#just for the record. after this keith like lit a building on fire or something

[heynhay]

i love everybody because i love you

#klance #vld #voltron #lance mcclain #keith kogane #heynhay sees keith and is like DOCTOR!!!! TAKE THAT MANS PATHETIC CAT AURA OUTPUT AND INCREASE IT BY TEN THOUSAND!!! #i need you guys to listen to the linked songs. tell me you do that #because i cannot make it clear enough that i dont just choose a similar ish song. when i link a song in the desc it means from start to end #i had that song in mind. or even playing. definitely looped it several dozen times #and this is an easy one too! one like everyone knows! i didnt even go niche this time! #(strawberry blonde was just too perfect) #it was a hard choice between this and I Want You though for RFSNCIB #anyway thats 3/6 mitski albums represented. #can i keep doing one a day til i finish? dubious. but possible. #just for the record. after this keith like lit a building on fire or something #he couldnt fucking take it anymore #caption is a bit misleading. keith would not love everybody bc he loves lance. #in fact i think mostly it would drive him to threaten others with violence #but for a split second. this split second. #...maybe he does #art #my art #mitski

[alluran]

be the one tonight

a/n: idk why it’s taken me this long to put in an adventure time reference a/n like two years later: idk what adventure time reference i used is there even one here

(10:45 p.m.) lance: go outside

(10:47 p.m.) keith: no?? it’s almost 11 o’clock, lance. go to sleep (10:47 p.m.) keith: or bother hunk

(10:48 p.m.) lance: I’ll have you know Hunk is out with Shay and I have enough common decency not to interrupt. you’re zero fun, you know that? where’s your sense of adventure

(10:54 p.m.) keith: your sense of courtesy and propriety is truly unprecedented and biased. I’m busy and my sense of adventure only adheres to regular adult hours.

(10:55 p.m.) lance: yeah okay, grandpa. but last I checked the old folks’ home has a 9 o’clock curfew and, judging by the amount of time between your responses, I know you’re doing dishes. you’ve been doing dishes during regular, adult sleeping hours since the sophomore year of college, so your argument is invalid. (10:57 p.m.) lance: we’re 25 and you’re doing dishes at 11 p.m. on a Friday night and you’re going to stop right this second and go outside, keith

(11:01 p.m.) keith: who’s keith?

(11:01 p.m.) lance: har har that works exactly two times and you wasted your shots three years ago. you’ve held onto the same cell phone number since you were 16 (11:08) lance: I WILL NOT BE IGNORED KEITH

Keith swiped his hand over the dish towel by his side before unlocking his phone, scoffing at Lance’s last text. He rolled his eyes, if Keith had actually been ignoring him, he would have finished up washing the dishes twenty minutes ago. Part of him got a maniacal thrill knowing that Lance was getting the notification that Keith had seen his message - driving home the ruthlessly purposeful act of ignoring him. It happened every now and again, Lance either had coffee too late in the day or got his second wind, albeit it usually lasted an hour and a half tops before the week finally came crashing down on his system. He would text one of them or show up at someone’s door or call or whatever Lance felt particularly up to given the day of the week (pooling results from Pidge and Hunk, it was found that Mondays and Thursdays were the days Lance only wanted someone to veg out watching Netflix with, Tuesdays were stress days where Lance just needed to unload a particularly crappy day or whatever, and Friday or Saturday were the ‘Adventure Days’),

He’d burn through it relatively fast before crashing on someone’s couch and call a Family Breakfast at whoever’s house he stayed at the next morning.

Which, he wasn’t complaining about, for the record. Hunk always brought his A game for last minute group breakfasts and, begrudgingly he had to admit, Lance had French toast on lock if someone wanted it. He even knew the amount of powdered sugar Keith liked on his and didn’t judge him for it.

(11:12 p.m.) lance: you have 30 seconds to rectify the abysmal negligence shown toward your best friend

(11:13 p.m.) keith: you’re right, I completely forgot to text pidge back earlier

(11:14 p.m.) lance: why are you like this (11:15 p.m.) lance: i’m appalled (11:16 p.m.) lance: shiro would be disappointed. i’m texting him right now

(11: 17 p.m.) keith: oh, trust me. if you text shiro at this very moment, after he just got off a 16 hour shift, it’s not going to be me he will be disappointed in (11:18 p.m.) keith: actually you know what? you should text him

(11:20 p.m.) lance: I’ve let you stall for like half an hour, keith. you’ve really left me with no choice

Keith tapped his thumb against the phone’s screen, ready to fire back a response when a screech and all too - all too - familiar horn broke the quiet bubble over the neighborhood. He startled enough to check his hip hard against the counter and yelled. He tore through the house, bumping every piece of furniture and stumbling over his shoes in his life or death path for the front door because the horn wasn’t stopping or even repeating. Just one long stretch of annoying that would have the neighbors after his head. The door bounced back against the wall from the force he tore it open with. He fought the screen door as the latch caught and stuck in place, putting his lurch to a halt.

He jerked the latch and fumbled for the porch light, flicking it on and off in his haste to send Lance the message that yes, he was coming out and to stop.

The complete asshole.

Keith staggered down the stoop in socked feet and bee-lined for Lance. His anger surged when he was only met with laughter and the pleased glimmer in Lance’s eyes when his hand caught in the worn blue t-shirt.

“I’m this close to throttling you. Geez.” Keith shoved Lance halfheartedly as his hands began to shake, he ran them through his hair in hopes it would stop the twitching. “What is the matter with you?! Do you want someone to call the police???”

Lance’s tongue peaked out and swiped cheekily against his lip as his face broke out into a grin. “Good to see you too, Red.”

“Someone better be dying, McClain,” Keith huffed. Adrenaline still heaved through his veins, dragged his shoulders in shuddering breaths, but enough anger left him enough to let some humor leak into his words.

The line usually landed with Lance, but tonight it shot off in the dark and exploded in the distance as the humor left Lance’s face and a curtain of sobriety fell over his eyes.

Keith moved to stand next to him, leaning his back against Lance’s car. He cleared his throat. “Soooo, you know I’m not really going to throttle you, right? Because that was a j-”

“Do you want to go somewhere with me?”

“Wh- Lance.”

The boy in question scratched the back of his head, a nervous tick that was ill-fitted on his broad shoulders, restraining his frame like an old coat. He furrowed his brows, the line of his mouth working against whatever was going on in his head. “Will you go somewhere with me?

“I’m pulling the emergency friend card.”

And wasn’t that more startling to hear than the high-pitched whine of Lance’s car horn. “Wait, someone’s not actually dying, right? Do I need to wake up Shiro?”

“Wh-no, no, no. Nothing like that. Things are just...” Lance wriggled his fingers by his temple. “Loud.”

“Yeah, yeah...Okay.” Keith nodded his head and struck out back to the door. “Let me get my shoes and keys.”

Lance folded his arms across his chest and nodded. “Cool. I’ll drive, obviously.”

-

So, here he was, the residue of Dawn dish soap drying uncomfortably on his wrists in Lance’s passenger seat going to some unknown secondary location with no clue why and the part of him that still ultimately failed at social cues and dealing with serious situations, wanted to make a jibe about things never going great if you agreed to go to a secondary location. The static of the radio out of tune and Lance’s somber focus on driving stills whatever words on his tongue.

Usually the radio was on and being constantly rotated between stations during commercial breaks or in search of a song Lance liked better, circling through that motion twice before he punched the button to play a mixed CD he’s had since high school. It probably hadn’t left the dash of Lance’s car since the day it was burned.

He and Lance could speed through emotions and conversations like no other when they were together, but the way Lance had all but deflated in the driveway after the unrelenting texts and confident attitude made his skin crawl. On top of the emergency friend card thing. Which was instated after Keith and Lance had to have a chat on what Keith considered a friend emergency and what Lance did. It had been more of a joke than anything. Usually, they mentioned it only ironically. But this time, Lance’s voice was too earnest for it to be anything but.

“You, uhm, obviously have stuff on your mind and I don’t even know if you want to talk, but you’ve gotta give me something here, Lance. I-If I’m going to be of any use.” He wasn’t Hunk. Hunk was usually Lance’s go-to person for these times. The unspoken sentiment hung in the humid night air between them.

He couldn’t just read Lance’s mind. Couldn’t look him in the eyes and know exactly what was going on in his head like Hunk can. No matter how often he found himself wishing he could lately.

“Right.” Lance signaled and turned down a side street, the space between houses growing. The number of road lights flickered out out-numbering the ones that still blazed an aged yellow, washing the inside of the car occasionally.

Keith’s confusion swelled as the car was parked in an open, uninhabited area. The sky unhindered as Lance got out of the car and hopped on the hood of the car. It was several moments before Keith realized he still had the seat belt on and wasn’t following Lance’s cue. So, he did.

Popped out of the car and hopped onto the hood, very concerned about the amount of popping and creaking from their weight settling onto it. He let out the breath he had been holding when Lance didn’t say anything or look even marginally concerned and leaned back against the window like Lance was.

“So...”

“I wanted to show you where this is.”

“This...?”

Lance chuckled and swept a hand out. “Right out there. Straight out of The Lion King.”

Keith rolled his eyes, but followed the line of Lance’s hand all the same. The sky was deep and crystal clear above them. Close and simultaneously far away. He could sort out the curve of the sky without buildings in the way. The stars looked lit up just for this one moment and-

The thing about Lance was that as much as he was loud, he had his quiet spots. Keith had been privy to a select few, not that that was bad. Lance deserved to have spaces of his own between all of his siblings and school and work and the sheer amount of time he still spent with his friends. For years he had questioned whether or not Lance actually slept. Away from the harsh porch light and rows of houses, Lance’s expression opened and relaxed as he looked over the sky. His shoulders drooped and the line of his silhouette seemed to go on forever as he stretched out his legs.

“You’re not looking, Keith.”

The thing about Keith was that he had seen the clear, open sky several times.

#Keith #Lance #klance #laith #Voltron #Voltron: Legendary Defender #another thing that was only partially done in my drafts that i decided to finish #the writing tag

[bthenoise]

Yes, Another Decade Recap List: These Are The 16 Most Impactful Records of the 2010′s

Look, to be honest, when it came to constructing some sort of “end of decade” list looking back on the 2010′s, we here at The Noise really had no idea what we wanted to do. 

With literally hundreds and hundreds of amazing releases over the last 10 years, how in the world are we supposed to pick “the best” of the decade? 

The answer: We aren’t.

See, the idea of something being labeled “the best” is subjective. It’s simply one person’s opinion vs the other. And truthfully, the idea of us thinking our opinion on something is any better or more important than yours makes us look like a bunch of assholes. 

Really, who cares what we think is the best? 

So, after constructing a colossal playlist featuring 1000 of our favorite songs from the 2010′s, something became very clear to us. Of all the songs we picked, there were a handful of records that contributed way more songs than the others. 

Simply put, these albums made a lasting mark on this decade that go way deeper than them being any good or not. These particular albums helped influence a generation, jumpstart artists’ careers and ultimately solidify themselves as the most impactful releases of the 2010′s. 

The albums we decided to shine a light on from the last ten years are records that carry more weight than just being a fan-favorite. We’re talking about releases we’ll look back on as a moment where everything changed for that artist.       

To check out the 16 albums we think are the biggest movers and shakers from our scene over the last ten years, be sure to look below. Afterward, if you hate our list and really want to tell us your opinion, you can file a complaint at: [email protected].  

16) Movements - Feel Something

Starting our list off is a debut record from 2017 that helped propel a band from opening act to headliner in no time. With an impressive six-track EP released the year prior, SoCal act Movements quickly solidified their emerging star status with their flawless LP Feel Something. Following their first-ever full-length, Movements went on to sell out 27 dates of their first headlining tour and perform on the main stage of the final cross country Warped Tour. With a new album on the horizon, we’ll see just how far Movements and their unique brand of alternative pop-punk are able to take things leading into a new decade.  

