#orion pax responds

[flipping-the-coin]

For Megatron and Orion, do either of you have any quirks that get on each other’s nerves?

From the desk of  Head Archivist: Orion Pax Hall of Records East Trion Square Iacon

Oh, this is a rather personal inquiry. I did not expect anyone to have questions about my relationship with my Conjunx, but I do not mind answering such things. Megatronus and I are quite open about our grievances with each other, so there is nothing I can share that he does not already know. Once I arrive back home, I will pass this inquiry to him, so that he may answer as well. 

At the forefront of my processor: Megatronus, for some unknown reason, refuses to stop moving my things around. I am uncertain why he has taken it upon himself to torture me by reorganizing my paints and datapads so incessantly. I know where I put my things, and I expect my things to be where I put them. Does he not understand how many pieces of calligraphy have been ruined because he thought best to reorganize my paints? I have practically begged him to stop, but to no avail. I do not understand it. 

Megatronus has also a deep grudge against Ratchet that he simply refuses to let go of. He has never liked Ratchet. I understand some of his anger towards him now; Ratchet has been quite the glitch towards me lately, and Megatronus has always been overprotective of me. But this runs deeper than that. Megatronus views Ratchet as a threat to both me physically and his claim on me.  He cannot get it out of his helm this idea that Ratchet is so callous towards me because he is jealous he cannot have me and that one cycle he will try to kill me over it. I have not been able to ease the discontent in his spark, no matter how much I have tried. 

My Conjunx also tends to become angry or defensive rather quickly. This is not an issue I face with him, personally (he is always exceptionally patient and gentle with me), but rather how he reacts to others. This has been a source of irritation between us since the beginning. He is especially defensive over our relationship and his political views. He is not as bad as he used to be, however. In the past, he was prone to lashing out with violence first. Now, violence is his last resort. I am extremely proud of him for that.  

The only other thing I can think of that irritates me is how often Megatronus leaves the berth during our recharge cycles. I think it’s leftover coding from the war. He patrols and tidies the whole hab and sometimes the yard as well. He can’t settle until he goes through his process, which I understand, but I still often come online alone. Without him beside me, I struggle to keep warm, and I admit that I do not always feel safe enough to recharge when I am not wrapped up with him. I have to wait for him to return to me to fall back into recharge. He knows it bothers me, so he sometimes brings me a snack to make up for my discomfort. 

Please do not misunderstand me, I could not ask for a better Conjunx. He is attentive to my needs, vulnerable with me about his emotions, and is the most romantic mech I have ever met. He has his flaws, as all mechs do, and is a bit rough around the edges, but that is partially what makes him so attractive to me. Thank you for your inquiry. It has been my pleasure answering it. 

Head Archivist: Orion Pax

My apologies, Anonymous One, for the wait. I take full responsibility for the delay in this response. Orion gave me this inquiry of yours several cycles ago, and I fully admit that its existence slipped from my processor. I admit that I was more focused on “attending to his needs” than I was with thinking about how he annoys me. It’s nothing personal, “attending his needs” is simply a more pleasant endeavor. 

Since you asked, however: Yes, there are things Orion does that gets under my plating from time to time. I make it no secret that he can be an insufferable little glitch when he wants to be. 

The first thing that comes to my processor is how finicky the mech can be about everything. He is not one who cares about style, but he does for textures, both visual and tactile. Every piece of furniture I wish to purchase has to pass the Pax look and touch test to see if it is worthy. This is partially why we have so little furniture and decor in our hab. Orion is just… particular. This also flows into his fuel choices, brands of paints, datapads, his rocks, even the sorts of crystals he prefers.

He is especially fond of sweets, which isn’t a problem on its own. The problem is when he loses track of how much he is consuming, and fuels himself on sweets until he makes himself sick. It’s a mess I don’t enjoy cleaning up. He has little self-control when it comes to his favorite fuels; including intoxicants. Although, I can’t say that I become annoyed when he overindulges in high grade. We always have a fantastic time together when he decides he wants to drink.

Orion also becomes overfocused on certain things he is doing, which leads him to forget miniscule things.  For example; when he is deep in research mode, he often wanders the hab with his face buried in whatever datapad he’s engrossed in. He will forget to close the refrigerant unit, leave lids off of fuels, forget to turn off faucets… any number of small, yet necessary tasks. He simply becomes so focused that I am not certain he even realizes what he is doing outside of his primary task. 

He is also insufferably stubborn in some areas; fighting battles that do not need to be fought. My reputation, for example, is exactly where I expect it to be given my role in our planet’s destruction, yet he insists on fighting for my acceptance in society. He seems to have a knack for refusing to let go of lost causes. Another example is his ‘friendship’ with that slagging medic. 

I don’t know what it will take for Orion to realize that Ratchet is not his friend. They may have been close in the past, but now that medic is nothing more than a walking explosive. His ‘medical care,’ if it can even be called that anymore, is nothing more than physical and emotional torment, yet Orion always excuses it away as if that is normal behavior for friends. Ratchet has done nothing but betray him since the war started, and Orion refuses to see that and listen to reason. It's the most frustrating thing about him, if I’m being completely honest. 

-Megatron

[lets-try-some-writing]

Death is very good being Normal (at least he thinks so)

The Thirteenth Prime is death, that is his function, his purpose. However in response to increasingly high counts of meaningless loss of life, he has taken on physical form to try and address the issue. Too bad he keeps getting wrapped up in side quests and friendship along the way.

Previous part here.

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Orion Pax was an odd one alright. Ratchet knew that the moment he saw Orion the first time at the archives.

The way he walked was almost as if gravity had no sway over him. His body language was near non-existent and Ratchet couldn't sense an EM field from him at all. The Archivist seemed to blend right into the background if one weren't paying attention and Orion didn't even seem bothered. If anything Pax appeared to be more shocked when he was noticed rather than when he wasn't. Not only that, but there was just something... of about him. His limbs were too long, his plating too jagged and placed in areas it really shouldn't have been able to develop. His optics were too wide, too bright, and lifeless despite their glow.

He was off, but Ratchet found himself intrigued all the same.

He vividly remembered the day he finally worked up the confidence to approach the mech. He requested aid finding a text he could have easily hunted down himself just to see how the Archivist would respond. Ratchet was left even more interested in Orion when all the Archivist did was nod and gracefully guide Ratchet through the archives without even the slightest hint of emotion beyond momentary confusion and shock at being spoken to. It was almost hypnotic following Orion Pax with how every living thing seemed to bow to him.

He left the archives with his medical text in a bit of a daze and with more questions than answers. That day he resolved to figure out who Orion was and what about him made him so mysterious.

He came back to the archives time and time again, at first under the guise of needing new texts for his studies. Orion always seemed so very shocked when Ratchet approached but he never once rejected him. He talked with Orion, often receiving basic answers or ones that were so cryptic they hardly made sense. However eventually he came back just to be with the Archivist he had started to see as a friend. Orion was an excellent conversationalist and wise far beyond what Ratchet assumed was his age,. What started as a simple study of a unique character ended with Ratchet genuinely invested in teaching Orion how to be normal as he quickly discovered his friend was anything but.

