thisavrou | [VIDEO]

Entry tags:

voltron ld: princess allura

[VIDEO]

[WE INTERRUPT YOUR DEMONS AND MAYHEM TO BRING YOU...]

[Based on the setup of the ACE camera, this isn't just an impromptu video recording. Allura looks like she took extra care in preparing her own appearance (complete with earrings that are more sparkly than usual) and the backdrop, the common area of her team's shared units in the ______ Suites.]

Hello, everyone! I hope this day is finding all of you well. First, I'd like to take a moment to thank those of you who came to my father's assistance after his investigation of the Kaittos flora went off the rails. It's much appreciated, and you'll be happy to know that the vines should all be gone now.

[With a small emphasis on 'should'. Her eyes sweep the room briefly, as if she's expecting those seeds to burst open and photobomb her recording. So far, though, so good!]

But that's not why I'm making this video. Today, I am celebrating Grogory Day! ... I have to confess, though, that I don't know if it actually is Grogory Day. Attempting to convert the Altean calendar is a troublingly complicated matter, but...

Regardless! Grogory Day started as a celebration of peace accords, and grew into a holiday of peace and friendship. And you can all join in, too! All you have to do is give compliments to the people you meet — such as, "Your hair looks fantastic today!" or "You have such a handsome smile!" Another way to celebrate is by doing something nice for a stranger, just because you can.

With that in mind, I would also like to offer a special Grogory Day drink, to my neighbors in the Suites and anyone else who would like to stop by! It's not quite the traditional Grogory Day drink, but — I found something that should work, in the Kaittos market. It's blue and sweet, at least!

[... it's very sweet. Very, very sweet. Drink at your own risk.]

You've all been very patient, listening to me ramble on like this! Happy Grogory Day to all of you, and I hope to see all your gorgeous faces today!

[TL;DR: Reply or Action, get free compliments and a holiday greeting.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

This is why there were more holograms than flowers on the Castle-ship, isn't it.

[There's a sort of resigned tone in her voice, like the question is a confirmation of what she already knows, rather than a revelation of any kind. Of course it's going to be complicated. It's more surprising that there's hope for growing this weird plant at all, honestly.]

It should be safe enough, though. Other than a little sneezing, it didn't seem to have much affect on either of us.

[... did she mention she had company at the time? No? All right then.]

Dearest...

[He reaches over to draw an arm around her.]

Things won't be so easy when it comes to such things, but then that challenge is what will make it all the more worthwhile when we can manage to produce results.

As it is, we've already learned a lot about what to keep in mind the next time we have a new world to explore, just by speaking of the things to consider in undertaking an attempt to grow things from Kaittos. That will help ensure better results already, but it doesn't mean we won't try with what we have now.

[Nodding a little as she speaks about the pollen, Alfor does pause a moment.]

"Us?" Oh, who was out with you?

[It's a familiar hug, and one that's comforting. She does her best to smile.]

Of course. And I do plan to keep this up while we're visiting other worlds, at least for the time being. I might not be able to help much with all the engineering around the station — but gathering flowers from different worlds? I can handle that much.

... including, hopefully, some slightly less challenging plants.

[She does check, quickly, to make sure that no one is in earshot. Simply because...]

The whole expedition was Darin's idea. Just a last trip to the planet, as he had wanted to do before Shiro collapsed.

[... and even as she says it, she can imagine the paladin's face if he overheard.] You don't think it was rude, do you? Keeping those sorts of plans, even while Shiro was in stasis? [In her defense, canceling plans is also rude, and Shiro's condition was stable. Right?]

[That prompts a crooked smile from him.]

I'm sure that not all worlds will have explosively growing vines or puzzling giant fruits, at least.

[When Allura admits to whom she'd been accompanied by, Alfor doesn't look all too surprised.]

I can understand your feeling that way. I...cannot say that it was rude, particularly. With Shiro as he was, there was little enough that we could do save to await any updates as to his condition.

I think the least he would have wanted was to worry everyone to a standstill. And if anything had changed, you would have certainly been notified, in which I don't doubt that you two would have hurried back.

With any luck, the next one won't. Of course, it also might have far worse plants, or it might not have any at all. It would be nice if we could have some advance information, so we could prepare properly...

[Despite that, she returns the smile to him.] I suppose we'll just have to keep preparing for anything, instead.

[As far as the advice goes, she mulls it over while taking another drink.] ... it all makes sense, when you put it that way. Of course, your advice always does.

Still, I can't shake the feeling that it was... irresponsible? I know you're right, and that Shiro wouldn't hold it against me, so — perhaps it's not because of Shiro, specifically. Just my own conscious, which still can't accept that I'm allowed to have fun again.

['Again' as in the way she did when she was little.]

I wonder how feasible gaining such information might be. The portals open without the use of any technological assistance, and with their only opening to a world once thus far, we haven't much information yet to determine how whatever power is used can home in on any given place, much less why it remains open for as long as it does.

Ah, but I suppose there's a great many things to be answered and always a mountain of questions more.

[He nods, his smile still holding.]

Preparing for anything seems about the best way to go about it.

[His eyes drift to the glass she sips from for a moment before he looks back at Allura.]

Well, I'm relieved to hear that my advice makes sense.

The fact that you feel that it was irresponsible at least makes it clear that you're concerned about responsibility. I would think it worse if you hadn't felt anything at all and gone to do what you had.

Ultimately you are always the one to decide what it is you should and can do, and you will always know what's right. In all cases you need to weigh things carefully, but you need to also take into consideration that you also deserve some time for yourself. There's no harm in that.

