”.

#kidge #voltron #vld #keith kogane #pidge holt #katie holt #pidge gunderson #peith #vld keith #vld pidge #long post

[whatthehelliswrongwithme]

Voltron Part 16

Season 3, episodes 5+6. This half-season is already coming to an end, and once again I ask; Why didn't they just combine season 3 and 4 into one larger season? :

Shiro's back, back again. Shiro's back, tell a friend

But Baby, that whole "unkempt" look really isn't working for you

The Galra mentioning Project Coron really hits different during a pandemic

Can Shiro please say something?! Bitch if I were stranded on a ice planet, I'd be talking to myself nonstop

Like honestly, if I had to walk for god-knows how long I'd be singing/screaming out loudly the entire time

Space witch! I was wondering where you were! How are you? How are the kids?

The fuck do they mean "approved for use" ???

Was the Voltron message from the Galra or from thr other Paladins. Cause doing some funky radio-stuff feels like something Pidge would do

What was Voltron doing out there at the ship?

They literally did a "My work here is done" "But you didn't do anything" and disappeared

How much time is supposed to have passed, cause Lotor's thing seems to line up with the previous episodes. And they felt like 2 or 3 weeks after Shiro's dissapearence. But Bitch! Hair don't grow that fast

Lotor has daddy issues.....!

Sheith moment!

I'm glad that Shiro's back, but why was this episode so fucking boring?

Allura's got a whip. Good for her!

Sheith really is cute

Hunk and Pidge nerding out together is also great

Idk, if I just remember it wrong, but wasn't Shiro's hair slightly different originally. (Also love the implication that he likes his tuft of white anime hair)

"Lance, leave the math to Pidge" I know that this was supposed to be sweet, but I thought that it kinda sounded a bit passive-aggresive (but also Klance!)

Shiro's getting demoted to cheerleader. Thanks, I hate it

The angst of this episode!!!!!!

Lotor didn't even make an origami-animal out of his comet :(

Stone Cold Bitch is the mysterious Galra person (kinda saw that coming. the only reason to have kept on the helmet is the "i am no man"-reveal)

Shiro, I love you, but I think moustache man knows a little more about the castle than you

Are Lotor's daddy-issues really that extreme? He's got his own stupid scheme and if I had to guess he'll want to take over as king.

Might just be paranoid, but Shiro seems kinda weird since his return

#voltron season 3 #voltron #voltron legendary defender #vld #takashi shirogane #katie holt #keith kogane #allura #lance #moustache man #keith #pidge #shiro #sheith #wow shiro really got cuckolded #lotor #there are so many cool galra designs but lotors just a purple elf #why #klance #i didnt even talk about the gay ice researchers...

[ao3feed-klance]

Altea Wept

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/2PSjeJ2

by BastardRat

Lotor didn’t die in the rift, but a part of him wishes he did. The other paladins realized their mistake and are making it up to him, but Allura refuses to accept her wrongdoing. He was alone again as he had always been. Or he would be if not for Matt.

Words: 7738, Chapters: 6/6, Language: English

Fandoms: Voltron - Fandom

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death

Categories: M/M, Multi

Characters: Lotor (Voltron), Lotor's Generals (Voltron), Matt Holt, Pidge | Katie Holt, Shiro (Voltron), Adam (Voltron), Hunk (Voltron), Lance (Voltron), Keith (Voltron), Allura (Voltron), Coran (Voltron)

Relationships: Matt Holt/Lotor, Keith/Lance (Voltron), Adam/Shiro (Voltron)

Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Mattor, lotor has ptsd, abusive allura, Matt is a nerd but so is Lotor, Hurt Lotor, Bottom Lotor, adam isn’t dead, no annoying time skip, the blades of marmora are fine just resting, Galra OCs - Freeform, Eventual Smut, Alien Biology, Galra are basically cats, voltron Fix it - Freeform, Fix It Fic, I hope y’all like C R Y I N G, Abuse, mentions of abuse, Child Abuse, Lotor has Daddy Issues

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/2PSjeJ2

#ao3feed #ao3feed klance

[ao3feed-keithshiro]

atropa belladonna

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3b40nCD

by ADyingFlower

My name is Keith Akira Aodhán and I am eighteen years old, he writes. I once thought myself to be an alien from the moon, but my unfortunate human birth has been accounted for by many trustworthy sources. I dislike washing myself, as well as dogs and noisy people. I live with my brother Shiro.