Ratchet gave up asking how and why when it came to Orion around a stellar cycle into their friendship and instead merely sighed and accepted the oddity that was Pax.

Often Orion forgot to vent, a thing Ratchet had learned had zero affect on Orion since the mech was always cold as ice, only ever being even the slightest bit warm around the chassis. In such instances he would tap Orion on the shoulder and that would be enough to get him to open his vents and begin running his fans just to appear normal. When it happened in public mecha always began to panic upon seeing Orion with his armor clamped down tight around himself. The concern was so common that Ratchet even began timing how long it would take after Orion forgot for some poor bot to begin worrying that Orion was going to overheat.

The Archivist also tended to forget to show expression, make a show of having a field, and present some sort of body language. The lack of it left everyone Orion interacted with aside from those who knew him feeling like they were talking to a ghost. So Ratchet often straight up told Orion how he was supposed to act when required. Shoulders back, shift pedes every three seconds or so with slight variation, vent twice a Klik, reset the optics periodically, smile when spoken to, and so on. The list was near endless but he coached Orion all the same.

The only times he purposefully let Orion be was when the less savory sort came and bothered them. In those instances he was perfectly content to let Orion scare the scrap out of the poor bot on the receiving end by pure nature of his seeming lifelessness.

There were plenty of other things about Orion that Ratchet couldn't and certainly felt no need to explain. Sometimes Orion would disappear for cycles at a time without a word or a trace, almost like he had never existed at all. The first time it happened Ratchet nearly drove himself into a frenzy trying to find him until Orion reappeared as if nothing happened. After that he panicked a handful more times, but every instance of Orion dropping off the earth always ended with him returning in perfect condition. As such when it happened Ratchet stopped worrying and instead made sure to take care of Orion's plant while he was off doing whatever.

Ratchet also quickly got over Orion knowing things he really shouldn't and giving answers so wildly out there that it was ridiculous. How did Orion know personal details about what the late Lord of Vos preferred in his fuel? No clue. How did Orion know about the death of Sentinel Prime long before it was announced? Ratchet didn't even bother to try and figure it out. How was Orion aware that he had broken a cup in the medical bay earlier that morning when he had been alone and cleaned it up right after? He didn't want to know.

Ratchet: Where are you from Orion? It's rather obvious you are not native to Iacon.

Orion: I come from the place between the stars where time is meaningless and the whispers of things inconceivable to the mortal optic ring out all around.

Ratchet: Right... that is one way to describe the wilds.

Ratchet: So do you have any relatives?

Orion: Father watches over me in my duties, his gaze ever present but not loving. He is far greater than I, his vision so much more expansive that I cannot even comprehend it. My brothers do their duties with little regard for my own purpose. We are set apart, kin in our maker but not the same.

Ratchet: *nervous as hell* Tough family life huh? Understandable. What is this purpose you speak of?

Orion: I am merely a keeper, one who walks the void between realities to safeguard the children of Primus. I care little for who they are or what they have done, only that they are brought back safely and learn. They can struggle as hard as they wish, but all will come to me eventually...

Ratchet: *having a small crisis* An odd way to describe archiving data, but I suppose all do come for learning eventually.

Orion: As you say.

Sometimes he needed a strong drink after interacting with Orion, but he wouldn't dare ignore the entertainment he gained from his friend when he wasn't being driven to alcoholism with wisdom that Orion really shouldn't have and the odd instances where he saw some sort of energy being in place of his friend after long work shifts. After meeting Megatronus, Orion's odd instances became far more obvious since the Gladiator had quickly taken to telling Orion that it was indeed normal to do all the things the Archivist did that were certainly not. It drove Ratchet up the wall the first few times, but it quickly became funny for him as well to watch the reactions of others in response to Orion's actions.

Megatronus was weirded out by Orion on many levels, but he too gained an appreciation for him after listening to the wisdom Orion had to give. Not to mention Orion somehow had contacts everywhere and could forge words like a master even if they ended up being more terrifying than convincing.

Megatronus: How does the speech fare little Archivist? Might I hear a snippet of what you have composed?

Orion: The void awaits us all, our lives ultimately destined to end. Why endure suffering for eternity when it can be changed for those who are to come? Would we condemn the little children to this torture? Stand up. Fight for your freedom and embrace the end. For what harm is there is facing death with honor.

Megatronus: *slightly shaken* A good start, but perhaps tone down on the melodramatics.

To make up for the near constant trauma that came from being around Orion, Megatronus made great sport out of watching the chaos that came from his companion. While Orion was not very expressive, it was pretty clear he thought he was doing a great job at being normal. Megatronus never saw fit to correct him simply because the Archivist managed to scare Soundwave of all mecha by turning up in his berthroom in the middle of the night while somehow managing to get past all the security systems and Soundwave's heightened senses, only to then lean down and whisper to the spymaster.

"Megatronus summons you to formulate plans upon which this world may be rebuilt"

Simply put, Megatronus sent Orion to tell Soundwave to come to a meeting, and by the time the spymaster shot up, Orion was gone without a trace, not even a mark left on the security footage either. Soundwave quickly similarly ceased asking questions about the matter of Orion Pax and joined Ratchet and Megatronus in watching the fallout.

Orion seemed to think he was doing a fantastic job as he assisted in the efforts to begin a revolution in the pits. Megatronus could tell just by looking at him that the Archivist didn't even seem aware of how creepy he was. It was terrifying to have Orion turn up at any and all hours to hand over information. It didn't matter where Megatronus, Soundwave, Ratchet, or anyone else was. If Orion had information he wanted to relay, he would get to wherever they were and hand over the data even if his last known location was on the other side of the planet. Megatronus opted to ignore the fact that when Orion reappeared after disappearances his frame was a little more "normal" looking. He also never commented when Orion stared at him with unfeeling optics as if watching an interesting animal.

And much like Ratchet, he just did his best to forget the times Orion shifted in times of danger to become something... other. It was always different, but whatever it was Orion became when he felt threatened... it was a terrifying mess of energy and optics, claws and denta, fangs and wings. Best to ignore it and move on, as was generally the best decision when it came to anything that had to do with Orion Pax.

Even still Megatronus and Ratchet said nothing, letting Orion do as he felt and only directing him when in public if at all. He was strange and most likely a spark eater or another abomination in disguise. But he was a good mech and cared deeply once one got to know him. So for that Ratchet and Megatronus dealt with his oddities by either ignoring them or drinking them away so they could instead enjoy his companionship.

Orion for his part didn't know he was doing a poor job blending in and was just pleased that his chosen champion was making such good progress.

