#the thing about Pidge is that while Lotor has a deep and genuine respect for her intellect he's also just sat there like ''that is a CHILD''

[lilflowerpot]

I'm not sure if this has been asked before but i just noticed that Lotor calls Pidge dynah in chapter 23. Does it mean something specific or is it a general nickname sort of thing? I just absolutely adore the entire scene with the two of them and also all the ones with Lotor and the kids before that. I really love seeing him be kind and gentle towards others

I'm so glad you like that scene because I too have a soft spot for gentle!Lotor but especially when it comes to his budding relationship with Pidge! I actually wrote a short post on galra terms of endearment a whopping three years ago now(!!!) but dynah remains my favourite in terms of its origin/meaning because I just think it's so obscenely c u t e ♡

Dynah [[ d-ee-n-ah ]] - tenderfooted one; a deeply affectionate term originating from the Kyx tribes of Daibazaal who historically traversed the hot sands of the Great Wastes during the day, which posed the risk of burning the delicate feet of young children. As such, kitlings would typically be transported within a litter (a large covered box supported by two horizontal poles, carried by four bearers) and later this became the fashion for the nobility of any given clan.

#the thing about Pidge is that while Lotor has a deep and genuine respect for her intellect he's also just sat there like ''that is a CHILD'' #a baby of //sixteen//!! an infant!! deserving of being swaddled and coddled!! #ofc Pidge would probably scratch his eyes out if he so much as suggested this but all the same.. she is...... little #Ao3 Little Blade #sa screams back #prince lotor #team voltron

[calligraphist-artemisia]

Just Another Cinderella Story (Chapter 4 - Final)

-Summary: Once upon a time, there was a boy who was left in the care of his uncaring stepmother. Raised in a life of servitude and seeing his stepbrother lavished with praise and given everything he desired, the boy knew there was only one way he would ever be free. If their dreams of marrying into a life of luxury came true, then he would be left with his childhood home and he would finally be able to turn his life around.

Of course, Fate often has other plans in mind.

Also posted on AO3 under the username Kishirokitsune

- - - - -

4. Dianthus caryophyllus

Keith sat next to Curtis in the wooden cart, his father's clothing still damp and sticking uncomfortably to his skin. The horses pulling the cart plodded happily down the well-traveled path, completely unbothered by the darkness of the forest around them.

“You can stop here,” Keith said.

Curtis urged the horses to slow with a gentle tug of the reigns. “Are you sure? I'm sure Shiro is asleep, but you can still come over and get cleaned up before you go home.”

Keith shook his head. “I'll be okay. It's a shorter walk from here.”

“If you're sure...”

Another tug of the reigns brought the horses to a complete stop, allowing Keith to hop out of the wagon and back onto solid ground. He didn't immediately begin walking and instead remained where he landed as he gathered his thoughts enough to ask a single question: “Did you know about Pidge?”

“Yes,” Curtis said. “She came to us and called herself Pidge the first time she visited, but once Shiro was able to save her brother, Prince Matt, she admitted who she really was. When she kept up her trips to see us, we thought it best for her safety if we continued to use her nickname. None of us ever meant to lie to you, Keith. It was all to keep her safe.”

That much Keith could understand. However, he and Pidge spent hours talking at the ball and some of that time had been about the princess herself! Why hadn't she said anything?

Keith needed time to calm down and think.

“Thanks for the ride, Curtis. I...” Keith stopped and shook his head. “Tell Shiro I'll be by when I get a chance?”

“Of course,” Curtis agreed easily.

Keith bid him goodnight and then set off for home, trying to sort out his tangled mess of feelings. He needed to approach it logically, however difficult the sting of betrayal made that. (Was it really betrayal? Maybe that was too strong of a word.) He had known Pidge was of noble birth. That much had been clear from the start, so why was the news of her being the princess so difficult for him to accept?

He had spent the night dancing with Princess Katie.

Princess Katie, who Lotor was determined to make his bride.

Keith wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry at the bizarre situation he found himself in. At least he knew there was no way Pidge would ever marry his stepbrother, even if he hadn't given her a warning. She was far too smart to fall for Lotor's lies.

For the time, his home was safe. Keith could breathe easily at that.

He focused on that little fact for the rest of his walk home. When he finally got back to the dark manor, he set to work on arranging things so Lotor and Honerva would never know he'd been away. He lit the lanterns at the front door and then hurried inside to turn on a few of the other lights in the entryway and up the staircase to the family suite.

With that done, Keith could focus on himself. He hurried to his own room, which was a converted pantry next to the kitchen, and stripped out of his wet clothing to put on his threadbare sleeping clothes. He hung up his father's suit to dry and then reached back to remove the mask, but his fingers encountered nothing.

There was a rush of hot fear as he realized it had come loose when he and Pidge fell in the fountain. He could only hope no one had seen him as he fled the gardens. Without the mask, he had no protection. His identity was bare for everyone to see.

Keith took a deep breath. He had to believe that everything was alright. There was no one else in the gardens who could have seen him, aside from Pidge's white-haired guard, and he doubted the woman cared enough to look into who he was.

Everything would be fine.

- - - - - 

Pidge laid in her bed, holding a red mask up in front of her face as she examined every little detail about it. What she initially thought were feathers, was actually tiny red flower buds groups together to form feather-like bundles. Tiny glittery spheres poked out between some of them.

If she hadn't known about Shiro's magic, she would have spent hours trying to figure out how it was made and where it came from.

She sighed as she sat up. Ever since her escapade in the garden, she'd been under stricter watch than normal, with two guards posted outside her bedroom door and another pair beneath her window. No matter where she went there was always someone watching her. Pidge was quickly reaching her breaking point and had several ideas of how she could get away for at least a little while, though she would have to wait a few more days before attempting that again.

It wouldn't be too difficult as long as she chose the right moment.

A knock of the door drew Pidge out of her musings and she quickly hid the mask beneath her pillow before calling out: “come in!”

Allura stepped inside her room, dressed in her more casual uniform and with her hair pulled back into a thick ponytail. She bowed to her princess before saying anything. “Your parents requested to see you. I believe it's about your behavior at the ball.”

Pidge did her best not to groan as she slowly slid out of bed. She smoothed out her dress to try and rid it of any obvious wrinkling and then double checked her hair in the mirror. Once she deemed herself presentable enough she followed Allura out of the room, the posted guards easily falling into step behind them as they walked through the halls.

The night of the ball, Pidge had taken the time to explain to her parents everything that happened. How she'd already known Keith thanks to her visits with Shiro and how he caught her when she fell, which was how they ended up in the fountain. While they were sympathetic, they also agreed that, above all else, no one else could find out that she was alone with a man for several hours, nor that they ended up in the fountain together.

It would cause a scandal.

Luckily, the only other person who knew about what happened was Allura, whose loyalty to the royal family was unparalleled.

It was for that reason that Pidge wasn't anxious about her parents wanting to speak with her. They likely wanted to ask for her opinion about her possible suitors now that everything was calming down so they could move forward with whatever plans they'd been making behind closed doors.

The great double-doors were opened as she approached and she nodded to the guards on either side as she strode into the throne room. Allura remained near the doors as they closed, keeping a respectful distance from the royal family while Pidge walked over to her parents – King Sam and Queen Colleen - and warmly greeted each of them with a hug.

“We have news, Katie,” King Sam said cheerfully. “Matt will be returning home in three days to give Princess Romelle a tour of our kingdom.”

Pidge found herself beaming back at her father. “That's great! I'm glad his courtship is going well.”

“Speaking of courtship, we have received news from the eligible nobles regarding your own. It seems news of your... dalliance has reached ears outside of the castle,” said Queen Colleen.

Pidge was about to open her mouth to defend herself and Keith, but the weight of her mother's words quickly sank in. In a single swoop, her good mood evaporated, leaving her feeling light-headed from shock. “But how?”

“We are looking into it,” King Sam said. “The thing is, it leaves us in a delicate position. None of them seem willing to overlook the fact that you were alone with an unknown man for several hours. We can hope that if we give it a few days the rumors will begin to die down, but we cannot rely on that.”

“Keith and I didn't do anything wrong!” Pidge protested. “We just talked. That's it.”

Queen Colleen's gaze softened. “We know, darling, but you have to look at this from an outside perspective. It's why we have increased your guard. You must tread carefully if we are going to navigate this to our advantage.”

In other words, Pidge would be watched day and night and would have to make a number of public appearances to restore her good name. Every one of her actions would have to be carefully considered. There would be no sneaking off to visit Shiro. And there was absolutely no way she would be able to get away and speak with Keith, to explain why she kept her identity a secret and apologize to him for not telling him sooner.

That was the worst part.

She genuinely enjoyed Keith's company. He was the first friend she made who had nothing to do with her duties as princess, even when considering Shiro and Curtis, who she met when searching for a way to help save her brother. She wanted the chance to get to know him better. To spend more time with him. She wanted to help him find a way to save his father's home and, if at all possible, to get out from under the thumb of his stepfamily.

Maybe she could still do that.

She was likely to spend a lot of time alone in her room with guards posted at every conceivable exit, so she may as well make good use of her time.

Pidge tilted up her chin. “I'll do whatever I need to do,” she promised her parents.

Pleased with her answer, they turned the subject to how they would welcome Matt back and ensure that his bride-to-be was also made to feel at home. Even as she helped plan a simple dinner, Pidge's thoughts strayed to how she might be able to help Keith, and when she was able to get back to her room she immediately sat at her desk and began writing.

- - - - -

Despite his resolve that no one other than the guard had seen them in the garden that night, Keith couldn't help but feel a bit anxious over the next few days. Neither Lotor nor Honerva were acting any different and his chores went on the same as always, but there was something about the way Honerva looked at him sometimes that sent a shiver running down his spine. It wasn't her usual looks of complete disdain. No, it was something more calculating, as though he were a particularly difficult riddle she was trying to figure out.

Keith did his best to stay out of her way and complete his chores in a timely manner and without asking questions.

It seemed to work.

The looks stopped as Honerva turned her full focus back to her precious son and her schemes to get him into the good graces of the royal family. Keith continued to stay out of her way just in case she changed her mind, as she often did, and had several days of peace as he easily completed his tasks with minimal interference from Lotor, who only went out of his way once to dirty up a section of floor that he had just cleaned.

But Keith knew from experience that peace never lasted in their house. Sooner or later, the shoe would drop and he would take the blame for whatever great catastrophe they dreamed up.

It came as he was serving dinner one night.

Keith was normally good at tuning out their conversation, his years of practice at not reacting to their insults lending to that ability. But then he heard Lotor speak of the princess and those walls he built crumbled around him.

“I think it is time to move on with our plans for the princess, mother,” Lotor said. “We have left her wallowing for nearly a week now and none have dared to reach out with offers after those awful rumors. Now is the perfect time to strike.”

Honerva nodded. “Agreed. I will send a missive first thing in the morning. It won't be long before your courtship will be made official.” She smirked at her son. “Those other nobles will regret listening to the chatter of rumors. As though the princess would ever do something so uncouth as to be unchaperoned with a strange man.”

Keith's heartbeat sounded thunderous to his ears and he carefully turned away from his stepfamily to hide his face. He slowly moved towards the kitchens, an excuse of fetching more wine poised on the tip of his tongue in case either of them questioned his actions. He didn't need to use it and got away without either of them noticing.

He gripped the counter to keep himself upright and squeezed his eyes tightly shut, trying to get a hold of himself as it fully sank in just how badly he'd messed things up.

Pidge's reputation was in tatters because of him.

Because of him, Lotor may end up being her only option for marriage.

There had to be something he could do. There had to be some way he could fix things, but it was something that was so out of his depth that he knew he would need help to find a solution, and for that there was only one person he knew to turn to.

Shiro was sure to have an idea.

Keith breathed in deeply and then slowly breathed out.

He would get through the rest of the night without alerting his stepfamily to anything being wrong or out of the ordinary and once they were both asleep in their beds he would sneak out and go to Shiro. With luck, he would be back by morning, even if it meant he didn't get any sleep.

His racing heart calmed back to a normal pace and Keith turned his attention to refilling the wine pitcher before carrying it back to the table.

The rest of his night went as usual, with him being ignored unless Lotor or Honerva wanted something, and he wrapped up the last of his cleaning just in time for Honerva to sweep through and judge his work with her usual criticism and scorn. He took her words without flinching and then bid her goodnight, making sure to go about preparing for sleep like normal just in case she suspected something.

It wasn't until midnight that Keith dared to get out of his “bed” - a pile of old blankets arranged in front of the kitchen hearth – and redress into something more appropriate for traversing the woods in the dark. He didn't dare leave from the front door, knowing it would cause too much noise as he shut it, and so headed for the side door from the kitchen, which would take him through their nearly barren garden and past the stables.

Keith glanced around and grabbed his basket at the last minute, hoping the old excuse of getting up early to gather herbs from the forest would work as well as usual.

And then he opened the door and stepped outside.

Something grabbed at him from the darkness, slamming him back against the wall hard enough that the back of his head collided with the wall and spots danced in front of his eyes. The basket slid from hand and bounced softly against the ground. Keith gasped and blindly swung out, trying to free himself, but was pinned so hard that there was no moving unless his assailant allowed it.

“You have been a thorn in my spine for too long, boy.”

