#rueitae

For @playerappreciationweek 2024

Day 4: Geography

Word Count: 2068

Trigger Warnings: none

Summary: Chase Devineaux has Carmen Sandiego's hacker as a roommate for a week. Player likes to stay indoors. Devineaux does not.

Fic rec! 26K series. Carmen Sandiego.

Summary: This fic is built around the idea of mage and familiar magical pairs, and Carmen and Player realizing they're such a pair during her escape from VILE Island.

Comments: This is a light H/C series - every fic has at least angst - but also has some great moments. Player's parents sorta adopt Carmen, it's nice to see her have positive parental figures. The bond is well thought out, and it allows Player to take a more active role in some of the capers. It also, of course, means there's another leverage point for ACME and VILE to use, and that's a risk used nicely.

🍬👻🎃

Rue!! *hugs*

Fun fact about this snippet from a very short fake dating WIP; I was trying to write it in between voters and my judge of elections caught me. 😂😂😂

-

And she recognized him.

Lance McClain.

She didn't have any classes with him, she couldn't miss him on campus. He never allowed such a thing to happen with his loud presence and knack for flirting with half the girls he ran into.

She snorted. The Casanova wannabe needed help in finding a date? Good luck. She went back to browsing the menu.

Her moment of peace didn't last long.

-

And here's some candy X33

A Ko-fi commission for @rueitae, showing Player being fast asleep after a late night caper.

Previews: Countdown to Posting

Author: @rueitae

Content Warnings: PG-13 violence

Posting Day: 4, Zack and/or VILE operatives

Preview:

“With friendship, anything is possible!” declares the bulkier of the two men from the movie currently playing on Player’s left computer monitor. Leaning back into his chair, Player pops another bite full of popcorn into his mouth.

The (slightly) less bulky man laughs heartily, as the building belonging to the nefarious criminal organization they’d just escaped from erupted into flames behind them. “And a full box of ammunition doesn’t hurt, either!”

The pair share a manly handshake, then wrap an arm around the others’ shoulder in the signature hug for the series. The credits for Rogue Vendetta Five begin to play.

My art portion of the Plance Conservatory event for Valentine’s. I had the enormous pleasure of teaming up with @rueitae , who is not only a great writer, but a phenomal person and friend. Her story is linked here:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/29584227

I hope y’all enjoy! Leave her a kudos or a comment if the muse strikes you. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

(This was going to be whumpy buuuuuuuut I wanted to have fun with this before going on to BTHB. I’m… not great with humour, so sorry in advance. Sorry if this ended in a weird place)

-

It’s the second time this phoeb Lance has been captured. 

Sure, it’s not entirely his fault (somehow the Blue Paladin always ends up taking hits meant for someone else), but this time it’s different. Every other failure both recent or not, he’s always alone to bear the brunt of the Galra’s brutality. It’s not Keith who has numerous burns on the inside of his thighs, nor Hunk who’s back had been mangled with scar tissue from an explosion. Even if it mars his seriously good looks, Lance felt that it was his duty to help his teammates in every was possible, even if it was sparing them from the Galra clutches. But today…

Today he fucked up. Badly. 

Now Pidge is trapped in the dingy Galran cells with him. There’s a large, transparent partition separating them, though Lance is sure that it isn’t glass (the only thing that shattered after punching it was his knuckles). The cell itself isn’t too big, probably a couple meters or so in length, but the partition caused it to feel a lot more claustrophobic. It didn’t help that Lance was on one side and Pidge, still unconscious, on the other.

He must’ve been drugged or something, having no recollection of what happened between getting thrown into a wall while trying to protect Pidge, and waking up in the cell. The groggy remnants of forced sleep still clung to Lance like burrs in a cat’s fur, ever-present yet something he couldn’t shake. 

The Blue Paladin looked around the room for the umpteenth time after he woke up. It was just him, Pidge on the other side, and the thick, heavy chain that connected both of their ankles to the wall. It’s not Lance’s first rodeo with being chained up by someone, only this time he’s not alone. 

A couple doboshes later, something finally stirred from the other side of the cell. Pidge’s small body seemed so tiny, so fragile without her armour. The thought of anything happening to her made Lance’s throat burn with bile. She turned onto her back, before finally blinking her hazel eyes. 

“Lance..?”

God, she sounded so scared. Lance wanted to rush over to Pidge, to hold her and promise her everything would be alright, but the stupid glass-like wall separated them.