[bad-tf-fic-ideas]

(054) A no-war MegOp meet cute: Orion Pax attends an unsatisfactory date with a higher-caste admirer. They attend a small-batch energonerie where the energon is extremely expensive and has tastes attributed to it that Orion has never even heard of. His date is very cute. But unfortunately, he is confidently wrong about several areas that are of significant academic interest to Orion, and he treats Orion's increasingly strained, diplomatic responses as though they are the result of an ignorant lower-caste mind. :(

Their journey back from the energonerie is interrupted by an emergency nearby—an infrastructure collapse. While waiting with his blustering companion to be allowed back through the roads, Orion Pax strikes up a conversation with one of the volunteer emergency responders who have come to help get through the mass of rubble. Megatronus isn't cute, or polished, but he is absolutely huge. Also, he doesn't talk down to Orion and, oh yes, he'd just love to see the archives some time (he says, looking directly at the date in a way that escapes Orion's notice entirely). Orion Pax likes to think he's too polite to abandon his date on the spot but he leaves with a new comm code in his data banks...

[spreadwardiard]

More than Affection

Death had a single mission in the living realm: to find a Champion worthy of bearing the Matrix of Leadership so that they may restore the proper balance of their world. He did not understand mortals, nor their emotions, despite how much he cared for them, and so was left awed and confused when his spark began to react unusually to the one he had chosen as his champion.

Based off my friend @lets-try-some-writing's fantastic AU: Death's Embrace: Part 1 and Part 2. Please read these first as they give so much context to what is going on in this AU.

Orion Pax, the Thirteenth Prime, the walker of the void between the living and the dead, the ferry of sparks to their Father's loving embrace, the manifestation of all that death was, was a wise mech in many ways, but there were so many things about the children of Primus he had yet to understand. Just when he thought he had it all figured out, that he understood the living children as well as he needed to; his chosen champion of change flipped his understanding entirely on its helm.  He had missed the exact moment that Megatronus of Kaon ceased to find him unnerving, but he had not missed when his champion's affections turned to something… foreign and unidentifiable. 

This new feeling that radiated from Megatronus’ very spark whenever he was near came upon him without warning one evening when he had come to the Champion with notice of an imminent raid. He had, in his usual fashion, emerged from the void in the shadows behind the champion, who had been hunched over his desk, composing what Orion assumed was his next speech. Orion had thought nothing of it when he leaned over with his palm braced upon Megatronus’s shoulder and whispered in his audial, “Prepare yourself, my Champion. The enemies of our order have come to destroy us. Their wrath knows no bounds, and carried by command, they shall have no mercy. Flee while you can champion, take your followers, for they are coming."

Megatronus had not reacted the way he had expected him to at the news. His chosen Champion was prone to act with haste and righteous fury, yet the emotions that came from his spark were unknown to the walker of the voids. Affection, he understood, and there was a strong undercurrent of that familiar emotion underneath this strange feeling that Megatronus was refusing to allow through his EMs. Another oddity, Megatronus was not one to shield others from the truths of his emotions unless it somehow benefited him to do so, and Orion could think of no benefit to obscuring any form of affection for one’s companions.

Megatronus had then asked him a question he had never asked before; “When will I see you again?” 

Megatronus had acted so entirely out of character throughout the encounter that Orion almost feared something catastrophic had already happened. There had been a strange melancholy tinting that question that he could not quite interpret, but knew that it was directed towards himself. It made no sense to him why, when Megatronus’ main concern should have been to alert Soundwave of this new information and flee. 

His chosen champion’s odd behaviors around him only seemed to increase from that point forward. Those who had taken heed of his warning and fled alongside the Champion had sought refuge deep in the abandoned mines of Kaon, where no light from the nearest star could reach. He had paused after he had stepped from the void. Lingering in the shadows, he observed the forlorn look upon Megatronus’ face and a strange, twisting unease in his spark that he covered with a veil of false confidence. 

Glancing around all the bots collected in this shaft, Orion could not understand why. Everyone of note had been present, and even many of those Orion had yet to acquaint himself with were there. Soundwave had been at ease with the situation, and none of the others appeared to be nearly as concerned as their leader. It was… odd… 

What was even odder was how Megatronus had responded to him when he finally stepped out of the shadows to stand at his side. Instead of his usual greeting, Megatronus had taken him by the wrists and examined his frame as if he were expecting him to be damaged, and only after he was satisfied that Orion was perfectly intact did that strange unease in him die down, to be replaced by such a strong wave of relief that it had stunned the walker of the void.

His chosen champion had never examined him in such a manner before, nor had he ever embraced him in the manner he had afterwards. He had been pulled flush against the champion and held tightly against his warm chassis. Megatronus had held him there until his relief shifted into that same, mysterious emotion from before, only this time, a bit more open in its presentation. Megatronus did not seek to hide nearly as much of this strange… ‘more-than-affection’ feeling from him as he had their previous encounter. 

Orion did not understand any of it, but the warmth he experienced while being embraced lingered far longer than he had expected it to, and he found himself often recalling how pleasant it had felt to be enveloped in his Champion’s arms. However, Megatronus did not embrace him upon his next visit, and Orion had been disappointed in that fact, though he did not recognize his disappointment until he had returned to the void, feeling colder than normal.

The odd behaviors and feelings continued. It became quite common for the Champion of Kaon to rest his servo upon Orion’s shoulder; a gesture that Orion reciprocated eagerly, often accompanied by a gentle smile or curious tilt of his helm. Though foreign to him, the progression of his champion’s strange, shifting affections felt natural and satisfying in a way he could not describe.

It did not feel especially strange when Megatronus took his servo for the first time, one evening, as they sat together in the dark, speaking of nothing of consequence; though it was strange to him why Megatronus had been so nervous before he had done so. But his champion had eased as soon as Orion had shifted his digits, to allow them to intertwine with those of his champion. Megatronus had held his servo until Orion had felt drawn to return to the void, where he swore the warmth of Megatronus’ touch had lingered even as he ushered the latest wave of Primus’ children back to his loving embrace. 

For reasons he did not entirely understand, he had found himself visiting his champion more frequently, and staying late into the recharge cycle. Some cycles, they discussed their revolution and their various plans regarding their upcoming moves. Such conversations were not especially noteworthy. 

But there was one night that Orion still could not shake out of his helm; where Megatronus had looked directly into his optics and recited a piece of poetry about a captivating Archivist from Iacon, who’s optics were so enchanting that he wished he could peer into them forever and who’s derma he’s dreamed of feeling against his own. It was the most emotionally raw and vulnerable he had ever seen the champion, or anyone for that matter, at least in person, and it had left him forgetting to vent entirely until Megatronus had finished the piece. By the time he had remembered he needed to vent to appear living, something strange was churning in his own spark, bubbling up along with his already present affections in a confusing jumble of feelings he did not comprehend. He had been rendered speechless by the poem, and had resorted to reaching out to take Megatronus’ servo into his own and squeezing it tightly to show his approval. 

It was not long after that, that Megatronus had begun to sense his presence, even before he materialized from the void. He was uncertain by which mechanism Megatronus employed to detect him, but it became noteworthy when he arrived one evening to find the champion and his most trusted mechs seated around a table, upon which was a map, discussing their upcoming plans. Orion heard the voice of his champion even before he had begun to materialize his frame in the shadows.

“You need to move.” Megatronus had interrupted whoever was speaking with a firm order, and the room had gone eerily silent at the sudden shift in tone. 

