It’s day 2 of Kallura Ship Week, and for the rest of the week I’m posting parallels between the two from the show.
Allura lays in bed at night thinking about Altea. Every day that passes takes another memory away, takes another face. For example, the chef that made her favorite dish to cheer her up when she was sad; she remembers their name, but nothing more. The nearby towns, bustling with families from all over the galaxy, are fading. Back then Altea was a popular destination planet, known for their warm climate and breathtaking views. Now it’s a footnote in history, buried by the rubble from ten-thousand years of war.
Allura can almost remember the route she took to get to the juniberry fields, where the flowers lay like an ornate rug at the base of the majestic mountains. She spent so many happy days there with her parents, running barefoot through the soft grass. But she can’t remember the smell. Ever since that day, the third worst day of her life, the scent of her favorite flower eludes her.
Keith lays in bed at night thinking about tomorrow’s mission. Every day that passes gets the coalition one step closer to victory. He had once believed that he would achieve this while a paladin of Voltron, but his fateful meeting with the Blades of Marmora changed his destiny. He never thought he’d miss the green goo, but the food they offer him now pales in comparison.
Keith recalls the last mission as he plans the next. The layout of the ship, the faces of the soldiers he had to kill. He can’t remember the last time he had a view that wasn’t made of metal, when there wasn’t a constant chill in the air. Every step he takes is one fraught with danger, one wrong turn could spell failure. He has honed his senses to detect the enemy; he can smell a Galra a mile away. His father was also a soldier, and on Earth going off to war meant years away from family. Here it could be forever.
Allura misses Keith terribly. When she finally falls asleep she sometimes dreams of his return. On the worst nights he doesn’t come back, or he can’t. Every morning she wakes up and checks for an update from him, anything to let her know he is still safe. Every morning she prays for him to come back to her.
Keith misses Allura terribly. When he finally falls asleep he dreams of her face, her voice. On the worst nights he dreams that she tells him Voltron doesn’t need him anymore. Every morning he wakes up and checks for a message from her, anything that makes him feel needed. Every morning he prays for a chance to return to her for good.
Much has been said about the fact that they both faced their fathers in a “dream sequence” that required sacrifices on their parts. The big difference is that Allura experienced her father’s memories of being with her, she got to see his joy from their time together. It was warm and loving despite the coolness of the scene.
On the flip side Keith experienced his own memories of his father, likely somewhat incomplete due to the length of time they were apart. Despite the warm coloring of the scene, his father was distant emotionally. There were no hugs, no loving words.
This is the interesting dynamic between these two. Despite having such diverse backgrounds they both have the same goals, even if their approaches are somewhat different. Allura has a dream of returning to the way things were before the war began. Keith seems to lack that, facing his everyday reality head-on.
Together they strike a balance, and that is beautiful.
