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seeds-of-the-garden · 3 years

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PLANCE SOULMATE AU PLEASEEEE

@ziawushere did you order angst with a side of bi Pidge? Cause uh, that’s what came out of the kitchen.

Happy New Year! Kicking off 2021 with an extra long seed to make things bright.

The ‘Might Be’s and the ‘Hasn’t Been’s

Tequila wasn’t her poison of choice — and drinking alone at the Garrison bar definitely wasn’t her thing — but today, maybe it was needed.

Isabella Anderson. The pale grey letters curled around her wrist, spelling out the name in a beautiful cursive Pidge could never hope to achieve herself. She’d traced the curve of each letter over and over every day for decades, wondering about the woman who wrote it, but they’d never met. Pidge had been in space, fighting a war, and Isabella had been on Earth...dying in it.

She should feel something, right? Heartbroken? Sad? As a paladin, Pidge was one of the few people who could stop the war, so technically it could be classed as her fault. Where was the sting of failure?

Another sip, and the burn made her wince.

Maybe she should feel relieved. She’d never been one for the whole soulmate thing, and it hadn’t stopped her dating in the past. Now she could throw herself into relationships judgement-free. That was a good thing, right?

Instead she just had this weird lump in her chest, and she didn’t know what it was.

“Pidge?” She glanced up in surprise to see Lance slipping on the stool next to her, surprise evident on his own face. “What are you doing here alone?”

“I could ask you the same thing.”

He shrugged and signalled the bartender for a beer, settling in with a shrug. “I was meant to be meeting a date outside but got stood up. Was about to head home when I saw you.”

“Oh,” she said, furrowing her brow. She didn’t know who his date had been, but it must have been fairly important — he was dressed pretty nicely in slacks and a button-down, and Lance cleaned up good. Miss Flake didn’t know what she was missing. “Are you okay?”

“It was a blind date.” He took a sip of his beer, then grinned and nudged her elbow. “Besides, now I get to hang out with you.”

Pidge just rolled her eyes and took another sip, trying to hide the wince. “Awesome.”

Something in her voice must have given her away, because Lance’s expression immediately shifted into one of concern. “Hey, are you okay?”

Damn him and his perceptiveness. She shrugged, considering. It wasn’t like he’d understand — not when his own soulmate had walked away in front of them — and maybe it would just bring up old wounds? It wasn't exactly something talking about could fix, either.

"Pidge?"

He touched her hand, gently, his sleeve cuff grazing her mark, and suddenly she needed to say it.

"I checked the database earlier," she blurted out, fingers tightening around her glass. "The soulmate one they set up after the war."

Understanding flashed in his eyes and he squeezed the back of her hand with a chuckle. "Finally," he said. "It only took you what? Five years?"

Pidge snorted. "Four."

"Still." He took a sip, then looked at her expectantly. "And?"

And? Good question.

Lance was quiet, watching her patiently as she lifted her glass to her lips and forced the liquid down. He wouldn't push her — he never did. In the years since his return he'd been there for every heartbreak, every setback at work, every passing crush on whichever guy or girl took her fancy. And he'd never pushed.

The lump in her chest was still there, heavy and choking, but having Lance with her made it feel more manageable. Stronger. Less alone.

Thank quiznak for his missing date.

When the glass was empty, she grimaced and put it back down on the bar with a soft thunk. “Dead. Died in the first wave.”

Lance made a sympathetic noise beside her.

“I’m not sure how I feel,” she admitted, her eyes trained on the bar-top but one foot absently knocking against his shin. His tap in response was immediate, and she sighed as some of the tension drained away at the contact. “Am I supposed to contact her family? I should be sad, right?”

What would she even say to her family?

A glass of water appeared in front of her and she glanced up, offering him a small smile. “Thanks.”

“No worries.” A moment passed and then he shrugged and lifted his own glass, draining the whole thing before slamming it back down on the bar. “Alicia Thornbottom.”

“What?”

“Alicia Thornbottom,” he repeated, avoiding her gaze and signalling the bartender for another. “She died in a camp not too far from here, about a week before we made it back. She was my soulmate.”

Pidge stared at him. “I thought Allura was your soulmate?”

“Nope.”

“But you always said Allura was your soulmate. All those years on the castle, you said it was Allura.”

It had been one of the reasons why she'd never asked him out back then. You don't ask your crush out when their soulmate's right there.

“I lied,” he said simply, apparently happy to ignore her internal blue-screening in favour of watching her over the top of his new beer with a glint in his eye. “You can check if you want.”

“I—” Pidge paused, suddenly realising that she’d never actually seen his soulmark. “Where is your soulmark, anyway?”

A devilish smirk took over Lance's expression and he waggled his eyebrows at her. “I’ll let you see it if you really want.”

She lifted an eyebrow dubiously. She knew that look.

He winked, making sure he had her attention, then oh-so-slowly tapped high up on his inner thigh. “You only have to ask.”

“Lance!” Heat rushed to her face and he burst out laughing. “What the quiznak!”

He only laughed harder in response, a deep, warm sound, and Pidge found herself laughing along despite herself. Nine years on and he was still as big of a pain in the ass as when she’d first met him. At least he was better at picking his audience.

“I like to think,” Lance said when he’d calmed down, straightening up in his seat again, “that a girl with a name like Alicia Thornbottom would find me much too crass for her tastes.”

The idea was irritating. “She’d have poor taste, then.”

If anything, Lance would have been too good for her.

He tipped his glass in thanks. “Nah, she’d just be way above my station.”

“You dated a princess.”

“I did,” he said, nodding sagely, “but Allura would have thrown me across the room for cracking a joke like that. Lady Thornbottom would have had people to do that for her.”

Pidge snorted, her eyes falling on her own mark again. “I never thought that much about mine. Just that I like her handwriting.”

Speculating too much had always felt like a recipe for disappointment, and Pidge worked on facts anyway. The data points she had were few — Spanish forename, English surname, local to the area according to the database, and likely a master calligrapher. Extrapolation pointed to a mixed-race artist, but beyond that it was anyone’s guess.

And now she’d never know. “I never liked the idea of soulmates, anyway,” she mumbled, eyes still on her mark. “It felt so…”

“Superficial?”

She raised her eyes to meet his, surprised to see understanding there. Though perhaps she shouldn’t be, given what she’d just found out. “Yeah, superficial. Love is supposed to grow naturally, not because some higher power decreed it.”

“Exactly," he said decisively. "My parents aren’t soulmates, either. Maybe I would have loved Alicia. Maybe not. I don’t get to find out, but that doesn’t mean I’ll never fall in love. It just means I’ll have to figure it out for myself.”

Pidge took a sip of water and considered his words. Figuring it out herself hadn’t been going well. “I don’t think you’ll get very far if your dates keep standing you up.”

“Eh..” He shrugged, flashing her a cryptic smile. “I told you, it was just a blind date. Nadia set it up. I’ve actually had my eye on someone else for a couple of months.”

She frowned. Since when? He’d taken up a good chunk of her free time in the last few months, and he’d certainly never bothered to mention anyone over 2am tacos. “Oh? Someone from work?”

“Yeah,” he said carefully, watching her over his glass. “I’ve been thinking about asking her out, though. Gave myself a deadline of next week.”

Pidge’s heart sank. She should be happy for him — she really should — but next week was her birthday, and that would mean he’d be too busy being lovey-dovey to spend it with her if his mystery girl said yes.

Maybe she should get another drink.

“Why next week?”

Lance drained the rest of his glass and stood up, throwing a few notes on the bar. “Cause it’s her birthday next week. Come on.”

Pidge froze.

She had a mental file of most of the people they worked with, and she couldn’t think of anybody else with a birthday next week. Was there a new girl? No, he would have mentioned a new girl.

That meant he could only be talking about her.

“Come on.” He nudged her elbow, prodding her to stand up too. She lifted her eyes to his, heat blooming across her cheeks, and was surprised to see a blush darkening his own cheeks. “I’m all dressed up to take a pretty lady out to dinner, and there’s a pretty lady right here. Plus you probably really need someone to take you to dinner right now.”

“I, uh…” She was flustered, why was she flustered? This was Lance. “I’m...I’m not really dressed for a date.”

He held out a hand, then hesitated — nervous, she realised. Anybody else might have missed it, but she knew Lance well enough to know when the bravado was a front — and then dropped it with a sigh. “You just found out your soulmate’s dead, Pidge. I’m not going to ask you out on a date tonight. You need some comfort and a distraction.”

That made sense, but she couldn’t help but point out: “Dates are a distraction.”

Lance snorted as she slid from her stool and packed up her handbag. “And maybe I’d want our date to be more than a distraction?”

She looked at him, wondering. Maybe she wasn’t that far off figuring it out after all.

“I guess I’ll find out next week, huh?” she asked coyly, a smile playing on her lips as they walked towards the door.

He beamed back at her.

“Yeah. You’ll find out next week.”

#plance #pidgance #pance #vld lance #vld pidge #Pidge #Lance #soulmates au #mod hail #HAH YOU THOUGHT MY NAME WAS JUST THERE FOR FUN #after many years I arise #I really hope you like this zia #i'm not sure where it came from #also writing this gave me an existential crises because I realised that by the very nature of the world they live in everybody in a #soulmate au MUST be religious and believe in a higher power #and now I'm tripping out with that knowledge #submission

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askbittyerror · 4 years

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Wedding RP part 5

JusticeMom09/26/2020 Erebus lands with the two bitty gone way too big and drops them into his branches "Its okay Huitzi you should probably let him go before he detonates anyway" [11:56 PM] @Askbittyerror September 27, 2020

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 “Release me!” Flare snarls, kicking Huitzi in the chest and sizing up as the smaller is flung away, several of his ribs crumbling from the force. Huitzi wheezes and clutches his chest, struggling to heal himself, the positivity fueling his magic straining against the darkness of Erebus’ world. Flare’s wings have gone a deep, nearly black crimson, his eyelights gutted out and burning golden light blazing from his sockets. The bone around them flake dust, thick drops of melting bitty flow like lava from beneath his shirt, his spine reduced to nothing more than a river. He draws his spear, snarling heavily, the jagged points at the tip sharpening even further. He takes a step forward and Huitzi flinches back the best he is able, pressed against the tree, eyelights shrunken to terrified pinpricks.(edited)

JusticeMom09/27/2020 Erebus growls holding out his hand as Huitzi's soul goes blue and he is pulled quickly away from the furious guardian. At the same time negativity starts to snake its way up Flare's legs... but wait its more than that the cold seeping burning feeding on Flare like some sort of vampire... the roots of the tree start to tangle around his liquifying bones

"Calm down flare!" Erebus snaps as Huitzi is now safe in threw bows of his branches

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 Flare flashes and liquidates away, bone chunks squishing and shifting into deathly-sharp spikes all up his arms and thick, bladed ridges running down his legs. His wings separate into heavy tentacles, flashes of red cloak him and he lets out a low, dangerous growl, his back hunched and his weapon readied. His movements look wobbly, disconnected, each bit jerking and shifting strangely, the connections between his bones scraping and squishing.

JusticeMom09/27/2020 "... okay yeah that is gross" he mumbles and holds out a hand the roots of the massive ancient tree start ripping from the ground pursing forth and tangle around Flare pulling him under. Not to death but to hold and drain his energy until his fury have burned out. While his body deals with the angry god bitty he moves back towards Huitzi "... its okay... he cant hurt you anymore" He mumbles meaning if Flare tries again he would drop huitzi back at the wedding and face the angry one alone

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 Flare thrashes and bites and kicks and claws and, eventually, some part of him in the deep recesses of his soul reminding him that these are people he probably shouldn’t kill, attempts to vanish. “What… is this… place?” Huitzi wheezes, clutching his chest, golden marrow dripping down from the scratches and bites Flare left. “What is… happening?” His wings have darkened considerably. The light is dying from his eyes.(edited)

JusticeMom09/27/2020 Flare is pulled into the storm allowed to rage away from the guardian and Huitzi. he is now free of the root system allowing him to do as he pleased. just because the darkness around the tree was void like did not mean it was truly empty if you went far enough.

"You are in my multiverse... hold still you are draining too fast" He said and pulls off a leaf using it and pulling it in two different directions suddenly becoming like a bubble and he shoves it around Huitzi and now he is in an emotionally neutral space! tada! "... I am not exactly gentle in my universe and I cannot stop it now take deep breaths I am going to help heal you" He offers before holding his hands out and pushing healing magic towards the giant bitty(edited)

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 Flare screams in rage and reality ripples, the Paladin tearing himself from this multiverse and tossing himself back into his adopted one to rampage in peace. Huitzi whimpers, curling in on himself, the pain, no longer buried under the freezing negativity, hitting him in the chest right where his broken ribs are. “Please.” His breath hitches sharply. His soul absorbs the magic hungrily, wounds slowly sealing shut, though the places that Flare sunk his teeth into seem to be resisting.

JusticeMom09/27/2020 Erebus watches scowling at the magic and slams his fist into the bark of the tree drawing magic from the source as he continues to heal Huitzi. He has enough magic to make those missing bits come back and more. It would not be the first time he reconstructed a skeleton monster from scratch "Hold on... just keep breathing for me"

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 The bitemarks put up a good show, but since Flare hadn't actually put any magic into them, they seal easily enough, leaving only a circle of off-white behind. "Th-thank you." Huitzi exhales, staying curled up, trying to come down from staring death in the face.(edited)

JusticeMom09/27/2020 Erebus crouches there and hums "We will have to address Flare's anger sooner rather than later. We need to make sure to disengage him before he goes needing to kill things" The goop is rubbing Huitzi's back now trying to help him calm down even as he watches the spot where Flare had been and the sparkling positivity he left behind

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 Huitzi leans into the touch, whimpering. "I- I don't even know who you are." He laughs weakly.

JusticeMom09/27/2020 He snorts "Eh I know Dragon and you are a date mate of theirs yes?" he asked amusement dancing in his good eye light(edited)

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 "I am indeed." He grunts, pushing himself up, giving Erebus a small smile. "May I have the name of my savior?"

JusticeMom09/27/2020 "Erebus. Technically its Nightmare but" he shrugs "I have come to understand there are too many of us around to use our actual names"

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 "I know two guardians and and a great many bitties." Huitzi chuckles. "...thank you for saving me."

JusticeMom09/27/2020 "No problem I did want to see Bells have a good day today and with Greylu even unwilling to let me be useful this was the best thing I could do" he said amused "when you feel strong enough we can go back or hang out here. I do enjoy coming home" he said amused as he looked out into the darkness. he could see what was out there

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 "This is your home?" Huitzi frowns, looking around. "It is, uh, lovely."

JusticeMom09/27/2020 He snorts at that "... Lovely not exactly what I would call it" he said and stood offering Hutzi a hand "but it is what it is and thanks to Bells reckless bravery I have my brother again too"

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 "Congratulations." Huitzi takes his hand with a smile, allowing himself to be pulled up.

JusticeMom09/27/2020 He laughed "I suppose it works" he said pulling him to stand "... why is it every consecutive person I meet has to be so much taller?" He askes amused.

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 "I can always make myself smaller if that makes you more comfortable." Huitzi offers, giving Erebus' hand an unintentional squeeze. "I can go down to two feet."

JusticeMom09/27/2020 He laughed shaking his head "kid I am taller than everyone" he said amused and pulled him further away from the trunk of the tree "... well okay Flare may have me beat but I am not tonally sure how tall my branches reach now" he looks up at the black not black leaves of the tree they stood in

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 Huitzi looks up. "...you are a tree?"

JusticeMom09/27/2020 He grunted letting him stand on his own now making sure he did not fall "um. I did not start out that way if it helps" he chuckles a bit

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 "I am fine with it." Huitzi shrugs, a bit shaky but not about to fall. "I was just curious. You are the first I have met who is an actual stationary tree and not some kind of tree monster."

JusticeMom09/27/2020 "oh I started out as a monster" he chuckled folding his arms behind his head "A guardian like my brother and I followed the same story most Dreams and Nightmares follow."

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 "I... am sorry to say I do not know that story." Huitzi rubs the back of his neck. "All I know is it somehow involves apples and I am not even sure of that."

JusticeMom09/27/2020 He laughed "how about a quick story then?" he offers before looking around and closing his eyes basking in his world for a moment "we are guardians... not skeletons not monsters but spirits given these forms. we guardians are the children of the original who died protecting THE tree. The tree of emotion which actually is the source of all positive and negative emotions for all the multiverse. the apples being the fruit that grows in this tree. half black and full of negative emotions and half gold holding positive "

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 Huitzi nods, just letting him talk.

JusticeMom09/27/2020 "the mortals who lived nearby tend to hate the Nightmare guardian and as such abuse him while his brother is not around. Eventually the pain becomes too much and in a fight between them and himself we... well we eat the apples and by them all the golden apples corrupt at our touch and we eat those too... until the brother Dream consumes the last golden apple holding all the positive emotions that beings can feel..."

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 Huitzi frowns, thinking of the little guardians hiding in their room, how quiet and afraid they were, and the older pair, long since corrupted by more than just the apples.(edited)

JusticeMom09/27/2020 "well I am what happens to the Nightmare after he eats the apple. the goop is negativity given form" he sighs "after the apple incident the nightmares and dreams tend to fight each other until one dies" he looks at Huitzi "and in this universe I won and consumed my brother's soul... or what I thought at the time was his soul... and since I no longer needed to be a skeleton and the power of negativity reaching power I could no longer hold in a mortal body I took a form akin to the one the power originated from"

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 "I see." Huitzi nods, eyes distant. "...I suppose that would be why Dreams and Nightmares are so often at odds." He comes back to himself and sighs, giving Erebus a look of concern. "Are you alright?"

JusticeMom09/27/2020 He pauses "in what context?" he offers back. he was not expecting this question

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 "Any." Huitzi asks softly. "You have been through quite a lot."

JusticeMom09/27/2020 "I am a very old Nightmare" He says honestly "and it has been a long long time since I was as angry as I had been... being alone to calm my soul has helped. For now I think I am but then again I do not know what being alright would entail"

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 "I am aware I have nowhere near the same experiences as you," Huitzi bows his head. "But if you want to talk, or anything else, I am here."

JusticeMom09/27/2020 He smiles "I see why Dragon likes you" he said and held out his hand "why dont we get back to the party I know everyone was a bit stirred up when we left"

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 "I would love too." Huitzi takes his hand with a smile, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I just hope I haven't upset anyone too horribly."(edited)

JusticeMom09/27/2020 "I think the only one who can really stay upset is Erebus" he snorts "still too young to realize he can actually relax and enjoy more than what is in his immediate purview"

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 "Then I will make a point to avoid him." Huitzi nods.

JusticeMom09/27/2020 "you should at least say hello at least once I rather enjoyed his reaction to seeing you and Flare" he smirked and with that pulled Huitzi back through the timelines to the tower

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 Huitzi mutters something about preferring to remain unstabbed, letting himself be taken away. When they arrive, reality buzzes, and Flare, at seven feet, head bowed, fully cleaned and recovered from his tantrum, steps through a portal, just behind his human Nightmare, wearing a deep blue tunic with dark feathers on the shoulders, sleeves tied at the wrists, a pair of thin black belts crossed over his hips just above the start of his goopy lamia-tail. On his back, one tied to each of his four tentacles, are hummingbird moth wings in dark blue and black, accented with the occasional tinge of gold. Umbra glances over to Huitzi and Erebus and scoffs, looking around with a deep scowl as the portal closes behind them.

JusticeMom09/27/2020 "... your tiny me seems irate Flare" Erebus mumbles watching the young guardian scowl at everything "How are you feeling better?" he asked clearly unfazed by the murder happy that had just happened not but minutes before

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 "He is fine." Umbra says sharply. "My servant has regained control of his... urges, and will cause no further issue."

JusticeMom09/27/2020 "... " Erebus narrows his eyes at this "Dare I ask why you are acting this way?" he looks between them. he got the feeling he was not exactly "recovered" as much as they were pretending?(edited)

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 "No, you may not." Umbra glares.

JusticeMom09/27/2020 He throws his hands in the air "I am going to go try to talk to people who are not going to snap at me" he said and headed back into the party

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 Umbra sighs and looks at the ground. "Too many people, sorry." He says quickly, through gritted teeth, like it pains him. "Are you alright?" Huitzi asks, approaching him and immediately stopping when Flare growls. "Hold." Umbra slaps an arm over Flare's chest, the Paladin going silent. He looks to Huitzi, his smile large, confident, and only a mite shaky. "I will be fine."(edited)

JusticeMom09/27/2020 Erebus stops at that and sighs looking back at him "... numbers" he mumbles before walking back and crossing his arms "so this is what you have been trained to be?" he asked raising a brow at this. suddenly he is VERY interested in Umbra's reaction

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 "No, of course not!" Umbra scoffs, arms crossed over his chest, nodding very emphatically.

