#i just finished this show thanks 2 orion and it slaps

[spreadwardiard]

The Rot (part 1)

In the dead of night, Orion Pax received a call from Megatron. Not knowing what was happening, but sensing the urgency in his companion's tone, Orion followed the instructions given. Unbeknownst to him, the Rot had already begun to spread.

I was super inspired by the My Little Pony Infection AU so had to try my hand at something like that, so I came up with this thing. I wanted to try my hand at some zombies. There is an BIG THANK YOU TO @lets-try-some-writing for all your encouragement and help! (sorry everyone, for keeping them so busy XDXD)

Part 2 Here

Orion woke slowly, the edges of consciousness still unable to grasp reality. The persistent pinging on his private comm link, however, was quickly forcing his processor to rouse from his dream state to deal with it. A part of him hoped that if He just ignored that ping long enough, it would cease, and he could slip back into his dreams. His wish was not granted. 

The pinging continued, and finally he roused enough to note that he had only been in recharge for a couple of joor. It was well into the night, far beyond what would be considered polite to call someone. Orion groaned softly as his optics came online. He had always been one to recharge deeply and come online slowly. It was an unfortunate side effect of processing so much raw data for the Archives. 

The pinging stopped and Orion sighed audibly in relief as he rolled over onto his side to try and drift back to his dreams, only for the pinging to resume abruptly. Obviously there was no escaping this. He sluggishly pulled himself into a seated position, and rubbed his optics slowly as he finally took note of the data attached to the caller: MDT-425-B-D-16.

Megatronus? That was odd. They had just spoken at length, right before Orion had drifted into recharge. Orion wondered what could possibly be so important that it couldn’t wait until he came online in the morning. 

He accepted the call and put his best effort into sounding as if he were more awake than he actually was. 

“Megatronus?” Orion inwardly flinched at how much he had failed in his efforts. His voice was deep, and slow in the way that only showed with exhaustion. 

“Orion?” He heard some shuffling come across the connection, and he heard Megatronus mutter something under his venting, that sounded suspiciously similar to ‘thank Primus.’ He was about to open his intake to begin to jest at him for that, but Megatronus did not give him the time. 

“I need you to listen carefully. In approximately two and a half groons, there’s a train coming directly to Kaon from Transport platform 3-5B. I need you on that train. Do not pack. Just get up and get on it.”

Orion frowned as he took in Megatronus’ words. This wasn’t making any sense. 

“What are you-” But Orion couldn’t finish his question. Megatron cut him off with urgency.

“There’s no time for questions. I promise, I will explain everything when you get here.” Something was wrong. Orion’s tanks churned with unease. “Promise me that you will get here, Orion.” 

He didn’t have time to think, his legs were moving without his conscious consent, pulling him out of the comfort of his berth and into the unforgiving chill of his apartment. “I promise, Megatronus. Please, tell me what this is about.”

“I wish I could. There isn't time.” Orion paused only for a klik with his servo hovering in front of the access panel to his door. He was still largely trying to wake up. Hardly any of this was making sense. He half wondered if he was recharge-walking and this was all a bizarre dream, but Megatronus continued to speak. “I love you, Orion.” 

“I love-” the distinctive click of a comm being dropped slapped him in his audials. “-you too…” 

Orion was suddenly left with an agonizing silence. He felt too alert for this to be a dream, and yet none of what was happening made any sense. He locked the door behind him and sluggishly made his way down the long hall of his building towards the elevator. 

Megatronus said he had two and a half groon to get to the station. As the elevator lowered him down to ground level, he did the calculations in his head to determine if he could make it there on pede or if he’d have to use his alt mode. As long as he didn't stop, he should be able to make it. Using his alt mode would take up too much energy anyway. 

Orion rubbed his optics once again as the elevator dinged, and he stepped off and out into the street. The air was cool against his plating, a sensation that he normally welcomed as it aided him in recovering from his recharge cycles. This late into the night, however, the chill left him wanting to turn around so that he could crawl back into his berth and nestle himself in the warmth of his thermal sheets. His pedes continued to take him towards the station, despite his desire for more rest. He had promised Megatronus, after all. 

It wasn't an especially long walk to the station: he just had to take a left three blocks down by the local pub, and then a right two blocks from there. The route was as familiar to him as his route to the Archives, by this point, which was an excellent excuse for him to allow his frame to fall into auto-pilot mode to get him there. It took up much less of his energy that way, and would allow him to stay firmly planted in his half daze between being fully alert and slipping into recharge. If he could maintain it then he'd be able to slip right back to his dreams as soon as he sat on the train. The thought brought a smile to Orion’s face. 

If he recharged on the train, he would be fully ready to come online just before they reached Kaon. He’d be rested and fully ready to tackle whatever issue had come up that Megatronus required his assistance with. It was the perfect plan… if this wasn’t all a strange dream, that is. If he had dreamt up this entire encounter, then he would at least be able to claim a surprise visit. 

The further down the sidewalk his pedes took him, the more he was convincing himself that this was a dream. Megatronus’ call had been eerily similar to the one he had had just a deca-cycle ago. The Megatronus in his dreams had used the guise of urgency to lure Orion to kaon for a romantic date that had started with dinner and ended in the fantastical way that dreams tend to do, with them dancing together amongst the stars themselves. 

Orion was pulled from his memories by a shrill, yet far off scream. He paused in his steps as his finials twitched, to try and locate the source of the sound. Wherever it had come from, it was far from his location. There was no time to investigate, and it was highly probable that the situation was already being dealt with by Iacon’s dutiful Enforcers. Even so, he found that it put him a bit ill at ease.  

With quickened pedesteps, Orion continued his trek and felt slightly more at ease once he rounded the corner by the pub. He’d never gone inside, but it was a well known landmark in his neighborhood, where many mechs would congregate at the ends of their shifts to unwind. It was strange to see it this late at night with no music or boisterous laughter emanating from within its walls. The audial absence made the area feel cold, and lifeless. Unwelcoming. That is what it felt like when the streets were silent and the city largely in recharge. 

