#while in s8 he is the one playing on that familial devotion

[autisticgayngel]

Canonverse Castiel-centric/pining/loving Cas fics

some of these are Dean's POV and a lot are alternating POV, but all of them really delve into Cas's emotions and his love for Dean. All canonverse and all happy endings. Categorised by post-confession, pre-s15 curtain fic and other canon-era. Descending word count within each category. If anyone has any recs for things I should add lmk!

Post-Confession Fics

things happen (they do, they do, and they do) by sobsicles 28k rating E

Everyone has recced this, and for good reason, it's stunning. Cas gets back from the empty and Dean sort of lets him down gently and is very worried about breaking his heart. Despite this Cas is finally able to express to Dean how much he loves him and takes full advantage of this. He's earnest and sweet and so intense about it, but also incredibly hurt about the lack of reciprocation, though he tries to hide it. He does get the love he deserves in the end and it's so good!

closer (isn't close enough) by fleeceframe 18k rating E

Again, Dean's POV, but very much focused on how much Cas loves him. Has the gorgeous Cas line: “When you are hungry, you eat. When you are tired, you rest. When you are dirty, you bathe. But what are you supposed to do with love?”

My unintended by DeanaWinchester, Jeanne_de_Valois 10k rating E

Really good Cas POV, he’s obsessive and insecure but also deeply loving.

my heart a compass by lagaudiere 10k rating T

The empty torments Cas with visions of Dean and of the family he longs to have with Dean. Dean saves him.

I said show me something by ilovehowyouletmefall 7k rating E

Sparked by the debate about whether or not Dean thinks Cas can feel. Cas is hurt by Dean saying he thought he couldn't feel and vulcan mind melds to show him exactly how he feels about him. It's a really interesting exploration of both of their feelings and fears.

Gift by thisisapaige 2k rating G

Very sweet little fic of them trying to work things out once Cas returns from the empty.

Pre-s15 Curtain Fics

take the long way home by dothraki_shieldmaiden 95k rating E

Dean tries to retire with his family but finds himself alone as Sam and Jack take a road trip and Cas goes hunting in order to prove he's still useful as a human and to avoid thinking about his feelings for Dean. Really agonising and harrowing at the start as they both feel so rejected and miserable. Cas gets into situations where monsters use his feelings for Dean to attack him. Eventually, they're able to tentatively work out their feelings and settle down together and it's very sweet.

Morning Glory by edgarallanrose 26k rating E

Dean and Cas retire together. Cas becomes a beekeeper and Dean starts to use the honey he makes to bake goods, which they sell at the farmer's market. Cas is very much in love with Dean but it takes Dean a bit longer to work things out.

Other Canon-era

A Winter's Tale by NorthernSparrow 64k rating T

This one hurts a lot, so fair warning for that. Cas falls ill while human and homeless and is hospitalised. Dean finds the journal Cas kept as he struggled to survive in this time. Pre-Destiel but Cas does write a lot about his feelings for Dean. Sam and Dean shower Cas with love and kindess as he recovers. Also a destiel epilogue that is very sweet and fluffy.

In the Shadow of your Wings by Enochian Things (Salr323) 57k rating E

Cas confesses his love to Dean post s11 finale but the timing is terrible and Dean is very repressed about it all and breaks Cas's heart. Cas gets an Italian man of letters boyfriend in an attempt to get over it and Dean is insanely jealous (which Cas is oblivious to) but they all have to work together to try to save Sam from the BMOL. Dean eventually gets his shit together and treats Cas the way Cas has learnt to understand he deserves.

That Black Dog Ache by SaltyWords (agent4hire22) 28k rating E

This is very much Dean's POV but I'm putting it here anyway because it has a really intense love confession from Cas, which I'll include an excerpt of that drives me insane:

'“I listen to your music, and I close my eyes. I try to imagine I’m in the Impala, hunting with you. And, sometimes,” his throat jumped, “I lay on your bed. I think about what it would be like if I got to have a place on it beside you... If you ever let me get close enough.”'

Kelp!I Need Somebody by andimeantittosting (Saylee) 27k rating E

A really sweet fic in which Sam, Dean and Cas go to investigate a case on Jesse and Cesar's ranch. Switching POV with really good mutual pining as they tentatively begin to realise the other feels the same.

Being Dean Winchester by Anonymous 26k rating E

Set early s4, Cas has to possess Dean temporarily. While doing this, he has to work to hide his feelings from Dean. Cas is already obsessed with Dean and in love with him but is embarrassed by it and struggles to keep Dean from seeing all of this, especially when Dean wants to have sex with someone while Cas is possessing him.

Après by imogenbynight 24k rating E

Set after the angels fall in s8. Cas falls to earth in Paris and realises he's in love with Dean. Dean comes to get him and they find love together in Paris.

desiderium, lost by atlasian 20k rating T

Castiel confesses his love for Dean and Dean tells him to move on. Cas tries, fairly unsuccessfully, before Dean gets it together.

No Other Worthy Quest by MajorEnglishEsquire 15k rating E

Cas just loves Dean very much.

'“For fuck's sake,” his skin is heating. Cas can feel it. “Stop saying lovey-dovey shit.”

“I know,” Cas rolls his eyes. “It’s so mortifying for you when I want to tell you I love you. I’m using all my self-restraint, I promise not to embarrass you.”'

The Arrow by jscribbles 12k rating T

Valentine's day and Cas has been hit by a Cupid's arrow and is literally sick with love for Dean.

and all this devotion by dothraki_shieldmaiden 10k rating M

Dean gets hurt on a hunt and Cas takes care of him in a cabin. Very sweet, delightful Cas POV of him being very much in love.

Cuckoo And Nest by komodobits 10k rating E

Cas struggles to work out why Dean deems some things meaningful and some things worthless, and where he fits into this apparent dichotomy. Really gorgeous and agonising Cas POV that deals with their constant issue of Dean just wanting Cas to stay and Cas wanting Dean to want him to stay but they're both too afraid to express it.

Breathe by turningthepages 9k rating G

Dean and Cas platonically sleep together to help with Dean's sleep. Cas both likes the situation and longs for it to mean more.

First Date by aeli_kindara 9k rating T

Dean asks Cas on a date and they're both trying very hard to make it all work. The sequel is stunning too.

'Dean says, “We should do that. Go on a date.”

Something in Castiel’s chest fuzzes, like static on a TV, and stops.'

weights on my ankles by dothraki_shieldmaiden 9k rating M

After 15x3 The Rupture, Cas goes back to Rexford. While there, he thinks about how Dean hurt him all those years ago and how he hurt him more recently. Partly a 9x6 Heaven Can Wait fanfic-gap fic.

Let it Linger by OmniscientOranges 8k rating M

Cas starts sleeping with men out of jealousy when watching Dean pick up women at bars. The way the fic describes how in love he is and how hopeless he feels about it is both agonising and very sweet.

He Thought He Was Reckless by MajorEnglishEsquire 8k rating M

Cas plays up injuries so that Dean will coddle him. Self-woobification from the Angel of the Lord and it's so sweet!

Something to Protect by Sass_Master 6k rating G

Cas tries to work out how to make Dean feel less unsafe so that he no longer has to jolt awake. Sweet, tentative intimacy and Cas enjoying it so much.

lonely hearts. by outpastthemoat 5k rating G

Deals with Cas accompanying Sam and Dean on hunts and feeling incredibly lonely and longing to be with Dean. He finds solace in romance novels.

Some People Would Call This Romantic by almaasi 5k rating G

Human Cas goes to the beach and finds it rather overwhelming. Taking a romantic walk with Dean along the beach is also overwhelming.

The Tea is Decaf by mnwood 4k rating T

Really sweet! Cas and Eileen talk and gossip about Sam and Dean in the bunker at night over tea.

A Place to Rest by Inessencedivided 3k rating G

Dean and Cas talk through things after the Stuck in the Middle with You love confession. Cas cries some more.

White Noise by domesticadventures 2k rating G

Cas struggles with feelings of worthlessness in the aftermath of Lucifer's possession.

Receipts by surlybobbies 1k rating G

Cas writes little notes about how much he loves Dean on receipts from meals they share together. Dean finds them.

#fic rec #destiel fic #fanfic #spn #destiel #pining cas #fic

[the-lightning-strikes-again]

Hey Lightning, I was wondering if I could get your thoughts on something. One take that seems to keep returning every once in a while is the "Allura fell for Lotor only after he revealed his Altean heritage," but I know u and others have disproven this many times, which does reassure me. While I love Allura, I definitely think one of her weaknesses was her devotion to Altea and singing Alfor's praises, which sometimes became too much. At the same time, it bothers me when I see some ppl (1/?)