The familiar hiss of his stepmother's voice drained every last ounce of fight from Keith as a cold chill settled over him. He did nothing as she yanked and shoved him back into the house, surprisingly strong for a woman of her upbringing.

“Did you think I would not find out? That I have no allies in court who would tell me of what they saw?” she demanded. “Did you really think for a moment that a lowly peasant could get away with speaking with the princess without repercussion? And to be alone with her!”

Another shove sent Keith sprawling to the floor, catching himself hard on his hands and knees.

“You nearly ruined everything for Lotor.”

Keith grit his teeth, anger bubbling up through the feeling of helplessness that was swiftly consuming him. He knew he wouldn't be getting away to see Shiro. There was a small part of him that feared he would never be permitted to see the light of day again. Who would even care about a dead servant?

“Princess Katie will never marry him,” he spat.

Dead silence met his words.

Honerva hauled him up with her inhuman strength and dragged him to the cellar door, which was propped open and waiting. Keith struggled in her grasp, doing his best to break away and try and reach the door, but none of his attempts worked.

“Be thankful I'm letting you live.”

With one final shove, Keith tumbled down the cellar steps and landed on cold, hard concrete. Before he could get to his feet, the door swung shut above him and a grinding sound told him that a board was being slid into place to prevent him from opening it.

He was well and truly trapped.

- - - - -

Things were not going as Pidge had planned.

Matt was home and brought with him his lovely bride-to-be, which was wonderful, but on the same day that he returned they received a request of courtship from one of Pidge's approved suitors, which had only the King and Queen pleased.

“He's terrible, mother,” Pidge protested the moment she heard the name. “He doesn't care about me or the kingdom, all he wants is the power that comes with it all.”

“You don't know that for sure, Katie. You will give this young man a chance and I will not hear another word about it,” said Queen Colleen.

Pidge didn't argue. She knew they hoped that news of one suitor offering courtship would pave the way for others to speak up again, but she hated the thought of being forced to spend time with Lotor when she already knew she couldn't trust him.

Knowing she wouldn't get anywhere with her parents, she complained to Matt during one of their strolls through the garden instead.

He listened without making a remark, waiting until she was finished detailing the night of the ball when all Lotor wanted to do was showcase his many talents, and then said: “He does sound pretty awful, but are you sure you're not projecting your dislike of the situation onto him?”

Pidge glared at him. “I am not.”

“Take it easy, Pidge, I believe you,” Matt said, lifting his hands in defense. “I know it's overwhelming. Suddenly, there's a lot of pressure on you now to find a suitable match and it wasn't there before. Now it's no longer about finding someone whose company you enjoy, but someone who can rule an entire country by your side and there's so much more to consider and think over.”

“Yeah, and whose fault is that?” Pidge muttered bitterly, the words slipping out before she could stop them. She looked guiltily at her brother. “I didn't mean – I really like Romelle, Matt. I'm glad you're marrying her. I just can't help but wish you were still inheriting the crown instead of going off to another kingdom to rule there.”

“That would make things easier. Then maybe you'd be able to marry this mysterious guy I've been hearing so much about instead of Baron I-am-so-much-more-important-than-everyone-else,” Matt joked.

“Keith's my friend,” Pidge corrected automatically.

Matt hummed, the teasing grin not fading from his face. “So, when do I get to meet him?”

“I... I don't know if you'll be able to,” Pidge said, slumping her shoulders at the reminder. “I met him when I went to visit Shiro. All I really know is his name and...”

She trailed off as she stopped walking, realizing she knew a good deal more than that after their talk in the garden. Something she'd been ignoring. While he'd been careful not to mention any names when he explained that his stepmother was determined to have her son marry Princess Katie, he did slip up later when asking her to give a warning.

“Pidge?” Matt asked, waving a hand in front of her face. “Katie?”

“Lotor is his brother.”

Matt raised an eyebrow. “Are we still talking about your friend?”

“Keith and Lotor are stepbrothers. I can't believe I didn't put it together until now! I feel so stupid!” She turned to face Matt, a determined glint in her eyes. “I need you to help me. We need to go see Shiro.”

“Aren't you grounded?”

“Then I'll go by myself.”

Matt reached out and grabbed her shoulders as she turned to walk away, making her face him once again. “You have to calm down and think this through rationally. Why do you need to go see Shiro?”

“Because he can help,” Pidge said, purposefully keeping her answer vague. She honestly wasn't sure how Shiro would be able to help, but going to talk to him first felt like the right thing to do.

“I feel like I'm still missing part of the puzzle here. Why do you need help? Is your friend in danger? And how do you know he's in danger if you haven't seen him since the night of the ball?” Matt asked.

All good questions.

Pidge took a deep breath and tried to organize her thoughts in a rational manner so she could better explain why she needed to leave the palace. She led Matt over to the fountain so they would have a place to sit and then she began to explain everything she knew, starting with the fact that Keith came to the palace just to see her that night without having any idea that she was the princess.

As before, Matt listened to what she had to say without complaint, taking in all of the details she was willing to give.

“Okay,” he said when she was finished. “I'll help you get to Shiro, but you have to be patient. Give me a few days to figure something out.” He paused for a moment when Pidge let out an agonized groan. “I'm sure you can handle dealing with Lotor until then.”

Pidge nodded, privately thinking that the sooner she could get to Shiro and ask for his advice, the better.

- - - - -

Pidge's jaw ached from plastering a fake smile on her face after one full afternoon in Lotor's company. She hoped Matt had a good plan for getting her out of the castle, because there was no way she was putting up with another round of the young Baron boasting about his studies and wealth. She only wished her parents saw through his ruse, but unfortunately he had them both charmed.

She was giving Matt one more night to figure things out and then she was going out on her own. Somehow.

Luckily for her, it didn't come down to that. Just as the sun began to dip over the horizon there was a knock on her bedroom door and Pidge answered to find Matt standing there with a solid black cloak in his arms.

“Wear this,” he instructed, handing it to her. “And move quickly. I bought you a little time before the guards come back.”

Pidge giddily pulled on the cloak and tugged up the weighted hood, letting it obscure her features as she and Matt tiptoed through the halls and outside into the humid summer air. Matt led the way to ensure she wouldn't be spotted, but they encountered no problems and were soon safely inside the stables.

“Romelle will cover for us, but we need to be back by the morning,” Matt said as he headed towards his horse, which was already saddled up and waiting for him.

Pidge found her horse there as well and took a moment to soothe the fidgety mare before stepping up and swinging herself into the saddle. She looked to Matt for further instruction, unsure whether or not they were waiting for a signal or if they needed to leave immediately.

“We should go. The others are waiting for us,” he told her, nudging his horse into a walk.

“Others?” Pidge asked.

“You didn't think we'd be going alone, did you?” Matt asked, flashing her a charming smile.

The others turned out to be their personal guards – Allura and Lance, who were astride their own horses and waiting near the gate. Allura had a frown on her face and was pointedly looking away from Lance, who was grinning broadly as though he'd won an argument for once.

Pidge rode over next to Allura, knowing her guard would feel more at ease if she was close. “I'm surprised you agreed to this.”

“I couldn't leave you with only that one as your guard,” Allura said, nodding her head toward the brunet.

Pidge bit her lip to keep from laughing. Allura may complain about Lance quite often, but the pair of them actually got along well. That was, when Lance wasn't flirting with her and every other young woman in the vicinity. “Well, I'm glad you're going with us.”

The four of them set off at an easy trot and kept quiet until they were safely within the borders of the forest, where they were able to speak freely.

“So, how did you enjoy Polluxea, Lance?” Pidge asked.

Lance eagerly launched into a description of the lush gardens and farmland of their northern neighbor and the friendliness of those who lived there. He made a few references to some of the lovely women he met there, but cut it short each time Allura rolled her eyes or made a sound of disinterest.

Matt and Pidge exchanged amused glances each time it happened.

“...prefer being home. I missed this place more than I thought I would,” Lance said with a short laugh.

“What are you going to do when you go back?” Pidge asked.

“I'm not going back,” Lance replied. “I went to help choose a Polluxean guard to watch after Matt and he'll be taking over for me. His name's Tavo and he seems pretty cool, so I'm permanently home now.”

“Mother and father want Lance to be the personal guard for whichever suitor you choose,” Matt added.

Pidge considered Lance for a moment. “Maybe I should introduce you to Lotor and let you scare him off.”

“Is that supposed to be an insult?”

Pidge winked at him and spurred her horse on, racing ahead of the others with a joyous whoop!

It wasn't long before the other three were galloping alongside of her, following the winding path that led to Shiro's cabin. They arrived in good time and Pidge was relieved to spot light through one of the windows. At least they wouldn't be waking them.

“The barn is over to that side of the house. You can put the horses there and then join us inside,” Matt said as he swung down from his horse. He handed the reigns over to Lance and then turned to watch Pidge do the same with Allura.

Pidge led the way to the door, but before she could knock it opened to reveal Shiro waiting for them on the other side. He let them in and told them to get comfortable while he fetched the snacks Curtis made earlier that evening.

“It's rare to get such a late-night visit,” he remarked as he returned with a tray of small sandwiches.

“I couldn't get away any other time,” Pidge said. And then, unable to wait any longer, asked: “Shiro, have you heard from Keith since the ball?”

He blinked in surprise at the abrupt question, but recovered quickly enough. “I haven't. Why? Is there something wrong?”

Pidge shook her head. “No, not-”

“Yes,” Matt cut in.

Pidge whipped her head around to stare at her brother, her lips parting in surprise. What was he talking about? Nothing was really wrong, per-say, she just wanted to talk to Keith and clear some things up. She wanted to apologize. And then she wanted to ask if he and Lotor were truly stepbrothers and if he had any advice for how to prove what a snake he was.

So why was Matt saying there was something wrong?

“I grew up learning about all of the nobility of our kingdom. Five years ago, father had me study each of them in-depth so that I would have talking points when meeting any of them. I'm sure you'll be learning this all soon, Pidge,” he said, nodding to her. “The thing is, I remember reading about this one estate. A small one, with a garden large enough for the household and for selling any excess to the townsfolk. It worked well for them, but that wasn't the most interesting thing.”

He paused as Curtis entered the room from a side door with Lance and Allura, who were offered seats and joined them. Lance happily accepted a sandwich as the tray was held out to him.

“Baron Travis Hawkins married a woman of unknown status from Daibazaal. She was his first wife and they had one child together. A son.”

Daibazaal was a neighboring empire to the west of their kingdom. Twenty-five years ago, it had been in the middle of upheaval as a rebellion overthrew the then-emperor and instated a sovereign of their own choosing. Emperor Kolivan brought them into an age of tranquility as they reached out and made peace with their neighbors and began to let go of their path to conquering the entire continent.

“She passed away a few years after giving birth to their son and five years after that, Baron Hawkins remarried, only to pass away nearly a year later. His widow is Baroness Honerva Hawkins, who had a son from her previous marriage.”

“Lotor,” Pidge breathed out. “But then... then that means...”

“Keith was meant to inherit his father's position as Baron once he turned eighteen, but obviously that hasn't happened,” Matt said with a frown. “Instead, the title is set to be handed over to Lotor, but since it's being done against the wishes of the previous Baron Hawkins, it's not entirely legal. Keith has until his twentieth birthday to contest it before a court of his peers.”

“But why didn't you say anything before now? We could have done something!” Pidge cried out.

“Like what?” Matt asked. “Pidge, we don't have any proof that they're doing something wrong. For all anyone else knows, Keith turned down his title and wants it to go to Lotor instead. The only people who have talked to him are you and Shiro and that isn't enough. I waited because we need to come up with a plan and the people in this room are the only ones I trust to help. The first thing we need to determine is how much danger Keith is in. Shiro?”

Shiro took a moment to mull the question over. “I've been treating his injuries since the first time that we met, but even I would have a hard time saying how far they would be willing to take their abuse. The only reason he would be in immediate danger is if they realized he went to the gala, but that's impossible with the mask I created for him.”

Cold rushed through Pidge's veins. “The red one?”

Shiro nodded.

“It fell off,” Pidge admitted, barely able to speak above a whisper as she met Shiro's wide eyes. “I stumbled and we fell into the fountain and it was knocked loose. I still have it in my room.”

“Then we act immediately,” Allura suggested as she stood and began to pace. “We'll need a way to distract Baroness Hawkins and her son for a day while a few of us see what we can find out around the estate. If Keith is well, we'll be able to speak with him and clear things up. If not...”

“We'll need a warrant,” Lance said with a sigh.

Allura nodded. “We can't just break into someone's house, no matter what we think is going on.”

“Would it really be breaking in if you show up and a door is wide open?” Curtis asked. “It would give you a reason to check and make sure everything is alright, wouldn't it?”

“Even then it would be our word against theirs,” Allura responded.

The debate stretched on into the night as they went back and forth, analyzing details and discarding the majority of their ideas. Eventually, they put together something that could work in their favor and while Allura wasn't thrilled about the possibility of law-breaking that was involved, even she agreed that it was the best chance they had.

All Pidge had to do was spend one more day in the company of Lotor. She could handle that.

Probably.

- - - - -

Two days passed before things lined up for them to proceed with their plan.

Allura and Pidge would remain at the palace, where Pidge would be entertaining Lotor and his mother for the afternoon. King Sam and Queen Colleen were pleased with the decision, hoping it meant their daughter was finally warming up to the only suitor who offered courtship, and made themselves available for a small luncheon to chat with their prospective in-laws.