At least the station wasn’t much farther. Once he got on the train, he’d be able to relax and the odd foreboding feeling that comes from walking alone in the dark would pass. He’d be able to slip back into his dreams, and he and dream space Megatronus would dance amongst the stars to pass the lengthy journey. It was a perfect plan. 

He could already see the welcoming lights at the front of the station, and he hurriedly crossed the street, a bit more eager than he expected to be to step into a well lit area. The station was nearly deserted, but that was to be expected at this late time of the night. That was fine by him, that only meant that the line to purchase a ticket would be as well. 

Orion was not disappointed. There was only one mech in line, and by the time Orion’s pedes got him there, it was already his turn. 

“Archivist Pax, its-zzz great to see you again. Heading out to Kaon again? There’s a train about to leave.” The mecha behind the glass was smiling at him, but Orion couldn’t help but notice the viscous optical lubricants leaking slowly from the mech. 

“Ah, that’s right. Can you add my designation to the roster, or am I too late for that?” The service mech raised his servo in a polite gesture. Orion had always been on friendly terms with the mechs at this station. He valued their hard work and commitment to getting everyone where they needed to go, and he tipped them well once he received his bill at the end of each stellar cycle. 

“Anything for you, Archivist Pax. There we go… You’re all set to go. Better hurry, you’re cutting it a little close.” Orion uttered a quick and polite thank you as he turned towards platform 3-5B.

The whistle blew loudly, and Orion cursed softly under his venting as he started to run. He’d come too far to have to turn around now. The service mech was absolutely correct in that he was cutting it close. The doors shut immediately after he boarded the front compartment, and he allowed himself a heavy sigh of relief as he took his seat towards the middle, giving him plenty of space between him and the other passengers. He only jostled slightly as they began moving.

He already knew that slipping back into recharge would be impossible. After that eerie scream and then having to run, he had fully entered wakefulness. The trip would take about four joors. If he was lucky he’d be able to recharge for half of that now and there was no way he’d be able to slip into a romantic dream again, after how strange everything had been since he’d been ripped from recharge. 

It wasn’t normal for Megatronus to call him like this, outside of his dreams, of course. He’d been too tired before to really think about it, but now that he was awake… Megatronus had sounded less urgent and more concerned. He sounded worried…

A loud groan shook him from his thoughts, and he glanced towards the front of his compartment, towards a mech that looked as if he were about to be sick. He had his helm between his knees, and the mech beside him had a servo on his shoulder.  They must have been some of the last patrons of the pub, probably on their way back to their work duties. 

Orion looked back to the ground between his own pedes. It was rude to stare, and he had other things to think about anyway. Like the strange tone Megatronus had on that call. How he had made Orion promise that he would make it to Kaon… how he had said that he loved him…. 

Megatronus never expressed his affections in such an open manner, especially over spoken comms. They had already agreed that they would put their romantic attachments on hold until after they were able to plead their case to the Senate. There was too much at stake to be distracted by their feelings for each other. 

A heavy, twisting feeling began to settle in Orion’s tanks. Something must be wrong.  Megatronus had said there wasn’t time to explain, but Orion had nothing but time now. He accessed his contacts, and set up a secure, private line, opening a comm link to Megatronus, ready to get to the bottom of this. 

………………ERROR 638aaaaaaaa:: UNABLE TO ESTABLISH LINK………….

That… was strange. What was going on? Had Megatronus blocked his commlink? That made no sense, especially after that cryptic and worrying last call. Perhaps Megatronus’ private line had been hacked? It was unlikely, but possible. He could try calling Megatronus’ public line, but that had its risks as well… He tried the private line again. 

………………ERROR 638aaaaaaaa: UNABLE TO ESTABLISH LINK………….

Perhaps trying the public line would be the way to get through. He had to sort this out, or he’d be an anxious mess this entire trip. He vented deeply, preparing himself for an audial full for not using the secure line to call but… 

………………ERROR 638aaaaaaaa: UNABLE TO ESTABLISH LINK………….

That unsettled weight in his tanks surged. This wasn’t normal. Was Megatronus alright? Had something happened to him? Was that concern and worry in his voice because he’d been fatally injured? Orion felt himself begin to spiral, and couldn’t stop himself from immediately trying to reach Soundwave next. The two weren’t exactly close, but Soundwave knew of he and Megatronus’ arrangement, and thus would understand Orion’s concern. 

………………ERROR 638aaaaaaaa: UNABLE TO ESTABLISH LINK………….

Orion then recalled the audible click that had cut him off and ended his previous call. He’d assumed Megatronus had simply ended the call a bit prematurely, having said what he felt he needed to say. But now… Had comms gone down?

A harsh retching drew Orion’s attention back to the drunken mech in the front of the compartment. He looked up just in time to see him purge his tanks of a thick, lumpy, viscous dark green goop. The mech beside him groaned in disgust, but immediately leaned in to assist his companion.  “Get the frag-zzz away from me!” The drunken mech half yelled and half slurred. 

Orion didn’t stick around to see what the outcome would be. He was unarmed, and barely armored. He couldn’t afford to lose his life in a drunken brawl when he and Megatronus were finally making progress with their movement. 

Orion made his way to the back of the compartment, and quietly slipped through the door, intent on making his way to the rear of the train, as far from this scuffle as possible. He passed by the security station in the middle of the train, and informed them of the problem that was brewing in the first compartment. They quickly thanked him, and they parted ways.  

By the time he made it to the last compartment, he was ready to slump into the closest seat he could find. If he was perfectly honest… That was disturbing. He’d spent a lot of time with Ratchet, and had gone over his fair share of medical data. He was no medic, but he definitely knew that purging your tanks wasn’t supposed to look… like… that. 

He’d never seen anything like that before. But maybe Ratchet had? If it was something medically significant, Ratchet would want to know what he saw. Yes, comms to Kaon were obviously not working, but Ratchet should still be reachable. 

………………ERROR 638aaaaaaaa: UNABLE TO ESTABLISH LINK………….

Orion’s spark pulsed in anxiety. In all his life, he’d never had this happen. Something was wrong. He should have picked up on it immediately, as soon as Megatronus had called him. He should have especially known after that admission of love. Now that he replayed the conversation over in his processor, Megatronus had sounded afraid. 