Continuing anon message: “ say that she thought Alteans were superior to all other races, and that when the colony plot twist happened, she became repulsed by Lotor's Galra side, which is why she rejected him. For them, that's why she forced violent memories onto an uncorrupted Zarkon, but somehow "saw the good/redeemed" Honerva, the Altean. I can kind of understand where they're coming from, but for me, it just didn't make sense that Allura suddenly had a change of heart considering for most of s8, she was angry and dead set on going after Honerva. Even with that, I think to a lot of her fans, s8 made Allura so ooc that she became unrecognizable, which hurt to watch. I guess for me it's hard seeing antis and people who don't like her claim that that's just how she is and has always been. Haha sorry for rambling, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, since your arguments ease my mind on a lot of things when it comes to Allura :)”

Hi, anon. Wow, thanks for your extended note! I don’t know anywhere in canon that Allura champions Alteans as a superior race. The definition of racial supremacy is a belief that inherent genetic differences between races determine cultural or individual achievement, with social/governmental policies championing intolerance of other races. To get Allura to fit into such a label:

1.      A viewer has to ignore or undermine all the evidence available about who the main-universe Alteans really were before main-universe Zarkon’s massacre of them.

2.      A viewer has to ignore or undermine how Allura actually responds to a variety of different races in the show, including her own.  

So let’s start with issue one. To support an “Allura was a racial supremacist” opinion, a lot of antis (and even non-militant, average viewers) are favorable to the opinion that Alteans as a group, including Alfor, were actually evil and violent colonizer elitists before Galrans killed them off. In other words, they question Altean victimhood, and this allows the militant antis to poison and undermine scenes of a woman mourning her home and her beloved family. And it just gets to be a really unsettling conversation, to listen to someone actually try to justify genocide. They’ll also have suspicions that all of our foundational backstory in the s3 finale was just “cleansed” propaganda from Coran. So if antis can undermine Allura’s entire race and family as corrupt, then they can intentionally undermine any of her canonical statements about or efforts toward peace. Which is hilarious, because this racist tactic applied to Allura is actually what a lot of antis accuse Allura of doing with Lotor.

For the record, I don’t think the show production team actually intended the subliminal messaging/cognitive dissonance that I’m about to discuss. The people who designed and developed this show are fans of robot kitties and aren’t PhDs in social issues. But I think there is a very serious issue about the portrayal of genocide victims that feeds into some very real problems in our world, especially regarding the concept of racial supremacy and conspiracy theories about genocide victims.

VLD tried to play with both genocide politics for edge™ points while ALSO playing with shatterglass theory (shatterglass meaning an AU where the heroes are villains and villains are heroes). Combining these two concepts into the same universe creates some incredibly disturbing subliminal messaging about Alteans that very closely mimics ongoing neo-Nazi propaganda against Jews. Nazis and other anti-Semitists justify their hatred of Jews by equating them as terrible villains out for world domination via some underhanded shadow control of the mass populace. It’s an incredibly malicious form of propaganda, because it works so terribly well. And what do you know, VLD plays right into this kind of propaganda. In the season 3 episode, Hole in the Sky, we’re faced with team Voltron confronting an Altean Empire that was actually evil and out for multiverse domination. And oh by the way, they’re using malicious shadow tech to control a mass populace.

It’s like someone on the production team read the Protocols of the Elders of Zion and then just copied/pasted that incredibly damaging and widely accepted conspiracy theory right onto Alteans for s3 funsies because edge content.

This is incredibly punishing, for the narrative to wave the carrot stick in front of genocide survivors that maybe some others survived—and then to suggest that Alteans were the evil ones all along. A shatterglass twist worked very well in Captain Marvel (2019) for a lot of reasons, for example, but it just doesn’t work well in the VLD universe given that the show explicitly portrays the genocide victims as evil and validates this concept. And this episode unfortunately feeds ongoing cognitive dissonance in antis that if AU Alteans could be so evil…how certain are you that they aren’t in the main universe too? On the reverse side, the main-universe goes out of its way to portray that not all Galrans are evil, and even that Galrans were the primary resistance (BOM). But in this singular episode, we see a united Altean empire. And the only Altean who moves to stand against it once the shine wears off…is Allura. There is no AU Altean actually shown in the Guns of Gamara. So Allura stands alone as an Altean against her own people.

For this reason, this episode doesn’t function very well as a shatterglass AU either, because the moral “flip” isn’t a mirror balance to main universe. The Alteans of the AU world appear as fully united in their evil plans. And then, no doubt, anti-alluras point out other quirky things about main-universe Alteans throughout the show—the violent language-learning system that scares Pidge, and the ancient Altean terraforming technology that Haggar activates, and the fact that Oriande is a hidden place that keeps out the less magical with a violent guardian. These details, when removed from main-universe world building, create a cognitive dissonance about whether main-universe Allura and Alteans were actually genuine in how they depicted respectful “peace and diplomacy.” So anti alluras who believe Allura was a racial supremacist really rely on this s3 episode and these details to uphold their conspiracy theory.

So let’s focus on Allura in this episode, because it says a lot about who she ultimately is as a person, and people have forgotten how she actually responded in this episode. Allura is unquestionably hopeful at the thought that her and Coran might not be the last Alteans alive. Pretty understandable. If I were the last human, I’d be darn excited to find out there’s more of me left, lol. So her experience as a genocide victim initially blinds her to the evilness of these Alteans. You can even see the ache on her face, of how badly she wants to believe their narrative of peace.

So Allura is initially star-struck that she and Coran are not the last Alteans, yes, and that somehow they’ve achieved a “peace.” She is also not afraid to admit that they would be valuable allies in the war:

And she’s not wrong there, considering that they have what appears to be extensive military resources and a robot force of their own. But she makes a critical mistake in assuming that “these are my people” means that they share main-universe cultural sentiments. The instant Allura hears Slav (so not someone of her own race) call these Alteans out as actually evil colonizers turning people into slaves, she begins to question the narrative she’s received.

In this instance, she actually affords the Alteans the same courtesy she afforded Lotor—the opportunity to deny the accusations.

But in the AU Altean’s case, they try to turn blame back on other parties. Allura listens to Keith when he grows increasingly fearful of what the Alteans might do to the others, and she tries to plead for actual peace:

And actually, this is a pretty interesting moment for Allura. She tries to salvage an alliance…until she realizes that their differences are irreconcilable, and that their definition of peace is inherently different from her own. This probably sets the stage for why Allura was so triggered by Lotor talking about peace while also killing people—because she’s seen people misappropriate that term before. And also probably informs why she trusts the information of both Keith and Krolia (both of whom have Galran blood, btw).

Ultimately, Allura turns against her own people. Violently:

When they get angry about her wanting actual peace, Allura draws a weapon against them and rejects them from her people. This mimics how she spends several seasons fighting an Altean Haggar/Honerva for her crimes, and how she turns against Lotor too.

So case in point here, Allura loves her people, obviously—but she also is holding them to moral standards regarding their behavior, which is something that a genuine racist doesn’t do. As a matter of fact, Lotor is the only person of Altean blood that Allura genuinely bonds with ever again in the series. She’s distant with Romelle, she’s distant with the s8 Alteans… In s8, Allura even says this about Luca, which refers back to her own mistakes she made with initially being star-struck by the s3 AU Alteans who came in “peace”:

Allura herself had been manipulated in s3, wanting so desperately to not be the last Altean alive that it initially blinded her to how Commander Hira was manipulating her. The plight of the s8 Alteans who are deceived by Honerva is inherently frustrating to her, because she can see herself in them.

Absolutely none of this correlates with Allura seeing or perpetuating Alteans as a superior race. At every turn, her own people continue to disappoint her, and she increasingly and progressively separates herself from them in hopelessness, because they’re so brainwashed that they can’t see they’re just cannon fodder for someone else’s military agendas. Not exactly a ringing endorsement for a superior race, lol.

So let’s think about anti accusations here. Allura is a racial supremacist…but she’s arguing against her people who believe unquestionably in Honerva, another full Altean like herself? Nothing about that accusation makes sense with her actions.

The fact is, consistently from season 3 and onward, Allura is faced with her own people morally disappointing her.

The good news for the s8 Alteans like Tavo is that Allura is able to remove the dark entity Honerva is using to control him. Which allows other Alteans to “wake up” from being manipulated and try to make amends.

Regardless, Allura makes a very clear line that simply being Altean doesn’t make someone “right.” She sees herself fully at odds with her own people who are drawn in by Honerva’s lies. And she experienced well back in s2 (revealing Haggar as Honerva) and s3 (evil AU Alteans) that any given race, including her own, can house people who do bad things.

The fact is, she’s consistently and willingly drawn weapons against even her own people when they didn’t meet her moral expectations. So her response to Lotor isn’t particularly out of line there. She’s repulsed by a moral flaw.

And actually, Lotor himself wouldn’t have known this, but he very oddly echoed the AU Alteans by getting angry that Allura was angry over the means through which he was trying to get peace:

So Lotor actually reverts to the same logic of the AU Alteans—peace at any cost, just look at the results—

And keep in mind that the AU Alteans also manipulated Allura’s excitement about them, to get her to make the transreality comet usable so they could go into other realities. So Allura has felt betrayed and used before, by her own people.

