#especially Lotor's weird bangs

[echodrops]

Voltron or Final Fantasy 7?

In my last Voltron post I mentioned that Voltron Legendary Defender is really just Final Fantasy 7 with robot lions, so I wanted to elaborate on some of the comparisons.

Obviously this is mostly facetious; there are still several note-worthy differences between the two series, and if you want to get technical, Voltron certainly existed before Final Fantasy 7. However, it’s pretty obvious that someone on the writing team for Voltron Legendary Defender has been influenced by the plot and characters of Final Fantasy 7.

I mean...

We start out our story with the world in the clutches of an evil dictator, who by all rights, has no logical claim to the parts of the universe he controls, except that he has consolidated access to a seemingly unlimited supply of energy, which gives him military and utilitarian power over the hapless masses. (Also, bonus for their outfit color schemes matching almost exactly.)

The energy that these two scumbags are powering their military forces with is not just any energy, no sir: it’s actually the lifeblood of planets, the force that keeps worlds and everything on them alive.

In one of the most blatant cinematic parallels of all time, they forcefully draw out and refine this energy, using it for various purposes from powering their cities, building massive weapons, to creating armies of typically monstrous super soldiers, usually hopped up hard on the energy drug.

Meanwhile, our evil dictators rule from the thrones of their conspicuously ring-shaped dark fortresses that continue to slowly drain the life and peace from everything in reach.

But everyone knows that any villain worth his salt is backed up by an even more morally bankrupt and terrifying Mad Scientist:

Whose preoccupation with a calamity from another world

and penchant for creating horrific chimeras of flesh and machine

is about to cause everyone to have a very, very, bad day. Now where else have we seen pink glowing eyes, hm...

Of course, evil never reigns without opposition, so we have to have the consistently-out-of-focus-for-the-rest-of-the-series band of well-intentioned extremist rebels:

Although they talk a big game, their biggest accomplishment seems to mostly be getting themselves blown up.

They certainly aren’t responsible for killing their respective evil dictators, for example. Nope, that honor goes to:

The mysterious light-haired pretty boy with weird bangs, cat eyes, a sword, and a big ass chip on his shoulder over his parentage. He seems calm and rational, even sophisticated and princely--but it’s a thin veneer hiding a life-time of trauma and horror, and one wrong reveal about the identity of his mother could tip him over the edge into no-holds-barred madness. A dangerous free agent whose loyalties are questionable and whose existence is inextricably tied to the calamity from another world. He thinks He is among the last of the ancient mystical race of Cetra Alteans, who were eradicated by the creature from the other world, who infiltrated their society by possessing some of their closest allies.

Lotor also has shades of Rufus Shinra: seizes command after his father’s death, possibly still evil but everyone loves him anyway, commands a Quirky Mini Boss Squad:

Featuring in order: the One Who Rushes Into Everything, the Most Competent Right-Hand, the Quiet One, and the Plucky Redhead.

Of course, when the world needs saving from certain doom, a most beloved band of bizarre heroes will arise to answer destiny’s call:

The Stringy Inherited-Sword-Wielding Hero With Wack Hair

It’s a running gag to refer to him as a lone wolf and disinterested in other people, but under his prickly facade is a much softer, confused boy who is struggling hard with identity issues. He’s forced into a leadership role for which he is particularly ill-suited, and even though most people will leave the game/the show with the impression that he really grew into his leadership, the sum total of his accomplishments is actually causing far more trouble than would have occurred if he had just stayed home.

His obsession with finding and defeating light-haired pretty boy causes everyone no small amount of grief and then he ends up siding with said light-haired pretty boy anyway...

Can’t overcome the fact that he is deeply connected to the very thing he must defeat; he has Jenova Galra genes that lead him to question his role in the universe and whether or not he is a monster.

Incurably socially awkward country boy. Let’s mosey!

He learned everything he knows from:

The Black-Haired Best Friend with a Scar on His Face

Older, wiser, and in every way more competent than the stringy hero, this guy, complete with noticeable black and purple color scheme, is REAL hero material. He’s been through it all: held captive for year(s) by the mad scientist, “upgraded” and experimented upon with intentions of creating a true Super Soldier, something-something clones everywhere something-something... He has the good attitude and the powerful loyalty necessary to be a shining example of a white knight for the princess and is the standard which stringy hero knows he will never exceed. Stringy hero looks up to this guy more than anyone in the entire world, and this guy would give it all--even his life--to protect the people who mean the most to him. Complete with dramatic mid-series meaningful haircut!

Despite being a fan favorite, the creators spend more time writing this guy out of the series than they do actually using him to his best potential...

Shiro also has some shades of Vincent Valentine: atoner who fears he has become a monstrous tool for the enemy, despite his deep-down incredibly good heart. Some people like to pair him with the Genki Girl.

Mostly seen in the company of:

Princess Last of Her Kind

Don’t let her soft looks and pink color motif fool you! The “princess” is a strong, independent girl who does what she wants, when she wants, up to and including sacrificing herself to save the day when all the other heroes fail at life. As the last of her mystical and mysterious race, she possesses strange magics that allow her to feel the life force of all living beings and tap into the very energy that Shinra the Galra Empire are harvesting. Capable of wielding a staff, her actual greatest strength is her healing magic, which has the power to bring an entire planet back from the brink of death.

Her people were destroyed from within by betrayal at the hands of the calamity, and their sole remaining Plot MacGuffin, the white materia Voltron is the only thing left that can save the world. Despite being technologically advanced beyond all reason, her people were ancient peacekeepers who still, inexplicably, built stone temples.

The Promised Land Oriande is not a faerie tale.

Strongly flower-themed:

Then we have:

The Brilliant Young Rascal

As a character, Pidge isn’t actually a one-for-one to anyone in FF7. Yuffie’s acrobatic stunts and mischievous Genki Girl personality embody one obvious part of Pidge, but Yuffie lacks Pidge’s tech-ish brilliance and competent follow-through. In that regard, Pidge is actually somewhat closer to Red XIII: smart, inquisitive, and usually mature, their deep inner-conflicts, especially regarding the fate of their fathers, reveal their weaknesses and the truth that they’re still young, uncertain people who fear for the future of their world and sometimes feel helpless in the face of the staggering tasks put before them. They are deeply attuned to nature but also raised by someone whose technology is capable of revealing incredible truths about the universe. Both of them are also fish out of water when it comes to befriending new people, and they often feel like they do better on their own than trying to rely on people who aren’t part of their trusted family.

Courage the Cowardly Cat

Although it’s certainly tempting to compare Hunk to Barret, based somewhat on appearance and even, to a certain extent, on personality--Barret is a huge softy underneath who just loves his family and wants to do right in the world--Hunk has much more in common with Cait Sith, the robotic cat/moogle combo who is secretly an alter ego for the brilliant architect Reeve Tuesti. Cowardly and often the butt of jokes from teammates and enemies alike, Cait Sith is frequently underestimated and flies under the radar, allowing him to keep his own secrets even while sticking his nose in just about everyone else’s business. Although he’s not initially sold on the heroes’ goal of saving the world, he soon has a change of heart that makes him into a fast and loyal ally. Despite the fact that he’s made of “fluff,” in the hour of greatest need, it’s Cait Sith who steps up to rescue everyone, essentially single-handedly saving the world.

His creator is an incredible and genius engineer who longs to use his creations to better the lives of common people, but he’s also sarcastic and unafraid to tell it like it is, even if that means he’s telling his own allies where they’ve messed up badly.

His predictions about the future always seem to come true...

The Emotional Backbone of the Party

Don’t get me wrong, both Lance and Tifa are formidable fighters on their own, whose talents shine in different areas of combat than the traditional sword-wielding heroes. But their greatest strengths actually seem to lie in their ability to support their allies. When stringy hero falls into despair and falters in his leadership, it’s this right-hand role who steps up to bear the weight and get the party back on track. The voice of reason and drive, Lance and Tifa are go-getters who won’t let anyone settle for giving less than their best, and they definitely aren’t willing to sit around listening to tired old excuses when they could be out saving the world. Razzle Dazzle time!

