application for theatlas

[cerulion]

[OOC]

Your Name: Luna
Contact: lunation or stelliform
Are you at least 16 years of age or older?: yep
Current Characters(s): n/a

[IC]

Is this a re-app?: No.
Character Name: Lance
Journal: ceruleo, but I have been using cerulion on memes such as the game TDM. This app is crossposted to both.
Canon: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Canon Point: end of season 1.
Species: human
Age: 18-19ish ("late teens")

History:

A wiki entry on Lance can be found here, however seeing as there hasn't been much in-canon focus on Lance's backstory, here's what we do know: Lance comes from a very large Cuban family that he is close to and misses terribly. They're in his thoughts enough that it keeps him from focusing during a mind-meld exercise, and he gets homesick enough for his mother's hugs to break down into tears at a party. In the same scene, it's implied he lived in Cuba or at least visited enough to be familiar--when he reminisces about Earth, Varadero beach is the first thing he mentions. Rain comes in a close second; water is his element, after all.

In this version of Earth, set in the "near-ish" future, humans are easily visiting the edges of their own solar system and performing scientific studies, and those expeditions need pilots. Galaxy Garrison, where Lance trained before becoming a member of Voltron, is a cadet academy precisely for space exploration, churning out scientists, pilots and engineers. Originally in the cargo pilot class, the expulsion of another student allowed Lance to get bumped into fighter class, implying he'd been at the top of his cohort.

A summary of the actual events of canon can be found here (short) and here (long!), for added background if necessary.

Personality:

It's easy to wonder how someone like Lance made it into a high-calibre space exploration program, much less a military space exploration program. Lance wears his flaws like the latest fashion: with pride, and plainly visible to everyone around him.

Chief among these is arrogance; even without his Lion, Lance could probably take flight from all the hot hair. He thinks he's pretty awesome and doesn't hesitate to let everyone know it. That's precisely how the audience meets him, too busy bragging about his ~incredible piloting skills~ to actually pilot and promptly crashing his flight simulator test. Following that shining start, the impression we get of Lance isn't much better: he encourages his friends Pidge and Hunk to break curfew and go into town to pick up chicks with him. Lance has never met a pretty girl he didn't like, in fact, and in combination with his planet-sized ego means he hits on just about anything that moves, no matter how out of his league. Naturally, his better judgment flies out the window whenever this happens, which is how a beautiful alien makes off with his Lion. He'd tell you it was a momentary slip-up, but in truth Lance is easy to manipulate in a way that borders on naive, making even his best attempts at putting himself forward fall flat. It doesn't help that he's chronically lazy with a propensity to complain about his lot; thankfully, it suits him, as whine pairs well with cheese.

Though Lance's flaws can't be overstated because they make up the loudest, most immediate part of his personality, they're also mostly a front. The cocky veneer hides a tremendous insecurity, made obvious by the way Lance jumps at every given chance to prove himself, to gain attention and prestige. This is most apparent with the so-called "rivalry" he entertains with his teammate Keith, the very same student whose removal from the Garrison gave Lance the chance to hop into Fighter class. Acutely aware of his shortcomings and frequently reminded that Keith's expulsion is the only reason he got the opportunity, frustration boils over. Lance is nowhere near the natural Keith is, and the ongoing disparity between their skillsets means Lance actively goes looking for ways to push Keith's buttons, hoping to trip the Red Paladin up. It's certainly petty, but their ability to goad each other is mutual; despite Keith being easily able to yank Lance's chain (even unintentionally), Lance is surprisingly capable of restraint when push comes to shove. It's Lance who stops Keith from harming the "living planet" Balmera during a mission and develops an alternative, safer strategy on the fly.

The Blue Lion and its pilot are one of Voltron's legs, both literally and symbolically supporting the team. While Lance interrupts Allura when she tries to tell him what the Blue Lion seeks in a pilot--("Let me guess, it takes the most handsome-slash-best pilot of the bunch?")--it's pretty clear that Lance fills a niche of emotional work in the team none of the others could. As the resident "funny man", his capricious antics and outgoing nature almost always contrast with the serious situations the team finds itself in. He's the first to defuse or de-escalate a situation, often in way that dramatically cut through the other Paladins' focus, like farting....on purpose lance no...to break up a tense conversation, or interrupting a panicking Hunk with a pointed question about whether or not Allura likes him back. Of course these actions aren't necessarily calculated, they're also a natural byproduct of Lance being gregarious.

Lance is much more pensive when he's away from an audience, by himself or in the presence of a close friend. Much as he tries to hide it behind bluster, Lance feels deeply, as proven when he admits to Coran that he misses his mother and his home planet despite feeling the burden of responsibility. To anyone who gives him a scrap of genuine attention, Lance opens himself up wholly, as with the pretty Nyma who wraps him around her finger just by spending a bit of time with him. When an unknown Arusian comes to visit the castle, Keith is immediately on the defensive whereas Lance immediately wonders if they could knit the alien a tiny sweater. If Hunk and Yellow are kind and nurturing, Lance and Blue are the team's playful, trusting side.

Which isn't to say he's a pushover. Intensely loyal, he goes to great lengths for those he cares about, both emotionally (as when he takes the heat for Pidge when she openly defies Garrison staff), and physically (as when he shields Coran from a bomb with his own body, getting himself knocked unconscious). Perhaps most telling, on the very same day he meets the rest of the Paladins, they're faced with the choice of jumping into a wormhole whose destination is unknown to them: Lance is piloting, and could theoretically make the call, but instinctively turns to Shiro instead and asks for orders from his new CO.

What makes Lance act so immaturely isn't that he doesn't have any sense of his duty as a Paladin, it's that it manifests in a much more immediate, personal way for him; the other Paladins have formed a second family to him, and he's willing to go the distance to keep them safe.

Powers & Abilities:

piloting — Lance is a trained pilot, and for all his exaggerating, he's actually shown to be proficient at it. He handles the simulation aircraft handily despite making light of the dangerous situation, and takes the reins of Blue (advanced alien technology) with a natural ease.

marksmanship — Lance's bayard (his Paladin weapon) is a rifle, highlighting Lance's proficiency in long-range combat. He prefers to take down enemies with the smallest number of shots possible, even when in combat with Blue. During Paladin training, it's Lance who lasts longest against the combat sim out of the neophytes, second only to the much more experienced Shiro.

strategy — Lance is a quick thinker and capable of strategizing on his feet, even in a combat situation.

endurance — Despite looking like a noodle, Lance is surprisingly durable; KO'd by a Galra bomb, he manages to emerge from his coma at a critical juncture and use his Bayard to blast an enemy in the back. Lance is otherwise in all respects a regular human at this time.

Misc:


Sample:

One tdm thread with Wes Janson.
Picture prompt meme thread with Hunk.