15) Dance Gavin Dance - Acceptance Speech

How does a band with two former frontmen and four fantastic LPs continue to thrive eight years into their career? Enter, Tilian Pearson. Following another departure of original vocalist Jonny Craig, post-hardcore experimentalists Dance Gavin Dance turned to the former Tides Of Man singer to handle the vacant role of clean vocals. The result? The game-changing release of Acceptance Speech which helped spring-board the band to another level of musical perfection. Six years and three more genre-defining albums later, DGD and Pearson are still going strong gearing up to headline their own hometown festival and release their ninth full-length album all thanks in part to their 2013 LP.      

14) Ice Nine Kills - The Silver Scream

Coming in as the most recent record on our list, this horror-based release will be seen as the turning point in a band’s seasoned tenure. After 10-plus years of honing their craft, Boston’s Ice Nine Kills finally saw the fruits of their labor with the groundbreaking, career-defining album The Silver Scream. Taking the passion of metalheads and scary movie fanatics and combining them into a blood-soaked, breakdown-heavy package, Ice Nine Kills constructed a record that will easily withstand the test of time and help them extend their careers well into the 2020′s.   

13) Code Orange - I Am King

Dropping the “Kids” from their moniker and shifting gears into their first album as just Code Orange, the Pittsburgh bruisers constructed an unrelenting metal record that shook listeners to their core. With a punishing opening track that literally warns you about what you’re about to experience, it was pretty evident I Am King was unlike anything people have ever heard. Coupled with the mind-altering “Dreams In Inertia” and the utterly pulverizing “My World,” Code Orange quickly and deservingly so became the metal megastars they were destined to become.  

12) Ghost - Meliora

Speaking of metal megastars, after slowly creating word-of-mouth with their cult-like presence, throwback metal sounds and revolving door of Papa Emeritus frontmen, Sweedish act Ghost finally put it all together with their third studio album Meliora. Lead by the Grammy-winning single “Cirice,” Meliora fused haunting heavy metal imagery with roaring and anthemic songwriting creating the perfect package of evil-yet-accessible music. Debuting at number 8 on the Billboard 200 chart selling an estimated 29,000 copies in its first week, it was clear no matter which Papa was fronting the band, Ghost was ready to claim their spot atop the metal hierarchy.    

11) Issues - Issues

Not many bands can say that their first full-length album debuted inside the top ten of the Billboard 200. But then again, not many bands are Issues. Fusing djent, hip-hop, metal, pop-punk, R&B and more to create their sensational self-titled album, Issues proved they were more than just a band featuring former members of Woe, Is Me. Instead, Issues showcased a group of talented, trendsetting musicians destined to change the landscape of metalcore music for the better.     

10) I Prevail - Lifelines

After a famed cover of a well-known pop artist quickly put them on the map, Detroit’s I Prevail instantly had all the pressure in the world as they started to create what would be their debut album. Riding the success of their first EP Heart Vs Mind and tours with the likes of Hollywood Undead, Crown The Empire and Pop Evil, the Michigan act suddenly shot to the top of the metalcore ranks with the release of their remarkable, sonically-charged LP Lifelines. Charting at number 15 on the Billboard 200 selling over 19,000 copies in the first week, I Prevail went on to play Warped Tour for the first time -- finding a home on the main stage -- and later headlined the Rage On The Stage tour with scene veterans We Came As Romans, The Word Alive and Escape The Fate. Now Grammy-nominated and continuing to grow even larger, thanks in part to the accomplishments of Lifelines, I Prevail is without-a-doubt one of our scene’s biggest acts.

09) PVRIS - White Noise 

In the midst of metalcore’s supremacy in the Warped Tour scene -- thanks to the never-ending list of “Risecore” bands -- came an act no one saw coming. Featured on a roster with the likes of Memphis May Fire, Miss May I, Like Moths To Flames, Crown The Empire and more was a pop-savvy, synth-lead baby band mistakenly pronounced “p-ver-is.” With their infectious, critically acclaimed debut White Noise landing at number 88 on Billboard and totaling nearly 50 million YouTube views on its TEN music videos, PVRIS proved it was possible to make an impact in this community with sheer talent, hard work, and catchy-as-hell lyricism. After just one listen to the undeniably great lead single “St. Patrick,” you’ll know exactly what we’re talking about.    

08) Knocked Loose - Laugh Tracks 

15 years from now, if we haven’t burnt the earth to the ground yet, we’ll look back on the Laugh Tracks era of Knocked Loose and remember where we were -- you know, because by 2034 Knocked Loose will be one of the biggest bands on the planet. Anyway, for us, the most memorable moment was watching them play “Billy No Mates” on the 2017 Vans Warped Tour at the Full Sail Stage. It was easily the largest and most insane side stage set we had ever seen in our 10 years of attending Warped Tour. From that very moment, we knew Knocked Loose and Laugh Tracks were going to be a big deal. Fast forward to 2019 and the band is now selling out 2,000-capacity venues on a semi-nightly basis. 2034 here we come!  

07) Beartooth - Disgusting 

Very rarely does a member of a former band make it bigger with his second act. In those situations though, those people aren’t Caleb Shomo. Venturing out from his teenage band Attack Attack!, Shomo started Beartooth as a fun project with zero expectations of anything blowing up. Little did he know after building buzz with his chaotic 2013 EP Sick, Beartooth was about to take things to a whole nother level with the release of their massive breakout LP Disgusting. Fiery and fearsome from start to finish and full of nothing but hits like “In Between,” "The Lines” and “Beaten In Lips,” Disgusting is definitely the fuse that lit Beartooth’s outstanding career.

06) Every Time I Die - Low Teens

How does a hardcore band 18 years into a well-respected career keep things relevant and progressing to a point where they’re anointed into “cult” status? Well, how about releasing their darkest, most emotionally charged album of their discography. After a life-altering scare to frontman Keith Buckley and his family, the longtime vocalist constructed some of his deepest and most honest lyrics for Every Time I Die’s soul-crushing LP Low Teens. Featuring guest vocals from Deadguy’s Tim Singer and Panic! At The Disco’s Brendon Urie (plus their most moving song to date “Map Change”), ETID showed off their versatility with their eighth studio album and were treated to a successful two-year touring cycle with the likes of Taking Back Sunday, Fall Out Boy, Motionless In White and Turnstile as well as a memorable run on the last-ever Vans Warped Tour. Not to mention, following the success of Low Teens, the band’s hometown of Buffalo, NY officially proclaimed December 15th, 2018 as “Every Time I Die Day” and a year later inducted them into the Buffalo Music Hall of Fame.     

05) Of Mice & Men - Restoring Force 

While some may point to 2011′s The Flood as the record that “broke” scene-favorites Of Mice & Men and others might argue their debut self-titled release was what laid the foundation for one of this decade’s most successful acts, we’d like to focus on 2014. Continuing to climb the metalcore ranks following the release of two very well-received records, Austin Carlile and Co. put out their career-changing LP Restoring Force featuring new bassist and clean vocalist Aaron Pauley. Laying to rest any displeasure about their changes in sound or lineup, Of Mice & Men went on to sell over 51,000 copies in the first week peaking at number 4 on the Billboard 200. Riding the success of their third full-length album, OM&M later went on to support bands like Linkin Park and Rise Against out on tour thus solidifying their spot as one of the biggest metalcore acts of the 2010′s.       

04) A Day To Remember - Common Courtesy 

Some people remember A Day To Remember’s Common Courtesy for different reasons. Maybe it was the hilarious “reality series” made to promote the record -- the “Golden Eagle” episode was our favorite! Or maybe it was the seemingly never-ending lawsuit battle between the band and the notoriously greedy Victory Records -- we’ll never forget when ADTR broke the news on stage that the album was actually coming. For us, what we remember most was the first time we saw the music video for “Right Back At It Again.” We watched that goofy, cartoony music video 500 times trying to catch all the different things they put in the video -- like did you ever notice the surfing dog or aliens abducting cows? Well, whatever it was that got you to check out Common Courtesy, there’s no denying the impact it had on A Day To Remember’s career as the Ocala natives have only gotten even bigger since that 2013 release. With a new album on the way from the not-at-all-greedy Fueled By Ramen, it’ll be exciting to see where the 2020′s take ADTR next.        

03) Architects - Holy Hell

With all the biopics being made today, there is no doubt in our mind one will be made about Brighton’s finest, Architects. With an already established career under their belts dating back to 2006, the band was continuing to see growth following their signing to Epitaph Records and the release of breathtaking LPs Lost Forever // Lost Together and All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us. Then, just like that, on August 20th, 2016 founding guitarist and primary songwriter Tom Searle lost his fight with cancer. Leaving the band in an obvious state of disarray after losing their bandmate and brethren, Architects were left with the choice of giving up or continuing Tom’s legacy. As with most biopics, this story has a positive ending as Architects decided to fight through the pain and ultimately release not just one of the best records of their career but one of the best records in metalcore, period.       

02) Bring Me The Horizon - That’s The Spirit 

This can go one of two ways: You either accept That’s The Spirit is Bring Me The Horizon’s most impactful career-defining record to date or fight with us to the death that Sempiternal is deserving of this spot. Either way, there’s no denying Bring Me The Horizon’s influence on this decade. With their boundary-pushing LP That’s The Spirit, frontman Oli Sykes traded his growl for more of a pop-laced bite as BMTH ushered in their most successful era as a band seeing their fifth studio album land at number 2 on the Billboard 200. Still doubting That’s The Sprit’s impact on the scene? In 2018, only three years after its release, the gold-certified record amassed over one BILLION Spotify streams -- billion, with a B!  

01) Pierce The Veil - Collide With The Sky 

Want to talk about a life-changing album? For San Diego scenesters Pierce The Veil, the famed four-piece went from a successful slow-building career to becoming a full-blown force with their third full-length record. Building off two well-received albums in A Flair For The Dramatic and Selfish Machines, Vic Fuentes and Co. (with the help of a Kellin Quinn-featured song) absolutely exploded into another stratosphere -- no pun intended -- with their now-gold-certified album Collide With The Sky. Lead by their platinum-selling single “King For A Day” and their Spanish-styled song “Bulls In The Bronx,” Pierce The Veil took the scene by storm thanks to their angsty, heart-pounding Fearless Records debut.

Honorable Mentions:

Deafheaven - Sunbather  Falling In Reverse - The Drug In Me Is You  Neck Deep - Life’s Not Out To Get You Nothing More - The Stories We Tell Ourselves  PUP - PUP State Champs - Around The World And Back The Amity Affliction - Let The Ocean Take Me  The Story So Far - What You Don’t See The Wonder Years - The Greatest Generation Wage War - Blueprints

#Best Of #Pierce The Veil #Bring Me The Horizon #Architects #A Day To Remember #Of Mice and Men #Every Time I Die #Beartooth #Knocked Loose #PVRIS #I Prevail #Ghost #Code Orange #Ice Nine Kills #Dance Gavin Dance #Movements

[bingbong21]

Auditions

Title: Let’s Get This Show on the Road

Summary:  Join the newest incarnation of Altea's boy band Voltron as they work together to take down the monopoly Galra Records has the industry. It won't be easy, and there will certainly be shenanigans, but Allura is pretty sure that they have what it takes. A series of one shots updated when there's inspiration. Genre's will change depending on story.

A/N: This is based off of these headcanons, which is based off the original post, which occurred because @kitsune-ryu-neko is the best/worst kind of enabler. If you don’t wanna read it Tumblr style, go to the link in the title to read on FFN. All comments are appreciated. 

Peeking from around the corner, dark grey eyes took in the massive crowd chanting his stage name, some waving signs and glow sticks. He could feel his pulse fall in rhythm with the chants, entire being growing in sync with the energy of the crowd.

Cham-pi-on! Cham-pi-on!

A hand clasping his shoulder brought him out of the spell. He turned to look at his stage manager, a smaller man wearing glasses looked up at him. Despite the disheveled appearance his mop of brown hair gave him, the grin that lit up his face showed that he was anything but tired.

“You ready to rock Shiro?”

