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Back when the Paladins lived in the Castle of Lions, they started a bit of a tradition. Once every movement, they would sit down with out another and play whatever games they found around the castle, or whatever games they could create from memory. They first convinced Allura and Shiro that it was a good bonding activity, pointing out that even Keith participated in them.
Fast forward beyond fighting Zarkon, Lotor, Haggar, and so much more, they still made a point of having game nights with one another. They were set for every two weeks now (more if possible but definitely two no matter what), whether they were in space in their lions, or on Earth in their homes. When they were on Earth, they each took turns hosting their game night.
Somehow though, it seemed like Lance and Keith ended up hosting their game night more than any of the others.
“Well yeah,” Pidge said one time. “Each person hosts it. You two live together, so that means Lance gets to host, then Keith. It just happens to be the same place.”
Keith firmly called bullshit on that, because he never planned it. Training, he planned. Missions, he planned. Game night? He most definitely pawned that off on Lance.
But wasn’t that what husbands were for? (Yes, yes they were.)
As it was, they didn’t even have to plan that much. Coran, apparently, came across a great board game in their travels that he wanted to share with them. He had only informed Lance and Keith of this, and both of them were rightfully a bit wary.
“Don’t worry,” Keith assured him. “I’ve got the fire extinguisher, a first aid kit, a water pump, and a defibrillator.”
Lance stared at him seriously as he finished dumping the last bag of chips into one of their many mismatched bowls. “But is it enough?”
Keith wasn’t sure, but he felt woefully unprepared.
…
Coran was positively shaking with excitement as he held a rather ominous black box.
The little apartment was pretty crowded. Of course, Keith and Lance were both there along with Kosmo, it was their apartment. Along with them and Coran, was Allura, Romelle, Krolia, Shiro, Hunk, Pidge, and Matt. Ten was the exact number that they needed for this.
“I thought it was Keith’s turn to plan and pick game night,” Matt whispered to Pidge, eyeing the box with interest.
“It was,” she answered warily. Matt didn’t understand why he should be so fearful, not even after all this time. They all loved Coran to pieces, but his ideas were nothing short of insane and wild.
The man in question cleared his throat and said, “Now, I know that we normally play board games on game night, but I very recently found this game in an Unilu swap-shop and had to get it.” Coran opened the box and pulled out a very colorful game board that came with absolutely no pieces to play with.
There was, however, a name on the middle of it that shifted and changed until they all understood it.
Garfle Warfle Snick – Boring Edition (No snick included).
Shiro, Matt, Krolia, Romelle, and Coran didn’t seem to have a problem with that, but Allura, Keith, Lance, Hunk, and Pidge were terrified. Kosmo tilted his head and observed curiously.
“No!” Lance cried out as Coran touched the board, but it was too late. Suddenly, the entire room seemed to change around them, and they were in a frighteningly familiar game studio. He looked around wildly, seeing Keith on one end, followed by Pidge, then him, then Hunk, and finally Allura. The exact same as the first time they encountered this. Unlike then though, the second team, consisting of Shiro, Matt, Romelle, Krolia, and Coran were across from them.
“Welcome to Garfle Warfle Snick!” a familiar voice cried out. Bob appeared on his little hover chair, holding his arms out to an audience that actually wasn’t an audience, but a rather just a bunch of random shapes and colours. It was honestly kind of unnerving.
“Coran!” Allura yelled at him.
“Don’t worry, it’s just a game based on the legend of Bob. It’s a simulation, though the only way out is for someone to win the game. I had to upload information into the game to allow it to come up with questions and answers involving our lives or things we’d know,” Coran explained. “It’s a lot more like your Family Feud. I do enjoy that show.” Coran enjoyed most Earth shows, from soap operas, to game shows, to sitcoms.
“No snick?” Lance clarified.
“That is correct!” Bob said, waving an arm in the air. “This is the boring edition of the game with a simple question format and no snick. The game as three rounds, and the team that wins gets to go to the fast snick round – without the snick! Lets get the Team Captains up here first!”
