#loner keith

[icypantherwrites]

New Fic: Twist and Turn

Summary: Keith is absolutely not watching his teammates play a game without him and he most definitely isn’t wishing he could join them. Not at all. Besides, even if he did want to play, he knows he’ll just ruin it as he and fun don’t really mix.  No. It’s safer to just stay here, out of the way. 

Story snippet:

And before Keith could second guess himself he was on his feet and headed towards the game — faintly hearing Shiro’s surprised call of his name and clearly not expecting Keith to abruptly head over to the group — where it looked like Lance had just claimed his fourth victory based on his crowing.

Lance’s eyes snapped right over to Keith, his lips pulling up into a large, cocky grin that sent every alarm bell ringing and telling Keith he’d just made a huge mistake coming over here.

Damn him and his recklessness. 

“Come to play, mullet?” Lance’s hands gravitated to his hips, challenge clear in the pose. “You think you can beat the amazing Lancey-Lance?”

Keith’s brain blanked.

If he said yes then it was a challenge and it would escalate.

If he said no then Lance would tease and taunt and it would escalate.

And this, Keith realized, was why he always fucked things up.

He literally didn’t know what to say and now he was standing here like an absolute idiot and he needed to say something, anything, what the fuck did he—

Read it here

[cut-aare]

OMGEE ITS KEITH DAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOSER

[girlboypersonthingy]

I GOT AN ANON REQUEST FOR KEITH X READER CHILDHOOD FRIENDS TO LOVERS AND ACCIDENTALLY DELETED IT 😩 I’m sorry, anon but here it is! ✨ Keith is so baby 🥹

Keith x reader ~ Childhood friends to lovers ❤️‍🔥

You met at the garrison when you were barely teens, when Keith’s hair was shorter and he NEVER opened his mouth in public.

It’s not that he didn’t like you when you first met, he just didn’t want to like you. He was comfortable being a loner and didn’t want to put in the effort a friendship requires

But you were just so nice to him. He lowkey loved and hated it at the same time. He wanted to ignore you like he did everyone else but you wouldn’t leave him alone and he felt too guilty to tell you to go away. You noticed he was always alone so you tried to offer him some kindness.

He kinda wanted you to leave him alone but you didn’t and eventually, he started to looked forward to seeing you everyday. Seeing you run to him with a smile on your face and an extra lunch bag in your hand for him made him feel important. He’d never admit any of that to you tho.

One day, you weren’t at school and the whole day was just off. He didn’t feel right, he felt sad and invisible as he walked past all his classmates in the hall. He felt like no one truly saw him besides Shiro, who was often too busy to really give Keith attention, and you.

The next day when he saw you, he came up to you first!!!

“Where were you yesterday?” “I had a doctors app-“ “Next time, tell me you’re gonna be gone. I was worried.” He reached out for your hand, holding it between his own cold hands. “Oh…okay. I-I’m sorry, Keith.”

Omfg he was worried about you? After one day??? How cute!

From then on, you two were inseparable, the best of friends. He went to you every time he was really sad and needed support or when he was extremely angry and needed to just rant and yell to you. He confided in you so much, he trusted you more than anyone else. He told you the ugly and embarrassing secrets he’d never told anyone else before.

That day that he punched Griffin, after going to the dean’s office he found you outside reading. You could tell he was upset as he stomped over to you, making you immediately toss your book aside and give him your full attention.

“Keith? You okay? What happ-“ He flopped down in the grass beside you, laid on his side with his head resting on your thigh and began crying. He made sure to keep it quiet and keep his face hidden from you but you could feel him shaking. Unsure of what to say, you just began playing with the hair covering the nape of his neck. He LOVED the physical affection. He didn’t talk to you at all that afternoon, he just cried in your lap for a while then hugged you tight and went home.

That moment was when you both began to catch feelings. He loved that you were so kind and accepting of him, always so comforting. You never pressured him to talk to you, your presence alone was enough to calm him down.

You loved that he trusted you and always protected and checked up on you. He would do anything for you, all you had to do was ask with your pretty smile and soft eyes and he’d comply.

As you both grew up, he came to love your praises. You always told him how smart he was and how amazing he was at piloting, he couldn’t get enough. You fed his ego so much.

He was and still is terrible at returning the compliments. He’d often offer you constructive criticism instead, which took some getting used to but made you realize that he genuinely cared for you and only wanted the best for you.

You’d often walk hand in hand around the garrison and if anyone gave you two a weird look or tried to tease y’all about being a couple, Keith would literally bark at them while keeping your hand in his grip. “Fuck off! Mind your business…” and you liked his fiery personality. He was your scary guard dog.

When Keith got kicked out of the garrison, it broke both of your hearts. He was completely lost without you or Shiro around and you couldn’t sleep well at night for over a month bc you were so worried about him. Just like that, he had disappeared.

It was a while until you finally found him in that shack in the desert. You had gotten a tip from a teacher at the garrison while they were talking about him being a recluse and how he would sneak out to that shack in the middle of the night just to be alone and enjoy the quiet.

You found it one day and sort of just barged in, catching him half dressed and sleepy in his bed. “Keith?” He sat up abruptly, fists up defensively. “(Y/N)? How…what…?” His hands dropped to his sides as he stared at you in surprise. You ran and hugged him tightly, smiling as he hesitantly hugged you back.

He looked different…his hair was longer, he looked like he had been working out a lot and the bags under his violet eyes were very prominent.

You decided the garrison just wasn’t for you and you’d rather be with Keith. It just wasn’t the same there without him so you left it all behind and began visiting him every day.

He had never been so depressed and anxious before you found him and now that you were back in his life, he slowly but surely began to smile and eat more and act like his normal moody self.

The night finally came that you helped him rescue Shiro and he told you he’d be forever in debt to you for helping him save his brother. After getting Shiro to safety and settling everyone down, he pulled you outside his little shack so you could be alone together and he hugged you so tight it almost hurt as he cried on your shoulder. This time, his tears seemed to be from happiness and relief. He finally had his support system back ❤️‍🩹

Once you found yourselves in space together, his attitude changed a bit. He was much more busy and irritated and quiet all the time. Being a young adult out in space with the tremendous pressure of defending the universe took its toll on him.

You just gave him space and tried to keep yourself busy as well. He wasn’t sure if he liked the space or not.

As you all began to get into the swing of life out in the cosmos, Keith began coming around to you more often.

“Wanna come train with me? It’s boring by myself.” You were way too excited to spend time with him. You missed him so much while he was being distant. This moment changed everything. You two were inseparable again.

The whole team noticed that you had a way of getting him to soften up and relax when he was really frustrated. Everyone knew that you two loved each other but would never admit it to the other.

Finally, loverboy Lance steps in. He had to get y’all together. Keith is so dense and only seems to open up to you. You both just need a push from Lance the matchmaker.

He goes to Keith first and Keith shuts down the whole idea. He is terrified to lose your friendship by pushing a relationship on you so he totally rejects Lance’s help. He even tries to tell Lance that he only sees you as a friend but we all know he’s a terrible liar.

When Lance approached you, you couldn’t help but confess your burning love for Keith. You love him more than anyone in the world and you were also scared of making the friendship awkward by confessing to him. But Lance is the best wingman in the world. He would never let you fail.

Lance helped you come up with the right words to say and also tried to get you to practice some pick up lines, to which you just scoffed at him.

Finally, the day had come. You were gonna tell him how you really feel, how you’ve been feeling all these years.

You approach Keith’s door, waiting a few seconds before your shaky hand knocks.

The door slides open and a small smile grows on his lips. “What’s up?” You walk past him and into his room without asking permission, finding a seat on his bed. He was confused as to why you didn’t even smile at him like you normally do. “(Y/N)…are you okay?” He came to sit beside you, watching you with worried eyes.

“Listen…I uh…I have something to tell you but you have to swear, promise me that you’ll always be my friend…” Keith’s cheeks begin to flush as he nods slowly. He’s pretty sure he knows what’s about to come out of your mouth. “I promise.”

“I…I’m in love with you. I’ve loved you since we were kids. You…you mean the entire universe to me and I just want to call you my boyfriend. I don’t want to ruin our friendship so I understand if you don’t-“

“Shut up. I love you too…more than anyone. Let’s just date already.” And now his face is burning red hot as he avoids your gaze.

You guys fell into it so quick and smooth. It was an easy transition from best friends to lovers. You shared your first kiss just a few days after making it official.

“I’ve been wanting to kiss you ever since that day you told me you were worried about me when I wasn’t at school.” This makes him smile bigger than you’ve ever seen him smile before.

“Yeah? Funny…that’s when I first wanted to kiss you too.”

There’s no one else he’d rather be with. You are his person and he is yours, forever and ever and ever ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

[cassied03]

the fact that Keith felt alienated his whole life and ended up accepting the fact he would always be a loner, and be alone, of course until Shiro showed up and became his only family and friend, only for Shiro to disappear and leave him alone again. But then he found Shiro again, except he was also shot to space with three new people, one of which who didn't like him already, and he barely had anytime to reconnect with Shiro, and then he met two new aliens yet he somehow still felt the most alien out of all of them only to later find out that he was part of the alien species they were fighting against. What an experience. Just, you know, had a thought.

[iloveboysinred]

HIIIIII it's me againe 🏃‍♀️, how are you?? I hope you are doing well and that you are having a good day !!!

I was wondering would it be possible to write a very very very very very sad angst voltron x fem reader (would it be possible to make it a keith x reader, I'm so sorry very time it's him, you can make it for a different character I'd you like 💓💓).

Thank you everytime for making such amazing stories, I literally LOVE READING THEM ALL

MWAH MWAH MWA 💋💋💋

Hiiii always good to receive an ask from you! and thank you for requesting. I love writing these for you and anybody that reads them! MWAAAAAH <33333

Remember me like this [ Keith Kogane]

Keith Kogane x fem reader

synopsis; You had always been there for Keith, as a friend and a shoulder to cry on. What Keith didn't know, was that you had always wanted to be more. When Keith disappears, you're forced to move on. Only for your heart to break all over again when he returns, a war hero and seemingly forgetting all about you.

cw; angst, one sided love, pining, heartbreak ;( Keith being a dick for forgetting about you (so ooc Keith cause we all know he would never) character death!! Lots of curse words, no happy ending, no comfort

For @iamasimpfor2dcharachers 💗

masterlist

When you had heard about the 3 garrison cadets who had broken in to rescue Shiro, a senior pilot who had been sent on the Kerberos mission, you'd immediately guessed Keith was involved. Having been the closest thing to a friend when he had still been enrolled in the Galaxy garrison, you knew the nature of his relationship with Shiro.

He'd confided in you many times about his home life. He's told you about how he's never known his mother, about the death of his father, and how Shiro had taken him in when he was just a pre-teen, guiding him and raising him as his own. You and Keith had slowly grown close, you understood his frustrations, and his seemingly endless anger at the world. You had gotten to know him better, you'd seen the real fragile, broken boy underneath his hot-head "loner" facade. Many times you were by his side, comforting him through the night, holding him close as he wept. Naturally, you had began to develop feelings for the boy, working hard to attempt at healing his bleeding heart. You'd never utter a word of your feelings to him though, knowing that he didn't feel the same way. "He has so much going on already... he shouldn't have to worry about my feelings too", you'd tell yourself, trying to sooth the aching in your heart every time you find yourself leaning towards him, your lips craving the feel of his own.

Keith was a complex person, it was hard to read how he was feeling if he didn't want to let you in. You'd learned that early enough when you met him on the first day of piloting school. "Hey, my name's y/n. I see you're training to be a fighter pilot, me too! I've heard about how great you are from Griffin" you chirped, reaching a hand out to shake his, "I wouldn't take him seriously, he complains so much about you it sounds like he's jealous. I would take that as a compliment. What's your name?" Keith eyed your outstretched hand skeptically, turning his gaze away from you with a scoff. "Keith." he muttered nonchalantly, crossing his arms over his chest. You smiled, grabbing his gloved hand out of his intertwined arms, shaking it fervently. "Nice to meet you, Keith. I hope we'll become friends. Welcome to the team!" Keith stared at you with slightly widened eyes before snatching his hand back and walking away without another word. "Tough cookie to crack.." you thought to yourself amusedly.

From that day on you'd made a point to talk to Keith every day. You complimented his piloting, asked about his day, his favorite things to do in his free time. He never spoke much in the first few weeks of you knowing him, giving you one word answers or grunts in response to your pestering attempt to gain his friendship. "What do you want now, y/n" Keith grumbled as you sat next to him at lunch. He had just come back from suspension after getting in a fist fight with your classmate, James Griffin. It was obvious he wasn't in the best of moods. But he never really was, so it didn't phase you. "I just wanted to tell you that James totally deserved that punch." Keith shot you a surprised look, watching as you nonchalantly unpacked your lunchbox. "He's such a douche. I'm surprised nobody's rocked his shit earlier. I'm sorry for what he said about you." you mumbled over a bite of your sandwich, offering him the other half, seeing as he lacked a lunch box of his own. He shyly took it, taking a small bite out of the corner. You smiled to yourself, eating in silence beside each other.

From that day forward, you got more than a few words out of Keith. You began to visit him at home, bringing with you homemade lunches and board games. You'd truly began to blossom a friendship, telling each other everything, sharing lunches, always in each other's company. It was rare to see Keith without you by his side. He had brought you over to meet Shiro, explaining that he was his only parent figure in his life after his father's passing and his mother's early disappearance in his life. You'd began to bond over your trauma, confiding in him about your strict, loveless household, and him to you about his loneliness and his subconscious need for a family he could belong to.

You still remember your shock when he had dropped out of the Garrison, not too long after Shiro's disappearance. You spent months defending his name, ripping a new one to whoever spoke ill of your best friend. You still visited him often, now his home being the only place you really saw him. You'd bring him food and other necessities, knowing he wasn't taking care of himself besides taking showers and sleeping.

Everyday since the break in, you'd come looking for him at his desert home, and everyday you'd find it empty. Nobody knew where the cadets had gone, searching the premises and the miles surrounding in an attempt to find the fugitives. Eventually, the searching stopped and with it, your daily visits to his abandoned home. You've accepted that Keith was lost, but your aching heart never truly stopped longing for his return. You knew he was out there, somewhere you couldn't see.

After a year, you'd graduated from piloting school, now an official fighter pilot for the galaxy garrison. You'd stood rigid as they handed you your uniform after the ceremony. It felt like something was missing, and you knew that something was Keith. Your accomplishment felt bittersweet. Sure, you had graduated at the top of your class, but that was surely only because Keith had dropped out. Everyone knew Keith was the best pilot on your team, and it didn't sit well with you how you had filled in his place. You brushed the thoughts off, you needed to move on. Keith was gone and you needed to resume your life, just as you had before you met him.

So, you'd continued your life as a garrison pilot. Training new cadets, and doing daily drills in garrison space vessels. Your life was fulfilling you suppose, but you never felt more alone. You'd skipped lunches with the other pilots, opting to eat by yourself in your room, you barley even spoke to anybody, only responding when spoken to or when given an order. As hard as you tried to enjoy life, nothing was the same anymore.