JusticeMom09/27/2020 Seems the kid has learned double speak "now is Flare actually okay?" they ask looking up at the big guy with a frown

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 "Of course, what a stupid question." Another scoff, a shrug, a slight shake of the head. "He simply insisted on returning, so I had to come along to make sure he behaved himself this time."

JusticeMom09/27/2020 He nodded "why dont we go sit down?" he offered "there are a few places where we can have a bit of... quiet " he offers

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 "Sure, whatever." Umbra shrugs and nods. "These plebeians are... undeserving of my presence."

JusticeMom09/27/2020 "... " he sighs "whoever this ass was that made you like this clearly knew nothing about us nightmares" he said and waved them over before grabbing Huitzi to join them as they headed to a corner that was nearly a room into itself? at least that was the way it "looked"

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 They follow, Umbra keeping his scowl and Flare making sure to keep in between him and everyone else at all times, only stopped from growling at them all by Umbra's tight grip on his arm.

JusticeMom09/27/2020 there is a table in the little nook! tada and when Erebus pulls the leaf curtain shut they are now only a group of 4 "... there" he slumps moving to sit at the table "sit " an order made to sound like a suggestion you feel compelled to follow

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 Umbra slides into his seat and the moment the curtain closes he slumps, head in his hands, whispering frantic apologies under his breath. Flare sits between him and the world, absently patting his back, figurative ears peaked for any disturbances. Huitzi sits across, trying not to flinch when Flare casts his eyes over him before returning to watching the curtain.

JusticeMom09/27/2020 Erebus sighs "calm down you didnt do anything wrong" he said watching the kid "and you were already forgiven when you made it clear why you were acting like some haughty teen novel vampire"

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 "Sorry." Umbra mutters again, eyes down, hands in his lap.

JusticeMom09/27/2020 "kid its cool really. You need to start forgiving yourself" he points out "now... How is flare really? the mun is dense tonight and is not getting subtlety well so make it concise please"

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 “Not good.” Umbra says, tapping his feet, pulling his wings up over his shoulders like a fuzzy blanket. “He hasn’t had an episode that bad in a long time.” Umbra looks at his father, still staring out, fists clenched under the table that the bone can be heard creaking. “He has trouble with his LV sometimes.” Umbra looks away. “He has… a lot of it, and sometimes it takes over.” “I can keep him stable, though!” He quickly assures, leaning forward, wings blanketing him tighter, voice quivering just the slightest bit. “He won’t- won’t do anything while I’m here, promise! I’m too likely to be caught in the collateral damage.”

JusticeMom09/27/2020 He nods "you know Flare does not have to stay if he needs to rest. Everyone here will understand." he points out "and you do not have to force yourself to paly that role and dance that dance" he said watching him "it really is okay"

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 "Can't stop." Umbra's breath quickens, scratching at his hands beneath the table, Flare just grunting. "That is fine." Huitzi gently says, fighting the urge to lean forward and comfort. "One step at a time. Just- please try to avoid antagonizing anyone? We don't want someone to get upset and Flare to react." "Yeah, yeah sure, I can do that." Umbra nods, shaking a little.

JusticeMom09/27/2020 He sighs rubbing his head "yeah. just take care of yourself and mostly I meant not try to stop here I meant you dont have to force yourself in being here at all and forcing yourself to live in that role for what is only going to be a couple more hours"

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 "I gotta be here for Dad." Umbra looks at the table. "Until he decides to leave, I'm gonna be here too."

JusticeMom09/27/2020 He nods "okay Thank you Umbra for being here" Erebus seems to have learned how to be supportive dad at some point... Umbra might get adopted by the older goop at this rate

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 At this rate, he probably needs it. "I'm happy to well, uh I'm, I'm uh..." Umbra smiles nervously. "I'm... here?"

JusticeMom09/27/2020 the goop chuckles "you are honestly a good kid I am glad they were not able to take that from you"

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 Umbra smiles, his tentacles wagging, the attached wings fluttering. “Thank you!”

JusticeMom09/27/2020 "why don't I go get us some of the food I suspect everyone is eating by now" He said sliding from the table "Huitzi do you want to go too?

JusticeMom09/27/2020 @Askbittyerror

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 “Um…” Huitzi glances up. Flare looks over him and Umbra for a moment, reality ripples, and then he vanishes. “Uh???” Umbra frantically squeaks. A moment more passes and Flare returns, a very confused human Dream clasped tightly by the arm. Flare practically tosses him into his seat, standing with his back to the table, between them and the rest of the room, arms crossed over his chest and back ramrod straight. Mo looks like he just rolled out of bed, hair mussed, a soft plush weedle clutched to his chest, his heavy gold-and-rainbow circlet tilted haphazardly on his head. He’s wearing a loose white tunic and soft trousers, both edged with gold and coming to his elbows and knees respectively. He’s barefoot, and on every bit of exposed skin from his chin down are deep-set intricately carved scars in geometric shapes and delicate swirls, some inked in black and gold, others in rainbow, and a few simply left as gnarled scar tissue. Mo blinks, looks around, unwinds the midnight blue sash from his waist, wraps it around his neck, grabs one of Umbra’s wings and hides himself in it, the Nightmare tugged into him with a startled mweh.

JusticeMom09/27/2020 "... um what just happened?" guess Flare was on full fight mode. He asked looking between them and shaking his head. he is now one confused goop. my goodness. He says nothing about the scars but takes note. unlike his markings he can tell that they are not self inflicted "... you okay there kid?"

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 Mo makes a shaky noise. “Um,” Umbra looks to Huitzi, gently hugging his Dream. “Uh, Huitzi, can we borrow your jacket, please.” “Of course.” The Paladin quickly strips off his jacket, offering it and flinching as Mo quickly yanks it out of his hands, throwing it on and rolling the sleeves up significantly until they’re bunched at his wrists, the jacket practically at trench coat length. “Please tell me you have a weapon.” He whispers, Umbra nodding and undoing one of his belts, a hunting knife sheathed at the back. Mo loosens it and wraps it around his waist, hand resting on the hilt of the knife. He breathes in and out, in and out, tightly squeezing his Weedle until his shoulders lose their tension and he looks up, smiling shakily. “I’m- I’m fine.” He says, Umbra gently rubbing slow circles into his back, a tentacle coiling around him. “…sorry about that.”

JusticeMom09/27/2020 "Its not your fault Flare was triggered by many tiny angry auras and a Dragon who feels rather causal about attempts on their life" he sighed "you are at the wedding and probably should not leave our little cubby. there are a lot of people about many with hair triggers of their own"(edited)

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 “Oh, don’t worry, I’ll be fine!” Mo shoots straight up, a wide smile on his face. He hugs his surprised Nightmare, merrily nuzzling the top of his head. “It’s my sweet little brother you got to worry about, but it’s okay, I’ll keep him from being, well,” He giggles. “Himself!”

JusticeMom09/27/2020 ... "you know you are within your limits in this room right?" He asks making sure that No didn't just hear "lots of people nearby" and tripped his conditioning regardless

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 “This isn’t a room!” Mo giggles. “That’s just a curtain!” Umbra tenses and Mo gently shushes him, patting his face. "Be nice, little brother."

JusticeMom09/27/2020 "its a small private space for us to sit and talk. the whole emphasis on us being alone" he points out with a groan

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 "If you say so!" Mo laughs.

with-bells-upon09/27/2020 The lich approaches the cordoned off area, stopping just a but beyond it. "Flare?" Quietly, "can we go somewhere more private and talk, maybe?" You and me, I mean. Um, Umbra and Mo can come too, if they need a little... less." @Candy

Candy09/27/2020 quietly follows Bells

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 Flare opens the curtain and just silently stares at them. Umbra stands, pulling up Mo, still happily smiling away. "Lets go with them, Dad." The Nightmare tugs at his arm. Flare nods.

with-bells-upon09/27/2020 "Candy? This is where I'm afraid I leave you with Huitzi and Erebus, and head elsewhere with these guys." They look at the nearest wall, scanning it, then gesture the three to follow. "Just how much 'less' is needed? I've a water garden, and a... well, bubble, with a floor, and otherwise basically just broken void as a view."

Candy09/27/2020 O-oki. they nod and look at Erebus and Huitzi Hello, i'm Candy

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 “Any room with an actual door, please.” Umbra says, dragging his father by the arm and an increasingly ecstatic Mo by the hand.

“Hello to you too.” Huitzi smiles softly, offering them his hand. “I am Huitzi.”

Candy09/27/2020 they accept the hand and shake it nice to meet you

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 "Nice to meet you too." He shakes back, the movement gentle.

Candy09/27/2020 they smile how do you like the wedfing so far?

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 "It has been quite lovely." Huitzi smiles. "Barring the incident earlier, I have enjoyed myself."

Candy09/27/2020 Good to hear, about the same for me.

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 Huitzi nods, humming.

JusticeMom09/27/2020 "uh what the hell just happened?" [8:23 PM] Erebus blinks shaking out of his mild shock and frowned

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 "I have no idea." Huitzi shrugs.

JusticeMom09/27/2020 "yeah I get the feeling this is going to continue to be a wild night... want to go back to JR and let this chaos run its course?"

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 "I do not know what that is... But sure." Huitzi shrugs.

JusticeMom09/27/2020 He laughed "my home... Juice's home and where Bells lives half the time when they are not with their now husband" He grabbed Huitzi "a whole new multiverse" he smirked and then pulled Huitzi through the Vale

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 Huitzi absolutely totally doesn't squeak in surprise.

JusticeMom09/27/2020 He lands in the biggest castle he will ever see in his whole life. It ad a grandness to it that only more modern royalty have but the stone that made up the castle was much much older "Come on Huitzi lets go find something to drink"

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 Huitzi looks up, wide eyed, mouth hanging open. He feels... so small...

JusticeMom09/27/2020 Erebus chuckles "come on kid lets get going it can take hours to get from one place to the next if the castle is feeling frisky" he grinned wickedly. not a total exaggeration but it can take longer than normal if the castle insists you going through certain halls

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 "It's sentient?!" Huitzi half shrieks.

JusticeMom09/27/2020 "not like you or I but it has enough magic in it to make it have some sort of cognizance" he said and reached back grabbing him and dragging him towards the kitchens ... one of them anyway

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 Huitzi just kind of lets him, looking around, slightly paranoid and significantly freaked out.

JusticeMom09/27/2020 "calm down its not a person" he said smacking him with a tendril "come on you are no young skeleton anymore. its just a castle "old buildings all have personalities you know now ... um... scratch that I got to do something come with me or shall I dump you in a sitting room until I am done?"

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 "Please don't leave me." Huitzi hugs the tendril.

JusticeMom09/27/2020 He sighs grabbing Huitzi again and they shortcut into a room where someone is singing and a small sad baby is crying "... "

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 Huitzi looks around. He is very much clinging to Erebus.

JusticeMom09/27/2020 Nearby a very... worn looking older Dream without wings is bouncing the tiniest baby biggie Huitzi has ever seen trying to sooth its cries. the aura in the room is pleasant but not too strong. Erebus moves before the giant paladin can ground himself before the two are swapping the baby between them "how long?" "maybe ten minutes or so. nothing major his soul is strong" they are whispering

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 Huitzi stands back, completely silent.

JusticeMom09/27/2020 The smaller Dream pauses now seeing the giant Huitzi. "brother why is there a giant version of Juice here with us?" his eye lights have shrank into pinpricks while Erebus is now bouncing the baby in his arms soothing him before offering him the bottle "This is one of Dragon's datemates. Everyone calls him Huitzi" "oh... okay you are very tall" [10:40 PM] foot meet mouth

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 "I can get small?" Huitzi whisper-offers.

JusticeMom09/27/2020 He shook his head "no no your fine...we are just working to help sooth baby Altan" he said offering his hand "I am Al Im Erebus's brother"

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 "It is nice to meet you." Huitzi gently shakes it. "Your brother has been very kind to me. I like him."

JusticeMom09/27/2020 "Kind huh?" he asks looking back at Erebus who looked tense "no fighting the baby just took the bottle" he said his tendrils twitching in annoyance

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 "...did I say something wrong?" Huitzi looks worried. "I, uh, apologize?"(edited)

JusticeMom09/27/2020 Al snorted "I have not been back for very long so our relationship is.. rocky to say the least" he huffed "anyway go coo over my nephew he has my name"

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 Huitzi nods hesitantly and walks over to Erebus. “I still like you.” He softly assures, kneeling down and smiling gently at the bab.

JusticeMom09/27/2020 he was tiny! most babies could at least wrap their little hands around the adult's fingers but not this bab who flailed his tiny hands towards the giant Paladin "... he was born before he even had a form" he said looking at Huitzi "we almost lost him"

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 "I am glad he survived." Huitzi says softly, offering the little one his hand, giant though it may be.

JusticeMom09/27/2020 The baby grabbed it. it was like having a mouse touch as he continued to nurse his bottle beautiful eye lights watching him such a strange hue of purple

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 Huitzi keeps his hand very still, stars absolutely in his eyes.

JusticeMom09/27/2020 when the bab was done with his bottle Erebus pulled it away and the baby giggled starting to babble as he wiggled. He clearly liked this person

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 "This is an adorable, precious child." Huitzi purrs, gently twitching his fingers.

JusticeMom09/27/2020 the baby giggled again and babbled a bit more. Erebus waved him back "let me burp him and you can hold him after" he said moving the smol to his shoulder and started patting the bab's back

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 Huitzi looks a bit uncertain. "I am... not sure if I'm comfortable with holding him at this size. I believe bitties are a good deal less fragile than babies."

JusticeMom09/27/2020 "hush sit down cross your legs" the goop said pointing a tendril at him "your not going to move a bunch with him but he likes you and he needs things that help his soul grow stronger"

Askbittyerror09/27/2020 "I can shrink!" Huitzi protests, still doing as he's told. September 28, 2020

JusticeMom09/28/2020 he makes a scolding sound "dont panic he is just a bad. A preme to be sure but you will do fine. now hold your hands like this" he said showing his goop in a cradling pose. the baby makes a cute little burp sound before wiggling and making sleepy sounds

Askbittyerror09/28/2020 Huitzi cups his hands together.

JusticeMom09/28/2020 Erebus walks over using his tendrils to correct Huitzi's hands a little until he had them right where they needed to be. Draped a blanket over him and gently laid the baby into his arms "being around things that make him smile helps strengthen his soul. He likes you so that means you are good for him" he chuckled using only one corner of the blanket to cover the small as the baby stars up at Huitzi confused. hew as in new hands?

Askbittyerror09/28/2020 "Hello, little one." Huitzi coos, his attention completely devoted to the child, hands held steady with aid from a few tendrils.

JusticeMom09/28/2020 the baby blinks tilting his little head as he makes a happy noise kicking his legs and reaching for the skeleton's face giggling. Yep he likes the big man

Askbittyerror09/28/2020 Huitzi smiles softly and leans his head down into the child's reach.

JusticeMom09/28/2020 the baby grabs at his cheekbones before papping them with a happy squeal. much cute baby

Askbittyerror09/28/2020 The stars are back in his eyes. "Oh my goodness." He whispers.

JusticeMom09/28/2020 "wow" Al mumbled feeling all the happy off him. he had just gotten back with a tray of drinks. one of them a large stein for Huitzi

Askbittyerror09/28/2020 At the moment, Huitzi's attention is entirely on the bab. He doesn't even notice Al's return, he didn't even realize he left in the first place.

JusticeMom09/28/2020 There is whispered conversation and several chuckles of amusement as Huitzi just stares at the baby in his hand. after ages of Huitzi mumbling and playing with the small Altan starts to drift to sleep in his arms

Askbittyerror09/28/2020 Huitzi sings to the baby softly, a lullaby old and foreign. He's smiling, more relaxed than he's been in a very long time.(edited)

JusticeMom09/28/2020 Eventually Altan curled up against his chest holding his shirt with that tiny hands as he drifted off listening to song and soulbeat

JusticeMom09/28/2020 @Askbittyerror

Askbittyerror09/28/2020 Huitzi may be holding back tears.

JusticeMom09/28/2020 The Dream is the one that puts a hand on his shoulder "you okay there big guy? You got a lot of emotions boiling around in there"

Askbittyerror09/28/2020 “I- I apologize.” Huitzi sniffles, a tendril wiping his eyes. “I just… I had a daughter, once.”

JusticeMom09/28/2020 Dream watched him closing his eyes before he nodded "I... know how that feels Huitzi. I had a family once" he gives Erebus a look. the goop looks sheepish but the golden guardian continues "do you want to talk about her?" he offered now crouching arms resting on his legs

Askbittyerror09/28/2020 “Her name was Tepin.” He smiles faintly. “She was just… abandoned, on my doorstep. Somehow. Inside a rescue center. She was sweet and brave and-” His smile falls. “She grew fast, then never stopped.”

JusticeMom09/28/2020 He wined and put a hand on his harm "I'm sorry. it can be really unfair when our children age so much faster than us.... natural or not"

Askbittyerror09/28/2020 Huitzi nods, giving him a weak smile. "I am sorry for bringing the mood down, it wasn't my intention."

JusticeMom09/28/2020 He shook his head "its okay sometimes healing comes in the smallest of places" He said looking down at his tiny namesake

Askbittyerror09/28/2020 “Your child is precious.” Huitzi smiles.

JusticeMom09/28/2020 "My nephew" he said offering to take the child "Erebus and Bells's or correction Morpheus and Bells's little one"

Askbittyerror09/28/2020 Huitzi hands Altan over, very carefully and with some aid from his tendrils. "I dont believe I have met any Morpheus yet."

JusticeMom09/28/2020 "probably not. there was an m!a I think they call it. It fused Erebus and Dream into one person" he says walking to the crib and gently laying Altan in it "Erebus does not want to do it again because he has become corrupted once more. He doesn't want to stain Dream with that part of him"

Askbittyerror09/28/2020 "Oh." Huitzi says, looking around for Erebus. "...I do not believe I have met this Dream either."

JusticeMom09/28/2020 "Juice? maybe not? He was back at the party" he said as Erebus walked back in with a non corrupted Nightmare in toe "hey what are you doing? Erebus!?" he was stumbling to keep at the goop's pace

Askbittyerror09/28/2020 "...hello?" Huitzi looks over.

JusticeMom09/28/2020 He stumbles forward and dusts himself off "oh... you are a very big version of my brother" he said sockets round now

Askbittyerror09/28/2020 "I assume your brother is a Paladin then." Huitzi smiles, offering him his hand. "I am Huitzi. May I have your name?"

JusticeMom09/28/2020 He takes the hand shaking it "Nightmare... I do not have any nicknames like everyone else" he said before leaning in to Al ad whispering "what's a Paladin?"

Askbittyerror09/28/2020 "A bitty, looks like me but, well, bitty sized!" Huitzi smiles. "I was one, once."

JusticeMom09/28/2020 He nods slowly "uhhuh Erebus why are you bringing crazy monsters to the house?" he askes before Erebus laughed "more like I am taking you back to the party" he said "you good to travel big guy? they are having all the fun without us"

Askbittyerror09/28/2020 Huitzi nods, smiling brightly. "Yes. Thank you for allowing me to hold your child."

JusticeMom09/28/2020 He waved a hand "you did as much for us as he did for you. Also visit. You are related to him after all. How I am not one hundred percent in which context but you are" He grabs all three of them, yes all three, and pulls everyone across the multiverse back to the chaotic party

#wedding rp #part 5

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randaccidents · 4 years

Text

Stand for Nothing

And now for our normal scheduled shadow people fic! Except its not!

This fic sorta follows up on the scenario I laid down in Dealbreaker cause I just couldn’t leave it like that ok I am weak. Of course read Dealbreaker first but be careful cause uh the discord did not leave unscarred.

In other words, this won’t hurt as much.

TW: panic attack (but not as detailed as how I normally go)

Shadow People AU by @mine-sara-sp who I now owe many fluff fics

Credit to skybiome’s Knock me off my high horse for some of the stuff I referenced.

Cavalier visits Wels.

Standing on top of a hill, watching as the purple tower before him crumbled, Cavalier didn’t know what to do next. He sat down, staring up at the pitch black sky. It seems today even the sky didn’t know what to be, no sun nor moon rising to indicate the time of day to him, only deep unknowable darkness radiating out from the Empire’s central tower. It didn’t matter anyway; they had lost. Completely and utterly lost.