So when she says this:

Yes, it’s a reference back to how Zarkon manipulated his friends in order to get access to the quintessence field, at the explicit cost of potentially killing his own people. But it’s not without understanding that yes, Alteans can be just as manipulative and betraying as Zarkon. Because she’s experienced it, again and again.  

As a matter of fact, six out of the eight seasons of Voltron: Legendary Defender feature villainous Alteans/Alteans on the wrong side of the war, and we continuously see Allura punished again and again for wishing that Alteans still lived.

No wonder she wanted to die.

This is something that I find uncomfortable about the narrative of the show. Previous iterations of Voltron did in fact have a “blood on everyone’s hands” perspective, such as within the ages 16+ Dynamic Comics. However, Arusians/Alteans in those old Voltron narratives were not victims of genocide. VLD turns Alteans into victims of the worst racial crime possible and then also consistently portrays them as inherently antagonistic to genuine peace efforts in some way, instead of focusing on the evil of the oppressors.

And this is such a double whammy for Lotor’s characters as well, given that he was abused by his parents and threatened with slavery via his Galran culture, and that he was half-Altean too trying to connect to his lost culture.

As a matter of fact, the larger show’s narrative interest in “victims as antagonists” makes it such that when we see victims try to enact actual justice, it feels almost jarring. Let’s look at that s8 Zarkon moment you brought up as an example, where Allura destroys his innocent perspective by showing him his evil deeds.

The s8 Zarkon is a weird topic because 1) This Zarkon actually doesn’t exist outside of Honerva’s mind, so how he has any kind of actual free-will is beyond me, unless someone wants to argue that Honerva actually cursed his true soul just as she cursed the other paladins. It’s hilarious too, because Honerva-mind-Zarkon also calls Honerva a psychopath, so I guess now Honerva is psychoanalyzing herself using her dead husband as the vehicle, while also discreetly helping the paladins to stop herself—

ANYWAY, using this Zarkon as a “proof” of Allura’s “racism” is also cherry picking in the weirdest of ways. Is she angry about his horrific and incalculable crimes, including even how he betrayed the OG paladins and ruined his own planet? Absolutely. Does she want him to be aware of his crimes instead of having to pretend like nothing’s wrong? Yes.

But notice here, this Zarkon actually shows remorse. He is actually crying over those memories and recognizing that he had done something wrong. And Allura can work with that. In fact, out of everyone standing around and doing nothing, it’s Allura who gives him a second chance and offers an alliance with Zarkon in order to stop a crazy Altean: 

Keep in mind too, Honerva didn’t have memory loss at the end of s8. She knew exactly what she’d done and had given up and had to actually be convinced to do anything halfway constructive. That’s a very different circumstance than mind-Zarkon had, who jumped at the chance to do something to fix what all had happened, and gets even morally righteous about it, calling his own wife a psychopath, lol.

So generally, antis who believe Allura was a racial supremacist haven’t watched the show holistically. We see her hold the same standards to her own people as she expects out of others. This show would look incredibly different if Allura were a true racial supremacist.

Ah, you ask. Okay, so we’ve refuted the big pieces of “evidence” used to incriminate Allura. But what about all of those weird details about ancient Altean history? The violent language-learning program that scared Pidge? The violent terraforming tech that almost kills Voltron? The concept that Alfor tried to play “police” over the Galra and actually blew up their planet? The Alteans’ ongoing discussions of “peace and diplomacy” and spreading it throughout the universe while they happen to sit on a massive load of ancient power?

The s3 finale and other facts throughout the series very heavily smash the claim that our canon, in-universe Alteans were evil colonizers like the AU Alteans. The biggest piece of evidence to the contrary is that the Altea we know was one (1) planet. You counted right. One planet. Not an empire, but a singular planet. The s3 finale corroborates this, showing Altea as being largely isolationist from a military perspective while Daibazaal and Nalquod warred "for generations," right in front of their salad.

So some viewers would have you believe that Alteans were these big bad, intergalactic police state colonizers. But for all of its great power and knowledge, the singular planet of Altea didn't even canonically interfere in the wars of its own galaxy for actual millennia? And looking at the screenshots upon the stabilization of the alliance, Alfor is revealed to not have had experience with a neighboring culture. His face while exploring Gyrgan’s homeworld is an indication that it’s all rather new for him too. So again, we have evidence showing that Alteans were not colonizing or even functioning as a police state.

Note here that in the s3 flashbacks, the show confirms that it actually wasn’t just Alfor who suggested an alliance. All five leaders had common interests in protecting their galaxy from even worse threats, so all five came together at the same time. This is actually the first piece of evidence we have of Altea entering into some kind of intergalactic military agreement to stave off said worse threats.

And all of this is on top of a history where in s6, the Galran Archivist confirms that the Galran Empire had existed before Zarkon for 3,000 years, with times of “expansion.” It’s very easy to see that Blaytz’s people were actively fighting off Galran occupation of their homeworld within this past.

And that’s actually what I think makes Alfor and the OG paladins some pretty interesting characters. Here, we had colonizing Galran empire setting down its sword and accepting the value and space of its neighbors. Here, we had master alchemist Alfor giving up military power within their group by acknowledging Zarkon as the superior strategist. Here, we had Blaytz who had previously been battling Galran occupation…fully accepting the Galra?   

So the OG Paladin backstory represents a pretty incredible alliance that removed a lot of intergalactic toxicity and helped heal broken bonds. But it required all five leaders to agree to that. Alfor did not throw his weight or power around within this. There were several checks and balances here.

But this backstory also helps to explain some of the quirky details about Alteans. Their planet existed within an active war zone, and it’s very likely that they’d had to fight off Galran occupation just as Blaytz’s people did. So the violent robot trainers and fear-based language learning systems start to make sense. Alteans weren’t just simpering people playing harps all day and eating grapes. They were actively prepared to defend their planet and their culture.

So when Allura says in season 1 that Alteans were “spreading diplomacy” across the universe, the only pieces of evidence we have of that is the OG paladins themselves, in which Alfor was a big part in creating that alliance—and then possibly the Alteans with the Balmerans, given their deep collective rituals with that planet while the Galra literally just came in and ripped the planet nearly to death. Allura tries to mimic what it means to accept and interact with a culture without changing it well in season 1, when she stumbles through trying to respect Arusian culture and its demands on its people. Also, there is a big fact that antis like to overlook:

The fact is, despite the untold numbers of civilizations we interact with across 76 episodes, no outside race remembers Alteans as evil colonizers. If they were really so big and bad, we would have heard it, like, “Man, yeah the Galrans are bad. Just as bad as those Alteans, back in the day.” Or something. But nope, nothing.

So I heavily question the history of Altea as an ancient colonizing race. If they were, then Altea wouldn't have just been a single planet with limited resources to fight wars in even its own galaxy. All of this supports the idea of Altean children being raised to fight--because they were preparing to defend themselves when/if diplomacy fails.... But the fact that the Balmerans see Alteans fondly and that literally every other race we run into is explicitly suspicious of Galrans and not at all of Alteans says something.

I think the only piece of evidence there might be for a genuinely colonizing ancient Altea is the use of terraforming technology, as mentioned in s4. Haggar discovers it and activates it to try and kill Voltron--and she nearly succeeds, because said tech destroys the entire crust of the planet to reform it. But you have to step back for a second and wonder--if ancient Alteans were so powerful, why was Alfor struggling so hard to even hold his own planet together in the midst of all these other cultures warring and larger threats? If they had this technology--and they did know about it because Allura recognized it right away as ancient technology--why the heck wouldn't they use it? Or were they using it, and it was to reform uninhabited planets to help sustain displaced peoples? Why is it, if Alteans were so terribly bad, we have no record across ANY of the many alien races being cautious of them? Even Galran Lieutenant Lahn snapped at Allura only because he was jealous of the general security she had back on, you guessed it, explicitly Altea. There's a lot of potential explanations for a positive use of terraforming technology, and the evidence against colonization and Altea committing omnicide against other races is incredibly more aligned with the other details in the canon.

And even Alfor’s creation of Voltron and the blowing up of Daibazaal—that’s something that antis like to position as evidence of his police-state ways to underhandedly control other cultures.

So let’s tackle those too while we’re at it.

Honestly, I know people like to hate on Alfor, and I do think his character picks up some misogynism just from the writers....But I don't think he was as much of a controller as people think he was. He was already in an alliance with four other leaders to try and stop bad things from happening in their galaxy. That meant they were expending incredible amounts of time and resources to accomplish that end—resources that were not renewable and may have been straining various planets. We know that he started building Voltron with Zarkon and everyone else's blessing because he called them "clean ships," but it's only after the rift creatures attack that suddenly Alfor's perception of Voltron moves from "clean energy" to "omg we need a more powerful weapon against this unknown enemy.”

