Was fic planning and realized that Shiro ought to have an issue with being put on a stage (or in an arena) for the entertainment of others. Like, Shiro having a specific trigger about being used to draw a crowd, a reminder of his time as the Champion, and how The Voltron Show could be a way for him to not only realize this but also reconcile it as another new aspect of himself, ultimately turning it into something good on his own terms and in defiance of the empire
One of the first and main continuing problems with VLD was the way it pretty much refused to deal with any of the trauma it inflicted on its characters. I remember when Keith tried to drive his ship into Haggar's to take down her shield and save his team in a season finale and a lot of fans were frothing because they couldn't wait for the team to hear about it and for Keith to deal with that. And I just shook my head because by that point we already knew the writing team wasn't interested in dealing with the emotional repercussions of any of the things its characters did. Even the first two seasons that I thought were well written dodged a lot of those moments. It only got worse as the seasons went on and the writing cared less and less about pretending it gave a shit. To the point it actually erased Shiro's PTSD with the EPs literally saying he was cured.
What I'm saying is yeah - that really should have been a trigger for him (and Jiro since they're sharing memories). I remember some of the fandom pointed that out when the 'Voltron Show' got released and then later on when Shiro was arm wrestling aliens in an area surrounded by cheering crowds. Something in all of that should have been at the least uncomfortable for him and much more likely a very traumatic reminder of times he only barely remembered or flat out didn't with the conscious part of his brain. It would have been a great opportunity for the team to support him and bond with him - but - VLD writers, amirite?
I would honestly LOVE to read a fic that used that whole incident as the building block for healing and dealing with some of the hidden scars, especially if there was team support (and acknowledgement of Shiro's trauma included). Shiro - and Jiro if he'd been allowed - was all about using what the Galra had done to him for a higher purpose than they'd intended and using it to fight back. That's a wonderful idea for a fic! I would read the heck out of it and I'm sure I'm not the only one! Sign me onboard for when you post it because I will be there with bells on!
Its what he (they) deserve. Its what we do too.