Shivering, Cavalier brought his knees to his chest in a hug. He didn’t know what had happened to Puzzler, or Tripwire or Red or Joyful or Russy or-

He tugged at the purple feathered favour wrapped around his chest. He could feel the feathers fraying and breaking, as though they knew their master was no more, only the centerpiece feather remaining pristine. Oh, he shouldn’t have run from the fight. He should have stayed. Even if he couldn’t do much, at least he would know what happened to the Empire. Now? Where could he go? Everyone knew he was part of the Empire. No one would give him safe haven for a while, not after everything they had done.

Who was he supposed to serve now?

A knight’s job is to serve the people, not the Empire. You fight because you don’t know what else to do.

The words that flicked through his mind were cutting, acid still as potent as the day they were said, but it gave Cavalier an idea.

Wels. He was the one who first gave Cavalier a purpose outside of Puzzler. He had a purpose outside any empire, a purpose that was still honourable and respectable despite how easily it could twist back to selfishness. And he was kind. If anyone knew what to do with him, it would be Wels. Climbing to his feet, Cavalier looked out over the horizon, steadfastly ignoring the now smoking ruins of the Empire behind him.

It had been a long while since he had seen the overworld. One day Puzzler, face indescribable, had told him that he was getting a new job before basically locking him within the walls of the Empire. Cavalier found himself wishing that he had found out what prompted such a sudden change from Puzzler. Surely Puzzler knew that he was better at running and scouting than smithing? Unless…

Shaking his head clear of those intrusive thoughts with practised ease, Cavalier located the landmark he had used the last time he had been to Wels’ base and took off, running away from everything again.

—————————————–

By the time he found Wels’ base, the black overtaking the sky had receded, sucked to a location behind him. The sun had almost entirely crossed the sky, casting shades of orange through the sky. It was almost exactly like the last time he was here, ready to collect Wels for Puzzler.

He shook his head. Focus. Paladin and those dangerous blue shadows live here too. He’d seen them enter and leave enough times while out scouting to know. Sinking into a nearby shadow, Cavalier slid up the walls to the decorative window on the top floor, skipping past the easier to reach spaces in favour of remaining undetected.

Reforming inside the house, Cavalier spared a singular second to wonder why Wels had so many shadow-friendly entrances spread throughout the house before he refocused on his goal. He had to find Wels before anyone else did. Sneaking through the halls, Cavalier made their way down a floor to Wels’ room.

Past the way too large central room, through the more normal sized corridor on the right, careful around the intersection turning downstairs, into the open common ro-

A burning line cut across his cheek, making him jump back in surprise, one hand on his cheek as the other reached for his sword. His eyes quickly swept through the room, taking in the situation to make a decision.

The room before him held two moving armour stands, both armoured and brandishing swords at him. The fire roared, casting large shadows across the room from the chairs set before it, disguising the aggressor before him. Not that it did anything, Cavalier could recognise that golden plume from a mile away. Although the lack of their blue additions threw him for a loop.

Another sword swung at him, forcing him to dodge. Oh he was so dead, Paladin found him first, they are not going to let him go that easily. Turning to run, Cavalier found the door blocked by solid iron blocks. He was trapped.

Thinking quickly, Cavalier slid up the wall. Reforming his head, he peered down at the room below. Paladin was looking up at him angrily, one hand gesturing at the armour stands. As Cavalier watched, the armour stands moved to stand next to each other, then merged into a slightly larger armour stand with a bow. Quickly ducking back into the wall to avoid being shot, Cavalier considered his options. By the looks of things, those armour stands were part of Paladin’s power, which meant it could hurt them. Paladin isn’t known to fight other shadows or go two dimensional either, so the upper walls were safest. He wasn’t strong enough to fight any shadow, much less one with a power. So he decided to do what he did best; run.

Scaling the upper walls, Cavalier cast about for an exit. He might not know the house well, but surely there was a pocket of space somewhere, right? Forming an arm, he felt around for something he could push aside.

He was so caught up in finding an escape that it was a surprise when an arm yanked him out of the wall. With a yell, he fell to the floor, dazed. The feeling of cold metal against their throat made them freeze. He let the sword lift his chin, forcing him to look Paladin in the eye. Paladin’s whole form was tense, ready to strike at any moment. Well, at least he tried. Cavalier closed his eyes.

Only the strike he was waiting for never came. He heard a sigh, and the metal left his neck. Cavalier cautiously opened his eyes to look up at Paladin, whose form had untensed into something more tired.

“Why are you here, Cavalier?” Paladin asked, voice just as tired as their posture.

Cavalier blinked. Was he being given a chance? Seeing Paladin’s gaze harden, he quickly answered, “I-I’m looking for Wels. He’s here right?”

That seemed to have been the wrong answer, judging by how Paladin’s gaze hardened rapidly into something angry. He cringed backwards, but was unable to escape Paladin’s grasp as they leaned down. He felt more than saw Paladin grab the center of their favour, fingers sliding beneath the feather that lay beneath and separating it from his body as they lifted him up. “You came now? After all this time? Do you not care for him at all, to wait so long to visit?” they spat at his face.

Cavalier barely heard any of that over the sudden haze over their mind. Words refused to form in his head or on his tongue. He needed the feather back. His fingers scrabbled uselessly against Paladins. He felt Paladin shake him. “Do you have no words for yourself?”

He couldn’t answer like this, he needed the feather back. He tried to force words out of his now useless mouth. “F-f-fe-f-” It was useless, he couldn’t do anything. Letting out a whine, he tapped Paladin’s hand instead.

To his surprise, Paladin seemed to get the message, dropping Cavalier to the floor. He quickly curled onto his side, hand cradling the disturbed center of his favour. The fog in his mind was immediately snapped clear, thoughts and words returning to him. “ABC, one two three four, my name is Cavalier I am a shadow I can speak I can think” he mumbled to himself, checking for any missing pieces of himself.

A hand on his shoulder sent him flinching away, clutching the favour closer to his chest. The hand didn’t leave his shoulder though, and he slowly untensed when he realised that he wasn’t being hurt. Uncurling to sit up, Cavalier looked up at Paladin.

“Are you feeling better now?” Paladin asked him, genuine concern in his eyes. Cavalier took stock of themselves. His mind was clear, his tongue light again, and he had his feather back. “Y-yeah…” he answered.

He watched as Paladin sighed, shifting to sit next to him. “So, want to explain why grabbing that favour made you panic?”

Flinching at the memory, Cavalier considered his options. On one hand, Paladin was the enemy. On the other, was there really an enemy anymore now that the Empire was gone? He guessed that he had nothing to lose by telling Paladin. “You grabbed my feather. I can’t think clearly or speak without it.”

“Why not? Surely you’ve died enough times.”

That elicited a flinch from him. The room was silent.

“… How many times have you died, Cavalier?”

Of all questions, they had to ask this one. He hugged his knees to his chest again, finding comfort in being smaller. “… 3 times in total.” he answered, embarrassed.

The response was as explosively shocked as he expected. “Only 3 times! You shouldn’t be able to- oh.”

Cavalier could feel the new understanding in Paladin’s gaze. He turned from it, uncomfortable at the feeling of being seen right through.

“… sorry I grabbed your feather.”

“It’s alright, you didn’t know.”

They sat in silence for a while, awkwardly unable to say anything else. Something about the whole situation felt a little off to Cavalier though, and he had to voice it. “Paladin, why didn’t you kill me when you had the chance?”

He could hear Paladin shift slightly. “I’m assuming Puzzler didn’t tell you, but it’s safer if we don’t have to be resummoned ever again.”

Cavalier turned back to look at Paladin, who had mimicked his position, knees to their chest. “What didn’t Puzzler tell me then?”

He could see Paladin take a deep breath they didn’t need, eyes no longer meeting his. Their words came out whispered, as if they still didn’t accept it as truth. “Wels is… gone.”

The world came screeching to a halt. “No.” That’s not possible, players always came back, right?

Paladin’s staunch refusal to look him in the eye was telling a different story however. “He’s not fully gone, but he certainly isn’t here anymore. And no one wants to see what happens if we are resummoned.”

Something wasn’t adding up. It was such a small thing, but it lit a stubborn flame of hope in his chest. “Not fully gone? And we can still be resummoned? That doesn’t make any sense. What really happened Paladin?”

Paladin flinched slightly, hugging their knees tighter to their chest. It made Cavalier feel a little bad, but he had to know. He dropped the intensity in his voice, asking the question again on a softer register. “Paladin, what really happened to Wels? As his other shadow I deserve to know the full truth too.”

Paladin uncurled slightly, hands moving to fiddle with the bracers they wore instead. “Did Puzzler tell you about the Vex?”

It was Cavalier’s turn to flinch now. Oh yes he did know about the Vex. Puzzler made it very, very clear what messing with the Vex would result in. Paladin seemed to have caught that, because they kept talking, words coming in a practised rush. “Basically, me and Wels had an encounter with the Vex last season that left us haunted by them every day since. A while ago, Wels made a plan to fix that. On my end, I had to make a contract with Abyss to remove the Vex. On Wels’ end, he decided to fight the Vex in their own game. He-” Paladin’s voice hitched, before the words shifted from practised monologue to emotional rapid, spiralling faster and faster. “He lost, and now he’s a Vessel for them, his soul or something is lost forever and he only remembers some things but its not really him and I should have stopped him I really should hav-”

Cavalier recognised spiraling thoughts when he saw it. He had them himself. Reaching forward, he wrapped his arms around Paladin, pulling them to his chest, all fears of being stabbed forgotten in the moment. Paladin for their part just clung to Cavalier’s chest, mumbling, shoulders heaving. “Shhhh, their just thoughts, they might be true or they might not, but you have to calm down.” Softly, Cavalier began to hum, rocking slightly.

Eventually, Paladin’s shoulders stopped moving, settled back into the standard straight line. They pushed themselves out of Cavalier’s chest, and he let them go. He watched as they discreetly wiped their eyes. “You know, that’s just like how Wels would stop me from panicking. You act so much like him, and you don’t even know him.”

That comment made Cavalier shift uneasily. It was true that they didn’t know Wels well. And now they might never have that chance. Paladin shifted. “You said you wanted to see Wels?”

Cavalier considered this, then nodded. Yes, he still wanted to see Wels, even if he couldn’t recognise him. Paladin stood, extending a hand down to him. He looked at it nervously. Paladin sighed. “Let’s go see Wels then. He might remember you.”

Hesitantly, Cavalier grasped the offered hand, being pulled to his feet. Paladin took the lead, moving to the door on the other side of the common room. Idly, Cavalier noted that the armour stands and iron blocks were no longer around, and that Paladin now sported two large swords and a metallic ring from their belt. He hesitated. There was nothing stopping him from running now.

But he also wanted, for once, to know. So he followed Paladin down the hallways.

Eventually, they came to a stop before a dark oak door. Cavalier could hear bells from behind the door. Paladin turned to face them again. “Fair warning, Wels… might attack you.”

“What?”

Paladin put a hand on his shoulder. “Like I said earlier, he’s mostly just Vex now. He might not remember you. So far, if he looks away or attacks you it means he doesn’t remember you, if he hums a song at you something in him remembers you, and if he just stares then you just have to wait and see what he does next. Oh and uh, if he starts hissing? Run.”

Cavalier’s mind spun from the sudden information dump, but they got the picture. Shakily, they gave Paladin a thumbs up. Paladin nodded, then stepped aside. “Well, what are you waiting for?”

Cavalier balked slightly. “Wait, you’re not coming with me?”

Paladin shook their head. “He will focus on me if I come. This is the only way to know if it’s safe for you to visit him.”

… There was no real escape from this was there? If he wanted to see Wels, he would have to do it alone. Steeling himself, Cavalier opened the door.

He didn’t know what he expected. Maybe a monster, maybe a Vex creature. Whatever it was, he most certainly wasn’t expecting to just see Wels, back facing him, happily playing with something in his hands. Sure, the wings were new, but nothing else really seemed out of place. Softly, they called out to him. “Wels?”

Wels’ head shot up, turning to face Cavalier.

Cavalier found himself pinned by an electric blue gaze. Ah, that’s what Paladin meant by ‘gone’. He had seen corruption from other entities first hand, he was Puzzler’s personal knight and scout after all. He had heard when Puzzler spoke to ‘the masters’. The light blue cracks, the wings, the bright blue smile, the striking blue gaze, all of it reminded him of Puzzler’s own additions.

And now that gaze was pinned on him. He swallowed the rising panic, shifting from foot to foot. He could feel the gaze follow his every move. Wels had yet to utter a sound, only the wings on his back fluttering lightly.

He felt a tap on his back, and moved to step clear of the door. The blue gaze followed him, even when Paladin stepped into the room.

“Has he done anything yet?” they asked.

Cavalier shook his head. The gaze followed the motion, like a cat ready to pounce. “No, just staring.”

“Then we just wait a little longer.”

Standing there, the full force of that blue gaze upon him, sounded like a terrible decision for his easily spiralling thoughts. He turned towards the door, ignoring Paladin reaching out to him. “I can’t stand here like that, it’s not good for me I’ll just g-”

“Badum-bum badum-bum badum-bum badum-bum”

He froze. And turned. He could see Paladin do the same.

Wels was smiling softly now, rocking lightly while humming, bells echoing through the space.

“Badum-bum badum-bum badum-bum badum-bum”

Cavalier could feel tears forming in his eyes. A hand on his shoulder caught his attention, and he turned to look at Paladin. “Do you recognise the song?”

Cavalier laughed, tears finally falling free from his eyes. “Recognise? That’s the song he sang that got me to talk to him in the first place!”

His heart felt light. Just enough of Wels was there, enough to recognise him. He felt Paladin nudge him lightly. “Well? I think it’s safe for you to sit next to him. Come on!”

With that, Paladin tugged him into the room, settling them down next to Wels. Wels seemed to perk up at that, humming growing louder, bells more melodic. Paladin was quick to join Wels in humming, adding another layer of sound to the song. Listening carefully, Cavalier found the starting point in the song for the lyrics. Hesitantly, softly, they began to sing.

“Hello, my old heart

How have you been?

Are you still there inside my chest?

I’ve been so worried, you’ve been so still

Barely beating at all”

Eyes closed, Cavalier let themselves lean into the song. They might stand for nothing now, but he found that it didn’t matter. This felt like family, this felt like home, this felt like somewhere he finally belonged. If only he had found it sooner.

#shadow people au #wels #cavalier #paladin #bad end wels #this is just picking up the pieces honestly #I wanna write the canon version of this too now haha #either way this is #very soft hurt much comfort #the wels collective is together now #yay #aight trigger tags time #panic attack #my writing #hey guys this is less hurty I swear

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rainforestgeek · 5 years

Text

If you lose your strength to stand (I’m gonna reach for your hand) pt. 9 “Tell Me it’s Not for Nothing”

Part 8

AO3 link

The next morning Keith woke up from the deepest sleep he’d had in years. Light breath purred against his neck. Matt’s arm draped over his side and they lay pressed together back-to-chest. He was loathe to leave the warm bed, or disturb Matt, but Keith had things to do. He’d indulged in this comfort long enough.

He carefully extricated himself from the blankets, slipping out of Matt’s hold and into the cool ship air. He gathered his space suit and armor from the floor and started getting dressed.

Keith was strapping his blade to his belt when Matt stirred. He sat up and stretched. Keith indulgently took in his lithe, muscular torso and toned shoulders. It felt so good to be explicitly allowed to look. Especially with the memory of all that smooth skin under his hands. Matt grinned sleepily. “Hey.”

“Morning. You should get ready. It’s probably gonna be a long day.”

“So romantic.”

Keith’s face burned. He mentally scrambled for a response.

“Sorry, I’m just kidding.” Matt got up and gave Keith’s temple a gentle kiss before pulling on his pants.

Keith relaxed, relieved. Words returned to him. “I’m going to the dining hall. You should stay and eat breakfast here. I know Pidge’ll be happy to see you, too.” He made to leave.

“Wait, Keith.”

He stopped and turned back.

“Um.” Seeing Matthew Holt look uncertain was so bizarre. He kept looking from the floor to the ceiling and back to the floor.

Keith waited.

“Last night, I ran into Lance in the hallway. Is…should…you’ve known him for a while now. What kind of guy is he?”

Uh. Out of left fucking field. But then again, most questions came across to Keith that way. “In summary, he’s a dependable idiot.”

“What do you mean by idiot?”

“He pretends to be an asshole. It’s distracting when he flirts with girls on missions.”

“Has he ever flirted with Pidge?”

He thought for a second. “I don’t think so. Matt, if you’re worried about Lance playing Pidge or something, don’t. They’re close. He wouldn’t do that.” He hesitated, then, trying to be comforting, took Matt’s hand and squeezed it.

Matt’s eyes focused on him. He leaned forward and kissed him softly on the lips, lingering a moment. “Thanks, Keith.”

Keith couldn’t understand why a simple kiss like that flustered him so much when they’d had sex just last night. He swallowed. “See you at breakfast.”

Out in the hallway he saw Lance in his street clothes standing in front of Pidge’s room. He didn’t do anything, just stared at the door with his hands deep in his pockets.

“What are you doing?”

Lance jumped. “Umnothingjust – ”

“Okay, wrong question. Why are you standing outside Pidge’s room instead of knocking like a normal person?”

“Are you really telling me what normal people do?” He glared at Keith, but there was no real heat in his voice. He started walking in the direction of the dining hall. “Whatever. I just…we’re dealing with so much stuff today and I don’t know if she’s still asleep and she’d rip my face off if I woke her up, so excuse me for being a tiny bit afraid of knocking.”

Keith fell into step with him. “Don’t worry about it. Coran will get Pidge out of bed.”

“Why are we still talking about Pidge?”

“Why are you talking about Pidge?”

“Because you are!”

“I’m not the one waiting outside her bedroom first thing in the morning.”

“You – !” All the blood rushed to Lance’s face and he huffed like an agitated dragon. Keith had almost forgotten how fun it was riling him up. And familiar. He couldn’t resist poking further.

“Did you need to tell her something in private? Something secret?”

“I CANNOT believe I actually missed you, you jerk!” Lance stormed off ahead.

You did? Keith thought.

That was weird hearing so directly from Lance. He knew Pidge and Hunk did, and obviously Shiro –

His fists clenched. Shiro wasn’t here. He hadn’t been for a long time. Keith physically restrained himself from punching something.

He never did see Pidge that morning. She wasn’t at breakfast, and she wasn’t at the tactical meeting with Emperor Lotor either. Coran and Lotor and the other paladins were on the bridge when he followed Matt inside, star maps projected through the air, but no sign of their smartest teammate. And he wasn’t the only one who noticed.

“Where’s Pidge?” Hunk asked.

“Sequestered in my rooms with the mice,” Allura said. “She is running analyses on data she gathered from the clone. She came to tell me earlier and I decided not to interrupt her progress.”

“Speaking of which. How the hell did a galra spy get on board the Castle?” Lance demanded.

Keith avoided eye contact when he replied. “I don’t get it. The Black Lion took me to him. She recognized him as Shiro.”

“Yeah. Can’t the Lions, like, see inside our souls?” Hunk asked. “Unless you can make an exact copy of somebody’s brain it doesn’t make sense. Wait, is that possible?”

“It’s irrelevant,” Allura said. “The Lions bond with our quintessence. The very fundamental energies of our lives.”

“So how do you copy quintessence?”

“You cannot. Not even the Druids are capable of such magic.” Lotor looked thoughtful. “Shiro spent time as a prisoner of the empire, yes? Fighting for entertainment?”

“What’s your point?” Matt said.

“He has a cyborg prosthetic arm, work of the Druids no doubt. Which means they must possess the original arm. It's probable they extracted its quintessence and grew it in the clone.”

Lance made a disgusted noise. “How do you do that with a dead arm?!”

“Keeping the tissue alive is a simple matter for Haggar, Red Paladin.”

“It is revolting. But more than possible,” Allura agreed.

“But that’s still just speculation,” Matt said. “We know there’s been a spy inside Voltron. It doesn’t matter how if we don’t know why. What specifically does she want out of all this? Why hasn’t she used more insider information?”

“It’d be invaluable to know, Matt. But on that we also have nothing but speculation. What do you think, Lotor?” Allura asked.

He frowned. “I agree that the witch’s plan is of the utmost importance; however, I would remind you, Princess: it must not compromise our efforts to stabilize the rest of the galra,” Lotor said.

Lance half-raised his hand. “Correct me if I’m wrong here, but isn’t that plan in danger as long as we don’t know what Haggar is up to?”

“So we’ll multitask.” Allura sighed. “It is risky, I know. But concentrating our efforts solely on the rogue galra or the Druids would allow the other threat to grow unchecked. We must do our best to tackle both problems at once. I would still like your assistance with the rogues and quintessence, Hunk.”

“Yeah, of course. I’ve been studying Honerva’s science log and I’ve got some ideas.”

“In the meantime,” said Lance, “I’m gonna question Ezor. See what she has to say for herself.”

