#and listen I think he would just be so understanding of her grieving for Lyon it would hurt seeing her break down during the last battle

[pierswife]

"Thank you for everything, Sir-" the former princess cut herself off as she smiled down at the knight who had been by her side since she had fled. "Thank you, Forde."

The knight of Renais reply was with a laugh as he looked at her fondly. "Anytime, Princess."

Okay anyway huge shout out to @camellias-and-coriander for making MandaForde canon real, which I mean it kinda is my endgame ship soooooo-- My god the lady and her knight aesthetic these two have is just so real and it makes me wanna just melt into a little puddle. They start out so rough and then grow to care about each other so much over time like *cries*

[mdelpin]

Stellar Performance - Chapter 2

Gratsu Bingo 2019 Prompt: Free - Concern AO3 | FF.Net

Ch 1

Chapter 2

Gray had been looking forward to going home. He’d spent the whole day helping out with the construction of the new guild, listening with dismay to all the whispers of how he and Juvia had supposedly “shacked up” for six months. No matter how many times he’d tried to explain that’s not what happened, no one had listened, too intent on the juicy gossip to care about his feelings.

He’d lost track of Natsu sometime during the day, and that saddened him. Things between them had most definitely not been the same since returning from his mission infiltrating the Avatar cult. The disappointment he’d seen on Natsu’s face at seeing him in that place had almost made him forget that he wasn’t there of his own volition.

It had been painful to tell Natsu and Lucy he didn’t consider them friends anymore, but he’d had to do it so as not to jeopardize the mission. He’d explained his actions to them afterward, and although Lucy had accepted his apology, he could tell that something was still bothering Natsu about the whole situation.

They’d barely talked since and that hurt Gray more than he’d let on. The whole year they’d been apart Gray had thought of Natsu often. About how things might have been different if he’d dared to confess his feelings after the Grand Magic Games.

Would Natsu have stayed or would he have asked him along, instead of leaving like a thief in the night with only the briefest of notes to Lucy? Even that had hurt, Gray had known Natsu far longer than Lucy, yet the note had been written to her. Did that mean the dragon slayer was in love with her?

Gray always stopped his thoughts there, not willing to give up on the hope that his feelings might be returned. So instead he’d think of what Natsu might be up to in his absence. Sometimes he’d amuse himself, imagining the types of trouble Natsu might be getting into, but mostly he worried.

Tartaros had opened a lot of wounds in its wake, wounds they were all still slowly recovering from, but the dragon slayers had certainly had it the worst. And none worse than Natsu.

Sure, Gray had lost his father again, but he’d already mourned him once, and he’d chosen to look at the little time he’d gotten to spend with Silver as a gift, no matter how awful the circumstances around it had been.

But Natsu had lost Igneel, who had been his driving force since the day Gray had met him all those years ago. He’d found out his father had been hiding inside him all along and before he even had a chance to talk to him he’d witnessed Igneel brutally killed in front of him by the same dragon that had almost destroyed them at Tenrou.

Gray knew that had to be tearing him apart, and he’d wanted to ask Happy how Natsu was doing, but he was afraid of the answer, knowing that when it came to keeping strong feelings bottled up, Natsu could give him a run for his jewels. He wanted to help him, but he didn’t know how to go about it.

So even though he was tired he walked around Magnolia, trying to come up with a way to talk to Natsu while taking in the subtle changes the city had undergone as it had once again been forced to rebuild.

He kept an eye out for Juvia, aware that she wanted to talk to him about his abrupt departure from the house they’d shared, but he’d been evading that particular conversation just as much as he’d been trying to initiate one with Natsu.

He didn’t feel he owed her anything, she’d guilted him into letting her live with him, it wasn’t something he would’ve chosen for himself. He’d wanted to be on his own, to grieve and to train in the new magic his father had passed on to him, but even training felt empty without Natsu there to push him.

Before he knew it, he’d reached the park and spotted Natsu sitting by himself underneath one of the large trees. He stopped in his tracks and bit his lip, but Natsu had already scented him. He looked up and gave Gray a hesitant smile even as he wiped at his eyes.

Gray decided to take that as an invitation and made his way over, his heart racing as he worried about how it would go. He sat down next to Natsu and remained quiet, taking in the beauty of the park and ignoring the racing of his heart as he wondered where this conversation would lead them .

Xxx

Lyon and his team had just entered the guild after a particularly difficult mission. They were tired but happy to have completed it successfully with minimal injuries, although Toby had managed to poison himself once again. Lyon looked for Ooba, their wizened guild master, wanting to report on their mission before heading home to a shower and bed.