A spark-freezing scream tore him from his thoughts. That… came from the front end of the train. A tremor of fear rang through him, and he quickly got up from his seat to engage the locking mechanism on the door of his compartment.  Before he could return to his seat, his audials were assaulted by the screech of brakes ripping into the tracks and the explosive groan of metal crunching against metal. He didn’t even have time to brace himself before he suddenly was airborne. 

And then Orion’s entire world went black. 

[wolfs-bxne2]

GET READY! WAKE YOUR PSYCHE UP, MOB!

[fatherquesadilla]

Orion D. Black -They/Them · @DungeonCommandr

4th Jul 2020 from TwitLonger

my statement

"It's July 3th and I no longer work for Wizards of the Coast. I no longer work on D&D, the little that I did. This is going to be a long thread and my last for quite a while, so bear with me.

I took the job for two reasons. The first was for the dream. To escape poverty doing what I love, writing and making games. The second was to make D&D welcoming to the millions who are scorned by it.

A lot of people had hope for D&D that they carried with me. While some people were upset to see me work for a corporation that overshadows indie, others hoped that I would be able to make real change. I tried. I failed. And I lost a lot.

Liking a tweet or post, RTing, or even following people who speak ill of WotC can lose you your job in an instant. That's why you never see it happen. @Zbeg is 100% correct. It's a silencing tool. I can say more now.

Kindness doesn't replace respect. Working within your comfort zone doesnt support change. Most people in that group were not ready for me to be there, a nonbinary Black person who would actually critique their problems. Idk what they expected.

I worked hard for a very long time. I got a lot of smiles and vocal support, but it was followed by inaction and being ignored. My coworkers were frustrated for me, and still are now. I confided in them often, cried on shoulders on a few occasions.

I realized at one point that leadership had given me 2 assignments over about 5 months. It was mostly me asking project leads for work, searching out opportunities. Leadership didnt really care about me or my growth. I had to.

I firmly believe that I was a diversity hire. There was no expectation for me to do much of anything. I probably disrupted them by being vocal and following up. It didnt matter if I was supported by seniors and positive.

I think genuine people proposed me as an option and it was accepted because it would look like a radical positive change. It would help quiet vocal outrage. And because I had to stay silent, it was a safe bet.

I started to lose all of my confidence. I started to lose trust in myself. After finding out that I wasnt getting an extension or FTE, I resolved to just finish things out and take care of myself. To stop fighting and to just survive, quietly. But it just kept getting worse.

They would talk about how they're going to start working on treating staff better, retaining contractors, actually answering questions. How much they were invested in diversity and change even though they hired two cis white dudes into two big leadership positions during this. One of whom claimed that he doesnt know what he's doing. No shit. I never want to hear "maybe they just hire the best person for the job" again.

I found out that some of my work was stolen, which destroyed me. It lined up with a project they were going to do and I had sent it in to someone in leadership months ago. The project was announced and this person who contributed "forgot" that we had a meeting where I gave them my ideas, and then a follow up document the day after. I knew nothing was going to be done about it. Someone else told me that the person said sorry that they forgot. That's it.

I was really losing my ability to do much of anything. I have depression and anxiety and ADHD, all of which I manage pretty well. But those parts of me were under the pressure of being ignored, disrespected, "forgotten", and not being able to say a word to the world.

Then, as social unrest continued global due to BLM, the D&D team comes out with their statement. It was like a slap in the face. How much they care about people of color, how much changing things (that I and others had been pushing for months, if not longer) was just going to happen now. It took weeks of protesting across the globe to get D&D to do what people they hired have been already telling them to fix. You cannot, CANNOT say Black lives matter when you cannot respect the Black people who you exploit at 1/3rd your pay, for progressive ideas you pick apart until it's comfortable, for your millions of profit year over year. People of color can make art and freelance, but are never hired. D&D takes what they want from marginalized people, give them scraps, and claim progress.

I spent my time in that building worrying about how much people hated me for working there. I spent a lot of time thinking about how much it hurt to work there. I had and still have supporters, and many. Thanks to you all for being my voice and speaking out when I could not. But I felt so isolated and alone. If not for some coworkers who checked in on me, who were going through the same things? I would've quit. Every angry statement about D&D felt personal because I couldn't fix it. Because I failed, whether it was my fault or not. I felt like I was being trashed by everyone because I could not disconnect what I set as a personal responsibility from the state of the game. That part IS my fault.

But I wound up as I am now because of all of this and much, much more. I am depressed. I am unable to write. I constantly question if anything I create is worth anything. I feel like I let everyone down, and no matter how much people tell me I didnt, that doesnt change. I feel guilty for not being what y'all needed me to be, what I wanted to be, and betrayed for how I was treated at that company. It's an exceptionally kind place on the D&D team. People are very nice to each other in a very genuine way that I truly enjoyed. However, that doesnt replace respect. That doesnt delete how I was treated. It doesnt change the fact that I honestly never want to play a trpg again and am definitely not working in that field anymore.

I know that I'm probably losing a ton of opportunities writing elsewhere because of what I've said here, as well as what I've sent in internally. It may mean that I will return to poverty, which makes me feel like a failure to my race, my family, and my partner who I want to provide the world. But under all these things, I have my integrity. I worked my ass off. I did my best for as long as I could. And I didnt let them treat me like that without telling the world what needs to be said.

Trust actions, not words. Not "look at how much we freelance so and so", because freelancing is exploitation of diversity with no support for the freelancer. Not "here we finally did what we KNOW we should've done a long time ago", because they only care about how optics turn to dollars. EVERYTHING involving D&D will continue to farm marginalized people for the looks and never put them in leadership. They wont be put on staff. They will be held at arms length. I hope they prove me wrong.

A lot of BIPOC and other marginalized people are trying to make their way by using D&D. Dont shame them for that. Think about how much, and when you wield your anger, that it is done righteously.