“Always Matt,” Shiro replied, returning the infectious grin with one of his own. Matt nodded, pulling a radio to his mouth and speaking stage directions into it. Shiro took one more deep breath and stepped out onto the stage, heading for his mark in the middle. A hush slowly came over the crowd as, despite his best efforts to be quiet and unseen, some saw the movement of shadows across the stage and signaled to their friends to be quiet.  As he reached the mark, grasping the mike stand in his hand, he could feel the energy that had been quietly building all night bubble beneath the surface, begging to be let free. Even if the company he worked for was nothing short of monstrous, he couldn’t deny himself the thrill of the performance; of going onstage and making something beyond explanation happen.

“Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready?”

The screams and shouts that responded caused a smile to grace Shiro’s lips. He readied himself into the opening stance, heart paused in its beats as he waited for the start of the music. That was probably the worst part of performing, out of all of it: the anticipation. But as he heard the bass line start and felt that rush as his pulse began to pound, he knew that he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Then give it up for…The Champion!”

Light flooded the arena as Shiro’s voice rang out, his rich baritone intertwining with the music that his band produced behind him seamlessly. He leaped forward, leaning down with the mike stand in his arm; fans reached out towards him, clamoring amongst themselves for a chance to maybe get sweat on by the Takashi Shirogane, aka Galra Records’ Champion. He reached out, fingertips just barely brushing hands as he walked down the stage, flashing each and every one of them a smile. Many began fanning themselves; he thought he even saw one faint, falling backwards into the crowd. He straightened up, cutting a sharp turn as he strutted back to his mark, pointing out towards the crowd as he moved.  As he got closer to the mark he pivoted, feet immediately smoothly transitioning into a moonwalk back to the ‘x’ that marked the floor. He ran his fingers through his forelock, dyed a shocking white in comparison to his jet black hair, tossing the hair back with a slight jerk of his head.

Shiro couldn’t see them due to the blinding lights on stage, but he knew that he had whipped his fans into a frenzy. Matt always told him that anytime he played with his hair in any way, half the audience would lose their minds and the other half would feed off the energy; he had even used a mathematical formula to prove it. Shiro had playfully teased him about it afterwards, asking how one even goes about creating a formula to calculate that, much less getting accurate data. But, he knew he had somehow; he was Matt Holt, genius stage manager of Galra Records, able to do incredible things with the outdated equipment that they gave them.

Shiro’s foot tapped along with the beat, the lyrics to the second verse pouring from his mouth as easily as breathing. They had performed this set so many times by now that everything was second nature; Shiro could have easily just let his mind wander during a show like some of his coworkers. But that never felt real to Shiro, never felt genuine, and if there was one thing Shiro was going to do, it was give his fans a real genuine show.  So Shiro let the emotions and neurochemicals wash over him, bathing in it as he bared his very essence to the people standing at their seats. He never looked at a show as just a way to make money and get famous; he always looked at it as an experience, and tonight he was going to make sure was a good one.

The bridge was coming up, and with that Shiro took the mike off the stand and stood in front. The critics were always amazed at how a man of Shiro’s size could move their body so fluidly and quickly as they danced, as if every minute twitch of his muscles was planned. He always responded that it was through his strict training regime enforced by Zarkon, but it did help that he loved the hip-hop variant that they practiced.  It was mainly his feet and hips that moved during performances, a blur of fluid and sensual movements, but it required his entire body to be under his control at all times.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Shiro could see various stage hands getting everything together for the final rendition of the chorus. Matt had excitedly told him all about it on the bus; how, even though the equipment was old, he figured out a way to rig some pyrotechnics into the show. Flames were supposed to shoot upwards from the ends of the stage, a “fiery end to his fiery performance” as Matt said. He knew Matt had been wanting to do pyrotechnics for a while, but every time he had put in an equipment request form they had been denied. Finally, it seemed they were given the greenlight, albeit a very old one, but they weren’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

As Shiro struck his final pose and the last notes rang out, pillars of flame erupted at the sides of the stage. He could hear the collective gasp of the crowd through the pounding in his ears; the anticipation was always the worst part. But it was all worth it when the deafening roar of the crowd slammed into him, pulling an exuberant smile from his face. He gave a slight bow before walking back to the mike stand, placing the mike back where it belonged.

“How are we doing tonight Garrison county,” Shiro called out, working to keep the breathlessness out of his voice. Cheers and screams were his only response, “Sounds like we’re doing alright; must’ve put some of you to sleep.”

Above the roar of the crowd disagreeing with him he could hear a few fans saying that he could never put them to sleep. “Huh, guess my hearing must be going then. Because, you know, when people are doing great, they give a way better response than that.”

For some reason, it always took a second jab at the crowd to get a deafening roar of approval and positivity and, like clockwork, he was greeted with what they assumed to be a response indicative of feeling great. He laughed at that, the sound caught by the mike and echoing throughout the arena.

“Alright, you’ve proved your point,” He said, raising his hands in defeat, “We’ve got a great show for you tonight; I’m really excited to share it with you. So, without further ado, let’s-”

No one was really sure what he was going to say next though, because the next sounds were panicked screams coming from both the crowd and the wings. Shiro startled, glancing over to the side where he knew Matt would be, only to see him staring up into the rafters, the glint of fire reflected in his glasses. Shiro looked up just in time to see the lights come crashing down upon him, the ropes holding them there burned off because of the fire.

“Stupid grocer and their stupid plastic bag tax,” A young man grumbled, arms full of various groceries without bags. Some plastic bags, filled almost to the point of dangerously bursting, hung from his arms, with mail clasped in between fingers. He shook his head, long black hair moving out of his face as he stood before the apartment door. He sighed, swiftly putting the mail in his mouth before maneuvering to his pocket for the keys; he fiddled for a moment before finding the right one. Inserting it into the lock, he pushed his body weight into it, opening the door with a loud bang and a muttered curse.

“Phiwo,” He began, before spitting the mail out onto the table by the door, “Shiro, come help with the groceries!”

Slowly a man came to the entryway, dressed in a loose-fitting black tee and gray sweatpants. His forelock was still dyed a stark white, but a scar ran horizontal across his nose. He reached out for some of the groceries, his robotic prosthetic right arm brushing against the plastic bags.

“Keith, you do realize you can make two trips right,” Shiro asked, carrying the items into the kitchen. Keith rolled his eyes, following right after him.

“And you do realize people who make two trips are pansies, right,” Keith retorted, readjusting the items that he was left with. He noted that Shiro had elected to take the items in his arms, leaving him with the plastic bags that were currently leaving indents in his pale skin. He glared at Shiro’s back as he followed him into their kitchenette.

“Hey, I make more than one trip,” Shiro called back, looking over his shoulder. Keith smirked, finally having a chance to set the bags down.

“I know.”

“Brat,” Shiro muttered, placing items away into their rightful spots. Even before his accident, Shiro had had a very particular way to setting up the kitchen and where each type of food should go; now, unemployed and dealing with the aftermath, it seemed to have gotten worse. Keith let it slide however, as he only ever set foot in the kitchen when Shiro wasn’t feeling up to making anything and they had nothing left for ordering take-out.

“So what did you do all day,” Keith asked, electing to ignore Shiro’s insult as he walked over to the table where the mail sat. He grimaced slightly at the damp spot where his teeth obviously dug into the envelopes, “Watch ‘Price is Right’ and tell kids to get off our lawn?”

“Hilarious.”

The corner of his lips tugged upwards as he sifted through the letters. Rent was due soon, as were the utilities, cable and internet…Some more take-out menus, and a sale paper that Keith could have probably used earlier today, damn it. But what caught his eye was an envelope appearing to contain a card; on closer inspection, he saw that it was written in an elegant script, as if the writer had practiced calligraphy their entire life. What was even more interesting was that it was addressed to Shiro, who hadn’t received a card since his parents decided to send him one from Japan along with a care package. He dropped the other mail back onto the table, fingering the envelope as he made his way back to the kitchen.

“Hey Shiro, looks like you got something.”

Shiro paused in putting away various non-perishables in the cupboard, regarding Keith over his shoulder. “Who’s it from?”

“Dunno,” Keith mumbled, squinting at the envelope as if it the sender’s name would magically appear, “Return address is local though, if that helps.”

Shiro took the letter from Keith’s outstretched hand, muttering a quiet thanks. Carefully he ripped open the envelope, pulling out a folded piece of paper from inside. He could tell that the letter was handwritten, as some of the ink had begun to bleed through the page and left dark splotches on the other side. He felt more than saw Keith peer over his shoulder as he unfolded the letter and began to read.

Dear Mr. Shirogane,            I apologize for the mysteriousness of this letter;  I feared that if I openly wrote who I am, you would have thrown it away without hearing my proposition. But, if you are reading this, then allow me to state my offer.            My name is Allura, and I am the director of the Altea Recording Company. It is alright if you haven’t heard of us; we are admittedly small company, consisting of myself and Coran, a close family friend. I am writing to offer you an opportunity to meet with me this Monday at 9 am at the return address, with the hopes that you will be willing to begin employment with us. After what has occurred to you under Galra Records, I understand if you wish to reject my offer by either refusing to show up or coming to refuse in person. But know this: You are not the only one Zarkon has harmed in his quest for power, nor will you be the last. If you wish to fight against him, to put a stop to him, then please consider my offer.

I await your response, Allura

“You’re being offered a job.”

Shiro nodded, swallowing past the lump in his throat. “It looks like it,” He croaked, fingers tightening their grip at the edges of the paper. The letter had brought back hundreds of memories, both good and bad, with only two eloquently handwritten paragraphs. The long grueling hours, the rush of the performance, the harsh diets they enforced, long hours spent talking with Matt about everything and anything, and…and the accident. Being pinned underneath burning stage lights, Matt running out from the wings to try and help, waking up in an unknown hospital without a right arm, Matt coming to visit but looking so haggard and guilty, attorneys coming into the room, hundreds of pages of legal documents all saying the same thing: Leave quietly and maybe we’ll help. It wasn’t until Keith grasped his attention by putting a hand over his that Shiro realized he had almost ripped the letter in half, arms trembling from the exertion.

“You don’t have to meet her.”

“Heh, didn’t you tell me last week to ‘get out more’,” Shiro weakly attempted at the joke, giving Keith a smile which looked more like a grimace. Keith’s brow furrowed even further, blue-grey eyes shining with concern and worry.

“Not if it’s going to hurt you,” Keith replied, “This is different than going to join a book club with a bunch of PTA moms.”

“I know,” Shiro sighed, grip relaxing on the letter, “But she mentioned stopping Zarkon. Keith, you don’t understand how he treated me, the other artists…. how he treated Matt. I owe it to them to at least see what Allura wants before I make my decision.”

Quiet filled the room, the kind of silence that gives the air a tangible weight that seems to press on you from all sides. Shiro could see the gears of Keith’s mind turning behind his eyes, the scales weighing each and every response with a meticulousness reminiscent of a chemist. Keith may be brash and impulsive but, when it came to Shiro’s health, he was always treading so carefully through the minefield, always cognizant to give gentle nudges in the right direction; a joke about watching game shows here, mentioning how the flowers were blooming in the park there…small things, prompts to try and guide him back to the life he had before Galra. Some days, when the memories followed him like shadows, Shiro was grateful that Keith never tried to push him beyond the limits that he had set for himself. But on the nights when Keith collapsed on the couch exhausted from work, or when he stared longingly at a photo taken at the college that he had dropped out of in order to help Shiro, Shiro wished that Keith would come barging in, screaming and crying in a manner similar to when he fought through security to see him in the hospital, and tell him to get off his ass and fucking do something.

“I have to do this Keith,” Shiro reiterated, mind already set. He would go and talk with Allura, consequences be damned; maybe he would even accept the offer, if only as a way to get petty revenge on Zarkon.

Keith sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Fine; but I’m coming with. Can’t have you wrecking my bike on your way there.”

“You’re letting me drive Red?”

Red was a bright cherry red standard motorcycle that was one of Keith’s few prized possessions. As a result, Keith was fiercely protective of it, refusing to let anyone come near it lest they wished to retreat with broken bones. Fondly Shiro remembered the first time he saw Red, and how Keith had viciously slapped his hand away when he instinctively reached out to touch it.