Keith snorted. Something about Lance leading an interrogation struck him as funny. “What are you going to do – annoy her into talking?”

“Ha, ha, laugh it up Mullet, you’re coming down there with me.”

“Of course I am! She could tell us where Shiro is.” Keith realized as the echo died around him that he'd shouted.

Lance gripped his shoulder. “We’ll get answers this time, Keith. I promise.”

Matt pitched in,“Pidge told me last night she’s making something that can help with that.”

Lance let go and took a step away from them. He said, “That sounds scary. Should I be scared?”

Matt fixed him with a look. One that Keith wasn’t familiar with. “Should you?”

Swallowing visibly, Lance replied, “Of Pidge or anything she makes? As a rule, terrified.”

Matt seemed to like that answer. Keith felt some kind of subtext between the two that definitely went over his head.

Lance wondered how many half galra they were going to have behind this glass. They were at two, now. One more and it’s a pattern.

Matt followed them down, making Lance feel tense. His face was as closed-off as it had been last night, except this time without the joking mask. Now his expression was straight-up stone. But hopefully having his new boyfriend around would help Keith keep from going off like an IED.

Keith on the other hand had his arms crossed. Pretty standard Keith stuff.

Ezor was laying on the floor with her feet propped against the wall. Her soles smushed against the glass, smearing traces of dirt on it.

Keith hit the big intercom button. “Time to talk.”

The galra swung her feet down and sat up to look at them. “Ooooh, the underlings grace me with their presence. Where’s Mr. Bitch Slap and Miss Queen of the Universe?”

Lance stepped closer to the glass and tried to look confident. “Sorry. You won’t be seeing the princess any time soon, let alone get your hands on her.”

Ezor cocked her head. “Whelp, sucks for me, because that sort of impedes me doing my job.”

“Okay. You’re fired.”

“Lucky me.”

“Look, we don’t care about you. We want to know where Haggar is.”

“What’s in it for me?” She asked lazily, leaning back on her hands.

“We don’t kill you,” Keith growled.

Ezor shrugged. “Eh. That sounds about right. Haggar’s probably with Sendak, pulling his little puppet strings.”

“That would mean she’s dead. Which we know isn’t true.” Matt sounded just the tiniest bit proud despite performing his best imitation of an ice statue.

“Huh. Then I don’t know.”

“Hey Lance, I’m smelling a giant pile of horse shit,” Matt said, turning to face him.

Lance bit back a snicker. “It’s really stinking up the place. Think we should eject it?”

“Can’t smell it if it’s in space.”

“Rude.” Ezor protested.

“Then make yourself useful, and quick.”

She huffed. “I don’t have a tracker on the woman, I don’t know where she is.”

“But you’re working for her. You and the other generals,” Lance said.

“Look, we’re just trying to survive by now, okay? Lotor went bozo – years of dedicated service all to become universal outcasts. Most people would do anything to avoid execution and I’m no exception. But I must say, this is the nicest cell I’ve been in so far.”

“You’re a mercenary.”

“And dodging the question.” Matt narrowed his eyes. “If you want to stay alive, then tell us what you know about Haggar’s plan. What’s she after?”

“Oh that’s easy: take down Voltron. You’re really slow around here.”

“From the inside. Nice try, but no cigar," Lance snarked.

Keith whispered. “I don’t think she smokes.”

“Are you kidding me right now?” he whispered back.

“Oh good job! You found the little project she planted.” Ezor’s tone was more condescending than all Lance’s most hateful middle school teachers combined. “Guess you do have two neurons to rub together if you weeded out the spy.”

“What has she done with Shiro?” Keith demanded.

“The original? That one’s probably dead.”

The words hit Lance like falling hail. He waited for Keith to blow up at her. When nothing happened, he glanced to his left to see Matt squeezing Keith from behind in a tight hug. Keith’s eyes slid shut and his breathing evened out.

Matt looked at the general evenly. “You’re lying. You were on the ground, alone. You had to have set up a rendezvous point.”

Lance swallowed back the ice in his throat. “Yeah! Where were you gonna go after killing Allura?”

All three of them jumped at what happened next: Ezor fell onto the floor and started cackling. She laughed so loud she clearly couldn’t breathe. Her red face turned magenta.

“What the fuck is so funny?” Keith said.

“She – does not – want the pri – princess dead, you primitive worms. My – ” she took a moment to regain her composure. “My orders were to kidnap the princess.”

“Then where was the rendezvous point?!”

She smirked. “Right at the border of the Patrulian Zone. You can chase her there if you want, but if you go there you’ll definitely die.”

Patrulian Zone…Patrulian Zone…Quiznak, why did that sound so familiar?

Matt frowned. “She’s right. No one uses any route through that section of space anymore. Too many ships have gone missing.”

It suddenly hit Lance. If an actual light bulb had manifested itself above his head just to go off at that moment, he’d totally believe it. “HOLY CROW!”

He sprinted towards the elevator and shouted over his shoulder, “Keep questioning, I’ve got to tell Allura!” He ran to the bridge, which was empty, then searched the Castle at top speed until he arrived at the princess’s bed chambers. He swallowed back the awkwardness about approaching her in her private space. He knocked on the doors.

“Allura? It’s Lance, I’ve got important news!”

Her voice came muffled from inside. “Come in, Lance.”

He opened the door and skidded inside. “We were just interrogating Ezor and she – oh!” He froze. “Um, h-hey Pidge!”

Pidge sat cross-legged on the giant bed with Allura. She was wearing her shorts and windbreaker, and her feet were bare. Her glasses reflected the glow coming from her laptop, which was connected to some weird circular gizmo. All the mice had perched on her head and shoulders to weave tiny braids in her hair. Flames licked up Lance’s face and he quickly looked away to avoid staring. Allura cocked one eyebrow at him from her perch on the bed, and Hunk (whom at first he hadn’t noticed sprawled out on the floor with his ancient holographic science notebook) pointedly looked between Lance and Pidge, only fueling his embarrassment.

“You’re already interrogating her?” Pidge sounded oddly disappointed.

“…Yes?” he replied uncertainly.

She tapped at the gadget plugged into her computer. “Never mind. You were saying?”

“Right, uh. Ezor told us she was trying to kidnap you, Allura, not kill you. We just assumed it was an assassination. Haggar’s orders were to bring you to her at the entrance to Oriande.”

Everyone’s eyes widened. Pidge turned to Allura. “Do you think she could get in?”

The princess shrugged, brows furrowed. “Possibly. She’s technically an Altean with magical gifts. But what she could do with me I don’t know.”

“Maybe she was gonna cut off your arm and seduce you to the dark side.” The stupid joke left his mouth before Lance could stop it. He clapped his hands over his mouth, embarrassed, and heard an agonized groan from Hunk and a cute giggle-snort from Pidge. She bit her fist, plainly trying to hold in her laughter. Lance smiled behind his fingers

“Seduce? I hardly think so!” Allura’s scandalized yelp drew back his attention.

“You see what happens when you say stuff like that?” Hunk said. Lance shot him a glare.

Pidge took several deep breaths, to calm down. It obviously only worked like three-quarters of the way. “It’s a reference to a classic Americ – Earth movie. He means maybe Haggar wants to convert you to her cause, so you can be evil Altean alchemists together.”

Allura wrinkled her nose. “Perhaps. I suppose she only knew where to go because of the clone.” Lance nodded. “Haggar’s lust for power is dangerous. If she gains such mastery of quintessence then she could destroy the economic balance we’re trying to achieve and wreak disaster upon every living thing in the universe.”

Hunk’s eyes had gone so comically wide Lance was amazed they didn’t fall out of his skull. “Are you KIDDING ME? Zarkon is dead and now we have to deal with THIS? You guys do not sound scared enough! How do we stop her? PIDGE?”

“Hunk, lower your voice,” Allura admonished, “you’re scaring the mice.”

Pidge typed away at her computer. “I’ve been analyzing the clone’s galra arm. If we get close enough I might be able to track down Haggar, and since we have a good guess where she’s been…”

“…We could get in range and bring the fight to her. Pidge, you are brilliant!”

Pidge smirked at Allura. “I know.”

Lance’s stomach fluttered – then growled. The conversation was veering where his usefulness vanished anyway, so he made to leave the geniuses to do their thing. Hunk was already talking magical defenses with Allura. “I’m gonna go eat something and get back down to the cell.”

“Wait, I’ll come with you.” Pidge gathered her stuff and jumped clumsily off the bed. She looked and sounded a lot more manic than usual. “You wanna see something stupid?”

“If you hold up a mirror in front of my face, you’re dead to me.”

“Ugh. Opportunity missed. Come on, I just have to get something.” She grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the room. He caught sight of Hunk and Allura looking meaningfully at each other, Allura outright giggling.

Pidge led him through the corridors and to the Green Lion’s hangar. Her work station was a mess. When she let go of his wrist, his skin tingled where she’d touched him.

“How do you find anything on here?” Lance asked, poking at something that looked suspiciously like a mechanical spider.

She batted his hand away. “It helps when nobody moves my stuff.” She handed him an alien bullhorn. Then she covered the opening with some kind of circular fan-looking thing - the one she'd had hooked up to her laptop earlier. It didn’t really look like a fan, but it was the closest comparison Lance could come up with. Pidge pressed the center button, making the outer ring (which she spun a few times like a dial) light up blue. “Okay, say something to me.”

“Is this the thing I heard you were making for interrogating reasons?”

“Lance, just use it like a normal bullhorn and say something.”

He was so torn between annoyance and affection. He was trying so very hard to be annoyed at her – she hauled him around the castle, she kept him up half the night (fine, the Pidge in his head kept him up half the night – technicalities). But despite the obvious bags under her bloodshot eyes, Pidge’s face was lit up like a Christmas tree and she was bouncing in excitement.

So Lance tested out her little invention: “I thought this was gonna be something stupid.” But the words came out in the high pitched, pebbly monotone of an old robot. His eyes widened. He started making little jerky robot movements. “Holy crow Pidge, I’ll never doubt you again.”

She giggled, her face flushing a bit. Probably sleep deprivation. “The dial on the outside changes the voice filters.”

He examined the gadget. “What’s ‘PW’?”

“Patrick Warburton.” Lance looked at her blankly. “The actor? 20, 21st century? One of the most iconic voices in history!”

Lance chuckled. “Since when were you a movie nerd?”

“My mom is. They made some weird-ass cartoons back then. Just try it, Lance.”

He spun the dial to “PW” and said the first thing that came to mind. “Did you sleep at all last night? Whooooaaaa-ho-ho-hooooaa. This is the smoothest, sexiest voice in the history of everything.” He playfully struck a pose. “Hey, girl. Cassanova’s here.”

Pidge laughed so hard she doubled over, hands on her knees, and visibly gasped for breath. Her cheeks turned a striking shade of pink. Lance’s heart break-danced proudly in his chest and he couldn’t have stopped his own grin if he’d tried.

“That was ridiculous.” Pidge’s laughter died out when she tried - and failed - to bite back a yawn. “The other settings are silly but I had to include that one.”

He put down the bullhorn on her warzone of a work table. “It is amazing. Total show-stopper. Is it useful? Or was this, like, stress-relief?”

Pidge took back the gizmo and started fiddling with it. She turned back to her work table, her back facing Lance. “We can attach it to any speaker in the Castle. Any of them. I figured we could hook it up to the containment cell and questioning Ezor will be so much funnier now.”

Lance giggled just thinking about it. “We’re not done interrogating her, you know. We can still use it.”

She turned her head, smiled at him, and continued, “I just figured, you know. Anything to lighten the mood around here. Make things easier for everybody. Yesterday sucked.”

Madre de Dios. That was unexpectedly sweet. In a rough, awkward, Pidge-kind-of way. He wondered how Pidge was dealing with the whole clone Shiro thing. Like, emotionally. She did look a little crazy today.

He frowned when she let loose another huge yawn. “Seriously, how much have you slept?”

She tried to glare at him through her drooping eyes. Valiant try, but dice. He gently tugged her out of the hangar and in the direction of the dining hall. “Enough. I just need some caffeine.”

“Not the same thing as beauty sleep, Pidge.”

“Who cares if I’m beautiful?”

Definitely ignoring that question. “Fine. Big-brain sleep, then.”

“Coffee.”

He rolled his eyes and they walked in silence.

Completely out of the blue, Pidge muttered, “…reminds me of peanut butter.”

“Huh?”

“Patrick Warburton’s voice. It tastes like peanut butter.”

“You can taste sound?”

“Yeah, sort of. It’s called synesthesia. My senses get a little crossed so my brain makes some weird and powerful associations. Green’s purring is like sparkling lemonade. Hunk’s voice is like cinnamon rolls.” Her eyes stared out into nothing, big and unfocused, like she only could pay attention to what she was saying.

Lance hesitated, wondering if he really wanted to know. “What does my voice taste like?” He immediately cringed. Nice going, McClain. She’s gonna think you’re so –

“Um, apples and cream cheese.” Her answer came quickly.

Lance’s thoughts skidded to a stop and he stared at her.

“What? Is it weird?”

“…That’s extremely specific, Pidge.”

She shrugged. She looked at him from the corner of her eye with a mischievous spark. “Be glad yours is positive, like Hunk’s. But Lotor's is black licorice.”

Lance barked out a surprised laugh. “Have I ever told you I love your brain?”

P A N I C.

Pull the fire alarm! Make a run for it! Stop, drop, and roll! Find the emergency exits and pray you don’t die!

Pidge stopped in her tracks and looked at him for a long moment. The sirens blaring in his head steadily quieted. Amber eyes anchored him to the spot, and he couldn’t look away, couldn’t even blink, they were so entrancing. He noticed there were faint stripes of chocolatey brown around the edges of her irises. She looked at him like he was encrypted computer code and she needed to solve him.

Which was weird, honestly. Lance sure as hell isn’t encrypted. His papi always called him an open book.

Finally Pidge quirked one side of her mouth up in a soft smirk. Lance didn’t even know a smirk could be soft. “You could stand to say it more frequently.”

Flames licked up Lance’s cheeks. Yeah, he couldn’t handle any more of this. He slung an arm around her and steered her into the kitchen, keeping her propped up against his side. Lance heated up some of that weird fruit coffee Hunk made for Pidge while she hoisted herself onto the counter. When he handed her the space mug, he noticed that Pidge was a little above eye level with him with her sitting up so high. Her bare feet swung and tapped the cupboards below. She took a sip with her eyes never leaving his face. It was like staring into a spotlight.

“Stop giving me that look.”

“What look?”

“That look. The one on your face.”

Pidge just grinned and raised an eyebrow at him. Lance busied himself with finding what passed for nutritious food around here. If she wouldn’t sleep, he’d at least get some protein into her. And himself, holy quiznak he was hungry. She was still staring at him when he looked up.

Desperate not to spontaneously combust under that gaze, he blurted the first distraction that sprung to mind. “Last night I saw Matt leaving Keith’s room!”

She choked on her drink. “Leaving like they’d just finished a late-night conversation or…”

“Well. I heard some stuff through the wall last night that definitely wasn’t talking. More like moaning.”

“UGH, Lance! What the fuck!”

“Pretty sure that’s what Keith was doing to – ”

“Finish that sentence and I will destroy all your skin care stuff.” She rubbed her forehead. “Why would you say that to me? Now I’ve got that mental image of my brother and…gah.”

Was that his brightest decision? Yeah, probably not. Lance knew more than well enough how gross hearing about your sibling’s sex life can be, even just mentioning its existence. But desperate times called for desperate measures and she’d finally stopped scrutinizing him. He could breathe normally again.

He ended up shoving a bowl of food goo into Pidge’s hands (what? He could barely cook Earth food) and hopping onto the kitchen island across from her with his own bowl of Jell-O-y green weirdness. They ate in silence for a while.

Eventually Pidge spoke up, looking into her bowl and using her spoon to play with the goo. Avoiding his eyes. “Actually, I’m kinda worried about Keith.”

“Why? Is your brother a heart-breaker?”

“I’m serious, Lance.” She sent him a brief glare then looked away again. “Keith fell apart last time Shiro disappeared. What’s he gonna do now that he’s lost him twice?”

“Three times.”

“What?” she asked distractedly.

“Keith lost Shiro three times. Kerberos first.”

“Oh. Right.” Pidge stabbed her food. Lance looked carefully at her face. Her eyes, kept stubbornly wide open, were shining with unshed tears.

Lance had already cried himself dry yesterday. “Keith’s gonna be okay. We’re all gonna be okay. I swear Shiro’s still alive.”

She looked up at him. “Did Ezor tell you that?”

“No, she said he was probably dead. But he has to be alive! I know it, I could feel it. Remember? In the void thing? That had to be him.”

“I hope you’re right, Lance.” She set her bowl down, got down off the counter, then hopped up onto the island, sitting next to him. She smelled oddly like berries and tea.

“Pidge…” he started slowly. “Why didn’t you sleep last night?”

He could see her struggling with her answer. She was so close that he felt her body heat on his arm. I guess it makes sense a girl’s gonna be the death of me.

“I couldn’t sleep.” The words sounded rough and quiet. “So I went to the med bay to study the clone. Lance, every cell, every gene sequence, every piece of circuitry, even the scars matched perfectly with our scans of Shiro’s physiology. I kept thinking if I could find the differences then I could figure out how he was being controlled. But it looks exactly like him.”

Her head fell on his shoulder and she squeezed her eyes tight. The soft impact dislodged her glasses. Lance carefully took them off her face and set them aside (and tried to ignore his heartbeat insisting that this was a crisis). He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and she curled into him.

“I kept thinking what if he was the real Shiro? What if I was wrong? What if he’d actually been corrupted somehow? I did sleep, for like five minutes. I just dreamed about shooting him, over and over and over again. So I got out of bed and built a voice-altering gadget. Hold me a little tighter, please?”

He did. “Pidge, why did you shoot him? What made you so sure?”

“It’ll sound weird.”

“You have floating fluffy caterpillars for pets and I found you on the roof scanning the solar system for aliens, and you’re worried about weird now?”

She laughed and it made his heart a little lighter. “I looked him in the eyes and it was painful. Like when someone shines a flashlight in your eyes. You should’ve seen his expression when he attacked you, Lance. It was feral.”

“You wanna know what’s messed up? When you said it wasn’t Shiro, when Lotor said it was a clone, I was relieved. I didn’t wanna think Shiro would yell at me like that.”

She mumbled into his shirt, “Never. Shiro would never say all that bullshit. I guess it all makes sense now.” Pidge gasped and so suddenly Lance swore he got whiplash she jumped out of his arms and onto the floor, leaving the right side of his body feeling cold. Her eyes went manic again.

“Lance! If that was Shiro, really Shiro talking to us in the Voltron mindscape then we can talk to him through Voltron!”

The solution was so painfully obvious he couldn’t believe they’d overlooked it until now. “He’s connected to the Black Lion, who’s connected to the other Lions – Pidge we have to try this right now! We need to get in our Lions and talk to Shiro!”

“We need find Allura and Hunk and get Keith!”

Part 10

#plance #pidgance #flirtyrobot #slowburn #vld #voltron #voltron legendary defender #vld fix it #fanfic #katt #pidge #lance #katie holt

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littlewhitetie · 6 years

Text

Sheith: Sensibility

“Keith,” Shiro whispers, taking the unconscious paladin’s hand in his. “Keith, please. Wake up.”

Just like every other time, Keith doesn’t respond. There’s nothing to hear but the low hum of the primitive medical equipment he’s hooked up to. It’s the best they have on this war-ravaged Earth; it’s not enough.

Shiro holds Atlas close to his heart—it’s integrated into his very being—but right now, he’d give it all up if they could have the Castle of Lions’ cryopods back.

“Just open your eyes,” Shiro begs, giving Keith’s hand a pulse. “I—I can’t... I need you, Keith.”

‘I’m not going anywhere,’ Shiro imagines Keith saying, in response. Or maybe he’d say, ‘I need you too.’ Maybe his response would be surprised, or shy, or disbelieving—something that would have Shiro reassuring him with utterances quiet but strong. Or maybe Keith wouldn’t say anything at all, responding instead with a hug that would make Shiro’s heart race.

Shiro doesn’t know how he’d react. He wishes he did.

“Come back to me,” he pleads. “I need you. Come back.”

“I’ve spent a lot of my life waiting,” Shiro says, fingers clasped around Keith’s limp hand. “Waiting with no end in sight. A year in Zarkon’s prison. A year trapped in the Black Lion. But this? Days of not knowing when you’re going to wake? This is worse. This is so much worse.

“I guess you know what it’s like, though, don’t you? You’ve waited for me, too. I wish you hadn’t had to. I’m sorry.”

With the tip of his thumb, Shiro traces the grooves of Keith’s palm. Life line, fate line, health line, heart line. They don’t mean a thing, but they’re there.