Obviously, the universe had a weird way of working things. When the Galra attacked earth, defeated by the infamous paladins of Voltron, your heart skipped a beat when you'd seen him in the cafeteria. His hair had gotten longer, he looked older, which didn't surprise you, it had been years since you'd last seen him. He had a jarring scar going from his cheek and coming to a sharp point right by his eye, and you wondered briefly what trouble he had gotten in.

You felt all the old emotions rushing back to you, but you also felt angry at him. He had left without so much as a goodbye, and here he was, being praised and awarded without sparing you so much as a single glance. He didn't know the pain he had caused you, and he certainly didn't seem to care. You marched right up to him, eyes glistening with tears you refused to let fall. "So that's what you've been doing these last few years, you ASSHOLE!" you hissed, showing your face up to his, standing nose to nose with the taller man. Keith looked at you, bewildered and seemingly not knowing who the fuck you were. You stared into his eyes, confusion clouding his, anger pain and..love swimming in yours. "What are you talking about...do I even know you!?" he snapped back, getting over his initial shock and shoving you backwards. Keith didn’t recognize the grown ass woman yelling at him, but something felt familiar about you, the way you cussed him out, the furious glint in your eye. He knew he had seen you before, but where? He stared at you hard, trying to get his brain to connect the dots. "Oh so you don't remember me now? it's been fucking years since you left and now you don't know who I am? you're a real class act, Keith. I can't fucking believe you right now..." your words had begun to get shaky, the tears becoming almost too much to hold back. "I guess you were too busy parading around space in a fucking robot lion to even have a second thought about me!" by now a crowd was forming, but you didn't care. You were gonna get this off your chest, no matter how people looked at you afterwards.

"What, you got amnesia now? you left me here, you dick! you didn't even say goodbye, did our friendship mean nothing to you-" "What the fuck are you even talking about right now?!" you can tell he was agitated both from your confrontation and the unwanted attention from bystanders. "What am I talking about? I'm talking about how I used to be the only one there for you! you were my only friend and you left Keith. You left without a care and now you don't even know who I am." you let your tears free fall, your pain deepening at the utter look of cluelessness on his face. "y/n, that's enough. back off." you whipped around to see Iverson, who had broken up the crowd and now fixed you with a stern look. You sniffled and shot Keith one last furious look. Brushing past Iverson when you whipped around and stormed off.

“Y/n…?” Keith whispered, his eyes wide in disbelief. How could he be so stupid? Of course it was you! He felt his breath leave his lungs as he watched your retreating form. He flinched when Lance slapped his hand over his shoulder, pulling him into his side and grinning ear to ear. “Wow Keith, i didnt know you had the ladies down for you like that! I must’ve really rubbed off on you, huh? “ “Oh fuck off, Lance!” Keith snapped, shoving him off, speed walking in direction you had gone. But you were nowhere to be found, and Keith felt guilt settle in his stomach.

From that day Keith only saw you in passing. It was like you never even knew he was there. Every time you scoffed at him when he tried to talk to you he felt his chest tighten. He tried every way he knew how to try and get you to talk to him again, expressing his remorse by leaving you homemade lunches at your door in the mornings, to trying to pair up with you during flight drills. But you ignored him every time. It was messing with him, but he knew he deserved it. He deserved every cold glance, every shoulder bump you'd purposely given him when you walked past. But that fact hurt him even more.

But then, he found you in the cafeteria, sitting by yourself and picking at your lunch. He let out a breath to ready himself, walking over to you. You gave him a quick glance before looking back down at your lunch box, debating if you should leave. “Y/n I-“ “what do you want Keith? Why can’t you just leave me the fuck alone?” You snapped, slamming your fork down on the metal table. Keith’s lips pursed in a line, feeling his frustration, hot and bubbling over. “I wanted to say i’m sorry, I-I didn’t recognize you… you looked different!” He tried to explain, but you didn’t care. It sounded like a whole bunch of excuses to you. “Okay, you didn’t recognize me.” You gritted out, refusing to look at him, staring down at your clenched fists on the table. “You didnt recognize me, because you left, Keith! You left and didnt even think to say goodbye. I had to finish flight school without you. I had to deal with all the bullshit you left behind, without YOU. Now you show up after disappearing and everyone throws you a fucking parade. What about me, huh? You were so caught up in your own shit you forgot all about me. I was there for you, I LOVED YOU!” You yelled, whipping around to face him. “I loved you ever since we were 16.. and you didn’t have a clue cause all you cared about was your problems and yourself! So yeah, i dont want to hear apologies, i actually never want to see your stupid fucking face, ever. again.” You seethed, grabbing your lunch and storming off, leaving Keith broken and speechless.

Then, it happened. During a flight drill your space vessel had malfunctioned, crashing into the ground from your high position in the sky. Alarms bleared throughout the base, officers and pilots rushing out to see the catastrophe. Keith shoved people aside, barging to the front of the crowd. He had rushed to the scene after conversing with Admiral Sanda, when a trainee had come in to relay the news. He fell to his knees when his eyes fell on your broken body, being hauled out of the space vessel, now destroyed and smoking behind you. Keith's body felt frozen to the ground as the medics hauled you through the crowd. Everything was moving in slow motion, the crowd dispersing and conversing amongst themselves in shock. His heart felt like it was beating once per minute. He looked around but he couldn’t see, the smoke causing his vision to blur and his lungs to burn. He had to get up, he had to look for you.

Tears welled in his eyes when he had found you in the med bay, your breaths faint and getting weaker by second. If he couldn’t recognize you then, he definitely couldn’t now. There you lay, in a hospital gown with bandages covering the entirety of your body. Your face bruised and bloody. He sat down beside you, holding your stiff hand in his. Your skin felt cold, the life inside you rapidly fading. He had known your condition before he came, the nurses telling him that you were a lost cause, that they did everything they could to help you pass comfortably. But grief still brewed in his heart, it's iron grip making it hard to breathe as he stared at your closed eyelids. "I'm so sorry, y/n" he whispered, bringing your cold hand to his lips. "I should've brought you with me, I never forgot you, i never stopped loving you. Don’t go, please, Not like this." his whimpers escalated, sobs racking his body as leaned over to hug you, at least remaining careful enough to not move you too much. "You're my best friend... I never even got the chance to tell you..I-i love you. Forgive me. Please." but his pleading fell on deaf ears. The only sound in the room being the continuous beep of a flatlined heart monitor, and his sobs. A part of him died with you that night, and he knew that he would never forgive himself.

hope you enjoyed, this made me a little sad ;( sorry if it was mid, I'm not used to writing angst. notes and reblogs are appreciated, comments, asks, submissions are welcomed!

[metalcatradcras]

pidge & keith should have interacted more often. they just have so many similarities. pidge isn't necessarily a loner but the implications were there because of her mission to find her family in the garrison & her contrasting personalities with lance and hunk. keith's unsociable during the beginning of the series. they're both highly skilled in fighting and loyal to the people they consider as family. a friendship between them would have been cool!

[szmaciarz-pospolity]

Voltron the legendary defender would have been a better show if instead of that lame intro it had either a slick Ben 10 classic opening or a goofy cartoon opening rap with quick introduction of each paladin. Think TMNT 2012 or One Piece For Kids dub.

Ngl the second would be preffered beacuse holy shit the idea of paladin rap oppening fucks sooooo hard just imagine the goofy introductions like KEITH! He's a loner type! His red lion is idk I can't fucking rhyme

[autisticlancemcclain]

Advisor Sivo has been around a long, long time.

