The Marmora can go on without you. They have for thousands of years. Voltron cannot. We cannot.
So, this has been bothering me a bit.
I had a whole load of other scenarios and reasons why the ‘rift’ would happen, what would cause it, and what the fallout will be. But this is the one that hurt the most, I think.
Because… Keith doesn’t belong anywhere. He said it in S3: they ask him to lead, and then complain about how he leads. When he gets a purpose, something worthwhile and important to him, it’d played down. “We’ll discuss it later,” Shiro said, more than once.
His feelings never seem to matter. And you know what? He’s used to this.
So he’ll shoehorn himself into a space he doesn’t fit in until something lets him escape. He’ll hurt himself just until something comes along that might hurt less. He was happy with Red. But they shoehorned him into Black, hell, they forced him to shoehorn himself in there. And then complained. Even Shiro overrode and undermined him.
He’s good at being a Blade. He realizes that he fights and moves and acts in a way that suits their function. Autonomy with purpose. And the Blade are used to death. They’re used to not maintaining deep bonds, because they can die at any moment.
And that suits Keith fine. Who’s gonna miss him, right?
Whenever Shiro or Allura say, “Voltron / We need you,” who do they mean? The Red Paladin, or Keith?
Answer: it’s not Keith.
Hell, in the above clip, Allura says even the Blade don’t really need him. Thanks, Allura. Race of diplomats, yeah?
And the team are going to miss him, are they? They didn’t even say hi to him when he was on the screen. No one asked about him. No one said, after he leaves, “Hey, I wonder how Keith is doing?”
But that’s okay. Keith is used to being forgotten about. He’s fine, right? That’s why he’s been pulling away. This was his plan all along. Maybe.
And he comes sailing in at the last minute, ready to die for the cause, knowing that, hey, everyone will be fine. No one is going to miss him, right? No one ever has, and so why would it matter?
He doesn’t tell the team what he’s doing. Matt knew. I think Coran knew.
So if Lotor hadn’t shown up, and the whooping and celebrating dies down, and “Good work, Keith!” comes through the comms, what are they going to hear?
Matt saying, “He’s gone.”
He’d be gone, he’d have never said goodbye, because, hey, it’s fine, right? They’ll be fine.
Then what, huh, Team Voltron?
Then what?
Learn to miss him more, Team. Because that boy is losing himself, and if you don’t tell him – someone, anyone – that you love him and you don’t want him to die or go or that you can’t imagine a world without him…
Apparently concentrated Kool-Aid can be used as a pretty effective leather dye.
I was making a drink while cutting the snaps off some new straps for my pauldrons and I got curious, so I tried it, thinking, “ok even if this works, it will just wash out.”
Nope.
It took the “dye” (undiluted) in about 3 seconds. After drying for about an hour and a half, it would not wash off in the hottest tap-water. It would not wash out after soaking for 30 minutes. It did not wash out until I BOILED it, and even then, only by a tiny bit and it gave it a weathered look that was kind of cool. Add some waterproofing and I’d wager it would survive even that.
That rich red is only one application too. Plus it smells great, lol.
So there you go, cheap, fruity smelling leather dye in all the colors Kool-Aid has to offer.
WELL THEN!
this may be important to some of my followers *and certainly not just getting reblogged because of my costuming and my boyfriends desire for leather armor*
When I was in middle school we used to use it to dye our hair. Potent stuff.
If you’re dying anything with kool-aid it’s best to use SUGAR-FREE ones otherwise the thing you’re dying might get all sticky
the flavor only packets where you are supposed add sugar are the best. they will dye any natural fiber: leather, wool, cotton, hair, flax, jute, silk and so forth. heat the dye water so it is more potent. let dry then rinse excess out in cold water. there’s a whole system to this.
Oh my god
This will prove very useful for any future cosplays I wanna do.
Came to a interesting realization about Lance today. Me and a lot of other people have never really liked Lance because he seems to be such a self-centered ass that doesn’t mind kicking Keith while he’s down, but there is this whole side of the fandom convinced he’s the most emotionally aware and supportive character on the team. We can’t both be right, and it’s always bugged me that we can watch the same show and have such vastly different and mutually exclusive interpretations of the same character.
Today I realized we were both wrong. Lance’s character has a few more twists than either side has thought, so I’m going to run down what I’ve realized.
Ok but Lotor and Keith meet, but instead of Lotor turning Keith to his side Keith drags Lotor into a Zuko-esque redemption arc...Shiro is Shook by the sudden competition, Lotor is determined to win Keith’s heart, Keith is oblivious...
“What’s this?” Keith asked as Lotor placed a small knife in his palm. Even with the sheath, it was as thin as a data pad and barely longer than Keith’s hand.
“Something you might find useful,” Lotor said, trying to restrain his eagerness. “Look at the blade.”