“What? Why?” The confusion had been as evident in the mech’s voice as his disappointment had been. Clearly he had been excited to have a seat beside the Champion of Kaon. 

“That seat is taken. Get up, or I’ll make you get up.” It had been that moment that Orion had stepped out of the shadows and every set of optics in the room rested upon him. He had regarded them all curiously, unsure of what exactly it was he had been sensing from them as he had silently made his way to Megatronus’ side. It had been then that Megatronus had shoved the mech beside him forcefully from his seat and offered it to Orion.

When he took the mech’s place at Megatronus’ right, his Champion saw fit to lace together their digits, and place their joined servos on the table for all to see. Orion saw no reason to withdraw, and so had simply enjoyed the warmth seeping in from his champion’s palm and the strange sensations that very warmth sent to his spark. It mattered little to him that so many stared at them in silent recognition of some unspoken declaration that only Orion seemed unaware of. Megatronus had flawlessly picked up the conversation where he had interrupted it as the mech he had removed from his side took a seat at the opposite end of the table. 

Truthfully, Orion could not recall any of the specific details of that particular meeting. He had been too focused on trying to interpret the jumbled emotions welling up in his spark, that same “more-than-affection” that he sensed from his champion, though he still could not decipher the meaning of it. He knew that he found the sensations agreeable, pleasurable, even, and he knew that he wished to seek out more of this strange feeling that he could not call by name that only Megatronus seemed capable of making him feel. 

When Megatronus first placed his servo upon his waist, the warmth that radiated from his touch had seeped so deeply into him that his very spark could feel its comfort; and when his champion tugged him gently against his side, Orion eagerly leaned into the warmth that spilled into him at each point their frames touched. 

None of it made sense to him; the feelings, the newfound desire for warmth, the strange behaviors that had now become anticipated and comforting... He enjoyed when Megatronus touched him, though he did not know why it felt so different from the touch of any other mech. He found himself, somewhere along the way, almost craving the warmth that Megatronus provided him with his touches, and actively began seeking it out, sometimes even finding himself tucked against the champion’s side before being prompted. 

Megatronus stopped attempting to hide this strange feeling with his EMs entirely after Orion had materialized at the foot of his berth late one recharge cycle after leading home the latest batch of sparks, waking the champion with just a single request on his glossa. “I wish to bask in the warmth of my champion’s embrace.” 

Megatronus wordlessly invited him into his berth by lifting his arm and once Orion had climbed in beside him, he was pulled snugly to the champion's chassis, held firm, back struts flush against the champion's frame where the most wonderful warmth emanating from Megatronus seeped into him, soothing in him discomforts he had not even been aware he had felt at all. Megatronus’ mighty arm held him firmly in place, and similarly, Orion’s grip on his champion's servo, where he had intertwined their digits, only further served to anchor the two of them together. 

Orion spent many recharge cycles lying in the champion’s berth, secure in a warm embrace. It gave him joors upon joors to think and attempt to dissect the strange ways that Megatronus had affected him since he had detected that shift in the champion’s emotions. Never before had he been content to simply lie in place when there were so many things he should be observing and tending to with his free time. But this new emotion in his spark grew heavy and manifested as a persistent desire that gnawed at him to return to the comfort of his champion’s side the longer he stayed away, and he had found that these periods of rest somehow eased that strange… almost pain he came to expect from separation. 

And when they were together… It mattered not whether they were lying in berth or standing side by side, Orion found his artificial venting matching that of his champion’s vent for vent, and it was becoming more and more common for the entire universe to melt away in his awareness when the champion addressed him, and when Megatronus drew him close and looked into his optics his spark would pulse so strongly that he feared it would break free of the frame he had constructed around himself.  He would have been frightened by the intensity of the feeling had he not been aware that his champion felt exactly the same way, and was not concerned. 

For all the eons that he had walked the void, he had never felt anything remotely close to this. It was unfathomable to him. He could pick out individual aspects of this larger emotion; such as affection, anticipation, fondness, security and excitement; however these were only small facets of the massive new emotion that had taken root in his spark. When he tried to analyze them all together it simply became a too large and confusing to comprehend, especially if he attempted to factor in how not just his own behaviors had been altered so drastically due to this emotion, but his champion’s as well

He understood that Megatronus had become important to him, more so than any other who walked the living realm, but it had nothing to do with the quest he had sent his champion on and everything to do with how the champion made him feel. Like he was… wanted; like his presence was enjoyed. Something he had never cared about before.

 His last encounter with Megatronus had resulted in the most tempestuous reaction in his spark yet. The bulk of the visit was relatively unnoteworthy. Mechs were packing up their camp in the mine shaft to relocate to a safe house in Tarn. Once again, Megatronus covered his anxieties with false confidence as he directed his flock and collected his own belongings. Orion assisted him in packing and when he had felt the call to return to the void, Megatronus stopped him from stepping into the shadows with a quick, desperate grasp to his wrist.

Megatronus pulled Orion gently back towards him and drew him into a tender embrace. Orion leaned into the warmth provided by his champion, his optics shuddering offline almost on instinct as he rested helm upon his shoulder, his face nuzzled into the crook of Megatronus’ neck, content to feel his claws drawing soothing circles on the plating of his lower back. He could spare a few more kliks…. 

He was just about to regretfully pull away from the embrace when he felt Megatronus lightly touch the side of his digit to his chin, in a gentle, unspoken, request. He allowed Megatronus to guide his helm, and when their optics met, Orion’s spark twisted in a strange anticipation at the look he was receiving. His champion looked… nervous, unsure, like he wanted to say something, but underneath it, he felt a strange yearning emanating from the him that Orion couldn’t interpret. Megatronus’ shifted his touch, from Orion’s chin to cup the side of his helm and Orion instinctively nuzzled into the warmth of his champion’s palm and let his optics fall closed as that confusing, yet pleasant jumble of emotions swirled around in his spark. 

And then, without warning, time entirely stopped as he felt Megatronus’  hesitantly press together their derma. He froze stiff as that feeling in his spark suddenly detonated with what felt like the power of a super nova. It surged through him like lightning, and each gentle movement of his champion’s warm derma against his own only sent more fuel to power the fire burning in his spark.  It was nearly overwhelming. He didn’t know what to do, how to respond, or what he was feeling. The only thing even remotely comparable had been the overwhelming understanding that had struck him when his purpose had become known to him. Only this… this was new, it was wonderful; exciting! He’d never felt so…. Alive. He wished it would never end. 

Megatronus pulled away suddenly his field felt off, and instantly Orion felt nearly frantic as awareness snapped back into place abruptly. His servos shot up with urgency and caught the champion by his helm to keep him from retreating any further. It was too soon. He wasn’t ready for it to be over, and Megatronus was upset by something he must have done incorrectly.  When Megatronus’ confusion seeped into his field atop the dejection he was trying to cover up, Orion gently guided his champion back to him, where he clumsily pressed their derma together once more. 

As if he had flipped a switch, his champion surged with confidence as he crushed Orion tightly to his frame, and Orion’s spark soared. The first kiss had been a gentle, almost innocent  brushing of derma, but the second… Megatronus kissed him as if he were starving; hot and passionate, with dentae and glossa. Orion did his best to keep up, tried to mimic and match Megatronus’ technique but he could barely focus over the way his champion had him entirely enveloped in his field, drowning him in the intensity of their combined sentiments. Megatronus seemed to care little that Orion was inexperienced and clumsy, merely chuckling when Orion accidentally clanged their dentae together. He simply had taken charge and kissed Orion until his processors were nearly scrambled with how fiercely it had his spark pulsing with that emotion he could not name. 

When Megatronus pulled away the second time, he was venting heavily, as if he had just come from battle.  He pressed the crests of their helms together gently and this time, Orion was at peace with their separation, his spark thrumming with contentment at their closeness.

“Orion… I-” But the champion cut himself off, though Orion did not know why. It caused him to tilt his helm, in curiosity, as he could tell that whatever Megatronus had wanted to say was of great importance to him. But he had simply smiled, in a melancholy sort of way as he loosened his grip, allowing Orion the space to pull away from him, if he chose to do so. and asked, in a forlorn tone, “When will I see you again?” 

Orion finally understood that Megatronus must have suffered that same… almost painful sensation that he did when they were separated; the one that gnawed at him with memories of warmth and touch and that… feeling in his spark that made him ache to return to his side. He let one of his servos fall from his champion’s helm, to lace together their digits, in the manner he had grown to find comforting.  “I shall return to your side once I have restored those lost and wandering to their eternal sanctum of rest.”

Megatronus’ seemed to find reassurance in his answer, and he smiled, the lazy one that Orion usually only saw when they were lying in berth, and Megatronus just a groon or so from falling into recharge. “How is it that you always know where to find me, my archivist?” 

Orion had smiled at the question and tightened his grip on the champion’s servo as he spoke his response; “The void is but a veil upon which you are always visible to me, my Champion. There is nowhere in the vastness of all that exists you could hide where I could not find you.”

Orion left soon after, with another gentle kiss from his champion graced upon his derma just before the void and strengthened its call to him. Though he noted with some concern that he… did not want to. He wanted to stay with Megatronus, to convince the champion to put off his relocation efforts for just one more cycle, so that they could hold each other in berth and kiss until Megatronus was forced into recharge. 

 The void felt colder than it had during his last retreat, though he knew that that was an impossibility. Something had changed in him to make it feel this way. He did not know if it was something he should be concerned with or not. At its worst, it seemed a mild side effect of… what that kiss had done to him. 

Orion knew, theoretically, what a kiss was, but he did not fully understand what they meant. He knew it was something mortals engaged in with those they felt a great deal of affection for, but he did not understand exactly what had changed between Megatronus and himself to suddenly warrant such an act. They had been feeling these emotions for nearly a vorn now. Something had to have changed. Right?

Somewhere along the way, a great many things had changed, including himself. He was feeling things he knew he was not programmed to feel, even if he could not name those feelings. He knew that now, suddenly, a living being was more important to him than the rest, though he still did not know why. And suddenly he found himself understanding those sparks that lingered near to those they were close to in life, for when he now came to the void, he longed for the warmth of the one he had left behind as well. 

He found that this newfound understanding helped him to ease some of the Precious sparks back to Primus’ embrace with greater ease, though he was not certain what exactly he was doing differently. He sometimes wished he could seek their wisdom as he guided them along the path home, for he knew what he felt was experienced by the living, and perhaps they would be able to at lease identify for him what he was experiencing. But such a thing was not possible. The living, once passed into the void, could not speak. 

He was left with more questions than answers by the time he sensed none left who needed to be guided, and he felt so much colder than he remembered being. The warmth he had soaked up from Megatronus was just a memory, and he felt that strange almost pain biting at him to return to the champion, as he had said he would, once his duties were seen to. But these questions needed to be answered. He needed to know what was happening to him, what strange, mortal influence had taken refuge in his spark. 

He could not ask his brother. Alpha Trion was unlikely to understand and certain to pass judgements upon him for engaging so deeply with Primus’ children. It felt… wrong to ask Megatronus directly, even though logically he knew Megatronus would likely have the answer. He did not even know where to begin to search the archives for the information he sought. 

There was one mech, however, that had made it a point to teach Orion more and more about how to appear… ‘normal’ and alive. The first mortal that had paid him any attention at all. He would go to Ratchet for the answers he sought. If anyone would be able to explain to him what this feeling was, it would be him.

[seehowsupplethespineis]

Fury in the Silence

(This was originally going to be for Megop Week but at some point I realized I’d totally forgotten the prompt I was going for, so here’s a plain-old Megop fic several weeks late from when I meant to post it. Whoops.)

(Warnings: Unjust imprisonment)

The buzz of the prison bars grew steadily more irritating. Aside from the constant hum of those energy beams, all was silent within the cell. From afar, occasional outraged shouts could be heard. A few of the voices sounded familiar to Megatronus, and his face twisted in a proud smirk. He resolved that those who spoke loudest would receive his commendation later. Straining his audial receptors, he sought out one particular voice. It was a quiet voice, so it was very likely to be drowned out. When he didn’t hear it, Megatronus didn’t know whether to be relieved or not. Pacing in his cell, he tried to calculate his next move. The incessant buzz of the prison bars sabotaged this attempt, however, and he snarled his frustration to the lonely cell.

As leader of the rebellion, Megatronus had been separated from his forces and isolated in a private cell. He would have been flattered if he wasn’t so peeved. It wasn’t so much his arrest that troubled him; he’d expected this for some time, and his public protest had made it reality. It had been a peaceful protest, though- a demonstration to call attention to lower class injustices. That was what made Megatronus so mad. If he was going to be arrested, let it be justified. Let it be because he well and truly crossed a line. Let it be-

“Megatronus!”

A low yet urgent voice called out to him. If it had been anyone else, the disruption would have infuriated the gladiator. But it was the voice he’d been listening for. He’d come.

“Orion.”

The prison guard who’d let the archivist in voiced a warning, but Orion Pax utterly ignored him as he darted over to the prison bars. His wide, blue optics studied Megatronus, a frown creasing his face.

“Are you alright?” he asked urgently, “Were you injured in any way?”

The concern cooled some of the fire in Megatronus’s spark. Stepping into the dim light cast by the prison bars and the light fixtures above, he nodded once.

“I am unhurt.”

His tone was guarded and impassive, though only because there was an outsider present. Orion knew this and turned to the guard.

“Is there any chance we can speak in private?”

An incredulous huff met his words, “Not going to happen.”

Orion’s brows drew together at the dismissive tone. They relaxed when Megatronus addressed him again.

“Orion, what are you doing here?” He couldn’t say he wasn’t relieved to see the archivist. He hadn’t known what became of him when the rebels had been rounded up, hence why he’d listened for his voice among the other prisoners. Still, he wished Orion had stayed away. This wasn’t a safe place for Megatronus’s supporters. If he disclosed too much, the guard would very likely throw him in a cell, too.