Shiro and Keith both cried out in alarm as they were dragged out to where there were two podiums. Keith eyed it suspiciously. “I swear to god if he shoves another pacifier in my mouth, I’m shoving whatever I can get right up his—“
“And the way this works is that we generated a survey and answers. We put the top five answers on the board. To win, you have to get all five, but if you get three strikes, the second team gets a chance to steal all of the points you’ve earned. At the beginning of each round, we have a person from each team up here. I’ll read the question, and the first person to hit the buzzer gets to answer first. If you don’t do it quick enough, I would normally feed you to the snick, but I can’t do that here. So the other person gets to answer. If the second person gets a higher ranking answer, they get to choose to play or pass. Got it?”
“So we’re playing Family Feud, got it,” Shiro said with a nod of his head, looking at Keith with a competitive stare. Instantly, Keith felt something flair up in him and he stared back.
“Let’s go.”
Bob nodded excitedly. “Top five answers on the board! We interviewed 100 people from another dimension who are obsessed with you, and asked ‘what is their favourite Voltron romantic ship’.”
Everyone glanced at Coran oddly.
“To be fair, fair I used the Atlas to program it so there are many things that could have happened,” he explained with a shrug.
Meanwhile, Keith slammed in hand on the buzzer first, but then instantly started to panic as nothing came to mind. “Uh…I…” A few seconds later, a loud buzzer ran through the air.
“Too slow. Shiro?”
He glanced at Keith quickly before saying, “Uh…Keith and Lance?” There was a dinging sound as the number one spot flipped over. “What? Really?”
“Yes, really, your own little brother,” Bob said dramatically. “Now, play or pass?”
“Play,” Shiro said, before yelping as he and Keith were both yanked back to their teams.
“Really?” Lance asked, leaning around Pidge to glare at him. “Babe, come on! We’re married! You didn’t think we were number one?”
“I panicked!” Keith looked at the board. “Also, Laith? Why does your name get to be first?”
Ignoring this, Bob went to the other team. “Alright, Matthew! Give us an answer?”
Matt blinked before his eyes darted to Hunk. “Oh! Hunk and Shay!” He cheered when the number three spot spun around, revealing Hunay. “That’s an adorable ship name!”
“Uh…” Romelle looked around unsurely. “Allura and…Lotor?” She cringed as the buzzer rang through the air, a big X appearing on the screen. “I am both disappointed and relieved.” Allura’s face said that she felt the same way.
Krolia observed the Paladins before nodding slightly. “Hunk and Pidge.” A small smirk appeared on her face as the number five spot revealed Punk. “They do make a great team.”
“You know, we do,” Hunk said with a shrug.
“Team Punk for the win!” Pidge reached up and high-fived him. “But also, shipping? Romantic ships?”
“Yeah, no. Sorry Pidge.”
“We’re cool.”
“Hmm…” Coran regarded the board. “I’ll say…Allura and Lance!” The number four spot revealed Allurance, leaving on the number two spot empty.
“Now, no hard feelings guys,” Lance said dramatically. “Don’t get jealous or fight.”
Keith leaned forward so he could see Allura with a raised eyebrow. “You can have him if you want him.”
“I’m okay,” she replied with a shake of her head. Lance groaned and slumped on his podium.
“This is so strange,” Shiro noted as Bob came back to him. “I have no idea. It’s not something I think about. Uh…Keith and Hunk?” Another negative buzzer went through the air.
“To be fair,” Keith spoke up again, “Hunk is super shot.”
“Aww, thank you, Keith! I’d hug you if I could reach you!” Hunk said with a big smile.
“You know what?” Lance said as he stood up straight again. “I can’t even be mad, it’s true.” Hunk was close enough to squeeze him in a hug.
“You need one more answer and you only have one chance to get it right, Matt. Give us a ship!” Bob said, leaning on Matt’s podium.