That said, I dont recommend to anyone, working for the D&D department of Wizards of the Coast."

https://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1sra9pq

[la-fille-en-aiguilles]

The Beautiful & Damned (7/7)

Female Reader x Young!Remus Lupin | Female Reader x Young!Sirius Black

Chapter 7 - FINALE: The Beautiful & Damned 

A/N: Yeah, well, this one took me forever to finish. But it is here, and I hope you are going to like it, especially those who have a soft spot for Sirius Orion Black. I didn’t really have to think long about the name of the series when I started writing it. It just sorta came to me (thank you Fitzgerald, I owe you one). The reader and Remus are both beautiful and damned in their own way (reader because her beauty makes her seem so inapproachable, and Remus because he doesn’t even realise that he is, in fact, beautiful). This final chapter is Sirius-Reader-friendship centered.

Enjoy x

New to the series? - Accio Chapter 1: The Golden Couple - Accio Chapter 2: No, Definitely - Accio Chapter 3: Misread - Accio Chapter 4: Bravado Falls - Accio Chapter 5: Marauders to the Rescue - Accio Chapter 6: Selfness & Camaraderie That Know No Bounds

It was a dull October evening, with rain hanging close overhead - such a striking contrast to the way you felt, it seemed unreal. Constantly smiling to yourself and even going as far as humming quietly the Double Double Toil & Trouble under your breath, you motioned for the last batch of the squeaky clean cauldrons to jump into the armoir. You swore you could almost hear them purr in pleasure, having been scrubbed spotless for the past week.  

With a content sigh, you closed the heavy wooden door and stood still. You listened carefully for any sound of activity, and having identified none, moved towards the exit from Slughorn’s new class - apparently, the dungeons proved to be not as fancy as professor’s posh persona deserved. Sirius and you weren’t the ones to complain - you’d trade dungeons for an actual class with actual windows any day. 

As you stepped outside, you realized the blanket of darkness and stars, looking like small round-like windows to heaven, had already covered the sky entirely. With his velvety eyes shining bright, Sirius sat on the window sill with his legs kicking the night air. Not able to suppress a smile, you went on to join him. 

“Oh hey there, Mrs. Moony”, Padfoot teased you, making place for you to sit next to him.  “How did the last of your detention go?”

“You mean our detention, Black? Very productive, no thanks to you,” you answered sarcastically, slapping him lightly on the chest. He chuckled softly, looking back at the starry sky. 

You followed his gaze, admiring the midnight blue canvas with light, shimmering patches, clusters of faint light. The constellations whispered their stories in a language you couldn’t understand, revealing the secrets of the universe to anyone who could decode their cool, hushed conversations. 

You sat silent for a while, you couldn’t tell for how long exactly. Resting your head on Padfoot’s shoulder, you felt his hand dance its way across yours back, bringing you closer to him.

“Me being with Moony changes nothing, you know that, right, Sirius?” you whispered barely audibly, because this seemed like a perfect time to voice what’d been gnawing at the corners of your mind since that scene with Parkinson in the Great Hall. “You will always be the bestest friend of mine”. 

You felt, more than heard him chuckle once again, his shoulders and his chest vibrating, producing the warmest of sounds. 

“Uh-huh, sure, whatever you say, Mrs. Moony”, he brushed your words off with such light-heartedness, you knew he wasn’t convinced. 

“I’m serious, Pads,” lifting your head for a moment, you turned to face him, with the most solemn expression you could manage. 

Turning his head so he could face you too, Sirius nodded slowly, releasing his bottom lip from under his pearly teeth. 

“Yeah, so am I”. 

You stayed still for a moment, staring at each other, before, as if by command, both of you chortled at his stupid pun. 

Once you regained your breaths, trying your best not to burst out laughing at the mere sight of each other’s face, you made an effort to switch to a more thoughtful tone. 

“I will always be there for you, I want you to know that,” you said, looking straight ahead into the sparkling sky. “No matter what”. 

He blew a raspberry at your words, mocking your determination. You felt his humorous gaze on you but refused to rise to the bait, refusing him the reaction he hoped to entice from you. 

“Sure you will,” after his weak attempts to make you smile had failed, he finally said almost indifferently. 

Biting your tongue in order not to say something you wouldn’t mean, and barely keeping the urge to shake the stubbornness out of him, you narrowed your eyes.

“Fine,” you uttered, slapping both of your hands on your thighs. “Try me”. 

An incredulous expression showed on Padfoot’s face as he considered your proposition. He frowned a bit next, weighing his options. 

“Okay,” he surrendered, probably out of sheer curiosity. “So what you’re saying you’d follow me to a party in Slytherin Dungeons after what happened last week?”

Your eyes went wide at his choice of venue, and he smirked, obviously pleased by your reaction, wanting nothing more than to prove a point. 

It’s like he didn’t know what kind of person he was dealing with here. 

“In a heartbeat,” you reacted straight away, challenge ringing in your voice. “But let’s face it, you’ll never step a foot in Slytherin Common Room.”

“Good point,” Sirius laughed softly, winking at you. “Well, what about… a nightly detention in the Forbidden Forest?”

You raised an eyebrow at his question. 

“Honestly, Sirius, is that all you’ve got?” you teased him. “Been that, done that. Plus, I saved your ass from a nasty little troll, I’ll have you remember, you bloody owe me!”

“Shouldn’t have brought this one up,” Sirius admitted, earning another slap across the chest from you. “Okay, I’m upping my game. Ready?” He smiled smugly at you. “What about the Shrieking Shack?”

You stared at him, taken aback just a tad. 

“The Shrieking Shack?” You repeated in disbelief. “What business can you possibly have there?” 

“You’ll know soon enough, I suppose”, his smile getting more and more secretive to a point where you were dying of curiosity but you wouldn’t make him happy by showing it. Swallowing hundreds of questions threatening to fall of your tongue, you continued: 

“Sure, why not. I’m up for anything that’ll allow me to make fun of your ass for getting scared shitless”. 

“Keep on dreaming, princess”, Sirius tsked at you, making you roll your eyes at the nickname. 

“You want scary, princess?” He repeated deliberately, just to watch you squirm in annoyance. “Would you follow me to Azkaban then?”

The night fell completely silent and still, Padfoot’s question making your eyes pop. You lifted your head off his shoulder again, staring him down as if he had gone mental. 

“Excuse me?” you finally managed. “What kind of a stupid question is that?”

“Aha!” the victorious notes in Sirius’ outburst broke you out of the stupor somewhat, wicked smile crooking his lips. “Not so certain anymore, are we?”