So these are his intentions BEFORE he discovers rift creatures are a threat to the universe. While Zarkon states that these new ships are to be endlessly powerful for the Galra Empire, Alfor shames him by offering what his desire is for them:

  After the rift creatures nearly destroy Daibazaal, intentions change.

So here, we see the game change in a BIG way. Voltron is not just about offering a more renewable way of sustaining peace-keeping efforts. Alfor is now adjusting and finishing these ships with the explicit knowledge that if they are not powerful enough, then Daibazaal and the Galran people will die. Alfor’s got a LOT of pressure on him now to deliver a mighty and powerful weapon to stop this new threat. So even his creation of Voltron as a superweapon involved using it to protect people from imminent death—not to police them.

And about Alfor blowing up Daibazaal—once again, it’s Alfor trying to clean up Honerva and Zarkon’s mess. Honerva had convinced Zarkon that the rift needed to be wider, and so Zarkon deceived the paladins into widening it.

So keep in mind here, at this point in time—the rift was destabilizing and eating an entire planet. The entire universe was now at stake. Alfor had to choose between a bad fix and an even worse option of allowing everyone to die, but he very clearly evacuated people before destroying Daibazaal, as part of his promise to keep Galrans safe. So that no one would have to die.

And as a matter of fact—about that terraforming technology. How sure are you that Alfor didn’t intend to use it to build Galrans a new home? It’s entirely within the realm of acceptable conjecture that he allowed for the existence of that technology because it could restore what had been lost.

And here’s where the story gets really screwy and feeds into some anti hate. Because when Zarkon wakes up as a zombie, he desires more quintessence as zombies do.

So he’s pissed that Alfor just cut off his gateway, and he manipulates his people:

And it’s here where we get the idea that Alfor was an evil controller. The idea came from Zarkon, who—we can look around pretty easily and see that he was not a man of honor, ultimately. Even if you chose to not believe the s3 finale flashbacks as being objective, there’s something wrong with Zarkon. (It’s clear that the show thought using Coran was a smart way to shell off massive amounts of info, because clearly if this were truly in Coran’s perspective, we would NOT have had intimate looks into Zarkon and Honerva’s bedroom as Zarkon is tending to her, like omg.) Numerous sources, histories, and cultures outside of Coran confirm that Zarkon hit a point of no return on the evil scale, and that he projected his own blame for Daibazaal’s destabilization onto Alfor in order to raise up his new regime in the name of Quintessence™.

So at the end of the day, even Alfor was a victim. But yet somehow, various antis choose to believe Zarkon’s victim-punishing narrative because said antis can’t or else refuse to connect one scene to another since it undermines their justifications for why they can hate on Allura. And that’s not so much an issue with the story itself as it is just poor critical analysis or malicious weaponization of content against other fans.

Now, at this point, we’ve talked about Allura and we’ve talked about Altean history. I have numerous other posts about Allura’s interactions with other races and Galrans and overcoming trauma to give the entire universe a second chance. So if there is anything in this show that suggests Alteans were in any way a superior race, then it’s probably within the show’s own worldbuilding. The show contradicts its own definitions of what quintessence even is by suggesting Alteans have “bluer/purer quintessence” in order to justify why Lotor would even be trying to sacrifice them for anything. The show-championed concept that Alteans have a bluer, purer life force above all other people, and that only Altean energy could interface with the fabric of space-time. Now, this is a problem in the later seasons’ world building itself. And you know who wrote that in? The production team. So once again, we do have racial issues in this show, in ways that shows like Star Wars desperately try avoid by showing racial diversity in who has Midi-chlorians.

That said, I’m not a perfectly woke storyteller either. I think every story and show is going to have something problematic™, but with VLD it’s very clear that its disrespectful handling of genocide politics and shatterglass conspiracy theories, on top of its weird master race angle created the perfect storm. These mishandled and quirky details have created a cognitive dissonance with the provided narrative, resulting in some people in the anti fandoms to champion what aligns very closely to actual neo-Nazi propaganda against Jews, who according to them are not victims but instead the true perpetrators of all bad things. For the sake of the antis, I’m pretty sure they’re not intentionally looking at VLD this way and are probably just looking for any easily graspable reason to hate on Allura for interfering with their ship or something.

But this kind of subliminal propaganda that undermines victims, and the effect it has had on fandom morality politics, is deeply concerning to me. I really wish that we’d had an opportunity to respectfully and critically discuss this with the production team of the show, because a Y7-FV show about “strength in unity” should NOT result in us needing to have a conversation about people walking away with neo-Nazi-ish propaganda sentiments against genocide survivors. Like. Clearly, VLD is fictional, but it’s feeding into a real-life beast that it does NOT need to feed. And it’s keeping alive ongoing conspiracy narratives against some of our most vulnerable populations on the planet.

So, we need better stories. We need a production team that, if they’re going to get paid to do something involving portrayals of genocide and politics, that they need to do their research on those topics. Nobody is going to be perfect with a creation, but VLD validated some very damaging things—and it ALL is something that could have been fixable. I think it would have been incredibly validating to hear the production talk about and accept that these were issues that cropped up unintentionally, and to hear them confirm that these issues are not the sorts of things that VLD was supposed to champion.

The greatest tragedy of all of this is the potential that this show had to really champion some great and validating messages, and the potential that we as a fandom had to come together and do something that fandom was meant to do—which was celebrate the things we love. Because that’s why we’re all here. That’s why this crazy tumblr of mine even exists. It was supposed to celebrate things.

For that reason, I’m going to end this here. I’ve written several responses now as to my thoughts on the inappropriate narrative lens of the show, its contradictory and damaging worldbuilding about the purest race, and how it champions demonizing or punishing genocide survivors again and again. Within all of that, I’ve talked at length about Allura’s character and behavior over 8 seasons and how she built even empathetic connections with militant Galrans like Commander Lahn. In fact even her own homesickness is how she emotionally connects with Lahn, because she understands that desire to call something one’s own. To have a home. A family.

I now really would like to get back to writing stories that I find meaningful to me using these characters and these worlds—and trying to find the hope in all of this darkness, haha. And maybe with any luck, I can hope to do VLD some justice, knowing that I am still on a learning journey as well.

But I appreciate your note, and I hope this very extensive response helps to settle your questions and concerns once and for all regarding VLD Allura. If you should have any remaining questions, please feel free to reach out via a private message to discuss. Thank you!

#Volron #VLD #Allura #VLD Critical #Alfor #Zarkon #Honerva #Lotor #I hope this helps explain my perspective #I think this might have to be my last refutation to the Allura as racist/racist supremacist conspiracy theory #at a certain point #people either watch the show holistically or they don't #you can't convince an anti #so this meta will probably not help an anti #but if you're sitting on the fence and felt drawn in by anti propaganda #then I hope that maybe this post provides an alternate perspective #and one that tries to be more holistically fair to all 8 seasons of the show #and to the intentions and general oversights that can occur during production #Ultimately it doesn't matter if someone likes or dislikes Allura as a fictional character #we need better entertainment that can handle these hard topics and handle them well #And we also need a fandom who's willing to look at all of the information and not weaponize it to specifically demonize and silence others #Maybe a family TV show shouldn't be appropriating conspiracy theories from the Protocols of the Elders of Zion #real-world fans are incredibly vulnerable to such conspiracy theories #and it creates a lot of real-world strife as a result

[friedegg]

a dream of good writing; s8 predictions/wish list

okay i’m procrastinating thesis work and cant stop fixating on Game of Thrones... WE’RE SO CLOSE. So here is a big ole post with everything i think and hope will happen this season - who lives / dies, plot points, etc. This post is HUGE and mostly for me to reread after the finale to wallow, lmao.

going to bold & italicize predictions that came true and strikeout the ones that didnt

Let’s start with priorities: the storylines and characters i care most about and where they’ll be at the start of s8 (roughly in order of how much i care)

Recap: Characters/plot

Sansa Stark - Of course, Sansa is and always will be the character I most look forward to seeing. Since season one, she’s gone from an idealistic young girl with a love of romance, slowly realized the cruel reality of the world, became an orphaned political prisoner, learned to lie and manipulate for her own survival, been abused in unspeakable ways, yet has persevered to escape, reunite with her family, retake her childhood home (which wouldn’t have been possible without the men of the vale, loyal to her), and gathered the northern lords to her side. She’s also demonstrated an understanding of governing - war isn’t her style, but ruling is. She has been one of the only characters who has common sense and is making practical plans to survive the winter (collecting grain, ensuring armor is covered with leather, etc). With Littlefinger gone, she now has the complete allegiance of the Vale, and potentially the Riverlands. She’s reconnecting with her siblings, even though they’re SUPER weird, and keeping the North loyal and functional in Jon’s absence. As Lady of Winterfell, she’ll immediately be starting the season with conflict - Jon’s betrayal and the arrival of Dragon Queen D*ny.