Matt charmed his way out of joining them by insisting that he'd promised Princess Romelle a romantic tour of the kingdom, which wasn't a lie but was definitely part of their multi-step plan. Naturally, Lance and a pair of Polluxean guards – Tavo and Merla – joined them for their ride into the territory surrounding the palace.

Curtis and Shiro had the most freedom of any of them. They would wait until they were sure Honerva and Lotor were out of the manor and then they would sneak around and see what they could find out. Allura and Lance had insisted they not know all of the details to what “sneaking around” entailed, so they could rightfully claim ignorance if Shiro and Curtis found something by less-than-legal means.

They began on the grounds itself, searching for any sign of Keith, and when they found nothing Shiro led the way to the front door. With a wave of his hand, the bolt clicked into an unlocked position and the heavy door swung open to admit them.

“Impressive,” Curtis complimented.

Shiro grinned and then stepped inside, casting a second spell which created an orb of light, which hovered in front of them for a moment before beginning to drift down the hall towards the right. “Tracking spell,” he clarified for Curtis.

“Remind me why you don't use your magic like this more often?” Curtis asked.

“It makes people nervous. And it's more exhausting than it seems,” Shiro said with a light shrug. “Come on. We need to find Keith.”

They crept along, staying as quiet as they could just in case they weren't as alone as they thought. Just as Curtis was about to turn and ask Shiro another question, they both heard a gasp from up ahead, as a young woman wearing a plain apron came face-to-face with the seeking orb and then looked past it to see both of them.

Shiro took two hurried steps forwards and waved his hand in front of her face.

The woman wavered from side-to-side, her eyes slowly fluttering shut before her legs gave out and Curtis had to catch her and ease her down to the floor.

Shiro blinked back a wave of dizziness. He took a moment to let it settle and then wordlessly began to follow the seeking orb once again with Curtis close by his side. It led them to a door barricaded by a flat board that slid into holders on either side of the frame and then sank through.

“Let me,” Curtis said, stopping Shiro from lifting the board. He removed it on his own and set it aside before opening the door to allow Shiro inside first.

Leaning against the far wall, shivering from the chill of the cellar, was Keith.

Shiro nearly tripped down the steps in his haste to reach his friend, his hands fumbling with the bag at his side as he went for one of the potions he packed as a “just in case”. He kneeled in front of Keith, only slightly put at ease by the sight of his chest rising and falling and the occasional tremors from the chill.

“Keith, can you hear me?” he asked.

Keith groaned in response, straining to do something as simple as opening his eyes. He closed them again and muttered something about it being too bright.

Shiro snapped his fingers and the seeking orb fizzled out, leaving only the light streaming in through the door. “You're okay now. We're going to get you out. Keith, do you know how long you've been in here?”

“Days?” Keith guessed, his voice hoarse from disuse and lack of water. “Sorry, Shiro.”

“This is not your fault,” Shiro said firmly. He searched through his bag and came up with a potion in a green clay container, which he uncorked and held to Keith's lips. “Drink this. It will help soothe your throat.”

Keith drank without questioning what it was and made a face at the taste of it once he was through. “S'weird,” he muttered.

“I know, but it'll help. And so will this one,” Shiro said as he selected another container – one colored a sunny yellow. He helped Keith drink it and decided that it was enough to be able to move him. Any further healing could wait until they were someplace safe.

The empty containers went back into his bag and then Shiro gestured for Curtis to come over and help him lift Keith. They shuffled awkwardly as they adapted to how they could and could not move as a unit and then slowly made their way up the steps, back through the halls, and out the front door.

It took Keith a few minutes to realize they were going in the opposite direction from the path to Shiro's house. “Where are we going?”

“We're meeting up with someone who can help,” Curtis said.

Keith seemed to go even paler. “Someone else knows?”

“Without them, we never would have had this opportunity to come find you. It's thanks to them that any of this is happening,” Shiro said. “We can trust them, Keith. No one will think less of you for needing help.”

He perked up as the sound of hooves and the rattling of a carriage met their ears just as a pair of guards astride white horses crested the rise of the hill in front of them, followed by a gleaming open carriage. A third guard rode behind them on a dark gray mare.

“Just in time,” Curtis murmured. He glanced at Shiro, who nodded, and then transferred all of Keith's weight to his partner so he could run ahead and get their attention.

The guards came to an abrupt stop and the one with dark skin and hair demanded to know who he was.

“It's alright, Tavo, he's a friend.”

Shiro was relieved to hear Matt's voice. It meant everything was going according to plan.

Keith made a confused sound when he saw Matt jump down from the carriage to speak with Curtis. “Pidge?”

“Her brother,” Shiro correctly gently. “That is Prince Matthew. He's the reason we came to get you. We'll be traveling with him back to the palace and make use of their healers.”

Keith sucked in a deep breath in surprise. “Shiro, I can't! This isn't necessary!”

“You need more help and rest than I can give on my own,” Shiro told him. He adjusted his grip so he could begin weaving a spell with his free hand. “Rest easy, Keith. Everything will be alright from here out.”

“Using magic's unfair,” Keith slurred as his head drooped and he dropped into an easy sleep.

Guilt and his moral sense warred with his logical mind about whether or not it was necessary to use magic on his friend, and eventually logic won the battle as he helped lift Keith into the carriage and get him comfortable on the bench across from Princess Romelle, who watched everything with curiosity but not confusion.

“I apologize for cutting your excursion short, Princess Romelle,” Shiro said.

Princess Romelle smiled softly in return. “It is worth it if it means helping someone in need. There will be other days when I will be able to view this glorious kingdom.”

A diplomatic answer. One which sounded a little too well rehearsed for her to have been completely left in the dark about their plans.

Shiro glanced at Matt, who was too busy gazing fondly at his bride-to-be to take part in any conversation, so instead he lowered his eyes to Keith and took account of his newest injuries and the best ways to treat them.

Curtis took a seat next to the driver and they began to move.

- - - - - 

Keith woke to the white walls and ceiling of an unfamiliar room. Heavy, warm green blankets covered him up to his neck and smelled pleasantly of some sort of sweet flower. Delicate curtains fluttered in the breeze coming in from an open window and he could hear birdsong, over top of which was the brush of paper against paper.

It took a great deal of effort just to turn his head, but when he did he was rewarded with the sight of Pidge seated at his bedside, her hair pulled up in a high bun, her amber eyes focused on the pages of the book in her hands. On the small table next to her was a bouquet of red carnations and silver-tipped ferns artfully arranged in a clay vase.

For a moment, all he could do was watch her as his awareness and ability to move slowly returned to him. When he did open his mouth, there was only one thing he could say and although it came out as barely more than a whisper, Pidge jumped as though startled by a loud sound.

“Keith!” she exclaimed, all but throwing her book aside as she rose from her chair. “How do you feel? Can I get you anything?”

“Water,” he croaked out, hoping that a drink would help clear his throat enough that he could speak more normally.

Pidge nodded and walked across the room to fetch a pitcher and a glass. “Shiro made lemon-honey water for you to drink until he can come make a hot tea. Apparently, this one can be kept warm with one of his charms but tea is best drank soon after brewing.”

Keith fought the urge to groan at having to drink another one of Shiro's concoctions and instead gave a small nod that made his head spin and had him horribly disoriented for a long minute. He blinked away the dark spots to find Pidge back by his bedside, holding out the cup with a concerned expression.

To his embarrassment, she had to hold the cup so he could drink.

The lemon-honey water wasn't nearly as bad as he expected, somehow achieving a nice balance between the sweetness of the honey and the sour of the lemon without being too thick. It quickly went to work on soothing his throat and after a few swallows, he felt like he could talk again.

“Where am I?”

“The palace,” Pidge responded promptly. She held the cup for a moment longer and then set it on the side table next to the vase and retook her seat. “You're in one of our guestrooms and Shiro and Curtis are borrowing one just across the hall. You've been here for two days, healing in some kind of magical coma that Shiro put you in.”

Keith felt even less comfortable once he fully understood where he was. He was just a servant. Hardly someone who belonged in such a nice room. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re not the one who should be apologizing. Keith, I… I’m the one who needs to apologize. I should have told you who I really was instead of letting you find out on your own. That wasn’t right. I just got so nervous that you wouldn’t want to talk to me anymore or that you’d treat me differently once you knew who I was and I didn’t want to lose that,” Pidge explained, bowing her head slightly. “It’s no excuse and I know that. I’m really sorry, Keith.”

Keith wished he could reach out and comfort her, but even if he weren’t recovering from days of being locked in darkness with no food and water, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to bring himself to touch the princess. “You have nothing to apologize for.”

“Then neither do you,” Pidge said.

Keith tried to think of a reply but came up empty-handed. The moment passed as the door opened and Shiro stepped inside with a tray. He brightened up when he saw Keith awake.

“Oh good! I brought you both some food,” he said as he bustled inside. “It’ll be soup for you until you regain some of your strength, Keith. How are you feeling?”

“Tired. Sore,” Keith admitted, knowing there was no lying to the man.

Shiro nodded. “That’s all normal. You’ll probably spend the next few days sleeping while the magic does its work.” He handed off one bowl to Pidge and then walked around to the chair on the other side of the bed.

Keith warily eyed the bowl in his hands. “You’re not going to put me to sleep again, are you?”

“No, not like before. I’m sorry about that, by the way. I didn’t think I’d be able to get you here without stressing you out so badly that you’d become even more ill,” Shiro told him. He set everything down so he could prop Keith up with an extra pillow they collected just for the occasion. 

While Shiro helped Keith sit up and eat, Pidge carefully kept her gaze averted and ate her own food in slow, small bites. By the time she finished, Keith was nearly done with his own, his stomach almost unpleasantly full despite the smaller amount in his bowl.

“M’done,” he muttered when Shiro tried to get him to keep eating. He closed his eyes for a moment. “What now? I mean, what about my home? I can’t go back again.”

“No. At least, not right now,” Shiro agreed, giving Pidge a pointed look over the bed.

Keith followed his gaze. “Not right now…?”

“I think I’ll leave you two to talk,” Shiro said as he stood. He walked back around to collect Pidge’s bowl and left after promising he’d be back in an hour to deliver a special tea for Keith to drink.

“What did he mean by ‘not right now’?” Keith tried again.

Pidge took a deep breath as though steeling her nerves for something that would be difficult to say. “My brother, Matt, has been doing some research ever since I told him about you. Nothing bad! He was just curious, especially when we realized Lotor is your stepbrother.”

A cold chill swept through Keith. “How did…?”

“It was just a few of the things you said when we talked that night. And then Matt’s research seemed to confirm all of that… You’re the son of Baron Travis Hawkins and the rightful heir to his estate and title,” Pidge said.

And then all Keith felt was confusion. “That’s not right. The title goes to the oldest and that would be Lotor.”

“The title passes to the firstborn son,” Pidge corrected. “That’s you, Keith. You’re the one whose name is listed in the court records. It’s been unchanged for twelve years. The last update to the record was to note that he remarried and that Honerva would act as Baroness until you came of age to take up the title. You are the Baron of the Hawkins estate, not Lotor.”

Keith turned his head to look straight up at the ceiling, feeling a little dizzy from the news.

The estate was his.

They had taken his childhood home from him unlawfully and made him feel as though he was worthless for so long when he was meant to be learning to take over for his dad.

Baron Keith Hawkins.

That was going to take a lot of getting used to.

“We have a plan, but it will all have to wait until you’re well enough to walk and get around on your own again,” Pidge said.

Keith attempted a nod. “Yeah.”

He was aware of Pidge talking a little more, telling him about the history of the estate and how his ancestor’s earned their title because of the messenger hawks they raised and trained for the royal family. He drifted off to sleep to the sound of her soft voice.

- - - - - 

As Shiro mentioned, Keith spent several days drifting in and out of sleep. Sometimes Pidge was there. Sometimes it was Shiro or Curtis. Occasionally he woke to find Prince Matt sitting there, silently keeping him company. The first time had been so awkward that Keith pretended to still be asleep until Shiro came in to make him drink more of his strange tea concoctions - licorice remained his least favorite and he’d be happy if Shiro never made it for him again.

Each day his strength returned a little more until Shiro cleared him for being allowed to get up and move around the room. His appetite grew with his strength and soon he was able to handle a full meal that wasn’t soup.

During the times he was awake he got caught up with their plans to expose Honerva and Lotor and make it so they could never hurt anyone else again, adding his own details so they could prepare for their attempts to weasel their way out of trouble. By the time Keith was able to stay awake for more than an hour, they were just about ready to put their plans into motion.

They would call Lotor and Honerva to court, hoping they would believe it was the will of the King and Queen to approve a formal courtship between Lotor and the princess. There, they would reveal the truth.

It all hinged on Keith’s ability to remain standing long enough to see them brought to justice.

“You’ll need appropriate clothing, as well,” Matt mentioned, looking him up and down. “I could get my tailor to make you something, but I’m not sure he’ll be able to finish in time. Anything I already have won’t be appropriate for you either, otherwise I’d offer.”

“I can take care of that,” Shiro promised.

“Another glamour?” Keith guessed.

Shiro nodded. “It’ll be simple enough to make you something that reflects your heritage. Are there any portraits of your father that I could see to get an idea of what I should create?”

It was Matt who answered. “There was a decent one in the court record. I’ll show you later.”