Shiro is the most precious person in the world.

Six years after the Aodhán family tragedy that killed most of their family in a single dinner, free-spirited Keith, his agoraphobic older brother Shiro, and their mentally absent uncle Ulaz spend their blissful days hidden away from the outside world. Keith fills his time practicing 'magic' to protect his brother and playing in the woods with his cat, Red, until the unexpected arrival of their estranged cousin threatens to bring an end to their idyllic existence, their battle for control unraveling the secrets long since buried in the soil. Who really poisoned the Aodháns that night?

Arsenic in the sugar, a seven year old cold case of a missing child, the ghosts that Keith swears he can sense - all things come to an end, one way or the other.

Words: 43027, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: Gen, M/M

Characters: Keith (Voltron), Shiro (Voltron), Curtis (Voltron), Ulaz (Voltron), Lance (Voltron), Hunk (Voltron), James Griffin (Voltron), Ryan Kinkade, Allura (Voltron), Coran (Voltron), Romelle (Voltron), Krolia (Voltron), Keith's Father (Voltron)

Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron), Curtis/Shiro (Voltron), Keith & Lance (Voltron)

Additional Tags: Alternative Universe - We Have Always Lived in the Castle, Gothic, Period Typical Attitudes, Alternate Universe - 1950s, Psychological Horror, Agoraphobia, Witchcraft, Unreliable Narrator, Family Secrets, Skeletons In The Closet, Mental Health Issues, Food Porn, Gender Roles, Homophobia, Period-Typical Racism, Social Commentary, Past Child Abuse, Murder, Sibling Incest, Ambiguous Relationships, Disabled Character, Chronic Illness, Past Character Death, Dysfunctional Family, Wealth, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Daddy Issues, Mommy Issues, Psychopathology & Sociopathy, Poisoning, Isolation, Devotion, Blood and Violence, Mental Breakdown, Descent into Madness, Codependency, Unhealthy Relationships, Obsessive Behavior, Dark Keith (Voltron), Ghosts, Hallucinations, Stockholm Syndrome, Abusive Relationships

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3b40nCD

#Voltron #Sheith #Shiro/Keith #IFTTT #ao3feed #fanfic

[gotmeringinghellsbells]

Hey there! Is there anyway you could write a Shiro x Adam Curtis story where Curtis has given his place to Adam on the atlas so he can be with Shiro and it’s the last night the three of them have to spend together before shiro and Adam leave for space? Thank you so much!!

Turning Things Around

Fandom: Voltron Legendary Defender

Characters: Adam, Curtis, Takakshi Shirogane

A/N: I got way to into this. Be warned, this is rather long. 

Description: The Atlas is returning to space again for coalition propaganda five years after peace was brought to the universe. However, the Garrison only sees it fit to send needed workers on the mission, which means as few as possible. Such a decree causes slight issues within the Shriogane household. 

_

The last few months had been stressful to say the least. The Atlas and Voltrn were heading back to space for a few shows and chekups in the name of peace and the coalition. As such, it was decided that no more than the required number of Garrison employees to operate the ship could attend. There was no point in sending more than a few workers, voltron, and Shiro. 

However, with such a rule established, Adam would be left behind while not just one, but both his husbands left for space. Space used to be a thing of beauty, of wonder, of dreams….. But since Kerberos, since Voltron, since…. Everything that happened with his childhood sweetheart, Adam couldn’t let him go, not alone. 

It caused a few fights already and so much tension. Both men were suffering and Curtis could see that. If he and Pidge trained Adam for the few programs he didn’t quite know for the Atlas…. He could probably work alongside Shiro in the bridge; In Curtis’s spot. It got the fights to stop when the arrangement was made, but it added whispers and secrets to the Shirogane household. 

As much as the youngest trusted his loves and the militant strength that both machines had… he was anxious. He was going to be left alone for hopefully only two months, but he’d have very limited contact with the two. It was bothering him, a lot. Normally, the happy, talkative, sweet heart that Curtis was would lighten both his husbands’ day after a long day of work, but lately… Curtis would just come home, give a few kisses, take his dog, and walk up to the shared bedroom. 

Conversations were cut in half, smiles were rarer and rarer to see, purple was gathering under the eyes, ad who knew how long it had been since Adam or Shiro had seen Curtis take Spice outside. Sure, they had piddle pads, but that’s not the point. 

