victory_road | Feeling My Way Through the Darkness (Intro Catch-All)

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Feeling My Way Through the Darkness (Intro Catch-All)

Who: Princess Allura and YOU!
Where: Route 29, Cherrygrove City, and Four Island
When: Around October 10
Summary: In which the Pokémon world gets a new Space Elf Lion Princess (again) and settles in... while getting a crash course in backpacking.
Rating: PG-13 for cussing and really nasty Voltron elements... and apparently Pidge and Lance being TOO MARRIED. (Season 6-8 spoilers for Voltron: Legendary Defender in some threads)

A. Guided By a Beating Heart (Network, Video)

[Well... waking up in the strange house alone had been unnerving, to say the least, especially with the woman blithely claiming to be Allura's mother... Too many fresh wounds involving her own parents, or too-cheery simulacra of parents... But at least this almost-mother wasn't trying to make her stay, or drive a spaceship into a supernova. In fact, it was almost a relief to be shoved out the door.

At the very least she should check this network, see how much of this is a dream or illusion, how much a hostage situation. She means to start composing a text message (at least she can make out the keyboard, thank goodness for the PokéGear's translator function), when a tiny white nose presses a different button, and the first thing people might see is an intense close-up of a white Vulpix face before humanoid hands start to pull the body away from the camera.]

Ah ah ah, little one, that isn't--

[The gentle but firm correction freezes when oh. ... The little blinking is on... complete with a camera preview...]

... Ahem! [This is fine, she can salvage this, she's not nervous you're nervous!] Greetings. I am Allura, Paladin of the Blue Lion. [She thinks half a tick later that maybe she should have kept that under wraps in case this whole situation had something to do with the Galra, but... it seems peaceful here. Besides, after the string of Coalition shows, it'd be hard to keep her identity a secret.] I seem to have arrived on this planet rather unexpectedly. The... gracious woman in the house I found myself in... was able to provide some instructions and supplies, but any further assistance- especially in terms of the sociology and technology levels of this planet- would be much appreciated.

B. I Can't Tell Where the Journey Will End (Action, Cherrygrove City)

[Of course, sleeping outside on cold, hard ground for three nights straight with only a nylon bag and Coressa's fluff for comfort was draining on her. Even with everything she's lost, at least in the Castle of Lions she still has the luxury of sleeping in her own bed, with perfectly comfortable bedding and a mountain of pillows... and she's missed having the mice to sleep on the pillow next to her, even with Coressa's company. So you might find a tall young woman with bags under her eyes and a very, very messy mop of moon white curls looking at the entrance spa with envy.]

No, no, no... I have no idea how long it will be before I find a way home, I need to manage my resources wisely. ... Even if it has been ten thousand years since I've had a proper massage...

[And that crick in her neck could definitely use one... Still, she's suffered worse, she can endure this much.]

C. But I Know Where to Start (Attack on Voltron House)

[The ride from Cherrygrove to Four Island had been interesting... especially once Allura stopped panicking that there was no way this three-foot-seven cloud bird could possibly hold the weight of two fully-grown Altean women together. It took a full ten minutes before she reached that point, and even once they reached solid ground, Allura had to pry herself away from Romelle and her Altaria. (Maybe it was a good thing her super strength was taken away...)

But now she’s on solid sand and... actually, this beach is rather pretty. The shore nestled in on all sides with cliffs while the sea and sky stretched on and on in sapphire and turquoise. ... The lack of any of Altea’s stealth predators or rarely-surfacing sea monsters helped with the view, although she’s sure this place has its own odd fauna.

And the house... it’s still so odd to think of her friends being in this world long enough to have a residence, not just shelter. But it looks safe and peaceful, even quaint, and at least large enough to hold her without being too crowded. It helps that she and Coressa have been traveling light.]

So... this is our house?

[Come welcome your old-new housemate, guys.]

D. So Wake Me Up When It's All Over (Wildcard)

[[Got something in mind not listed in the prompts? Hit me up on my OOC Intro or on Plurk at

LoneWolfPrincess!]]

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[Keith shrugged a little, but then shook his head.]

He didn't tell me at all. She did.

[It hadn't exactly been the best first meeting, either.]

I uh... Heh. [He looked down, a bit sheepish.] I handled it as well as could be expected, I guess. [With an angry temper and resentful sulking.]

[Ah... Allura gives a nod, but there's only understanding in her eyes.]

I would imagine... that had to be quite the surprise, especially in the middle of a mission.

[Keith nodded.]

Yeah. She recognized my blade. It had been hers, and she left it for me with my dad when she had to leave Earth.

A decision she wouldn't have made lightly...

[She knows how valuable a blade is, both in rarity and in personal connection. That had to mean a positive relationship at the start, didn't it?]

[Keith took a breath and shook his head, looking down at his hands.] No. The whole situation wasn't easy for her. She wanted to stay on Earth. It's... I really misunderstood everything.

She left because she felt it was the best way to protect me and Dad. After all, the Blue Lion was on Earth, and she had to make sure that no one in the Galra Empire found it. And they were just going to keep coming back. Dad got hurt during one of the scout missions when he and Mom were trying to protect the Lion, and she just... she felt she needed to get back out there and try to keep Earth out of Zarkon's sight. Because of the Lion... and us.

I just wish Dad had told me before he died, but I guess he still felt I was too young.

[Oh... her smile actually turns inwards as she listens, drinks more of her tea as they wait for their entrees.]

Perhaps. It can be... difficult, deciding if and when to reveal such information. [See: how she handled not telling Shiro about who his predecessor was.] Still, I am glad that she loves you wanted to protect you. [The corner of her mouth tugs.] My father did something quite similar, in his last moments with me.