Not quite as long as Voltron’s advisor, of course. In fact Sivo isn’t sure anyone else has had the unfortunate circumstance to live as technically long as the redheaded Altean has. He has still, however, lived many dozens of decaphoebes, and has undergone countless phases and ways of living throughout his life. He has known the entirety of being a child, the ins and outs of adolescence, the panic of growing into yourself as a young adult. He’s familiar with the strange, non-linear growth a person undergoes — not physically, as that varies from species to species, but the process of maturity is nearly universal. Sivo is familiar with the awkwardness, the uncertainty, the shyness.

He thinks he might know why the young Blade member is shrouded in the shadows of the ballroom, staring longingly at the partiers.

He approaches the young man, obviously so as to not startle him, and simply leans next to him for a few moments once he is near. The young man turns his eyes slightly to look at the advisor with curiosity, a wariness in his indigo eyes, but does not tilt his head.

“Hello,” Sivo greets after several minutes of uncertain but not uncomfortable silence. “My name is Sivo. I am the advisor to the Queen of Mlkaway.”

The young Blade inclines his head. “Keith,” he says. His voice is low, soft; someone who is not used to introducing himself, to speaking up.

Sivo’s lips quirk up. A loner, then.

“The rest of the Blades are dancing and making merry,” Sivo points out, although he knows he does not need to. His statement is more about the unspoken — why aren’t you?

The young Blade — Keith — has no problem picking up on it. Some amusement bleeds into his eyes at Sivo’s nosiness. “I’m not much of a dancer.” Keith’s sentence is short — not clipped, not dismissive, but not exactly open, either. He will not be continuing the conversation on his own, and he may not have the patience for endless questions.

Sivo exhales, leaning back and deciding to read the man’s silence, to simply watch with him. He observes him out of his peripherals — something the Blade most definitely notices and allows — noticing the way he taps his foot rapidly, as if he’s waiting for something. A slight smile has remains on his face, as well, as if he can’t quite force the usual blankness a Blade would have when their mask is off. He looks back at Sivo every so often, but mostly his gaze is trained out to the ballroom; watching, observing, smiling.

Sivo squints. He had originally assumed that Keith was simply too awkward or shy to join in the celebration, like Sivo once was himself, but now the advisor is not so sure. Keith’s posture is not hunched, like someone who is uncomfortable. In fact he looks relaxed, pleased. He’s watching wistfully, almost, gazing into the crowd, but there is no desire to join, really. How strange. Sivo leans closer, trying to trace the man’s eyes. Whom is he watching, then, if he’s not simply watching the crowd? Whom has this young man singled out?

Keith must notice his struggle, because he chuckles slightly to himself. He tilts his head in Sivo’s direction, gesturing for him to lean close, follow his pointing finger. Before he can say anything, a loud, high-pitched laugh rings through the crowd, cutting over the music and dancing and chatting, and Keith’s smile gets wider.

“That’s the Red Paladin of Voltron,” Keith says, softer even than before; not quieter but saccharine, almost. Besotted.

Oh.

“I see,” says Sivo, not even bothering to hide his smile. “A Paladin. Quite the…choice, for people to admire.”

Keith pulls back a bit, but his smile doesn’t fade. His eyes follow the Paladin, tracing the vibrant way he moves, twirling from partner to partner at every song change, dress spinning about dizzyingly; slender brown hands tapping along to the beat of every song and mouth smiling blindingly wide at every person he sees.

The Red Paladin is the star of the evening, drawing stares and sighs from every party goer, mutters of envy from every unfortunate soul who does not get a chance to wrap him in their arms. The Paladin makes quite the effort to spread the wealth, however, never dancing with anyone twice except perhaps his friends; regularly spinning the Blue Paladin around, dresses swishing, lifting and throwing the squawking but laughing Green Paladin in the air, startling a deep laugh out of the Black Paladin with a sudden dip, twirling under the arm of the Yellow Paladin. No, the Red Paladin makes endless time for his friends. Everyone else is blessed with his smile, but only just enough of his time to make them desperate for more than they will ever get.

Truly the belle of the ball.

“I know,” Keith says, eyes still glued to the Red Paladin’s vibrancy.

Sivo hums. “Are you going to ask him to dance?” He tries to keep the doubt out of his voice, but he’s not sure he manages.

The Blade does not seem to take offense, however, and only ducks his head, playing with a ring on his finger. “I don’t need to.”

“…Ah,” Sivo says, as if he understands, even though he most certainly does not. As far as he’s noticed, the Red Paladin has yet to ask someone to dance, most people having deigned to ask him, almost clambering over each other for the opportunity.

But Keith offers no more explanation. The rest of Sivo’s questions, although sporadic, are answered only with vague hums or shakes of Keith’s head, so he stops bothering. He simply leans back against the wall, mirroring the Blade’s crossed arms, and enjoys his company. This is why Sivo became an advisor, after all. The chance to meet and spend time with new people, however briefly, has always entranced him. Each interaction changes him in some way.

“Alright,” announces a voice over the speakers, lively music fading into something softer, more intimate. “The night is coming to a close. This will be our last song. Grab your final partners and spin then around one last time, everyone. I’ll play a good one.”

“It was good meeting you, Advisor Sivo,” Keith says, pushing off the wall.

Sivo blinks at him. “Oh, and you as well. Be careful, dear boy.”

Keith nods once, then hurries off, cutting through the crowd as politely but firmly as he can. At first, Sivo assumes Keith is trying to exit the ballroom before the last song to avoid the crowd, but very quickly he realizes that’s not the case, as Keith pushes further and further to the centre of it. He snakes by spinning people in dresses, ducks under elbows, slides away from waving arms. He’s taller than most of the gathered crowd, and the only one dressed in armour, so he’s easy to track, making a beeline to the Red Paladin.

Sivo huffs to himself. He can admire the effort, but he is not the only one clambering to be the last to dance with the Red Paladin. Several others are pushing their ways through, glasses of sparking fruit wine — a clear favourite of the man’s — clutched in their hands, almost as offerings. Keith has barely made a dent at the edge of the crowd, he’s never even going to catch the other man’s attention —

“Keith!”

The call cuts over the music, loud and clear and elated, making several couples and groups look around in confusion. Sivo can’t quite see who’s making the noise over all the people, so he stands on a chair, straining to see over the crowd.

“Keith, Keith, you made it!”

Finally, the cause of the commotion is made clear — the Red Paladin, one hand clutching the hem of his dress so he can run, the other waving frantically in the air, practically sprinting across the dance floor, crowd parting for him easily. At the other end of the crowd stands Keith, no longer pushing through the throng of people but standing firmly in one place, fond grin lighting up his face and squishing his cheeks, arms spread slightly. Sivo rushes forward to hear better.

Finally the Red Paladin is near him, but he does not slow down even slightly, sprinting full speed at the young Blade and colliding into him, arms clutched around his neck. Keith, clearly anticipating the jump, doesn’t even flinch, grabbing the Red Paladin’s waist tightly and pulling him close, swinging them around to offset the momentum. He buries his head into his neck, squeezing tighter, and his shoulders slump as he lets out a loud sigh of relief.

“Hey, Lance,” he sighs, smile evident in his words.

The Red Paladin — Lance — laughs again, loud and high pitching and bright, kicking his feet out in excitement. He presses dozens of kisses to Keith’s hair, his temple, his cheek.

“You made it! You made it!” He laughs again, almost in disbelief. “I can’t believe you made it!”

Keith pulls back slightly, not going anywhere but enough that he can lean down again and press his lips to Lance’s, gently, reverently. “I promised, didn’t it?”

Lance smiles so wide you can see all his teeth, so wide his brown eyes are nearly shut, so wide the joy practically drips off him.

“You did promise.”

“And you promised you’d save the last dance for me.”

Lance taps his finger to his chin teasingly, as if he’s trying to recall said oath. “Did I?”

Keith laughs, pressing his forehead to the Red Paladin’s. “Mhm. We made a deal, remember?” He starts to hum, over the music — which someone has lowered so that all curious eyes can watch the show, as oblivious as they are to their audience — “You can dance with the guy who gives you the eye, let him hold you tight.”

His singing voice is low and sweet, rough around the edges, joy making him confident and shameless. Lance squeezes him tighter, swaying as Keith continues to sing softly.

“You can smile every smile for the man you held your hand underneath the pale moonlight.”

Lance looks almost overwhelmed with joy, leaning up and interrupting Keith with a gentle kiss, cupping his face gently. Keith waits until he pulls away to continue, although he doesn’t let Lance go far.

“But don’t forget who’s taking you home,” he holds the last note, lifting their linked hands and encouraging Lance to spin under them, which he does with a laugh. He pulls him back tightly, back to his chest, this time, arms crossed over Lance’s torso, leaning over his shoulder and pressing a lingering kiss to his freckled cheek. “And in whose arms you’re going to be.”

Lance leans back into him, comfortable, and they sing the last line of the verse together.

“But darling, save the last dance for me.”

Lance kisses him again, long and searing, then pulls away, grabbing Keith’s arm and pulling him back to their friends, who are watching them with fond exasperation. Keith seems to have noticed where he is for the first time and flushes brightly, but he doesn’t look embarrassed. If anything the flush is pleased, almost, and directed at Lance, happy that Lance is giving him his total undivided attention, more than he’s done for any other suitor of the night.

They finally make it to their group, who all greet Keith enthusiastically, and then the final song resumes from the speakers. Keith and Lance turn to each other, again, and both of them sigh something like relief, plastering to each other so that there’s not a single spot where they’re not touching, barely swaying to the beat of the song, more hugging than dancing. Eventually the other couples and dancers look away, looking to their own friends and partners and pressing in close, following their example.

Sivo smiles gently to himself as the last dance wraps up and Keith and Lance don’t move, only interested in each other.

He’s been around a long time. He will be around a lot longer, he’s sure. He will no doubt witness thousands of couples, young and old and in between, all devoted to each other, all with love that could light up a sun.

But he can safely say the Red Paladin and his lover are the brightest he’s ever seen.

———

save the last dance for me

[sunshine-and-her-ikevil-stuff]

My first impressions of all the princes before reading the prologue (based on their character page I scrolled while the game was downloading)

Leon

His appearance says boring. I might like/get along with him based on the description. It's a 50/50

Chevalier

*sees he's willing to kill* Of course he'd be the person I was the second most interested in before downloading the game.

Yves

"He's got that boyish look that I like in a man." /ref I like haughty and proud, but fickle might be annoying.

Nokto

He's pretty. And a flirt might be fun. And oh boy, his quote.

Licht

👀 Soft boy who's a cold loner? Hello? Oh, but if he's too cold and doesn't like to be around people I might just leave him alone since I have so many other options

Clavis

Oh, I think I saw his name on tumblr. Feeling very neutral about him, but I am interested to see what his dynamic with Chevalier is.

Jin

... Whatever they were trying to do with him, Roger (Ikevil) did it better

Luke

Wait, why do I actually really like him? Why do I always seem have a thing for the lazy ones?

Sariel

Oh- hmm. I keep going back and forth on whether I think he looks hot or silly.

Rio

Aww, he's cute. Also, obsession 👀 Does he come with yandere vibes?

Gilbert

*already had an impression of him from seeing posts on tumblr* I can't wait to meet him. Also funny that the two character I had my eye on before downloading the game both have a tiger for their crest.

Keith

He seems nice- wait, did someone say 'cold side'? 👀

Silvio

Very pretty man. And arrogant. I think I might like him. Either that or I'll end up despising him.

[vee-is-a-clown]

Ok so what if.. Lance asked Keith out in the Garrison? They both liked eachother and Hunk was hyping Lance up so he confessed to Keith one day and Keith said yes.

They date for a bit. Of course, they can't do much as teenagers who can't leave school property and have a strict schedule but they make it work. Shiro gives Keith date ideas because he had to do the same thing with Adam.

They have study dates, and sit together at lunch, and all that cheesy stuff.

One problem. When Shiro disappeared and Keith spiralled, he never told Lance. Essentially, Keith got kicked out of the Garrison and ran away to another state overnight. Without saying goodbye. He at least, left Adam a letter. Lance got nothing.

Lance is salty. His boyfriend just fucking disappeared without warning. Infact, he tries to play it all off. Now, he tells Pidge about how Keith's some asshole loner who dropped out of highschool. Hunk chimes in with, "Oh, shut it. I did not watch you write 'Lance Kogane' all over your notebooks during class for you to shit talk Keith."

Pidge never got the full story from them. Lance never let Pidge learn the full story. It's a shame that they already knew. YUP KEITH AND PIDGE FRIENDS PREKERB LEZGO

Pidge got Keith's side so they have every stupid, gay detail of it. Every. Single. One.

They're rivals for a bit because Lance is good at holding grudges and Keith's competitive. They're also the embodiment of that "Starting fights because I want men on me" meme.

I just think it'd be interesting.

[hotdogcabbagesausage]

one line that is ALWAYS gonna get me in voltron is “You guys were right; I’m the loner!” like. all the little quips and jokes the teams makes about keith being emo and the loner and all that. they did stick because he’s heard it before from so many people. it was just teasing for them but for him it was very real and i hate that

[harukamitsuki]

Ur soooo right abt Lance I think he just became the fandom’s darling because people saw inklings of insecurity and home sickness and zeroed in. He’s whump bait, but like without the more complicated issues tied into Shiro, Allura, and Keith’s problems. Prime projection material.

He has potential and I appreciate fandom’s ability to see that in him, but you’re so right that people have completely forgotten who he is in canon. He *could* have been better, but he wasn’t and it’s frustrating that people have lost sight of that because I think it would genuinely produce more interesting takes on his character and role in the story. As someone who genuinely wants him to be a better character it makes me want to eat dry wall.

Lance, first and foremost, is the everyday man. That's why he's so popular. He is far from a piloting prodigy, flirts with every pretty girl, funny and exaggerative, has a generic weapon like a rifle, is the first paladin to find his Lion, and has the most basic interal conflict there can be. Which is why everyone loves him.

Shiro? Shiro is confirmed gay, was hailed as the most promising pilot pre-canon, was officially the youngest man sent into space, but also had an illness for canon forgot about it, had major PTSD that left him unable to move in most cases, considered himself broken if his hallucinations said anything, and literally died. He's good leader matieral, able to handle a group of four wildly differing teenagers and only really let his emotions plan his course of action once (when Allura was kidnapped). This man is insanely skilled but also insanely traumatised.

Keith? Keith beat all of the records Shiro set and was known as a genius in the field, only held back by his defense mechanisms and rushing on ahead. He was abandoned by his mother when he was a toddle, then his father died implicitly before his eyes, he was then an orphan where he was probably passed around from family to family, ot feeding into his adandonment issues. He gained a friend in Shiro, the first person to reach out to him, and then lost him a few years later. He finally gets Shiro back, only for more shit to happen. He finds out his mom was Galra, and becomes sorry that he even existed because of this. Nobody on Voltron actually felt like his friend with Pidge constantly calling him a loner right after he lost Shiro, Hunk poking fun at his Galra genes, and Lance playing up this one-sidedly rivalry and taking everything he does as an attack on his person. He loses Shiro again and has to constantly give him up for the sake of Voltron and the universe. The only time he can focus on himself is when Shiro is back and he distants himself for the team's sake and they just let him go. He's so affected by grief before the story starts and it doesn't give him a break. Even so, he's so kind and genuine about everything. He becomes the Black Paladin, not because he had no choice. Maybe at first, but he grows into that role and becomes a great leader.