He spotted her sitting at a table talking to a man with orange hair, and he began to feel uneasy. Ooba was smiling, which by itself was strange, but Lyon could swear his guild master was flirting with the much younger man. He stopped in his tracks, heartbeat quickening a bit as he hoped against hope that it wasn’t who he thought it was.

“Isn’t that the Celestial Spirit guy?” Yuka muttered, “What was his name?”

“Loke,” Lyon replied, keeping his voice low and wondering if he could leave the guild before the man noticed him.

He would be lying if he said he hadn’t spent a lot of time thinking about the night of the Orochi Fin attack. He’d convinced himself it had been a fluke, he was way too old to be having a sexuality crisis.

Lyon told himself the nascent attraction he’d felt towards the man was just interest at meeting a Celestial Spirit. But just being in the same room with the guy was making him feel jumpy, which wasn’t normal for him.

Ooba took that moment to notice their arrival, her smile withering into her usual scowl as she addressed her mages.

“Well? How did it go?”

“It went just fine, ” Lyon snapped, irritated that she would question them. “We were able to complete it without much trouble.”

“Is that so?” Ooba studied Toby carefully, “Then why does Toby look like he’s injured?”

“He injured himself,” Yuka informed her, “Again.”

“Toby, how many times have I told you to be careful? I’m going to spin you!” Ooba yelled as she moved her index finger in a circular motion, Toby’s body rotating in mid-air as he moaned piteously.

Lyon had been so fixated on what was going on with his team that he’d failed to notice Loke getting up from his chair and coming to stand next to him.

“Hey there,” Loke greeted him, making no effort to hide the fact that he was admiring Lyon. “I was looking for you.”

Lyon could feel himself getting flustered as a result of Loke’s ardent gaze. He willed ice into his veins, refusing to give the Celestial Spirit the reaction he was so obviously after.

“I hope you weren’t waiting for long?” Lyon replied politely, and he was pleased to see the Celestial Spirit deflate a bit at his aloofness, that was until he countered with a grin that went through Lyon like a bolt of lightning.

The poor ice mage thought he’d seen stars sparkle around Loke. This time he wasn’t able to hold the flush from adorning his cheeks as the room became unbearably warm.

“I could wait an eternity for someone like you,” Loke grabbed Lyon’s hand and kissed it. As much as Lyon wanted to protest, to say he wasn’t a woman and he didn’t like to be touched so freely he was so outside of his comfort zone, his brain didn’t seem capable of reacting as it usually would.

“You don’t know anything about me!” Lyon wrestled his hand out of the Celestial Mage’s grip, wiping it on his pants leg.

“A misfortune I would love to rectify,” Loke winked and just like last time it affected Lyon in ways he didn’t understand.

What the hell was happening to him? Why did this guy stir him up like this? Ugh! One thing was for sure he didn’t like it at all. Lyon didn’t like losing control, he preferred his world to be ordered, and Loke was a distraction he was beginning to resent, and he’d only met him twice.

Why was he putting up with it again? His brain helpfully reminded him that he was doing this for a good reason. Gray. They were trying to get Gray together with Natsu.

“So does your visit mean you have news?” Lyon asked with interest, now that he had Gray on his mind he used him as a shield against Loke’s charm.

“How about we go for a walk, I’ve heard the gardens are beautiful this time of year?” Loke suggested, looking around the guildhall with obvious distaste.

“Here is just fine,” Lyon was determined to stay, he had no desire to be alone with Loke. He was starting to look at this as a battle, and he could already tell he’d need the home advantage.

Loke just shrugged and took a seat at the nearest table. He made a gesture to one of the servers and ordered them some food and drink.

“I can order for myself, you know,” Lyon muttered wryly.

“You looked tired, I thought you might enjoy being taken care of for a bit,” Loke smiled innocently, his eyes sparkling behind his glasses.

“Look, I don’t know what you’re playing at, but I’m only in this for Gray,” Lyon made sure to imbue his voice with as much of his element as he was able, but Loke only laughed.

“Are you sure you and Gray aren’t related by blood?”

Lyon arched an eyebrow, but Loke didn’t expand on his comment. “There’s nothing wrong with having some fun as part of a job is there?” Loke asked, but he backed off.

“I came to offer you news of Gray, but I don’t think you’re going to like it much.”

“What do you mean, is he alright?” Lyon immediately tensed up, as much as he’d been asking around he hadn’t been able to find any news.