“I’m sure as hell not letting you take the bus,” Keith shrugged, “Besides, I’m only letting you drive as long as I’m with you. Take it or leave it.”

“Thanks Keith,” Shiro replied, placing his left hand on Keith’s shoulder. “It…really means a lot to me.”

Keith’s features softened into a rare appearance of gentleness that was only ever directed at Shiro. He placed his own hand on top of Shiro’s, giving a reassuring squeeze, fingers slotting between Shiro’s. As Shiro returned the smile, a thought flitted across his mind; he frowned, eyebrows knitting together. Keith’s own expression hardened instantly with worry, head tilting slightly to the side.

“Shiro? What’s wrong?”

“How exactly did you bring all the groceries back on Red?”

The days after the arrival of the letter seemed to fly by, and in the blink of an eye Shiro realized that it was the morning of his meeting with Allura. Apparently when one has something to look forward to and plan for, the slow march of time picks up tempo. Although, he mused as he sped down the highway with Keith clinging onto him from behind, considering that he hadn’t really remembered how he got onto the bike it was most likely something far less optimistic. Before Shiro’s mind could do any real damage to his mood, he decided to actually acknowledge his surroundings as he weaved through cars.

The weather had decided to cooperate, providing sunshine and bright blue sky as far as the eye could see. The sky was peppered with the fluffiest looking clouds and, off to their right, the tops of tall buildings.  Those buildings, Shiro knew, belonged to the city of Arus; a small city, mostly known for its surrounding beautiful parks and lakes, but certainly a hub of activity once you arrived. It helped that in the dead center was the university, allowing for the city to expand and come to life around it. Both he and Keith had attended there for their aeronautic program, before Shiro had been picked up by Galra and ultimately the accident occurred. Since then, he personally hadn’t been there, though he could faintly recall Keith mentioning going into the city sometimes.

“Take this one,” Keith shouted into his ear, above the roar of the wind and Red’s engine. Shiro nodded, properly signaling and getting off the highway, easing off the throttle as they cruised down the ramp. They rolled to a stop at a light, giving Shiro a moment to look over his shoulder at Keith.

“What’s after this?”

“Uh…it’s saying go straight, then take a left at Golion street.”

Shiro nodded, head turning just as the light went green. He jerked the bike forward, chuckling slightly as he felt Keith flail behind him before desperately latching his arms back around his middle. He could feel the muffled curse being muttered into his back, the light jab into his stomach at the sudden movement. All of it reminded him of simpler times, when the two of them would go off campus for rides on Red for the simple sake of exploring for exploration’s sake; of days spent shirking off studying in favor of going to their favorite coffee shop across town just because it wasn’t on campus. Despite the cool whip of the wind, Shiro felt himself warm up at the memories, lips lifting up into a smile.

“Oi, you’re gonna drive past it!”

Shiro snapped out of his reverie, slowing the bike down as he noticed that he had successfully turned onto Golion Street. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Keith point towards a white building on the left; he pulled up to the sidewalk across from it, parking the bike. He smoothed out his clothes, black vest slightly wrinkled from having crouched over the bike and from Keith’s grip. He took off his black helmet, tossing it to Keith as he ran his fingers through his hair, working to make it look presentable instead of like it had been underneath a helmet.

“Well,” He asked, turning around to face Keith. Keith set the black helmet down on the back of the bike, head tilted to the side as his eyes roved over Shiro.

“You’re a little rusty on the park job, and you didn’t give me a warning when you started the bike, but other than that, you did alright.”

“Keith.”

“You look fine,” Keith gave a small smile, “And you’ll be fine. But if anything seems fishy, or you just want the hell out of Dodge, shoot me a text and I’ll be right over.”

“And if you somehow manage to get into trouble while I’m here, you shoot me a text and I’ll be right over.”

“You’re going to be like, an hour max probably; what the hell can I do in that short of time?”

“I can think of ten separate occasions.”

“That’s definitely an exaggeration since I can only think of three.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night Keith,” Shiro conceded, turning towards the entrance of the building. He tossed his hand up in a final departing gesture before pulling the glass doors open and stepping inside.

While the outside of the building was a pristine white with blue accents, the inside appeared a bit more dated. There were still blue accents on the walls, but instead of standing out against a brilliant white they were painted against a shade of grey. The furniture in the lobby was a mixture blue and white, in a style that while may have been modern during it’s time of interior decorating was certainly outdated now.

“Ah, you must be Mr. Shirogane!”

Shiro’s attention was pulled to the lobby’s main desk, where the Australian accented voice had called from. There saw a man with hair the shade of orange found in a sunset, mustache the same shade. Underneath his oddly purple eyes were blue tattoos, looking as if they were meant to frame the eye. Shiro stepped forward to the desk, feeling a wave of self-consciousness crash over him.

“Um, Shiro is fine. And you are…?”

“Oh, where are my manners,” The man replied, reaching out and grasping Shiro’s prosthetic in both hands. He continued on, ignorant of the way Shiro stiffened. “The name is Coran; Allura told me that she mentioned me in her letter to you. I’m the company’s receptionist, PR manager, nutritionist, and mechanic!”

“That’s…quite a lot of different jobs.” Shiro replied, returning the enthusiastic handshake before slipping his arm back to his side.

“Oh well, we don’t exactly have a lot of staffing,” Coran mentioned, waving his hand dismissively. “But don’t worry about me; despite my age, I’m still as sprightly as any young spring chicken!”

“I can see that.” Shiro said, feeling a smile form on his face despite himself. Coran’s energy and upbeat mood was certainly infectious; if he found that he wouldn’t mind working closely with him.

“Now, go off and have a seat over there, and I’ll let Allura know you’ve arrived.” Coran pointed over to some seats. Shiro nodded, heading over to the seats and sitting; he felt himself sink into the cushions. He glanced over to the pile of magazines to his left, noting that similar to the style of the furniture they were incredibly outdated. Still, he pulled one out, casually flipping through it; there might actually be information that he didn’t know in there. He wasn’t sure how much time passed, but in the middle of an article about some celebrity marriage he felt his phone buzz. He pulled it out, unlocking it and smiling as he saw that it was a text from Keith.

Everything going alright?

He typed out a reply, not noticing that the front door had opened. Yes mom, everything is going fine. Go back to drinking your latte.

“Mind if I sit here?”

Shiro glanced up from his phone, mouth ready to reply when he suddenly felt his heart stop. The person standing in front of him, with their ruffled brown hair and light brown eyes staring at him from behind glasses, looked so familiar….so similar to Matt that he felt like he couldn’t breathe. But…no, this wasn’t Matt; they were shorter than him, and Matt wouldn’t wear such a baggy green and white shirt or cargo shorts. Well, okay, he would definitely wear the cargo shorts, but they wouldn’t be as baggy as they were on this person. But if this person wasn’t Matt, then why did they look so familiar? It certainly wasn’t….maybe…?

The person in front of him coughed, snapping him out of his thoughts and forcing Shiro to realize that he had been staring for quite some time. He felt a flush creep up his face as he nodded, pointedly avoiding looking at them as they sat beside him. He felt his phone buzz again and quickly unlocked it, thankful for the distraction.

I’m too poor for a latte and you know it.

He opened up the picture that came with the message, rolling his eyes as he saw Keith’s middle finger next to a coffee almost as black as his hair. He glanced at the gallery icon in the corner of the picture, and before he knew it he was looking through his phone’s gallery, finger frantically swiping upwards through the years of memories. He finally saw what he was looking for, thumb tapping on the image to enlarge it; a picture of Matt, standing in front of a university’s rocket statue, arm slung around his younger sister.

Only 14 and already in university!

That was what the message had said about Katie Holt, Matt’s genius sister. He remembered occasionally visiting their family, smiling as he watched Matt and Katie argue over codes, robotics, and general science in terms that were far above his comprehension. Remembered how Katie, who while wanting to go into robotic engineering, was more than content to help Matt modify their special effects machines. Who was closer to Matt than Shiro himself, who was probably willing to put themselves right into the line of fire to avenge Matt.

Right as Shiro turned to begin questioning the person sitting next to him though, he heard Coran call his name. He muttered a curse, returning his magazine back with the others and heading towards the front desk. He could feel the stranger’s eyes on his back as he walked, analyzing his every move; so similar to Katie, it couldn’t be a coincidence.

“Allura’s in her office,” Coran said, gesturing towards the door, “It’s the third door on the right.”

Shiro nodded, muttering his thanks as he pushed through the door. He heard Coran call the stranger’s name- did he really hear Pidge? He pushed the thought aside though, reaching the third door on the right and knocking with his left hand.

“Come in,” A woman’s voice called out, voice melodic with a British accent. Shiro opened the heavy door, closing it behind him. Across the room from him, sitting at a large wooden desk and furiously typing away at a computer, was a young woman with long curly white hair. Her skin tone was much darker than Coran’s, and the tattoos underneath her blue eyes were a light pink instead of blue. She pulled her eyes away from her computer, leaning over the desk as she offered him her hand and a bright smile.

“Mr. Shirogane, what a pleasure it is to meet you,” She began, “My name is Allura.”

Shiro took the hand, grateful that her handshake was far less enthusiastic than Coran’s. “Please, just call me Shiro.”

“Of course,” She replied, sitting back down in her chair. Shiro sat in the chair in front of her desk, noticing that unlike the ones in the lobby he didn’t sink into it. His eyes wandered around the room, taking note of the sparse decorations and bookshelf lined with various novels and books about law. Behind Allura was a large window, looking out at the city coming alive; just as he began to enjoy the view, however, Allura drew the blinds.

“I apologize,” Allura stated, “But, since this office is on the ground floor, it is highly likely someone may see the famous Takashi Shirogane and report it to the media. And, whether this meeting is fruitful or not, I would like it to stay private.”

Shiro nodded. “Thank you, I appreciate it. Although, this does raise the question of how you knew where I lived?”

Allura sighed, lacing her hands together. “There had been rumors that you’d gone to live at that address with a friend after the accident. It was honestly just fortune smiling upon us that you were actually there.”

It was honestly just chance that you decided to come, Shiro heard the meaning behind her words almost as if she had spoken them out loud. He fixed his gaze on her, fighting to keep his arms on his lap and not crossed over his chest. “You mentioned Zarkon. Why?”

A distant look came into Allura’s eyes as she looked down at the desk. “Many years ago, even before I was born, Altea was a highly successful company. We worked with artists throughout the country, even thinking about expanding globally. Then, ten years ago, one of our artists betrayed us. He pulled out all these false claims, bringing up hundreds of lawsuits against the current director at the time, my father Alfor. Each one was nothing but slanderous lies, and yet…. somehow, he was able to procure evidence to back up his accusations. Eventually he and Alfor came to an agreement: Alfor could keep the company, but he had to pay such exorbitant fees that we might as well have lost the company. The artist took his earnings, and with it, founded Galra Records and worked viciously to put us out of business.”

“Zarkon,” Shiro breathed. Allura nodded, hands tightening as she continued her story.

“My father worked very hard to keep Zarkon from completely destroying the company. We mostly have worked with grassroots, underground, and Indie music groups. But, well…once they get fame, they’ve left us for bigger and more successful companies.”

“Companies like Galra.”

“Yes; it would not be the first time we’ve lost an artist to Zarkon. Eventually the stress took its toll on my father, and he passed away last year.”

“I’m sorry,” Shiro immediately responded. Allura smiled sadly, eyes still trained on her hands on the desk.

“I appreciate your condolences; he was a good man.” Allura muttered, “But, his death comes as a blessing in disguise, because with it we have the funds to be able to produce an artist truly worthy of fighting against Galra’s.”

Shiro blinked, realization dawning upon him. “You want me to perform and produce music as a way to put Galra out of business?”

Allura nodded, meeting his surprised gaze with her own determined one. “Yes. Coran and I believe that with your previous fans and history, you would be able to become famous enough to not only put this company back on the map, but to break up this monopoly that Zarkon has on the industry.”