Yeah. I mean, it's not like anyone on Earth really knew about the actual existence of other races out in space. We were still exploring our own solar system when he died, and I was still really young. Telling me then... I might have let something slip that could have gotten us in trouble.

[He sighed, but nodded.]

When I first found out, I thought it was because of the mission, to protect the Lion and prevent it from falling into Galra hands. That's how the Blades are supposed to operate. The mission above all else. But, Mom said that the mission just happened to work out that way. Her primary reason was to protect Earth... to protect me and Dad.

[Sometimes, Keith was kind of amazed how this war had shaped his life even before he knew it existed. Go figure. But Allura's comment about Alfor got him to look back up at her again.]

You mean why we found you and Coran in those cryotubes? That was your father's idea?

[She listens intently as Keith explains... she's honestly glad that Krolia did care about him and his father. Doubting that must have hurt him so badly... But then he turns it back to her...]

Yes... [Her gaze turns to her tightly held teacup.] Coran told you all the story leading up to it, of course. At the time, Zarkon's army was decimating ours, and with his bond with the Black Lion, fending him off even four against one would have been a great risk... [And perhaps there was some lingering remorse for his friend, the Black to his Red for centuries.] I begged him to stand and fight, but he decided scattering and saving the Lions was the best course of action for the universe... even if it meant great sacrifice.

[A deep breath as her eyes and throat begin to tighten again...] Of course I argued... in the end, he had to knock me out. And he sent Coran with me to make sure I wasn't alone... Mother had already... [Died, one of the Altea's first casualties, or Alfor would have tried to save her too...] And... well, you know the rest.

[Alfor and the other paladins died to hold Zarkon off, buy the Castle and the scattering Lions slim but crucial time... and when they fell, so did the rest of Altea, down to the planet and all its neighbors. Alfor's AI had told her she had been right to want to take a stand, but then that jaunt to the other reality... was that failure the only difference between becoming a monster herself?]

[Oh, it had. Keith had been dealing with those doubts for his entire life up to the point of meeting her. Nineteen years of thinking your mother walked out on you for no reason wasn't fun for a kid to grow up with, especially when your father was killed on the job before he could tell you the truth. Keith's temper was the result of a lot of repressed grief and resentment.

But he'd come through it, and, honestly, spending the two years in the quantum abyss had been a godsend. With he and his mother seeing each other's memories and pasts, experiencing it all firsthand, so much had come together and suddenly made sense. And they'd been able to grieve his father together. It had leveled Keith out so much. Allura would begin to see that here.]

Yeah. I do. [He gave her an understanding smile. Being alone, losing one's parents, it wasn't an easy thing to deal with, regardless of how it happened. Keith could still remember when she'd been force to destroy the AI because of Sendak's corrupted crystal leaving a virus in the Castle's computer system. He wasn't the tactile type, but... well, it was kind of his turn, wasn't it?

He reached over, putting his hand out for her.] I'm sorry you went through all that. [Honestly, he almost felt bad that he was getting a second chance with his mom and she wasn't with either of her parents. Like, why did he get that luck and she didn't?]

I-- ...

[She stops herself, even as she gingerly takes Keith's hand again. It catches her how many ways to brush it off are on the tip of her tongue, ranging from patently untrue like "I'm fine" and "it could be worse" to talking about how the universe has hope again in Voltron, distract from her feelings that really aren't that important in the grand scheme of the war, have been proven so over and over again. But... she can't. Since when did she have to fight so hard to be vulnerable around someone other than Coran or the mice? She trusted Keith, didn't she?]

Thank you... And I am very glad you were able to find her, Keith.

[And she sincerely means that. Even if she's lost so much, being able to see others get things back or even give back to them herself fills her with far more fulfillment than envy.]

[He gave her a soft smile.]

Thanks. I'm glad I found her, too.

[And he was... truly. Granted, at first, he hadn't been thrilled. He'd been more angry than anything. But he was certainly glad now.]

[She smiles softly back at him for a few moments...

Beeefore a nervous waitress clears her throat, apologizing for interrupting but here's there food. (Clearly she didn't want to disturb the Moment, or so she thinks.)]

A-ah, yes, thank you!

[Keith froze for a second and then pulled his hand back shyly.]

Yeah... thanks.

[Okay... food. On the table.]

Sorry about that.

[Fortunately(???), Allura is oblivious to Keith being shy for any reason besides holding the waitress up, but soon enough their table is adorned with Keith's sandwiches and soup and Allura's gratin... in a very adorable pumpkin-shell bowl!]

Mm...! It smells even better than it looks!

That is pretty cute.

[Keith couldn't deny that. He chuckled a little bit.]

This place is so different than what I'm used to.

[He rotated his plate, three sections of a sandwich arranged to look like a Dugtrio.]

Definitely different.

[She tilts her head a bit as she snorts out a laugh.]

Indeed. That is quite the set of faces!

[Meanwhile, Coressa looks at the bowl of Pokemon food before blowing a few dainty breaths on it. ... Dainty breaths that soon coat the food in a fine layer of ice crystals.]

[Keith's Litten had a better idea, and soon flame roasted his own meal with a controlled use of Ember.]

I uh... almost feel bad eating it.

[He picked up the smaller of the three sections carefully, noting that the bits used to make the face were held on with toothpicks. That was going to have to come out. If he was more of a foodie, he probably would have snapped a picture, but he wasn't. So, he gingerly started dismantling the decorative parts in order to be able to eat.]

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Feeling My Way Through the Darkness (Intro Catch-All)

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