“Uh…Allura and…” Matt looked around unsurely. “Keith?” Another buzzer and he groaned. “Sorry guys.”
“Alright!” Bob flew over to the other team. “You get one chance to steal. Pidge, what is their #2 favourite Voltron ship?”
“Well,” she said seriously, “judging from how people ship characters in our world, and applying that logic to an alternate universe where we’re characters that can be shipped…” She looked at Keith. “I’m so sorry. Shiro and Keith.”
The number two spot flipped around, and everyone on their team but Keith cheered. Keith looked downright horrified. “Shiro is my brother. Literally was my guardian. My teacher. I was a child when I met him and he was an adult.”
Shiro, for his part, looked just as horrified. “I don’t want to play this game anymore.”
Bob looked at him sinisterly. “You don’t escape the game board until someone wins.”
“Okay,” Shiro squeaked out.
Bob smiled warmly. “Great! Pidge, Matt, come on up!” The two both yelped as they were pulled to the front ones. “Now, we asked 100 Arusians, who gives the best hugs?”
Pidge slammed her hand down hard and yelled, “Hunk!” The number two spot spun around.
Matt looked confused before saying, “Uh…Shiro?” The number four spot spun around.
“We’re gonna play!” Pidge yelled before Bob could even ask, and they were both whisked back to their spots.
Bob moved over to Hunk to look at him. “Hunk, you huggable boy…who gives the best hugs?”
“Uh, Lance?” he asked, wincing at the negative buzzer. That was also to point out that Bob skipped Lance for some reason, but apparently that didn’t matter.
“Coran?” Allura guessed when it was her turn, also grimacing at the buzzer.
Keith glared at Bob fiercely, as if daring him to say he was wrong, “My mom.” There was another loud buzz, and he yelled, “That fucking thing lies! My mom and Lance give the best hugs ever!” He genuinely looked like he was going to climb over the podium to fight the simulated alien.
Bob zoomed over to Krolia. “Well, it seems your son thinks you’re the best hugger, but what do you think, Krolia?”
She hummed thoughtfully and then, “Kolivan.” The number one spot swung around.
Keith’s mouth fell open. “Mom…what the fuck?” She just shrugged.
“This is a difficult question, but I do have an answer. A controversial one though,” Coran admitted, stroking his moustache. “Zarkon!” The number three spot spun around and everyone stared at him. “He was great at hugs eons ago.”
“What kind of hell programming was made to create this?” Pidge asked as Bob went back to Shiro for the last answer.
Shiro, clearly panicking, blurted out, “The Black Lion!” Much to everyone’s shock, the fifth spot spun around, meaning they won the round. “What?”
“Yeah,” Hunk said, “if anyone thinks Black’s a good hugger, their programming is faulty.”
“Oh, come on! Everyone knows that Red’s the overprotective one!” Lance yelled out while waving his hand around.
Bob moved to the center of the stage again, “And now we have our final round. Whoever gets this, will go onto our fast points round! Give me Lance, give me Romelle!” The two both yelped as they were yanked to the front. “Top five answers are on the board. We asked 100 aliens, what is the one planet you’d love to visit.”
Lance moved fast. “Earth!” He cheered when it came up as the right answer. “Alright, we’re playing!” He glanced at Hunk as he was whisked back. “Come on Hunk!”
Hunk shifted nervously. “Uh, the Balmera?” The buzzer went off. “What’s wrong with the Balmera? They have amazing people and amazing crystals!”
“It’s okay,” Allura patted his arm. “Uh…normally I would say Altea but I assume these have to be current…maybe Arus?” She grinned boardly as the number four spot spun around.
Keith looked unsure, and shrugged. “Oriande?” The buzzer went off again. “I still wish I had seen some of it.”
“Yeah,” Pidge toned in sarcastically, “because suffocating was so fun.”