“I’m scared,” Shiro admits. He can’t remember the last time he said those words aloud, if ever.

“I shouldn’t be. I know you and the others are going to wake up. I know that, regardless of what anyone else says. You’re going to be alright, but I just… You’re all I have left. I can’t lose you. I can’t.

“So please.” His voice quivers, and for once, he doesn’t try to suppress it. He doesn’t have to, not here. “Don’t keep me waiting much longer. I don’t know how much more of this I can take.”

“I wish I could spend more time with you,” Shiro says, running his thumb over Keith’s knuckles. “I wish I could visit more often, stay with you longer. But I’ve just been so busy. There’s so much I’ve had to do, and there’s still so much more to be done.

“It’s a good thing, I think. Being kept busy. But between captaining Atlas, and liaising with Coalition members, and coordinating rebuilding efforts, and having all sorts of other duties at the Garrison—all while I’m supposed to portray confidence and inspire hope? It’s... not exactly easy.

“It’s important. It’s necessary. But if I’m being honest? All of this? It’s running me into the ground. There’s so much I have to do; it’s overwhelming. There are so many responsibilities, so many expectations. Sometimes, it— it feels like I’m suffocating.

“It’s not like I'd want to dump this on someone else’s shoulders—I’d never want to burden you, or Allura, or any of the other paladins with all of this—but it’s just… it’s so much. it’s hard doing this all on my own.

“I’m tired, Keith," he admits, in a raw whisper. "I’m so tired, but I can’t let anyone else know. And they won’t see it, not if I don’t let them.

“You’re the only one who can always see right through me. I wish you were awake to call me out.”

“Your mom’s on her way,” Shiro says, placing his hand over Keith’s. “I was finally able to get in contact with her and Kolivan. It might take a little while for them to get here, but they’re coming.”

He casts Keith a small smile, one he wishes he could see. “You know, I don’t think I ever told you how happy I was for you when you found your mom. She’s amazing. She’s just like you: dedicated, and loyal, and brave, and strong, and blunt, but kind, and… I miss you, Keith.

“I’m surrounded by other people all day; I hardly have any time to myself. But somehow, I still feel lonely. Without the others, without you. I miss you so much.”

He curls his fingers around Keith’s hand. “It’s been so long since I’ve heard your voice. Too long, everyone else says; they say at this point, you’re never going to wake up.

“But they’re wrong. I know they’re wrong. I can feel it. I’m not giving up on you. Not ever.”

“Today would’ve been our anniversary,” Shiro chokes out, clinging tightly to Keith’s hand. “I’ve been trying to hold it together all day, but I-I can’t stop thinking about it. About him.

“I know we wouldn’t be together, even if he were alive. He didn’t support my decision; I didn’t respect his wishes. We wouldn’t be together anymore, but still, I...

“On the way to Kerberos, I thought about it every single day: what I was going to say to him when I returned to Earth. The words I would use to tell him I was sorry. How I should have been kinder, more understanding, more considerate. I’d tell him how much our time together meant to me. Maybe it wouldn’t fix things, but at least there’d be some closure. I’m never going to get that now.

“I hurt him, and I can’t ever make things right. I left, and he’s the one who died. He’s dead, Keith. He’s dead. He’s gone, and I’m still here. It’s not fair. …None of this is fair.”

Shiro grips Keith’s hand a little tighter. The tears he’s been holding back for weeks threaten to fall. Here, in this room, it’s safe to let them loose. So he does.

“I never told you,” Shiro says, quietly, interlacing his fingers with Keith’s. “I should have. I didn’t. I was afraid that if I said it out loud, then you’d… know.

“But I love you, Keith. I love you more than I can ever tell you. I love you so much. So please. Wake up.”

Shiro doesn’t get the news until later, after he’s finished with yet another meeting. There are still duties he should attend to, but they all fall by the wayside when he finds out. He drops everything and rushes to the hospital. Keith is awake.

He races through the maze of hallways until he reaches the door of the room he’s become so well acquainted with. He can hear a calm voice from inside, flat but kind.

He peers into the room. Krolia is there, sitting at the edge of Keith’s bed. Close. Familiar. Maybe Shiro shouldn’t interrupt. She’s his real family, after all. But when he hears Keith respond, he can’t help but step inside.

“Shiro?” Keith rasps. The dizzying relief that slams into Shiro at the sound of his voice is so strong it almost hurts. No one else in the universe says his name like that.

“Keith,” Shiro breathes. “You’re finally awake.”

Keith gives him a weak smile. “Yeah.”

“I’m going to check in with Kolivan,” Krolia says. She gets up from her position on the bed, giving Shiro a subtle nod as she leaves the room.

Shiro takes a few paces, stepping closer to the bed. “Hey,” he says, voice low. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you woke up.”

“Don’t be,” Keith says. His voice drags with exhaustion. “I’m glad you weren’t just waiting around here; you’ve had so much to do. My mom and Kolivan were here when I woke up, and besides. You’re here now.”

“It’s so good to see you awake,” Shiro says. He’s weightless; he can breathe. “It was so hard, waiting. I knew you’d be okay, but I… I was still worried.”

“I know,” Keith says. “I heard you.”

“You… heard me?”

“Yeah. When you’d come visit. Some of it, anyway,” Keith says. “I’m sorry the past few weeks have been so hard on you. I wish I could’ve said something.”

Shiro tries to school his features. He's not entirely successful. “I—I didn’t realize you were actually listening," he admits.

Keith gives him a tired smile. “I know you didn’t.”

Shiro should have known, really. He’d been able to hear Keith when it had been the other way around; he should have considered it might not just be a magic Altean pod that enabled that to happen.

“You know you can talk to me when I’m awake, too, right?” Keith says.

Shiro pauses. Logically, he knows that. Intrinsically? “Yeah. I do.”

“There’s stuff I wanted to say back to you,” Keith says. His eyelids are heavy, on the verge of falling shut. “Think I’m gonna fall asleep, but I want to talk more later, when I’m awake again. About one thing in particular.”

Shiro swallows, hard. “Okay.”

“You’re worried. Don’t be,” Keith says, gently. “For now, can you come here?”

With visible effort, Keith lifts his hand and reaches for Shiro. When Shiro gets close enough, Keith slips his hand into his. Keith’s eyes close. “This,” he says, giving his hand a faint squeeze. “I could feel when you did this, too.”

“Oh. That. I, uh—”

“It was nice,” Keith says. “I appreciated it.”

Shiro opens his mouth, closes it, then opens it again. “You’re… welcome?”

Keith cracks his eyes open again, just a sliver. “I love you, Shiro.” His voice is weak, but Shiro knows that tone: it’s a challenge. He’s daring Shiro to say it back to him, now that he’s awake.

Shiro’s never been one to back down from a challenge, and it’s not like it’s a secret any longer. So he says, with every intention of being heard, “I love you too,” and the way Keith’s little smirk fades into something soft and genuine is completely, utterly worth it.

#voltron #voltron legendary defender #sheith #shiro #keith #fanfic #ficlet #voltron s7 #voltron season 7 #pining shiro #littlewhitetie writes

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justheretobreakthings · 5 years

Text

In the Spirit of the Season - Chapter 3 of 4

(Previous Chapter)(Next Chapter)

Word Count: 2,201 (Total Word Count: 5,907) Read on AO3

Here you are, readers, the third and penultimate chapter of my @voltronsecretsanta2k18 fic for @narts-art!

Also, a giant thank you to everybody who has been following and supporting this fic and others in my archive. I’m working at chugging along and getting back into the swing of writing, and the comments, likes, and reblogs here have been wonderful motivators!

Anywho, onto the chapter! Hope you enjoy!

In no time they had arrived at Pidge’s room, and she was shoving the door open and wading through the veritable junkyard that was her living quarters.

“There’s someone I want you to meet,” she said as she brought Keith to the corner of her room. Two of her space caterpillars lay dozing on top of a lumpy grouping of shapes all covered by a sheet.

“Pidge, I’ve already seen your caterpillars,” Keith said. “What do they have to do with – ?”

“No, no, not them,” Pidge said. She poked at one of the caterpillars to wake them up, and once the little creatures had woken and floated off, she took hold of the sheet. “I wanted to show you this.”

She ripped the sheet off, and Keith stared at the piles of junk underneath. He tilted his head and slowly asked, “Wait a minute, are those – ?”

“Yep,” Pidge said with a nod. “I’m proud to present: the Paladins of Vol-trash!”

Keith took a cautious step forward as he examined them. “So… what exactly are they?”

“Do you remember that mission a while back when we’d gone and rescued Allura from the Galra, and afterward we went through that corrupted wormhole and all got separated?”

“Yeah. That’s where you got the caterpillar things, right?”

Pidge nodded. “It is, yeah. I was on this nebula planet that basically seemed to be some sort of intergalactic junkyard, and it was just me and the caterpillars. It was… quiet. And I was there for a long time, felt much longer than it was, and I got – I got lonely.”

She plopped down onto her bed with a sigh before she continued, “I’m not very good at being lonely. I don’t handle it well. But usually there’s, like, some way to cope, you know? Like, I only ever had a couple of friends at a time at school growing up, if even, but even then I had clubs to focus on and Matt to come home to. And when Matt and my dad left for Kerberos, it was lonely at my house, but I still had Mom, and Bae Bae – my dog – to keep me company. And then at Garrison, I had classes to focus on, and then later I had Lance and Hunk. I still got lonely plenty, but it was easier to shake out of it.

“Then that stupid wormhole happened, and I was stranded on this strange planet with no one around and nothing to do but wait. And, well, it got to me. I just… I needed someone around. I didn’t want to be alone, I wanted – I wanted the people I cared about to be back with me. I wanted to have my family there.”

“Is this… me?” Keith interrupted. He had a hand stretched out, and was tracing a finger delicately around the rubber washer that made up one of Trash Keith’s scowling eyes.

“Well, yeah,” Pidge answered. “Like I said: I wanted my family.”

Keith straightened up and turned to her, his violet eyes wide, and he opened his mouth slightly, but seemed to be lost for words. So Pidge kept talking. “I really mean that, you know. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to get shot out into space with, and – and I care about this whole team. It’s become a second family to me. And that family includes you, Keith. You’re, like, the tough, stubborn, reckless emo brother that I never had and never knew I needed, but that I wouldn’t give up for the world.”

Keith turned back to face the Trash Keith. “I… didn’t know.”

“Didn’t know that I thought of you as family, or…?”

“Yeah. Yeah, basically. I just – ” He took a deep, shuddering breath. “It’s… new. It’s a new feeling. I’m not really used to… I mean, ever since Dad died, the only person who I’ve ever thought of as ‘family’ was Shiro, and, well…”

He trailed off, and silence echoed in the room for several ticks before Pidge softly said, “You miss him. You miss him the way I miss Matt and Dad. And I get it. That’s – it’s a deep hurt. It’s agonizing. And I’m sorry it had to happen to you.”

“You too,” Keith said. He sighed. “You know, the year before Shiro left for Kerberos, he took me home with him to spend winter break with his family, and that was the only real Christmas I’d had since the ones with Dad when I was a kid. Only one where I really felt like… like I was welcome there, that it was okay for me to be celebrating. It, um, it kinda made the next year’s hurt that much more.”

“You were out in the desert at that point, weren’t you?” Pidge asked. “So, you spent Christmas alone?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.”

Pidge snorted. “Nah, I’m gonna go ahead and be sorry anyway. Because that sucks, and it shouldn’t have happened. I mean it. You shouldn’t have had to spend Christmas alone. Hell, you shouldn’t have been alone at all, in the first place, but especially not for Christmas. And you don’t have to be alone, Keith. Not anymore. Not now.”

Keith was silent, eyes on the Trash Paladins, so Pidge went on. “I know how hard losing Shiro again must be for you, and I know it’s not something you’re just going to get over. But we’re all there for you. I’m sorry if you hadn’t seen it before, if we hadn’t made that clear to you, but we are. And I hate seeing you destroy yourself without Shiro around. We’ve all been worried about you. It’s like… it’s like when we lost Shiro, we started losing you too.”

“Oh.” Keith brought his arms up to cross them tightly over his chest. “I… I’m sorry. I, um, I hadn’t meant to worry anyone.”

Pidge stood from the bed and moved to lay a hand on Keith’s shoulder. “It’s not your fault, dude. This whole thing hit you hard, and, well, that’s fair. And, like, I’m not offering a cure-all for it or anything. But everyone on this castle would love to help you feel a little less lonely, if you’ll let us. And you’re always invited to everything we do as a group, okay? Because you’re part of the team. And that means you’re part of the family.”

“… Thank you, Pidge,” Keith said in practically a whisper.

Pidge patted his shoulder and stepped back. “And while we’re on the topic, you’ve always been welcome at our movie nights. That open invite was open to you too. I always just kind of assumed you didn’t want to come, but, um, you know.” She reached up to scratch at the back of her neck. “We’re doing one tonight, since, like, watching Christmas movies is tradition and everything. In the lounge at the twenty-two-varga mark. It’d be really cool if you came.”

“Thanks,” Keith said softly. “I’ll… keep the offer in mind.”

“Good.” Pidge smiled. “Now, go on and take your shower. You’re gonna stink up my room.”

Keith returned her grin with a slight upward twitch at the corner of his mouth. “You seem to have me confused with your dirty dishes,” he said, gesturing toward the haphazard stack of plates on her desk.

“Ugh, you sound like my mom.”

“No, no, just your responsible big brother who knows better than you.”

Pidge practically tossed him out the door.

She kept her eyes out as the group settled into their typical movie night arrangement that evening: her and Hunk on one couch - the space beside Hunk normally reserved for Shiro empty - Lance and Allura on the other, and Coran setting up the film with a pile of cushions on the floor ready and waiting for him. All were decked out in their sleepover attire, the paladins in their matching silky pajamas and lion slippers, and bowls were set out and filled with a puffy Altean grain that the team’s humans had deemed close enough to popcorn to work as the go-to movie night snack.

“Now,” Coran said as he finished setting up the old projector, “Altea doesn’t exactly have any equivalent festival to Earth’s ‘Christmas’, but Lance described the sorts of films that humans typically watch in celebration and I tried to find one that was on theme. I believe you mentioned that Christmas films tend to take place during times of cold weather?”

“That’s right,” Lance said with a nod.

“Excellent! Then I’m sure my selection will be perfectly suitable! We will be watching… well, the title is pun in Altean, but it would probably most closely translate to ‘Frozen Death’. It’s about a group of Altean explorers who become stranded on an icy planet and must face off against both the elements of the cold, and the fearsome Blizzard Worms that live beneath the ice and seek to devour them!”

The paladins stared at Coran in silence for a moment before Lance cleared his throat and said, “Uh, that sounds… very festive, Coran. Good pick.”

“Ah, this will be a treat,” Coran said. “Shall we go ahead and start?”

The others glanced around. “Should, uh, should we wait for Keith?” Hunk asked.

“If we wait for Keith,” said Lance, “We’re never going to get to watch the movie.”

“Yeah, but, Pidge said she was sure he was going to come to this one, right, Pidge?”

Pidge sighed. “I mean, I thought he was, but…” She trailed off and chewed at her bottom lip. She really thought she had gotten through to Keith earlier today, but, honestly, he was so difficult to read. “Go ahead and play the movie,” she mumbled.

Coran nodded and turned down the lights, and a holographic projection began to play as he settled into his spot on the floor. Pidge nestled herself deeper into the couch, trying to keep her focus on the movie.

They sat through the opening credits and the opening scene, an expositional, dialogue-heavy one that gave the paladins some good laughs whenever the castle’s translators were thrown by the film’s old audio and tossed some nonsense words into the mix. An action-laden scene played out next as the Alteans crashed onto the frozen planet, and in the quiet afterwards filled with wordless shots of wreckage and landscape, Pidge heard a throat clear behind her. She turned around and her brows shot up in surprise.

Keith stood in the lounge’s entryway, one hand on the frame, hovering anxiously like a student trying to figure out whether they had just wandered into the wrong classroom. He had fulfilled the dress code, wearing his red paladin pajamas and red lion slippers, a look that seemed utterly out of place on Keith but that delighted Pidge all the same.

“You made it!” she cried.

“Y-yeah,” Keith said. “Is, uh, is there still room for - ”

“Of course there is!” Pidge said. She jumped up and ran to take his hand and pulled him toward the couch. Keith followed her gracelessly, no doubt unused to walking in slippers considering that normally he didn’t even sleep without taking off those boots of his. “Hunk, budge up, Keith gets the middle,” she said, and Hunk obliged, smiling and patting the cushion after he vacated it.

“Good to have you, buddy,” he said as Keith cautiously lowered himself onto the couch.

“You guys done?” Lance asked. “You’re drowning out the movie.”

Pidge rolled her eyes as she plopped down by Keith’s side. “It’s not The Maltese Falcon, Lance, you’re not gonna lose track of the plot.”

“I’m not worried about the plot, I just think those two explorers seem to have a lot of romantic tension going on and I want to see where it goes,” Lance said, pointing to the holographic screen.

“They’re both gonna get eaten by giant worms, that’s where it’s going to go.”

“You’ve seen this before?” Coran asked.

Allura turned to shush them, and Pidge made a face at her before settling back in and resuming watching the movie.

After a few doboshes, she slowly leaned to the side and tentatively rested her head on Keith’s shoulder. Immediately Keith stiffened, and Pidge wondered if perhaps she shouldn’t have done that, but he didn’t shrug her off or ask her to move, so she stayed. And it didn’t take long for Keith’s posture to relax, adjusting to her weight on him.

Pidge smiled and let herself melt into Keith so that she was more or less nestled against him, and Keith tilted his head to rest up against hers. Keith, she noticed, had just about the same build as Matt, and for quick moment, it was like being back home, staying up late on a weekend night to watch episode after episode of some TV show until they both fell asleep.

It was a cozy feeling. She wondered if it was one Keith ever had experienced before. Either way, it was one that left her feeling sleepy, and her eyes drifted shut long before she ever got the chance to learn whether those Blizzard Worms had managed to come out the victors.

#voltronsecretsanta2k18 #platonic kidge #vld keith #vld pidge #vldgen #my writing #fic: in the spirit of the season

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greatgreengremlin · 5 years

Note

can you put your bag things bingo fills on tumblr? it would probably be easier for requesters to see and the mods to keep track of. and, i just want to reblog your fem!hance, cause that was cute.

Actually I meant to do that, I just forgot. Oops.

Sure I can!

(VLD) Space: Anger Born of Worry

AO3

Something Lana will never tell anyone is that during their first meeting, Huihana scared the crap out of her. Only for the first thirty seconds or so, sure, but in those thirty seconds the fear was real. She took two steps into the room the Garrison assigned her, took one look at her roommate, and felt her blood turn to ice.

That chick was freaking huge. Biceps like boulders, fists like frozen turkeys. She could probably take Lana’s head off with one punch. Nervously, Lana gulped, trying to think of something suave to say, straining to shape her mouth into a confident smirk so this Amazonian stranger wouldn’t smell her fear. Then the giantess advanced and before Lana could escape, those brawny arms encircled her, deftly lifted her right off the floor…and pulled her into a hug.

“Mmph!” Lana found herself pressed up against the soft, plentiful pudge of her roommate’s round midsection, and her face smushed into the pillows of her even softer, coconut sized breasts.

“Nice to meet you, new roomie!” chirped a voice of pure sunshine.

She gave Lana a hearty squeeze and returned her to the floor.

“So I’m Huihana, most people call me Hana for short,” she paused, amusement squiggling over her features as she blinked at Lana’s name tag. “Guess that means we’re Hana and Lana, huh? Pfft, Hana and Lana. We could totally headline a sitcom.”

“Heh, yeah.” Lana gave a chuckle, feeling herself melt in relief.

“I’ll help you put away your stuff, but let’s eat the muffins first. They’re best while they’re still warm.”

“You made muffins?”

“Uh-huh.”

Hana showed her the small oven she’d hidden in the closet. It was about the size of one of those toy ones, but Lana could tell it was made of spare parts. The metals didn’t match and the screws were different sizes.

“Let me guess, you’re here to be an engineer.”

“Yep.” Hana smiled and pulled a small muffin pan out of her makeshift oven and if the tantalizing aroma of apple cinnamon was anything to go by, mismatched metal didn’t prevent it from working.

Lana took a muffin and shook her head. Hana was a freaking teddy bear. No hecking way could she ever scare Lana again.

“You’re supposed to be in bed,” Lana scolds, crossing her arms over her chest.

Hana rolls her eyes and keeps rolling the orange dough in front of her. “As if you always do what you’re supposed to do.”

“This isn’t about me!” Lana barks, still too shaken to keep herself from snapping. “You’re a mess, you can hardly stand up!”