“Well good news first, Fairy Tail has reformed with Erza as their Master,” Loke informed the Lamia Scale wizard.

“Erza?” Lyon scratched his chin as he gave the matter some thought. He would have expected Laxus to take over as guild master, Erza was a somewhat scary thought. As capable as the requip mage was, she was volatile. Then again, they all were.

Loke nodded, “They’re still rebuilding the guildhall, and most everyone is back, but Makarov is still missing.

"What about Gray?” Their food arrived, and Lyon had to admit everything Loke had ordered looked incredible, he made no comment though, knowing it would only encourage Loke.

Loke studied him for a moment, and Lyon was instantly worried, he had the look of a man that was trying to figure out how to best phrase something. “He is alright?”

“He joined a dark cult called Avatar.”

“HE DID WHAT?!” Lyon shrieked at the top of his lungs, causing everyone in the guild to stop what they were doing and look over at him with concern.

Lyon stood up from the table, grabbing Loke by the arm and dragging him outside.

“Avatar, that mess everyone’s been talking about?” He hissed, “Gray was a part of that?”

When Loke nodded, Lyon was almost blinded by the rage, “That goddamned idiot, what the hell was he thinking?”

Loke tried to talk, but Lyon was in no condition to listen to anything he had to say, having already made a hasty decision and walking away.

“Lyon, wait!” Loke chased after him, his initial enjoyment at seeing this side of the cold mage turning to worry as he witnessed the fury that was fueling him. “Where are you going?”

“Magnolia,” Lyon grunted as he walked ever faster.

“Shit!” Loke winced, not sure who was going to kill him first, Lucy for having shown up at Lamia Scale without discussing it with her first or Gray for bringing Lyon’s rage down on him.“

He ran after Lyon, hoping that he could calm him down during the train ride.

[rulesearth]

exit wounds

the glaringly white room was near blinding to jura, but he did not grimace. he had made the choice to visit, he did not get to complain. he was there willingly, sherry did not have a choice. this quarantine was meant to help her, was meant to prove that her heads was hers and hers alone again, but jura did not think that it was helping her at all. if anything, she seemed more and more nervous with every time he visited, as if she was feeling the final verdict inch closer in her very bones.

she was suffering even though she was supposed to feel better. and she was withdrawing, was curling up inside her shell. for jura who had seen this before, it was painful to watch. and it was a reminder that wizard saint or not, there were things he could not fight. and even if he could fight this battle, he would not. because this was sherry's fight, not his. his only place in this was to wait in silence while she battled her demons, sitting by her side to remind her that although no one else could fight with her, she was not alone.

since they had come back to zinnia, she had lost weight. she had not eaten much in the first week or so, back when the nightmares had been even worse, before the potions had started to keep her sleep dreamless and a little more peaceful. but even so, the emotional turmoil she was in was painfully obvious. her gaze was haunted once more, her cheeks were colourless and hollow, and jura hated it. hated his own helplessness, too, though he should be used to it by now. sherry's grief was something he could not cure.

“ jura, ” she was quietly as her small, bony hand reached for his. “ how is the guild? ”

it was always her first question, and he had not yet figured out what it was she wanted to hear. whether she wanted him to tell her that without her presence, the guild was falling to pieces, or if she needed to hear that everything was fine, that adam had finished another book and that kora had returned from her last quest, bringing home rare sweets and new plants for the garden. 

what he kept doing was to tell her that the others wanted to visit, too, that adam was talking about asking her about some of the finer points of his latest story, that krysta was planning to host a small party when sherry returned to the guild. but she kept telling him that he was the only one she felt comfortable seeing, right now.

it went unsaid why that was, why she wanted him around instead of anyone else. jura had never struggled more with the  idea  of his ability, an ability someone he had cared for was now relying on for all the wrong reasons. he did not want to have to use his magic against sherry. he did not even want this to be an option that might be dictated by necessity.

“ the guild is fine, ” he said as he sat down, gently squeezing her hand and trying not to wince at the bandage that was wrapped tightly around her other wrist. where everyone was mostly worried about her mental state, jura also worried about her hand. her magic depended on it and an injury like that could have been career-ending. the thought was an uneasy one, the way most thoughts about sherry's health were uneasy nowadays. this would get better, too, as long as  she  got better, but right now, it added to the guilt jura felt. they should never have been separated the way they had been, he should have been there when nirvana had activated. his duty had been to his guild, first, to everyone else second.