Shiro stared at his hands, mind racing a mile a minute with this new information. He was Allura and Coran’s last hope, their last chance at getting back at Zarkon for destroying their lives and indirectly killing Alfor. He clenched his fists, feeling his agreement to offer rising in his throat, ready to commit to the idea of dedicating the rest of his career to fighting Zarkon in a battle of sales…but the memories slammed into him, stopping the words short in his throat and choking him. Memories of those long nights being berated and screamed at…memories of the emotional and physical abuse that he witnessed and endured…memories of the weight of the lights crushing his arm, the smell of burning flesh, Matt’s voice crying out his name….

“I understand if you need time,” Allura’s voice cut through the haze his mind had created. His head jerked up, eyes blinking rapidly as he focused on the concern on her face. “It is a lot to process.”

Shiro shook his head, reminding himself to breathe. “No, it’s…it’s not that. I want to, more than anything else, it’s just…just…”

“The memories?”

He nodded, head hanging in shame. “I don’t think I could handle it alone.”

Allura hummed, fingertip tapping against the wood of her desk as she weighed his words carefully. “Well…we weren’t planning on restarting the group until we had more in profits, but…”

“What are you talking about?”

“Back when the company was just starting, my father created a group known as Voltron, comprised of five members. He fashioned the group after the pop idol groups in Japan and Korea; a group that falls under the same name, but if a member leaves for whatever reason they can just find a new member and keep the group going. It worked very well, and Voltron became adapted to almost every genre of music throughout its time due to the different styles of its members. Unfortunately, while it was wildly popular, when Zarkon took Altea to court, it was the first thing to be dismantled due to its upkeep costs. It may be the only thing whose notoriety would be more powerful than yours, and it could end disastrously, but if it works….” Allura grinned, “We may have just the tool needed to defeat Zarkon without you working alone.”

Shiro mulled over the idea; he had collaborated with a few artists before, but if their collaboration failed it usually never made a dent in his popularity. But this…this was relying on four other people who could easily make or break him. Four people who would undoubtedly see him at his worst more often than at his best. But while these thoughts were intimidating, the thought of doing it all alone crept at the corners of his mind, promising blind panic and an inability to breathe if he entertained them.

“As long as I get to sit in on auditions,” Shiro blurted out, mouth moving faster than his mind. Allura blinked, surprise evident on her features before she schooled her expression into one of polite enthusiasm.

“Of course! After all, you will be the leader of this group; the ‘Black Paladin’, as we’ve called them in the past.” Allura said, reaching into a drawer as she spoke. She pulled out a notepad, a pen, and a business card, pushing the items towards Shiro.

“Here is my number and email, in case you have any questions,” Allura said, pointing at the card, “And, if you could just write your contact information down?”

Shiro nodded, grasping the pen as he wrote his cellphone number down on the pad offered to him. He pushed the pad of paper back at Allura, who had yet to stop smiling since his agreement. She picked it up, tearing the page off the pad and setting it next to her computer.

“Either I or Coran will contact you when we decide to set up auditions,” She said, immediately turning back to her computer, “Do you know your way out?”

“Um…yes, I believe I do.”

She nodded, clearly distracted by the work she set before her. “Good; I hope to speak with you again soon.”

“Likewise,” Shiro said, pushing himself out of the chair. He headed towards the door, giving one last glance over his shoulder at Allura. She was furiously typing away at the desktop, the tip of her tongue poking out between her lips as she stared intently at the screen. He smiled, exiting the room and closing the door quietly behind him.

“So you accepted their offer, huh?”

Shiro jumped at the voice, turning to face Pidge as they leaned against the wall. He sighed, placing a hand over his heart in an attempt to steady his breathing.

“What are you doing here?”

Pidge shrugged, pushing their glasses up their nose. “I saw you in the lobby, and I figured since we’re going to be working together I should get to know you better.”

“I see…And does Matt know you’ve applied to work here under a fake name?”

Pidge frowned, putting their hands on their hips. “Yes, actually. He even helped create the background information for the fake alias so that I wouldn’t be found out.”

“I believe that’s illegal.” Shiro stated, though he couldn’t hold back the smile on his face even if he tried. It was so like Katie and Matt to do something like this that he could hardly believe any time had passed at all. Pidge shrugged, hands falling at their sides at his statement.

“It’s only illegal if you get caught doing it. Otherwise, it’s perfectly fine.”

Shiro chuckled. “It’s good to see you haven’t changed Katie. Or should I be calling you Pidge now?”

Pidge tapped her finger to her chin, mockingly thinking about the answer. “Hmm…well, I guess since it’s you, you can call me Katie in private. But anywhere else, like this hallway, it’s Pidge.”

“Understood…Pidge.” Shiro replied, giving a knowing wink. Pidge laughed, smile lighting up her face, and for a moment Shiro could pretend that he was just visiting Matt’s family during one of their rare free moments. That Matt had just gone off somewhere to grab more snacks and drinks, maybe even get their dog Rover to join in on the fun. Pidge noticed the faraway look in Shiro’s eyes and frowned, painfully familiar with the look of a man lost in better days.

“He misses you, you know.”

Shiro’s head jerked slightly, almost as if he had been dozing and Pidge awakened him. She suddenly felt smaller than she already was, finding her shoes far more fascinating than his gaze.

“Matt…He misses you a lot. He…blames himself, for what happened. Says he knew he shouldn’t have pushed for it, that with his luck it’d be terrible.”

“He shouldn’t,” Shiro muttered, voice wracked with guilt for the pain he’d been causing Matt. “I knew the dangers associated with it, and I still wanted to go for it. If anything, it’s my fault for encouraging him.”

“You should tell him that. Talk out all your feelings and stuff.”

Shiro shook his head, feeling his heart clench with fear at the idea of talking to Matt once again. Would Matt hate him, despise him for the pain Shiro had unintentionally put the Holt family through? Through the storm of emotions and what-if’s he heard Pidge sigh; he felt her hand rest on his elbow in a comforting manner. He looked down, seeing Pidge’s sad smile directed up at him.

“Can’t blame a girl for trying,” She sniffed, eyes beginning to water up. Shiro nodded mutely, pulling Pidge into a hug and letting her cry quietly into the fabric of his vest. It was the least he could do for a family who treated him as one of their own that he had irrevocably destroyed.

The college’s workout room was for once filled with to the brim with various students from all majors. It was the end of the semester, and everyone was there for various reasons: preparing for beach season, working off finals stress, or just because they enjoyed exercise. And sometimes, Lance mused as he eyed the short shorts of the girls running on the treadmill, a person could come to have a bit of fun.

He tousled his short brown hair a bit, inserting his headphones into his ears and turning on his favorite song. He smirked, hearing the song slowly build up, the rapid Spanish rap filling his ears. He swayed his hips as he walked, looking as if he owned the entire building and decided to make it his own personal runway.

“A ella le gusta la gasolina, dame mas gasolina,” Lance sang along in perfect sync; he flashed a smile over to the girls who looked over. Some rolled their eyes, others blushed at the attention, and one or two happened to do both. He would certainly have to visit the ones that did both; feisty and interested were definitely his favorite type. But first, he should look at the notice board that hung in the corner before he began any extraneous cardio. After all, this was where Lance found some of the wilder parties and events on campus; it wasn’t rare for Lance to make his weekend plans based off what the board offered.

Today, despite it being the end of the semester, there was a sore lack of parties being advertised. Lance scoffed; bunch of nerds lived on this campus apparently. His attention was caught by a rather interesting flier, tabs cut at the bottom for people to rip off as they pleased. He decided to take a closer look, figuring that it was a research study looking for willing participants and offering to pay in either gift cards or actual cash.

Auditions being held for the newest incarnation of Altea’s Team Voltron!

With special guest judge and Voltron’s new Black Paladin, Takashi Shirogane!

All interested parties should come to the following location on these dates.

Lance’s eyes widened as he grasped the flier, nearly tearing it off the board in his haste. A chance to not only finally reach stardom, but a chance to meet the Takashi Shirogane, voice of a generation?

Lance had already run out the gym and pressed speed dial for his friend, a tab grasped tightly in his hands.

“Hunk, have I got some awesome news!”

It was the first day of the auditions, and once again Keith had agreed to accompany Shiro to the location. Allura, Coran, and Pidge were already inside, setting up recording, video, and sound systems Despite not actually being the one to audition, Shiro felt nervous; what if they didn’t find anyone? Would he still have to do it alone? What if they did find four other members, and they turned out to all be terrible people?

A hand on his shoulder brought him out of his thoughts; he turned to see Keith staring up at him, a concerned look on his face. Shiro did his best to reassure him, resting his own hand on top and giving a smile.

“Not too late to back out and go home to watch Jeopardy,” Keith offered, a teasing note in his voice. Shiro chuckled, pushing Keith’s hand off his shoulder as he headed inside.

“And listen to you whine about me winning? I’ll pass.”

The door to the building creaked open, drowning out Keith’s unintelligible grumbling. Allura smiled as she spotted Shiro from across the room, waving her greeting. Shiro waved back, heading over after he gave Keith his signature “be on your best behavior” look; Keith rolled his eyes, shoving his hands into his pockets as he followed.

“I’m so glad you made it,” Allura said, her entire being seeming to vibrate with energy. “Pidge and Coran have gotten most of the systems set up in the auditioning room already. I’ll show you the way and let you get settled in.”

Allura pushed the door open, holding it for Shiro. He blinked, heading through the doorway; as Keith went to follow however, he was stopped by a hand on his chest. He glared at Allura, who merely met his scowl with a schooled expression of neutrality.

“Sorry, but everyone who is auditioning has to wait out here until we call them.” She spoke, tone full of authority and missing the gentle kindness that she had given Shiro the other day. “Please go sign in and wait for your name to be called.”

“Allura, he’s with me,” Shiro said, placing his left hand on her shoulder, “I asked him to come and sit beside me for…moral support.”

“Yeah, so let me through.” Keith spat out, pushing her hand off his chest. Allura frowned, eyebrows drawing together as she regarded him.

“As…touching, as that is, I’m afraid that I can’t allow that,” Allura replied, turning her attention to Shiro. From behind her, Shiro could see Keith’s hands ball into fists as he glared daggers into her back. “Only judges, members of the company, and those auditioning are allowed back here.”

“If you’re gonna talk about me, you should do it to my fucking face,” Keith growled; Allura spun around, shock at being addressed evident on her face. Shiro merely rested his head in his hand, dragging his palm down his face as he prayed to a higher power for things to resolve themselves.

“Excuse me? How dare you talk that way! Do you know who I am?”

“Yeah, the bitch that’s keeping me from helping Shiro.”

Coran and Pidge had stuck their heads out now to see what the commotion was about. Shiro saw Pidge’s face split into a devious grin; she had heard stories about Keith’s infamous temper and impulsivity, and how it always resulted in interesting situations.

“I also happen to be the bitch who owns this property and can have you removed from it,” Allura seethed, leaning down to get into Keith’s face. “So if you really wish to help your friend, then either audition or get out of my building!”

A tense silence began, in which Shiro could almost see literal electricity fly between Keith and Allura’s glares. Looking back, he probably should have cleared this with Allura before assuming that it would be alright; now, there was nothing left to do but break up the fight. Just as he stepped forward though, he heard Keith growl, breaking his gaze from Allura.

“Fine,” He spat, “I’ll audition. But, I’m doing it now.”

“Fair.”

“And if I get in, I’m sitting in and putting my input in.”

As if a switch had been flipped, Alllura’s entire demeanor changed back to sweet and high energy. “Of course! After all, we’d want the both of you to like whoever you work with.”

Keith grumbled, pushing past her and stalking towards the room where Coran and Pidge had disappeared back into. Shiro followed after him, ignoring the victorious air that Allura wore as she walked.

“Keith, really, you don’t have to do this for me.” Shiro said, opening the door for him. Keith rolled his eyes, frown marring his face as he flipped through his phone.

“Tch, it’s not even about you right now,” Keith muttered darkly, glaring at Allura, “It’s about telling her to shove it.”