Keith unsheathed the knife and froze, gaze catching on its surface. The blade was a smooth cream color with bands like tree rings. When he tilted it, the light refracted in a rainbow sheen that flashed across the surface.
“What’s it made from?” Keith asked, eyes locked on the blade. “It’s beautiful.”
“It’s a K’toh blade,” Lotor said, preening, “made from the horn of a beetle native to the Trellig Star System. Quite a resilient material. It holds an edge better than any known organic substance.”
“And I can keep it?”
“I insist.
Because of its unusual properties, most weapon scanners won’t detect it, and its size and profile allow it to be carried discretely. You never know when you’ll need a weapon somewhere weapons aren’t permitted.”
Keith grasped the blade’s thin hilt as he would his Marmoran blade and tried a few slashes, brow knitting.
“The proper grip is different from most knives,” Lotor explained, anticipating the problem. Holding such a narrow hilt in a closed fist would be uncomfortable. “Allow me.”
Lotor took Keith’s hand in his, adjusting his grip with careful fingers until Keith held the knife in his palm like a hand of cards with the blade protruding past his fingertips.
“It’s a weapon meant for self-defense more than open combat,” Lotor explained. “It will penetrate most clothing and some armor. Of course, it’s best to aim for vulnerable areas: the eyes… the throat… the heart…”
As he named each target, Lotor guided the razor-sharp blade to point at each one on his own body. When he got to the heart, he paused.
He lingered in that moment, his hands covering Keith’s, pointing the blade at his chest in what any properly raised galra would have recognized as a gesture of devotion. Keith watched intently, and Lotor could enjoy being the object of his focus even if he seemed not to understand his overtures.
At least he liked the knife.
“Am I interrupting something?” Shiro called from the training room door, brow furrowed. “I thought you two were going to be sparring.”
“Lotor gave me a new knife,” Keith explained. “He’s showing me how to use it.”
“Did you… need a new knife?” Shiro asked, like a man wondering if he’d missed his cue. As if he should have been the first to know if Keith was lacking something. It made Lotor feel faintly victorious.
“I found it in a market at that last space station,” Lotor answered in Keith’s stead. “K’toh blades are beautiful, deadly, and quite rare. It seemed fitting Keith should have one.”
It was a brazen flirtation, but again, Keith seemed not to notice. He smiled, but it was the smile of someone pleased to have received a well-chosen gift, not the flush of a future lover.
Shiro, however, was not so oblivious.
“That’s… very thoughtful,” he said, voice tense. He had an expression like he’d smelled something unpleasant and was trying not to let on. “Keith, could you come with me for a moment? I have some questions about the latest Marmora report.”
“Now?”
“If it’s not too much trouble.”
Really, the black paladin was in no position to be jealous. However fond he might be of Keith or Keith of him, he’d never bothered to lay claim to the fair hybrid warrior. As far as Lotor could tell, he was restrained only by his sense of propriety as Keith’s leader.
Lotor could not decide if it was admirable or foolish.
Keith turned to Lotor apologetically. “Sorry to run off on you. Try again tomorrow?”
“Of course. You should stop by my quarters when you’re free this evening. I’m afraid I forgot to bring the thigh holster. Marvelous craftsmanship.
It’s practically invisible under clothing.” Lotor smiled wickedly and glanced at Shiro. “I’ll show you how to put it on.”
Shiro gaped at him like a landed fish.
“Sounds good.”
“Keith!”
“What?” Keith glanced up at Shiro, startled by the vehemence of his response. Shiro fumbled for his words.
“That’s not- I don’t think he means-”
Lotor smirked and walked toward the door. As he passed Shiro, he spared a moment’s pause.
“Don’t worry, Black Paladin. I’ll be gentle with him.”
Shiro’s eyes narrowed, and for a moment Lotor half expected his right arm to activate. He wondered how far he’d have to go to earn such a response. Idly, of course. He may have been bored lately, but not enough to goad his few allies to violence for mere amusement.
(Not yet, anyway. Playing nice was dull.)
Keith stared at them both, puzzled. He could perceive the tension, but not its source. The boy was brilliant in battle and quite clever at most things he turned his hand to, but he had no grasp whatsoever of innuendo. Lotor could practically see his thoughts chasing each other, trying to make the connection between knife holsters and gentleness.
Finally, he asked Shiro, “Are you worried it’ll be too tight?”
Lotor walked off to the delightful sound of the black paladin choking on air.
the BoM gave Keith shoes that a human would wear so he didn’t have to run around with the two-toed kind of footwear the galra wear and it makes me really happy for no dumb reason
All of BoM and Kolivan especially collectively adopted Keith
you know that scene in captain america the first avenger where captain america was being turned into the military mascot to promote war bonds? thats literally ep 4 in vld s4
every time i draw something new i think of making it my new icon but then i see my man hunk and i can never replace him with anything except perhaps another drawing of hunk