Pidge? Pidge is a prodigy and a genius, able to hack firm and software from alien planets. She can fly a jet just from reading instruction manuels and have little to no trouble. At the same time, lost her brother and father all at once. When she finally got some clue as to what happened to them, she was kicked out and banned from the Garrison. She disguised as a boy and snuck in, abandoning her dream of becoming a fighter pilot because navigation would teach her more about scanning space for extraterrestrial communication and lifeforms. When she finally has the chance to find her family, she has to constantly give them and clues she may find up because Volton and the universe come first.

Hunk? Hunk is just as much of a genius as Pidge, even if the writers forget, with him able to spot foul play on an alien ship easily. He's so kind and loving yet fierce with his protection and so strong when defending his friends. He keeps spirits high with his warming attitude, even if he's the most home sick of them all. He acts the most realistically to become a child soldier. Still, even when he's terrified, he pushes on so that people like Shay can find out what freedom is. Feel it for themselves. When they go back to Earth, Hunk is the only one who has to fight to get his parents back and earn his happy ending. He suffers throughout the series, but he's always looking at the greener side.

Allura and Coran? They lost their families and thejr entire species before canon ever began. They lost so much and have nothing but revenge fueling them. They have to deal with the fact that they slept through the massacre of the Altean species and woke up far too late. They have to deal with inexperienced humans who have no real attachment to the war. They have to deal with the fact that they are the last of the Alteans. And when it's finally revealed that there are more survivors, they have to deal with the fact that they're being farmed by Lotor/Honerva for their quintessence. Allura was so depressed in season eight after falling for Lotor then being used so thoroughly by him. Coran never got to say goodbye to Allura before she died. Despite this, they still fight with all they have, making sure nobody has to face the loss they've felt.

Lance? Um. He's insecure about his place in the team? I guess Veronica nearly died but she didn't so whatever... He did spend a lot of his time in the Garrison being compared to Keith... But he also spent time he could've used to better his skills to sneak out and flirt with girls or hit the arcade. Um... I guess...

Um. Yeah.

See, I always wonder how people see such angst potential in Lance, or even see him as an angsty character in general. They act as though he's suffered the most in canon when, in reality, he hasn't. He has the most generic troubles and, I guess, it's more relatable that way? People don't have to struggle to relate to PTSD or abandonment issues or identity issues or child soldiers or losing your entire species.

Insecurity? That's easy because everyone feels insecure.

Which is why Lance is so popular.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this isn't valid. It sucks to feel insecure and doubt your every move. The only difference is how common Lance's issues are compared to everyone else. Because Lance is generic as hell, people love to vent through him.

Lance has a stable friendship group, is constantly given everything he wants, and even manages to destroy what has been the canon ship over decades (Kallura). He invented a rivalry with Keith, who didn't even know who he was when they met. Because of that, people either ship them for the 'rivals to lovers' trope or hate Keith and act as though Keith was bullying him. Shiro doesn't take Lance's side often because Lance's ideas are dangerous or reckless. He still tries to let him down gently, making logical arguments (see: Shiro explaining that Red is fire-resistant so Keith has to go to the BOM HQ). Oh, but he's not on Lance's side so the fandom decides he's an awful leader. As if they know what a good leader is. They think a good leader is someone who gets distracted by a pretty girl and blames everyone but himself.

The only thing not given to Lance on a silver platter is Black. Thank God. But because he wasn't given Black when he was given everything else, fandom decides that DreamWorks hates Lance and decides to argue that Lance was always destined to be the Black Paladin. Ignoring how Black's colour scheme was LITERALLY ON KEITH'S CLOTHES.

So. Yeah. He definitely has potential before DreamWorks just started rewarding him for breathing. The insecurity he has could have been a good way to develop his character. He could have become someone outside of Keith or Shiro's shadow. He didn't need a love interest to prosper, as proven by the fact that he never prospered in canon.

His potential was there, just ignored because the writers were allergic to complex characters, even to the smallest degree.

(They should have gotten the writers for Race to the Edge to do Voltron ugh)

[kismetconstellations]

I loved your post on Shiro and there's so much I agree on with it. Now I'm interested in seeing your take on Keith for the character game plz!!! ❤❤❤

Aww, bless your heart. Thank you! I'm glad you found something to enjoy in all of my heavily biased, opinionated, and probably unhinged rambling. ^///^'

I'll give it a go, but, just a small warning/disclaimer in advance:

I have not watched Seasons Three through Six in their entirety. I am vaguely aware of certain developments from these seasons, thanks to my interaction with fanworks incorporating them, but I cannot offer any sort of detailed analyses based on events exclusive to them. For example, I can't comment on Keith's relationships with the Blades in any meaningful way, as I'm only familiar with his interactions with them in Seasons Two, Seven, and Eight.

My answers for Keith are not going to be anywhere near as in-depth as they were for Shiro, since I watched this show for Shiro. But, I will respond to every question to the best of my ability.

1. Why do you like or dislike this character?

I like Keith because of the hidden depths to his character. Superficially, he's the hot-headed loner stereotype. He's a "discipline case". He stole the car of a renowned ace pilot sent to recruit students for the local military academy. He spent a number of years in the foster care system after being orphaned at a relatively young age, carries a knife on his person at all times, and doesn't take well to being challenged or having his abilities called into question. He's prone to rash decision-making and acting on impulse, and will lash out and say callous, hurtful things that he doesn't truly mean in the heat of the moment. ("Are we even friends?")

But, he craves love and acceptance from the people around him, even when his instinct is to push them away for self-preservation's sake. He scarfs down his food like he's never going to get another chance to eat, again. He can be a bit slow to pick up on the meanings of certain concepts or ideas, and some aspects of socialization are completely lost on him (not comprehending Lance's "Voltron" cheer). He likes cute things in a reserved, understated sort of way. He likes hugs.

Though he'd never admit it.

He's rash and quick-tempered, but it comes from a place of passion; from a strong sense of justice, and desire to protect the ones he cares about at any cost.

2. Favorite canon thing about this character?

That he's very much a semi-feral cat in human form. Shiro is his Person, the one who earned his trust and unwavering devotion, and he's slowly learned to open himself up to trusting others, but he'll still bite someone's finger off if they're not Shiro and have the misfortune of making him angry.

3. Least favorite canon thing about this character?

He seems to have lost some of his internal fire in an effort on the part of the writers to turn him into Discount Shiro.

Shiro is "retired" from his position as Black Paladin and head of Voltron, and sidelined completely through no choice of his own because Keith has taken over his role on the team.

Keith gets to kill Shiro's personal tormentor after Shiro couldn't so much as best Sendak in combat.

Season Eight has Keith retreading ground that Shiro already tread, laying into Zarkon about his being unworthy of piloting the Black Lion and Paladinship. Even though that exact confrontation between current and former Black Paladin had already been handled in a much more impactful manner back in Season Two, when it was Shiro engaging Zarkon in a hand-to-hand fight inside of the Black Lion's inner quintessence while the Black Lion, herself, spectated and had the final say in who was the victor.

Not only did Shiro and Zarkon's conflict have higher stakes, both narratively and for the characters, as Zarkon was actually still alive and an active threat to the universe, rather than existing inside of Haggar/Honerva's head, Shiro and Zarkon had history. Shiro was imprisoned and held captive, forced to fight in the gladiatorial arena, on Zarkon's ship. Zarkon was able to wrest control of the Black Lion out from under Shiro mid-battle on multiple occasions, and used his persisting connection to the Black Lion to track Voltron down across multiple galaxies.