Clenching your hands into fists, you took a good look at this idiot you loved so damn much before you destroyed him for thinking what he just voiced. 

“Azkaban?... Peachy!” you exploded. “Perfect even! That should be fun! You can bet your ass I’ll book a solitary right next to your stupid ass!”

You expected Sirius to laugh out loud at your reaction, to keep the fire burning, so to speak. He gave you a long look instead, his face unreadable. You refused to go on with your monologue, and frankly, you weren’t sure you were able to without crying, for some reason. Something lit up in Sirius’ grey eyes: sun chasing the fog away. 

Still silent, Padfoot put on of his hands on your shoulders and brushed his lips across your forehead. Now he understood. 

Understanding did something truly wonderful to Sirius’ body and soul. Every inch of him, and especially his eyes glowed a soft milky golden colour; looking at him now, you thought that never before he belonged in the sky among the stars as much. Love turned Sirius Orion Black into a work of art. 

“For the record, you are never going to Azkaban,” he suddenly said in a croaky voice. “Not on my watch”. 

The concern lacing his voice made you beam at him.

“You and James better be careful with your pranking then,” you winked at him. “Avoid killing somebody, okay? If it ain’t with love and kindness…”

Before you fully realised the reminder that your words carried for the ever-forgetful Sirius Black, they were already out in the open. You knew what was coming next. 

“Hold on for a sec there, Siren,” Sirius’ grin was growing wider with each passing second. “Are you saying that Slughorn did tell you how to brew Amorentia?!” Watching you search for words, he shrieked, “I knew it! I bloody knew it!”

Half regretful, half amused, you knew that this was yet another time when the fate of one Sirius Black and possibly the entire Wizarding World depended on your ability to talk the former down. 

“Sirius, no.” 

“Sirius, yes!…” 

Thank you so much for reading!

My Beautiful Taglist (please, hit me up should you want to be tagged or untagged): @youkn0wn0thingjonsnow, @yuukiahim, @xapham, @spunkypatterns,  @jackie-houston, @justducky0423, @zakthedrak, @marauder–harder, @davros2004, @firefurr, @heyjess-marie, @kapolisradomthoughts

[resplendentgoldenwings]

All That Remains, Chapter 4 The Blame Game

rating: teen

characters/pairings: Iris West, Cisco Ramone, Caitlin Snow, Francine West, WestAllen

warnings: language

summary: Iris West pops off.

beta: asexual-fandom-queen

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3

notes: see end of chapter

Fanfiction.net link

Chapter 4 The Blame Game

There was always a certain amount of warmth and cheer at a wake. In spite of the circumstances friends, family and loved ones were together sharing a meal and memories, and people felt a certain tenderness. Barry's maternal aunts, Brittany and Jeanette, a number of her cousins, and of course Barry's coworkers had all sought her out offering condolences, hugs, handshakes. All of them giving comfort and support. 

At least the random people who must've come to the burial for The Flash hadn't come here to convey their sorrows as well.  

She couldn't have taken it, stranger, after stranger, shaking her hand, saying how sorry they were, observing her grief. It wasn't like their condolences would bring him back.It was too much. The nauseating smell of the food, people wanting to talk to her about Barry. Between the church and cemetery, Iris was drained and exhausted.  

Watching them lower Barry's casket into the earth she had been seized by a sudden desire to throw herself in. Iris had found that writing part of her brain that was always wondering asking questions. Had Shakespeare felt that way upon losing some loved one and so Hamlet acted out that desire? She understood it. It had seemed like madness in that moment to let them bury Barry, to hide him away from the world. Seemed like madness that this was simply it that there was nothing more to do.  

He was the Flash, after all, it didn't seem possible that he could have just died in a house fire. She had wanted to fight suddenly to win him back from...death? But death was not a force to be fought.

Instead, she found herself hiding in her childhood bedroom, while friends and family filled her parent's house.

There was a floor to ceiling bookcase with all of her favorite books, an old Destiny's child poster on the wall along with Rhiana, Kanye West, and The Jonas brothers. Her white writing desk and composition books filled with her teenaged musings were still in place.

The old bed sagged a bit under her weight, but she stayed there, staring up at a universe of glow in the dark stickers decorated the ceiling. Barry had hung them for her nearly a decade ago.

Memories jumped out at her in this room, but no tears came, no overwhelming sense of sadness. Numb wasn't exactly what she felt. Drained, wrung out would be more appropriate, but so impossibly heavy.Memories jumped out at her in this room, but no tears came, no overwhelming sense of sadness. Numb wasn't exactly what she felt. Drained, wrung out would be more appropriate, but so impossibly heavy.   

"Iris." Her mother's voice was accompanied by a knock.   

"Come in mom."   

Iris sat up as the door opened drawing her knees to her chest and tucking her arms beneath her thighs.   

Her mom's entry was accompanied by the warm, rich scent of soup filling the air and Iris felt both hunger and nausea stir.   

"I brought you something to eat."  

"I feel sick."  

"I know, but that's because you haven't been eating. You have to eat."  

'Not true. I could waste away.'   

"Try just a little, okay sweetheart."  

Iris looked at her mother's face, saw pleading in her dark eyes and the heavy circles underneath them, noted the way her mother gripped the tray with tightly in her fists. Francine and Barry had been very close. Barry had needed a mother during the year and a half he'd lived with them, and Francine had been happy to fill in. That was what Francine did, throw herself into the lives of others, a way to hide from her own suffering. Her father had once called it an addiction.

Iris straightened her legs and let Francine settle the tray across her lap.   

It was just a bowl of plain, clear broth, probably chicken. Iris took a cautious sip expecting she'd retch it back up immediately. Instead, warmth spread through her, soothing her raw aching throat and stirring an almost instant and ravenous hunger. She ate spoonful after spoonful, lifting the bowl to her lips at the end to drink the last drop.  

"I guess I was hungry."   

Francine smiled, and Iris' stomach rumbled.   

"I'm still hungry."  

"I'll go make you a plate."  

"Thanks, mom."  

Francine wasn't gone long before there was a knock at the door.  

"Who is it?"  