“I had to ensure you were safe,” Orion responded. The blue of his optics intensified in the glow of the prison bars, “I was unable to find you when-”

“As I have already told you, I am fine.”

At Megatronus’s interruption, Orion clammed up. If he sensed he’d been about to reveal too much, he didn’t appear concerned, only continuing to stare at Megatronus with a resolute expression. It was the stubborn face Megatronus had come to adore- the one that told the world this little archivist was unafraid to speak his mind. Right now, though, the gladiator wished Orion would stand down for once.

Orion Pax…Megatronus resisted a sigh, What am I to do with you?

He realized he’d drawn closer to the prison bars as they spoke. If he moved half a step further, he’d be burnt. On the other side, Orion had pressed as close to the bars as he could.

So little distance between them, yet out of reach all the same.

Orion’s gaze flickered over Megatronus, who remained impassive despite the rapid pounding in his spark. At last, Orion tore his gaze away to face the prison guard.

“How long until he and the others are released?”

The guard shrugged, “How should I know?”

Megatronus resisted another snarl. Thankfully, Orion was much calmer.

“Who can I ask for this information?”

“My superiors.”

“Where can I find them?”

“You can’t,” the guard answered firmly, “They don’t like to be disturbed.”

From his angle, Megatronus couldn’t see Orion’s face, though he knew it had set in a dangerously stubborn line, “They will have to make an exception.”

“Orion-” Megatronus began warily.

“Megatronus,” Orion responded in a tone clearly meant to convey “Let me handle this.”

But how could he? As dedicated as Orion was to Megatronus’s cause, he’d never been in the thick of it before. He was still the sheltered prodigy of Alpha Trion. He had no idea of the trouble he was inviting.

“There is nothing you can do for me,” Megatronus chose his words carefully, “You will do no good by accompanying me into trouble.”

Orion didn’t respond.

“Listen to your friend,” the guard jumped in, “You don’t want to be associated with his kind.”

The words were stated flippantly, without an ounce of regret or shame. Megatronus’s optics blazed. A familiar rage surged in his spark and spread throughout his entire frame. It was all he could do not to let it spill over. He had no idea what he’d do if he did, but for Orion’s sake, he kept it in check. Instead, he clenched his servos firmly behind his back, where they trembled violently.

Orion still didn’t turn to face him. There was tension in his shoulders, though his expression was now unreadable to Megatronus. Still caught up in his own ire, Megatronus was too late to prevent Orion from speaking.

“I already am,” the archivist stated calmly, “I was there at the protest. I am Megatronus’s most loyal supporter. You should lock me up as well.”

The guard was taken aback by Orion’s frankness, though not nearly as much as Megatronus was. His spark squeezed and suddenly burst back to life as he drew as close to the bars as he could, feeling the lasers singe his chest and face.

“Orion!” he hissed through clenched teeth.

“Megatronus,” Orion replied smoothly.

Once the guard had recovered himself, he gestured toward the door, vague confusion still painted on his face.

“Follow me...”

Orion nodded once and accompanied the guard out the door, leaving Megatronus in agony behind them. He wanted to shout after Orion but knew that, yet again, his words were useless. Once the door was shut, Megatronus couldn’t hold back anymore. He slammed a fist into the wall of his cell. It didn’t leave a mark. The walls were thick.

A roar of outrage surged from his voice box as he struck the wall again and again. He felt his digits crack and pain lance through his servos but he didn’t care. He just needed to leave a dent. Just one dent to prove that even if his voice was powerless, his fists weren’t.

When he at last recoiled, taking two shaky steps back, there was a dent. It was small - too small - but Megatronus couldn’t muster the energy to continue. He was exhausted, though his fatigue felt more emotional than physical. He collapsed onto the bench at the far end of the cell and held his face in his servos, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees.

The prison bars continued to hum.

Eventually, the door opened again. Silence suddenly permeated the cell. The hum had stopped.

“No room in the other cells. Play nice, you two,” The same guard of before spoke, a note of trepidation in his voice. The hum resumed not long after. At last, Megatronus summoned the will to look up.

Orion stood before him, now sealed behind the bars with him. After a moment’s hesitation, he walked over to sit beside Megatronus, who watched him with a detached, indecipherable expression. Orion looked unbothered, however, and regarded his companion with calm resignation and resolve. Unable to stand it, Megatronus let out a long, frustrated sigh.

“Orion…”

“Megatronus.”

Another bout of silence ensued during which Megatronus studied Orion, who remained unflinching- as always. Before Megatronus could even begin to think of what to say, or how to say it, Orion broke the quiet tension.

“Do not be angry with me, Megatronus,” he spoke calmly, though his voice was soft, “I could think of no other solution.”

Now Megatronus knew exactly what to say, “What solution? How do you hope to solve anything while trapped in a cell with me?”

“I am an archivist in the Hall of Records and an apprentice to Alpha Trion. Perhaps my imprisonment will draw attention to the unjust capture of your followers and yourself.”

“Perhaps?” Megatronus almost laughed, but in the end, there was nothing funny about any of this. He drew himself up and turned piercing optics on Orion. Even sitting down, he leered over the archivist

“Who do you think you are, Orion Pax?” he hissed, prison bars glinting off pointed teeth, “You’re nothing- an insignificant little archivist with nothing but Alpha Trion’s favor to your name. You have accomplished nothing. Your sacrifice means nothing. No matter what you do, you will always be nothing!”

On the last “nothing,” something within Megatronus caved. He turned away, gaze burning like the laser beams imprisoning him. He shut his optics.

They opened almost immediately when a gentle servo rested itself on his tightened fist. The touch became more solid as small digits fastened themselves around his hand, effortlessly prying his clawed digits open. The servo then rested itself in his. Reflexively, Megatronus closed his digits carefully around it.

He still didn’t turn back, but Orion spoke all the same.

“I do what I can. That is not nothing,” He gave Megatronus’s servo a squeeze, “You give all that you are. That is not nothing.”

A weighted pause followed his words. Unable to resist, Megatronus turned to him again. A smile graced the archivist’s gentle face. Megatronus was captivated by it. Under the gladiator’s spellbound gaze, Orion drew strength and sat up straighter.

“You have a voice, Megatronus, and it amplifies the voices of those around you. You inspire others to speak up for what is right. I could not have made the decision I did today without your example.”

A small sigh escaped Orion as he glanced down at their conjoined servos, “Maybe it was a foolish choice. Maybe nothing will come of it…But if I did not try, I would be unworthy to stand at your side.”

He didn’t look up when he finished speaking, but kept his gaze trained on their servos. If anyone else had said these words, Megatronus would have assumed they were at best comforting him, at worst attempting to gain favor. But this was Orion, and Orion was the sincerest mech Megatronus had ever known. He was also the naivest.

“Are you willing to remain by my side,” he said at last, “Even if I fall?”

Orion immediately met his gaze, to see two, tormented optics imploring him for a response. The archivist tightened his hold on Megatronus’s servo.

“Until the end,” he vowed, “I am yours.”

