This is great
I’ve also always liked the idea that they appeared when Allura brought him back to life after the shield incident
Like, she crammed life back into his body but to keep it there it added extra Altean quintessence thus the Altean marks
Never thought about the lions giving them to him, it’s a really interesting prospect though
I like Lance’s Altean marks. Just not in that context.
What if instead: he end up having to use both the red bayard and blue bayard simultaneously? Achieving bayard control and focus (proving he can focus and take things seriously) enough to save who he needs to. Perhaps even managing to access the lions’ weapons via the bayard’s (a one time thing, due to the fact human quintessence can’t handle that much raw power).
What if afterwards Red and Blue left their marks on him? Ever proving he is their paladin, both of theirs, and he is a great enough paladin to bear their brands. It marks him as worthy. It shows he’s not replaceable. It shows they care enough about him to say “we give you these to say you fit here”. It addresses his insecurities to the point that when he looks in the mirror, he will always have proof that they believe in him, and he is a paladin of Voltron through and through. Not changing his identity, but instead cementing it, and giving it the strength it needed to flourish.
Thanks for coming to my ted talk. Remember to like you favourite posts, and leave a nice comment on someone p’s great art or story to make their day! Have a good one.