These two finally getting to face one another on the battlefield was a longtime coming. It had proper build-up, felt completely earned, and provided all parties involved (Shiro, Zarkon, the Black Lion, and the viewer) ample reason to be invested in the outcome.

It was also a visual treat, with dynamic, impressively animated choreography and physics highly reminiscent of Saiyan battles in Dragonball Z, against a gorgeous backdrop.

Contrast that with Keith yelling at a Mega Zarkon inside of Haggar/Honerva's head, because the showrunners had to artificially up the ante somehow, while standing stock still against a backdrop that isn't nearly as stunning.

And, the Black Lion immediately coming to his aid when Mega Zarkon decides to strike,

instead of watching as her Paladin is slowly strangled until he says the right thing that convinces her that he is worthy.

Keith had Shiro's essence teach him how to "see through the Lion's eyes" in order to unlock the Black Lion's wings,

something Shiro, himself, had to fight to figure out with no one other than the Black Lion guiding him.

Despite Shiro's bond with the Black Lion being the strongest bond between human Paladin and Lion, indisputably and unquestionably, Post-Resurrection Shiro has no connection to her at all. He's a silent passenger in her cockpit, or the cockpit of whichever other Paladin-Lion pair chose to carry him. He might as well not be present at all for all of the acknowledgement and deference he's given by both his found family, and the show, itself.

None of this is Keith's fault. But, it's difficult not to feel some measure of anger, watching him usurp Shiro's role entirely, while Shiro is sequestered off on his own ship to be nerfed and disrespected for a full thirteen episode season. Especially when Keith is younger and able-bodied and easily achieves or has handed to him things that Shiro fought with all of his might only to either fall short of (defeating Sendak), or barely scrape by on the skin of his teeth (cementing his bond with the Black Lion to unlock her ultimate power). Keith's success at Shiro's expense only serves to further fuel the noxious ageism and disgusting ableism perpetuated by this show and its fanbase.

And, Keith's own personality seemed to suffer for it. Perhaps it's meant to be character growth, but he seems so flat, void of the traits that made him distinctly Keith, throughout Seasons Seven and Eight, following Season Seven's opener. I'm positive there are passionate fans who could and have elaborated on this with the detail and insight necessary to fully illustrate the dearth of Keithness. But, I think it says something that even someone like me, who watched this show for Shiro and skipped over nearly four entire seasons due to the absence of him, picked up on the less-than-satisfactory change.

4. If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in?

A shonen anime series, either Sci-Fi or Isekai, where he can be the hero who reluctantly heeds the call of Destiny and pull off risky, reckless maneuvers on a futuristic vehicle, and/or masterfully take down foes with a great big sword, to his hearts' content.

5. What’s the first song that comes to mind when you think about them?

"Hold On", by Chord Overstreet; only because of this Keith/Shiro video.

6. What’s something you have in common with this character?

I, too, love dogs and would die for Takashi Shirogane.

7. What’s something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like?

Treating him like the competent adult he actually is. The one who lived on his own in a shack in the middle of the desert for a year, and set off bombs to distract Garrison security personnel while he snuck inside of the quarantine zone to figure out what they were up to. Before even realizing they had a miraculously alive Shiro sedated and strapped to a table.

8. What’s something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise?

Feminizing and infantilizing him, always in service of a ship. Keith has moments of emotional vulnerability, because he's meant to be a multi-faceted human/alien hybrid. That does not make him a weepy blushing "uwu" uke who sobs, wails, and cries while being choked and split open on Lance or Shiro's intimate parts and calling them "daddy".

He's a semi-feral cat in human form. He'd more than likely use his teeth, inflicting serious damage on those very sensitive parts, should someone try to make him choke on them, and I can't see him ever wanting to be sexually dominated by anyone. Putting aside that Shiro is a bottom and would never, Keith would sock Lance or any other man square on the jaw, or drive his knee or foot into an even more vulnerable area, for so much as trying to pin him down and make him "take it".

And, I know this is a popular headcanon and the show, itself, tried to lend credence to it by having Krolia thank "Kuron" for looking after Keith for her, but Shiro did not "raise" Keith. Shiro was an ambitious ace pilot in his very early twenties, contemplating the prospect of engagement and marriage to his long-term partner while their relationship began to unravel, battling a terminal degenerative illness, and planning to pilot a voyage into deep space. When was he meant to have found the time amidst all of this to have adopted or parented a preteen/early adolescent?

He and Keith were close, as a mentor/protege and friends typically would be, but Keith certainly didn't look to Shiro to be a stand-in or surrogate for his father. Nor did Shiro view Keith as his son. Keith confronting Shiro over Shiro's attempt to conceal his illness from him plays out exactly the way a confrontation between two peers who view each other as equals would.

Keith marches up to Shiro without so much as a greeting, very abrupt, direct, and upfront, unafraid of castigation or reprisal. The opposite of what one would expect from a cadet approaching his senior officer, or any kid confronting an adult authority figure about a perceived deception.

Likewise, Shiro steps down to put himself on the same level as Keith.

While maintaining a respectful physical distance, Keith leans forward into Shiro's space, resolutely standing his ground and refusing to let Shiro hide or deflect.

And, Shiro ultimately gives in and chooses to be honest with him, rather than pulling rank and brushing Keith off, telling him that everything's fine, or it's none of Keith's business, and treating him like a child.

Their relationship can't be so simply and neatly classified. Though Keith does refer to Shiro as his "brother", there's enough ambiguity there to be threatening (see Keith tenderly touching Shiro's face

and pausing over Shiro as if he intended to kiss him

), and I think that's why very specific shippers dilute Shiro into Keith's parental figure, even going as far as interpreting Shiro and Keith as, or outright making them biologically related. It's a transparent attempt to rule out any possibility of a romance between them while pretending to pay perfunctory tribute to their bond.

As if these shippers actually care about it or Shiro in any way, shape, or form.

And, it's sincerely grating to have to scroll past.

9. Could you be roommates with this character?

I see no reason why I couldn't be. Though, I don't think my cat would get along with Kosmo very well.

10. Could you be best friends with this character?

Once again, I would be too nervous to approach him.

11. Would you date this character?

No. He's way too young for me.

12. What’s a headcanon you have for this character?

I have to go with the fairly popular(?) fanon reading that Keith falls somewhere on the Autism spectrum. Canon seems to back this by some degree, with the aforementioned "I say 'Vol', you say--" "Vol-tron?", and showing Keith covering his ears and closing his eyes on the carnival ride he and Hunk get stuck on, as if suffering from overstimulation.

13. What’s an emoji, an emoticon and/or any symbol that reminds you of this character or you think the character would use a lot?

▬▬ι═══════ﺤ

14. Assign a fashion aesthetic to this character.

Probably cliche and expected, but... Biker Aesthetic. Leather jacket in black or red, fingerless gloves on his hands, of course, tight jeans, perhaps with a tear or two in the legs, and heeled boots.

He'd also definitely wear hoodies and hooded jackets with drawstrings, so he can pull the hood over his head and secure it tightly when he's feeling overstimulated and wants to shut out the world.

15. What’s your favorite ship for this character? (Doesn’t matter if it’s canon or not.)

Keith/Shiro. Their love for each other is legitimately, canonically death-defying.

"Keith, I was dreaming. Keith... you saved me." "We saved each other."

I get emotional every time.

16. What’s your least favorite ship for this character?

The portmanteau starts with a 'K', and rhymes with pants.