“ that is good to hear, ” she said quietly, lowering her gaze. and although it was something so small, jura felt her pulling away. maybe he knew the signs because they had been there before, a long time ago. she had always stubbornly rejected help when she had needed it most, loathing the idea to become a burden instead of a friend, a family member.

“ sherry, ” he said softly as he tugged on her arm, drawing her attention back to him. “ we should go for a walk. ”

the doctors, he knew, would be against this, but to trap a woman who had been held prisoner by her own mind in a place like this could be impossibly be helpful for her recovery. and they could complain about his choice all they wanted, but he was a wizard saint and although it was usually not like him to use this title for his benefit, exceptions sometimes had to be made and he would make one now.

“ okay, ” she said as she shifted, reaching for her morning robe. a part of him felt conflicted --- he could not interpret this as sherry, understanding that she would need more time. she was too tired to fight, choosing to save her energy for situations where she would need it more.

and jura felt --- helpless. this was not a feeling he was particularly familiar with, these days. most days, he was not forced to watch, most days, he could act. but now? now he only felt numb as he watched sherry stumble through life. this was not how he wanted to feel. he did not want to feel like he was just another fool in the audience, separated from the action.

the wounds would eventually heal, that much was a given, just like it was a given that sherry was stubborn and prideful. jura was not concerned about the wounds, he was worried about the scars they would leave in their wake. because he knew the puppeteer, knew that she would deny their existence for as long as she drew breath. and this would not help her, this would only make things worse in the long run.

“ you did a good job, ” he said quietly as he steered the younger mage through the maze of hallways, glowering at the doctors who were throwing him disapproving glances. maybe, he thought, if he would repeat it often enough, she would start to believe it and accept that the failure had been his, not hers. by far the most accomplished mage, he should have been able to shield sherry from this fate. because what had happened dwarfed the cuts and bruises that were part of a mage's life.

sherry shuddered, but she did not shake her head. “ i just wish it had been enough, ” she replied, her cold hand squeezing his. and this was heartbreaking for jura, knowing that this was how she truly felt, that she was not trying to get him to compliment her. she had always been too harsh on herself, but this was a new level of it.

so he halted and turned towards her, both hands resting on her shoulders and sighing deeply. “ i know that this is how you feel, sherry, but you did your part. it is not your fault that many things went wrong and the plan itself was faulty, ” he said quietly, wondering how many times he had to repeat this before she could listen to him instead of her fear of failure. “ you did all you could do. and then, you did more than that. ”

when she had said that she would help to keep the magical bomber afloat, he had not thought it would be possible for her. she had been so pale safe for the growing bruise on her neck, had seemed so small while lyon had been holding her upright. a part of him had wanted to tell her to rest, had feared that even the slightest usage of magic would led to a collapse. but she had pulled through, despite it being close to impossible. she must have known the odds just as well as he had, but she had not cared.

sometimes, sherry could be a frightful creature.

“ you are hurt, ” he added as he pushed open the door to the small garden, offering her his arm. it was something he had kept saying for weeks now, reminding her that although the mark on her throat was gone, her mind had not forgotten. at the same time, he was trying hard to remind her that just because of what had occurred, she was not damaged beyond repair. but even so --- she was slipping away, little by little, and he feared for where this might lead her. hurt people often hurt others, and sherry  was  capable of great cruelty if she felt it was necessary. though this time, the guilt that was bound to follow would only delay her recovery even further.

“ ...i was on the backseat. i was  grieving  and i was  angry  and ... jura, and ... and ... i can't really say how much of what happened was nirvana and how much of it was me, wanting to hurt others so that they could feel how  i  felt, ” she said quietly, pained. this was nothing she wanted to talk about, this was nothing she wanted to admit. it was also definitely not something she had mentioned to her doctors; sherry was in this place because she rightfully assumed that otherwise, ooba-san would ban her from working as a mage for, well, forever. she was not here because she trusted the doctors blindly.

( which was smart; trusting  anyone  blindly could end badly. )

he sighed deeply as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders --- moving slow, giving her time to avoid the touch. he had never been  hurt  like this, had never been twisted against his ideals. there was no way he could possibly hope to understand how she was feeling, but fortunately, he did not  need  to understand what had happened as long as he understood her. “ i won't say that it was  just  nirvana, i know you well enough to know you're capable of lashing out ... quite badly, ” he said, finding that the words were easier to find now. the truth, he knew, was always easy, even when it was painful. “ but ... because i know you, i know that without nirvana involved, you would not have acted like this. you can be spiteful and ... quite mean, actually, but ... even at your worst, you have boundaries you do not cross. not in such an emotional state. ”

sometimes, he was not sure if it made her a better or a worse person that it was rare for her to follow her emotions blindly, that she tended to be perfectly calm whenever she lashed out, but right now, he was grateful for it. it made it easier to help her recall that just because she could do bad things and sleep at night, she was not a bad person.

