I agree with your rant about Keith and the others and finding a family 100% I was wondering what you thought about Lotor? That he was basically abused and becomes an abuser too or that his parents where monster so he became one and couldn't change ┐(´∀`)┌
Hmm, I find Lotor a bit trickier to pin down, because for me at least I’ve always been waiting for the other shoe to drop. I know a lot of other people felt this way too. As much as Lotor put on a big show of being ‘good’ in seasons 4 & 5, he never actually showed any remorse for the things he did. He never even apologised. We were also deliberately shown scenes at the beginning of season 3 highlighting how good at grand speeches and manipulating Lotor is.
I wouldn’t say that we were never meant to trust Lotor even a little, but I think that we were always supposed to doubt him as well. Even the posts I read by Lotor stans about what they wanted from a Lotor redemption arc seemed to understand that the 'redemption’ of Lotor as it was still had gaps and flaws that needed to be filled (this is just how I read it anyway).
I am nowhere near an expert on abuse, and I don’t want to speak over what others with more knowledge have been saying. To me at least, the revelation of Lotor’s abuse just kind of felt like lazy (or to put it more kindly, imperfect) writing. They didn’t have much screen time to try and make Lotor seem sympathetic, so they shoved in a line or two about it while Lotor and Allura were in Oriand to try and make him seem more trustworthy. In Lotor’s confrontation with the White Lion in that same episode they showed that he still valued the Galran ways above all else.
I never really felt that Dreamworks actually wanted to have any sort of nuanced discussion about abuse, and I agree that the result of this storyline sent an outdated and incorrect message.
It’s hard to tell how much of Lotor’s words and actions were genuine. I think perhaps some of them were, but I’m not convinced we’ll ever know for sure. In short, I think that Lotor’s abuse was not handled well, and I personally kind of wish that Dreamworks straight up hadn’t brought it up at all rather than handle it in this very outdated the abused becomes the abuser storyline. That being said, I am far from an authority on these kinds of matters and would be interested in hearing anyone else’s thoughts if they have them.
coran puts a fake mustache on top of his real mustache
This is the only truth in a world full of lies.
Coran wears a fake moustache on top of his regular one whenever the team is trying to disguise themselves. The team always gently mock him for it.
Pidge: Coran that looks exactly like your moustacheCoran: No it doesn’t, it’s very clearly a completely different shade of orange
All the aliens on one planet they go to have a large array of very thin, feeling-organs on their faces which happen to look a lot like hair. The patterns are all unique (like human fingerprints).
The team have to hide from some of these aliens who are Galra spies and try a number of disguises, but they’re always instantly recognised. Coran walks out wearing his regular clothes and his fake moustache. No one has any idea who this new mysterious stranger is.
All the other members of team Voltron have to spend the rest of their time on the planet wearing those plastic ‘disguise’ glasses. They’re all personally offended that they actually work.
If anyone has the link where it’s posted on instagram would you mind sending it to me? I don’t have an account there and I haven’t given anyone permission to repost it. (I’m assuming that’s what ig means apparently I’m 100)
The quickest way to find my posts is generally to search the tag “#sustenance provided by vrepit sals” on my blog (I probably should make a tag for video edits thanks for reminding me)
okay, but what if Mrs. Holt woke up to find Katie gone and that is sad, but imagine her when she sees the news thing on tv about "Three garrison cadets went missing" and there's Katie's picture??
Anon, you’ve just added layers to the sadness that I was not even ready to comprehend. All of their families must have been distraught, but Colleen Holt, going through this for the third time (especially if she hadn’t known where her daughter was), I can’t even imagine.
Also, for some reason this is giving me this strangely amusing mental image of Pidge being double lost (like her Mum lost her and then the people supposedly looking after her in her lostness lost her) which would mean in s2e1 she was triple lost, because the aliens who abducted/found her in her double-lostness lost her as well. Imagine if in season 4 she runs away to find Matt and then Matt loses her and she becomes quadruple lost. By the end of the series half of the universe will be looking for this young, green-clothed girl who they found one day and then subsequently lost.
Okay but what is in S3 Keith gets into some dangerous situation and the Red lion goes to save him even though Lance is still inside???? Idk I should be asleep honestly but this thought came into my head
This is such a blessed conceptand I’m sorry this so long to answer but I really wanted to write something forit…_____
Lance swerves and bites back agrin as Red weaves between the enemy fire and downs two ships with aperfectly-aimed blast.