They are both influenced strongly by their families and tend to listen to the feelings and struggles of others much more than they are willing to share their own feelings and fears. The others come to rely on them as an emotional crutch, whose central job it is to reassure, validate, and empower the team, sometimes at the cost of their own happiness.

But they weren’t always this way, and in fact, in the past, they happened to be a bit shallow and excitable, with a penchant for throwing themselves into situations which were way, way too far out their league and for rarely, if ever, listening to good advice. Head-strong and romantic, they started out as dreamers before the war took its toll.

They definitely had a rocky beginning with their stringy hero--they were not friends--but, by the middle end of the series, have grown and matured as characters into a strong person who not only helps guide the hero but also holds up better in the face of all the trauma and suffering the party experienced.

Even being such a central character, they get a bare minimum amount of dialogue, leading many fans to interpret the character however they see fit, causing both Lance and Tifa to become common stand-ins for the fans themselves.

(Despite both losing their place as the “heart of the party” to the “Princess,” they never become jealous of her.)

And finally:

Coranic The Mechanic

Coran and Cid Highwind don’t have that much in common in terms of personality, except both being extreme dorks with notable accents, but I wonder how much of that is because Voltron is a kids’ show and Cid’s chain-smoking, curse-laden, women-abusing attitude just wouldn’t fly in a place like that. In terms of story role, they fill the exact same niche: the older male mechanic who advises and leads when needed to, despite his advice often seeming eccentric at best to those he’s trying to lead. He’s in charge of flying the ship while the others race off into danger, and if you lay one dirty finger on his baby, he will probably throw you overboard.

Tough as nails, despite all appearances, but also tried, true, and loyal to a fault. Won’t give up, even in the face of insurmountable danger, and gets a big kick out of killing bad guys. Impeccable timing for dramatic last second saves.

PHEW, got ‘em all!

In case you need anything else to convince you that you’re watching an at least partially repackaged story, don’t forget the:

Bizarre Egyptian-themed ancient stone temple where the mystical race of the Cetra Alteans kept the deepest secrets of their magic.

Really unlucky magic rock from space.

Gigantic killer robot beasts.

An overly-drawn-out and somewhat poorly explained clone plot line that just leaves the fans even more confused.

And OF COURSE:  infamously long unskippable summoning sequences.

tl;dr:

If you’re in the game of predicting where Voltron’s future plot might go, you would not be misguided to go play FF7 as fuel for your predictions. And if you’re a Voltron fan who still hasn’t played FF7... What are you even doing with your life? Get out of here!

[sasuhinasno1fan]

His Gryffindor

Yay, a fic where they're actually together! I liked this one actually, I had struggled to come up with an idea but with the help of a friend on the old Klance Big Bang 2018 server - we're called it something else now - we came up with this idea. Enjoy. Hogwarts

Keith took a small bite out of his toast as he tried to warm up as much as he could before he would be flying in cold weather. He was so focused on his breakfast he didn’t see a tanned person sneaking up behind him until his vision was blocked.

“Guess who?” a voice asked, making Keith laugh.

“Hmm, I do wonder. Is it my 6 foot, really buff Slytherin boyfriend?”

The voice scoffed as Keith got his vision back and felt arms wrap around his neck as the person leaned on him. “They wish they could be as perfect as me. And excuse you, just because I’m in Ravenclaw and not on Quidditch team doesn’t mean I’m not buff.”

“I guess so.” Keith said, turning so he could look at his boyfriend.

While Keith was in Gryffindor, Lance was in Ravenclaw. They had been rivals for best grades in the class, Lance throwing a loud fit whenever Keith beat him. Lance’s siblings were pretty well known, especially his duelling prodigy sister Veronica and that had put pressure on Lance to be just as good. Keith found Lance hiding up in the Astronomy Tower having a panic attack when the end of term grades came in during their Third Year before Christmas.

“I told my parents I could pass my extra subjects with no problems and I almost failed both of them.” Lance had said when Keith asked what’s wrong. “I told my parents I could do it and I failed.”

“So?”

“Oh, of course you don’t care. You’re perfect at everything! Even Shiro knows your perfect and he’s the living embodiment of perfect. Nothing is ever hard for you and you know it.” Lance said with anger.

“I’m not good at everything. I don’t make friends easily, I actually hate being compared to Shiro and I failed Charms. I’ve never been able to pass that class. You’ve seen me struggle not to set things on fire in there.”

“So? You’re still better than I am. Everyone says that you’re always going to win.”

“I’m not. I don’t do well under pressure. I run away, but I have never seen you run from anything. It’s not finals yet so you have time to get better. Stop thinking you’ll lose and prove yourself like you always do.”

Lance hadn’t looked like he believed him at all and left leaving Keith feeling like he didn’t get through to him. He had gotten a letter though on Christmas with a package of his favourite chocolates. All it said was ‘thank you’ and the next time he saw Lance, he had this new determination in his eyes. He was able to pull from Hunk that Lance had talked with his sister, who then told their parents because she thought they deserved to know how much pressure Lance had on him. He’d been sat down for a much needed talk and the air had been cleared between his family and him.

“It’s a little weird though. I was always telling him to tell his family how he felt and he never did. I don’t know why he suddenly changed his mind.”

Keith didn’t want to automatically say it was him, but the timing seemed so obvious. Lance didn’t seek him out until they both tried claiming the strangely only empty table in the library during exam week.

“I think sharing is the least I can do. After your help.” Keith pretended to look confused. “I know Hunk told you. I wasn’t expecting Veronica to go tell my parents but it worked out in the end for the better.”

“I’m glad.”

Lance had drastically improved his grades to something he was proud of and on the train ride back home, invited Keith to come sit with him and his friends. Thing had changed between them and the letters exchanged during the summer was only the start. They started getting much closer in their Fourth Year and on Easter break, Lance asked Keith out. They’d been together ever since. Lance didn’t exactly want to go and hide his relationship, even though the attention made Keith a bit uncomfortable. Keith was already known for being the Gryffindor beater who skills allowed him to join during his first year and everyone knew who Lance was because of his family. But Lance used his new outlook on having to be the best on how they lived their relationship, it didn’t matter, as long as they were happy.

And Keith was.

“I guess those muscles from holding my broom case have to show somehow.” Keith teased.

“Ha ha. You’re so hilarious.” Lance said sarcastically as he climbed onto the bench next to Keith and stole a piece of fruit from his plate. “But speaking of strong people, have you seen the new beater for Slytherin? I don’t think he’s human.”

“His name is Sendak right? I heard he almost got into a fight with Shiro.”

“Shiro probably almost kicked his ass didn’t he?”

“He wanted to but he was on prefect duty.” Keith said, thinking of his brother who was in Slytherin. “But he knows I’m his brother so I wouldn’t be surprised if he tries to take it out on me on the field.”

“Try and be careful. I don’t want that pretty face messed up that I can’t kiss you when you win.” Lance said, already pressing kisses onto Keith’s cheek like he couldn’t stand the idea of not kissing Keith. Keith didn’t want to lose that either.

“I’ll be fine. I can take on a 7 foot creature and still hit bludgers to the opposite team. Speaking of which, I need to head down to the changing room soon.” Keith stuffed the last bit of his toast in his mouth and picked up his bag, letting Lance pick up his broom case like he always would, his free hand already linking with Keith’s.

“Where are you going to sit?” Keith asked as they started to head down to the Gryffindor changing rooms.

Lance would usually bounce between the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor stands during the games.

“Pidge actually said I could sit with them at the commenter bench.”

“With the teachers and guests?” Keith clarified.

“Yep. Don’t worry, you’ll understand why when you get out there.”

They reached the changing room to quick in their opinion. Lance pulled Keith close, pouting at the idea of having to pull away.

“You promise you’ll be careful?”

Wrapping his arms around Lance’s waist and leaning more onto him, Keith said, “I promise. The minute the game is over, you can kiss me as much as you want.”

“That’d better be a promise.” Lance said, already leaning in to kiss Keith.

He knew he should have stopped him, he did have to get ready, but kissing Lance made him forget all that. Made him forget a lot of things and Lance knew it. Keith could complain all he liked about how Lance would steal kisses or do it to get him to stop talking but god, it was worth it every time.