Hana shoots her a look that might’ve been dangerous if she were actually standing steady. But she isn’t steady at all, she’s tottering like a butterfly could knock her over and Lana isn’t sure if it’s making her nervous or furious.

“What I am is sore and stressed, and not in the mood,” she warns irritably.

“Oh, you’re not in the mood?” Lana scoffs. “Don’t even. I’m the one who gets to be mad! You almost got yourself killed!”

“We almost get ourselves killed all the time,” Hana grumbles bitterly, flipping the dough and rolling some more.

“This was different! You know we’re supposed to be extra careful since the pods got hacked, but you ran back into a Galra infested tunnel for no reason!”

“No reason my ass, I was checking for civilians.” Hana pauses to wipe the sweat from her brow.

“Civilians who weren’t there!” Lana huffs, grasping at her hair in frustration. “BLIP tech told us the tunnel was clear!”

“And like I already explained to you and everybody else, the dust storms on that planet were interfering with our tech. Our comms were screwy, our scanners were screwy, we had no reason to trust in the BLIP tech!” Hana gives the dough an exasperated whack with the rolling pin and Lana can see the immediate regret in her eyes as the movement sends repercussions through her battered body. Recoiling, she hisses through her teeth.

“Damn it! Ugh, just come off it. I clearly did the right thing.”

“How? No one was down there!”“But someone could’ve been down there,” Hana insists hotly. “We couldn’t rely on the tech to tell us one way or the other, so I checked for myself. It’s what a paladin would do.”

Lana chews her lip. She understands where her friend is coming from, but she doesn’t have any forthcoming fuzzy feelings for her decision either. It was too reckless. Lana doesn’t like to see any of her team in danger, but this was the kind of stunt she would at least expect from Keith or Shiro. Not Hana. It was a stunt that blindsided her coming from cautious, nervous Huihana.

“You should have at least called one of us for backup.”

And what she means is, you should have called me for backup.

“I didn’t think I had enough time.” Hana gripes, maneuvering her way around the kitchen. “It’s over and done with, so just lay off.”

Lana feels the worst of her fury dying away, but she still isn’t happy. This was too much, too close a call. She can’t just swallow it with a smile and pretend she wasn’t terrified to her core. Not with the echoes of Hana’s scream still rattling around like vengeful wraiths inside her head.

“Oh crap…I’m bleeding,” Hana mutters, yanking Lana out of her thoughts.

The red stain spreads through her robe and Lana gasps, scrambling over.

“Don’t want to say I told you so, but this is exactly why you should be in bed,” she says tersely, hiking Hana’s arm over her shoulder.

Hana is still the bigger of the two, but Lana is tougher than she looks and more than strong enough to offer her support. Hana accepts it wearily, and Lana becomes increasingly worried when she fails to fire back some retort. Lana studies her more closely and frowns.

Drops of sweat sprinkle Hana’s face, headband practically drenched with it. The pain is naked in her eyes, glistening with the mist of unshed tears. Her jaw tightens, teeth clenching as she fails to bite back a whine.

“Come on,” Lana encourages. “Just a little farther.”

“A little?” Hana shoots her an exhausted look. “The med bay’s on the other side of the castle.”

“But your room is right around the corner, and Coran helped me stock it with all the right aftercare supplies while you were out being a bad patient.”

“I wasn’t trying to be a bad patient,” she mumbles. “Today just caught up with me and sitting still in silence wasn’t exactly doing wonders for my anxiety.”

“Yeah, well you bleeding through your clothes isn’t exactly doing wonders for my mental health, either,” Lana retorts.

Hana must be too spent to keep arguing because all she does is glower.

When they reach her bedroom, Lana parks her down on the bed and slides the robe off her shoulders. The bandages encasing her torso are soaked scarlet and it sends chills up Lana’s spine. Even so, she tries to keep herself together. She opens the impressive supply kit Coran prepared and paws through until she finds the sutures.

“So you’re gonna patch me up even though you’re pissed?”

“Of course I am, jerk face.”

Lana gets the packet of numbing gel and the scissors, kneels down, eye level with the wound. She snips through the layers of gauze and they fall loosely to the bed. A wide absorbent pad remains, taped over her side. It’s sodden with blood that smears onto Lana’s fingertips as she removes it as gently as possibly.

What lurks beneath is like something out of a slasher flick. Lana is a tad nervous about tending to it because it’s such a gruesome injury, but she doesn’t want to admit that aloud. The blast from the sentry’s gun shaved off a good hunk of flesh. The aperture of the wound is irritated where Coran had to trim away ruined skin. The layer of fat beneath the remaining skin peeks out a bit, bumpy and glazed in blood. The open meat in the middle is this sickening, moist, melon pink.

“Congratulations,” Lana offers sarcastically. “You managed to pop all of your stitches.”

Hana grimaces. “I don’t wanna know the graphic details.”

“No,” she agrees grimly. “You don’t.”

Lana pinches the tip of the scissors over the broken thread of the old stitches and carefully pulls them through. Hana’s fist clenches into the blankets, a tight look of discomfort twisting her features.

Some of Lana’s frustration ebbs.

“This is the worst part and it’s almost over, okay?”

Hana nods tensely.

Lana removes the long, thin thread and discards it. She opens the numbing gel and carefully spreads it along the in tact skin around the wound.

“I’m sorry, okay?” she says softly. “I know I shouldn’t be mad at you, you did what you felt was right—“

“You mean what was right,” Hana breaks in stubbornly.

“…I thought you died,” Lana admits somberly.

“What?” Hana’s jaw drops.

Lana purses her lips as she opens the suture set. “It was the way you screamed. You’re super jumpy, so I’ve heard you scream a thousand times before, but never like that. That scream chilled me to the bone, I could just hear the hurt in it…and then when we started screaming back for you to answer, you didn’t. We— I was begging you to answer me but all I got was radio silence.”

“I scared you,” Hana concludes quietly.

“Yeah.” Lana huffs, poking the needle into the flesh. Evidently the gel is doing its job, because her friend doesn’t even flinch. “Scared me more than anything else ever has. You’re in front of me right now in one piece, talking to me, and I’m still kinda shook up over it.”

“Aw, Lana…”

Lana sews quietly, occasionally glancing up to make sure Hana’s tolerating it okay. She’s fiddling with her fingers, gaze pointedly fixed on the wall.

“Look, I’m sorry. Not for what I did, but for scaring you.”

“I don’t really blame you,” Lana says, finishing off the stitches. “This is war, we get hurt. But can you at least be a good patient for the rest of the day?”

“I will if you stick around to distract me.”

“I’m supposed to let you rest,” Lana mutters, distracted as she fishes through the supplies.

Hana groans quietly and shakes her head. “I can’t. You don’t think I got scared too? It’s so quiet in here, all I can do is relive getting blasted. It’s freaking me out.”

She takes another absorbent pad and thick roll of gauze, wincing sympathetically. “Alright. I’ll stay. Maybe I can get Pidge to bring us a projector so we can watch a movie or something.”

Hana lets out a sigh of relief. Lana returns to her bedside and strips the sterile packaging off the pad. She plasters it over the freshly stitched wound and gingerly pats it down. Hana gives a wince and she stops short.

“Too rough?”

“Nah. The gel wore off, that’s all. It’s sore.”

“I’ll bet.” It’s a hell of a wound, after all. Wide, deep, and butt ugly.

Lana unwinds a length of gauze and makes an effort to be especially gentle as she bandages her, starting from the bottom and moving upward. She smooths out as many of the wrinkles as she can and tries to secure the gauze around Hana’s torso without pulling too tight.

“Alright, almost there. Just hold your tits.”

“Huh? I’m not rushing you.” Hana puzzles, brow furrowing.

“I meant literally, my busty bestie,” Lana chuckles. “They’re in the way.”

“My bad.” Grimacing, Hana sheepishly hefts them up and Lana wraps the last layer around. She finishes up with small adhesive strips to keep the bandage in place and gives it the slightest of tugs to make sure they’re effective.

“All done,” she says brightly, pulling back. “That should keep it clean and safe. Just try not to bump into anything and don’t abuse the rolling pin anymore.”

“Thanks. I’d hug you if I could.” Hana sighs and slides her arms back into the sleeves of her robe. She raises her shoulders to get it all the way on— at least, she attempts to. Pain crosses her face halfway through the motion and the fabric slides back down.

“And I can’t do that either.”

She tucks her head down like a grumpy turtle sulking in its shell. Lana wordlessly pulls the garment up for her.

“Gonna do everything for me?” Hana lifts a tired brow.

“If I have to,” Lana says, crossing her arms. “As long as you promise not to scare me like that again.”

“If it were a promise I could keep, I would,” she says wistfully.

They gaze at each other a moment, an understanding passed. Lana deflates and tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear, leaning forward to pull back Hana’s blanket.

“Go on, climb in.”

“Could’ve done that much myself,” Hana mutters, sounding more weary than offended.

Lana studies her as she draws herself up, stiffly braced back on her elbows. Pain speaks in every movement, from her legs’ halting stretch, to the low breath hissed between her teeth as she carefully reclines to the pillows. Lana lightly drapes the blanket over her.

“Lemme get you something for the pain—“ Lana turns to go and stops short as Hana’s hand encircles hers.

She tugs with surprising strength for somebody who looks two seconds away from passing out, and Lana’s eyes pop wide as she gracelessly flounders to the bed.

Lacing their fingers together, Hana gives her a tender look. “This is enough. I feel better already.”

“Liar,” Lana huffs, crinkling her nose.

“No, really. Holding hands has the potential to reduce pain. Several studies suggest it produces an analgesic effect.”

Lana pauses, studying her face for any trace of deceit. Normally having genius friends is pretty cool because they can explain complicated stuff to you and help you ace your homework. But sometimes genius friends can mess with you by rewording bullshit to sound all science-y and smart. One time Hana and Pidge nearly convinced her that the moon was indeed made of some form of petrified cheese.

“For real?”

“Yeah, for real,” Hana insists, smiling gently. “When we hold hands our brainwaves begin to synchronize. It’s like communicating empathy through touch and it makes people feel better.”

“Huh.” Lana looks down at their hands and squeezes Hana’s a little tighter.

With Hana’s hand in hers, solid and warm, Lana is beginning to feel better too.

#bad things happen bingo #badthingshappenbingo #hunk vld #lance vld #platonic hance #i mean i don't touch shipping in the vld fandom no thank you #not even in genderbend aus #blood tw #injury tw

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starfaring-princelotor · 6 years

Text

To Break A Geode

Summary: Prince Lotor discovers how fickle emotions can really be between Allura and Reader.

Pairings: Lotor x Reader, Lotor x Allura

★ Disclaimer: I do not ship Lotura and I respectfully ask that this story to not be tagged as Lotura. This is a Lotor x Reader/Self-Insert OC story which is in no way related to Allura at all. Please be respectful of my chosen pairing. ★

Warnings: Jealousy, ambiguous friendships.

“Stay away from Lotor,” she said, “He can not be trusted.”

There was a condescending tone in Allura’s voice when she commanded the group to obey her order. One that you recognized when Keith was outed as being half-Galra. You didn’t like it, but the team came to an unanimous agreement anyways about the Prince. Bringing an arm up to rub your elbow, you glanced down at your feet in slight discomfort. One voice couldn’t win versus six, so against your personal judgement, you followed the crowd. Perhaps you were just...surprised with the sudden turn of events.

Given, you didn’t trust Lotor at all either, but it left a bad taste in your mouth to just treat him like a caged rat after he swooped in and saved everyone. Not just Voltron, but the coalition and Blades of Marmora as well. Then again, you knew how the Princess thinks. You knew how everyone in this room thinks. Weighing the good deeds versus the bad. That’s all this war really was, right? Fight evil with the universe’s strongest weapon to come out victorious for all subjugated free-kind.

Once everyone had filtered out of the room, sans Keith, you sent him a worried glance. Did he hear that same tone, too?

Knuckles softly rapped on the metal door, though you were sure the Princess could hear you over the hum of the Castle’s engine. The door slid open and Allura’s brows rose up in curiosity, to which you sheepishly waved at her. Those dual-toned eyes showed you everything: she was tired. Exhausted. Stressed. And she had every right to be in the middle of this abrupt change of plans. Her familiar gentle expression came back when you offered her a kind smile. The smile of a close friend.

“Come in, come in,” her room was, well, suited for a princess, “What are you doing up so late? I thought you humans loved to sleep?”

Allura sat on her bed, patting the plush blanket besides her, and you followed suit with a small laugh, “We do, but I just wanted to...well, Allura, about today, when you said - how are you holding up?”

Her smile faltered just a bit at your question.

“I mean, with everything. Are you...you’re alright? Earlier, you just seemed a bit…” you waved your hand in a circle, but Allura’s heavy sigh halted your words.

“I...” she started, face downcast in slight shame, “I suppose with Voltron almost being destroyed as well as all of our hard work - our months of planning only to fail - everything has been a little...taxing.”

“Hey, you and me both. And the team. Everyone was just way too tense. Made me a little nervous too, y’know? You could cut the air with...with a flaboxian knife. Flaboscian?”

Allura finally, finally cracked an honest smile at your joke. That wasn’t the right word, but she appreciated the way you were comforting her time of need with that horrendously, incorrect Altean accent. You were all friends on this ship and as such, you found ways to ease the Princess’ heart when her duties became too heavy on her shoulders. The Princess meant well, you know it. She was royalty, yes, but still maintained that positive outlook on life. Sometimes, she just needed a friend to show it to her once in a while.

“Here, c’mere,” you opened your arms, offering her a hug and she surprisingly accepted it without a fuss, “Just take a deep breath, alright? All this stress is gonna give you white hair.”

“I already have white hair.”

Another laugh, this time from the both of you. She pulled away with an appreciative smile gracing her face. Your hand rubbed up and down her arm, making sure she was fully relaxed. You noticed Coran do this for her several times and, once you asked her if it would help, she agreed to let you try during one of her more emotional and vulnerable moments. And, well, you’re damn glad she trusted you.

“...I suppose with Lotor here, on my ship, the stress keeps stacking up like that Tetrix game. Is that the one? The one with the blocks,” Allura asked and you grinned, happy she too was making light of the situation with lame references.

“Yeah, one of my favorites,” your eyes flicked to the side momentarily before you took a deep breath, “...Allura, about Lotor...I think we should - I’m going to talk to him.”

Instead of returning back to her order hours ago, she shook her head in disapproval, “I do not think that is a great idea. He’s cunning, a snake. You saw how he could take down Voltron just by himself. He has an ulterior motive and I don’t trust...”

You gently squeezed her arm, thumb rubbing little circles on her sleeve, “What? So we’re just gonna...keep him in there? Forever? ‘Till he passes out from boredom? C’mon, Allura.”

Her eyes swam with uncertainty, for your safety, for the team’s safety, for the universe’s safety.

“It’s your ship, your rules, but I really think if we gave him one chance…”

The catwalk to the cell wasn’t the hardest part. Neither was staring down the infamous Prince Lotor. No, the most difficult part of this whole situation was beginning a normal conversation with the exiled man before you. He had watched you the entire time, minding your every step, every sway of your arms, even the bounce of your hair. Since team Voltron had carted him off to this cell, he has had no one visit his prison. Well, that is, until now.

In fact, he had no idea who you were. The intel his generals gathered led him to believe you were a stow-away, some unfortunate refugee team Voltron took in out of their bleeding hearts. Nonetheless, Lotor did not like that he had no useful information about you. He stood to his full height, most definitely dwarfing your smaller self, but you only offered him an innocent smile and open heart.

“Hey, can I get you something while you’re there?”

He arched a sharp brow and narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Now, you squirmed uncomfortably and waved your hand in a loose motion.

“The..Paladins are busy at the moment, but I can bring you a, uh, book? A meal?” you tried again and, this time, a spark of curiosity flicked behind the Prince’s eyes, “C’mon, I’m not trying to interrogate you or nothing. I’ve been in your position before, I know how boring it gets in there.”

Well, if you wanted to play like that, then he supposed he would allow it. Just to pass the time, he reasoned. Your odd sense of kindness was refreshing after all the events that took place, but oh no, he would not admit that out loud. Lotor’s eyes softened, just a bit, just to give you a fake sense of security, then he sat himself back onto the marble sofa. Not the most comfortable spot, but prison is not meant to accommodate anyone’s wants.

“Yes, I suppose some company would be appreciated,” with every word he spoke, your smile grew, your trust grew, “You are an Earthling, correct?”

“Uh huh,” you plopped onto the floor in front of his cage, hummed then looked up, reconsidering your answer, “Well, I - sorta? I was abducted. Peacefully.”

Those two words did not go together in Lotor’s mind and it only made him want to ask more questions. It must have shown on his face for you chuckled lightly at how silly “abducted” and “peacefully” seemed to contradict each other. To him, it sounds like you willingly surrendered. Were you that foolish of a human? Lotor waited patiently for you to continue as your laughter died down, allowing a short silence between you two.

“It’s...a long story.” “Darling,” Lotor finally cracked a small smile, “I am not going anywhere.”

Your eyes lit up, “Alright, so, we have this endangered species on Earth called tigers...”

Lotor stood in front of your door, tall and regal and, strangely, wondering why he was here. He had his own personal agenda to do, his own plans he needed to follow, yet his feet led him to your room. And in his hands? A bowl of what Hunk called “chicken noodle soup.” Yes, a strange flu has been making its rounds around the castle, though it only seemed to be affecting humans. The Alteans and himself were considered lucky.

He knocked on the door and, once he heard a faint “Come in,” the entrance opened. There, laying under a thick comforter in the dimmed room, was you in all your sickly glory. Rosy nose and cheeks, sniffling with tissue scattered over your lap, and a holographic screen floating in front of you. A quick glance and he saw you were looking at pictures of tigers. Lotor tsked, eyes lowering in disapproval, but you only met his look with a bashful one of your own. Caught.

“You are supposed to be resting, are you not?” he stepped in, three large strides, then sat at the edge of your bed, “I believe it was Shiro’s orders.”

“But I am resting!” a flat, blank look from him, “Aw, c’mon...you gonna rat me out? Tattle on me? That’s pretty lame, Lot - Prince Lotor.”

“I will do it,” blunt and to the point, then Lotor offered you the tray, “Only if you do not finish your meal. Hunk said, and I quote, ‘The only thing that should be left is the spoon.’”

“Does he want me to eat the bowl too? Yeesh,” but you smiled and Lotor mirrored it unconsciously, “But, really, thanks for bringing it.”

Lotor gave you a nod and let you eat, his eyes wandering around your room. A Voltron poster signed by the crew, some odd plant, a showcase of what looked like gemstones and...rocks? Crystals? You saw his inquisitive gaze stick to the glass and, with a grunt to get his attention, you pointed at the display in excitement. If you didn’t have the bowl of very hot soup on your lap, he wouldn’t have doubted you’d jump up and get it yourself.

“You know what those are?” you motioned for him to get one and he did, bringing you one of the more larger rocks, “Here, I’ll show you. These are geodes. You got geodes on - ah, look, I’ll just demonstrate, okay?”

You were practically vibrating in your seat while you dug into your bedside drawer and took out a laser tool. The soup laid forgotten for now, but Lotor was intrigued by what he first thought was junk ore in your hand. It certainly looked like garbage, but judging by that knowing gleam in your eye, you were about to teach him a thing or two about geology. You pushed the tip of the laser pen close to the rock’s surface, just about ready to flick it on.

“Ooh, this is the best part,” you turned it on, a humming red glow cutting into the surface and Lotor’s pupils focused intently on it, “What do you think is gonna be in it? Quartz? Calcite? Maybe we’ll get lucky and find some opal!”

Your enthusiasm was contagious and Lotor was now waiting in...anticipation. Forget the food, forget your sickness, he wanted to know what was inside this rock. What has gotten you so riled up that you would even forgo your own meal and your own illness? Once the laser cut through all around the rock, you placed it on his hands, but all he did was...stare. What was he supposed to do with this?

“Now, you just crack it like you’re opening an egg,” you made the motion with your hand and Lotor followed suit.

The geode opened with little force and Prince Lotor actually flinched in surprise by the loud noise. He was definitely not expecting that, but when the shimmering crystal glimmered in the dull light of your room, he parted his lips in awe. It was so...purple. Deep, dark shades of wine slowly mixing into soft lavender greeted his eyes and he felt like he found a sacred treasure no one else had discovered before.

“Oooh,” your eyes widened at the mineral, “I was hoping for a cool gem. Balmera has so many different stones, much more different than Earth. But, hey, it’s amethyst! Wow, I haven’t seen one so opaque before.”

“Amethyst, you say?” he repeated while bringing it closer to his face, “It is quite...gorgeous.”