17. What’s a ship for this character you don’t hate but it’s not your favorite that you’re fine with?

I think Keith/Acxa is interesting and has potential, and I kind of wish the show would have done more with Keith/Allura than the brief ship tease we got in The Ark of Taujeer.

18. How about a relationship they have in canon with another character that you admire?

I think Keith and Hunk's friendship is very sweet, Keith and Kosmo are adorable, and in a purely platonic sense, Keith and Lance do have their moments (that I don't reflexively tune out because the fandom has caused me to dread any interaction between them.)

19. How about a relationship they have in canon that you don’t like?

Nothing comes to mind.

20. Which other character is the ideal best friend for this character, the amount of screentime they share doesn’t matter?

I think Keith has some pretty solid friendships as is.

21. If you’re a fic writer and have written for this character, what’s your favorite thing to do when you’re writing for this character? What’s something you don’t like?

I like how concise, direct, and to the point Keith is. He doesn't meander, or waffle, or embellish, or put on airs. He says exactly what he means to say the first time, and doesn't put up a facade for anyone.

I've yet to find something I dislike about writing for him.

22. If you’re a fic reader, what’s something you like in fics when it comes to this character? Something you don’t like?

I like when he's actually written faithfully to his canon characterization, scrappy and slightly rough around the edges, but fiercely loving and possessing a strong- if sometimes somewhat misguided- sense of justice.

I hate when he's infantilized and portrayed as a soft, weepy, fragile child in fics that are meant to take place during the show's main timeline. It comes across as borderline fetishistic, and kind of creeps me out. Especially when he's being paired with Shiro and the author continues to emphasize how "delicate" and "small" he is in contrast to Shiro's strength and size.

23. Favorite picture of this character?

24. What other character from another fandom of yours that reminds you of them?

Just as Shiro reminds me very much of the 2003 iteration of Leonardo, Keith invokes 2003 TMNT's Raphael. Short-tempered, always ready and raring to deliver a well-deserved beatdown, prone to acting rashly, strong sense of justice, intense, unbreakable bond with his team leader.

The major difference is, aside from Keith and Shiro not butting heads like Raph and Leo frequently do (and obviously not being siblings), Raphael never lost his internal fire over the course of the series, no matter what trauma he endured.

The same cannot be said for Keith.

25. What was your first impression of this character? How about now?

I can't recall my first impression of him, truth be told. Now... Admittedly, I'm not quite as taken with his character as I sort of hoped I would be, given how he's portrayed in well-written fanfiction. I like him just fine, but...

Maybe it's the product of me being overexposed to him by a fandom that is utterly obsessed with shoving the milquetoast pairing of him and his "rival" down everyone's throats. Or the fact that he's made to usurp Shiro's role, to the point that some of his fans openly wish that Shiro would have remained dead in service of Keith's character arc.

Regardless of the reason, Keith kind of doesn't do much for me. Strange for someone who happily ships him with their favorite to say, but that's the reality of it.

----

Thank you so much for the submission! I hope my answers were somewhat satisfactory, and not completely incendiary. (I'm not really equipped to handle torches and pitchforks.)

[empty-blog-for-lurking]

Oooouuuo you want to share your vld wc au ideas...... You want to tell me all of your epic thoughts............ Uuooo oo mind persuasion noises

Is this what you want? Me making a mockery of your two beloved pieces of media? Me putting my inane crackpot ideas about your au which was lovingly crafted with joy and whimsy? Is that what you want???? Ok then-

It's pretty much the same/similar scenario. Kuron is Shiro's (Swift's) clone and a spoilt cat and a mamma's boy

2)Allura is a vet assigned on Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Rehome. She is also like the only one on this cause she's the only vet available in the town and the govt there is stingy with funding. So like the girl's Stressed™

3) She probably knows or atleast is aware of the cat cult. She just Doesn't Care they are fucking up the biodiversity

4)Lance was either an ex-kittypaw who's Trying so hard to pretend he's enjoying his life and loving being a Warrior cat though internally he's crying, sobbing, throwing up because he wants to Go Home!!!! Yes it's been years but he still misses his human family and his soft bed and his squeaky toy and his wet food and🥺🥺🥺🥺

5)Either that Or he is a human turned warrior cat by the Cat gods either because he accidentally pissed them so they cursed him or pleased them too much that the blessed them😔 sad! Anyway his usual inner monologue is going "What the fuck? What the fuck?!? WHAT THE FUCK?! WHAT THE F-" entire time

6)Keith is just a cat. Like a completely normal cat. Imagine a cat from our world, that's him. He doesn't know what a warrior code is and he doesn't care. Warrior cats think he's So Cool and Mysterious and Quiet loner when actually he is literally just a head empty cat

7) He's also responsible for like 50% of the bird population's steep decline making him a hot topic among the clans and the top bounty on Allura's hit list

8) Reason why he is normal is because he is raised by wolves

8) Hunk is maybe a fae. Maybe.

9) I think we already talked about this but Lotor is a well intentioned idiot here. He's the one who keeps setting cats free into the wild forest, accidentally removing the traps Allura set to capture the cats, feeding the ducks bread even though it's a bad for them, keeps removing the native flora in his mom's backyard and planting invasive plants, and tries to start fire during dry season almost causing a forestfire etc etc Allura is going to kill him if she comes to know

Yeah this is all I have 😔😔😔😔 sorry 😔😔

[ammonitetestpatterns]

echoes of the saline womb: surelines hemmed by originknotting night

tidal shying, shining in, a disorienting conferral to the compulsions of the spheres, ennobling flashes of mercury out of gaussian moongauzed breaks, a teary sinelash that sends sparkles from under its flutter. it has been said that the sea bears the promise of your return, recapitulating the current, this heaviest embrace of a final assurance. meeting again forgotten latencies, letting pass the faded residua of first vibrations, movements in deep time, the cavern cantique, a basic settlement of the solid, reestablishing form, the unimagined balance that sparks transformational acids into cellular ecstasy, tireless chains of rehearsals for the biomagnification of sentience. littering the recess, the sentiment and braced elasticity of last calls, loner moans and brill built social rituals fabulated and thieved into a more refined reflective mode, presages for sublunar libations over hair twirling casio miasmas, an endless individualized feast of atomic bubblegum and bonbon bombshells at the fringes of your overmodern night. the ghostly stranded roundel made by a girl's idle finger traces the explosive dell unblanking our incipience, a mystery only known under shade of amniotic frequencies, left over now to reconstitutive wavegazing, waiting for the waters that renew.

猫田ゆと白倒会山 - ニセ オールディーズ カラオケ K. Yoshimatu - 気まぐれ　ハニーキャット Keith Edwards - Telstar Shampoo - Tonight バイオリンの聞こえる街 - ふうりん Osiris - Life Beyond The Earth 松田敏宏 - あなたを夢みて Watercolor Sunset - Waterdrops Ken Saul - Mermaid Kimihide Kusafuka & Techno Menses - Lovers In The Sun モア - でも今 Keith Dear - Sleepy Shores Footprint - SHE IS MY LOVE Jason David - Wrecker's Moon ハイディナッシュ - Nach dem Shade (ダメージの末に II) Dennis Harte - Summer's Over You Band - Gentle Air 木彫り倶楽部 - 感慨内容

[empressgeekt]

Hand down... all the Pop Trolls would immediately voluntell Branch to test the new therapist's office out once the other tribes get the ok to implement it. Branch would have been offended if he himself didn't agree (after soem prompting form Poppy) that the troll who spent 20 years as a grey, isolated loner probably is the best bet to test something like that out

He's exhausted after the appointment. Poppy makes cookies and he and Keith cuddle on the couch with a book. They don't let him do any work. Just an afternoon of self care.