“Excuse me,” the two pulled away to see Adam, the team captain, “As sweet as this is, I’d like to be ready when we start.”

“Sorry. Ok, now I really have to go.” Keith said.

“Fine.” Lance groaned, pulling away and pouting a little.

Keith pulled his red and gold scarf and looped it around Lance’s neck before taking his broom case from him. “I’ll see you out there ok?” he pressed a quick kiss to Lance’s lips before following Adam inside.

Keith ducked as Sendak sent another bludger to his head. He hated being right sometimes. Since the game had started, Sendak was sending every bludger to him. Keith just used it to send the Slytherin team off track. Still, some calls were too close. It didn’t help that he could actually hear every scared gasp from Lance from how close he sat next to Pidge. He glanced over at the teacher’s box where a large banner with a Gryffindor lion painted in blue and grey moved with the chilled air. He could see the red and yellow scarf tied around Lance’s neck. He was sure some of the teachers were annoyed at Lance for shamelessly using the space so he could cheer Keith on.

“And Gryffindor has the quaffle! Team captain Adam is heading down the field and Slytherin chaser Lotor and Ezor are headed after him. He dodges a bludger from beater Zethrid, he throws! And it’s in! 10 points to Gryffindor!” Pidge announced. “They’re still 30 points behind Slytherin so here’s hoping they can find the snitch soon. And oh! Gryffindor beater Keith just dodged another bludger from Slytherin beater Sendak. Really, almost gets his ass kicked and decides to take it out on his brother. Like really?”

“Pidge.” Professor Ryner warned.

“What? It’s true. I mean look at Lance, he’s getting anxiety.” Pidge defended.

“Pidge, I have anxiety.”

“See?”

Keith couldn’t help but laugh as Professor Ryner’s scoldings were caught in the mic. They were suddenly cut off though.

“Both seekers have spotted the snitch!” Pidge announced.

Sure enough, two players were speeding off in the same direction. And Sendak just hit another bludger to him.

“Keith, go!” Lance yelled into the mic, getting yelled at by Professor Ryner.

With a powerful swing, he hit the incoming bludger in the direction of the Slytherin seeker who had started to get ahead. The seeker pulled away to dodge giving the Gryffindor opportunity to grab the snitch.

“Gryffindor caught the snitch! That’s 150 points! Gryffindor wins!”

While the rest of his team went to dogpile on their seeker, Keith flew down to where Lance stood waiting for him. He flew close to box and leaned down so Lance could take his face in his hands and press a kiss to his lips.

“And it seems like the real celebration is up here.”

Lance just showed them his middle finger. The scolding had been worth not parting lips.

[clairelutra]

self fic rec

rules: when you get this, reply with your favourite five fics that you’ve written, then pass on to at least five other writers. do multiple fandoms if you want!

tagged by @isadorator (😘♥♥♥♥♥)

tagging: @sixsaltysweets @miracufic​ @metawohoo​ @baneismydragon​ @667-darkavenue​ + anyone and everyone else

1. one does not simply walk into the closet (ffxv, lunoct)

On the run from court training and eager to avoid capture, Noctis drags Luna into a closet to hide. Things... escalate from there.

i’m not really sure i can pin down why i like this one so much, except that it has all the tropes i like and a killer punchline that still makes me laugh whenever i think about it.

2. touch fluffy tail (okami, ushiama)

Reasons why Amaterasu hates being human: -  Fingers are weird and thumbs are weirder. Chopsticks are the devil. -  People expect her to pay attention when they talk. -  It's very uncomfortable to just lie down and take a nap wherever and whenever you want to. -  Clothes are inconvenient and being beholden to them for warmth and protection when fur works just fine is undignified. -  She can't pee on her enemies.

Reasons why Amaterasu is willing to try this 'human' business: -  Waka

okay so technically the writing makes me cringe whenever i think about it—i was borderline comatose while i wrote this. it was written entirely on my phone, often only a sentence or two at a time when i woke up from the eternal nap i was taking, and it shows.

hhhhhowever. it was the first fic in a long, long, long time that i’d written purely because the idea pleased me. it was right after i’d joined pillowfort and could finally start to shake the terror of writing something that was not “tumblr approved.” it was also the first time in a long time that i actually almost stopped worrying about how it would be received—it’s pseudo-furry and written for a tiny fandom, and this was the first time i truly said fuck it. i want to, so why the hell not?

3. knowledge is power; power corrupts (vld, lotor&pidge)

Study hard, Katie. Study hard and be evil.

Lotor needs pocket money, the Holts need a babysitter for their troublemaking daughter, and Katie needs someone to keep her from dying of boredom in the long hours her family spends away from home. The solution is obvious.

Unfortunately for the rest of the world, Lotor and Katie get along like a house afire.

(Written for the Lotor Big Bang on tumblr with the lovely Ruxi~)

i dunno. this was one of the first real genfics i’ve ever written, and it was more fun than i expected. skittish/pessimistic/paranoid lotor meets a baby pidge with too much moxie for her own good, and they get to be kids together.

4. hope, love, and other 4-letter words (vld, klance)

Keith didn't ask to be hauled out of bed at this ungodly hour of the morning for something like a trip to a beach, but sometimes Lance is just impossible to say 'no' to. 

bad summary is bad, but this was one of my contemplations on what ‘love’ is, and what it means when someone makes you want to be better. shiro and keith were soulmates, then shiro went off and died, and lance became keith’s second soulmate.

the point of their relationship here is that keith was drowning in depression until lance came along. and it’s not like lance magically kissed everything better, but that he was loud and grating and cheerful and gave keith a reason to try. i think that’s really important, especially when the battle with depression is often (if not always) a battle with apathy.

this was me testing the waters with the concept, and i like the result.

5. daydream (ml, love square)

 you're my daydream    you know that i've been thinking about you lately

In which Adrien finds out Ladybug is Marinette, and beats the 'this is fine' dog at his own game.

honestly the only “popular” fic of mine that i don’t look at and think, but... why?

it’s sappy and romantic and has actual payoff and quite a few good lines, and it’s something i worked hard on and still enjoy from time to time. (less now than before because old writing, but still.) i’m... more or less comfortable recommending it.

[realityextinct]

Keitor!AU fanfic - All Hope Is Gone

Summary: -- (surprise!)

Pairing: Keitor (Keith/Lotor)

Rating: PG-13

Status: Complete

Warnings: abstractness/weirdness

A/N: A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY GIFT TO MY DARLING @stirlingphoenix!!! I LOVE YOU SO VERY MUCH, HOPE YOU HAVE A GOOD OOONE!!!~~~~<333333333

Word count: 1,645

The Galran Empire under Lotor’s rule has conquered most of the known galaxy. Many have died in resistance to the tyrant, but even more welcomed him as the new ruler with open arms. Wherever the unstoppable force went, be it for the greater good or bad, Emperor Lotor has installed his new order and system.

When the Galran Fleet entered the Solar System, the existence of other lifeforms was a shocking revelation to the earthlings. In due time, Earth had no choice but to surrender as well and the Galran Empire was open for negotiations.

The man representing Earth’s interests was Takashi Shirogane, sent to converse with the Emperor himself. It would be the first time an Earth commander would board a Galran ship. As soon as Shiro entered, there would be no room left for doubt as to why they have surrendered to the unwanted and unexpected guest in their System: the technology aboard the ship was far more advanced than anything they had on Earth. The ship’s structure from the inside out was massive and impressive, made from materials not found on Earth. As Shiro took careful steps, his feet pressing into the unknown material, he noted that the Earth scholars were right – this was not any element from the Periodic Table. It was something unusual, something otherworldly…emitting unknown to him energy.

The only hope they had in defeating the tyrant was by joining forces with other rebel groups they came to know once the Galran Fleet entered the Solar System. But until then, they had to obey to the Galra or they would be destroyed.