Conversations with Pidge were vastly different, full of colorful stories and long rambling rants about all of the things they hated about Lotor. Keith found himself laughing every time Pidge mimicked Lotor’s voice and tried to repay her by telling her the more amusing stories of growing up with him as a stepbrother, like all of the tantrums he’d thrown over the years.

By the time the day came to confront his stepfamily, Keith didn’t feel nearly as nervous as he expected to.

After so many years of their abuse and of being told he wasn’t good enough and fearing that his father’s house would forever be a prison to him instead of a home, Keith was finally able to stand up tall and proud and reclaim it all for himself.

Shiro was his first and only visitor that morning, as Pidge and Matt prepared on their own for what was coming. They ate together and then Shiro had him stand still while he used his magic to weave a brand new glamour for the occasion.

Keith had expected colors similar to the suit Shiro created for the ball, but instead the color palette and style were vastly different.

The top was a high-neck, military-style jacket in deep plum and with a black inner lining. The epaulets on each shoulder were lavender with silver fringe, which matched the belt around his waist.  His pants and shoes were solid blacks.

Keith eyed his reflection with mild unease, feeling entirely out of his element as Shiro stepped up and began to style his hair by hand. “Do you really think I can do this?”

“I have always believed in you, Keith. You are more than ready,” Shiro said. He tied off Keith’s hair with a strip of fabric that matched the purple of his clothing, leaving it in a simple low ponytail. “Now you just need to believe it too.”

Keith nodded but said nothing else as he followed Shiro out of the room and through the wide halls of the palace to the throne room, where a crowd of available nobles had gathered in the hope that they would be among the first to hear news about the newest royal courtship.

He paused outside the door to steel his nerves for what was waiting for him on the other side.. “I am ready.”

Shiro smiled and opened the door for him.

The low murmur of voices met Keith's ears as he stepped into the room. Several people glanced his way and then turned again to stare, but Keith didn't pay them any attention and put all of his focus on the royal family at the other end of the room. His eyes landed on the King and Queen first, who sat upon their throne with benevolent smiles and occasionally bent their heads together to whisper something. To their right stood Prince Matt and a beautiful woman with blond hair and a soft pink gown, who Keith rightfully assumed to be Princess Romelle of Polluxea.

When he looked at Pidge, he nearly stopped walking. It was only because of how many times he recited his role in their plans that he continued on, but from that moment on his eyes never left her.

Emerald green suited her, he couldn't help but think as he watched her stand there in a gown that shimmered as though it was covered in gems. Around her neck was a simple, round green stone on a golden chain.

Enter the room. Back straight, head held high. Act as though there is no other place you belong. (Easy for Prince Matt to say.)

Walk to the throne and stop at the foot of the stairs, no less than three feet from the guards on either side. Bow respectfully to the King and Queen. Then to Prince Matt and finally to Pidge.

Keith followed Prince Matt's instructions to the letter, but as he turned to bow to Pidge, someone forced their way through the crowd and reached out as if to yank him away, but their hand was never allowed to make contact.

In the blink of an eye, Lance was there in front of him as guards closed in around the royal family to shield them from the potential danger.

“Madam, I ask that you compose yourself,” Lance snapped.

Keith couldn't help but flinch away at the utterly thunderous look on Honerva's face as Lance continued to hold onto her wrist, unwilling to let go until he was sure she wouldn't strike out in rage. Lotor appeared over her shoulder in the crowd, but he stayed back and tried to keep his face impassive, though Keith could see his fury roiling beneath the surface.

It took a moment, but Honerva calmed herself enough that Lance let go. “That boy is nothing more than a servant. I merely wished to save their Majesties from being forced to listen to any of the lies that spill forth from his mouth.”

“I fear you have been misinformed, Madam,” Prince Matt spoke up. “If you would wait but a moment, he was about to introduce himself to the court.”

Honerva scoffed. “There is no need to play along with his foolish games. Allow me to take him home and deliver appropriate punishment for his misdeeds.”

Again, whispers broke out in the room as people latched onto her words and took them as the truth. Why wouldn't they? After all, Baroness Honerva was a lady of noble birth and was well-known in their circles, as was her son, Lotor. If she said the well-dressed man in front of them was nothing more than a servant boy playing dress-up, then why wouldn't they believe her?

King Sam stood from his throne and held up a hand, silently calling for everyone to be quiet. “I would like to hear what this young man has to say.”

Chin up.

Back straight.

Keith folded his right arm over his midsection and bowed one last time. “Your Majesties, my name is Keith Hawkins, son of the late Baron Travis Hawkins and his first wife, Krolia Hawkins. I am here to ask that you see justice carried out in regards to the Hawkins estate, of which I am the rightful heir.”

He might as well have said he was the grandson of the emperor of a foreign land with the amount of pandemonium that broke out in the throne room. Honerva's angry screech could barely be made out as the other nobles broke out into loud questions and demands, each wanting to know if it was true.

Keith stood in the middle of it all, letting the voices wash over him as he kept his focus on Pidge, who smiled encouragingly. That alone kept him grounded.

Well, that and the fact that Lance remained by his side as a physical blockade between him and Honerva until the other guards arrived to take her into custody until they could get to the truth of what had been revealed. Lotor attempted to slip away into the crowds and escape unnoticed, but he was caught as well and taken away, though he didn't struggle nearly as much as his mother, perhaps hoping that by going along willingly he could show his innocence.

Keith was led away by Lance, who was acting on Prince Matt's orders and took him back to the nice guest room where he'd spent the past week recovering.

“Nice job, Keith,” Lance complimented. “All it'll take is for the King and Queen to check the records themselves and this will all get sorted out. I bet you'll be glad when this is all over.”

“Yeah,” Keith agreed.

At long last, his nightmare was coming to an end.

- - - - - 

The Hawkins estate was a beautiful property when it was being properly cared for. Pidge almost couldn't believe it was the same place when she finally found the chance to visit again nearly a year after the debacle with Honerva and Lotor. Under a new Baron, the estate flourished in more ways than one.

With Allura and Lance following like a pair of persistent shadows, Pidge was led around to the back gardens, where an ornate table and chairs waited beneath the shade of a massive oak. Keith stood there, dressed down in soft reds and black, and smiled when he saw her.

“Princess,” he greeted with a smile and a friendly bow.

“Baron Hawkins,” she responded with an easy nod.

They both grinned and dropped all formalities as they sat and began to catch up on everything that had changed since they last spoke. It had been a while, as Keith busied himself with the spring planting and some of the heavy manual labor that needed to be done, even though he had staff who were more than capable of doing it all themselves. Keith said that he enjoyed the work when he wasn't forced to do it and having company made it even better.

“Mostly, I've been going through my parents' old things. There was a lot more than I expected locked away in some of the old rooms. Like my mother's journals. I felt odd about reading them at first, but it's the only chance I have to get to know what kind of person she was,” Keith admitted.

Pidge reached across the table and took his hand. “I don't think she'd mind. So, what have you learned?”

“She was from Daibazaal. That's where my dad learned a lot of new stories and legends that he told me when I was young. But she left near the end of the revolution, though she never said why in any of the journals. At least, she didn't say in any of the ones I read.”

Pidge couldn't help but smile as she listened to the way he spoke of his parents. His joy at getting to learn more about them, even if it was from an old journal, warmed her heart.

“Did you know in Daibazaal they don't begin courtship by gifting a piece of jewelry?”

Pidge blinked in surprise, unsure of how the conversation drifted to courtship. She must have gotten more lost in her thoughts than she meant to. “I didn't know. What do they do instead?”

“In Daibazaal, a bouquet of carnations is the traditional first gift. The rarer the color, the better the proof of their love.” Keith reached into his jacket and withdrew a thin box, which he placed on the table in front of her. “My dad wanted to combine their traditions, so he had this made for her.”

She couldn't stop a startled gasp from breaking past her lips as he cracked open the box to reveal an ornate bracelet with links designed to resemble tiny flowers. Most of it was silver, including the delicate leaves, but the flowers themselves were some sort of purple crystal.

“Purple carnations to represent Daibazaal,” Keith said softly. “I was hoping you would accept it as my first gift to you.”

Pidge's eyes flickered up to Keith's face and remained there as she struggled to find her words. Finally, she snapped out of it. “Yes. Yes, of course, I will!”

Keith breathed out in relief, his smile turning brighter than she'd ever seen. With a gentleness that endeared her even more to him, he helped her put on the bracelet and they both took a moment to admire the way it looked against her pale skin.

And while it didn't happen in the way he ever expected it to, Keith realized at that moment that all of his hopes and dreams for his own future were finally beginning to come true.

#voltron #fanfiction #kidge #kidgemas #cinderella au

[echodrops]

How could allurance have been better developed so it would have become the most supported ship in the show?

I’m feeling super energetic tonight so I’m going to go write after this, but here’s a summary of what I think should have been done to make this better:

The AU where Allurance was better foreshadowed:

Season 1) Keep Lance’s flirting and Allura rejecting him, but give a slight glimpse of Allura looking somewhat frustrated that Lance is going off and flirting with Nyma or something. Also, give Lance and Allura a duo mission or training scene in which they work great together as team members, support each other as equals, and zero flirting happens. Somewhere in this scene, the fact that Lance likes Allura more than just as a passing thing should be brought up; maybe he asks her to dance at the party and when she rejects him, he plays it off in front of her but then shows the audience that he actually feels a bit hurt by it later. Something like that.

Season 2) Shit I forgot what episodes are in this season but I think Plaxum is in this season, right? I would have had Lance flustered about Plaxum’s behavior but also have a moment of him thinking about Allura and going “I already kind of… like someone else?” I would have added a scene of Lance talking to Allura one-on-one about the reveal of Keith’s background as a Galra, and have Lance listen to and respect her views, instead of everyone just shutting her down and acting like there’s no validity to her feelings. No flirting, just him being a good listener and helping her to talk through her anger and fear so that she can move forward and get back to seeing Keith as a friend. I think the episode where Allura and Keith run off together is in this one, so instead of Lance acting petty and jealous, have him genuinely worried for both Allura and Keith’s safety, and have him ask them to come back because it’s more important to face whatever is happening as a team than apart. When they come back, have Lance hug Allura in a non-romantic way, just as in an “I am so glad you’re safe” way. When Allura insists on going with Shiro to the Galra base and Coran tries to fight it, I would have had Lance start to agree with Coran, then stop and realize that no, he trusts and believes in Allura and this is something she needs to do. Also, sometime during this season, it needs to be implied that Allura has at least the starting of some interest in Lance, so that he doesn’t just look like a rebound later.

Season 3) Lance should have supported Allura for Black Paladin and explained that she had already been leading the team, so she is the most equipped to step in until they find Shiro. Personally, I would have skipped the entire clone!Shiro plot because it was pointless and unnecessary, and season three would have instead been spent searching for Shiro who would have been found or at least seen in episode cuts throughout this season, off on other planets hitching rides and helping out the locals. Instead of Lance supporting Keith in season three during the chase scene with Lotor, it would be Lance supporting Allura and telling her how much faith he has in her. I would add at least one scene in which Allura is frustrated with her slow progress with the Black Lion and confides her frustrations and her fear that she won’t live up to being the great leader that her father was (not a great paladin or great alchemist–Allura should have aimed to be a leader like her father). This could have been the watershed moment in which Lance finally got screen time to confess his fears and insecurities, which would have been properly listened to, respected, and addressed by Allura. The two could have reached meaningful mutual understanding, grown closer, and committed to working together not just to help save the world, but also to help each other grow as people. The idea of Allura and Lance being close friends and a TEAM should have been established by this season.

Also, after their meaningful talk, Allura should have had a moment of watching Lance walk away with a very fond look on her face, so that it could well-established that Allura had at least SOME feelings for Lance before Lotor came along. Shiro should have been reunited with the team at the end of season three, and Allura should have stepped down from the Black Lion only because she found it more useful for her to lead the coalition and correspond constantly with all their allies–i.e., she should have stepped into an even bigger leadership role (queen of like half the universe lol) at the end of this season.

Also, somewhere in this season, Allura should have given Lance the encouragement he needed to really break out and shine during at least one battle or scene, so that the viewers get the chance to see her supporting him in action and to see Lance growing in both skill and confidence.

Season 4) This could have been a season with little hints and nods here and there to Allura and Lance being great team members, closer and closer friends, and the first really obvious hints of the romance plot line coming in, although I think that Allura should have maybe gone a bit into the “oblivious to her real feelings” category so that it wouldn’t make her look heartless when the whole deal with Lotor suddenly popped up. Mostly the same this season but the Voltron Show should have, instead of poking fun at Lance’s “lover boy” stereotype, instead of poked fun of his being whipped for the princess and Lance should have been like “Coran, this is totally not realistic at all!” while Pidge and Hunk are in the background like “Hmmm, are you sure??” By the way, Keith never would have left with the Blades because that whole plot line was dumb, so instead he’s just in the background of all these Allura and Lance scenes rolling his eyes.