Jaime Lannister - Jaime and Cersei are probably tied for my second favorite characters. Their respective storylines have divided them significantly, geographically and character-wise. Jaime began as an arrogant, entitled, morally corrupt “Kingslayer,” completely devoted to Cersei and nothing else. His capture by the Starks in season 2 led to an unlikely deal being struck between him and Catelyn Stark - promising to return her daughters to her. His subsequent journey with Brienne and amputation of his sword hand led to a deeper understanding of his character and proved he did, actually, have some convictions. He killed the mad king to prevent the burning of kings landing (and left cersei for similar reasons) and besides some uh..... inconsistent characterization in season 4 and 5, has since decided to join with the living in Winterfell. VERY IMPORTANTLY - he knows that Cersei lied at the Dragonpit meeting, and has no intention of sending aid to the North or honoring the Truce.

Cersei Lannister - people love to hate Cersei, but I love to love her. She’s an inherently flawed character, but her dedication to her children and penchant for wit and wine endear her to me. No one else on the show relishes in revenge quite as well, and honestly most of the time i find her actions justifiable, even if they are often foolish and illogical. Although she attempts to play the game better than everyone else, her scheming has repeatedly backfired, leading her deeper and deeper down a dark path. Her involvement in the deaths of Robert and Ned Stark started the war that tore the kingdoms apart, her hatred for Tyrion and manipulation of his trial led to the death of Tywin, and arming the faith militant in an attempt to use them as pawns backfired - leading to her arrest and humiliation. Her revenge - blowing up the sept with hundreds of citizens, the High Sparrow, and most of the Tyrells inside - led to Tommen’s suicide. Despite her best efforts, her 3 children are dead, Jaime has left her, and enemies surround her. She now has nothing to lose, a questionable former-maester (I also adore Qyburn), a zombie giant, the golden company, and an unconfirmed cache of wildfire at her disposal. She is also apparently pregnant, but I’m not sure how much I believe that.

Winterfell (convergence) - Let’s just recap on how wild the reunions, meetings, and political implications of the impending meeting of forces at Winterfell. With 7 seasons of plotting, murder, and shifting alliances, the amount of weird tension in the great hall - and potential character interactions - Is something i’m most excited for.

The arrival of Dany - there hasn’t been a Targaryen in the North (besides Night’s Watch Aemon and the Three Eyed Raven, but they were undercover) in years, and The North Remembers what the last Targaryens did - kidnapped their Lady Lyanna and burned Brandon and Rickard Stark alive. While they desperately need her dragonfire and armies, that doesn’t mean they’ll give Dany a warm welcome, and I’m super excited to see how they react to Jon bending the knee

Samwell and Dany - sam has inevitably learned about his father and Brother’s execution at this point. He’s not a confrontational person and didn’t particularly love his father, but he was close with Dickon and I can’t imagine him being chill with Dragonarys burning them alive. Potential tension between him and Jon as a result.

Jon reuniting with Bran and Arya (STARK SEASON BABY) - they have all grown so much as characters, and hardly resemble the children who parted ways in s1e1. I expect this reunion to be bittersweet af.

Jon’s heritage - while he was off being held prisoner/ seducing the dragon queen, Sam and Bran put two and two together, revealing Jon to be Aegon Targaryen, legitimate heir of Rhaegar and Lyanna. This is obviously going to cause conflict with Dany (anyone who thinks otherwise is... hmm) as well as the northern lords.

Brienne/Jaime Reunion - possibly on of the greatest pairs on the show, Jaime took Brienne’s “Fuck Loyalty!” to heart and was last seen riding North to join the war against the dead, leaving Cersei to her scheming in the south. Now that his relationship with his sister is apparently  over, maybe he and Brienne can finally act on that unbearable UST that’s been around since s3

Jaime and Bran reunion - The last time Bran saw Jaime back in s1e1, he  got pushed out a window and crippled. Jaime has since become a far better person (imo) and Bran is an all-seeing all-knowing robot boy. this interaction will be v interesting

Arya seeing some of the few people remaining on her list: Beric Dondarrion (assuming he makes it back from the wall), The Hound (perhaps no longer on the list, i’m excited for this reunion as well), and Melisandre. While I believe Arya can hold a grudge, these characters have become valuable allies to the North - she can’t just go around murdering them.

Gendry/ ARYA!!! - the clips of Gendry in the winterfell forge made me want to scream. These two are another favorite pair from the show, and havent seen each other since their run-in with the brotherhood in season 3. the UST will be interesting - they’re both fully grown adults now, but is super-assassin arya capable of having romantic feelings anymore? And how is royal bastard Gendry going to feel about her new skills and penchant for stealing faces? lmao.

Gendry and Melisandre - Gendry definitely hasnt forgiven the Brotherhood or Melisandre for his brief imprisonment and near-sacrifice in s3. Of course, Melisandre has also been pretty humbled by stannis’ loss.

Tyrion and Sansa - the two slowly formed a tentative friendship during their arranged marriage in season 3, with the Lannister as one of the few characters in King’s landing to show her kindness and protection. Tyrion is one of the first to recognize her strength and intelligence, and their reunion may be awkward, but hopefully their friendship will be strengthened.

plus so many more connections between characters that i’m probably forgetting about!!!!

The Iron Throne - Cersei currently sits the Iron Throne, but has almost no claim. Her potential baby by Jaime’s claim won’t hold up against any of the other candidates for the Throne. Currently competing with her is Dany, who does have a legitimate claim, dragons, and an army - but is still a foreigner with a penchant for roasting people alive. Unfortunately for them, more players may enter the ring. Jon has been revealed as the legitimate son of Rhaegar and Lyanna, meaning he has a stronger claim. He was raised in a noble family, fought for the nights watch, and has proven himself a capable military commander. However, his parentage reveal may weaken northern allegiance, and he has no real experience or allies in the south - and the kingdoms may not look kindly on his relationship to the wildings. He has also bent the knee/kind of romanced Dany. Jon absolutely doesnt want to rule the seven kingdoms - he barely wants to be king in the north - but would take the role out of a sense of duty if persuaded. Other; slightly more tenuous claims - Jamie or Tyrion (w/ Sansa Stark?) might have a chance if Cersei, Dany, and Jon don’t survive, although Robert’s bastard Gendry has a slightly stronger claim - but like Jon, he doesn’t seem like he wants the Throne, and definitely doesnt have the experience or education to rule.

For all Dany’s talk of ‘breaking the wheel’ a Targ restoration would most likely be more of the same. With the North desperate to cling onto its recently regained independence, Dorne and the Reach without their liege lords and the Riverlands in particular destroyed by the years of war fought among high lords, i can’t imagine the smallfolk being content to accept a foreign queen who tends to further destroy things, even if (maybe even especially because) she has dragons. All of which is assuming the living beat the dead and there’s still someone around to sit the throne and people to rule.

Predictions / Wishlist:

WOLVES - I desperately need D&D to have sacrificed some of their gratuitous  dragon shots to give us some direwolves. If I don’t see Ghost in episode one I’m rioting.

Battle for Winterfell - This is confirmed to happen e3, only halfway through the season, which means that defeating the night king may not be the endgame conflict like we thought. I don’t think the battle of Winterfell will be the total defeat of the walkers, however. The living are gonna sustain HEAVY casualties that will definitely change the course of the story moving forward.

I very firmly believe that Jaime’s arrival at Winterfell will be huge. The reveal that Cersei has broken the truce will cause Dany to abandon the Northern cause to attack King’s Landing - we saw shots of dragons over king’s landing in the trailers, and Dany doesn’t  appear in any of the clips of  the actual battle at Winterfell - in addition, scenes with her, Tyrion, and Varys appear to be at Dragonstone. since the trailers probably only include clips from the first few episodes, i feel like this is basically a given. Whether or not her armies accompany her isnt certain - I have a feeling Dany is going to lose a lot of followers and allies this season as we witness her fall from power.

As for the battle itself, I’m very excited from the clips to see Jaime and Brienne fighting together, finally seeing Arya on a battlefield, and praying for Ghost and Nymeria (&her pack) to make an appearance.

Political!Jon - basically the only way I can accept the character inconsistencies and plotline of s7. There’s some amazing metas on this. I really want to believe it’s not just bad writing and that Jon has been playing the game to achieve his goal of securing Dany’s dragons - at any cost. It would definitely subvert GA expectations - for some reason they still think Jon is this intensely honorable man who is incapable of lying or manipulation - despite the entire wildling storyline???? wild. please redeem yourselves, D&D

Dark!Dany - I’m not gonna lie. I hate dany. I don’t like her as a person or a character. On rewatch of the entire show, I realized just how much I detest her attitude, decision making, and actions. She is entitled and foolish. Now that she’s in Westeros and actually faces conflict and characters who weren’t created to serve her storyline specifically, she is starting to crack. Her actions over s7 displayed just how precarious her relationship with power is, and how easily she could become another mad king. I would love for her to become the final enemy that needs to be defeated after the white walkers once her allies realize her true nature. She’s a conqueror and capable of inspiring loyalty, but as the meereen arc showed, an incapable ruler.