The chambers Shiro was led into seemed to be the Emperor’s private quarters: from what he could tell about the Galran culture, they had simple, minimalist taste. Thus, when he saw little to no decorations except for the very necessary items, it came of no surprise to Shiro. The walls held no decoration apart from one single Galran symbol stretching from one corner to the other, violet was the primary color on the entire ship and it was no exception to this room. The floors were carpeted, as the only indication of these being private quarters apart from the furniture in the room: a bed in purple silks, a coffee table and cushioned couches. A sight to behold.

Lotor sat on one of the couches, his expression showing no displeasure, having been expecting a visitor. He was clad in finest armor, showing his status not only as a warrior, but as a ruler as well. At his feet, a human pet was seated, his eyes on Shiro, Lotor’s fingers caressing curly locks. Shiro did not recognize the man personally, but he was well aware he was one of the volunteers, on behalf of Earth and to satisfy the tyrant’s tastes, sent as a gift – to become a pet. Momentary, Shiro felt sorry for the man, who looked to be in his 20s - with an entire life in front of him, having had sacrificed himself just to keep the Galra happy and save Earth from total destruction.

From what Shiro knew, and this posed an interesting question, Lotor had his pets disposed of once he was bored of them. This human man was sent to him almost two years ago. Seeing him alive and at Lotor’s feet, clad in nothing but a transparent robe, was opposite to the information he got.

It made Shiro’s stomach turn at the thought that Earth would be forced to accept this lifestyle at some point, throwing their society into primitively yet again.

The thought of helping this boy crossed his mind, but he was on a diplomatic mission, so perhaps he would need to devise a plan once outside...

Lotor’s smile widened as he gestured to one of the seats beside him, “By all means, make yourself comfortable, Takashi Shirogane,” Shiro felt uneasy hearing his name uttered so easily, as if they have been long-term friends. He was used to introductions, but it seemed Galran culture had no requirement for such etiquette. Without a word, Shiro took a seat as Lotor continued, “I expect for us to have a rather long and dull conversation, so I had refreshments prepared, as well as a performance to honor our new guest. Please, relax and let us make the best of our time.”

Somehow, talking to Lotor was much easier than Shiro first expected. The man talked with ease and Shiro didn’t find a need to hold back with any of his thoughts, for Lotor seemed reasonable. What Shiro couldn’t help was his eyes constantly falling on the man at Lotor’s feet, who seemed far away the entire time they were discussing politics. Seeing a human man at the feet of a Galra…that was enough to make Shiro’s blood boil inside, but he remained calm, skillfully hiding his distaste.

Unfortunately for Shiro, Lotor noticed him constantly looking at the pet, which caused their conversation to stop abruptly, “Keith darling, it seems our guest is troubled by your display. Please make yourself comfortable, like I suggested you do since the very start.”

Shiro found the use of the word ‘suggested’ unusual considering the circumstances, but he raised no objections once he saw the man, Keith, rise to his feet…and gracefully crawl onto Lotor’s lap, an arm wrapping around the tyrant’s neck daringly yet casually, as if he has been doing this for a really long time.

This left Shiro speechless. He has heard plenty of things about Lotor and none of them had anything to do with kindness, or especially allowing his subjects, let alone pets, treat him in such a manner.

Strangely enough, all Lotor did was watch his pet, their eyes meeting, before he turned to smile at Shiro, “Please forgive us for all the trouble, Takashi Shirogane. My pet tends to do as he likes. But that is the beauty of owning a pet, is it not?” one of Lotor’s arms wrapped around Keith’s waist.

While Shiro took a moment to take in the information he was so suddenly given, hardly believing his ears for it contradicted everything he was previously told about Lotor, Keith frowned and leaned in to whisper something into Lotor’s ear, receiving a small chuckle from Lotor.

Having come there for purely diplomatic reasons, Shiro had no reason to pay so much attention to the fact he was given severe misinformation about Lotor’s character, but he couldn’t help but notice and think about it because it was so much in his face.

The fact they were actually talking in his private quarters spoke to him of Lotor’s laid-back nature. The fact he allowed his diplomatic guests gaze upon his private life and tastes spoke to him in volumes too. Perhaps, everything that has been said about Lotor was a lie created specifically by anti-Galran propaganda. Perhaps…Lotor’s rule was not as much of a negative thing as previously thought to be.

The more he spoke with Lotor, seeing Keith play with his long white bangs as they talked, the more he realized this display before him was not a lie. That, indeed, this was an everyday occurrence for the Emperor of most of the universe.

And…it was strange. Borderline absurd, in Shiro’s understanding.

The only thing Shiro could think, though, as he left the ship, having concluded a few terms with Lotor, was that he would have to report what he saw, that what they knew of Lotor was false information.

And that the boy, Keith, probably needed no saving. Perhaps, he was a double agent, working for Earth. He would have to look into this.

As the guest left, Keith stretched over Lotor’s lap, sighing, “Finally… I thought he was never going to leave,” he leaned in to nuzzle Lotor’s cheek like a kitten.

Another chuckle escaped Lotor’s lips as he ran a hand down Keith’s bare back, “You are so very impatient, dear Angel. You know how very busy I am…” a pause, before Lotor smirked, “Did you enjoy my performance?”

Keith mirrored Lotor’s smirk as he slid off his lap, taking hold of Lotor’s hands and leading him to the bed, “I told you my plan was flawless. Earthlings are quite uncomfortable around pets, for it instantly gives them a negative association. But seeing how you treat me and how very in control I am – will be noted down as proof against any negative information that might have spread about you, making it easier for you to establish your eventual rule upon them.”

“You know well that I wouldn’t want for anyone to lay their eyes on my pet…if it were not for your grand plan,” Keith proceeded to take Lotor’s armor off, piece by piece, “But…getting earthlings on my side is worth all the trouble, admittedly,” once Lotor was free of armor, left in nothing but leggings, he fell on the bed with Keith still standing, a daring hand ending up on one of Lotor’s thighs, “I wonder if they will ever figure out you have been half-Galra all along…” he paused, looking straight into Keith’s eyes, “And mine.”

All Keith could do was laugh a bit under his breath, moving a bit to stand between Lotor’s legs, spreading them apart further, “Until recently, earthlings had no idea of any alien existence, that is why I doubt they could have suspected any half breeds among them – a traitor to relay all of the information back to Galra.”

Lotor said nothing, but his warm expression said it all, legs wrapping around Keith’s waist and pulling him in, “I want you to make love to me tonight and slam me into the mattress so hard, the entire planet Earth shall hear,” Keith, as a pet, certainly had no authority, or personal will to decline that.

Earth was going to fall. It was only a matter of time.

The End.

[eledritch]

hi! so im having a real hard time writing keith. do you have any tips on how to write him or insight on his personality bc i love how you write our boy

oh my gosh…the highest praise tHANK YOU. i am so glad this is an ask i got on keith’s bday bc he deserves the most

um well ok so I should preface this by saying, character-wise, Keith is the closest to my own character if that makes sense. I see a lot of myself in him. If I met him IRL I would literally just want to have a deep talk about the universe and hang out (whereas with like, Shiro, I would beg him to raw me slash do whatever he wanted to me, don’t judge, have you seen that man? becAUSE I SURE HAVE)

anyway, i’m getting off-topic, HERE’S THE BASICS OF HOW I WRITE KEITH:

He’s very introspective and observant. by this i mean, he can be oblivious about certain things i.e. someone having a crush on him; but he’s very aware of what’s happening around him. When I write Lance POV, I tend to focus more on what’s happening immediately to Lance (i love the kid but he has a smaller field of focus) whereas when I write Keith, I write about his surroundings in a more detached/analytical/third-party-observer way. 

He likes having a high degree of control over most situations and panics/feels off-balance when things start slipping out of his control. Keith is impulsive but he’s not an idiot, he may weigh pros and cons hastily but he still weighs them. i.e. when he flew that craft off the cliff, he knew it wasn’t going to crash. Maybe he’d done it in the past, who knows, but he was pretty damn sure it was going to be fine. 

Keith is smart. he may not be socially smart all the time (me too, buddy), but he didn’t get to be top of his class at the Garrison for nothing. When I write Keith, I write him as the badass nerd he is. Because he is a nerd lmao. I like to think that Keith loves weird facts/documentaries and has all sorts of anecdotes, i.e. in Rain, Rain Go Away when he’s talking about ancient Egyptian pyramids.