Season 5 and 6) The whole “Lance is petty and jealous” over Lotor would not have happened. Or, maybe he would have started it and then taken a big deep breath and realized verbally or mentally (for the audience to hear) that he’s being a defensive jerk and he needs to make take a step back from the situation. He would apologize to Allura for acting out and let her know that the real reason he was acting this way is that he’s worried about not just Voltron and the future, but also about her personally, that he doesn’t want her to get hurt, but that if allying with Lotor is what she thinks is the best decision, he’s always respected her as a leader and he’ll go along with her and support her no matter what. After this, THEN we could get the scene where he confesses to the mice (or geez, you know, like another human being? Because Lance does have friends he could talk to, because in this AU the team is actually… you know… a TEAM? Better–Lance confesses his deep feelings for Allura to Keith, who pulls a “That’s rough buddy,” Zuko moment for comedic effect, but then does genuinely try his best to be a supportive friend because hey, they could have solved the Klance drama by making Keith and Lance into bros who support each other as friends instead of playing them off as overly-invested rivals?) So, Lance has meaningful flashbacks to all the great times he spent with Allura throughout the series so far, and confesses his feelings, and this time the audience genuinely believes him and feels the pain of his (seemingly) unrequited feelings for Allura.

Meanwhile, we see Allura struggling as she gets closer to Lotor, weighed down by the fact that Lotor doesn’t have Lance’s trust… The series could have made a huge point here: Allura glomed on to Lotor because she thought he was a kindred spirit, someone who thought like her and valued the same things as her–only to realize that the person who respected, valued, and supported her and everything she stood was Lance, right beside her the whole time. Little differences in Lotor’s behavior versus Lance’s would have been the hints to Allura that something wasn’t right, even before the whole colony thing (which actually if I had a choice, I would get rid of–just make Lotor a well-intentioned extremist without reducing him to a Hitler stereotype, please), and when Allura realized that Lotor never truly supported and respected her the way Lance did (and, you know, that he’s still carrying out a plot that only benefits himself) would have been the defining moment where Team Sincline and Team Voltron had to part ways. In this way, we avoid the issue of Lance looking like a rebound–instead, it will look like Lotor was the misstep and Lance was the right choice all along. This could also have been the moment where Allura realizes that her feelings for Lance aren’t just friendship but actually romantic.

Season 7) I didn’t watch this season so I don’t know what happened, but I would have slowly unfolded the romantic plot throughout this season, ending with Allura and Lance just tentatively hinting to each other about their feelings–maybe a nervous hand hold right at the end of the season finale, and a cut to credits with them looking anxiously but hopefully at each other.

Season 8) Plot happens. Lance and Allura continue to be amazing teammates and supportive friends to each other. Their romance plot line isn’t the focus, but the other characters try to tease Lance about it a time or two; at least one joke episode is dedicated to Lance and Allura attempting to go on their first date but every single being in the universe somehow accidentally getting in their way. The series ends with Allura deciding to found the coalition’s central command on Earth, so that she can stay with Lance (and his family, because god, she’s so happy to have a full FAMILY again) and also still fulfill her duties as leader of essentially the known universe.

TADA. I’m not saying this is perfect but I feel like most seven or eight-year-olds could have written a better romance than what I saw of Allurance so far.

#allurance #voltron #allura #lance mcclain #voltron salt #allurance AU #HERE IS A FREE FIX-IT FIC PLOT #someone write it for me #allurance could have been fine #there's nothing wrong with the idea of it #just the terrible execution in the show itself

[poor-sickies]

my thoughts on s8

Ever since Friday, all I’ve been seeing on Tumblr is most people hating on this last season of Voltron. 

While I understand some of the criticisms people are making (and even having some others myself) I did enjoy this season. After rewatching the whole thing yesterday, I now have a clearer idea of what I think about it, so I’ll be leaving my thoughts under the read more.

I just wanted to say that, liking it or not, I’ve had an amazing two years watching these characters grow and this story developing. Voltron made me want to start writing again, made me start drawing fanart for the first time ever, and made me want to connect with so many people on this website. Some of the best friends I’ve known I met because of our shared love for this series, and I’m forever thankful for that. 

I’d like to continue my journey here with the least amount of negativity as possible. Even if the show did not correspond 100% with what I would have liked, I think that’s where the beauty of fanfic lies in. 

Voltron is one of my favorite series ever. Is it perfect? No. There are inconsistencies, plot holes, some arcs that are rushed and not well thought maybe. But the world building, the characters, the story, it all made me fall in love with it. The creators and voice actors seem like genuinely amazing people, and I’m forever thankful for this reboot Even if it’s not perfect, even if there’s a lot I don’t agree with (and not only this season, I mean the entire thing), I still think it’s terrible that people are harassing the staff the way they are, and the way they have been from early on. 

I like to enjoy my quiet and peaceful and respectful place in this fandom for a reason. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, of course, but voicing them thoughtfully and respectfully is a very different thing from bullying and insulting the staff, and everyone else who might have diferent thoughts. I will continue writing fanfic for this series for as long as it brings me joy, and having this blog and interacting with my followers here has brought heaps of happiness in some very troubling and sad times for me. All in all, the series is finished, and I can honestly say, I had a very good time watching it. 

So my thoughts are:

> on Allurance: I started shipping it since s5, and even harder after s6. I think they had an awesome development throughout the whole thing, and I was so happy to see them dating right away on episode 1. We had the oportunity to see a bit of their relationship, and their moments were adorable. Lance was so worried, so supoortive and caring, and it brought out the best of him. 

> on the Zarkon/Honerva/Lotor backstory: I’m really glad everything was explained in much more depth. I’ve started to feel a very deep compassion for these three that I didn’t have before, and Lotor’s death hit me much harder now that we got his and Honerva’s full backstory. Very cool of Voltron to have these three complex and well developed villains. I now want to write more for Lotor ahah

> on Allura’s sacrifice: I can’t say I was surprised, after those leaks came out with her statue in the back, but oh man, especially aftet that goodbye scene, it was a hard blow. I loved it storywise, but I feel so sad for Lance. Allura was never a character I really connected with as much as let’s say, Keith, especially for the first couple of seasons. I think it was only after s3 that she started growing a little on me, but even after that, she was always kind of indifferent to me (idk man, sometimes you just click with other characters more), but for some reason, I always did enjoy her arcs in the series - her journey on becoming a paladin, her struggle in accepting that not all Galra were evil and not all Alteans were good, the Oriande alchemy thing, her brief romance with Lotor, her slow burn romance with Lance, and this final sacrifice. It is always upsetting to see your favorite character go, I can understand that, but you cannot deny that she had a good run. A good story. 

> on the ending: that’s where most of my criticism would come. I’m pretty sure that most of those stills after the credits were added at last minute, and on one hand, I would have liked it to just end with that final scene of them saying goodbye to the lions during the night. It felt like an amazing open end, with very beautiful and inspiring imagery. Concerning the stills, I’m a little torn - Pidge’s and Hunk’s ending felt adequate (and oh my God, Matt’s hair is so adorable, I don’t care what people say, I love him with any hairstyle). Keith’s ending, and the Blades becoming an humanitarion organization felt a bit off to me. It just doesn’t seem like the kind of work the Blades and Keith would engage in. As for Lance’s ending, I’m still considering it - I don’t mind it too much, but I still would have liked him to be happy with someone else, and end up doing something with a little more... action in it. I think my ideal ending for him and Keith would be for them to end up as instructors at the Garrison, or carrying on with whatever was needed in space. Being role models for the next generation would fit them both so well, and I would have loved to see that. Shiro’s ending was one that was very clearly a last minute addition, and that’s mostly what made me not like it. I can understand him wanting to step away from the action and rest (even though I would have prefered an ending similar for what I described for Keith and Lance), but just pairing him up with Curtis felt like a very rushed and not well thought move. I also missed a lot of Keith and Shiro interactions, I felt there were barely any this eason, and it saddens me a lot. I’m not a hardcore Sheith shipper, and I’m not even a hardcore shipper in Voltron, because I think there are so many good pairings that I find it hard to find one to cling to, but platonically or romantically, Shiro and Keith’s dynamic is one of my favorites, and this last season was definitely lacking. I did love that picture with all of them grown up. It was beautiful and heartwarming, and Allura’s absence still hurts a little, but I loved it all the same. 

#vld #vld s8 #a speaks #not whump

[guillotinedangel]

Can I request a LotorxReader, fluff scenario where the reader is betrothed to lotor and she genuinely loves him but he thinks she's just using him for his status until she fought beside him during a battle and he saw how beautiful and how he was actually denying himself of liking her, please ? I know this is very detailed but I'm bad at writing and I love reading your stories ❤️

Hi sweetie! So, it was really fun to write this one because I personally love a good demonstration of how badass a character is, especially if their s/o is right there to be amazed by their skills hahaha anyway, the only thing I am not entirely sure is if I got the fluffy part right, but you can leave me another anon message with your opinion of it. This said, enjoy!~Chimera.

Ship: Lotor x fem!reader.Scene: Lotor doubts his fiancée real interests until she fights alongside him.Warnings: Mature language, violent scenes.Edited and corrected by: @portrait-ninja

“You havegot to be kidding.” Pidge snapped, “There’s no way I am helpingLotor become Emperor!”

Lotorraised an eyebrow in disbelief; looking away he tried not to show howhurt he was by the human girl’s words. He had helped the paladins and killedhis own father, Zarkon, freeing the universe from his reign; accomplishinga goal that legend said could only be achieved by Voltron. But nothing hadseemed to change; everybody kept looking at him like if he was only aminiature version of his father. Speaking to him with no respect and openlymanifesting their hatred for him. And what was worse, now nobody wanted to payhim back.

Standing byhis side, you frowned and crossed your arms over your chest, pissedby your best friend’s words. Pidge couldn’t be serious, after everything thatLotor had done!

“ForGod’s sake, Pidge, your father is safe and sound thanks to him.”

“Youthink I care? I am not helping him get on the throne.”

Youlooked around for support from anybody else but no one seemed ready to offerit.

“You’re allbeing so quiznaking selfish! Lotor helped us defeat our biggest enemy! It’sthanks to him that the universe is safe, you can’t deny it!”

“Y/N”Allura said, placing her hand in your shoulder. “You are not being objectivehere. You love him, you -”

Butyou didn’t let her finish. You shook free from her grip and took afew steps back, getting closer to Lotor.

“He’semperor of the Galra Empire. At least he has a kingdom to rule,unlike you.” You said bitterly to the princess.

Everyone fellsilent and Lotor looked at you knowing you had stepped over the line.He loved you and appreciated the support but still there wassomething he didn’t quite understand. Since he had defeated his father andasked you to marry him –which had happened pretty much all at once-you had been insanely obsessed with him claiming his right over the galranthrone. Almost to the point where Lotor was starting todoubt if you really loved him for who he was rather thanwhat hehad been born into. He hated himself for even thinking that butyour actions where starting to speak for themselves.

“It’sokay, Y/N, you can’t change their minds…” he said reaching out foryou, but the look in your eyes made him stop.

“Theyare your people, Lotor. You are the only legitimate heir. The throne is yourbirthright. If you don’t claim it someone else will, and if they arehostile to Voltron,we will be right back where we started. Can’t any of you seethat?”

Everyoneexchanged a meaningful look.

“Well,”Shiro began, “She kinda has a point there, better the devil you know…”

“No!”Pidge’s cheeks turned red out of pure anger, “We are not helping him!”

“Finethen!” you shouted, “I hope you don’t treat all your allies like this becausesoon enough you won’t have any!”

Youstormed out of the room with your words hanging in the air.

//

“Y/N”

Thefamiliar voice of the prince called to you from across thehall, but you kept walking; ignoring him. You were pissed with your friends fornot seeing sense, pissed with Lotor for letting the throne slip from betweenhis fingers.

Abreeze fluttered your hair and the tall body of your half-galranhalf-altean fiancée made you stop short. You loved how he towered above you andhow strong he was. The purplish color of his skin, the yellow of hisferal eyes, the ivory of his hair… but when it came to times like this it allmade him look pretty terrifying.

“What?”you hissed.

“Youcan’t keep doing this. I appreciate the support you provide, but if that isgoing to make you lose your friends or the trust they have placed inyou... You are a bigger part of team Voltron than I am. Becoming Emperor wouldmean you becoming Empress. Would they be okay with that?”

“Youthink I care?” your eyes sparkled with anger. Just as Lotor feared, you werewilling to risk everything for the throne but was it for him or forpower? “They don’t get it, fear is clouding their judgment, but I cansee.”

“Noyou can’t!” Lotor snapped. You frowned and took a little step back, “If fear iswhat clouds their minds then the promise of power is clouding yours!”

“Excuseme?”

“Yes,I’m not stupid, Y/N, I’m 10,000 years old, do you think a youngling likeyou can fool me? You have been obsessed with me taking the throne ever since Ikilled my father, ever since I proposed you.”

“Lotorwhat the hell are you saying?”

Fearstarted crawling up your chest, replacing the anger until it vanished completelyand only sole anguish took control of your heart. Was Lotor saying that he hasdoubts about your feelings for him? Was he for quiznaking real?

“WellI’m saying that our engagement is over and that I’m leaving this place. I don’twant to be around you anymore.”

“What?”the word came out of your lips, barely a whisper. Did he just end things betweenthe two of you?

Youopened your mouth to say something else, but the words died in yourthroat as emotions whirled in your chest. Maybe Pidge was rightall this time. You shouldn’t have put your trust Lotor. Hewasn’t capable of love. Your whole relationship had been an excuse for himto accomplish what he wanted and now that he had it… he was getting rid of thedead weight. Of you.