“ i just... ” she trailed off, her hands clawing into the fabric of his skirt, the same fabric that now soaked up her bitter, bitter tears. she had refused to cry in front of anyone, so far, though red-rimmed eyes had given away that she had shed tears. and jura did not fault her for either --- tears were no sign of weakness and hiding them did not mean weakness either. it just meant that she knew that people would always misconstrue tears in one way or another. “ i'm scared, jura. what if they won’t let me be a mage anymore? ”

“ that's not their call to make. ooba-san will get their report and make her decision --- and she is in your corner, sherry, like she always is, ” he added as an afterthought. he did not always see eye-to-eye with their guild master, but he knew that although the woman had an odd way of showing it, she cared deeply about her mages --- especially about those who had been around for more than a few years. “ you will continue to be a mage, sherry. no one will take that from you. ”

if they would make a genuine attempt at that, jura himself would explain --- in detail --- why this was a horrible idea. sherry needed this life, the life of a guild mage, because it was the only life she had known since childhood. to take this from her would mean to tear out the very roots she had grown, the roots lamia scale had helped to nurture. and whoever would try to displace their guild's princess, jura knew, would be met with venom and rage.

“ promise? ” she asked and sounded like she was seven and lost all over again, tearing into his heart just as easily as she had then.

“ i promise. ”

[spotlightsaga]