"Caitlin and Cisco."   

Iris frowned she'd wanted to be alone.

"Come on in."  

The door opened, and Caitlin sidled in followed by Cisco. She'd seen them both at the church, dressed appropriately in black Caitlin's doe eyes dull and distant, marked by a mash of bluish circle hiding beneath face powder. Cisco's expression was grim, dampened as if a great weight sat on his shoulders.   

Cisco strode in a determined look on his face and sat down across from her on the love seat. Caitlin stood a moment wringing her hands before joining him.  

"Listen, Iris," Cisco leaned toward her. "Barry became my best friend over the past two years, not because he was the Flash but because he was a good man, a great man. I loved him-"  

"We loved him," Caitlin put in.  

"Yeah and we just want to extend that friendship to you. If you need anything, anything at all we want to support you, be there for you ok?"  

"You know-" Iris could hear the tremor in her voice as she spoke. "I keep trying to understand- I can't stop thinking about it.  Like how could someone with Barry's powers die in a house fire? He was so fast." Iris bit her lip and blinked back tears. "I studied The Flash.  I don't get it. I need to understand."

Caitlin glanced at Cisco who nodded. She took a deep breath before speaking.  

"He was using a sedative." Caitlin's words were a whisper.

"A sedative?" Iris felt a sudden twisting dread in her stomach.

"Barry has-" The geneticist took a deep breath "Had a very high metabolism being a speedster."  

She nodded, remembering just how much Barry could eat in a sitting.  

"His cells were also in a state of constant regeneration so he healed really fast and could take a lot of punishment."  

Iris flinched at the thought of Barry, her Barry being hurt.

"He got into a lot of fights as The Flash, he would heal fast even from serious injuries, but he was often in a lot of pain." Caitlin's voice shook as she spoke, hands twisting in her lap.

"I synthesized a pain medication for him-"

"-You synthesized a medication for him?"

"Y-yes. It -um, also served as a sedative." The final words came out in a whispered rush. "Something to let him sleep through the healing process. Something that wouldn't be processed as quickly by his metabolism. That medication was in his system at the time of death."   

Caitlin finished her explanation eyes trained on her lap.

"So this is your fault."  

The other woman looked up eyes flooded with guilty tears, lips twisted and Iris nodded as realization dawned on her. She'd known from the beginning that Barry would have needed help to die in that fire.

"It is. He wouldn't have been sleeping if you hadn't drugged him?"

"You can't blame Caitlin-"

"-Shut-up Cisco! If you really cared about Barry, you wouldn't be defending her."

"Barry was my friend, and I cared about him too," Caitlin insisted.

With that one phrase, something in her broke. Iris sat up straight, and some vicious, savage part of her that she'd never known existed until Barry's death stirred, surging, urging her to yell, scream, slap Caitlin Snow's face until it glowed red and it must have shown on her face. Cisco and Caitlin drew back.  

“You didn’t care about him at all!”

Iris screamed and leaped to her feet, skin hot with rage, vision fuzzy, body trembling with it. The tears and anger that had disappeared before returned surging. When the pair on the couch sat staring at her Iris felt her anger surge into rage as stars shot across her vision. The pair on the couch got to their feet, and Cisco imposed himself between the two women.

"You're protecting her?"

"Iris, you need to calm down," Caitlin's voice was calm, professional and it only angered her more.

"You frigid, fucking bitch you never cared. It's your fault my fiance is dead. My best friend is dead! The person I loved more than anyone in the whole world is gone because you and you want me to believe you  cared.” Iris shoved Cisco out of her way with all her strength. “You killed him!" The final words came out in a shriek, and she flew at Caitlin determined to drive her from the room, from the house. She didn't belong here-

-And suddenly it was hard to breathe. Iris staggered, her vision blurred and the world went black.

A/N- You can faint from anger. If you’re exhausted like Iris and your body is too weak to sustain the emotion you will pass out. Also I’m kinda proud of this chapter that scene with Iris at the end was a lot of work, asexual-fandom-queen is a great beta.

Hope you all enjoyed chapter four. Chapter five will be up soon. Please feel free to comment, shoot me an instant message me or inbox me.

[furederiko]

*GASP* Great goodness!!! Kyuranger just refuses to let up, doesn't it? Episode 30 delivers a heart-shattering entry, all wrapped up in a graceful power-up package...