From the corner, Shiro could hear Pidge failing to keep her snickers quiet. Shiro sighed, knowing that once Keith had his mind set on something, it was unlikely that he would change it.

“Alright,” He said, lifting his hands in defeat, “Just…try not to make a total ass of yourself?”

“Just go sit down.”

Shiro nodded, moving to his spot in the middle of the table. On his left sat Allura, pen moving rapidly as she wrote something down on the pad of paper before her. He noticed he also had one; he figured that was for writing down specific names and thoughts.

“Alright Keith,” Allura said, setting the pen aside and folding her hands in front of her. “Whenever you’re ready.”

Shiro saw the look on Keith’s face, and instantly his stomach dropped as he recognized the look that inevitably gave him a massive headache. This was the look Keith had when Shiro thought Iverson was actually going to knock him into next Tuesday; this was the look that Keith wore when he decided to jump Red over a canyon. This was the look that, no matter how much Shiro begged and pleaded, always guaranteed some form of trouble.

“My name is Keith, and I’m auditioning to be Shiro’s moral support and personally to say ‘fuck you’ to Allura.”

And over the sound of electric guitars and heavy drums, Shiro swore that he heard Allura’s calm and graceful demeanor crack.

Shiro had heard Keith sing as he cooked and showered, usually something that had lots of guitar, drums, and gritty lyrics. Despite his rough appearance his voice was soft and melodic, suited for soft songs played on pianos and guitars, or at least unplugged versions of his favorite songs. Not for…

Dickhead, fuckface

Cock-smoking, mother-fucking

Asshole, dirty twat

Waste of semen, I hope you die, hey

…Whatever it was he just sang to Allura, Jesus Christ.

“Enough,” Allura slammed her hands on the table, interrupting the song. Keith paused it, smirking as he gave a mock bow. Off to the sides, Coran and Pidge watched the unfolding horror show with some mixture of amusement and fear.

“So what did you think,” Keith asked, arms crossed over his chest as he raised an eyebrow in challenge. Before Allura could even begin to voice the millions of complaints she had Shiro raised his hand, fixing Keith with his stare.

“If you’re going to make an ass of yourself, you can leave.”

For all the world, Keith looked as if the wind had been knocked out of him; his shoulders hunched forward slightly, eyes blinking owlishly at Shiro’s words. It wasn’t often that Shiro was harsh with Keith, but when he was it always did it’s intended effect of stopping whatever trouble he had gotten himself into.

“But…. Shiro, I-”

“I don’t want to hear it,” Shiro snapped, “What you just did was disrespectful not just to Allura, but to me. If you want to be helpful, then drop the attitude and be serious; otherwise, you need to leave.”

The absolute betrayal and fear that appeared on Keith’s face made Shiro’s heart clench painfully. But as soon as the look was there it was gone, replaced by a more neutral expression as he scrolled through his phone. Shiro slumped back into his chair, hearing Allura huff as she leaned back as well, arms crossed over her chest. He turned towards her, readying an apology, but Keith had made his selection, the music already beginning. Already he could tell it was a better choice; the tone was softer, the guitars less angry and drums mostly for keeping rhythm.

Memories consume, like opening the wound

I’m picking me apart again

Shiro recognized the song; sometimes Keith hummed and sang it under his breath on days when he felt he screwed up and the world seemed a little less forgiving than usual. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Allura lean forwards, her body language becoming less tense as her face betrayed her shock. While he knew that Keith had a nice voice, he hadn’t expected the total command of attention that he was able to get from Allura after such a vulgar display earlier. Perhaps it was the way that Keith didn’t hold back any of the emotions; similar to how he was around Shiro, his singing was highly expressive, creating a colorful tapestry with the music acting as the weave, guiding each line into its rightful place. The way he delivered the lyrics, his stance…Shiro could tell that not only was he putting his all into it, but that he was delivering a handmade apology to everyone in the room for how he acted earlier. As the song faded out and Keith met Shiro’s gaze, he couldn’t stop the grin that overtook him at the bashful look on his friend’s face.

Allura cleared her throat, garnering the attention of everyone else. “Well, I think that performance is a marked improvement.” She said, shooting Keith a small smile. “With Shiro’s permission, I would love to extend an offer to you to not only be his ‘moral support’, but to be our Red Paladin.”

Shiro laughed at the widening of Keith’s eyes, his expression comical as he whipped his head to look at Shiro. “I’m more than okay with it,” Shiro responded, grey eyes meeting Keith’s, “But at the end of the day, it’s Keith’s decision.”

All eyes turned to Keith, waiting to see how he would respond. The tension was palpable, thick enough that you could cut it with a knife. Then Keith smiled, and it felt like the weight of the world had been lifted from everyone’s shoulders.

“Where do I sign?”

Lance sighed, leg bouncing uncontrollably as he sat slouched in his seat. He and Hunk had gotten there bright and early only to see that the lobby was filled with other people, each wanting their own chance at stardom or to just “catch a glimpse of The Champion”. His own stomach was growling, as he had refused to eat anything heavy in fear of it affecting his voice and dancing. His only solace was in watching various contestants run out the doors crying, obviously having been rejected by the panel in the room.

“Dude, you sure you don’t want any?” Came a voice to his right; Lance glanced over, seeing his best friend Hunk offering a bag of chips to him. Hunk was a large man, skin a similar dark shade to Lance’s, though perhaps a bit darker. In his other hand he clutched a piece of paper; his resume, as Hunk had seen an ad for stage crew for the company. Lance scrunched up his nose, pushing the bag away from him.

“No way man, salt will totally wreck my vocal chords.” Lance replied, “Gotta keep myself hydrated. Then afterwards, you and I will go out for the biggest most ridiculous lunch this city has ever seen.”

“There’s not exactly a lot of big ridiculous lunch places around here on a budget.” Hunk replied, staring wistfully at the floor. “Well I mean, unless you count that one buffet place that’s just outside the city limits.”

“My man, you know I am.”

“Er, is there a Lance here,” An Australian accented voice called out. Lance jerked his entire body up, running towards the door.

“Me, me, that’s me, right here ready for take-off!” Lance said, skidding to a stop in front of the man. The man twirled his orange mustache, immediately turning around and heading through the doors. Lance followed after him, aura exuding confidence despite the butterflies in his stomach; Hunk trailed behind, ready to give the moral support needed. The mustachioed man opened a door, revealing a room big enough for any dance moves that Lance had planned. Across the room sat three people, one of which Lance immediately recognized as his idol Takashi Shirogane. The dark-skinned woman sitting to Shiro’s left, while unknown, was certainly someone Lance wished to get to know better after all of this was over, whether he got in or not. He glanced at the scowling dark-haired man sitting to Shiro’s right, giving him a once over before directing his attention to the two more prominent catches to his attention.

“My name is Allura, and it’s a pleasure to meet you,” The woman, Allura, spoke in a British accent. Lance inwardly cheered; he loved girls with accents. “What’s your name?”

“The name’s Lance,” He said, gesturing towards her with finger guns, “Although you can just call me ‘the next big thing’.”

The man on Shiro’s right tilted his head back, taking a deep breath through his nose. Shiro placed his prosthetic hand on his shoulder, as if trying to calm him, before he addressed Lance.

“And what will you be auditioning with today Lance?”

“Only the best party song currently in existence,” Lance said, jerking his thumb back at Hunk. “Hit it!”

Lance shook his shoulders out as Hunk pressed play on the stereo. Instantly, an auto-tuned voice flowed through the room; the man sitting next to Shiro dragged his hand down his face, apparently sick of the song already. Lance narrowed his eyes, mouth opening to begin singing, determined to change that expression to one of shock and awe.

Players, put yo' pinky rings up to the moon

At the word “moon”, Lance slid out, feet gliding across the floor. The three judges blinked; clearly they hadn’t been expecting a dance routine with the song. Lance grinned, more than ready to surprise them as he danced his own routine smoothly. As soon as he had heard about the audition, he had immediately spent any free time he had on developing and practicing this routine. He moved his hips suggestively towards the table, making sure to make eye contact with each of them.

Don't look too hard might hurt ya'self

Known to give the color red the blues

At that, he gave the man on Shiro’s right who just happened to be wearing red a wink; he heard Hunk and the techie in the corner snicker, while his victim didn’t seem to appreciate the gesture. Lance smirked; clearly that was a challenge to up the charm. He slid over, making sure to sit on the edge of the table right next to red, leaning in and raising a hand to the man’s face.

Why you mad, fix ya face ain't my fault y'all be jocking. Keep up!

He patted the man’s face before swiftly moving away; he almost laughed in the middle of the chorus as an audible growl of displeasure left Red’s mouth. Shiro and Allura’s mouths quirked upwards in smiles, clearly amused at his antics. Lance could at least concede that two out of three wasn’t bad; besides, he noticed Red had a mullet, of all hairstyles. Clearly if that man couldn’t be trusted with his hair, then his judgement on anything else should instantly be voided. With that comforting thought in mind, Lance continued to perform, confidence boosted as he saw Shiro and Allura’s feet begin to tap underneath the table. He winked and sent finger guns to Allura, body rolling smoothly as he sang out a “hey girl”; she froze, seemingly unsure what to do with it, while Shiro merely laughed. As the song began to start the bridge, the beat building up the slow grind, Lance couldn’t help but wonder how she’d react to this.

Lance spun, dropping his body almost perpendicular to the floor; the judge’s scrambled to look over the table, making sure he was actually alright. Lance immediately pushed himself back up, doing an entire body roll before strutting his way towards the center of the room. He hadn’t quite perfected the execution during his practices, but his philosophy was to go big or go home, and this was certainly going big. The sensation of all eyes on him, each and every breath held for his next move…this was the thrill that he was always seeking, whether through misbehavior or stellar performances. As the song began its climatic chorus he pushed himself into the backflip, tucking his long legs up into his chest; he landed perfectly, the applause and gasps of surprise fueling him to put extra energy into the final chorus. He shimmied his shoulders, fists pumping the air as he sang enthusiastically, for a moment feeling like he was actually on the stage instead of in some auditioning room. Soon though the song began to fade out, prompting him to drop to his knees and slide forward, chest heaving and his arms spread wide as if meant to gather up the praise and applause fans would give; he would find he wouldn’t be disappointed.

“Splendid,” Allura clapped, glancing over at Shiro, “Lance certainly has a commanding presence, doesn’t he?”

“He does.” Shiro nodded, a small smile gracing his features. “Kind of reminds me of when I was still performing.”

Lance practically beamed; being told that he, little nobody Lance, reminded his idol Takashi Shirogane of himself? Clearly he must have broken his neck during his audition, because this was way too good to be true.

“Maybe if he focused on singing more than dancing there’d be something to praise.”

Nope, clearly this was reality if there were red wearing mullets spitting out slanderous lies about his audition in an effort to ruin his post-performance buzz. Lance pulled himself off his knees, brushing his pants off as he glared at the mullet. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” He said smugly, arms crossed over his chest, “You didn’t hit any of the high notes that song has, and since I’ve heard it twenty times today I know where you screwed up.”

“Alright, so my range is mid-baritone to mid-tenor; so sue me!” Lance crossed his arms over his chest, gaze locking with the mullet’s. “Bet you’re a tenor; you guys are always so high and mighty, looking down on anyone who can’t hit those notes.”

Somehow he managed to narrow his eyes even more, which Lance would have found impressive if he wasn’t currently angry at him. “It’s not a matter of my vocal range, but rather you focusing more on the dance aspect than the singing aspect. You have to be able to do both.”

“Well at least I can dance, unlike someone in here.”

That was definitely a growl coming from Red, who was currently pushing his chair backwards. Before he could make any other moves though, Shiro placed his prosthetic arm across his body in an effort to stop.

“Enough Keith,” Shiro commanded sternly, “You’ve already made at least ten people cry today; I’m not letting you give one a black eye just because they annoy you.”

Keith scowled, slumping back into his chair as he crossed his arms over his chest. “Whatever,” He grumbled, jerking his head towards Hunk. “Just let the big guy audition and you two can leave.”