Keith is genuinely pretty modest. He doesn’t brag about his skills and a lot of the time isn’t fully aware of how they compare to other people’s, he just works his hardest and hones the skills he has as best he can. 

He may rise to the bait when provoked, but Keith isn’t the angry hothead character a lot of the fandom makes him out to be. Lance is more of a hothead than Keith is in a lot of ways. The thing is, when Keith does feel emotion about something, he feels it STRONGLY. That’s why he was so insistent that Pidge stay with the team instead of leaving to find her family, that’s why he was so terrified about the Galra realization that he left, that’s why he was so hellbent on getting Lotor, and that’s why he was so upset about Shiro’s absence. Keith feels very deeply. I don’t know how accurate Meyer’s Briggs personality types are, but I’m an INFJ (Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging) and Keith seems VERY INFJ TO ME. just throwin that out there, it might help~

Keith is stubborn as hell. The Blade of Marmora episode is pretty solid proof of this, dude almost died trying to get through the trial. He was also stubborn in the very first episode when he talked about the cave with the Blue Lion; he had no idea what he was looking for but he kept looking regardless because he had to get to the bottom of it. He isn’t a quitter, and before you say he quit the Garrison, fight me, he was kicked out and I’d bet anything it had to do with his stubbornness, not that he had a lack of motivation or skill.

Keith is frequently a little puzzled by other people. I’m pretty onboard with the Asperger’s Keith/autistic spectrum Keith hc. Having a dad with Asperger’s and probably having some degree of it myself, I see a lot of parallels especially in Keith’s socialization issues. However, I do tend to write Keith as empathetic because I think he is, even if he reserves that empathy for a select few people. He’s not quick to trust or come out of his shell, but when he does he’s Pretty Soft and A Big Dork. we need more soft keith imo, you can write soft keith without it being ooc, i promise.

That being said, he’s a rough ‘n tough guy. I write Keith to have a fairly high tolerance for pain/gore, not much fear of gross things (anything from bugs to injuries to cumplay), he fights dirty if he needs to, he’s probably slightly bruised/banged up at any given time, his fingernails aren’t the greatest (whether from general wear n tear or biting them u choose), and while he values self-care and hygiene (i dont get y’all who say Keith never washes his hair or himself, tf, why wouldn’t he, he’s not Daryl Dixon ALTHOUGH THERE ARE SOME SERIOUS PARALLELS LOL) he probably isn’t an expert on facemasks and manicures. That being said, I doubt Keith would be opposed to trying either, I write him as pretty secure in his masculinity and genuinely curious about testing gender boundaries/norms. AGAIN, YOU CAN STILL HAVE SOFT KEITH WITHOUT IT BEING OOC. masculine characters can be soft, let them be so - and i promise you don’t have to turn them into an androgynous twink with a personality the size of a walnut in the process. yes klance shippers i am looking at you everybody makes mistakes but KEITH DESERVES BETTER THANKS

ok i think that’s it i hope that helped I LOVE KEITH A LOT 

[kyraensui]

Solitude of heat and care

Summary: Lotor testing his luck and pride as an Alpha to court an infamous omega, Keith.

Rated: Teen & Up

Chapter 6 of 8

Can read at AO3: http://archiveofourown.org/works/12559508/chapters/28769541

Keith stood quiet near the door when he opened the lavish room. It was huge! Almost the size of the apartment that he stayed with Shiro. Speaking of Shiro, when did he kicked him out? He found out from Lotor when he wanted to go home that all of his belongings were packed up and left in the new room of this house. Meaning he was going to live with Lotor. He was going to kick Shiro's butt when he gets to see him. The moment he message him about his bond was the day he told Lotor to take care of him. He was given away to Lotor without his saying. Stupid Shiro. He also found out that Lance moved in with Shiro. Those jerks. Whatever. This was a huge upgrade in his pale life. He looked around the room with his hand touching the velvet walls and sheer curtains. Even the bed was huge for a single person as he took a flop on the plush mattress. He almost sank in and rolled on his back with his arms stretched out. It felt like he was in one of those fairy tale stories where the heroine gets a happy ending and most would get prince charming too. Instead, Keith was the heroine and he got a cheesy, perverted prince charming. His own fairy tale story was a little twisted and not quite suitable for kids. This room. It was his new solitude from his old place. He turned on his side and curled up with the oversize pillow. This will do now that his heat decided to kick him down and make him suffer. From what he had learned, his heat would become intense after forming a bond with an Alpha. The desire for the Alpha's presence to help fulfill his Omega's needs. Keith buried his face into the pillow. He was scared. He was scared of dealing with his heat alone.

Most of all, he wasn't ready to spend his heat with Lotor yet.

"How are you feeling, little one?" Keith shook his head and laid back on the chair. He was restless from staying up late into the night. It was a miserable first night of his heat. He can barely get out of bed without the help of the maids and escorting him to the dining hall with the weird woman. He was shocked to find out that the weird woman was Lotor's mother and the scary man from the party was his father. He was terrible in piecing the puzzles together. "Exhausted." "Eat up sweetie to replenish yourself. This soup is light, but hearty." His eyes cast down at the small white bowl of pale yellowish pond with big chucks of orange and brown. He shook his head again. She frowned, but got up from her seat and took a chair next to Keith's and sat down close. She grabbed the spoon on the table and carefully dip the spoon in the broth with few stirs. With careful scrapping to remove excess liquid, she held the spoon up to his mouth. "We can do two ways, little one. Either I can feed you or I can call my son in to feed you. I'm sure he would oblige happily to feed you." He shook his head fast and quickly took the spoon in his mouth as she pulled it back. Keith swallowed the flavorful broth. "It's not so bad now, is it?" He can tell now where Lotor got his snarky personality and brain from. She continued to feed him until the bowl was empty. She smiled when she saw Keith's content look and placed her hand over his forehead. "You're family now. You're not alone anymore and I won't let you deal with the heat alone. I can sense that you're not ready to spend it with my son yet." Keith can only nod in agreement. "You two are still young and new to this. I'm here for you little one. I will be with you to guide and help through this heat." "Where is Lotor?"

Keith found himself missing the idiot Alpha these past few days. He was avoiding Keith like he was the plague. Or maybe Lotor was being nice to stay away from him during his heat. The last thing Keith wanted was Lotor pouncing him when he wasn't ready. "He is spending his time with his father and having their usual talks. Aww'd~ You miss him already."

"No! I don't miss him! Just curious where he went. That's all!"

You're cute when in denial of your true feelings. I can see why Lotor worked hard his butt off to win you over.

"Tell me little one, have you ever thought of your future?" He cracked open his eyes, but it felt heavy to stay open. "I have, but not much thought about settling down." "How come?" "I don't know honestly. I'm so used to do many things independently that I didn't need to have someone." "You're afraid of commitment." "I didn't expect to encounter someone that can be so persistent in wanting to be with me. I thought he was blind and crazy." She chuckled with hand stroking his bangs. "You surprised us, little one. It was a first to see our son feel the attraction and working harder to win an omega's affection." "I don't get it." "Love is not easy to explain of how it works. It just happens. To Lotor, it was your smile. How about you, little one? What made you changed your mind?" "... It was his scent." Her hand went over and caressed his cheek. "You're the best partner that I can ever ask for my son." "...." Keith choked back on his sudden sobbing and found himself resting against the woman's embrace. He had long forgotten of how comfortable and warm a mother's embrace was. It was so long as he found himself snuggling against her chest with her fingers sliding through his hair. He wasn't alone anymore.