King’s Landing - it’s gonna burn y’all - at cersei or danys hands or both

SSQOTSK- If someone has to rule all of the Seven Kingdoms, who is more qualified than Sansa Stark? She has the right family name, the loyalty of at least 2 (if not 3) of the 7 Kingdoms, and is a just and practical ruler who wants her subjects to love her. This one is a stretch, because she really has no claim (unless she marries Jon, I guess I’d be okay with them co-ruling). More realistically and I think preferably, I’d like to see her ruling the Independent North as Queen in the North. Whether this means a marriage to Jon or him being out of the picture (maybe as King in the South, although I don’t see that happening). Or Jon remaining in the North and Sansa co-ruling with him from the South. Basically, I just really think Sansa is one of the few legitimate contenders for a decent ruler. She would bring peace and prosperity to the seven kingdoms and help them survive the winter. in dream fairy-tale world, Davos can be her Hand and Brienne her Queensguard.

No more kings - personally, I want Thrones to end with the Iron Throne gone entirely. GRRM has said in the past that the sociopolitical aspects of fantasy are important to him - “What is Aragorn’s tax policy?” and the books in general make a point of condemning the corruption and flaws of the monarchal/ruling class of the seven kingdoms. I personally hope either that the 7 kingdoms will split again and govern themselves independently, or that westeros will shift to a more democratic system (slowly, of course - and not easily.) GRRM loves to subvert tropes and expectations, and i think this would be exactly the kind of twist he would do. Of course, the show might not like that and play into the audience’s desire to have someone “win” (as long as the Starks get some peace and happiness). I want the throne melted down and the (probably burned) Red Keep used to rebuild King’s Landing after cersei/dany destroys it with wildfyre/dragons.

CLEGANEBOWL - Okay this is basically confirmed but i have been wanting it for SO LONG!!!!! I don’t think either of them will win tbh - we havent really seen the mountain in action since his resurrection, but he’s still bigger and stronger than Sandor. I think it will be the end of them both.

Cersei/Sansa reunion - There is some foreshadowing/hints/theories about a kidnapping plot, in which Cersei brings Sansa back to KL. Whether it’s true or not, I hope that under some circumstances we get to see these two go toe-to-toe again. Sansa learned a lot from Cersei, and has since surpassed her as a player in the game. any interaction between them will be incredible, and I desperately want to see Sansa outsmart Cersei and “cast her down” a la the prophecy.

endgame ships:

Jonsa

Jaime/Brienne

Gendarya

Crackships I would be okay with:

Sansa/Jaime

Who Lives?

Sansa Stark - As mentioned, one of the most underestimated and underrated characters on the show, Sansa has already survived hells that none of the other characters (besides maybe theon) could comprehend. She is one of the characters GRRM’s wife said he isn’t allowed to kill off - of course, the show has kind of diverged from the canon of the books, so that might not matter. More importantly - it has been foreshadowed more than once that Sansa is meant to live through the endgame. 

And if anyone has been shown as a competent leader capable of ensuring the survival of her people through the winter, it’s her - she has a mind for governing, is fair ruler with common sense. she’s learned from the best.

Arya and Bran - She’s the other one GRRM isn’t allowed to kill. I personally believe all the Starks (with the exception of Jon) will survive.

Jamie and Brienne - (spoilers) it was accidentally confirmed by Gwen Christie that Brienne (& probably jamie) survive. Personally if it wasn’t for this I would assume they both sacrifice themselves.

Sam & Gilly - They have to survive and help rebuild. They are the dream of spring.

Other Characters I love and want to live:

Dolorous Edd

Bronn

Gendry

Who Dies?

Missandei and Greyworm are screwed, sorry

Cersei - she needs a good conclusion though - when she dies i want it to be on her own terms.

Jon Snow (?) -  I can’t decide on this one. I’m torn about him living, I feel like once his “destiny” is fulfilled it doesnt make sense to keep him around as a character besides fanservice

Dany - there’s no way she survives im sorry

Jorah - Dies defending her

Greyjoys - maybe Euron will actually chicken out and escape with his life to the east or something, but I think Cersei will kill him once he fulfills his purpose. Yara’s already dead imo. Theon.... I am conflicted about. But I feel like things dont look good for them. At least give Theon a noble death and Euron a satisfying one

Davos - I so desperately want him to live and Serve as Jonsa’s Hand but I think he’ll not survive

The Hound - Cleganebowl will end in both Cleganes dead

Melisandre - I love her but it’s time

#got s8 #got spoilers #stark season #got predictions #hoenstly ignore this its a vyvanse fueled disaster

[storiesbeyondthestars]

Allura’s Story Arc...

...and why it’s not at all about romantic love.

The EPs of Voltron have said that the show is all about love, and all of it’s different forms. Many characters and interactions can show more than one form, including Allura. 

I am not at all against Allura having a romantic endgame, not even if it’s Lance. They have a lot of potential that’s marred by poor handling. However, Voltron has been shown to be able to handle characters beautifully when they really want to (Pidge finding her family, Hunk in S7, Keith with his mom and Shiro, Shiro rising above everything that’s been thrown at him, etc). The two we haven’t TRULY seen that with yet, I think, are Allura and Lance. And I don’t think those big moments for them are going to be connected.

I think both their stories are going to be about self acceptance. I think that Lance’s is going to be about romantic love for another person, and Allura’s is going to be about loving and embracing herself for who she is.

Okay, to start this off, I saw this post here about how Lance and Allura might already be together in the beginning of S8, and that makes absolute sense to me. 

Let’s actually look at Allura’s point of view. First of all, it’s been over a year since the Lotor incident to them. That instantly takes away any potential for rebound. That’s not how things work. Lance has been the one supporting her most, being the most friendly, and she knows he has feelings for him. It’s actually pretty understandable why she ended up developing feelings for him (Maybe meeting his family was a trigger for her expressing it, I don’t know. That part was handled poorly).

They won’t stick though, because even now, both Allura and Lance are unsure of themselves. Allura even more so at this point.

She has always been Princess Allura of Altea. She always introduced herself as that. As ‘daughter of Alfor’. She was rarely ever just Allura. Yes, some characters referred to her as that, but when the castleship was around, there was always the unspoken rule that she was the Princess. Especially when she was around Lotor, who was an Emperor.

Something very significant happened with Allura this season. I don’t recall a time that she was referred to as Princess. She was given the exact same uniforms as the other Paladins, and people didn’t treat her any differently, not really. Then she gave up her tiara to help Shiro. The one that she was shown with even when she was young. She gave it up. Her castle’s gone. Altea’s gone. They don’t know where the Altean colony went. She’s not the princess of anything anymore. She’s just the Blue Paladin.

Allura has always been trying to live up to her father. Trying to be like him, to learn from him. To preserve what was left. That was something Lotor kept mentioning over and over again. It was what Keith (verbally) hit her with when they were floating in space because he knew it would hurt and they were all exhausted and Keith himself had already seen things once. (Side none: I also think we’ll be coming back to the topic of Keith running away too.) Allura has NEVER just been Allura. She’s always been Alfor’s daughter. 

Think about how we meet Allura. She needs her father’s AI to help her make decisions. It’s a huge moment for her to let that go as well, but it shows what she’s always wanted is to go home to Altea, to be with her father. She’s always thought about following in his footsteps, making him proud. Again, this was what Lotor kept swaying her with, what he kept winning her over with. 

Now she’s almost entirely shed off the persona of a Princess. Who on Earth would know who Alfor is? Who would care? Altea’s been gone for 10,000 years. As far as we know, that’s longer than modern civilization as been around (WWIII or not here). Emperors and Kings have risen and fallen over and over again in that time. It doesn’t matter anymore.

However, Altea and Alteans absolutely do mean something to Allura. Hell, maybe she thinks she’s partially a failure because she lost the castle, and she lost the Alteans. There’s something very...down about Allura this season. Again, it wouldn’t surprise me if part of the reason she started to pursue Lance is because he was one of those bright spots in her life. That’s entirely fair. 

Now, onto where I think this is going.

What we know: Haggar vanished a while ago and no one has seen her. The Altean colony vanished a while ago (including those whose quintessence was taken from them). Haggar considers herself Honerva now. it was confirmed that Honerva did feel love towards Lotor. We know that she’s been to Oriande and knows it’s secrets (unlike Lotor). We know she was watching behind Kuron’s eyes (the only person on their side that knows this is Acxa). 

Honerva went to the Alteans. Romelle was the only one who figured out what was up with Lotor. No one else knows what he was doing with them. What they’d know is that he’s not around anymore. These Alteans worshipped him. 

And here comes his Altean mother who tells them that Voltron killed him.