“Isn’t it? And there’s even more mysterious ones in those geodes,” you felt better, whether it was the soup or spending time with him, you weren’t sure, “Hey, why don’t you keep that one? It suits you.”

Both of you conveniently missed each other’s flushed cheeks.

Allura noticed. Her sharp eyes saw the way Lotor’s gaze would slowly drift to stare at you when everyone was in the same room. She could hear the soft inflection in his voice every time he answered one of your curious questions. She noticed how casually you two would sit close together and even go as far to playfully touch his shoulder or allow him to place his hand on the small of your back. You two were happy, but Allura was not. She was suspicious.

“- and he told me that the Galra have this thing called, uh, c...cnark…cnarktyqgw...” your hands paused in braiding her hair as you tried to remember how to pronounce the word, “Ah, well, I can’t say it, but apparently it’s a type of gem that changes colors depending on your mood. Isn’t that the coolest thing ever? I want one!”

Allura was worried about you. So happy, so care-free, so easily manipulated. Or, perhaps, she just didn’t want Lotor to take you away from her. She didn’t want you to get hurt. Who else would be here to offer comforting hugs when life became too overwhelming for her? Who else could possibly talk so freely to her like an actual friend? Who else will gossip childishly about how the latest fashion on Earth was simply horrendous? Allura felt you continue your braid, but you had gone quiet, whether because you were reminiscing about your time with Lotor or you were too focused in your handiwork.

“You two are getting awfully friendly,” there it was, that faintly concealed threat, but even you could hear the hint of concern.

“Well, yeah, we’re great...friends now,” your cheeks tinted at that, “I think I like him.”

And yet, when you said those words, Allura’s heart softened. You were genuinely delighted. Delusioned, perhaps, but happy. As your friend, was she not supposed to intervene? Protect you? Enforce her warnings even more? As your friend, was she not supposed to be just as cheerful for you? You, who supported her. Wasn’t it time she did the same? Allura decided that now was a good time to get to know Lotor more. Set some boundaries, so to speak.

“Is...that a bad thing?”

“Darling, a word, if you have time,” Lotor, ever the proper Prince, stood tall and serious in the observation deck.

You were sitting on the ground, knees pulled up to your chest and arms caged around you for self-comfort. Allura had told you their plan to turn him over to Zarkon in exchange for Pidge’s father. You knew why they agreed to do it. They cared so much for Pidge and her struggle to find her father. It was the emotional choice and, if you hadn’t met Lotor before, you weren’t sure if you would completely disagree with their decision. Now, though, things have changed. Your heart has changed.

“Y...Yeah?” your voice was shaky from crying and after you stood up, you hastily wiped at your tears before facing him.

Oh, Lotor was falling in love with you. When you looked up at him with wet eyes, openly distraught and vulnerable, his heart felt the urge to protect you. So, he did. He brought a hand up to gently thumb away your tears, but the touch only urged more to fall. Your frown deepened and he carefully brought you close in a tender hold. Instantly, your arms wound around his waist, clutching him in hopes to stop time itself.

You could not help but let one thought run through your mind: Did you not deserve happiness?

“If this is to be our last moment together, then may I kiss you, little star?”

May I give you a piece of my love should fate deny me another day to live?

You gave him your answer by nearly leaping up on him and meshing your lips with his.

“Emperor now, huh?”

“Are you surprised?”

You huffed at him and his cocky, little smirk, but holding him in your arms, you can not even begin to tell him how relieved you are he was alive. After the Kral Zera fiasco, leaving you worried and alone a second time, you had half the mind to bop him one right across the face. Instead, you cupped his jaw and released an exasperated sigh while his hand gently combed through your hair.

“I was...concerned, maybe,” you admitted to which his grin only widened even more, “Okay, I was very concerned. You came back all broken and bruised, what was I supposed to think? You fell down the stairs?”

Lotor chuckled at the irony, “Then allow me to alleviate your worries and repent for my past grievances. Would you care to join me for a walk through the garden?”

“As long as you tell me where you got each and every plant, then yes.”

He liked that about you. The never-ending thirst for knowledge. Though, while strolling through the thicket of his carefully laid out garden, he had to cut the tour short. The lab called him about a new discovery and, while you were happy he and Allura were working together now, it did make you a little sad he had to leave so suddenly. You knew nothing about this magic they were researching on, but regardless, you occupied your time with snooping around the ship. Perhaps find Lotor a small gift to drop on his bed, something to show you still appreciate all he has done for Voltron. For you.

Allura hadn’t meant to let him hold her hand any longer than necessary. In the heat of the moment, of her doubts when it came to the Altean knowledge hidden in her mind, she allowed Lotor to quell her thoughts. He was comforting, encouraging, and gave her all the right words to boost her confidence. Lotor was actually...friendly. Just like you. That was why you two stuck together like stars and space.

“I can not do this without you,” Lotor pleaded, eyes imploring for her help.

You were able to befriend him, and more. She took your advice with a grain of salt and decided to give him a chance, only because she knew it would make you proud. To see your close Altean friend flourish, forgive, accept that there are more to people than just what is on their skin, what their culture instigates. A small part of Allura was still clinging to the idea of Lotor somehow manipulating you. Lotor somehow manipulating her. She couldn’t let go of that, not when so much relied on her shoulders as both a Paladin and the last Princess of Altea.

Allura chewed on her bottom lip, still hesitant, but did not pull away from Lotor’s grip, “What must I do?”

Allura understood now. You were not weak for accepting him. You were strong. Brave.

Stupid. You were so fucking stupid.

Months passed and you saw Lotor less and less. Yes, there were some days Allura and Lotor allowed you to hover around them while they worked because, well, what are friends for? They spend time together, all three of you, and it was fun. It started out fine, enjoyable even. The three of you sharing different knowledge, different perspectives, different ideas. But there was something growing between Lotor and Allura. Something you refused to believe before your very own eyes.

Allura wouldn’t do that to you. Lotor wouldn’t do that to you. They were your friends.

The first stab was when you kissed him. After a long day of staying cooped up in the lab working on those revolutionary ships, you had asked him to join you for dinner. Some one on one bonding time. It was refreshing, listening to those stories about distant planets and how he once rode a beastly aquatic fish to escape near death. Laughing together, reprimanding him for such recklessness, then he would playfully remind you that he was the Emperor now, and you held no power here. Though, when you pressed your lips against his, you felt something different.

He hesitated.

The second stab was when you were spending quality time with Allura. Grooming her, braiding her hair, and just reveling in each other’s familiar presence like old times. Her hair was so soft, but she was so rough. You liked that about her. You liked listening to her talk excitedly about how plans were finally falling into place. Voltron joining the Galra Empire was stronger than ever and peace was finally seeming possible. Yes, you were proud, but your nose tickled in warning.

She smelled like him. She had his scent on her.

The killing thrust was happening now. Your hands went numb at the sight of them kissing each other, arms embracing in a gentle hold, one you knew all too well. Eyes closed with a lover’s blush dusting their cheeks, mind lost in each other’s passion. They were completely enamored in the lock and blind to everything around them. This was their moment and you weren’t in their thoughts at all. And just like that, you shut down. Your vision glazed over with that dark pit of emptiness and you felt nothing. Not the shake in your knees, not the quickening pace of your heart, not even the pain of knives stabbing into your back.

You were their friend. Weren’t you supposed to be happy for them?

They separated when the sound of rocks hit the metal floor. Those gifts seemed so useless now. Geodes, who would ever want them? Ugly on the outside, ugly on the inside. Were they speaking to you? Who called your name? You could see their lips move, see Allura’s eyes widen in surprise and growing realization. Then, you felt something hold onto your limp hand. Slowly, your empty gaze met his, met Lotor’s, and cosmic eyes you once found so beautiful in the dead of night now seemed completely strange to you. Foreign. Who was this man? And why did he hold no remorse, no guilt, behind those orbs of his?

Just slight concern, like there was a little green bug on your nose.

Your legs automatically pulled you back, out of Lotor’s grasp, and when the door slid close behind you, Lotor felt truly shocked.

Not because you left, but because for once in his life, he does not know what to do.

You were glad your body’s system shut down like that. It skipped over the pain, locked it away for later, and now in the quiet of your room, you were able to try and process your thoughts. Now you felt the sickening clench on your gut, now you felt the creeping discomfort claw into your arms. Now, you felt...alone. Your chest hurt, either beating too fast or beating too slow, and the tears, fuck, they just would not stop. No matter how hard you wiped them away, they just kept falling.

Then came the sobbing, the wailing, the choking and hiccups that stunted your breathing. The thoughts wouldn’t stop. You wanted to sleep, but it wouldn’t come, so all you could do was find a corner and cage yourself. Imprison yourself for now. You needed time and, thankfully, no one had yet to try and step into your comfort zone. And who would come, anyways? What would Allura say? What would Lotor say? What would YOU say? You did not want to say anything. You couldn’t say anything. Your voice did not matter.

Lost and alone wasn’t even the right words. You felt left behind and forgotten.

Lotor had been watching you for quite some time now. He wasn’t sure if you were aware of his presence, for when you looked up, sometimes he would see faint recognition flash behind your eyes. Then, sometimes, that haunting darkness would come back and you would recess deep to the corners of your mind. You would sob violently in one moment then go dead silent the next. These turns of emotions within you greatly disturbed his own confused feelings mixed in his chest. It left him feeling sick, as if there was some black acid in his throat deteriorating his insides.

You were docile now. Lotor cautiously grasped your hand and opened your palm, watching your every move to make sure he wasn’t overstepping your boundaries. Then, he placed an oval gemstone in your hand, watching the color switch from peridot green to pitch black. Your eyes glazed back to life, slowly blinking at whatever this was Prince Lotor decided to gift you. He said nothing, for there were no words that came to his silver tongue during this vulnerable moment between the both of you. With you watching, he traced the tip of his finger over the blackened stone. The heat left trails of bright violet in his wake.

It was so...beautiful.

#lotor x reader #jealousy?#honestly i have no idea #i do not write angst #i am not an angsty person #if the ending is vague #black = angst and depressed #peridot green = worried and hopeful #bright violet = love #spacestories

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cam-cat-writer · 6 years

Text

Klancetober/Fictober 2018

... so uh yeah here’s day fifteen totally on time and everything ahem yep

(I’m still going to finish all the prompts though, even though I’m behind) :)

Read it on AO3 here or below the cut as usual!

"Paladins of Voltron, we thank you for liberating our planet. To show our gratitude, we have arranged a celebration in your honor." Keith hadn't been paying much attention to the leader of the planet they had just freed from the Galra until he heard him say those two simple sentences. Allura inclined her head to their leader kindly.

"It is our duty, and we are so honored to protect the universe. Please accept this communicator as a gesture of faith and goodwill. If ever you find yourself in need of Voltron, call and we will come to your aid." Allura said formally, handing the alien leader a communicator.

Beaming, the alien leader accepted it and led their people in a hearty cheer.

Keith leaned over to Shiro and nudged him. "A celebration?" Shiro nodded.

"Get used to it, Keith," Shiro said. He lightly punched his arm. "It'll be fine, just try not to pick any fights and it'll go swimmingly." He turned away from Keith as Allura led the paladins back to the Castle.

Allura led the way into a room at the end of a long corridor that none of the paladins had ever seen before.

Pidge spoke up. "Allura, what are we doing? Where are we going?"

"There is a diplomatic celebration tonight, and you must present as Paladins of Voltron." Allura pulled open the double doors into the room. "And that does include your wardrobe." The paladins looked around to see rack after rack of diplomat clothing.

"Whoa..." Lance said as he stared at the contents of the room.

Allura busied herself finding a suitable change of clothing for each of them.

Soon, they all wore a variation of a black suit, each with an appropriately color-coded shirt and tie beneath.

Lance twisted and turned in front of a mirror on one wall, admiring the suit.

"These are fantastic, Allura! Why do you have these?" He asked, smoothing his bright blue tie.

Allura smiled. "It was the Altean custom to have several options of dress for any diplomats that may be visiting the Castle. Good diplomacy involved as much as comfort and accommodation as possible, of course. Thus, the variety you see here."

Keith tugged his tie slightly to loosen it, sneaking another glance at Lance. He flushed and looked away, but not before Pidge noticed. She smirked and nudged Keith's arm. "See something you like, Keith?" She teased, mercifully quiet. Keith groaned and rubbed his forehead for a minute.

"Pidge, I'm not going to make it through this celebration we're supposed to go to. I'm not, he's going to kill me."

"Oh calm down, you'll be fine." She waved a hand. "You could always ask Red to come kidnap you."

"Don't tempt me."

Now dressed, Allura led them back out of the Castle. Lance caught up with Hunk and pulled him down to talk quietly into his ear.

"Okay, but did you see Keith? Keith in a tie- I thought I'd died and gone to heaven, Hunk. It should be illegal to look that hot in the same suit as everyone else, honestly, how is that even possible?"

Hunk rolled his eyes. "The real question is why you haven't said anything to him yet. He's clearly into you, just say something charming and sweep him off his feet. You're never going to get a golden opportunity like this again. You look great, let's be real, and I noticed him looking over here a couple times earlier." Hunk shrugged and smiled encouragingly. "Promise me you'll say something to him tonight?"

Lance bit his lip anxiously. "Well... You know what? Yes. I'm going to tell him how I feel, and I'm going to do it tonight." He nodded decisively, then a look of doubt flashed across his features. "Please make sure I don't chicken out."

"What else is a best friend for?" Hunk gave Lance a quick squeeze around the shoulders.

After the leader had formally welcomed everyone to the celebration and once again formally thanked Voltron for saving them, the party got into full swing pretty quickly. Music filled the air and the locals spilled out into the large open space in the middle and started dancing with each other. Lance lit up, figuring that this would be a great way to casually get Keith alone. Beaming, he turned to the team.

"Alright, who's wants to come dance with me?" He grinned at them, wiggling his eyebrows. Shiro took a step back and held up his hands.

"I'll do everyone here a favor and sit this one out, guys," he said sheepishly. Keith snorted.

Hunk knew what Lance was trying to do. "Nah, that battle kind of wore me out, I think I've pressed my luck with motion sickness enough for one day. Sorry, man." Lance looked at his remaining team members.

"Pidge? Allura? Keith?" Keith's eyes widened at being included, but he briefly shook his head. Allura rolled her eyes.

"I'm afraid I must go finish business with their leader. I'll meet up with you all later, but do enjoy the party. It's not often that we get to relax like this." And with that, Allura left the group entirely.

Lance rounded on Pidge and smirked. "Come on, Pidgeotto, I'm gonna teach you how to dance, let's go!" Pidge tried to fight a smile but finally relented.

"Alright, let's go. But you owe me!" She dragged him out and the two laughed their way around the dance floor.

Shiro, Keith, and Hunk found a table near the edge of the dance floor and sat down. Keith found himself staring at Lance dancing. First the suit, and now apparently Lance is a really, really good dancer. Like, ridiculously good. Keith couldn't tear his eyes away and he really wished that he was brave enough to have agreed to dance with Lance. Or go ask him to dance with him now, at least. How was it that he could face down anything in battle, but ask him to be honest with Lance about his feelings? He couldn't be more of a coward. He could be out there, right now, dancing with Lance, if only-

"Earth to Keith, Earth to Keith. Come in, Keith. Do you read me-" Keith realized Shiro had been speaking for several minutes now.

"Oh, sorry. I was... just thinking. What is it?"

Shiro smiled teasingly. "Thinking about what? A... certain blue paladin?"

Keith's face burned. "Shut up, Shiro."

Hunk grinned excitedly. "Oh my gosh, you totally like Lance, don't you?" Keith groaned and banged his head onto the table in front of him.

"I hate you both." He sat back up and gestured helplessly at a still-dancing Lance. "Look at him! How could I not like him?" He rubbed his temple with one hand. "Just do me a favor and don't tell him, Hunk. Okay? I... I'll get over it eventually, I guess-"

Shiro interrupted him. "You really think that? You haven't gotten over it in the past-" Keith lunged and slapped a hand over Shiro's mouth.

"You've spilled enough embarrassing secrets today, I think." He shot a glare at Hunk, who was grinning gleefully. "Let's just say it's been awhile. But I'll get over him eventually, it's bound to happen. Besides, it's not like telling him would accomplish anything, anyway, since there's no way he could ever like me. All it would do would be make forming Vol-"

"Wait, you really can't tell?" Hunk threw up a hand to stop Keith from talking. "Are you serious right now?" Keith just raised an eyebrow and shrugged.

"Y-es...?"

Now it was Hunk's turn to groan. "I can't believe you two... Lance would probably kill me if he knew I was telling you this... Look. I had to listen to ten minutes of him complaining that you looked so good in the same suit as the rest of us and "Hunk why does his mullet look so hot it's a mullet there's got to be some universal law against making a mullet work" and, I quote, "Okay, but did you see Keith? Keith in a tie- I thought I'd died and gone to heaven, Hunk." And let's not forget all the times I had to listen to him moon over you at the Garrison while he was still oblivious to his own feelings and this whole time on the Castleship, and-" Hunk trailed off when he saw how pale Keith had gotten. "Keith, are you okay?"

Keith blinked a few times. "Lance... Lance likes me." He blinked again, blankly, and then an incredibly flustered look fell onto his face and he buried his face in his hands. "Oh my gosh Lance likes me-he actually does-I have a chance-Shiro, Hunk, what do I do-oh my gosh he actually likes me..." He trailed off and ran a hand nervously through his hair. "Do I... do I talk to him about it? How do you even bring that up?" He looked over at the playful blue paladin, flustered and nervous.

"Well," Hunk started, "You could ask him to dance with you. He was trying to earlier, seems only fitting that you repay the almost-favor, right?"

"He was trying to ask me to dance with him?" Keith's eyes widened.

Hunk rolled his eyes. "He singled you out when you didn't answer him right away like Shiro and I did. What exactly do you think that whole "Who's going to come dance with me" thing was? He was trying to ask you to dance with him without making you uncomfortable."

Keith looked at Shiro, who nodded. "He was looking right at you when he asked, I can't believe you didn't realize what he was doing."

Keith groaned. "Well I'm sorry, no one tries to subtly flirt with you when you're alone in the desert, okay?!" He bit his lip and looked over at Lance. "Hunk, are you sure about this?"

Hunk nodded confidently. "Yup. Go for it!"

Lance was having a blast dancing with Pidge. Granted, he had wanted to dance with Keith, but that didn't mean he wasn't still going to have as much fun as humanly possible. He spun Pidge around and couldn't help but laugh along with her. She really did remind him of his sisters.

"Hey, Sharpshooter!" Lance heard from behind him. He turned to see Keith standing a few feet behind him, hands behind his back and looking... nervous? That was weird.

"Yeah? What's up?" Lance asked as he approached his teammate and crush. "Did you need something, Keith?" Keith felt shivers run down his spine as he took in the soft look in Lance's eyes when he'd said his name. How could he have missed this for so long?

"I, um," Keith cleared his throat, scolding himself for being so nervous. "Lance, do you want to dance with me?" Keith saw Pidge's eyebrows shoot up under her glasses and she shot him an enthusiastic thumbs up.

Lance's eyes went wide and he blinked a few times as his cheeks grew pink. "Wait, really?" He made a few uncertain and awkward hand gestures. "Like, with me, with me?"

Keith stifled a laugh. He bit his lip and nodded, offering Lance his hand. "Yes, really. I wouldn't ask if I wasn't serious, Lance. So... do you? Want to dance with me, I mean."

Lance lit up excitedly and he took Keith's hand, intertwining their fingers. "Thought you'd never ask, Samurai. I'll even let you lead."

With that, Lance tugged them out onto the dance floor as a soft, gentle song started to play.

Things had never felt so utterly, amazingly perfect.

#klancetober 2018 #fictober 2018 #klance #keith kogane #broganes #lance mcclain #pidge is a gremlin #hunk and shiro teasing keith is my weakness #pining klance #oblivious klance #dancing #confessions #crushes #my writing #fanfiction #writing challenge #original writing #original post

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obsessedlittleotaku · 6 years

Text

Voltron Season 7 Review

*** if don't already know by just the title... SPOILERS*** plus it’s gonna be a long one

okay okay let’s get this rolling!

I just finished watching it.

I have questions

I don’t have answers

I have predicaments on the following season (kinda)

I have been through hell

I have been murdered in my heart

I have been deceased.