If it truly bothers you, however, then I think you should speak to Shiro about it.

Right, of course. Until we figure out what actually causes it, trying to guess at where it would send us is... well, just that. A guess.

[Just soldier on, princess.]

I suppose there's no harm in bringing it up with him, is there? ... no, rather... given how he reacted the last time I kept things from him, I don't have much of an excuse to not discuss it.

Because it was fun. It was exhilarating, and it makes me excited for what we're going to encounter next instead of worried. And I'd rather not feel as though I had to sneak around to do it.

I don't think it would hurt to be open about such things to him.

And I think that that is the best way to look towards things. We have little to gain by being worried. I suppose in some part we should treat things as we would for diplomatic occasion, but at least we can still enjoy exploration of whatever worlds we find ourselves access to and what they have to offer.

I know you're probably right, but I still hope it doesn't upset him. You remember how he reacted, didn't you? I think he's under more stress than he likes to show.

[And on one hand, she knows what that's like — on the other, it's easy to argue that she handles it better.]

The whole team has, really. Somehow, being here is far more tense for the paladins than fighting against the Galra — I imagine that it's because we've lost some control. It's been difficult to keep frustrations from boiling over.

Perhaps on the next planet, I should make sure the whole team goes on an adventure together.

[Alfor sighs a little at that.]

I'd have hoped that maybe he could have eased a little now that things have quieted down a bit.

I know it might be impossible to completely relax, and even I have my concerns in being away from home. But with little that we can do to change that situation, it helps to have something different to focus upon.

[Or to have reminders of the positives in being in such a place, such as who's standing beside him.]

That sounds like an excellent idea, Allura. I think a group outing will do us all some good.

Not unless something changed about him during his coma. [She's not joking about that in the slightest. Since he came back with more knowledge of what happened, he could have gone on something of a spirit quest. However, she'll believe it when she sees it.]

He feels it's his personal responsibility to keep others safe. Not just our team, but those he's met here as well. Even before we came here, there was one time that I fell into enemy hands so he could escape safely, and he still thought of it as him failing me...

[It's a glum, slightly annoyed tone with which she recounts the memory. Her moment of heroism, treated as some sort of mistake. But she makes the effort to brighten up her tune again.]

Still, Darin and I did talk about it, some. That if we can't control the situations, we can control ourselves. [Meaning the group outing is going to be training exercises. Of course it's going to be training exercises.]

[That's not a point that Alfor would disagree upon. Given everything that Shiro's been through, it seems like the best way to help him cope is to have gained a new perspective of things.]

I suppose we'll see.

...I have realized that. I hoped to remind him that it's not a burden he should feel the need to shoulder alone.

[Why he accepted the armor of the Red Paladin from Shiro when it was offered, specifically clarifying that he was only doing so to help them hold on, not wishing for anyone to think he meant to replace Keith.]

That's true enough. And I think it would do us well to have something of a bonding exercise. You all know each other far better than I, at least, and while I've spoken to the other Paladins, participating in activities with each other lets us learn a lot more than any conversation could allow, sometimes.

Precisely. Perhaps it's easier to notice when someone else is literally your shoulders, and the rest of the arm. And someone else supporting you, as the legs. If we had Voltron here...

[But she trails off with that.] ... planning around something we don't have isn't going to get us anywhere, though.

Of course. They even had an opportunity to meet you, in a sense — but it was hardly the same thing. Merely a record you had left behind. [She shakes her head.] More than that, though, I think that the pain over the pieces of the team we're missing has made it difficult for them to embrace the pieces we've gained.

[Alfor's smile fades as he looks askance, thoughtful even as he listens to Allura. For a moment it looks like he wants to say something, ask a question, but then he hesitates.

Given the touch on the subject, it might not be difficult to guess what he'd considered asking.]

... ... ...

[She did bring it up, didn't she? That she was trying to speak more openly, and not keep difficult truths from others.]

[Talking to her father about the future? That's certainly one of those things.]

... it was... the AI of the Castle. You stored your memories within it, to give me guidance and answers when I awoke from stasis.

You hadn't told me about it. After all, if things had gone better... I never would have needed it.

[It's a subject he's actively been avoiding, equal parts curious and dreading to hear what happened in the future he will never see for himself.]

...I wish things hadn't turned out as they had, that you had need of it. I'm sorry, Allura...

Something happened to that AI, my memories, then. Is that what you referred to in your messages to Darin?

[She shakes her head.]

It wasn't your fault. [She says this in spite of the fact that Alfor's memories had called it a terrible mistake, an error that fell upon her to correct.] Zarkon had already become our enemy. Fighting him with Voltron was too dangerous of an option. And... that didn't leave many other options.

[Rather, it had left no other options.]

... you heard all those messages? [She nods softly.] It was when we took one of Zarkon's commanders prisoner. We thought to try using the memory extraction on him, to gain information on what Zarkon was planning...

[She's looking down and away in recollection.]

But we weren't able to keep him isolated from the ship's system. He started overtaking everything...

There's still... a lot that I'm obviously missing for details. But I'm not going to ask you those.

[Not today, a day that his daughter had decided to meaningful and happy for all. He's in fact sorry that the conversation has taken this turn, but there's no avoiding that now.]

...tainted the systems, and you couldn't easily purge it without...

[Without also somehow purging his memory core. Alfor makes to pull Allura close again, his strong, brave daughter.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[VIDEO]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject