all i have is one last chance;

Player
Name: tsu
Contact: scathe
Invite: nemo | phlebottomist

Character
Name: Takashi ( "Shiro" ) Shirogane
Canon: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Canon point: The end of season 7
Age: 26
Appearance: surprised space dad / done ( ™ ) space dad
Background: VLD on Wikipedia / Shiro's personal page on the Voltron Wiki.
Personality: Patience yields focus. Or something like that.

To say that Shiro is a natural born leader would be putting it pretty mildly; he has no problem taking the lead when it's required of him, often stepping into whatever role is needed even before it's asked of him, nearly always knowing what steps need to be taken in order to provide a solution to a problem, or figure out a way forward when there's a proverbial roadblock in the way of natural progression. Allura might be the most diplomatic of their little group, but this one right here often has to play conscientious objector when there's any level of discourse and he has from the very beginning, often taking the role of cat herder when it comes to keeping the paladins in line when they would rather argue amongst themselves. ( And let's be honest here. That used to happen a lot when they were first learning how to work as a team and were still kind of at each other's throats. Figuratively speaking, of course, unless we're referring to the very early rivalry that was Keith and Lance. Lance and Keith. I digress. )

Now, he might be a natural born leader but he's also a pretty soft guy when it all comes down to it. He cares very much about his friends and their well-being, often looking dad-level-worried when someone seems like they aren't coping with something well, or aren't resting properly, or give off this general air of I need to talk about something and I don't know how. He's not therapist-level or anything, but he'll always listen to whatever might be ailing someone and try to give them any kind of advice that will both soothe whatever ails them and provides some measure of solution, or maybe just a new viewpoint that could only come from an outside, neutral perspective. He'll never claim to have the answer to every problem — because no one ever has all the answers, and if they say they do, they're lying through their teeth — but he'll always do what he can in order to make a difference, or maybe just to ease any level of stress and bring a smile back to someone's face.

( Honestly. A man this capable of taking the reigns at any given time has zero right to be that soft, but that's just how he's always been, and that's how he's always going to be. )

There's a strength in him that exists outside that of the physical, and it has a lot to do with his loyalty to his friends / teammates / whatever else at any given time, and his faith in them, even when they don't believe in themselves. He'll always be the first to put in his two cents ( gently, mostly, but maybe a little sternly if someone doesn't want to listen, and usually that someone's name is Keith, but again, I digress ) and bring up all the outstanding qualities that set someone apart from everyone else. What makes them unique, special, and all-around invaluable. He's … kind of like the space dad everyone needs but never asked for in the sense that he'll always want to see everyone flourish, nurture them as much as he can without smothering, without getting in the way of growth and ending up watching from the periphery as his metaphorical baby birds learn how to spread their wings and fly for themselves.

( How many parent jokes will I make in this section? Probably more than what I already have, and I apologize in advance, but these things just happen and I don't make the rules. )

Now, as adept as he is at being a leader and as receptive as he is to the needs of his friends-slash-teammates-slash-space family, he's not without his own faults. Weak points, maybe, would be more appropriate in this instance; his time spent as a captive of the Galra found him going toe to toe with relentless opponents just for the sake of the purple aliens' entertainment, fighting for his life just for another chance to be put in danger. They took his arm, replaced it with tech that ended up making him feel as though it was the strongest part of him — and in turn that he belonged as a part of the Galra, which will give any man a complex. A bad one, and even after his escape and effective rescue there are still certain triggers that will bring about flashbacks, episodes of panic and unease and unbelievable amount of stress that can't be good for the blood pressure. It doesn't make him weak by any means, none of this does, but it might end up making him seem a little more human, a little closer to normal than the "Champion" the Galra had made him out to be, because no one is ever going to be invulnerable.

We all have our weaknesses, and while there have been instances in which a PTSD episode found him acting irrationally, it can be said that he's been able to keep it under control even when under duress.

Being a man of the military also means that he is not only incredibly patient ( which kind of goes hand in hand with being the resident space parent, but also goes without saying ) but is disciplined in a way that ends up reflected in even the most simple things. He's careful and calculating in every decision he makes, never once taking for granted that the wrong decision could potentially be made if all avenues aren't explored, keeps a rigidity to his regimen in order to stay both physically and mentally prepared for anything that might come his way — but that also means he doesn't necessarily know when he needs to stop, often pushing himself beyond the point of exhaustion when he's convinced something requires his attention and won't leave it alone until it's finished. Or a problem is solved. Or whatever.

Which means that he could occasionally benefit from being taken out of his own head for a while, if there's ever someone capable of doing it. Remind him that it's more than all right to stop every once in a while to take a real breath, relax, stop worrying about the fate of the universe and indulge in a little bit of self-care because no one ever saved the universe running on fumes. It just isn't possible, but good luck convincing him of that.

What it all boils down to is this: Takashi Shirogane is a good man with a heart of gold and and air of command around him that finds people wanting to follow him, instead of just feeling obligated to, a gentle soul that will still take absolutely no shit when it comes to things such as his friends, his found family, the people that matter the most to him. Cat herder extraordinaire with the patience of ten saints, not just one, and a penchant for running himself into the ground before he even thinks of stopping to take a rest, because the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few ( or the one, and he is the one ) and he will always put the wants or needs of someone else above anything he might think to want or need for himself. Including sleep.

He's just perpetually tired. Petition for Space Padre to take a nap, 2019.
Canon abilities: + skilled pilot; he's got a pretty damn good reputation for being a natural in the Garrison, and he also piloted the Black Lion before it was ultimately handed over to Keith
+ skilled in hand-to-hand / close-quarters combat; generally speaking, he's skilled in all manner of fighting but is most often seen utilizing this style and relying on his natural strength / agility
+ a very tactical / detail-oriented mind; he's a quick thinker, often seeing things others don't though he'll always ask for their opinion, able to pick things apart in order to solve a problem / make headway when it's needed — generally just a very intelligent and perceptive dude
+ patience; have I mentioned that before, maybe a couple of times by now? it definitely counts as some sort of power or something because no man alive can deal with as much garbage as he has and still keep his head on straight ( I'm honestly only half-kidding here )
+ adaptive nature; it never matters what sort of situation he finds himself in, or has found himself in in the past. he's always been quick to think on his feet and work out a solution no matter how difficult the problem, or how dire with situation. count him as one of those that will always be able to roll with the punches
Game power: The ability to sense the thoughts and emotions of those in close proximity to him — empathy, in a very general sense, very close to ( if not identical ) to some of the psionic abilities as they present themselves in the Betazoid, a race of humanoids in the Star Trek universe. With this kind of power he will be able to better parse through someone's mood / easily figure out if something is wrong if they're acting a certain way, etc.

He's always been pretty good at reading people, but this makes figuring them out infinitely easier, and if he's ever gotten tired of anyone coming to him for advice … well, it's about to ten ten thousand times worse. He's about to become everyone's resident therapist.
Suitability: He's been held hostage by the Galra, tortured both physically and mentally ( liberated of his right arm, even ), became a professional catherder the day he became the leader of Voltron ( because when you think about it, attempting to lead a handful of teenagers is kind of like that, isn't it? ) and. He died once. His consciousness was attached to the Black Lion until Allura managed to place it in his clone's body.

If he can handle that, he can handle anything.
Inventory: + Garrison uniform
+ prosthetic arm, also pictured above, and while it is certainly attached to his person I still consider it an item, idc
+ tired dad face
Sample: TDM top-level!