Three more Galra ships regroup intheir place, but it takes a fraction of a second longer than normal. The enemyis wearing thin. Against all odds, they’re winning this fight.
When Allura had called them tothe control room for the briefing her expression had been grim. Almost anentire fleet of Galra ships at their doorstep, the yellow lion out ofcommission, and five hundred more prisoners to be evacuated before they couldleave the system.
Lance had seen Keith’s teethclench from beside him, and Allura had glanced at him before saying what theyall already knew. The surface of the planet was too unstable for the castle toland, and so lions would need to be used to ferry the prisoners up from theplanet and hold off the ships, with the castle as support and without Voltronto fall back on.
The black and blue lions wouldhold the most passengers, and thus would be ferrying the prisoners, while Redand Green would try and keep the Galra at bay for as long as possible.
Keith hung back as they headed tothe hangers, and Lance had waited, half expecting Keith to ask to swap lionswith him for just one mission. Ask Lance to let him go back to being theimpulsive fighter of the group, blowing up Galra ships rather than the leadersheltering innocents from harm.
Lance had never even pilotedBlack before. It would be a terrible decision, one they may very well look backon with regret. If Keith had asked it of himhe would have done it in a heartbeat.
Instead Keith had walked forward,stared at Lance for a moment, before placing a hand on his shoulder.
The words which fell from hislips were unexpected.
"You can do it. You’ll be fine.“
They were laced with somethingLance couldn’t decipher. He wasn’t sure who Keith was trying to convince.
"Of course we can. Onefleet? Me and Red could take them out in our sleep.”
Keith had laughed for a moment,and Lance savoured it. It lit a fire in his stomach. It reminded him what hehad to come back to.
Keith stared at him for a momentlonger, and Lance saw something in his eyes. Some desire Keith was keepingclose to his chest.
“I’m sorry you can’t pilotRed right now,” Lance had said, guessing at Keith’s train of thought.
“It’s not that, it’sjust…” Keith said, glancing away, before looking back, “it’s notimportant. Good luck.”
Lance smiled at him and clappedhim on the shoulder before turning and running for his hanger.
“Won’t need it. I have Redand Pidge to keep me safe,” he’d called over his shoulder. The last thinghe’d heard as the door shut was Keith’s laugh.
Now, for the first time since thebattle began, he actually believes those words.
Red is lightning fast, feather-lightcontrols responding to him almost before he moves them. The Galra ships continue to fall, some from him, some from a Green lion who keeps popping in and out ofinvisibility.
Most of the Galra ships trying tohit her end up destroying each other instead.
Lance isn’t thinking of anything,lining up and firing shots before his mind can even catch up, when Red suddenlyjolts under him and turns into a dive.
He freezes for a moment, thoughtswhirring through possible malfunctions and their solutions, when he feelsoverwhelming protectiveness surge through their bond, and realises that Redknows exactly what she’s doing.
He all put gives up control, swervingonly to avoid laser blasts that Red, in her single-minded focus, probably wouldhave ploughed right through.
He’s expecting some sort ofnatural disaster when he gets close to the planet’s surface, of Keith havingsacrificed himself to save a prisoner from a landslide, or from falling fromone of the loose plates of rock into the boiling mantle below.
Instead he comes face to facewith a Galra ship, preparing to fire at a group of helpless refugees, andKeith, standing in front of them, arms reflexively outstretched as if to shieldthem from the blast.
He doesn’t need to, because theGalra ship blows up before it can react to the Red lion now standing between itand its prize.
However, he can hear theatmosphere begin to vibrate with the whirrs of engines, and knows that thereprieve will be short.
He scowls at the approachingships, and takes out a couple while yelling into the communicator.
“Keith! How many more prisonersare there?”
He can hear some static on theother end, and scattered muttering, when Keith answers.
“These are the last of them.Allura is loading the others. The Black lion is just over these hills on morestable ground. You can provide cover while we get there.”
Lance glances at the swarm ofGalra ships gathering and swears. He leaves the cockpit, running down the shipas Red continues firing behind him.
When he opens the door he can seeKeith and about thirty prisoners. It’ll be a squeeze but he thinks they’ll fit.