“I’msorry,” the prince said, trying to hold back tears. He never feltmore heartbroken in his whole life, not even when his father treatedhim like trash… no. You had been his pillar, his reason to keep fighting andnow… well. Now he had seen why he had built up those huge walls around hisheart in the first place.

And so,he left.

//

Ithad been weeks since Lotor had left the castle and went only god-knows-where.Since your fight you had barely left your room. Shiro was the only one you allowedto come and go, because he had tried to stand up for Lotor during thediscussion you had on the bridge. Everybody else tried to talk to you when theyfound out, but you didn’t allow them to come in. They were just feelingguilty about your breakup, nothing more. They didn’t care and youknew that. At some point,everyone felt better with the situation theway it was now with Lotor gone. Plus, you didn’t need Pidge or Alluratelling you that they had warned you about him.

“Youfeeling any better?” Shiro asked, entering the room with a hot plate ofsomething that didn’t look like the goo you usually ate. You immediately knewthat was probably Hunk trying to make you feel better indirectly.

“No.”you mumbled, turning around in bed to face the paladin, “How could I?”

Shirofrowned and left the plate on the empty desk. He took a seat on theedge of your bed.

“Youstill love each other and I bet that’s the reason why he did it.”

“Istill love him I’m sure of that but… He seemed to mean it.”

“Y/N,please. A few weeks ago you were standing up for him on the bridgeand he was trying to calm you down. Look, I may be inexperienced inthis field, but I’m not blind.”

“Well…”you took a deep breath “Now he’s gone so… There’s nothing leftfor me to do.”

“Maybethere is.” Shiro started playing with his fingers, nervous.

“Whatis it, Shirogane? Spit it out.”

Shiro fell silentfor a moment.

“Um,maybe you and I can take the Black Lion and go help him.”

“Withwhat? We don’t even know where he is…”

Shiroscratched his nape and you stood up in bed.

“Shiro.” Yousaid warningly.

“Okay,okay. He’s gone to claim the throne. The Galra are holdinga celebration ceremony and…”

“Andwe are still here!?” you snapped, jumping out of bed and running to yourwardrobe to get your armor, “Move your ass, Shirogane! They’re gonna cut himto pieces if he shows up alone and with no backup!”

//

Asthe Black Lion appeared in the sky all the Galra reunited for theKral Zera ceremony taking place turned around surprised, Lotor included,who had just arrived. His first thought was that the paladins haddecided to break their word and not let him take the throne. What hedidn’t expect was seeing you climb out of the lion, walking like youowned the place, with the black paladin at your back and in your full royalGarla armor.

Hehad given it to you saying “His Empress should have an armor worthyof her” and, even though you didn’t tower over the glara, Lotor could feelhow everyone exchanged concerned glances, While you were askilled warrior and an ally of Voltron everyone knew that messingwith you did not only guarantee your wrath, but Lotor’s as well.

“Whatare you doing here?” he asked, approaching you with a smile on his face. He hadto admit he had been feeling lost and lonely all these weeks,without your touch and that look in your eyes. He had been feelingempty without your smile and the scent of your hair.

“I’mtrying to save your ass, my prince.” you said, raising an eyebrow lecturinghim, “You are really brave coming here alone, but I thought you could use somehelp. Prince Lotor has the protection of Voltron” you continued, raising yourvoice so everybody could hear you, “if any of you dares to challenge him, theywill have to fight me as well and, if you come up victorious, the paladins willtake revenge. So, that said, does anyone want to stepforward? Does anybody want to lose their life to sit on a throne thatdoesn’t belong to them?”

As yourgaze roamed over the crowd, you were able to see Lotor’s former generals. Theirmurderous gazes where settled on you, but they didn’t dare say a word and evenless, confront any of you.

“Youheard my beloved princess, does anyone wish to challenge us?”

“Your beloved princess,as you call her, is not even galran, and neither are you.” A voice spoke fromthe crowd. The voice was revealed to belong to CommanderSendak, speaking with a repulsed look on his face, “So, as you are notworthy, I challenge you, but only you. I am not fighting that human scum.”

“Youscared?” you asked defiant, taking a step forward, but Lotor grabbed your armbefore you could say something else.

“IfI win, she will be the Galra’s future Empress therefore, I demand you takeback what you just said about her.”

Sendaklaughed and the weapon that replaced his lost arm, shone in a bright purplelight.

“Well,as you desire, prince. Your little bitch will die with you today.”

Ashe said that, his cybernetic arm was shooting right towards you, butLotor stopped it with his sword before it could reach you. Jumping towardsSendak he started a very heated fight between the two of them.

“Y/N!”Shiro called out to you. As you turned around, he threw his bayard at you,which, for some reason immediately shaped into a sword, “Use it well, and bringit back to me!”

Younodded and turned your face back to the fight, just in time to see Sendak throw apunch at Lotor, grazing less than an inch away from his face. Clenchingyour teeth with rage and remembering Sendak breaking into the castle andalmost killing all of you, you ran directly to him, tackling theGalra commander. He was at least two feet taller than you and you hit haddestabilized him, before he could regain his footing you swung your sword athim.

Theattack caught him by surprise and he was not able to get away in time. The edgeof the bayard scratched his face and down his armor, leaving an open andbleeding wound on one of his cheeks.

Lotorlooked at you wide eyed and the Garla watching the scene held theirbreath at the sight.

Didyou, a weak and tiny earthling, just managed to hurt one oftheir best commanders?

“Whowere you calling human scum, kitten?” you mocked him.

Sendakwiped the blood off his face and let out a warning growl. He had beenhumiliated by that quiznaking human bitch.

“Iam going to make myself new armor from your bones!” he screamed,charging back at you but, being smaller and lighter than him, it was easy foryou to use his huge body to avoid his attack successfully.

“You’re reallygonna need more than my bones for that.” You said playfully, swinging your sword,“I’m tiny compared to you.”

Withrage pounding through his veins, Sendak threw his hand at you, but Lotor got inthe way as he did before and repelled the attack.

“IfI were you,” he said panting, “I’d keep my mouth shut.”

“Oh,baby” Sendak moved again and you rolled down to one side as Lotor jumped to theother, avoiding being caught in the hole your foe just created in the groundwere you had stood, “You’re taking all the fun away!”

Yousmiled at each other and started attacking Sendak from different sides, drivinghim mad. You two were playing with him, in front of the Galra Empire.Even if he did manage to kill you in the end, the stories of this fightwouldn’t go away any time soon, and he was already starting to feel tired.He needed to put an end to this, now.

Avoidinganother of Lotor’s attacks, Sendak turned around to face you, and a wide smileappeared in his face, allowing you to see his fangs. All he had to do was takea good shot at you. Kill the prince’s lover. It would drive him mad, he wouldcommit a mistake and the throne was his. It was so simple.

“Tolove is to die, prince!” He said before charging towards you.

Thiswasn’t like the other times. He was starting to get a grip on your moves.He managed to graze you a few times, even though Lotor was trying tokeep him away from you, failing amazingly, to be honest. Sendak seemed reallyfocused on you and, as his attacks grew stronger and faster yourbody started to feel theeffects of the battle.

Eachhit from his metal arm was like agony. He had been trained all his lifefor this, but you? Hell, you only had a few classes with the paladins and someintensetraining with Lotor that usually ended romantically. You werein a good shape of course, and you were and amazing warrior but that wasn’tenough to face an eight-foot tall built and crazy purple alien with adeadly mechanical arm. Not to mention he probably had hundredsof years of intense military and combat training.

Soeventually your tired muscles made you flinch, and Sendak gotyou, slashing his claws all across your face.

Youscreamed in pain and you started taking steps back, blinded by the blood thatwas bathing your face. Trying to get away from Sendak you reached the Kral Zerastairs and tripped, falling backwards and dropping the bayard from your hands.You were exposed, and experiencing terrible agony. You weren’t sureif your foe’s claws did get your eyes because the pain was so excruciatingthat it went all throughout your head and down your neck.The only thing that you could actually hear was Shiro shouting yourname across the square and then Lotor, screaming before hearing the clashing ofmetal against metal again.

Aftera while you were able to open your eyes. You seemed to see just fine, eventhough the blood kept getting in your eyes, tinting everything red.The painwouldn’t go away, but you had to help Lotor. You knew he wasusually calm while fighting and that was what made him win. With all that rageinside he would only get himself hurt.

“Fuckingrabid pussycat.”

Bathedin your own blood and feeling the dizziness that usually came with excessiveblood loss, you reached for the black bayard and, taking a deep breath chargedSendak.

Theblade pierced right through his lower back and exiting through his lowerabdomen, making the commander growl in pain. As he turned around hehit you hard enough to send you flying back to the stairs, losing yourbreath when your ribs made contact with the cold and hard ground.

Realizingwhat had just happened all of the Galra fell silent and Lotor took afew steps back, wanting to get to you but, at the same time, not being sure ofSendak’s defeat. Did you just kill the commander? By yourself?

Theanswer came as Sendak fell to his knees panting in pain and, immediatelyafter he fell on his face. Dead.

“He isdead.”

“Thehuman girl has killed Sendak.”

“She did it.”

Seeing that hisfoe was defeated, Lotor dropped his sword and ran to you.

You let outa moan of pain as he cradled you in his arms. Even through all the agony youmanaged to smile at him.

“We didit” you mumbled.

“You did it,which was just incredible.”

Youchuckled, but the pain tore through you again, making you close youreyes tightly.

“It’sokay,” Lotor said, “don’t talk now. I… want to apologize. I was feeling soinsecure; I should have never said those awful things, my love. Now Isee, you are willing to do anything for me as I would for you. Willyou be able to forgive me?”

“Ilove you, Lotor, that’s the only thing that matters.” You took a breath torecover your strength, “I have to apologize too. I was being so stupid aboutthe Emperor thing… acting like a brat with my friends.”

“Shh now,you were right about everything.” The prince stroked your hair,stained with blood. He wanted to cry, seeing you so hurt because ofhim, with Sendak’s claws marks across your face leaving you branded forever.

“Lightthat flame. Go claim your throne” you said under your breath, grabbing Lotor’snape to bring him down to you to kiss him.

“Ourthrone.” He corrected you, as you two broke apart.

“Vrepitsa, my Emperor.”

“Vrepitsa, my Empress.”

 -Chimera.

#prince lotor #lotor #vld lotor #voltron lotor #Voltron legendary defender #voltron lions #lotor x reader #voltron #lotor imagine #vld

[vrepitsorrynotsorry]

A Shotory Baking Show AU

Title: Ready, Set, Bake! Theme: AU Rating: G Pairing: This one runs toward the Shotor shippy, but it’s certainly not porn. Warnings/Spoilers: Not really any spoilers... Kind of a Great British Baking Show in space AU. A/N: I binged what was on Netflix and it spawned this idea. I regret nothing. Also, the first inklings of this were spawned during @blackpaladinweek, so credit to the AU prompt as well. Also also, I just realized while editing that Allura is never mentioned. Oops! Maybe she’s one of the judges?

“Welcome back to the Great Intergalactic Baking Show grand finale on the picturesque planet Arus. It’s lovely weather for the picnic gala, isn’t it, Lance?”

“You’ve got that right, Coran! Soon all the original contestants, family, and friends will gather here for what’s going to be some fantastic food, but before that, let’s head inside the tent for the first of our final three bakes!”

***

Shiro hadn’t even really wanted to enter the competition. Keith had entered on his behalf. He wasn’t too humble to admit that his baking was pretty good, but he just wasn’t all that competitive anymore.

He’d taken it up as a hobby after an injury in service to Galaxy Garrison had lost him an arm and earned him an early retirement. Fortunately, the intergalactic community offered excellent options for cybernetic prosthetics.

He’d even toyed with the idea of opening a small bakery, but he just wasn’t sure his offerings were good enough to bring in sufficient funds for the venture to be worthwhile. Keith had said this was the perfect opportunity to prove to himself that his baking was up to snuff and that judging from previous seasons of the show, the competition wasn’t as cutthroat as most other shows tended to be.

He was still shocked he’d made it to the finals, but apparently his grasp of the basics was impressive. What he lacked in showy designs and fanciful flavor combinations was made up for in technique and consistency.

***

“Our first finalist, Shiro, has been a contender throughout the whole competition, eh, Coran?”

“Indeed! In fact, I think his steadiness and calm has been of great help to some of the other bakers along the way.”

“Next up is Hunk, a fan favorite and super awesome dude. His bakes have never failed to please”

“A natural talent for sure!”

“And Lotor. He’s, uh... He’s Lotor.”

“Unique indeed!”

***

Shiro was pretty sure Hunk was going to win. That kid had everything. His presentations were beautiful, his flavors--even when he went for something off the wall--were always amazing, and he had an uncanny ability to make fantastic things in the technical challenges even when there were hardly any instructions.

Besides being an amazing cook, Hunk was also a genuinely nice guy. He could be a little overly cautious and occasionally cynical, but he was kind to all the other competitors, even on the very rare occasion that he had an off day. The judges seemed to love him as much as everyone else.

***

Matt, an old roommate and current good friend of Shiro’s, and his little sister Katie “call me Pidge” worked on the technical crew for the show. All the finalists got to watch the family interview segments the night before the final as a sort of private celebration and a chance to see the clips without having to wait for the show to air, but Matt stopped by Shiro’s apartment a few days before.

“Hey, uh, remember how we all thought that maybe Lotor asked the show not to go talk to his parents because they were really busy?”

“Yeah?”