Lance and Hunk looked at each other, both surprised. “Who, Hunk? Naw man, he’s not here to audition; he’s my moral support!”

Keith smirked looking over at Shiro and Allura, both of whom cradled their heads in their hands as if they suddenly realized a horrible mistake. “Oh really? Well that’s funny, because when I tried to be moral support, someone told me that I had to audition if I wanted to be back here. Isn’t that right Allura?”

Allura sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Yes, that is technically what I told you.”

“And we can’t make any exceptions to the rules, right Allura?”

“Yes, I believe that is the gist of what I implied earlier.”

Keith turned back to look at Lance, looking as if this was a game of chess and he had five different ways to capture Lance’s king. “Well, you heard her: time for your friend’s audition.”

Lance spluttered, gesturing wildly. “That’s…you can’t…it’s…meet me in the pit mullet!”

“Tch, have to rely on memes because you can’t formulate real sentences?”

“Too chicken to fight me so you make jabs instead?”

Keith began shrugging off his jacket. “If you wanted your ass kicked, should’ve just said so.”

Just as Lance was about to retort, he felt a large hand grasp his shoulder and push him back. He stared at the broad back of Hunk in shock, noticing how despite his confident stance there was a slight tremble to his limbs.

“Hunk, what are you doing,” Lance asked, “You don’t have to listen to what Keith says, he has a mullet!”

“It’s alright Lance,” Hunk said, offering his brightest smile despite his nerves. “I’ll just audition, and then we can go out for that buffet you promised without any critical injuries.”

Lance nodded mutely, walking to Hunk’s spot at the back of the room. He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched Hunk stand in the center of the room like a hawk. He knew Hunk had problems with being the center of attention; namely, if he didn’t take an anti-emetic medication beforehand, there was a very high chance he would throw up. He had seen it happen on occasion during high school, and had promptly got into fights with kids who dared to make fun of Hunk. With medication and time, it got better; though after an important presentation Hunk would still run off to the bathroom to vomit.

Wise men say

Only fools rush in

But I can't help falling in love with you

So lost in thought Lance had been that he hadn’t even noticed that Hunk’s song had begun; what he did notice was the rich bass accompanying it that filled the room. He felt his entire body relax, hands dropping to his sides as he stared at Hunk’s back in awe. He had heard Hunk hum before as he cooked, but he never actually had heard him sing out loud. Like himself, Hunk’s voice soothed over frayed nerves and chased the tension out of the room until all that was left was a serenity so peaceful that it bordered on ethereal. It created the feeling of being engulfed in a warm gentle bear hug, complete with someone stroking his hair and telling him it’d be alright. Lance didn’t notice that he was holding his breath in fear of breaking the spell until his lungs begged him for air; judging by the sudden rise of everyone else’s chests, it looked like he wasn’t the only one. Even Keith, the angry asshole that Lance had deemed him to be, looked like he finally got the stick pulled out of his butt.

As the song began to fade out, Lance hollered and clapped, immediately startling the rest of the room back to the present. Hunk rubbed the back of his neck, feet shuffling on the ground as he glanced downwards. Immediately Lance ran over, wrapping his arms around Hunk’s neck; he noted the flush on Hunk’s face.

“Dude, that was incredible,” Lance said, patting him on the back, “I’ve been your best friend since like forever, and I didn’t know you could sing! Why didn’t you tell me you could sing?”

Hunk twiddled his fingers, flush increasing. “Ah well, you know, with the whole stage fright thing I don’t really like to broadcast it to the world.” As soon as he mentioned ‘stage fright’, his face began to pale as his stomach gave an audible gurgle. “Uh, speaking of which…where’s your restroom? Or nearest trash can that’s not here?”

“Coran can show you.” Allura said, gesturing over to the man with the orange mustache. Coran nodded, stepping forward and guiding Hunk away from the center of the room and opening the door.

“Right down the hall to your left.”

Hunk nodded, one hand clasped over his mouth and the other clutching his stomach as he sprinted out of the room. Lance was hot on his heels, looking like a worried mother as he shouted after Hunk; all they could make out was something involving the women’s bathroom. Shiro, Keith, and Allura shared looks with each other before shrugging their shoulders and organizing their papers.

“Coran, could you please get the next prospective?”

Allura leaned back in her chair, setting her headphones aside as she massaged her temples, staring up at the ceiling. The auditions had lasted for a few days, and after each day she collected the list of potential candidates that she, Shiro, and Keith had compiled. She frowned as she stared specifically at Keith’s list; it was significantly shorter than Shiro’s, and next to the name Lance were several colorful descriptors. She wasn’t exactly sure if it was a blessing or curse that Lance was on both hers and Shiro’s lists. After handing the lists to Pidge, Pidge had cross-referenced each of the lists and then created various samples using a music program and their recorded auditions to simulate what each potential group of Voltron would sound like. While Allura was particular to any grouping that had Shiro, Keith, Lance, and Hunk, she wasn’t satisfied with the harmonies Pidge was able to simulate with a fifth member.

“Perhaps we need to hold more auditions,” Allura thought, staring at her computer screen. “Or maybe we can be successful with just four members? It would be more cost effective…”

Allura unfortunately already knew the answer to that; she had listened to a sample with just Keith, Shiro, Lance, and Hunk. Despite how wonderful it sounded, it was missing a certain something that she couldn’t put her finger on. Someone who could hit notes higher than Keith if they really needed to…someone who could do falsetto?

Allura growled, slamming her hands against the desk as she pushed her chair back. She had been cooped up in her office for too long; she needed either a break, a shot of caffeine, or a combination of both. Perhaps she’d find Pidge and Coran, see if they wanted to go and grab dinner together before returning to work. Before she could really plan out where they should go that was within their budget, she heard a faint sound of drums coming from the audition room.

What a wonderful caricature of intimacy

Inside, what a wonderful caricature of intimacy

Allura tilted her head, carefully making her way towards the room. She knew Coran had a habit of listening to music as he worked, singing along loudly and quite out of tune. But this wasn’t Coran’s voice, nor was it a song that she had ever heard him listen to. As she poked her head into the doorway, her eyes widened at the sight before him.

There, spinning like a whirling dervish around the room as he dismantled everything and sang along to the music was Pidge. His movements went with the beat and the rhythm of the music, unplugging a chord here or pulling a camera down from the wall there. Allura saw the smile on Pidge’s face as he paused, setting down a piece of equipment before spinning to the center of the room.

There are no…

Pidge began to dance; it wasn’t nearly as impressive as Lance’s, looking more like a bastardized version of ballet that one would do with their family or in the privacy of their room. But the fluidity and grace that accompanied his movements, coupled with his voice, wove a spell that could easily fool one into thinking that Pidge was a professional. Allura found that she couldn’t tear her gaze away, feeling her breath catch in her throat and a grin form on her face. As the music turned to an orchestral instrumental break, Allura knew what she would do with this newfound information. Her conviction only grew as Pidge sang along to the song, eyes closed as he swayed the music and voice following the rise and fall of the crescendos. All too soon the song ended, Pidge giving a bow to the room; Allura clapped, startling Pidge into standing up straight and adjusting his glasses.

“Oh, Ms. Allura,” He said, coughing into his hand; a blush was prominent on his cheeks. “I, uh, I-I was just cleaning up in here. Is there something you need?”

Allura nodded, stepping into the room. “I need you to create your own vocal sample so that I can run a simulation with Keith’s, Shiro’s, Lance’s, and Hunk’s.”

Pidge blinked, clearly not expecting that request to be spoken. “I…what?”

Allura smiled, hands clasped in front of her. “How would you like to be a Paladin of Voltron?”

“Can you believe this Hunk? We’re both Paladins of Voltron! Both of us! This is like, the best news ever!”

“What about that time you were the only one in your class to ace astrophysics,” Hunk asked, gesturing with his chicken nugget. Lance looked up at the ceiling, tapping his lips with a French fry in a thoughtful manner.

“That was pretty good news…” Lance muttered, redirecting his gaze to the table. He grinned, raising his gaze to Hunk’s. “But, I think being able to say I’m going to be working with the Takashi Shirogane with my best bud in the entire universe trumps everything else.”

Hunk placed a hand over his heart, a fond smile on his face. “Aw, Lance, that’s so sweet.”

“Plus I think that hot British chick is our boss.”

“Well, it was sweet,” Hunk rolled his eyes, going back to studying as Lance ranted about their new job; those robots weren’t going to build themselves for his finals.

“You’re what?”

Pidge flinched, holding her phone away from her ear as Matt screeched into the phone. Once she was sure that it was safe, she brought it back. “I’m the new Green Paladin of Voltron.”

“I can’t believe this,” Matt replied, “Katie we made that profile so you could be a techie, not to be…to be a walking target for Zarkon’s cruelty!”

“Allura said I could still help with tech work.”

“That’s not the point of this conversation and you know it.”

Pidge sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as she leaned back in her chair. “Everything will be alright Matt; I’ve got very powerful allies.”

“Powerful as in connections?”

“No, more like I’m pretty sure Allura can bench press both of us and the Red Paladin has like no self-preservation instincts.” Pidge stated, examining her nails. “He called Allura a bitch to her face and then auditioned with Green Day’s Platypus.”

“Isn’t that the one that…?”

Pidge grinned. “The very same.”

Laughter could be heard at the other end of the line; faintly she could hear their dog barking as he investigated the new noise. Pidge was suddenly hit by a sharp pang of homesickness as she imagined herself there, sitting in Matt’s room surrounded by junk food as she relayed the story.

“Oh my God,” Matt wheezed, snapping Pidge out of her fantasy, “How did Allura even let him in after that?”

“Shiro is a very persuasive individual.”

The emotional shift of the conversation was frankly dizzying. “Oh…Shiro’s there too?” Matt asked tentatively. “How’s uh…how’s he doing?”

Pidge shrugged, toying with the hem of her shirt. “Still incredibly jacked, if you can believe it. Dude must spend the whole day working out or something.”

“That’s…that’s good, that’s good. Good to hear.”

Pidge could practically see Matt sitting in front of her, fingers nervously playing with each other. She knew he wouldn’t ask what was really on his mind unless prompted, so she decided to take the plunge. “He misses you too, you know.”

“Oh! He uh…h-he mentioned me?”

“Yeah,” Pidge replied; it wasn’t a total lie, considering Shiro had asked if Matt knew. No reason to tell him that she was the one who had pushed the ‘missing you’ thing. “You should, you know, talk to him. Pretty sure his number hasn’t changed.”

She held her breath as she heard Matt sigh on the other end of the line; maybe this was the push he needed, she thought hopefully. Maybe now the two of them could go back to some semblance of normal, and Matt could smile and laugh freely again instead of spending days locked in his room wracked with guilt. Maybe some of the tension that she saw in Shiro’s shoulders would be released, and the three of them could go back to the days when the worst thing that happened was Rover peeing on Shiro.

“I…I can’t Katie.” Matt said, voice so apologetic that it only exacerbated the crushing of that hope. “At least…at least not yet. He’s probably dealing with a lot of stuff since he’s working again, and I don’t want to make anything worse. It’s the least I can do.”

Pidge’s shoulders slumped forward in defeat; so much for that dream. “Yeah yeah, I get it. Don’t expect me to drop this though; now that I work with him, you’ll be getting updates all the time.”

“Wouldn’t have it any other way.” She could hear the grin in Matt’s voice. “So, since you saw Shiro, does that mean you’ve finally met the infamous Keith?”

Pidge grinned in excitement. “Oh yes, and let me tell you this: Shiro’s stories do not do him justice.”

Shiro was trying very hard to hold back his laughter at the dejected look on Keith’s face after they got the news from Allura about the new members of the Voltron besides themselves. “Come on, I’m sure Lance is a perfectly great person once you get to know him.”

Keith gave him the look that Shiro had come to associate with the phrase ‘I call bullshit on everything you just said’. “He said to fight him in a pit.”

“To be fair you instigated it.”