The whole ‘Altean Empire’ stuff from the alternate universe? That’s going to come back around in a sense, because the bad guys are going to be  the Alteans. At least for a bit. Honerva’s going to be leading them. 

The show has always been building up to a confrontation between Allura and Honerva/Haggar. 

Think about the Alteans left alive. Those from the colony are basically innocent in all of this. Romelle is the gap between them. Coran represents the good that was old Altea to Allura, while Honerva would represent the bad. This was always going to come down to the Alteans in the end. 

To add to this though, I think Lotor’s going to end up coming back. They’re going to bring those rift creatures back somehow. I think they’ll do it with Lotor. It only makes sense, because the rift creatures are what gave us Haggar and evil Zarkon in the first place. Zarkon was only free of them when he died (bayard changing to it’s normal form when he died). 

There are at least two ways this could go down from here:

1. Allura kills Haggar, which would be epic, and then all of Voltron faces down Lotor final boss style. Maybe she’s been using magic to keep him in the rift or something. I dunno. Be creative.

2. Lotor kills Haggar. Thus completing his parental killing spree. And all of Voltron faces down Lotor.

Lotor killing his mother would probably shake a lot of the Alteans faith in him. Along with that, I think Romelle is going to have a huge part to play. Even more so, Allura’s actions are going to be what defines the Alteans in the end, what sways them. Lotor showed that he didn’t quite understand the Altean way, though he tried to embrace it. Honerva may have understood it, but it’s like a bastardization of it. Allura’s the one that can truly teach them what it means to be Altean.

Yes, the other Paladins will be involved with all of this, but these are Alteans. Allura’s going to be the one most affected by this. She’s going to be the one that tries hard to get them away from Haggar’s side. To save them.

In the end, Allura’s going to prove herself to the Alteans that are left, and they’re going to follow her. They’re going to choose HER to be most likely Queen Allura (hence why she always went by Princess before even though, after her father’s death, she technically should have been Queen). They don’t choose her because she’s ‘the daughter of Alfor’ (as she’s always introduced herself). They choose her because of her own merits, because of what SHE has done. She loves the memories of her family and father, but they no longer rule her. She loves and embraces her found family, what’s left of her existing one, the memories of her familial one, the love of Altea and Alteans, and most importantly, she loves and accepts herself for who she is. 

Of course, perhaps she won’t be a Queen in a literal sense. Maybe they’ll go another way with it. That’s fine. The idea will still be the same though. 

Of course romantic love can very easily be worked into this too, but I genuinely don’t think it’s going to. I think there’s a chance she and Lance might be together when S8 starts (based on the post I linked towards the top), but things are going to pull them in opposite directions as they realize what they want and what they need are two different things. Maybe it goes sourly for a while, that’s okay too. They’ll reconcile in the end and stay friends. (That’s what would stop Keith from being an actual rebound for Lance, along with the fact that he already had feelings for him.)

Honestly, if they’re going to do a bi arc for Lance, I think it’d be a powerful thing to show him in a relationship with both a woman and a man at different points, because that’s what it is.  This is an entirely different post on it’s own.

This part here goes off on a tangent and may or may not have anything to do with anything but here we go:

Also, this part may be far out there, bit I STILL think that Acxa may have a part to play in this Altean thing as well. I still think she’s part Altean. It would absolutely explain her sheer devotion to Lotor. She could be the product of one of the Galra that came with Lotor, and an Altean. Having not just Romelle, but Acxa, speak against Lotor and for Allura will probably help. Also just all the girl power here, please?

Though if Acxa’s part Altean, there’s no way Krolia’s not (whether it’s mentioned or not). They look TOO much a like for one to be half-Altean and the other to not be, unless Acxa’s half human. Krolia having Altean blood would make Keith’s use of quintessence in S7 make sense too.

BUT this post was about Allura, not everything else that I started rambling about.

To summarize, Allura’s story has always been about stepping out of her father’s shadow and growing into herself. Accepting the past and embracing the future. That’s where I think she’s going to end up, and honestly, I would LOVE to see this kind of story without the heroine needing to have a love interest. I think this is going to lead her away from Lance romantically, but it’s going to lead her to accepting herself. 

Dreamworks will probably let me down, but I can still dream.

#voltron #vld #theorytime #Allura #Lance #some mentions of Allurance and a brief one of Klance #but it's not the point #this is all about Allura #Honerva #Haggar #alfor #Lotor #Keith #Krolia #Acxa #Romelle #Coran #long post

[sasslightertm-a]

seethem-dancing replied to your post: seethem-dancing replied to your post: So… uh… does...

That’s where I stand regarding S8, myself. The writing of it imo was moderately better than that of S7. Which was either about Kyle Brody’s unhealthy preoccupation with avenging Avatars that was supposed to be a cautionary tale for that “clueless inferior woman” Paige. Because he was “proven right” in the end. Or about Wyatt’s daddy issues/complete neglect of Chris on part of the people who KNEW the damage such neglect did to him in the original timeline.

Piper literally cancels Chris’ birthday party (while Wyatt’s first birthday was actively celebrated AND it happened to be Chris’ conception date. Which was ALL about how Chris “wasn’t meant to be” beyond saving WYATT from evil and him actually fading away from existence at one point. The day Chris is born is all about him DYING on his 23rd birthday to protect Wyatt from that one bad experience that made him into tyrannical despot who tormented Chris and all mankind).

In Cheaper by the Coven Piper does not want Chris to have a wiccaning and entirely dismisses the potential threats against him (when even Grams shows concern for baby Chris). Phoebe blames Chris for supposedly “getting all the attention” & whitewashes Wyatt’s now passive abuse of his powers against Chris on grounds that “his dad is never around”. With Chris she insisted (in Spin City) that Leo’s years long neglect didn’t matter because “it hasn’t happened yet”.

What was supposed to be an event devoted to Chris was all about Wyatt tormenting his baby brother, being whitewashed, being pitied, creating a demon (because he couldn’t handle one fifth of the same neglect Chris had to put up with in both timelines) & Leo actually expressing regret for having killed Gideon. Who violently murdered Chris when the latter tried to save Wyatt and everyone else’s ungrateful backons. One thing Leo ever did solely FOR Chris - and he regretted it because the consequences ended up hurting Wyatt’s delicate sensibilities. S8 at least showed that adult, good!Wyatt had self awareness his evil self completely lacked. He was still arrogant & self centered (i.e putting Chris down in front of others when Chris was traveling through time AGAIN for his sake, only caring about his powers being stolen) but he let Chris take the lead. I.e he does not initiate the reveal of the info needed to save Coop until Chris instigates it because Wyatt feels genuinely ashamed after accidentally dropping the Uncle Coop bomb prior & disappointing Chris visibly. We also see that Grams - even that version of her who never met Chris previously - is proud of her youngest great grandson, especially when Chris regards her authority & admits she is “THE Grams”. I had tentative sympathies for Billie in the beginning when it seemed like she was going to be a young witch the sisters would take under their wing (it opened a promising avenue to explore Paige’s whitelighter side). Christy’s arc was utterly contrived & accomplished nothing but the return to status quo (even Billie ends where she started, alongside the sisters). Wyatt & Phoebe were born in the house so yes, there’s an inherent connection to nexus. 

However, Phoebe’s propensity for evil came from entitlement and lack of self awareness - she associates with Cole when she feels inferior to Prue in power department &; has not yet built a career to feel elevated. She violates Todd because Paula triggers “freaky Phoebe” by a childish insult. She plays with minds of dozens to get a trophy husband (after lying that Chris wasn’t meant to be) bc she thinks she is entitled to it.  

Phoebe emotionally manipulates Chris into considering his existence meaningless (after dismissing years of abuse he suffered at Wyatt’s hands despite having arcs’ worth of tantrums because Prue or Paige made her feel inferior) - but exploits his body/appearance to cover up HER crimes. She turns Spencer into a pig because the latter annoys her, sends a police inspector to Timbuktu to protect her Wiccan identity and it’s played as a joke because “it rhymed with undo”. 

The narrative wanted us to feel for Phoebe & see her as ~changed when she didn’t even deign to apologize to Ramona for actively TORTURING her throughout high school until Ramona brings it up in front of Paige. And Phoebe is rewarded for her magic abuse/entitlement with Coop in the end (so her losing her powers is a moot point). With Wyatt his evil version was framed as just that - an evil tyrant.