“It turns out he had this huge falling out with them. Pidge and I edited the footage as best we could, but it’s...not great.”

Shiro frowned. “Well, that’s depressing, but why are you telling me this?”

“Partly because it’s really bothering me and Pidge said she’d stab me if she had to listen to me talk about it anymore, and partly because Lotor seemed to get along with you okay. He’s gonna be blindsided by the video because I think he honestly thought the show just wouldn’t do a clip for him, even though he’s in the finale.”

Shiro sighed. “We’re not exactly close, Matt. I only see him when we’re filming, just like everybody else. I don’t have any way to contact him.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

***

It wasn’t like Lotor was overtly rude to any of the other competitors or anything, he was just coolly aloof. He was terse to the camera when he was asked questions about his baking, and he didn’t like to make small talk with the other contestants.

The nicest of the others brushed it off as shyness or awkwardness, though some thought it was arrogance. Lotor’s family was fairly well-known, after all. Galra Inc. was probably the universe’s largest private security firm and arms supplier.

Given the general stereotype in the media of fiercely competitive and frequently violent Galra, many people were surprised Lotor was allowed to participate at all. There had been gambling odds on how long it would take for the pressure to make Lotor crack and have an explosive outburst.

At first, Shiro wasn’t sure what to make of the man other than the fact that his creativity level was insane. Sometimes his designs were overly ambitious and his flavor combinations were questionable, but he was fearless about attempting all of it.

Then the “tripping incident” happened. To be fair, and the camera footage totally corroborated it, Nyma didn’t actually trip Shay, she just didn’t warn her about the step stool Shay couldn’t see over the tray of cupcakes she was carrying. Everyone in the vicinity, including Nyma, to her credit, rushed to see if she was all right, except Lotor, who somehow managed to catch the tray and the majority of the cupcakes. If he hadn’t, she wouldn’t have had all the components she needed for her showstopper. Maybe he hadn’t verbally expressed concern, but he clearly had at least some sense of fairness and competitive respect, which was better than nothing.

The week after “Trip Gate”, both Shiro and Lotor found themselves incorporating potatoes into a savory component, and their peeling techniques were almost identical.

“Got assigned a lot of kitchen duty?” Shiro inquired.

Lotor grunted an assent. “I had an unfortunate tendency to challenge authority. You?”

“I actually volunteered mostly,” Shiro admitted. “I found it relaxing.”

The cameramen were currently at the other end of the tent watching Lance and Coran quiz Hunk about his signature dish, and Lotor seemed to be in an uncharacteristically playful mood. “Shall we make it a challenge to see who can finish peeling first?”

“What’s the prize?” he asked Lotor with a small grin.

“Respect?” Lotor offered with a shrug.

Shiro pretended to take offense. “You mean I don’t have that already?” Lotor snorted but managed to maintain a straight face. “How about, if I win, you have to smile--on camera.”

Lotor looked mildly alarmed at the suggestion before he managed to compose himself once again. “Fair enough, I suppose. If I win, you have to say something nice about yourself on camera.”

“Touché.” Shiro had a tendency to be a bit self-disparaging. He thought he’d been doing a fairly good job of reining that in during the competition, but apparently he was wrong.

Shiro won their peeling competition by a narrow margin, so Lotor obligingly greeted Lance, Coran, and the camera crew with a dazzling smile. They were momentarily speechless, but they recovered quickly.

Shiro was a bit taken aback himself. He wasn’t afraid to admit that Lotor was an attractive man, but smiling seemed to take it up another notch. Alas, as soon as the camera turned to Shiro, Lotor slipped back into the impassive mask he usually presented to everyone, and Shiro realized it was the only time he had ever seen Lotor express more than a smirk.

However, he seemed to have found a bit of the infamous competitiveness of his people. It wasn’t overly aggressive but rather surprisingly almost friendly. It became a habit for them to set themselves side challenges, and Shiro was certain he wouldn’t have enjoyed his time on the show half as much without the lighthearted rivalry. Lotor never said as much, but Shiro hoped their interactions were meaningful to him as well.

***

The night of the viewing party arrived, and Lotor was late. Shiro was beginning to wonder whether the other man even planned to attend when Lotor stormed in the door speaking angrily into a communicator.

“For the last time,” Lotor snarled to whoever was on the other end of the exchange, “I’m not dropping out of the competition. You’re being ridiculous. My competing obviously hasn’t affected your business at all because you didn’t even know I was actually doing it until they came to interview you.” He paused, and Shiro could just barely make out a low voice telling Lotor something. After a few moments he let out an entirely humorless bark of laughter.

“You can’t fire me; I resigned the day I first told you about the competition. You never listen to me, do you? Didn’t you notice my office has been empty for weeks? Also, those muffin baskets everybody misses aren’t bought from some place only I know about--I used to bake them myself. Good luck replacing both my engineering and design skills and the snacks all your clients enjoyed so much.”

Lotor cut off the connection and stomped across the room to the employees preparing the clips for viewing. He was still bristling with anger, and one of the hapless show workers hid behind a data pad, as though that would do them any good. Lotor took a deep breath, and his cornered audience winced in anticipation of shouting.

“I imagine my father’s interview has been heavily edited?” Lotor’s voice was quiet and calm when he did speak, and dangerously so when coupled with his stormy expression. The man with the data pad shield nodded. “Do you still have the uncut footage?” Another furtive nod. “I think my father would really prefer that you air his complete interview. We wouldn’t want anybody to get the wrong idea about him being proud of me, now would we?” A rapid shake of the head. “Excellent.” With that, Lotor swept back outside.

Shiro stood shocked, staring after him.

“Wow.” Shiro started at the voice directly behind him and turned to find Hunk standing there. “Here I was afraid to watch my own clip because I’m sure my family told embarrassing stories about me. Think he’s okay?”

“I wouldn’t be.” Shiro debated what to do for a few moments. “Hey, Hunk, think you could stall the viewing for a bit? I’m going to go after him.”

“Good luck!”

***

Lotor hadn’t gone very far, fortunately. Shiro found him leaning against a large rock and staring up at the stars.

“I shouldn’t have lost my temper like that.” Lotor broke the silence without even looking at Shiro.

“While that was the most emotional I’ve ever seen you, you seemed pretty contained to me.”

“I should apologize to that crew member,” Lotor remarked casually. “It wasn’t even his fault and I think I almost gave him a heart attack.”

“Let’s head back in there, then,” Shiro suggested. “We can watch Hunk be embarrassed by a family that loves him to extremes, my brother be forced to speak full sentences to a stranger with a camera, make heckling comments over whatever your father had to say, and you can apologize. Maybe you can bake that guy one of your famous muffin baskets.” Shiro couldn’t help a tiny bit of teasing.

“Fine,” Lotor agreed with an exaggerated disgruntled huff. “Ancients, I hope nobody pities me. I hate that.”

“I’m sure they wouldn’t dare.”

The clip viewing was actually fairly amusing. Hunk turned beet red several times, and his mother called him no less than twelve different pet names in Samoan. (“Ooh, what’s that one mean?” “C’mon, guys... Can’t you just let it go?” “Hang on a tick, I’m looking it up right now.”) Even though they managed to get Keith to talk for a while, Shiro’s clip still contained unfortunate stretches of silence. (“Believe it or not, these are edited down from the original awkward silences.” “They’re only awkward for the interviewer. It looks like a comfortable silence for you and Keith.”) Zarkon’s interview was actually shorter than Shiro expected. He ranted for a few moments about Lotor’s participation in the competition being “a black spot in the history of the company” and a shamefully passive pastime. (“He’s obviously never kneaded bread dough.” “I know, right?”) Then he kicked the camera man out of his office. The remainder of the time was just the poor guy attempting to get absolutely anyone else in the building to talk about Lotor, including his mother, Honerva, who was so caught up in her work she actually had to be reminded that they were trying to get her to talk about her own son.

Afterward, there were refreshments, which rather shockingly did not include any baked goods. When Lotor made a joke about that being “a black mark” on the show, Shiro was pretty sure he was going to be fine.

He introduced Lotor to Matt.

“Having now seen that,” Lotor wondered, “what exactly was the edited version?”

“Honestly?” Matt scratched the back of his head and shrugged. “We had some footage of the outside of the building and just kind of made up a voiceover about the basics of the company and how your dad is the boss. It was practically a commercial.”

“Did you ever say that I worked there?” Matt shook his head. “You should air that version then. They’ll have no reason to take offense. I get to walk away from this show after tomorrow, but I imagine you all would like to keep your jobs.”

***

Right before the start of the first of their final three bakes, Shiro approached Lotor, who was setting up for what looked like his usual all-out performance. He had something he’d been wanting to ask Lotor, but he thought he’d better work up to it.

“So, who do you think will--”

“Hunk. Obviously.”

“You seem to be putting in a lot of effort if you’re so sure of that,” Shiro remarked.

“Yes, well, I’m not sure I know how to do anything but my best.”

“I can relate.” Shiro had agonized over his own signature dish planning even though his chances of winning were quite slim in his opinion.

“Did you...need something?” Lotor’s question reminded Shiro that he’d just been standing there, thinking and staring.

“You said last night that you quit your job with Galra Inc?”

Lotor frowned. “Yes. I have money saved up to last me a while, and I also told you I hate pity.”

“That’s not what this is,” Shiro insisted. This was not going very well. “How would you like to be my partner in opening up a new bakery?”

Lotor blinked. “What?”

“I’ve been thinking about doing it for years, but I never thought I could turn a profit. I mean, my baking is good, but it’s also pretty basic. I don’t really have anything to draw in customers. Well, now I have some notoriety from the show, but how long will that last? You’re really creative, and I thought we might be able to work well together. You know, if you want to try it.”

Lotor blinked some more in the wake of that verbal barrage. He started to open his mouth to reply, but Shiro was ordered to his own station to begin the show. After that, Shiro was too busy baking to beat himself up about it much.

Hunk won, and Shiro was genuinely happy for him. He’d earned it.

Lotor cautiously approached Shiro as Hunk was being mobbed by his very happy and proud family.

“I think you’d be a good partner,” he blurted. “Business partner, I mean. The bakery? We could do that.”

“Yeah?”

Lotor extended a hand and they shook on it. Shiro may not have been the big winner of the day, but he still counted the experience as a win.

#ficlet #vld au #shotor #kinda? #mutual attraction at any rate #prince lotor #takashi shirogane #with minor appearance by a bunch of other characters

[plumeriafairy14]

Voltron Noragami/Noragami Aragoto AU HCs!

Allura as a goddess. Probably like the god of war like Bishamon from Noragami. (Since she can kick ass in her sleep in canon). She has 6 Regalias (Shinki) with her that she had collected and who had overtime, grown on her. Over time, they have bonded through countless battles and have become an unbreakable team, family.

Shiro

Shiro is Allura’s first regalia. She found him when she was a relatively new god who wandered the world looking to start her path and create a name for herself.

His first form was a chipped wooden ring that Allura wears on her right hand. He packs a real punch when Allura uses him.

Over many years, the two of them become closer and they become an efficient duo. 

During one of the fights with Allura’s enemy, a god of calamity named Lotor, Shiro risks his life and his name to protect Allura and he evolves into a Blessed Regalia. From a wooden ring, Shiro becomes a polished obsidian ring with a beautiful cut violet stone. When activated, Shiro shifts and covers Allura’s right arm with a metal gauntlet that Allura can use the same way Shiro uses his arm in canon VLD. 

As Allura took in more regalia spirits, Shiro takes a stand as everyone’s commander. 

They’re like parents!!! They get stern and tired when the younger regalia (except Coran) fight and bicker. But the shrine they live in becomes rowdy with life and laughter. 

They develop feelings for each other even if it’s lowkey (Like Visha and Kazuma)  When there are other people around, they act professional but when it’s just the two of them, Shiro cares for Allura and does little things like make her tea or give her a back rub after a long day of fighting phantoms. He combs her her while he sits by the hot spring while Allura bathes. Shiro is like a doting husband who takes care of his overly stressed wife. Allura cares abotu Shiro very much as well and he often comes to him whenever there’s something bothering her. If there’s someone she trust to open up her heart to, it’s Shiro.

Yes, they kiss each other good night, good morning, after battle, or at random times of the day. Of course, when no one is around to see but it’s just SOOOOOO obvious. 

Coran

Coran is the second regalia Allura takes in. They met when she and Shiro got in a misty forest. 

He helps Shiro and Allura find their way out but as they start to part ways, Coran admits that he doesn’t enjoy wandering aimlessly in the forest. So, Allura takes him in.

Coran’s regalia form is a cane sword. However, by nature, he doesn’t like to fight if not needed. He enjoys keeping the shrine in tip top shape. Cleaning and making sure things are in order. He makes the meals and he transforms the ten thousand year old rundown shrine into a beautiful place that attracts tourists and people to pray to Allura. 

As more regalia joined Allura, Coran is genuinely happy that the shrine became filled with laughter. 

When Shiro is too busy with his duties, Coran’s usually the one who break up Keith and Lance when those two get on each other’s throats. 

He is very observant! When he first met Allura and Shiro, he immidately knew that the goddess and her ragalia had a special bond. Even if Keith and Lance bicker a lot, Coran knows all about the pining. 

When Allura goes out to battle phantoms with her regalia, Coran always makes sure that they all come home to a nice home cooked feast. 