Kevin Cage of @spotlightsaga reviews... Orange is the New Black (S05E06) Flaming Hot Cheetos Airdate: June 9, 2017 @oitnb Ratings: @netflix original Score: 8.75/10 **********SPOILERS BELOW********** How fitting that the episode we finally get a glimpse of the woman who left us all in emotional turmoil at the end of S4, is actually written by the wife and longtime partner of Samira Wiley (we love you Poussey Washington!), the incredibly talented, Lauren Morelli. In our last review of OITNB5, we focused a lot on perspective... When it comes to the loss and grieving of the very character that inspired the women of Litchfield Prison to take control of their prison, who better to give us a perspective as to the woman who is literally married to her in real life! Just thinking about life without my significant other sends complete and total perplexing, dramatic psychological turmoil surging through my entire being. No way. But if someone had to write what it would be like to move towards a place where moving on, and simultaneously holding on & letting go of even the character my significant other was playing... I guess the best person for the job would be me. There's a bit of added emotion that I've talked about being missing before, turning this episode from great to one helluva good time! 'Flaming Hot Cheetos, Literally' gives us more than just Soso & Taystee coming to terms with the loss of Poussey, though admittedly these two have had the most dramatically effective storyline in S5. We also get to see how the riot is changing the prison... Not just Litchfield, but the world of Litchfield and everyone's own little world that makes up the sum of its parts. It's easy to laugh when Big Boo (Lea DeLaria) comes in dressed to the nines, playing her 'Law & Order' theme music, claiming 'due process', and telling '2007 Britney Spears on Steroids' Helen (Francesca Curran) to 'best step out of her way' so she can talk to Pensatucky (Taryn Manning)... But the outcome is way more revealing of the heart and human side of these inmates. You see, these inmates who now have control have all been moved aside and dropped into a system where they are lost in privatized, overcrowded prisons... For the most part they may gravitate towards self-segregation, but they all have very key things in common. Boo plays her role well, pushing the women to 'be better than they are'... And she's right. You get locked up in a cage for so long and you start feeling like the animals that you are being treated as... But all these people are human beings and long prison sentences have proven not to work. So what does Boo suggest? A little bit of what my fellow TVTime'r and friend precisely called out as 'Restorative Justice'. In the whole process we get a bit more of the incredibly natural dynamic between Doggett and Boo. They are an incredible force together. The entire scene where Boo is counseling and directing Pensatucky as to how she needs to act, what she needs to say and do... Its just magic. Doggett responds so naturally, rattling off a story about how her mom used to coach her in case of getting caught shoplifting. It's these little scenes that continue to grow these original characters that really stick with me. Same with Soso (Kimiko Glenn) and Janae, the very unlikely duo. They are both grieving and instead of carrying that chip on her shoulder, Janae has a rare moment with Soso where she leaves her heart on her sleeve. I tear up just thinking about it. Janae has seen and felt so much prejudice and racial injustice... And the fact that she's so intelligent sometimes works against her. It's like being too smart for your own good. But with the prison now a barbed wired, locked down 'land of the free', Janae can parallel her feelings towards her racial injustices to her feelings about simply losing a friend... And let go, while still holding on to what makes her, her. Janae has always been a favorite of mine and while she's done questionable things, as we all have, it's easy to understand why. Deep down Janae is exploding with love, she has so much to give, but her intellect and her principles hold her back from sharing that love with all of those around her... That and of course the fact that she's in prison and must keep a certain air about her. With Taystee & Soso and now Boo & Doggett really stealing the show, it's nice to see Janae snag that spotlight because Vicky Jeudy deserves it... She gives so many dimensions to Janae that sometimes I think the writers don't even realize that the character has, that you simply can't ignore her. You can't ignore her plight. Janae is simply such a beautiful character, etched in pain, achievements, and a massive leap where she almost was able to grab the stars... Almost. As you know, 'almost doesn't count'. Speaking of not being able to ignore... Nita Reddy (Gita Reddy, isn't that funny?) has been tasked to help quell the riot. Unfortunately she's only meeting a few of the demands, the shallow ones, the 'Takis' and the 'Flaming Hot Cheetos', and one very necessary one (just not in the big picture), tampons! At first it feels like a win for Taystee and her 'Heads of Litchfield State' but after a phone call with a pushy Nita later on, it's clear that the rest of the demands aren't being taken seriously. Taystee is the last person in Litchfield who should be taken with a grain of salt. She has no ties to the outside, and her flashback gives us an in depth look at why she ended up wrapped tight in Vee's clutches. I've never met my biological father, but I often think about how it would go. Wonder if I'll ever even get an email or call... I think maybe there's a huge part of me that just wants to know that he acknowledges me. Taystee' story shows how that could all go horribly wrong when she is young and ready to be embraced by her real mother, who ends up having second thoughts because she has already started another life with another family. This killed me... I'm rewatching the scene now and I'm completely teared up. My biological father has since moved on from whatever the circumstances were surrounding my birth as my mother was a very young teenager, as was he. He has another son and a daughter. I wonder if they know who I am, I doubt it. In my head, this is more close to reality. There's a great shame in Taystee's mother's soul... She can't bring herself to overcome it and it crushes Taystee. Mia Jefferson (Tiffany Mann) plays this character right, there's a lot of us out there who never have met one or more of our birth parents. The first thing Taystee asks is 'Why didn't you want me?' The first thing I would ask is, 'Why have waited so long to reach out?' Taystee's situation is more difficult than mine, she has no one. I had a mother who beat incredible odds at a young age and a step-father who earned the title of 'Dad'. Still, there will always be a void until that man says something to me, and if he's too afraid to say something or complacent enough in his own life to never reach out, then I'll die with that void... But that will be on him, and I hope it weighs heavy. Little does he probably know that I am one of the most understanding and forgiving people in this world... And that's because I have people to fall back on. It breaks my heart that Taystee doesn't. I understand it, but to know this pain and imagine it multiplied wrecks me, truly. Andrew McCarthy seems to be given the most chaotic episodes. There is so much happening here... The Litchfield Trial of Tiffany Doggett, the arrival and subsequent removal of Hot Cheetos & Takis, Taystee's backstory with her biological mother, Janae & Soso running their pain away together, Lorna (Yael Stone) & Nicky (Natasha Lyons) finally giving in to sexual tensions and then facing the repercussions, Aleida Diaz (Elizabeth Rodriguez) being rushed into prime time news to give her exclusive take on Litchfield and being taken advantage of by a shady producer (Megumi Haggerty), Bayley (Alan Aisenberg) considering suicide because no one will listen to him or arrest the upper-middle class white boy who's in a 'bad place', Piper leaving Alex's backyard sit-in to take a stand, Freida leading all the 'elders' to her giant survivalist utopia, as well as Taystee meeting Poussey for the first time in the library that was always very close to her heart... And let's not forget the 'blaze of glory' finale where our fan favorites and 'Woke' Litchfield Leaders burn those mother fucking Flaming Hot Cheetos and Takis to the ground! Cindy starts the party... 'Flamin Cheetos, y'all!' Janae keeps the energy going, 'Yo, T... Tell this woman what we want!' Taystee plays off her hype women, 'We want to be mother fucking taken serious!' Chaos reigns supreme here, but McCarthy is masterful at balancing it all out. Who knew... Right? Oh wait, we all did! That's why McCarthy is given the tough ones!