"Father." "Lotor." Another pause of silence. "I assume Mother is currently with Keith." "She's the perfect person who can make your mate feel at-ease during his time of sudden changes. It can be overwhelming if he is not used to the changes of his new environment." "Mother dotes him already with the way she took charge of his sudden move-in. She even bought clothes for him! How did she even know his sizes?" Zarkon chuckled. "She has her ways, but she can tell what he needs the most. However son, we are here to speak as Alphas and a father. I want to hear your future plans now that you've found a mate." Lotor sat back on the chair and closed his eyes for a moment. His eyes opened as he leaned in with his elbow rested on the table. "I'm not sure anymore." "Explain." "I had it all plan out how the future would be, but when we finally bonded, I felt stupid and inconsiderate." "Why is that son?" He looked at his free hand. "I can sense his feelings clearer than before. I was so focus on winning his heart that I didn't notice his internal conflict." "It is good that you were able to notice this early on. You did well to pull yourself away especially when it will be at his vulnerable time." "I wanted to have our relationship to last like you and Mother." Zarkon exhaled. "It's not perfect as you think, but we both work out our problems and differences through communication. There will be times where our emotions will get to us, but we both know when to speak up and learn how to say our apologies. We work with our differences." "Mother has told many stories how she had to hold your hands for a long time whenever Kova came close to you." "To this day, I can only tolerate Kova and her litters. All other cats are restricted within my presence." Lotor gave a sly grin. "You're afraid of them." He gave a deadpan look at his son. "We are not having another conversation about this. We are returning our conversation about your future. Do you wish to have a family of your own?" "I do, but I have not spoken about it with Keith yet. You have drill that long lecture in my brain about mutual consent and preparation." "Yes son. Speak with your mate. He will notice your genuine concerns and feelings about this matter. I did not raise you to have your primal urges rule your sane mind." Lotor nodded. "I've caught myself before it can happen." "It takes disciplines and patience to control, but the end results will be rewarding." "Thanks Father." "I'm only warning you ahead as your mate seems to have similar fiery personality as Honerva, but more openly." Lotor's brow quirked up as his Father took a drink of his coffee. So the rumor must be true. Will have to ask Mother later.

Keith hated nightfall. He can operate one-third normally in the day time, but when the sun sets, his heat overtook his body and rendered him useless. He was on his third day of his heat. About four more days to go. He would curled up or spread himself on bed in hopes to find some comfort to deal with the pain and fire of his sweating body. His thoughts lingered in thick fog of arousal. His body would demand extreme comfort and relief. It wasn't satisfied with his fingers only. It wanted more. It was clawing his brain to search out for his Alpha.

Lotor.

Lotor would take his time exploring his naked body to search out pleasure spots while showering him with affectionate words.

 Beautiful. 

 Lovely.

Cute.

And so on. He would tease him mercilessly until Keith would give in. His moans became loud with his hands roaming around his lower half when the thought of being knotted by Lotor popped up. He wondered how it will feel inside his burning body. "Lotor." in his breathy voice. "My Alpha." It sounded so stupid coming out of his mouth, but he can no longer hold back his wants and needs. This heat was killing him. Keith whimpered as he tried reaching out the sudden comfort only to be push back down. Both of his wrists were pinned down and he was tilting his head up to grant access of his moist neck. His Alpha has came. Lotor gave soft coos and kisses against his neck then to his face. He smiled when he felt Keith's legs rubbing against his pant. His soft mewls were heaven to his ears. Keith in heat was epiphany of sin and desire. He was tempted to give what he wants, but not today. He will give him some comfort so his omega can get a decent sleep tonight. "Shh... I will give you some relief so you can sleep better. I want to speak with you in the morning about our future."

Has Lotor changed his mind? He doesn't want me no more now that he finished his fun?

And what future?

Wait. He said our future?

"Love." He kissed his omega's forehead. "I am not breaking up with you if that's what you were thinking. I want to hear your thoughts and feelings about starting a family together."

A family of our own?

"I cannot fulfill your needs as you are currently in the most fertile stage. I cannot knot you." He released one of his hands and placed it over Keith's stomach. He gave gentle massage rubs. "I want you to be ready. I respect your decision if you don't want to carry, but I just want to let you know how I felt." A kiss on the tip of his nose. "And I'm sorry for overwhelming you as of late. I was so focus on winning you that I didn't stop and think of your opinions and feelings." If Keith had the energy, he would have rolled his eyes, but he won't. He could sense the genuinely of Lotor's words. His blue eyes spoke louder than ever.

Love.

Lotor was so in deep with Keith that he didn't know how to respond. With one free hand, Keith reached out and pulled Lotor by the back of his neck as their lips made contact. He could feel his other wrist being released from the hold. His arms snaked around Lotor's neck and pulled him down until their chests were pressed together. Their kisses deepen with some tongue actions. It felt good. He could feel it. The passion and love from his Alpha. For the first time in his life, he could actually see a desirable future. A future with Lotor as his mate for life.

[lordofthebigtimesupernatural]

I am in love with your single dad Shiro au. It makes me unbelievably happy whenever I see a new update. I don't know if you're taking prompts right now but if you are, what would Shiro and Keith do if one of Keith's friends started mixing with a bad crowd? Thank you for being an amazing writer and for giving us this wonderful series.

Hello there! Thank you so much for this ask! It was hard to write, because I couldn’t make anyone be so bad! Ah, but I hope this was justifiable and everything was good! I do hope you like it and I apologize for being so late in getting this. I wish I could just write one shots for you all forever, because I love this AU and it warms my heart that others love this AU! I made this a bit longer than usual, so hopefully that makes up for it! Please enjoy! (Also I have your other prompt and I am working on it among others, thanks for the reminder ask!)

x.V.x

              “So,what were you and Pidge doing with those guys today?” Hunk asked, taking a biteof his sandwich when he noticed Pidge finally joining them. For the last coupleof days Pidge had started making excuses of why they couldn’t hang out atlunch. Sometimes Pidge was feeling sick, or they had a project that was duesoon, or Pidge’s robotics club had a meeting.

              Sure,they were sixteen and Hunk seventeen now and growing up. As they got older,they knew their lives were going to start dividing into different directions.Which meant there would be less and less time to hang out, and Hunk didn’t mindit at first. But Pidge was consistently avoidinghim and Keith lately, and that was bothering Hunk.

              Hunkdidn’t know if Keith was too bothered by Pidge’s absence.

              “Oh um,I had to study for a test.” Pidge shrugged tiredly, scratching at the back of theirhead. Keith snorted into his lunch and ignored the glare sent to him from Pidge.

              “Oh,well hopefully you do good.” Hunk tried to smile, in hopes that the awkward tensionwould break. Pidge merely shove their hood over their head and slumped againstthe wall, across from Hunk and Keith. Thankfully Lance was out sick today,because Pidge didn’t feel like dealing with himtoday. “Um, so, what’s with those other kids?”

              “Whatkids?” Pidge frowned.

              “Theones you’re hanging out with.” Keithrolled his eyes while Pidge hissed. “Those stupid druggies that are your newfriends. What are you even doing with them anyway?”

              “Shutup.” Pidge growled and Hunk shrunk back in his seat, but Keith didn’t back down.“You don’t know anything. They’re myfriends.”

              “Really?I didn’t know that you would stoop that low.” Keith snapped back and went backto eating his sandwich. He missed the icy glare look that Pidge gave him, butHunk didn’t and he leaned away from Pidge in surprise. Hunk looked down at hissandwich and Pidge frowned in guilt for a moment, before schooling their faceinto one of anger.

              “Youwouldn’t know anything. You never can get your head out of your ass.” Pidgeslammed their hands on the table, finally startling both Hunk and Pidge. Theygrinned in satisfaction before walking away. “They’re better friends than youcould ever be, at least they know how to be a normal person.” Pidge quicklywalked away before they could even begin to feel the guilt for saying such athing like that to Keith. Even Hunk was watching Pidge in horror at theirwords, and he swallowed thickly when Pidge left the cafeteria with a loud bangof the doors.

              Hunk glancedover at Keith to see him throwing away the rest of his uneaten lunch.

              Oh no…

x.V.x

              “Hey, Pidgeon.”Pidge winced but looked up at the person who had spoken to them. Lotor, anotorious “bad-boy” of the school, was what some considered the “dark prince”of their ragged group of friends. Lotor was well known for his defiance ofauthority in schools. From skipping class to graffitiing the lockers and schoolbuildings; to smoking in the back lots of the school and vandalizing any storehe came across. Lotor was practically a legend and for a time, when Pidge wasfeeling low, he was in awe of the other teen. There seemed to be nothing that could take down Lotor and Pidgewanted that.