“No can do,” he says, grinning atKeith’s scowl, “I’m giving you all a ride. Get in.”
Keith moves to protest, but Lancecan see the fatigue of the prisoners, and the fear in their leader’s eyes.
“Pidge can’t deal with the fleetalone-“
“Pidge! Coran!” Lance yells,cutting him off “How are you going up there?”
Lance hears a whoop from Pidgeand a far off explosion, and takes that as his answer.
The prisoners have already boarded theship, so he grabs Keith’s arm and yanks him inside, door closing behind him as hegoes.
It’s sitting in the pilot’schair, Keith behind him and thirty refugees looking at him as a saviour whenthe full weight of what he’s doing hits him.
He’s completely focused on theships now multiplying around them. There are more than he can remember seeingup in the atmosphere, and now he’s alone. The Galra must have been hiding out of reachfrom their sensors, sneaking in from the other side of the planet, setting atrap for the lions at their most vulnerable. He estimates he can hold them offfor minutes at most.
All the good feelings he had haveseeped away.
“Allura was moving some excessprisoners to the Black lion when the ships attacked. She won’t be able to getback to Blue alone, you’ll have to pick her up when you drop me off.”
Keith behind him is tense, handclenched on the back of Red’s chair. Lance is sure he’s aware of what he’sabout to say.
“Keith buddy,” he says, swervingaround a shot and sending one right back, “we may not even have enough time tomake one stop, let alone two.”
Keith winces as a laser grazesRed’s side from behind. Their company is getting creative.
“I know, but we’ll have to.”
Lance grimaces, boosting up Red’srear shields, and cutting a path through the ships as quickly as he can. Alaser flash cuts across his vision and his mind jolts.
“I think I have another idea,”Lance says, a grin spreading across his face.
“Allura,” he waits for her torespond before continuing, “see if you can get Black off the ground and getback to the castle. Keith and I will pick up Blue on our way through.”
He waits, tense for a fewmoments, fighting with half a mind as he waits on Allura. If this doesn’t workthey’re screwed.
“We’re in the air,” breaksthrough the comms, and Lance breathes a sigh of relief. Behind him, he can hearKeith do the same.
“Take out any ships you can onthe way but focus on getting to the castle as quickly as you can. We won’t befar behind,” Keith says, and just to prove how in sync they are, when Lancegets up from the controls without warning, Keith slides in and continues firingwithout any break in momentum.
They really are a good team.
Lance pats Keith on the shoulder.
“Try and get me as close to Blueas you can, but don’t stop moving,” he says, and Keith nods at him with a grin.
Lance pauses, and hears Red’spurrs in the back of his mind.
“Welcome home buddy,” he says toboth of them, before moving to the exit.
He tells the refugees around himto hold on, and waits for a moment before opening the hatch.
From below, still a distance off,he sees the familiar blue force field, and his heart soars.
He loves Red, he really does.They work well together, he feels like fire when using her controls.
But Blue is home.
Keith gets them closer than Lanceknows he could, faster than Lance thought was possible. Keith and Red operatewithout a second’s hesitation, an extension of each other.
Lance knows one day he couldprobably achieve that connection with Red.
For the first time he realises hedoesn’t particularly want to.
And then there’s no time forthinking, because he’s launching himself out of a moving alien space ship.
Using his boosters to makehimself faster, a harder target to hit.
“Blue! Go long!” He screams,laughing. He can feel Blue’s joy as she realises who he is.
The Galra ships don’t even havetime to see him before he’s ploughing right into and through the blue force field.
The Blue lion reaches her head upand catches him in one deft motion, softening his fall even as he tries tobreak.
The prisoners on the ship stareat him, unsure if he’s the devil or their messiah.
“Change of plan,” he says,grinning, brushing himself off as he moves to the cockpit, “I’m getting you allout of here.”
Blue’s controls are a familiarcurrent under his hands. He knows the exact layout of this river. His bonesfeel which forks to take.
The Galra ships surrounding themall go up in a perfect ring of ice.
With three of them in the air,and elation still coursing through Lance’s veins, picking off the remainingships almost seems trivial.
There are more Galra fighters thanthey’ve ever faced before without a full team, without forming Voltron.
The ships just keep falling andfalling.
He and Blue are untouchable.