“He could’ve been the bigger person,” Keith whined, hands flailing out to the side. This, coupled with the semi-pout on his face that made him look like some rejected kitten, proved too much for Shiro as he snickered into his left hand. The response was instantaneous: Keith glowered darkly at Shiro, which only caused Shiro to laugh harder.

“Traitor,” He hissed, burying his head in his arms. Shiro merely rested his hand on his arm, laughter still going strong as he looked down at Keith; only thought crossed his mind.

This is certainly going to be interesting.

#voltron #voltron legendary defender #vld #voltron!boyband au #voltron!au #boyband!voltron #boyband!voltron au #hi yes come descend into hell with me #vld fanfiction #voltron fanfiction #vld shiro #takashi shirogane #vld lance #lance mcclain #vld allura #princess allura #matt holt #katie holt #vld pidge #pidge gunderson #vld keith #keith kogane #vld coran #coran

[soundcheckentertainment]

It was a Monday night in Ottawa and all through the city not a creature was stirring…except for a sold out crowd at the Algonquin Commons Theatre who packed the house for our favourite Canadian Kid, Brett Kissel and his Ice, Snow and 30 Below tour.

Brett Kissel at Algonquin Commons – photo credit to Scott Martin Visuals

There’s no question that country music fans in Ottawa love Brett Kissel. I think it’s safe to say that Brett Kissel loves Ottawa too as he’s performed in Ottawa more often than most other Canadian country artists, 3 times in as many months including ringing in the New Year on the steps of Parliament Hill.

I’ve had the pleasure of covering a lot of shows at the beautiful Algonquin Commons Theatre over the last several years but I can’t recall a single show that got as loud as the crowd did last night for Brett. That sold out crowd was hungry for country music and that’s exactly what they got.

Country music tours have been following a bit of a “lather, rinse, repeat” theme over the last several years. Where the same headliners tour with a similar rotation of opening acts, Canadian country music has been no exception to this. When Brett first announced this tour many of us were expecting one of his Invictus Mates or Warner label mates to join him on his tour much like in the past. But Brett had other plans and we, for one, couldn’t be happier. Emerging artists are the lifeblood for any musical genre and for an artist of Brett’s calibre to open up his national tour to some of Ontario’s rising stars was extremely generous.

Abby Stewart

Abby Stewart at Algonquin Commons – photo credit to Scott Martin Visuals

The night started out with a performance by a young lady we’ve been talking about for a number of years now, Abby Stewart. Hailing from Kingston, Ontario Abby is loaded with so much talent it’s a treat to watch her hone her skills show after show. Every time I see her perform she moves the bar just a little bit higher.

Abby Stewart at Algonquin Commons – photo credit to Scott Martin Visuals

Last night Ottawa was in for a special treat as Abby was joined by her good friend, Beamer Wigley, for a few songs. Beamer flew in from Calgary especially for the show after having spent Sunday at the Alberta Country Music Awards, where his single “Meteorite” was nominated for Song of the Year. Beamer treated the crowd to a performance of his latest single “Boombox” before the duo, who has been busy of the last few months writing together in Nashville, performed a few songs together. The closed out their set with a chillingly tight performance of Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson’s hit “Don’t You Wanna Stay”.  Take my word for it and keep your eye on these two because in the coming years you’ll be hearing their name’s a lot more often…count on it.

Brett Kissel

Brett Kissel at Algonquin Commons – photo credit to Scott Martin Visuals

Brett Kissel hit the stage next and didn’t miss a beat kicking the show off with the first single off of ‘Pick Me Up’ “Airwaves”. The fuse was lit and the crowd was on fire. Every Brett Kissel show is a special event for the audience, something has to be said about the special bond he has with his fans. It goes without saying that most artists love their fans but Brett shares a deeper connection with his and I believe that’s part of what makes his performances so magical.

Tough People Do and I Didn’t Fall in Love with Your Hair

Brett Kissel at Algonquin Commons – photo credit to Scott Martin Visuals

Like most country music shows there was also a lot of deep emotion packed into last night’s performance. Brett lost his grandparents in 2011 to a two-vehicle crash in Alberta as they were enroute to watch him perform. Everything about this event speaks to the character of Brett Kissel, who kept a scheduled performance 2 nights after the accident but ended up having to cancel halfway through telling the crowd that his heart was willing, but his body just couldn’t do it. The event led Brett to write and dedicate the song “Tough People Do” for his grandparents.  It was the first of two very emotional moments throughout the night that strengthen the bond between Brett and his fans, no doubt that Brett leans on his fans for strength in tough times and his fans draw strength from Brett to deal with their own tough times.

Brett Kissel at Algonquin Commons – photo credit to Scott Martin Visuals

The second of the two emotional moments came with Brett’s performance of his single “I Didn’t Fall in Love with Your Hair”. The song rings true for anyone with a loved one battling cancer and it’s clear that it has become an anthem for the philanthropic side of Brett who spoke highly of his support for the Canadian Cancer Society during our interview earlier in the day. The song is from the perspective of the partner of someone battling this horrible disease which, as Brett says, has touched far too many of us. The eyes welled up with tears and the room lit up with cell phone lights as Ottawa joined in chorus to sing this incredible song.

Brett Kissel at Algonquin Commons – photo credit to Scott Martin Visuals

Brett wasn’t going to let the night end on a sombre note as he quickly picked up the pace and brought the party back by paying tribute to some legends. First he started with one of his idols Johnny Cash for which he went into the crowd and stood on a railing and sang “Ring of Fire” before returning to the stage for John Denver’s “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” and then capping it off with Garth Brooks’ “Baton Rouge” (“Baton Rouge”, incidentally is one of three songs Brett picked when answering a fan question asking which three songs Brett would chose if he could only sing 3 songs for the rest of his life.)

What would a Brett Kissel show in Ottawa be without a visit from his friend and fellow member of Invictus Entertainment Jordan McIntosh? Jordan was in the building and joined Brett to perform “Raise Your Glass”. As the night wound down Brett ended the show, or did he, the way it all began…with “Started with A Song”.  But the crowd had other plans and they let him know to the extent that, I’m certain, a poor student in a residence nearby was having issues studying because of all the racket coming from the Theatre.

Brett and his band returned to the stage and delivered exactly what the crowd wanted….3, 2, 1! It was the perfect note to end the night on because I can assure you that I, as well as everyone in that sold out theatre, will be counting down the hours until we get to see Brett Kissel again! Something tells me he’ll be back in Ottawa again very soon, would love to see Brett on a stage at RBC Bluesfest this summer which has already seen performances by Tim Hicks and Dallas Smith.

Brett hits Sherbrooke, Quebec tonight for his only stop in La belle province. Local boy,  Jon MacAulay, will be joining Brett tonight. Jon is a guitarist/singer from the Eastern Townships of Quebec, Canada. His repertoire combines elements of folk, blues, and jazz. Visit his website to learn more: www.jonmacaulaymusic.com

Following Quebec Brett jets off to Nova Scotia for 4 nights before heading slightly west for 2 shows in New Brunswick and then back east to wrap up his tour in beautiful Prince Edward Island.

Brett has taken the time to build a roster of emerging artists that he would like to introduce to his fans so we’d like to take a moment and introduce them to you. Rounding out Brett’s east coast dates are:

Chelsea Atkinson January 26, 2017 Astor Theatre Liverpool, NS

Chelsea is a 16 year old singer/songwriter from Nova Scotia. Check out her Facebook or Twitter profiles to watch this emerging artist get the opportunity of a lifetime, to open for Brett Kissel

Amanda Riley January 27, 2017 Mermaid Imperial PA Centre Windsor, NS

Riley hails from Chester, Nova Scotia where she is known as “the little girl with the big voice”. She gained nationwide popularity as a finalist on CMT’s “Big In A Small Town”, and has shared the stage with Aaron Pritchett, Charlie Major, Deric Ruttan and Dean Brody. She was recognized as one of Ole’s top 8 singer/songwriters during CCMA week in Halifax in September 2015. She also had the privilege to open the MDM Recordings Showcase during CCMA week and has been a featured artist on George Canyon’s ‘ Down East Country’ radio and television program several times.  www.amandarileymusic.com

Bailey MacKinnon January 28, 2017 Glasgow Square Theatre New Glasgow, NS & January 29, 2017 Port Hawkesbury Civic Centre Port Hawkesbury, NS

Follow Bailey and her journey on Twitter

Tyler Deveau February 1, 2017 Capitol Theatre Moncton, NB & February 2, 2017 Fredericton Playhouse Fredericton, NB

By the age of two St. George New Brunswick’s Tyler Deveau was singing along to George Strait on the radio. After winning Country 94’s annual talent search in 2013 in Saint John, he is now laying the groundwork to make his dream of being a professional country music artist come true.

This win gave him the resources and opportunities to pursue his music career further, allowing him to fly to Nashville to meet with a top label A and R manager and well as co-write with top songwriters in the business, which have had songs cut by Luke Bryan, Toby Keith, Dustin Lynch, and Cole Swindell. tylerdeveau.com

Trinity Bradshaw February 3, 2017 Harbourfront Theatre Summerside, PE & February 4, 2017 King’s Playhouse Georgetown, PE

Trinity should be no stranger to our readers. Trinity Bradshaw became the youngest winner of the Summerside Festival Talent Search in PEI and performed twice at the East Coast Music Awards before moving to Calgary in 2010 where she soon won SUGAR CRISP ‘s national songwriting contest, and the Amp Radio Rock Star contest. She was Alberta’s 2014 representative in the CCMA Spotlight contest, and Winner of the 2014 Boots & Hearts Canadian Emerging Artist Showcase. www.trinitybradshaw.com

Naturally for more details on Brett Kissel and to follow his own journey and see what he’ll follow up his current tour with visit him at www.brettkissel.com

Special thanks to Warner Music Canada for inviting my boys to join me at the show, without a doubt it’ll be something they won’t forget for a very long time.

All photos by Scott Martin Visuals for Sound Check Entertainment

More photos

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Brett Kissel at Algonquin Commons – photo credit to Scott Martin Visuals

Abby Stewart at Algonquin Commons – photo credit to Scott Martin Visuals

Abby Stewart at Algonquin Commons – photo credit to Scott Martin Visuals

Abby Stewart at Algonquin Commons – photo credit to Scott Martin Visuals

Brett Kissel at Algonquin Commons – photo credit to Scott Martin Visuals

Abby Stewart at Algonquin Commons – photo credit to Scott Martin Visuals

Brett Kissel at Algonquin Commons – photo credit to Scott Martin Visuals

Brett Kissel at Algonquin Commons – photo credit to Scott Martin Visuals

Brett Kissel at Algonquin Commons – photo credit to Scott Martin Visuals

Brett Kissel at Algonquin Commons – photo credit to Scott Martin Visuals

Brett Kissel at Algonquin Commons – photo credit to Scott Martin Visuals

Brett Kissel at Algonquin Commons – photo credit to Scott Martin Visuals

Abby Stewart at Algonquin Commons – photo credit to Scott Martin Visuals

Abby Stewart at Algonquin Commons – photo credit to Scott Martin Visuals

Abby Stewart at Algonquin Commons – photo credit to Scott Martin Visuals

Abby Stewart at Algonquin Commons – photo credit to Scott Martin Visuals

Brett Kissel at Algonquin Commons – photo credit to Scott Martin Visuals

Ottawa gets loud as Brett Kissel brings Ice Snow and 30 Below to Algonquin It was a Monday night in Ottawa and all through the city not a creature was stirring...except for a sold out crowd at the Algonquin Commons Theatre who packed the house for our favourite Canadian Kid, Brett Kissel and his Ice, Snow and 30 Below tour.

#Abby Stewart #Algonquin Commons Theatre #Amanda Riley #Bailey MacKinnon #Beamer Wigley #Boots Hearts Canadian Emerging Artist Showcase #Brett Kissel #CCMA Spotlight #Chelsea Atkinson #Halifax #Ice Snow and 30 Below Tour #Invictus Entertainment Group #Jon MacAulay #Jordan McIntosh #Meteorite #Nova Scotia #Ottawa #Trinity Bradshaw #Tyler Deveau #Warner Music Canada