His reasoning for turning evil was SUPPOSED to be weak imo - it served to explain why Chris was the hero of this story. Why HE chose to stay on the side of good & sacrifice himself multiple times around for people who abused him despite countless traumas. And despite never having his sacrifices acknowledged. Wyatt had the love and worship of his family, his father always there for him & a brother who would endure everything & die for him but he chose to become evil and stay that way in the original timeline. Chris had to be the one to sacrifice himself to ensure Wyatt does not endure that one trauma or get an excuse to become evil because he was the stronger brother despite all the power & prophesies linked to Wyatt. So in the new timeline Wyatt’s family could be aware of how his mind works (which they were). Him being kidnapped or forcibly turned evil imo is vastly different from him choosing to be evil by finding an excuse (it being an event he couldn’t even understand completely at that age. “Save me, from WHAT?” indicated that Wyatt didn’t want to do everything in his power to overcome that trauma but CHOSE to cultivate his unhealthy response to it). In the new timeline Wyatt might have been just as self centered but his family made sure his agency was not taken away so he could CHOOSE to remain good.    

...True.

#seethemdancing #( seethemdancing | Meta )

[sweet-sammy-kisses]

Your Touch is All I Need

Wincest Writing Challenge: August | @sweet-sammy-kisses  vs. @rodiniaorzetalthepenguin Prompt: Run Through The Jungle by Creedence Clearwater Revival (Sin City)  Pairing (s): Dean/Sam Word Count: 1,687 Rating: Teen Summary: All Sam wants is Dean back, he is his strength and what drowns out Lucifer's voice. All Dean wants is to get home to Sam and he comes to a decision that when he gets home from Purgatory he and Sam retire from hunting. Tags/Triggers: Hallucifer, Broken!Sam, S8 AU AO3: http://archiveofourown.org/works/11936313

There were days that Sam wondered if he was still trapped in the cage as Lucifer's play thing and that this was a new kind of torture to break him. Dean was gone and Sam was helpless in trying to find him. Crowley swore that Dean wasn't in hell.

"Why would I want a Winchester in hell? You two are already a pain in my ass if squirrel was truly down there he would be an even bigger pain in my arse trying to get back to you."  

Sam knew that Crowley was right Dean would stop at nothing to get back to him so even though he shouldn't he believed that Crowley was telling the truth. And there was no way that Sam could check in heaven Castiel was the only angel who talked to them and he was gone as well.

"Face it, Sammy, you are all alone with me. No big brother to anchor you and pull you back." Lucifer taunted Sam from his spot in the corner of the room as he flipped through the magazine in his hands. "I can do with you whatever I want and you are powerless to stop me."

The giggle that Lucifer released sent shivers down Sam's spine, he knew that sound well it was the sound he made when he had come up with a new kind of torture. Grabbing his hand he pressed down as hard as he could on the scar of his palm. "You are not real. I am free from the cage."

The snarl that Lucifer let out made Sam want to run and hide but he couldn't.

"Sooner than later that trick will no longer work and you will once again be mine to play with and when that happens there will be no mercy for you," Lucifer warned before he faded away.

A choking sound escaped Sam's lips as he collapsed on the bed in a small ball, he knew that Lucifer was right, he could feel him getting stronger, he needed Dean, he was his anchor without him he was lost. "Dee, come back to me. Please." Sam pleaded softly.

+*****+ Dean Winchester hated Purgatory, he needed to get back to Sam. He could feel it deep in his soul that his little brother was suffering and in trouble. Ever since Castiel broke the wall Death had put up Sam had been haunted by Lucifer, something he had never really forgive Castiel for. He didn't have a problem when the angel messed with him but when it was Sam it was a different story. He didn't want to know what Sam had gone through at Lucifer's hands all he knew that his baby boy was strong he managed to hold on so long while his memories of hell surfaced the fact that an angel broke from those memories just showed how strong Sam was.

But it also drove Dean to a decision as soon as he found his way back to Sam they were retiring from hunting.  "We have paid our dues more than any other hunters," Dean muttered under his breath. He and Sam had both been to hell and they carried those memories and scars with them. He had watched as hunters shot his little brother and then him because they knew that he would hunt them down to the end of the world. 'How many times had Sam hovered close to death? How many times have I? We have lost one another so many times and what have we gotten in return? New horrors to haunt our nightmares. I would rather let the world burn than lose Sam again.' Dean felt a sense of peace as he made his decision. He had always thought that all he needed in his life to be happy was Sam, his Impala, and hunting but hunting had cost him too much and he wasn't going to lose Sam again.

"I will find my way back to you baby boy, I promise. Just hold on for me." Dean whispered hoping that somehow Sam heard him.

+****+

"I will find my way back to you baby boy, I promise. Just hold on for me."

"Dee?" Sam shot up in bed he had fallen into a troubled sleep but he swears that he had heard Dean's voice. Tugging Dean's jacket back over his shoulders Sam curled into the leather breathing in the scent of his soulmate. He had taken to using Dean's clothing as blankets, it was the only way he could sleep without Lucifer taunting him surrounded by Dean's scent.

"I will hold on for you Dee, but please hurry home."

+*****+

'A year, it had been a year.' Dean could hardly believe it after so long he was back on earth but he wasn't home until he found Sam. "Thank you for your help. I couldn't have survived there without you." Dean held out his hand to the most unexpected friend Benny.

Benny took the man's offered hand and pulled the hunter in for a quick hug. "It's was no trouble brother, now go find that Sammy of yours. He's waited long enough." Benny hadn't believed in all that stuff like soulmates until he saw the way Dean talk about Sam and he had never seen that kind of devotion or love, he wasn't a fool he knew that it was Dean's love for Sam that kept him fighting and coming home for him is what kept him going.

"So have I. Keep out of trouble," Dean warned before pulling away from the vampire he now saw as family. 'Now to find Sammy.'

+*****+

Rufus Cabin

Sam had retreated from the rest of the world when Lucifer's taunting had become too much and he was on the verge of breaking down and needed to escape, he couldn't even remember getting to the cabin. He was convinced it had been the Impala once again looking after her boys.

He didn't find peace not with Lucifer growing stronger every day but at least no one could see his breakdowns and him begging the devil to stop torturing him. He couldn't go back to a mental hospital.

"Face it Dean is never coming back and really who can blame him? You are weak Sam. I mean look at you." Lucifer gestured to Sam. "You're a mess, you would be better off dead. No one would miss you certainly not Dean. Hell, you would probably be doing him a favor."

Sam didn't want to admit it but Lucifer was right. "Dean would be better off with me dead." He whispered in a broken tone.

"That's a lie and you know it baby boy.”

Sam couldn't breathe, for the past year he had been hearing Dean's voice when he needed it the most but it has never when Lucifer was trying to break him. "Dean?" Turning around slowly Sam found himself looking into a pair of green eyes.

Dean felt his heart cracking at the sight of Sam, he looked so broken and on the verge of collapsing and he knew who was the thank for that. "Hi, ya baby boy. I've missed you so much."

"It's not him. Dean is gone and he is never coming back." Lucifer hissed.

Dean saw Sam's eyes darting off to the side his jaw clenched he knew who was torturing his brother. "Whatever that bastard is saying is a lie. I am here baby boy and I am not going anywhere. Now come here."

Sam took a step forward and then stopped. "Not until you prove to me that you are really Dean and not an imposter."

Dean's jaw unclenched as he smiled at Sam. "That's my boy."

Sam watched as Dean performed test after test proving that he was Dean Winchester. The moment Dean put the knife down Sam was flying into Dean's arms clinging to his brother. "Dee, I thought I would never see you again."

"I'm here Sammy, I'm here and I'm never leaving you again," Dean promised as he closed his eyes and held Sam close not even minding as Sam's tears soaked his shirt.

It was several moments before Sam pulled away from Dean his eyes a little red but not carrying at all.

"Come on let's sit down baby boy." Curling his arm around Sam Dean lead them over to the couch and once he was seated he pulled Sam into his lap.

"Dean! I'm too big." Dean might have believed Sam's protest if Sam wasn't making himself comfortable on his lap.

"You will never be to sit on my lap, Sammy." Dean leered at Sam and loved the blush that painted Sam's cheeks. "Sam, how do you feel about retiring from the world of hunting and settling down and having a normal life?"

For a moment Sam could only stare at Dean in shock. "With you?" He asked in a soft voice. He would stay hunting if that was what Dean wanted but the idea of retiring was an enticing offer.

Stroking Sam's cheek Dean smiled at him. "Yeah with me baby boy. I've lived this past year without you it wasn't living, just like I was with Lisa and Ben. We have done more than enough and lost so many people we love and I think it's time that the Winchesters step away from. I can't lose you again Sam. So what do you say? Will you retire with me?"

The smile that appeared on Sam's face could out shone the sun. "As long as you are by my side I will be happy but yes I would love to retire with you," Sam whispered his eyes shining with joy.

"Wonderful now it's been a year since I've tasted those lips," Dean growled as he cupped Sam's chin. "We have some celebrated to do and I plan on making sure that you never hear that bastard voice again," Dean growled out.

Sam's soft, "Please," was swallowed by Dean's lips on his and for the first time in months, Lucifer's yells went unheard by Sam as he lost himself in Dean's touch.

#wincest #wincestwritingchallenge #rodiniaorzetalthepenquin #my ficlets #sherri writes #otp: you can't lose him