He can still feel Red’sdetermination and laughter through the haze, and through her, right at the edgeof his mind, he can feel Keith, his emotions perfectly mirroring Lance’s own.
Fire and ice wreak destructionacross the battlefield.
Ship after ship going down withless than a thought. Less than an effort.
Blue feels like a cat playingwith a mouse.
Then, almost from another world,he can hear Pidge through the comms.
“I know you both are excited tobe back in your lions, but can you maybe focus on getting to castle so we canget out of here?”
Her exasperation rings clear. Hecan’t think to fault her.
“Right, sorry Pidge. Be rightthere.”
Blue hums as she cuts through thestraggling ships, and Lance breathes a sigh.
He knows there’ll be some lightscolding for the delay when he gets back to the castle, probably outnumbered bypraise for his quick thinking.
Keith will berate him for beingreckless.
For once, Lance won’t be able to throw the phrase back at him.
But the hand on his shoulder willbe warm.
And the lion at the end of hisconnection will be a clear summer sky and a gentle stream.
Since we've seen what kind of shenanigans the Paladins get up to with the Altean wi-fi AU and it's mentioned that Slav is involved, do you have Slav specific ideas for that AU?
Oh boy howdy do I have some headcanons for Slav…
Slav is intrigued by theinternet, just like Coran and Allura.
Coran’s interest is more an ‘oh look atthe cute primitive human attempt at global knowledge’ and Allura wants to learnmore about the planet she hopes may one day be their new home.
Slav’s is a muchmore scholarly interest (read: he wants to know about any and all of the things thatmight kill him if he were ever to visit).
He spends a lot of his time onWikipedia.
He feels a very strong bond withoctopi (8 legs, very intelligent, not taken seriously by humans)
He is however, terrified by theconcept of oceans, and especially sharks (mostly fuelled by shark week andother fear-mongering)
Hunk: Well you know buddy, eachyear more people are killed by cows than sharksSlav doesn’t go near Kalteneckerfor more than a week
Keith and Pidge may or may notuse Slav’s curiosity to try and determine the truth of certain conspiracies
Pidge: Hey Slav, why don’t youread this article about the moon landing?Slav: You know in 24% ofrealities the moon landing was fakedKeith: but which reality are wein Slav? Which reality???
Lance puts together an ‘alienreacts’ series where they show Slav, Allura and Coran everything from brand newpop culture to really basic Earthen concepts
Slav juggles eight-handed. It’s athing of beauty
Coran and Slav both get reallyinto super tacky tourist novelty tees
Allura is fascinated by cheap,gaudy plastic jewellery/fake gems
At one point Slav gets access tothe main twitter account, and produces a 140 character explanation of dark matterthat no scientist on Earth can fault
From then on he’s basically themessiah of the Earth science community, and everyone wants to talk to him.
He gets interviewed for a coupleof different public radio stations
At one point he mentionssomething offhand and the presenter’s like “wait, sorry, what was that thing you just mentioned?”
Turns out it was a concept thathadn’t been discovered on Earth yet
Slav’s not the biggest fan of beingfilmed, so Lance sets him up a podcast called 'Science with Slav!’ where heanswers fan questions
It’s a huge hit, but Slav has ahabit of going on long rants if someone doesn’t keep him on track
Eventually Shiro is called in toact as a host/presenter
Shiro: why do I have to do thisLance: It has to be you Shiro,gotta keep the alliteration goingKeith is in the distance,laughing his ass off
Thus 'Science with Slav andShiro!’ is born
The science community laps it up,and eventually the other members of the team start listening to it as well.They all start to appreciate their eight-legged friend a little more.
Through the podcast, and alsodoing missions together, Shiro and Slav grow to be good friends. Slav can oftenbe seen riding around the castle on Shiro’s shoulders, as they discuss newtopics for the show.
Someone makes fanart of the podcast
Shiro, Hunk and Coran manage to make the Altean equivalent of an iron-on novelty tee with the design
Slav cries when he receives it, and wears the shirt every day
Of course the fact that ‘Science with Slav and Shiro!’ is apodcast and not a video only fuels the spacehoaxer claims
@NASA: we don’t care if it’s apuppet, the red pilot in a suit, or the cow, Slav has done more for the pursuitof truth than you ever could
Lance makes Keith a 'Slav puppet’costume for Halloween