BECAUSE! THIS SEASON WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!

okay okay the ships I’m not sure what the actual hell that’s about like I’m happy with everything! Ships or no ships this show is amazing as is

it’s raw, unique, beautiful. The voice actors are incredible unbelievably amazing cast of people (though i have not met them) the energy they have for the show itself shows they want this to be amazing to be a one of a kind show and they have for sure as hell have proved what they can do with a show like this!

so the ships obviously like Klance, Allotor, Allurance, Sheith, Shallura, Shadam, Jeith, kacxa (that’s one right? yeah something like that)

uh man the list can go on!!!! (y’all got some weird ships btw) but the show is never about the ship unless yes the producer want that they want to focus on the “anime love romance” vibe but this show VOLTRON a show literally about space Paladins fighting to save the UNIVERSE. Not focus on love and who gets to be with who, this show is action packed and adventurous.

this season gave a new meaning to a show like this it’s hard to explain but its was an incredible season (fight me... I’m joking I’m weak and not about that) the first episode we got back story we get to know the “Sheith” story (it’s just Keith and Shiro dear god don't take me seriously with the “sheith) that was so adorable see the bond they really have knowing Keith who had no one a mother that left him (before he knew why) and a father who died, Shiro took in a CHILD yes a child raising him and showing him all that keith knows to be a leader, a friend, a family to the voltron Paladins.

episode 2/3 getting to know the plot of this season realizing Voltron has been gone for years now? How, well i don’t know the fight with Lotor was like an hour pre say in there world give or take but when they went into the field of quintessence time didn’t exists to them at all its like a magical orb thing (i’m trying here) these creators took time into how can we really get people thinking what the hell happened, as they continue we get the answers we want.

ep 4 was just fun get the heavy of the lasts episodes off of us only to be hit in the chest later but with having you know characters just having fun though everyone complaining about Lance being hated on I personally was like my baby boy omfg nooo you are wonderful but we se later on how strong Lance is he’s the sharpshooter.

ep 5/6 was the journey to know the enemies game to further the point of earth of getting back to it. With also Keith, Lance, Pidge, Hunk, and Allura getting stuck in space showing the growth the have had throughout their journey in space. (sorry if I missing things!!)

ep 7-13 Now this is where everything comes together realizing the Paladins are strong they will get to earth. The back story was definitely needed to see just how much time did pass and within that time how earth and Sam Holt handle the truth that the Galra will attack and attack with the goal to be death or the lions

with the training and building to defeat the Galra and save earth it’s amazing what they did in a short amount of time with the build up of expectations but I believe wholeheartedly that the exceed expectations with the 2 pt of _The last stand _it was to show the strength in humanity can have when we work together for our home. How advanced they can get from some pods from Alteans and Galra, while struggling to try and warn the other people that there will be a war and the Galra will have no mercy.

this show takes a deeper meaning into our reality though people many not see it they really did something so unique with Voltron and to almost put it into today’s reality.

Yes I get people are mad about the Adam thing I mean I was heart broken when Adam vanished.. well died... but I think that’s the motivation Shiro got was not only power up the Atlas, fight Sendak, because he knew he was too late to save his lover he had to save the others the earth the civilians his family which are the Paladins

and I think at the end it’s about just the war of it all showing what Voltron can do, giving us what else can their lions do, what they can do together, and that is

Saving the Universe because they’re Voltron Legendary Defenders

a show

a fandom

an amazing show that shouldn’t be so hated for the lack of romance or whatever everyone else is upset about because in the end of the day it’s a show to bring happiness with voice actors who love what they do.

Oh and ROMELLE AND THE WOLF KOSMO OMFG THEY ARE ADORABLE I LIVE FOR THEM AND DIE FOR THEM AND OH GOSH LOVE!!

PS that ending whaaaat okay questioning maybe Lotor brainwashed that colony the romelle was at because hello when they went there it was gone

suspicious am I right???!?!?!

#voltron #Voltron legendary defender #voltron season 7 #voltron spoilers #vld spoilers #voltron reactions #voltron shiro #takashi shirogane #keith kogane #lance mcclain #pidge gunderson #hunk garrett #romelle #i love voltron #cried like a baby

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butterflydm · 6 years

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Leadership Advice (Sheith Quote Week Day 1)

Also posted on AO3 - Leadership Advice.

Shiro was definitely looking at him again.

To everyone else, it probably seemed like Shiro's full attention was on the conversation between Princess Allura and Lotor, but Keith could feel Shiro's gaze like the press of a cold weight against his chest. Under the safety of his Marmora mask, Keith's mouth twitched slightly as he tried to assess Shiro's expression. It wasn't quite anger and it didn't seem like fear, but something in the tilt of Shiro's head still made Keith feel as if he wanted to push back into his chair and disappear. He kept his spine firmly straight and his face turned toward the potential threat of Lotor but he couldn't stop himself from sneaking looks over at Shiro.

Allura frowned at something Lotor said, so Keith did his best to bring his attention back to the matter at hand. He still wasn't sure if giving Lotor a hearing was a good idea, but it wasn't his call. Shiro and Allura had agreed and they were the ones in charge. Still, he hoped Allura wasn't buying what Lotor was selling. Even if he and his father really were at odds, Lotor had been in control of the Galra Empire for months while Zarkon was out of the picture. It wasn't safe to trust him. Keith was pretty sure Kolivan agreed with him - they'd spent enough time together that Keith had grown familiar with the set of Kolivan's shoulders when he was displeased.

After the initial meeting broke up, Hunk invited everyone to have a lunch-dinner meal together - to soften everyone up for even more talking afterwards, most likely. Keith said 'no' as politely as he could, glad that Kolivan was making his excuses as well. Neither of them were ready to lower their masks around Lotor just yet, it seemed. Keith drifted away from the group and walked aimlessly through the halls for a few minutes, startled when he found himself in front of his old room. Tentatively, he opened the door.

Everything was just as he'd left it. Well, of course, it was. He'd left to join the Blades, but Shiro had said that he still had a place here. Still, Keith didn't try to fight the dull warmth in his heart. He sat down on the bed, releasing his mask with a sigh. He flicked through his memories of Shiro's expressions, trying again to pin down exactly what those glances earlier had meant. Shiro's face had been drawn, slightly, sharp around the edges somehow. He'd looked tired, but that wasn't all of it.

A knock at the door drew Keith out of his reverie and he made a face at the knife in his hands. He hadn't remembered taking it out.

"Keith, you in?" It was Shiro's voice.

Keith tucked away his knife before answering, "Uh, yeah."

The door slid open and Shiro edged into the doorway, his hands full with a plate of sandwiches and two of the juicepacks. Keith shifted over on the bed and Shiro sat down next to him, extending the juicepacks. Keith pushed back his hood, then took a juice and a sandwich. Shiro still had that tight expression on his face and Keith felt a punch of air escape him as he recognized it.

Disappointment.

Keith swallowed hard, followed it up with a sip of juice, wishing for his mask back. He tried to think of something he'd done to earn that look but he came up blank. He'd... he hadn't screwed up in the fight and Shiro had been looking at him like that from the very start of the meeting, so he couldn't be upset that Keith hadn't said anything.

He took a large bite out of the sandwich and sifted through more possibilities. He wasn't entirely sure, after another quick glance over, that the disappointment was directed at him. Maybe Shiro didn't trust Lotor any more than Keith himself did. Maybe he just didn't like the idea of Voltron owing Lotor anything. Keith certainly didn't. He chased down his next bite with a larger pull on the juice, swallowed again for good measure afterwards before saying, "Thanks. For the food and everything."

Shiro nodded absently.

Keith ventured, "You don't trust him either, right?"

Shiro snorted, placing the plate behind him on the bed and relaxing into more of a slouch. Keith felt his own spine unbend a little at that. Shiro tapped his juicepack against Keith's upraised knee and smiled at him. "Not for a second." The smile lightened up the tightness around his eyes but didn't make it go away. They ate together in silence for a while and the longer Shiro went without saying anything, the more Keith could feel tension leaving his body.

Keith finished eating before Shiro did, so he pulled his other leg up onto the bed and crumpled his empty juicepack in his hands as he eyed Shiro's steady bites of his own sandwich. When Shiro was done, he reached out a hand expectantly - Keith placed the smashed juicepack in it. Shiro put both the empty juices on the plate and set it on the floor, settling himself sideways on the bed, half-way facing Keith.

"I've got a question. One Black Paladin to another," Shiro said. Keith blinked at him, first pursing his mouth to object but then deciding to hear Shiro out before picking at his words. Shiro plucked at the hem of his pants and the tightness returned around his eyes. "A member of my team doesn't understand how important he is to the rest of us. Do you have any suggestions on how to make him realize how much he matters?"

Keith turned the question over in his head. He'd thought, what with him working full-time with the Blades now, that Lance wouldn't worry about his place in the team anymore. He hugged his leg as he considered possible answers. "I guess..." Keith hesitated. Lance had implied he felt like he wasn't as talented as the rest of them, hadn't he? So maybe there was a better approach involving that. "...you could tell him what he brings to the team that the rest of you can't. Maybe that would help."

"That's a good idea," Shiro said. "What else would you do?"

Keith looked down at his hands, though he didn't imagine his calluses had much to offer the conversation. He should just tell Shiro that he wasn't sure his advice was worth much - if Lance was still bothered about this, then Keith hadn't helped him last time.

Shiro was still looking at him, so Keith hazarded, "Maybe he doesn't feel as bonded to Red as he did to Blue. So... you could suggest that he try deepening the bond?" That weight on Keith's chest pressed down again at this suggestion, but he ruthlessly suppressed it.

"Hmm," was Shiro's only response to Keith's words.

Keith furrowed his brow, looking at Shiro again for some sign of what it was that Keith was missing here - because it was becoming clear that he'd missed something. "We're talking about Lance, right?"

Shiro sighed and he shook his head.

Keith hunted through his memories, trying to remember if Hunk had ever said or done anything that might make him the person Shiro was talking about. It couldn't be Allura or Pidge, from what he'd said. Then a potential realization hit Keith, "Coran?"

Shiro shook his head again, then added, bewilderingly, "Matt told me about your plan to deal with the battlecruiser."

Keith stared at Shiro for a long moment, then he blinked and asked, "Me? You're worried about me?"

But I'm not a Paladin, he almost added.

"It's all I've been able to think about since Matt told me," Shiro said, mouth downturned. Instinctively, Keith reached across the space between them to put a hand on Shiro's shoulder. He was rewarded with a small smile, but it quickly faded again into that tightness that Keith was coming to hate.

Keith marshaled up an array of responses and evaluated them.

I didn't have time to tell you - wouldn't work. Obvious lie.

It was our only option - manifestly untrue, though Keith had thought it was true at the time.

It was the only thing I could think of - true but unhelpful.

I couldn't tell you, because I was afraid you would tell me to stop - because if Shiro had, then Keith...

I couldn't tell you, because I was afraid you wouldn't tell me to stop - because if Shiro hadn't, then...

"It's not that I don't think I matter," Keith said, carefully, because that was what Shiro had said he was worried about. "It's just that-" you "-all those people matter more." He had barely hesitated there, but Shiro's eyes had flickered up all the same. Keith was tempted to pull his hand away again, but... but... he'd missed Shiro so much. He couldn't break the connection just yet. "I'm not a Paladin anymore, Shiro. I'm a Blade. That's how they do things. The mission matters more. It has to."

Shiro's hand came up and clasped Keith's where it was on Shiro's shoulder and he said, so fiercely that it made Keith's breath catch, "You didn't even say good-bye." The accusation seemed to startle Shiro even more than it did Keith, because Shiro immediately followed it up with, "Black didn't ever reject you. Neither did Red. You're still a Paladin to them. To me."

"Do you wish I'd said good-bye?" Keith asked, slowly, ignoring what Shiro had said about the lions, at least for now.

Silence hung in the air, and then-

"I wish you'd given me the chance to ask you not to do it," Shiro said.

"Oh," Keith breathed. Shiro's hand was clutching at his tightly now. Tentatively, he turned his palm over and grabbed Shiro back, leading both their hands down to rest on Shiro's thigh.

"I know I can't order you not to risk your life," Shiro said, his voice slightly hoarse. "Even when you were flying Red, you wouldn't have taken that order, but I... Keith, if you'd died out there today, I don't know what I..." Shiro closed his eyes, and his knuckles were almost white where he gripped Keith's hand. It hurt a little, but the pain was distant and fuzzy. "You aren't replaceable. Not to me. There's not... there would just be a hole, and I don't-" Shiro's words broke off in a laugh, high and unpleasant. "I'm babbling. I can't even finish a thought. I just-"

Shiro kept talking but any more sound was lost against the press of Keith's mouth. For a wild and terrifying moment, Keith wondered if he'd made the wrong call, but then Shiro was kissing him back, and his hand broke free of Keith's, and then, for a while, they both lost track of time, of the war, and of everything else outside Keith's room.

#sheith #sheithquoteweek #shiro x keith #sheith fic #vld fic #voltron #voltron legendary defender #this is the first fic i've posted in almost two years #goodness #that is forever #day 1: he is looking at keith

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poisonedfortunecookie · 7 years

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slowly catching up, somehow I managed to get day 3 done today. Not really sure where I was going with this to be honest but hopefully it’s soft and fluffy enough

day 1 | day 2

prompt: home/family

words: 1,634

summary: Lance has a discussion with Shiro about their roles in the Voltron family

“You know Shiro, you don’t have to be such a dad all the time,�� Lance said emphatically swinging his arms wide. His gun was held loosely in one hand swinging with his movements like a bat. He paced back and forth restlessly in front of Shiro frustration and worry in every step.

Shiro watched considering his words carefully not wanting to say something to cause the final string of tension holding Lance up to break, but he needed to say something to calm the other man down.

“I'm ok,” he said making a considerable effort to keep the strain out of his voice. It was definitely the wrong thing to say.

“Shiro you are bleeding you are not ok!” Lance rounded on Shiro jerking his gun towards the other man with every word. Shiro might have been alarmed if it were anyone else but Lance behind the trigger. Shiro did however hold his hands up in surrender with a rueful smile.

“Quiznak my hands are so sweaty,” Lance grumbled shifting the gun to his other hand Lance rugged a gloved hand against the exposed part of his thigh not covered in armour. Shiro bit his tongue avoiding drawing attention to the fact that since Lance still had his gloves on what he was doing was utterly pointless. Shiro changed the subject instead.

“I don't act that much like a dad do I?” He asked mildly, a hint of amusement lacing his words because the very idea was just ridiculous.

“Yes you do!” Lance bit out sharply.

Shiro blinked back owlishly not sure how to reply.

“No not really, ugh I don't know,” Lance slumped forward with a groan shifting his gun from one hand, to the other, and back again. He just couldn't decide which hand to hold it in.

“Maybe a little bit,” he pushed his shoulders back, standing taller yet somehow looking weaker. More tired than he really had reason to be.

Shiro felt a pang of guilt realising he was probably the reason.

“You've been more attentive lately, like you're keeping tabs on us more or something,” Lance swung his arm around searching for the right words as if he could pluck them out of the air in front of him.

“Really? I don't think I've been acting any differently,” Shiro said shiftily his eyes not quite meeting Lance when he spoke.

Lance raised a fine, perfectly shaped eyebrow at that.

“You lie worse than my four year old sister,” he said flatly.

Shiro's face fell. Ok so maybe he wasn't the smooth liar he thought he was. Shit.

“You've been acting weird. You don't let Pidge get away with nearly as much as you used to and she won't stop complaining about it. You keep asking Hunk about his feelings and telling him he can come to you with anything, which by the way is kinda making him freak out even more. And you're spending more time with me…...” Lance trailed off, a shadow of something flickering across his expression that was gone before Shiro could figure out what it was.

“It's weird,” Lance finished with a frustrated scowl.

Os so Lance had noticed something but that was no reason to panic, Shiro told himself. It wasn't like Lance had figured out what had caused the sudden change.

“Bad weird?” He asked cautiously.

“No” Lance said quickly looking almost afraid.

“No not at all,” Lance added shaking his head. He moved over to Shiro sitting beside him resting the gun between his legs, grip lose but ready.

“I like spending time with you. The extra training sessions and all that have been kinda fun and it's nice to just….you know…..hang,” Lance shrugged turning to Shiro with a hint of a blush to his cheeks mostly hidden by his helmet. What a shame.

“But it's also like you've been taking on even more responsibility, and you've always tried to take on all the responsibility. Lately it's more than that. Like you're trying evne harder to take care of us and make sure we all get along, and we're all happy.

A heavy silence fell. Shiro could almost hear the gears turning in Lance's head. Lance wasn't done talking so he kept quiet.

“And it's great don't get me wrong. We all really appreciate what you're doing and how you look after us all, but you need to show some of that care and consideration towards yourself too.”

“I take care of myself,” Shiro said meekly avoiding looking at Lance again because that was the biggest lie he'd told so far.

“The gaping hole in your side says different.” Lance glowered at him.

“It's hardly a gaping hole,” Shiro reasoned. Or he tried to.

“It's bleeding enough. You shouldn't have used yourself like a human shield!”

“This coming from the guy who put himself between a bomb blast and a man he'd only just met.” Shiro shot back challengingly.

“Listen buddy,” Lance jabbed Shiro's shoulder with a finger, paused, then forgetting whatever argument he'd been about to make burst out laughing.

“Ok so maybe you do have a point there,” he huffed with a roll of his eyes drawing a laugh from Shiro too. The laughter was abruptly cut off by a stab of pain shooting through his side. Shiro winced curling up on himself as he clutched his injured side tightly.

“You ok?” Lance asked leaning over Shiro eyed wide and attentive, worried all over again.

“I'm fine I'm fine. Just a twinge,” Shiro reassured him with a wan smile.

“The bleeding has stopped, it's just a little sore that's all so maybe laughter wasn't the best medicine here,” he grinned watching as Lance's expression softened with exasperation.

“Idiot,” he grumbled under his breath.

“Now where was I?” Lance mumbled to himself. Shiro tensed, he had hoped Lance had forgotten the lecture he'd been in the middle of. He was starting to feel like a child being scolded, finally accepting the fact that maybe he had been a little too reckless. It was a strange feeling.

“Oh yeah!” Lance snapped to attention sitting up straight.

“So you need to stop being such a dad and taking all the responsibility and hard stuff on all by yourself ok. I know you’re the leader and the head of Voltron and all that,” Lance ranted swinging his hand around in a circle, “but this isn’t like the garrison where you have to be in charge all the time. We’re all in this together, all of us an equally important part of Voltron, right?”

“Yes that is true,” Shiro agreed with a small nod unable to argue back when his own words were being used against him. Lance beamed.

“Right. So you should share some of that responsibility with all of us. We’re all here to help you, help each other. If we’re all an equal part of Voltron then that means we’re all equals.”Lance was staring at him sternly as if he could sense the objection on the tip of Shiro's tongue.

“You make a very good point Lance and we are all equals. No one is more important than the other but as the black paladin-”

“Uh buh buh buh,” lifting a hand Lance cut Shiro off not letting him finished.

“None of that don’t make me be the mom!” Lance reprimanded sharply.

“Pardon?”

“You heard me. If you’re going to be all responsible dad over this then someone has to be the mom and take care of you, so I guess that someone is me.”

Shiro shifted feeling a hot twisting feeling settle in his stomach. He was pretty sure Lance hadn’t meant it like that, the suggestion in his words.

“Shouldn't Allur be he mom? Or Pidge?” He asked quickly to distract from the fluttering feeling in his stomach.

“That's sexist Shiro. Besides Allura needs a mom more than any of us and Pidge is a gremlin so she's out.”

Shiro ginned at that biting back another laugh.

“And I have a lot of siblings so I have the most experience .” Lance said confidently.

“I think that just makes you and overbearing brother, not a mother.” Shiro teased.

“Overbearing? Well I never! The nerve!” Lance gasped holding a hand over his chest with such an over exaggerated look of offence Shiro couldn't help but let the laugh slip out.

Another jolt of pain shot through Shiro's body and he jolted forward curling up again.

“You've got to stop doing that,” Lance chuckled sympathetically rubbing Shiro's back soothingly.

“That was your fault,” Shiro shot back with little malice. Lance glanced away and whistled innocently.

The pain died down and Shiro fell back against the wall with a sigh, Lance leaning close to him.

“But you know at the end of the day none of us are really the mom or the dad, we're only just about adults thrown into this crazy situation with the weight of the universe on our shoulders. And that means that no one person should be taking on all that weight on their own. You need to share that weight with us, with me,” Lance said softly looking up at Shiro with a soft, unguarded expression that made the older man catch his breath.

“I’ll try,” he promised. Lance smiled knowing that was the best he was going to get for now.

The others returned then having finished the mission and cleared the way of any lingering Galra troops so they could get Shiro through safely. Lance deactivated his bayard when they arrived leaving it to form back into his suit so he could help Shiro to his feet. He pulled Shiro's arm over his shoulders. Shiro held on tight leaning on him gratefully even though he could probably manage to at least walk without any help.

#shance #shancefluffweek #shancefluff2017 #voltron #ific

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