Curtis was suffering so Adam and Shiro wouldn’t. There was something wrong and tey both knew it. Sure, it had been about five years since the war ended, but all three had been impacted by it… which Adam and Shiro often forgot. Though Curtis wasn’t up-close and personal with death as his loves had, he was still impacted through his own turama. It wasn’t right… and Adam was having second thoughts. “He should go.” 

Shiro looked up from the book before him, slightly shocked. The smell of fall lingered in the kitchen as Adam lit one of Curtis’s candles, allowing the scent of cider to intertwin with the cool, November night air. “What?” The crickets chirped loudly as the sink shut off, the tallest drying his hands. “It should be Curtis up there, not me.” Just because he was married to Shiro didn’t mean he automatically had the right to go. If he went, he’d need someone to cover for him for those months of absence. 

Backing out would just leave him home for those months or having to wait a while before getting back to work do to rescheduling as they already had a replacement lined up to teach his lessons. The hero tilted his head a bit. He still didn’t understand what the fuss was about! “Adam, it’s only two months. You could boh stay home, I won’t b away that long.” 

Placing the book down, Shiro moved to comfort his husband, only to be nearly shrugged off. “Takashi, whenever any of you go to space… it’s longer than the expected time….. And it’s never from planning. Something or someone always manages to throw you off course.” Shiro gave up on therapy after his first month of peace, it seemed pointless. He had Adam, and to him that’s all he needed when his PTSD surfaced. 

He loved his husbands equally, he really did! But… Adam was his home. He had been since they were fourteen, his body just seemed to respond better to the older or something like that. He wasn’t sure but… regardless…. Adam took the therapy. He didn’t want to talk about it to anyone but Colleen though, but he’d taken up painting…. A lot of painting. 

Scare after scare from Shiro’s chronic illness, thinking his main family was dead (Shiro and Keith), going to war with them, Keith going back to space for a while, Shiro’s PTSD and the horror tales he told Adam….. It was a lot. They could probably use from marital counseling at this point too, as there were a lot of barriers present between each one. 

Curtis was willing to share his feelings, to actually speak when he was upset. He felt so safe with these two, not like his biological family environment. Each had gone through their own abuse overtime and Curtis was the only one to actually talk about it when the time was… needed or to really try to resolve things. 

Adam and Shiro would just go to war and whoever caved first caved first. But Curtis had taken it upon himself to make sure both were happy, though he himself had become miserable. He already felt out of place in his new family, but refused to leave because… it felt silly too. Sure, he hadn't seen, done, or felt anything the other two had… well not the exact same. He came from an abusive home, he had his own turama!

But he just didn’t feel he could really fit into their family. He’d shared this the only time he’d gotten drunk, to which Keith and him both just kind of bantered about it until they passed out, but that was a few years ago. Adam could never get him to talk about it and Shiro, Shiro just wanted to hug him. It was an instinct thing since the war ended. It started with Adam and just kind of worked its way up. 

It was a pleasant change, probably why Adam wasn’t pushing his husband away still. “Adam, nothing is going to happen.” It was pointless to reassure that, both knew it. When Shiro started to feel shoulder’s shake, he panicked slightly. Turning Adam, he pulled him into a tighter hug. “Why do you think we’re both upset Takashi? We’re afraid to lose you, to be alone without answers. I can’t do that again…. I can’t.” 

He was trying to hold back his sobs, but it was pointless. “Adam, please, nothing is going to happen.” He wanted to make a joke or make him smile… just… something. “Hey,” he cooed softly. He tipped the soft chin up slightly to look into the other’s eyes. Cupping the scarred cheek, Shiro wiped away the tears fro the functioning eye lovingly. 

“You really think anyone is going to stop us from getting off course, especially now that Allura’s a new mom and is leaving her kingdom under Coran? I wouldn’t be surprised if she obliterated any challenging ship in sight.” Right, other’s had a it a bit worse, huh. Adam ignored the joke and leaned into the comforting touch, pushing the robotic hand back against his other cheek. 

“No, huh? Alright, well, your just pushing me to take drastic measures here, aren’t you?” Why couldn’t his husband be a grown up and not a man child sometimes? Adam sighed softly. “Maybe save that for after checking on Curtis.” It wasn’t so much a suggestion as a demand. The smaller smirked a bit before pulling Adam close. His robotic hand moved to scratch behind the hypersensitive ear, earning a squeak and weakening knees. “Or it’s also motivation to get going?”