Megatronus shut his optics as that grave promise washed over him. When he opened them again, new resolve glinted in their depths. He saw that same resolve reflected in Orion’s optics. The gladiator drew strength from that mirrored gaze.

With Orion Pax by his side, he would tear this world down and stamp on its remains. Together, they would build a new and better Cybertron. No one would dare treat them like nothing ever again.

However long it took - whatever sacrifices had to be made - Megatronus looked forward to it all with a cruel smile.

[blue-phones]

I wanted to share mt friend’s absolutely atrocious AU idea

She enjoys ProwlOp more than most people I know and I love her for it, but my enjoyment of angst has rubbed off on her cuz she just whipped this idea out of no where:

Orion Pax and Prowl have been together for a hot minute and they’re going strong- especially with everything going on around them. What with tensions rising between groups and the general chaos in their system. But they’re strong together. And they love each other.

But then, Orion is chosen for the primusy (primucy? Idk that looks really wrong) and suddenly he’s not the same mech. He remembers faces and names, but he doesn’t remember how in which he knows these people. He’s forgotten what his relationship with each person was.

Ratchet has to stop Prowl from seeing Orion immediately -now Optimus- and explain what’s going on and it shatters Prowl.

He approaches Optimus and ask him some vague questions, but when Optimus only responds as if Prowl is another enforcer to work alongside, it really does shatter him

(More under cut if you care)

Prowl has to beat down all those emotions because quickly the war is starting and he needs to focus on the task at hand. And he does an amazing job at it. At ignoring it. Those feelings fester and bubble but he keeps shoving them down.

Optimus feels like there’s more than what the Praxian-or anyone- is telling him but he can’t push. Doesn’t want to break the already tender relationship he has with his head tactician.

But then one day, post a rough raid where Prowl is in awful condition and he just wants to rest. Optimus wishes to talk. Prime isn’t sure why he needs to talk with Prowl so badly, but he does. Something is bugging at him and he needs the answer.

So on so on Prowl finally snaps at Prime, something like “I’m so sorry you forgot everything but I didn’t! So stop torturing me with your presence and fuck off” and storms off. Ratchet is near by and has to sweep in and collect a very bewildered Prime.

Explanations are bad and that’s all she’s told me AND I AM LOSING IT

(Btw, most of what I just typed is what I’ve expanded upon for her while the main time line is her own creation)

[toomanybrainrots]

FILE A-001 — ORION PAX OPTIMUS PRIME

Optimus Prime, previous designation: Orion Pax, is the Autobot's fearless and brave leader, one chosen by Primus itself to be a Prime.

Of course, he's not all stoic and metal! Inside he has a heart — well, spark — of pure, earth gold! He would do anything for his team and the Autobots, even if it cost him his spark.

Allies

Autobots

Elita's crew(?)

Hot Rod

Shockwave(former)

Enemies

Decepticons

Elita's crew(?)

Megatron

Origins and Story

Before Optimus Prime was, well, a Prime. He was Orion Pax, a humble middle caste archivist that always longed for more in his mundane life. He was under Alpha Trion's command, and was usually seen wandering the halls or in the archives.

That was his life, the same usual and oh so boeing routine in the city of Iacon. He wished for more. And he got it when he heard of the new uprising gladiator, Megatronus he called himself, and his speeches.

He got it from a holovid, given by Ratchet, a well known party ambulance friend of his, to him. He couldn't help but resonate with Megatronus' words, feeling a sense of kindling within him as he watched his speech, all his focus on the gladiator.

From there, he continued to watch holovids of Megatronus' speeches, documenting everything in his own personal archive. Shockwave, a colorful and lively senator, often commented that he was like a little fanbot of Megatronus'("Geez, Orion. It's like you're his number one fanbot!").

He never thought he'd actually get to see one of Megatronus' speeches in person. That was, until his close friend Hot Rod, had found him watching one of his holovids. Orion hadn't noticed until Hot Rod had plopped down and taken a seat next to him. The speedster had told him he had been there the entire time("Oh, I've been here the entire time." "You WHAT?!")

Orion, understandably, had felt embarrassed. Hot Rod didn't humiliate Orion, thankfully. Instead, he offered Orion a front row seat to one of Megatronus' speeches. It didn't surprise Orion that Hot Rod was close with Megatronus, he was close with everyone.

Once he saw the gladiator's speech in bot. It felt like he had seen it for the first time, he felt it resonate within him like it did with the first speech he watched.

It was then that he decided to ask Hot Rod for Megatronus' comm number, and sent him a comm message(O: Your message has reached Iacon.)

And nearly got his frequency blocked by the gladiator.

However, with a lot of convincing from Hot Rod to Megatronus("Come on, megs! He's not so bad for a middle caste." "That's not rare coming from you." "Yeah, maybe. But we should let him in on this. He genuinely cares, megs. With the right teaching from a certain gladiator...he could help us." "...I will ponder on it."). The gladiator responded, though he was very passive aggressive.

Megatronus taught Orion everything he knew about Cybertron's corruption, from the pits of Kaon to the pollution of Tarn, to the negligence of Nyon, he thought him everything that was hidden away from him. They grew close, almost like brothers in a way. Orion helped Megatronus' influence in Iacon, and Megatronus helped Orion in return. It was symbiotic.

Then, they started to plan to confront the High Council about this. Hot Rod helped them, and Shockwave did aswell. With two mechs with great influence and strong ties from bots of the High Council and from bots everywhere on Cybertronian, Orion almost thought that they were prepared.

He didn't expect the proposition that Megatronus during their confrontation though.

The gladiator wanted to overthrow the High Council, and it almost sounded like he was demanding himself to be named Prime, atleast to Orion that is.

He didn't understand why his friend wanted to do that, and so he offered a different proposition. He offered negotiations, peaceful meetings instead of the force that Megatronus suggested.

The High Council seemed to like his proposition, enough to make him a Prime. He didn't want that. If anything, he wasn't worthy to be one, Megatronus was. But his friend stopped him. And Orion could tell he wasn't happy that he got named Prime, even if he said otherwise.

It went good for a while. Orion had weekly negotiations with the High Council, and everything seemed to be going good for Orion.

Until the Autobots were formed on the High Council's command.

The Autobots were made to stop any more riots and protests from happening. And they used force to do it. He remembered the first time he saw it happen, the amount of bots laying on the ground, either dead or unconscious, some of his allies mixed amongs the ones layed down or those that were apprehended.

Megatronus demanded that Orion take action, as he was now a Prime. Orion didn't, he wanted to wait, to play the long game. Megatronus was furious, and ended up going no contact for a while. ("How is...Megatronus? Is he doing well?" "He's alright." "Then, can you please tell him to comm me? I'm—" "He. Is. Fine.")

Then, when he finally heard of Megatronus. It was too late.

There were riots and attacks everywhere, killing innocents and destroying Iacon and cities. There were rampages, energon spilled, and so so much violence.

He pleaded with Megatronus to stop this. To stop this massacre. His friend did not listen, he continued. And he was forced to fight his old friend.

That was the start of the war, where many cities fell. And where he made his most regretted decision and mistake, right before he boarded the Ark, and crashed on Earth.