- I'll start with a somewhat unrelated rant: I couldn't watch this episode live last Sunday! Aaaarggh. My internet provider changed the fee (AGAIN... that I'm not even that much surprised anymore), so I'm stuck using free public wifi until yesterday noon. And get this, when I decided to renew it with such heavy heart, let's just say... I got duped BIG TIME. To the point that I'm still slapping my own face in utter disappointment and anger, for falling into the company's sneaky stupid ploy all over again. *SIGH*. Now that THAT's out of the way, on to the recap-view then... - Since the opening scene focuses mainly on Orion and Tsurugi, let's talk about what I forgot to mention on my previous recap-view. That sweet friendly river-side moment between them! Some audience might think that the conversation they brought up regarding Orion's newborn felt... a little on the nose. If you ask me, it's actually NOT. IMO, if you think about it logically and/or chronologically, that dialogue actually made good sense. How? After the supposed final battle with Don Armage, a wounded Past-Tsurugi was brought by Orion to Earth, and put in a cold-sleep aboard the Argo. Fast forward 333 years later, the Rebellions awakened Tsurugi in the present time. He likely spent at least 2 weeks after he woke up, in which during that time he: clashed with the Kyurangers, but eventually became one of them; went to Planet Tocky, and searched for the Horologium Kyu Globe; and along with the 'Time Travel' team, went back to the past to recheck history. Meanwhile, from Orion's side of things, having just completed his deed to the Past-Phoenix Soldier, he spotted the ORION crashing, ran into the Kyurangers, and was reunited with Tsurugi again. If one easily compares the two separate timelines from Tsurugi's and Orion's point of view, then it's become clear. Eventhough they have indeed been 333 years apart, thanks to Horologium, the reality was far more shorter than that! For Orion, it was merely hours if not minutes since he last left Past-Tsurugi in the Argo. Tsurugi on the other hand, had only advanced a month at most due to the cold-sleep. Logically, he still had all the memories prior to the sleep (of 333 years ago) in tact in his mind. THIS is the reason why the dialogue about family between them flowed very naturally! It's just a casual chit-chat between friends who haven't seen each other... fairly briefly. That's all! - Of course, that dialogue still serves as the key for the two of them to deduce that Lucky... might have been Orion's very own descendant. That means, Lucky isn't Orion's son, as the rumor suggested (for now at least, it's still a giant mystery anyway). Regardless of that, he's still an important figure who serves as a catalyst for the Kyurangers, due to having the blood of two Constellation Systems. That's the main reason why Tsurugi, the Kyurangers, and later Orion wants to protect him at all cost. - And that is also where the episode hurts. From the beginning of the episode (or the preview last week), it is teased that Tsurugi might give away his life to heal Lucky. Using the power of Phoenix Kyu Globe is taking the toll out of him, so the chance of him getting out unscathed is minimum at best. We even get to see Tsurugi's quick origin story, of when he first obtained the Kyu Globe when his spaceshuttle crashed. Basically, 'death flag' has been fluttering over Tsurugi, which is why the actual death comes totally unexpected and a lot more shocking. It's Orion's final moment instead!!! - On one hand, Orion IS hiding a severe bloody wound, due to shielding the Kyurangers from Don Armage's devastating attack. So he pretty much has been waving his own giant death flag too. On the other hand, he's a crucial legendary figure who will pass on the legend of the Kyurangers throughout the entire universe. Even the team smartly points out that, without Orion, the Kyurangers wouldn't have existed in the first place. Preview for this episode even showed him in battle, helping Leo Red debuts his new power-up. The general assumption is, there's no way, he's going to die, right? That's where Kyuranger throws us off balance once again, because Orion passes away anyway! It's a HUGE, and genuine "OH MY GOODNESS... NOOOOO!!!" (if not blatantly "WTH!!!") moment, and I'm positive the dead silence or echoes of jaws dropping are reverberating throughout the audience. My heart literally stops! And I'm still mulling over it until now... NOTE: Only several movies (like some Marvel Studios ones, though usually Oscar contenders) and TV shows (mostly anime titles) have managed to make feel so... heartbroken like this. Kyuranger positions itself nicely into this exceptional category, which is a rare accomplishment for a Tokusatsu series. I'm not trying to be sarcastic here, but huge thumbs up for TOEI! - Not only Orion's unfortunate demise works as a twist, but also as a major shakeup to the entire story. It is an unexpected alteration in the past, so there will be massive ramifications going forward. It raises even more questions that will make every fans feel concerned. If Orion no longer lives another day, then who would hand over Carina Kyu Globe to Eris' safekeeping? If Eris never has it, then that means the Argo would not be revived in the present time, and Tsurugi would never be reawaken! More importantly, as has been pointed out before, without Orion, the Kyurangers' existence is in danger. Which urgently prompts Commander Xiao to stay behind, taking Orion's place to spread the heroic legend. Ignoring the fact that it's another giant change to the past, does this mean his role as a Kyuranger also comes to an end? *gasp*. In a way, Champ (who will be part of the "Episode Stinger" V-Cinema, which apparently takes place some time later) is already hinting that he and Xiao will surely find a way back to the present. But it doesn't stop making me feel very... anxiously curious. With the two of them being left in the past... is the show trying to throw either of them as the possible face behind the new Don Armage? That would... still be a possibility, right? One more thing, the loss of Orion pretty much rules out my theory that he is the next Don Armage. For now, at the very least. Unlike Kuervo, the Kyurangers actually bury him for good, so he's truly dead. Then again, lest we forget HOW Darth Vader was created... - The grand power up, The Miracle Star Leo Red Orion debuts! It is channeled through the #315 Supreme Kyu Globe, which is realized through the unity of Lucky and Orion's powers and shared resolution to protect the universe. And of course, through the latter's sacrifice... *sobs*. It's undeniably a GORGEOUS design, with fluttering mantle and all. Probably one of the best White member I've seen throughout Super Sentai history. Assigning the color white is also a very wise decision. Not only because white is the combination of prime colors, but in case of Kyuranger, it also adds balance to the team. No wonder Phoenix Soldier gets to be another Red, because when Leo Red uses this form, each of the original colors are still represented. Speaking of combination, it has a dang fine-looking transformation sequence that unites all 12 powers of the Kyurangers too. Turns out, despite many fan-speculations, Supreme doesn't require Naga to be with the team to pull off. It likely falls inline with my theory that Lucky serves as a catalyst for the other Kyurangers, meaning he's the only one necessary for this upgrade. And that is also one wicked finisher. Nope, not the Gate of Babylon-esque with the Kyu the Weapons, which was... nice. I'm talking about that "ALL STAR GALAXY! IN-FINISH BLAST!" that channels the entire 88 Constellations. Dang it... I feel goosebumps when all those stars lit up and create a big bang. Wonderful, simply wonderful! Fun fact: Supreme Kyu Globe, or SAIKOU KYUTAMA in Japanese, has an odd numbering of #315. If you're wondering the reason why, then well... highly likely the answer is: because it's a nifty pun. 3 - 1 - 5 is SAN - ICHI - GO in Japanese, but it can also be read as SA-I-KO. Get it?! LOL. Also, 3 + 1 + 5 equals...? Yep... NINE or KYU in Japanese. Brilliant, right! The finisher "In-Finish Blast" is also a clear pun for the word 'INFINITE', which explains Leo Red Orion's ability to bend space and time. There's also one theory that the Supreme Kyu Globe is modelled after the 9 planets of the Earth's Solar System. It's unconfirmed for now, but I think it makes a lot of sense... - Before I move on to the last point, allow me to point out several bits of the episode that I find to be really interesting: 1) Don Armage's hideous humanoid form seems to be the extent of his power. He claims that he can't hold back his power in that state, which is probably why he's also more vulnerable to attacks. We also see him reviving Akyanba and Tecchu for the mecha battle, giving us explanation to why the Vice-Shoguns keep showing up and are still alive to the present time. And before anyone complains that he's so easy to be defeated, do remember one thing: we're not even in the finale yet, as the new/present-time Don Armage is ALWAYS meant to be the true big bad. 2) I LOVE how a wounded Lucky doesn't want Tsurugi to sacrifice himself. That's a powerful scene, amped up by Lucky's genuine emotion. The concern and also pain on his face feels so real, which means the actor does a truly fine job. Say anything you want about Lucky, this proves he's definitely one of the better Reds in the recent years. Meanwhile, Tsurugi himself is showcasing a wonderful growth in character. From someone who used to be self-centered, into a team player who would risk his own life for his comrade. 3) Although I'm not quite sure why Xiao doesn't just use his Draco Voyager to form Ryutei-Oh, him being assigned to use Leo Voyager and form Kyuren-Oh is indeed a wiser choice. This way, other Kyurangers (including Raptor who spends most of the time repairing the ORION) get to participate in the big battle. It's supposed to be a final-battle-esque showdown with Don Armage after all, so they need all manpower available. 4) It seems that contrary to what Tsurugi said, Phoenix Kyu Globe does NOT have the power to restore/revive life. It can only be used to regenerate health, as shown by Lucky's critical state, and also Tsurugi's own condition when he was adrift in space. Otherwise, Tsurugi can always use it again to revive Orion and keep the flow of history. Am I right? 5) I have a feeling we'll be seeing Orion again in the future. I doubt TOEI cast a great actor like Kai Shishido for brief appearances that lasted only two episodes (three, if we count that cliffhanger ending in episode 28). Heck, we even get to see Eris several times again. Which is why the theory that either he or Kuervo might be the new Don Armage is still very much in play. Then again, noone can really tell much when it comes to Kyuranger. This show tends to startle audience with genuine surprises... more often than not. LOL. At the very least, I hope we get to see him again somehow, because even in such a short time, he has truly left a strong impression. 6) A good amount of time must have passed between the moment the team discovered Orion, and the flower scene in front of his grave. I doubt Raptor is able to completely repair the ORION for their return trip in a flash, because it was left in such a bad shape before (notice that the ship visually looks much better?). Critical audience might want to consider this before they start complaining about how fast Lucky gets over Orion's death. I doubt that grave scene is Orion's funeral anyway. It's more likely the team comes there to pay tribute for one last time, before departing home (to their era). Oh and yeah, turns out this grave is very similar to a certain character's from "One Piece". Concidence? I doubt. 7) Lastly, regarding Xiao's new role in the past. Things are starting to make much clearer sense the more I think about it. Some folks at RangerBoard (Dukemon, TealMystechRanger, and TavionJackson to name a few) back this up, by speculating that the whole scenario could be a 'bootstrap paradox'. Meaning, it has always been Xiao, and not Orion, who started and spread the "Legend of Nine Saviours" that refers to the Kyuranger. This explains why it's NINE, instead of Ten, Eleven, nor Twelve, because Xiao knows that the team would start out with the number Nine (him being the Tenth and all)! Also, remember his story about Mr. Pega? That might not be a random tall-tale after all, but part of his quest to collect the Kyu Globes. But what about the history that says that it's Orion, and not someone who comes from a dragon-tribe who told the story? Like the whole situation with Eris that I've pointed out above. That would only mean a huge contradiction, right? Now this is where things get surprisingly interesting. Turns out, there IS a particular Kyu Globe that grants its user the ability to... SHAPESHIFT. It's still a speculation/theory for now, but I honestly won't be surprised if Xiao used that to disguise himself as Orion (thus bringing him 'alive' again to do the job), in order to prevent the new flow of history from erasing the Kyurangers in the present time. This one in particular, leads us to the final point... - As if the loss of Orion isn't enough, the show delivers another terrifying surprise. The present... remains the SAME. Jark Matter is still rulling the universe. Akyanba and Kukuruga are still alive and well as they did before. Dark-Naga is now taking Tecchu's place as a new Vice-Shogun, possibly their leader. And Don Armage is still reigning, despite his clear defeat in the hands of Leo Red Orion. It seems NONE of the alterations the 'Time Travel' has done in the past affects the present. Does this mean, everything actually goes... according to the way it should have been? Thus... that causal loop theory that I've stated above gets even more plausible! One thing for sure, Armage's sinister laughter in the cliffhanger, can only mean one thing... it's back to square one for the team!