“I’m here, Pidge. It’s all right, someone will come for us.” He tried to sound brave even through his wavering voice and aching body. Pidge looked like she wanted to believe him.

“Ah, so you’re finally awake.” 

In unison, both of their heads snapped towards the outside of their cell. There, in the darkness, two menacing yellow eyes glow amongst the shadows. Lance would have laughed at the Galran’s words but his jaw was locked shut in fear. 

“Let us go, you overgrown bat!” Pidge screeched. “Voltron will come for you if you don’t!”  The Galran seemed unfazed by her words, his stare growing so cold that it sent shivers down Lance’s spine. 

“What a delight you are, Green Paladin.” The Galra finally steps out of the shadows, and Lance is greeted by the sight of a man oddly resembling a pinker Sendak, sans the prosthetics. Even the vague resemblance causes Lance to flinch. “You might want to hold your tongue, for your mate with bare the brunt of your words.”

Wait a minute… mate?! Shock rippled across Pidge’s face and Lance guessed he wore the exact same expression. Despite the cool air of the cell, he felt a warm bush spread over his cheeks.

“Hold up-”

“Excuse me-”

Both paladins shouted at the same time.

“I’m sorry Mr. Galra Dude, but you’re horribly mistake. Pidge and I-” Lance gestured to the two of them, “are not together.”

Lance heard Pidge suck in air through her teeth. Looking at her, she seemed almost… wistful?

“Oh?” The Galra sounds genuinely confused, like he expected them to be together or something. “I was under the impression that the Green and Blue Paladins were engaged in a relationship.”

And in that moment, Lance almost wished they could be interrogated. Having the enemy dissect your love life? Not cool. 

“Sorry to disappoint, dude, but-” Alarms punctuated the Blue Paladin’s sentence. Lights lit up around the room, and the Galra’s face darkened into an annoyed expression.

“I will be back, after we have defeated the remaining paladins.” He threatened. And with that, the furry alien exited the room. Talk about being saved by the bell.

The two paladins stood in silence (aside from the ringing alarms) for a minute, neither knowing what to say.

“Sooooo….” Lance trailed off, awkwardness getting the better of him.

Pidge snorted. “That happened.” Even through the glass, he could see her body slouched in an uncomfortable manner. 

“I’m sorry I got you stuck here-”

“Do you want to go out?” Cutting him off, Pidge said almost too fast for him to hear. “Like, after we get out of here.”

Shock permeated Lance’s body. That was… the opposite of what he expected her to say. He opened his mouth then closed it.

I’ll Keep You Warm

Rating: G

Series: Voltron Legendary Defender

Pairing: Pidge/Lance

________________________________________________

“We’re going to freeze out here.”

Pidge chuckled as she spread out the blanket and glanced over her shoulder. “It’s not that cold.”

Lance glared as he hugged himself and tried to burrow inside his jacket. “I can see my breath!”

Pidge scoffed. Sure, it was still early spring, but most of the snow had melted. As long as you had a coat on it was fine. Meanwhile Lance seemed ready to bundle himself up in the blanket they brought. 

“Well, then it’s a good thing Hunk made us hot chocolate for this,” Pidge said as she held up the thermos.

“I’d rather be inside drinking it. Or swimming in it,” Lance pouted.

Pidge rolled her eyes as she pointed. “Look, you’re the one that suggested we go stargazing on a date.”

“Yeah, but I assume we do that in summer,” Lance sighted as he marched forward. “On a hot beach and when I’m not freezing my toes off.”

Pidge scoffed as she sat on the blanket. “Oh, stop whining! Come on.”

She patted next to him and Lance gave a grumble as he sat next to her. He rested his chin top of her head as they wrapped the blanket around themselves.

“So, do you know all the star constellations?” Lance asked.

“Not by heart,” Pidge said as she gazed up. “You?”

“I know most of them,” Lance said as he gazed up. “My grandpa used to have this old telescope and tried to teach them to me.”

“Dad did the same,” Pidge said as she looked up.

They had been lucky tonight. A clear sky with not a single cloud in sight. The Moon shone brightly as the ocean of stars twinkled around them.

Lance sighed sounding more content as he reached an arm around Pidge. “You know, even after being up in space, there’s still nothing like watching the stars from Earth.”

“Agreed,” Pidge said softly as she wrapped his arms around herself.