              Aftertheir older brother ran away from home without a word, Pidge didn’t know whatto feel. There was no note, no phone call or explanation about why he had left.Pidge’s parents couldn’t get a hold of him, Pidge or even Keith’s dad with allof his resources. No one had any idea of why Pidge’s brother would just up andleave in the middle of the night and everyone was in their own sort of anger orsadness of the situation. At first Pidge had been furious.

              How could their brother just leave him likethat? How could he not even say goodbye? Pidge had been angry, wanting tosmash and destroy anything in order to let out their anger. They tore up allthe photos they had of their brother and tried to tear up their brother’s room,before their mama had started yelling at. Then Pidge tried to take their angerout at school

              Theyfound themselves secluding away from Lance, Keith and Hunk and found themselvesmore and more alone. Always having an excuse for their absence and theirfriends took it without question.

              ThenLotor approached them.

              He hadseen Pidge defiantly destroy an entire chemistry project when a teacher hadmentioned their brother and he was impressed. He wasn’t quite expected thatfrom someone as little as Pidge.Before Pidge knew it, Lotor had grabbed them and they were a part of Lotor’sgroup. They were coming along when Lotor and the others decided to ditch andthey had never felt so exhilarated before in their life. Screw you Matt, look at me. I don’t need you. Soon enough, Pidgewas also coming to their back lot and destroying things with Lotor in theothers and it made Pidge smile.

              Theycould finally release their anger and stop being a perfect genius for once.

              ThenPidge just felt sad.

              All oftheir anger was gone and all that was left was sorrow that was so deep andpainfully, that it left Pidge exhausted. Just coming to school was exhaustedand Lotor was always where Pidge was.And then when Pidge finally joined their oldfriends, they found themselves getting angry again, and Pidge would wind upback in Lotor’s group. It was a vicious cycle that was wearing the teen out.

              “What?”Pidge rolled their eyes, flicking the butt of a cigarette away from them. Theyhadn’t smoked it too much, rather just let it burn.

              “I sawyou at lunch with those group of losers.” Pidge sighed heavily while Lotorsmirked. “I gotta say, I’m impressed. You finally told that freak what he was. Finally.” That was not what Pidge was expecting.

              “What?”Pidge blinked with a frown. Lotor laughed, voice scratchy from years of smokingand his red eyes narrowed on Pidge.

              “Youtold that Keith freak, to finally be normal.” Lotor laughed, causing the restof his goons to also laugh alongsidehim. Pidge swallowed thickly. They hadn’t thought that anyone had heard them.Admittedly, they had hoped that Keith hadn’t even heard them, but if Lotorheard then there was no doubt that Keith had heard too. “Like fuck, that guy isso weird. I mean, he never looks at anyone? He’s always stumbling around like afucking retard. Mumbling all thetime. Isn’t that what he is?” Lotor laughed again and Pidge’s insides twistedat Lotor’s words. He’s talking aboutKeith.

              “No.”Pidge said through clenched teeth. “That’s horrible to say. Keith is fine.” Pidge pushed back their guilt.They knew how Keith felt about his autism. Normally, Keith could care less butwhenever he was told by someone that he wasn’t normal, Pidge knew it always affected him.

              “Oh youdon’t have to fake it.” Lotor snorted with a wave of his hand. “We all knowwhat you said. He’s a freak. Just admit it. Anyway, you’re coming to our raidtonight, right?”

              Pidgeswallowed thickly. “I dunno…”

              “Oh comeon, Katie.” Lotor dropped hiscigarette under his boot before snuffing it out. “You said you were one of usnow right?” He grinned darkly, before throwing his arm around Pidge’s shoulder.Pidge winced and looked at Lotor before sighing. Lotor knew perfectly thatPidge never went by Katie nor were they a girl.

              Eventually,Pidge nodded, even though they really didn’t want to. Lotor’s grin was almostpredatory and he laughed. “Excellent. Make sure this little girl is ready torock by eleven tonight!” Lotor announced and Pidge’s stomach dropped.

              Guys, I’m sorry.

x.V.x

              “Iseverything okay Keith?” Shiro asked when he noticed his son pushing around hisdinner rather than eating, and it was Keith’s favorite dinner. If Keith wasn’teating something was either wrong or today was one of Keith’s bad days.

              Keithmerely shrugged and continued to push around his food.

              “Are yousure? Is everything okay at school? With Lance, or Hunk? Pidge?” Shiro askedand Keith remained silent. However, Shiro could see when Keith’s entire bodystiffened at the mention of Pidge’s name and Shiro knew they had to do withKeith’s mood.

              “What’sgoing on with Pidge?” Shiro asked gently as he gave his full attention toKeith. Keith’s face momentarily morphed into a scowl before he shoved his plateaway.

              “I don’tknow. Why don’t you ask them yourself?” Keith grumbled under his breath andShiro sighed. He was fully aware of what had been going on with the Holts. Matt’ssudden disappearance had left a hole in everyone’s hearts and confusion. Shirocouldn’t understand why Matt had left so suddenly and without any sort of awarning to his family. Not even Matt’s friends could explain what had happened.Shiro knew that the reality must have hit hard for Pidge and would have been aheavy weight to bear for anyone, especially someone as young as Pidge.

              “What’s goingon, Keith?” Shiro shifted so that he was complete facing Keith. Keith merely grumbledand tried to avoid any sort of eye contact with his dad, but eventually even hecould not get out of this. Finally, Keith sighed and looked at his dad.

              “Wehaven’t actually seen much of Pidge.” Keith admitted and Shiro blinked butrefrained from interrupting his son. “I mean, they’ve been at school, but wehaven’t actually seen them. They’ve been making excuses of having robot club orstudying for a test or being busy.”

              “Okay.”Shiro nodded when Keith hesitated. “I’m guessing you didn’t believe any of it.”

              “Maybeat first?” Keith rubbed his arms. “But eventually their excuses didn’t add upand then…Lance saw Pidge hanging out with some sketchy kids.” Keith shrugged, continuing to rub and Shiro sighedtiredly. He should have seen this coming. A stressed young teen who had just found out their brother is missing?

              “Whatkind of kids?” Shiro hated to ask.

              “Like Lotor.” Keith mumbled and glared at thetable cloth and Shiro swallowed thickly.

              “Youmean Zarkon’s kid? The one who’s beenvandalizing buildings, schools and homes?!” Shiro almost didn’t want to believeKeith but why on Earth would his son ever lie? Though, that didn’t make Shirofeel any better about the situation. He and many other parents were well awareof Lotor’s destructive behavior within their small neighborhood. The kid was apunk and needed to be taught a lesson but Shiro never bothered to get involved.As long as nothing happened to Keith, it wasn’t really any of Shiro’s business. But now Pidge was involved.

              “Yeah.” Keith whispered.

              “And…haveyou talked to Pidge?” Shiro asked and bit his tongue when Keith noddedmiserably. Of course he did. Why elsewould he look so sad? “And I’m assuming by your mood, Pidge didn’t reallylisten to you.”

              “No.They said they like hanging out with them.”Keith spat bitterly. “But they’re miserable! So how am I supposed to talk tothem about how miserable they are if they are a stubborn butthead?” Keithcrossed his arms over his chest miserably and Shiro chuckled to himself.

              “Remindyou of anyone?” Shiro asked playfully and Keith rolled his eyes.

              “Dad,this is serious.”

              “I’malways serious. Look, this is my serious face.”

              “Dad!”

              “Keith!”

              Knock.

              Keithand Shiro both shared a look at the sudden knock on the door. It was fairlylate in the evening and neither of them were expecting any guests at all thisevening. Shiro’s look instantly darkened as his protective nature leapt intoaction. Keith nodded and Shiro went to the door while Keith hung back.

              However,of all the people that Shiro was imaging just outside of the door, none of themwere Pidge Holt. Standing in the rain, soaked to the bone with a hood overtheir head and face as pale as a white sheet.

              “Pidge?”At this, Keith was instantly by Shiro’s side with wide eyes upon seeing hisfriend in the cold.

              “There’snot a lot of time. Lotor picked your house!” Pidge suddenly yelled, eyesdarting around as if looking for something. Shiro’s eyes narrowed and Keithswallowed, looking out into the dark streets. He knew what Pidge meant and thatwas never good. “Lotor targeted your house! He’s coming here! I tried to stophim but he won’t listen and I had to warn you.”

              “Lotor?Whoa, slow down. Pidge calm down and explain.” Shiro tried to soothe the youngteen quietly.

              “There’sno time! He’s going to wreck your house!” Pidge finally shrieked and Shiro’sentire face became an uneasy look of anger. One that made both Pidge and Keithstep back. It was the look of a Commander. A soldier. A protector.

              “Not onmy watch.” Shiro growled. Then he pulled Pidge inside and slammed the doorshut.

x.V.x

              “Youthink, a punk like you can get away with this? Just because your father is Zarkon?!”

              Pidgeand Keith both shared a look before snickering at Shiro’s booming yell fromacross the house. However, quickly they both looked away and awkwardly waited.Shiro had been well prepared, and had scared Lotor and his goonies, shitless, when he stepped out of hishouse with a gun in hand. Un prepared, Lotor had tried to flee only to becaught by Shiro himself and dragged into the house without breaking a sweat.While Shiro was waiting for the police, he didn’t hesitate to reprimand andtake the time to yell at the usually snarky teen.

              “Oh boy,if you’re quaking in your boots now, just wait until you’re in jail for trespassing.”

              Keithfelt his lips twitch in a smile. Pidge glanced over before swallowing thickly.They couldn’t bring themselves to look at Keith; not without an endlesssuffering of guilt for how they had treated their friend. Their real friends. Not Lotor.

              “Pidge.”Surprisingly it was Keith who broke the silence and Pidge stared at the ground.“Pidge, could you…um, would you sit with us from now on? Instead of Lotor? He’san ass and we miss you. I miss you.”

              Pidgefound their throats closing and their vision was becoming blurrier and blurrierfrom the tears in their eyes. How couldhe be so forgiving and so kind after all I’ve said to him? How could he be thiskind?

              “Keith…I– I’ve been awful to you? Why would you…” Pidge swallowed and their eyesburned.

              “Well, I’mnot the nicest person either.” Keith shrugged and Pidge sniffled pathetically. “Iknow I’ve probably said a lot of mean things on accident before so it’salright. Besides your our friend. My friend and I miss you.” Keith admittedquietly kicking at the ground and Pidge finally looked over at him. Why? However, Pidge found that theycould hardly speak and instead did they last thing that they or Keith had everexpected. They threw their arms around Keith and buried their face in Keith’sshirt.

              Startled,Keith blinked and was frozen for a few minutes before he hesitantly began tohug Pidge back. He awkwardly rubbed Pidge’s back when they began to snifflehappily and smiled. Pidge was back and we’regoing to make sure they never leave again.

              Keithwould always be there for Pidge.

              AndPidge would always be there for Keith.

              “That’sTakashi Shirogane, sir, to you!”

[aquaburst3]

All I could think about for the last couple days, outside of that masked guy in the pod being Lotor, is, “Why in the holy name of Ra are only Lance and Keith shirtless and dripping wet in the new Voltron trailer? What is the story behind that?” Then, thanks to my inner Klance shipper, like in that Kermit Darker!Self meme, liking to think that Keith and Lance had another bonding moment and thanks to some other posts I saw, I came up with this.

Wincing, Lance rubbed his shoulders. “God that hurt like hell.”

Pidge shot him a deadpan stare. “You know complaining about it won’t make it go away, Lance.”

“I know,” Lance said, continuing to rub the spot. “I wish I could go for a swim. Just to loosen up the muscle from training it so damn much.”

“You could take a dip in the palace pool,” Coran said, standing near one of the console nearby.

Lance’s face lit up, cocking his head towards him. “There’s a pool in the castle?”

A blink. “Of course, King Alfor installed it when the old team was still active.”

He needed to hear no more.

Lance bolted out of the room before his teammates could say anything.

“Huh,” Pidge said, peaking down at the ground. “Thought, there’d be a trail of smoke after him.” 

   -0-

With a strong kick off of the side of the pool, Lance launched through the shimmering, blue water.

 It been awhile since he swam like this.  Sure, he and Hunk were on that water planet not that long ago. But that wasn’t the same.  If anything, that was more of a mission, trying his hardest to get back to his teammates. It was kind of like a videogame water level the more he thought of it. Complete with a weird octopus they had to fight. (What was up with that thing?) 

No; this was different. He could relax and his mind could flow freely as the water.

Not worry about the Galra; not worry about saving the whole galaxy; not worry about dying in space without any of his friends or family back home know what happened to him; not worry about ever seeing Earth or his family ever again; not worry about dragging Hunk Pidge into this whole mess because of him. 

His smile faltered, stopping and sculling in the water.

Home.

His family.

Did his family miss him? Did his friends back home think he was dead?  Did his parents think he was dead? Were they alright? What about Elza and Elon?  They might be. But with the Galra planning to conquer the galaxy, who knows how long that might last...

He shoved that thought out of his mind, pushing forward as hard as he could.

Lance couldn't think about it. He just couldn't! He had to stay strong. Be a worthy Paladin of Voltron. Help save the universe. One day lead a badass crew of his own with hot girls and guys at his side.

But...yet...

Once Lance’s hand hit the wall, his head popped out of the water. Short gasps left him.

Mellet-head (he’d never grow tired of calling him that), who wore a pair of dark swim shorts,  stood on the pool deck. Keith paused a moment, almost transfixed on him. Once Keith spotted him, he took of his boots, which hit the white tilled floor. Lance swore a hint of pink was on his cheeks, but it could’ve been his imagination.

Wait. Keith could swim?  Since when could he do that?

...Then again, Keith might have for a while. Lance didn't have the best track record of knowing tidbits about people, especially after not taking the hint that Pidge was a girl (Hunk and Pidge still never let that one down).

One side of his lip tugged up.   He had an idea...

Lance dove under water, sneaking up on Keith like the sniper he was. Once he was close, water squirted in Keith’s face. Right on target.

  Keith wiped the water off. Purple eyes landed on him.

“Sorry,” Lance said, slipping onto his back and  chuckling. “I had too.” 

Scowling, Keith turned on a heel, snagging his towel from the rack. 

Shit!

“No wait!” Lance called out.

Keith stopped in his tracks, brow quirked. 

“You want to race me?” Lance said, resting his arms and chin on the pool ledge. “I bet you 20 bucks you can’t bet me in a 25 metre race.” 

Brows drew together in confusion. “We’re in the middle of space? What use would that have to us?” 

“Are you backing down from a challenge?” Lance said, smirking.

Keith slapped on his best game face too. “You’re on.” 

Yanking off his black shirt revealed Keith bare chest and blue eyes lingered. He had toned shoulders and abs, wiry and lean. He was slim in a gymnast-martial artists sorta way. 

Keith blinked, snapping Lance back to the real-world. “You alright?”

Lance snorted, turning away to hide the blush on his cheeks. “Course I am.”

“If you say so...”

Keith dove into the water, popping up right beside him. Dark locks blocked his eyes, gone heavy and flat from the water.  Keith wiped his bangs out of his eyes.  “What’s a 25 metre?”

“Just to the wall.”

“Oh,” Keith said. “When do we start?”

Corner of his lip quirked up. “How about...now?”

The two kicked off the side of the pool deck. Heart hammered in Lance’s chest, kicking and pulling his legs as hard as he could.  His hand slammed into the side of the wall, head popping up.

“I-I win,” Keith sputtered out. “You owe me 20 bucks.”

A groan escaped Lance. He’d never let this down.

An affectionate, tired smile tugged on Keith’s lips. Lance couldn’t help return it.

The alarm blared, shattering the silence. They both jolted at the shock. The two boys climbed out of the pool and scrambled to the main hall with towels in tow.