He’s so precious. Protect him at all cost. 

Lance

Lance is the third regalia Allura takes in. Allura finds him sitting by a river one winter in his white spirit’s robe, looking utterly lost and confused. 

Out of all of her regalia, it was Lance who brought Allura to tears when the memories of how he lived and died flashed before Allura’s eyes when she claimed him as he own. (LAAAANGST) Of course, by the rules, Allura can’t tell anyone about it. 

Lance’s regalia form is a pistol (A .50 Desert Eagle, to be specific) 

His aim is so good that he’s dubbed as The Sharpshooter. That skill is amplified a hundred times with Pidge’s calculations guidance. 

Lance fights with Keith A LOT.

He also pines for Keith... A FUCKING LOT.

But in the heat of battle, Allura can count on Lance and Keith to be a flawless duo and they never let her down. Those two can hack and shoot through anything and they help make Allura even more lethal as a goddess of war.

LOTOR TRIED TO PIRATE LANCE ONCE. (hooolyyy shiiiit) It was during a low point in Lance’s life when he started to doubt himself and his abilities. The doubts and the distrust also taints Allura, blotching her right leg with bruises. 

Lance got in pretty deep in the rot and they had to use that painful cleansing ritual. Shiro, Coran, and Keith performed the ceremony. It was pretty painful to watch (especially for a certain mullet-haired regalia) but it had to be done.

Lance is always the one making jokes during a stressful situation in order to ease the tension and lighten the mood for his goddess and fellow regalia. But when shit hits the fan, Lance also means business. 

Hunk

Hunk is the fourth regalia Allura took in. She actually found him while she was on her day off and grocery shopping with Shiro and Lance. Hunk was sitting in an alley with his knees hugged to his chest and he looked incredibly terrified. 

Hunk is a gladiator armor type regalia. Lightweight and easy to move in but boooy he provides Allura with amazing (and fashionable) protection.

His episode reveals that he’s being chased by phantoms so he’s pretty shaken. He’s been hiding in alleys and scavenges dumpsters. 

Allura fights off the phantoms with Lance and Shiro then she takes Hunk in to her care. 

Hunk and Lance become best friends and they’re always chilling in the shrine after Coran makes them do their chores. 

He’s also an amazing cook! He and Coran often bonds in the kitchen and the team’s meals became 74539% better after Hunk joined the family. 

He’s a gentle sunshine child. Pure and too good for this world. 

Keith

Keith is the fifth regalia Allura took in. It was actually a last minute decision for Allura. She went off on her own (despite Shiro’s protests) to ‘run an errand.’ Since Shiro was occupied with some duties as her Divine Vessel, Allura went off with Hunk and Lance. 

Keith is a blade type regalia. A black bladed katana with a red slit that ran the length of the blade. 

Lance and Hunk are good but the phantom Allura fought was too fast for bullets. In the heat of the battle, Allura spotted a floating tongue of flame flickering in the darkness and knew that it was a spirit. 

Lance was like, “My lady, what are you doing? Are you even sure?” and Allura’s like: “We don’t have a choice right now, Lance!” then Allura takes Keith. (This scenario is similar to how Yato named Yukine.)

Keith is pretty hot headed and he can get quite crass sometimes but on the inside, he’s actually a tender cinnamon roll. 

He and Lance always butt heads, pretty much every goddamned minute when Keith was new. But over the course of time, the two started to bond more and they make a great team (range/close combat combo).

When Lance underwent the purification process, Keith was one of the three that participated and it hurt him so much to see Lance in pain like that. 

BECAUSE HE HAS FEELINGS FOR LANCE.

After Lance is cleansed and he falls it was Keith who caught him and cradles him in his arms. 

Not that he would admit it. But he’s a pining dork, according to Pidge. 

Keith usually trains with Shiro to hone his skills and the two become like brothers but Keith still respects him as his superior. 

When he’s not training, he usually takes quiet walks around the shrine and read the wishes that the patrons hang on the posts. On rare occasions that the wish plaque had the handwriting of a child and the wish was simple (ie. finding a lost cat) Keith asks permission from Allura to go out and ‘grant’ the wish. This also boosts Allura’s credibility towards shrine patrons too. 

Keith’s wish-granting-mission partner is Pidge. They’re such bros. 

Pidge

Pidge is the latest addition to the team and the one who is the youngest. Actually, it was Lance and Keith who found her wandering around when Shiro sent them out for an errand. There was a storm that day. Lance and Keith were fighting in a train station platform because they got off the wrong stop and they blamed the other.

Believe it or not, Pidge’s regalia form is actually a headband. (The same one she wore as Katie Holt in the canon VLD). But besides being a fashion accessory, Pidge actually extends to a glass scope over Allura’s left eye. (Her abilities are very much similar to Kazuma’s in Noragami.)

“Shut the fuck up, you two are making a ruckus. You should just kiss and go on your way.”

Klance: “!!!!?????!??!?!” *intense tsundere blushing* 

However, there was a phantom in the train station and the three of them have to fight their way through and get away. Lance and Keith can’t just leave this smol sassy salty girl on her own and it was obvious that she was just like them so they bring her home to the shrine. 

At first, Pidge didn’t want to because she didn’t want to be a burden, but Allura has a kind heart so... yeah. 

Lance’s memories and the way he died might have brought tears to Allura’s eyes because of how sad it is. But Pidge’s story actually leaves Allura frozen in shock and horror because of how traumatic it was. 

She does all the tech stuff that aide Allura in her hunts for phantoms. Maps, calculations, aura readings, google,... Just leave it to Pidge.

Pidge is the one who guides Shiro, Lance, and Keith during offense for a more exact hit on the target. 

Pidge is a sass master and she’s comes up with unbelievable conspiracy theories. She’s hella intelligent and is often the one who comes up with plans. 

So, there you go! I don’t think I’m dedicated enough to write this and I have a ton of project on my plate already. But if you’d like to use these for a fic, just let me know and please give credit! I’d love to read it! 

#Voltron #Noragami #Noragami aragoto #Noragami AU #Shallura #Klance #HCs #Fairy writes #I would love to write a fic based on this #but i dont have the time #Pidge Gunderson #Hunk Garrett #Takashi Shirogane #Coran #Allura #Keith Kogane #Lance McClain

[calligraphist-artemisia]

Across Time and Space (Chapter 15 - Final)

Summary: Sequel to I’ll Take Her Place.  Slav is showing off a piece of experimental equipment, when it malfunctions and blasts Katie and Keithir to another universe. At the same time, it drags Pidge and Keith over into theirs, effectively swapping places. With their fate resting in the hands of Slav, will they be able to get back home? Or are they stuck to live the rest of their lives in the wrong universe?

Also posted on AO3 and fanfiction.net under the username “kishirokitsune”.

–

Here we are at the very final chapter. A big THANK YOU to everyone who has reblogged or liked chapters over the course of this fic. And a bigger thank you to anyone who has left a comment on some of them! I know I’m not the best at responding on here, but I do read and cherish all of them. With this chapter up, the poll is now closed! Next up on my list of Kidge fics to write is the one shot "Instinct", so keep on the look out for that. As far as the next multi-chapter goes, it's a secret. ;) I will say, that it will be fun and set in a non-canon universe.

Chapter 15

Keith comfortably sat on the couch in the paladin lounge, one arm holding a tablet so he could help review possible battle strategies and the other draped lightly across the back of the couch where Pidge sat and was scanning over the latest attempt at integrating Altean tech into Garrison fighter-class ships. If he glanced over, he could see a header which read: “Mecha Flex Exofighter – Prototype 0.8”.

“Do you ever want to just punch Lotor in his stupid, smug face?” Pidge asked, completely unsolicited. She dropped her tablet into her lap and threw back her head in a display of pent up frustration.

Keith set aside his work in a more gentle manner. “You know I do. What's going on now?”

“Nothing. It's just the usual,” Pidge grumbled. “Going on about how the Galra need quintessence and looking into the rift in the remains of Daibazaal is the best way to do that, even though Shiro's pointed out a number of times that without the war, the Galra don't have a need for that much quintessence. I think it's the only reason Allura hasn't given in and started to help him. Well, that and Lance redirecting her to whatever issue the Garrison is having in figuring out how Altean technology works.

“I just wish we didn't have to have him around, even if he has been useful.” Pidge sighed and tipped her head to the side, her hair just barely brushing against Keith's shoulder.

“Best to keep him where we can keep an eye on him,” he recited, trying not to focus on how close she was. Just a few more centimeters...

Pidge grinned and sat up straight so she could playfully nudge him. “Now you sound like Shiro.”

“Does that mean you'll listen to me?”

“Ha! Not a chance!”

The door slid open and they quickly separated as Krolia and Travis walked in. Keith blushed and removed his arm from the back of the couch, pointedly looking away as his heartbeat quickened.

Krolia raised an eyebrow, but said nothing about how closely they were sitting, which Keith was grateful for. He still wasn't sure what was going on between him and Pidge and he appreciated the room everyone was giving them to figure it out on their own.

“Is everything alright?” Pidge asked.

“We got a message from Slav askin' us to meet him here,” Travis explained. “I'm guessin' he's not here yet.”

Keith wondered if he had an appropriate excuse to leave before Slav arrived, but couldn't think of a single one that his parents wouldn't immediately see through. It was a talent his dad had been surprisingly bad at in the beginning, whereas it took his mom roughly two weeks to figure it out.

It was hard to believe it had only been one year since everything in his life changed for the better. Shiro was back to his old self. He had both of his parents in his life. A close friendship with Pidge. The respect of Commander Iverson and other officers of the Galaxy Garrison – which had always felt like an impossibility.

Pidge picked up her tablet. “I should get back to the lab and see what Hunk thinks about the flaxum assembly. There have been some concerns about it coming loose during flight and I need to run some ideas by him.”

“Nice try, but you and I both know Hunk's with your mom talking about solutions for food production in space,” Keith said, stopping her before she could stand up. If he had to deal with Slav, so did she.

Pidge slumped back. “Just wait until it's my turn to design another holo-deck exercise.”

“I look forward to it.”

He knew she meant it as a form of revenge for making her stay, but he genuinely enjoyed the programs she created so far, even the ones he failed at. Each one had its own challenge and unique solution.

Keith's favorite so far was the one most hated by everyone else who tried it. (Except, amusingly, his mom and Kolivan – maybe it was a Galra thing.) It was a ninety minute obstacle course which Lance nicknamed “The Death Gauntlet”. Between the various traps, the training robot stalking the participant through a maze, the portion run in complete darkness, and a half dozen other tasks, it was little wonder that most people failed halfway through. And even if they did complete it, no one managed it in the intended ninety minutes, though Shiro came the closest on his third attempt and got his time down to one-hundred-and-three minutes.

“It will be worse than the Death Gauntlet,” Pidge warned, jostling him from his thoughts.

“You heard about Lance's name for it, huh?” Keith asked.

“Kind of hard not to when everyone calls it that now,” Pidge said with a shrug. “Anyway, you're really not going to like the next one. I've gotten requests for a team-building version of it and while I could just copy the original and add the allowance of more than one participant, that would be boring.”

Keith nodded in agreement. It would be boring, not just for Pidge, but for him as well, even if it did require working with an unknown team.

“But if you're nice to me, maybe I can swing it so you're with someone who takes it seriously, like Shiro,” Pidge tried to bribe him.

As long as it wasn't Griffin, Keith figured he'd survive. Luckily, everyone knew that it wasn't an option as the last time.

The door slid open a second time and Slav shuffled inside, his arms laden with an unfortunately familiar machine.

Pidge went still next to Keith. “Why do you have that?”

Krolia and Travis exchanged worried looks, keeping their distance from Slav as he made his way to the table and set it down. He began pushing buttons and flipping switches.

“Slav, why do you have that?” Pidge asked a second time. “I thought you destroyed it because it's too dangerous to keep around.”

“Don't worry, it's perfectly safe!” Slav cheerily assured them.

Maybe Keith should have let Pidge go after all. Or rolled with her excuse to leave and made up a reason to go with her. His parents probably would have let him.

The trans-reality extrapolater hummed to life and a blue light began to shine from the top, causing the space above it to waver. After a few seconds, an image began to form – a figure with dark hair and pale purple skin.

Travis stepped closer. “Keithir?”

The image solidified until it was clear that it was Keithir, who appeared to be trying to speak to them. Travis walked over until he was standing in front of the machine, at which point a second blue light began emitting from the side and scanned him up and down.

“Dad?” Keithir's voice came through. “Can you hear me? Slav, are you sure this thing is working correctly?”

“There's nothing wrong with my machine!”

Travis chuckled. “I can hear you, but I don't understand. I thought...” He paused to shake his head. “It's good to see you again.”

Keithir smiled back at him; a smile which grew broader as Krolia joined Travis in front of the machine. “We asked Slav to hold off on destroying it and helped him get it to work the way he intended. This is... this is our last chance. It was a risk waiting this long.”

“But one worth it,” Katie said off-screen.

Keithir shifted aside to let his wife step into frame next to him. In her arms, wrapped in a deep purple blanket, was a baby with the faintest fuzz of  black hair on top of her head and the trace of darkening markings up each cheek.

Pidge breathed out softly, reaching for Keith's arm.

“We'd like you to meet your granddaughter, Princess Krolia of Daibazaal.”

#voltron #kidge #kidgemas #fanfiction #reality swap au #final chapter