“We survived in the endless void of space with those for days. Did no one put on their helmet?” He raised an eyebrow at her.
Everyone around him froze for a moment. “Shut up, Keith,” Pidge pouted and looked at Bob. “Olkarion.” The number two spot spun around. “Yes!” She cheered and high-fived Lance when it popped up in the number two spot.”
Lance calmed himself down and then looked completely unsure of what he wanted to say. “Uh…Senfama?” The buzzer went off and everyone stared at him oddly. “What? It seemed okay for a place with a giant canon, and I also couldn’t remember the world with the mermaids.”
“Too bad!” Bob went over to Matt. “Now, you have the chance to steal, but if you get it wrong, they get their points and win the game!”
Matt narrowed his eyes. “Reiphod.” He groaned when the buzzer went off, and the other team cheered loudly. “What the hell? What were the other two?”
Bob waved his hand at the board, “The number five answer is Thayserix! The number three answer is Naxzella!”
“Who would want to go to either of those places?” Coran wondered. Maybe the programming was off. It didn’t matter though, because the next thing their team knew, they were in the front row seats of the audience.
“And now for our fast points round!” Bob cheered. “I will select two from the team to answer six questions quickly in 20 seconds. They cannot see each other’s answers.” Keith, Lance, and Allura looked towards Pidge and Hunk. “No, I don’t think so. Give me antisocial Keith, and dumbdumb Lance.” Lance appeared beside Bob, and Keith vanished altogether.
“Why is it always us?” Lance whined.
“We’re in your house, of course,” Bob answered. “now, if you don’t get enough points, no one can leave the game!”
“What?” It was a sentiment shared by everyone.
“Ready to go?” Bob asked, not letting Lance answer before yelling, “Put 20 seconds on the board! Lance, we interviewed 100 aliens, try to five us the top answers…A name that Captain Shirogane goes by.”
“Shiro,” he blurted out.
“Pidge’s favourite thing.”
“Peanut butter!”
“Name an Altean.”
“Allura!”
“A Voltron Lion.”
“Red?”
“A Galra?”
“Zarkon?”
“Things Lance Denies?”
He hesitated but then said, “Height!”
“Alright, let’s get Keith out here!” He waved his hand, causing Lance to appear back beside Pidge.
“Wait, aren’t you supposed to tell us if his answers are right?” Hunk called out, but Bob ignored him.
Keith appeared beside the alien. “Alright, Keith. Lance gave us some good answers. I’m going to ask you the same questions, but you cannot repeat the answer. If you do, I would normally feed you to the snick, but I can’t. Instead you’ll get a violent shock through your body.”
“What?” Keith asked him.
“Put 25 seconds on the board! Keith, we interviewed 100 aliens, try to five us the top answers…A name that Captain Shirogane goes by.”
“Shiro,” he immediately said, and yelped loudly at the shock that went through him. “Son of a bitch!”
“Pidge’s favourite thing.”
“Wait, that wasn’t my…uh…Green Lion!”
“Name an Altean.”
“Allura!” Another shock. “Fuck! Coran!”
“A Voltron Lion.”
“Black!”
“A Galra?”
“Krolia.”
“Things Lance Denies?”
Keith’s eyes swung around towards his husband, narrowing a bit. “Having a bonding moment.”
Somehow, that seemed to be enough to make the game around them disappear, and the ten of them found themselves back in Keith and Lance’s living room, the game board sitting innocently on the table.
Everyone stared at it, before Coran clapped his hands together, “Well, that was fun!”
“I mean, the idea’s fun, going into a real game like that, but uh…never again?” Shiro said. Everyone else agreed on that.
“Nonsense, we—no! Bad cosmic wolf!” Coran cried out as Kosmo appeared, grabbing the game into his sharp teeth, teleporting to the other side of the room, where he proceeded to chew it to pieces. “Drat.”
“So,” Pidge spoke up. “New rule for game night. Coran doesn’t pick anymore.”
It was something they could all agree on.