“Nhhahahaha! A-All right!” The other shoved at him before moving away quickly. An idea suddenly hit him. It was clear even now that Shiro didn’t like to talk about things… like at all. Common interests, people’s days, normal stuff was fine but negative possibilities, the past, absolutely not. He hated it and would change and dodge the topic, never asking anyone else about their past. 

Though, maybe he was like that before Kerberos given that Keith opened up to him without him asking. He seemed a bit shocked and off put when telling Adam that night. Regardless, it didn’t matter at the moment. Each man had their own dynamic in the family, had their own quirks. But they also had their own ranks and strings they could pull. 

“You think you could call Coran and Iverson and see if they could change the top of the food chain’s mind?” Shiro looked to the clock, they had maybe thirteen hours until the “mission”. He sighed with a shrug. “I’ll see what I can do. I take it your going to have a more,” he was cut off by a nod. Dragging a hand down his scruff ending face, he nodded. “Yeah but… I can’t promise anything. They’re still mad you and Curtis swapped.”

Adam shrugged. “And? Your a paladin of Voltron, Takashi. Last time you pulled that card it got all three of us legally bound.” Ah yes, the reality of things. The former paladin sighed before walking off. “Uh huh, I’ll see what I can do.” The taller rolled his eyes before heading up the stairs. Curtis really hadn't left the room lately. He wasn’t sure where else he’d be so might as well check there first. 

Sure enough, in bed were two lumps. The haze from the humidifier cast over them, mixing with the lights from the television. Was he asleep…. While watching “The Unnatural”? Adam frowned before walking over and lightly touching his husband’s forehead. No fever, that was good. As he pulled his hand away, brown eyes opened. “Hm?” 

Oh, maybe he’d been simply resting his eyes? “Sorry, were you sleeping?” A head popped out from under the covers. A happy dog made a noise before both paws came out, hitting his daddy in the face. Curtis snorted with a small smile. “No, I’m awake.” A whine came from Spice as he demanded attention from his other dad. 

Adam turned on the light before turning off the television so he could keep Curtis’s attention. “It’s our last night,” the professor started. It probably wasn’t the best way to but… might as well get to the point. Curtis nodded. “I know.” The bags under his eyes had gotten worse and more colorful. “You should go.” It was probably too late to switch things up now but you know what, these three had been through a lot! To only be able to choose one partner to go with was unfair to almost a moral degree!

“What?” Curtis rubbed his eyes a bit, watching as Spice freed himself to attack Adam as he climbed into Shiro’s spot on the bed. “I know how it feels and I’d never want to push that on someone else Curtis. I’m sorry.” The professor pulled the bigger dog into his chest, making him lay down as he received scratches and lovings. 

“Adam, what’s done is done. I want you to go. You’ve been through this before and… it’s not fair. Your family is all going and it’s only right. I saw how you were when Keith decided to go back to space, I know how your anxiety is. Please, it’s not a big deal. I’m sorry I haven’t been… myself lately.”

The younger jumped a bit when a hand lightly touched his arm. Adam quickly pulled away before the other gave a sign that he could place the hand back. Doing so, he let out a sigh. “It’s hard to find the right words, I know…. But…. we love you. We don’t want you to be miserable.” The other sighed before rubbing Adam’s hand. “And Shiro’s PTSD? I can’t do anything about that. 

“We both know I’m not that useful when it comes to that…. Stuff.” He sighed. “Your closer, and I know that. I understand I can’t be that close with either of you in comparison and… I shouldn’t compare… but unconsciously he knows your his home, your his protection. Your much closer with the paladins than I am and are better at rationalizing with Shiro when it comes to making certain choices, same with Allura. Your a co-captian and you can keep Keith in check. I can't do any of that Adam.

“I sit there and I do as I’m told. I don’t really voice my opinion as it’s not my place.” Adam looked shocked. He didn’t realize… even five years into them… that Curtis still felt so… alienated? Foreign? No, like, he didn’t belong. Moving Spice to the side, the older moved in closer. “Curtis?” The other sighed before laying his head back. 

“Adam, I know my place in it all. I shouldn't word it like this but to visualize I rank under you. That’s not a bad thing, and that’s something I’m okay with. I’m part of this family, but I’m newer. You’ve had more of an impact than you realize. Keith would rather be with you than his mom, he listens to you and Shiro!

“He calls you when he’s upset or comes to see you when he’s having a hard time. Lance does the same, Hunk and Allura too. Your like… almost a,” Adam cut him off. “Just because I’m married to the ‘space daddy’,” he warned. It lightened the mood slightly as it earned a smile from both of them and a giggle form Curtis. “Space and Earth dads, it works.” 

Was that so? Hands found the younger’s sides, earning a scream of surprise from the other. “Whahahit, thahaht tickles!” No, no, no, no! Curtis covers his face as he tried to roll onto either side… at the same time. As he rocked back and forth, Adam let out a small laugh of his own before stopping to climb on the other’s waist. “No, no, no! Adhahahadam!” Awww! Adam was laughing softly at the sight. Curtis looked so mature and grown up, yet he was more of a man child than their Takashi. 

“But you laughing Curtis, isn’t that what you want? Don’t you want to be tickled by me, huh? Saying such negative things about yourself comes with punishment and you know it.” Adam raised a hand, no… a claw. It honestly was like watching Keith or Shiro at this point with how “trained” Curtis was to this action. He spazzed more, practically crying from joy. “No, no, no!” God, the professor loved him so much!

He leaned down and pried one of the protective hands away so that he could kiss the soft blush on the sun kissed skin. Curtis was just so beautiful! “I’m not ticklish,” he squealed out in anticipation, almost feeling fingers move closer to his ribs. His arms were dancing back and forth, trying to sheild his face and ribs at the same time. “Your not, huh? Could have fooled me.”  He was met with a few odd noises, whines, and shrieks before the door opened to reveal a rather shocked Shiro. His face dropped as he rolled his eyes. Should have known. 

“Hehehelp,” the youngest cried out softly as fingers came closer to his ribs again. Honestly, the majority of the time for tickling Curtis was just hovering over him. Shiro moved towards the end of the bed, poking at the socked feet that had burrowed their way out from the covers. “S-Shahahairo!” Both husbands smiled at the sight before Shiro started his point of entrance. “So, talked to Iverson,” he started before moving to sit on both ankles. 

“Oh? Any luck,” Adam asked just wanting to get to the point. He lightly traced over the clothed chest, earning squeals and snorts. “Ahahahre yahahaou thahahwo sheheherious?!” Of course they’d just have a casual conversation while… oi. “Nhahhahahaht the thahahoes! S-Shahahiro plehehehase!” Both were hardly touching the hypersensitive bean. 

“Well, yeah. I guess they had to reconfigure a few things and we were supposed to get word of it. Basically… it’s kind of like a free for all now. They had Curtis and you both under the list, and Spice and Coffee too. I guess Coran just decided everything without telling us.” Well, that was good news. “Wait, how?” Adam stopped, giving Curtis a bit of a break while Shiro kept poking at him. 

“I don’t know. I guess Allura is bringing the twins and Lotor? Or Romelle or… someone? He sounded stressed and was kind of just skipping around with sentences. I guess the new head has kind of… got him going crazy.” None of the three had met the new head of commands yet. “Huh,” was all Adam could say before letting up on the poor man. He turned his attack on Shiro, pulling him off Curtis and kind of just laying on him. 

“They just put the list out tonight so…. Yeah he’s stressed,” Shiro grunted as he quickly rolled him and Adam over to change spots. Damn his stupid strength! Adam struggled against him, wanting to wipe that stupid, sleepy smirk off his face. “Like someone else I know.” The struggle was mostly up as Shiro lifted Adam’s arms over head. 

“I think we eased Curtis a bit, now… I think it’s your turn.” A new voice was quick to chime in. “Honestly, your all work and now play,” Curtis cooed tiredly as he crawled over to him. “Don’t you dare,” Adam laughed. He was so tired at this point. It was closing in on midnight now, all three were feeling the effects of the night. But…. rather than just tickling one husband again, Shiro had an idea. He lifted one of Curtis’s arms, quickly tickling under it as the other hand went after Adam’s ear. 

“Sthahahaop it! Shiro,” Curtis squealed as he rolled over. He kept trying to roll away from the robotic hand, but it was no use. “It tickles, it tickles!” Shiro snorted as he watched him continuously roll away. “Curtis, what are you doing?” He stopped in fear of the other falling off the bed. The hand started to stroke the short, dark locks, earling soft mewls and whines.

Adam, meanwhile, was squealing and shrieking softly as he tried to enjoy the relaxing feeling. He was blushing deeply, more so when Shiro decided to start smothering him in kisses. “Nnnnmm hahahahahaha! K-Kashi!” Arms wrapped around Shiro’s neck as the offending fingers moved down to the professor’s back, supporting him as the smothering continued. 

“There’s that smile,” Shiro cooed softly, earning a whine from the taller. “S-Shut up you dork.” Alright. Shiro shrugged before blowing a raspberry into his neck. The professor’s eyes widened before he let out a soft squeal. “Sthahahaop thahaht!” More fingers found their way against the most serious of the three. Curtis sleepily snuggled closer to them, fingers scratching at Adam’s ribs softly. 

His smile was soft and loving, cracking a bit as the robotic hand lightly scratched under his chin. “Heheheh…. Shirooo.” Curtis stopped as he hid into the two. He was so sleepy and it was… so precious. Shiro smiled lovingly before letting up on them both. However, Adam wasn’t about to let the shortest get away with such a crime with out some kind of consequence. 

He eased him in slowly, starting with a soft kiss which slowly turned a bit more heated. Making his way on top of the touch loving veteran, he straddled his waist lovingly. Looking over, the professor rolled his eyes softly, fighting back a smile. Curtis was down for the count and god did he look adorable. But if he was in a dead sleep, nothing was waking him…. Which meant Adam could be as ruthless as he wanted. Lovingly of course, of course! He wasn’t a bully, or was he?

Gray eyes widened before Shiro turned his head and covered his mouth quickly. He glared up at the older who smirked menacingly down at him. “What’s wrong ‘Kashi, can’t handle some of your own medicine?” Adam leaned down like a cat as he moved the robotic hand away from the shorter’s mouth. 

“Your evil,” the younger laughed softly. Shiro wouldn’t deny that there was something fun about the child-like suspense; But feeling Adam’s loving touch almost made it easier to enjoy. A loud shriek echoed off the bedroom walls as hands dug into the thicker thighs. Tickling turned to wrestling, which ended back in kissing. 

Finally laying down to rest for the night, a realization hit the hero. Sandwiched by two men he loved so dearly. Being used as a pillow, using the other as a body pillow….. He could never go to space without them. They made him feel so safe, so loved, so secure and warm. He let out a soft sigh, smiling as he closed his eyes. Space would be alright.

#hell answers #vld #2019 #shuram #curtis #adam #shiro #tickling #tickle #ticklish #tickle fight

[ao3-feedshance]

My Pretty Face and Your Electric Soul

by charantonia

When Lance's long term boyfriend vanishes from his life, he is left broken and feeling useless. Then, he meets Dr. Takashi Shirogane, a hot psychiatrist who takes an interest in the waiter. Kind, understanding and oh, so attractive, Lance lets himself be swept away into this man's world.

Who is he to look a gift horse in the mouth?

Words: 4100, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Rating: Mature

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Lance (Voltron), Shiro (Voltron), Keith (Voltron), Hunk (Voltron), Pidge | Katie Holt, Allura (Voltron), Coran (Voltron), Lance's Family (Voltron), Keith's Family (Voltron), Shiro's Family (Voltron), Zarkon (Voltron), Lotor (Voltron)

Relationships: Lance/Shiro (Voltron), Keith/Lance (Voltron), Past Keith/Lance (Voltron) - Relationship, Hunk/Pidge | Katie Holt

Additional Tags: Lance and Keith Break Up, Keith/Lance (Voltron) Angst, Past Relationship(s), Lance (Voltron) is a Mess, Lance (Voltron)-centric, Keith (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Japanese Shiro (Voltron), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Light Angst, Pilot Keith (Voltron), Psychiatrist Shiro, Waiter Lance (Voltron), Healing, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Sugar Daddy Shiro (Voltron), Ballet Dancer Lance (Voltron), Female Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Slow Burn, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Lance (Voltron) Speaks Spanish, Lance (Voltron) Has Self-Esteem Issues, Jealousy, Break Up, Sassy Pidge | Katie Holt, Hunk & Lance & Pidge | Katie Holt Friendship, Supportive Pidge | Katie Holt, Supportive Hunk (Voltron), Keith (Voltron) Drives A Motorcycle

source http://archiveofourown.org/works/19426972

#IFTTT #Shance #Shiro #Lance #VLD #Voltron #Ao3 #ao3feed #fic #fanfic