Overall: To be honest, not unlike that wicked finisher, all kinds of logic was flying off the table in this episode as well. But dang it, if that wasn't another mindblowing rollercoaster episode. One that took my breath away, torn my heart into broken pieces... like a fierce punch in the gut that I haven't been able to fully recover ever since. For an episode that served as a power-up debut (which was simply marvelous on its own), it's still packed with all the right flavors. The humor, intensity of emotions, the high stakes? And yes, I totally couldn't hold back my tears when Orion closed his eyes for good... which says A LOT. If this were another show or Super Sentai season, this episode could easily serve as a finale or some sort. But nope, Kyuranger is not stopping anytime soon. The past might have been altered, yet the present remained the same. If the real Don Armage was eliminated in the past, that means the current Don Armage's identity is someone else entirely. Still a massive question mark that is shrouded in mystery. Personally, I can no longer predict what's going to happen next. It's one surprise after another, and to think that we still have (at most) 19 more episodes after this! This show is NOT pulling any punches, and continues to be a delight week after week. That's why I honestly can't believe some audience are still looking down on it despite a streak of strong features. Oh well, I guess it's their loss... Next week: 'Save Naga' Team is back on center stage! PS: Tsurugi makes his very first spotlight in the ending sequence, pairing up with Lucky. Oh and yeah, Gigant Phoenix and Kyutamajin have already been added to the opening since episode 28. I don't think I have mentioned about it before. LOL.

Episode 30 Score: 8,5 out of 10

Visit THIS LINK to view a continuously updated listing of the Kyutama / Kyu Globes. Last Updated: September 22nd, 2017 - Version 2.14. (WARNING: It might contain spoilers for future episodes)

All images are screencaptured from the series, provided by the FanSubber Over-Time. "Uchu Sentai Kyuranger" is produced by TOEI, and airs every Sunday on TV-Asahi. Credits and copyrights belong to their respective owners.