[novafire-is-thinking]

First Contact

OP: In my caste, I may read and I may index, but I am forbidden to analyze.

M: How do you know where to index if you don't analyze first?

OP: I try not to ask myself questions that don't have answers I can do anything about.

M: Who has told you that you can't do anything about the answers? I never even had a name. I went out to die for the pleasure of strangers. Now I am Megatron, and I will fight when and where and for what reasons I please.

OP: Fight who?

M: Those who would tell me... like they tell you... that we do not have the right to determine our own fates. Interesting that even in Iacon my words are being heard.

OP: It is my task to hear all words.

M: But you don't answer all of what you hear. And surely you don't answer all of what you hear on channels that you hide for fear of being eavesdropped on.

OP: No.

M: A great many Cybertronians would love to have Iacon as their home. Yet you are there and still unsatisfied. What does that tell you?

OP: We should meet.

M: Should we? Why would I meet you?

OP: If you have goals beyond Kaon, you’re going to need to tailor your message so it will resonate beyond the castes who smelt ore and die in the pits.

M: Or the rest of Cybertron should learn to understand those castes. Even you do not, and you consider yourself one of us.

OP: Then show me what I do not understand.

The above is the first conversation between Orion and Megatron over the Grid. This conversation in Exodus occurred right after the oft-referenced moment where Orion gets upset about the fact that he does not have free access to Six Lasers—an amusement park reserved mostly for the highest castes. More than one fan has found this laughable and used it to point out how Orion was blinded by his privilege, and while I agree, I also think it’s important to not stop there.

In the above conversation, Megatron called Orion out and put him in his place. Orion could have responded defensively, but he did not. He asked to be shown what he did not understand. His open-mindedness impressed Megatron.

However, I will also point out that Megatron spoke of his personal ambitions more than about the collective goal of his group at the time. There’s a passage in The Covenant that I believe provides excellent evidence that Megatron saw things as him against the world from the start as opposed to him having the mindset of a benevolent revolutionary. I may or may not get around to sharing it in this series.

Motives and Methods

He understood Megatron’s reasons, and perhaps even more than the gladiator did Orion Pax wanted the freedom and initiative that would come with the end of caste and Guild.

Where they differed, Orion Pax suspected, was in method. He believed the change could be created through political means: spreading new ideas, watching them catch fire, attracting enough followers to their vision that eventually the High Council and Sentinel Prime would have to take notice. That was the vision of Orion Pax.

Sometimes he was concerned that Megatron did not have as much patience as he did.

Yes, you read that right. Orion once thought he desired the downfall of the caste system more than Megatron. It seems arrogant, but consider young Orion’s original dream from The Covenant. Without destroying the caste system, there would be no expansion outward. No opportunity for the exploration and discovery he so desired—not just for himself, but for others as well.

What did Megatron want? He wanted to fight. Alpha Trion said in The Covenant that Megatron was “of the line of Megatronus” and that “he was, at heart, born to revolt.” Megatron desired to conquer and control. To fight someone. Anyone. As long as he could fight against something. It just happened to be the caste system, and if others came along to benefit from his revolution, so be it. Meanwhile, Orion wanted there to be a collective, collaborative effort to destroy the system for the sake of moving forward and upward as a species.

So, I don’t think Orion was correct in thinking he wanted to rid Cybertron of its caste system more than Megatron. It’s just that their motivations and methods for doing so happened to be different.

A Social Strategist

“I don't need you to tell me what's easy and what isn't,” Barricade said. But he was already moving to go back inside. Perfect. “Lugnut,” he added with the door open. “Don't let this mech go anywhere.”

Mech, thought Orion Pax. He’s got to put me in my place. Gladiators wore their emotions on their sleeves, it seemed. He wondered if he should have reacted to the insult, or if a reaction would have been too provocative. Then he started thinking that he was being too deliberative, overthinking everything he did, overanalyzing everything others did.

Notice how Orion so quickly came to his conclusions with very little prompting. Typecasting can be an issue, but it’s impossible to navigate life without making some assumptions. In this case, I believe Orion’s assumptions and his gift for analyzing and reading others helped him to understand Megatron’s passionate nature and his tendency to provoke for the purpose of testing another—incredibly useful for strategizing later during the war.

Seeing Clearly

Entropy, or the consciousness of it, was my other companion. This was one reason why Orion Pax, with his dedication and tireless focus, stood out from the other clerks. He seemed to resist the robotic monotony of the data-harvesting enterprise; instead the size and scope of the task invigorated him.

Yet it was not for this that I came to realize that he was to become the next Prime.

It was a combination of observation, research, and raw... it is difficult for an archivist such as myself to say this...

Intuition.

Orion Pax seemed different. He was humble but certain, rigorous in completing his assignments yet unafraid to deliver results beyond or contradictory to the stated parameters.

And when he first began to discern that a few gladiators in the forgotten savagery of Kaon’s pits were beginning to grow into something more—Orion Pax might have been expected to do one of two things. He might have ignored the data as irrelevant, thus confirming the caste bigotry that those gladiators hated. Or he might have passed on the information without comment to his superiors, who might also have ignored them out of caste bigotry or suppressed the dissent without investigating its origins.

Orion Pax did neither of those things. He investigated, analyzed, synthesized—and when that still did not satisfy him, he went to those who were dissatisfied. He learned.

He empathized. Unencumbered by the prejudices of his age, he chose to see clearly.

Again with the intuition and empathy. Orion chose to look behind the curtain and allow his natural curiosity to take him places his peers never dared to go. He didn’t set out to lead a revolution. He didn’t waltz in and play savior. Orion merely followed his curiosity and realized he had the means to help Megatron’s movement in specific ways. He said through his actions: “Okay, I see where this is going, and I’m here. Show me what I need to know so that, perhaps, I can make this easier for all of us.” Orion never implied that they owed him for his contributions to the cause. It was his hope to make a difference and prevent a violent uprising by showing Megatron and other lower-caste bots that he, as an upper caste bot, was willing to use his higher position to work toward the common goal of societal change.

However, he was just one guy. It wasn’t enough for Megatron and the others, and Orion had to learn that the hard way. It’s not that he failed. He followed his intuition and did his best. It’s just a fact of life that, oftentimes, one person’s best isn’t good enough.

Librarian to Luminary

As he left my study, we were both stunned to see that the data clerks had come to the atrium outside, every single one of them. They stood in a double row, perfectly silent, having come just to see their former colleague and to pay their respects to what he had become.

For Optimus Prime it must have been a moment of intense and conflicting emotion. He has not spoken of it to me; since he left at that moment, he has been absorbed in the skirmishes around the perimeter of Iacon. The clerks glean every bit of data about his actions hungrily, as if it were Energon itself that they might nourish themselves with. Some of them would get up and fight if it were permitted, but as I have written, they are all either created not to fight or have been so damaged that field repairs cannot refit them for the battlefield.

If Soundwave had been present during this moment and read Optimus’ thoughts and feelings, I think Cybertronian history might have taken a much different path. Optimus did not choose to become a leader or a figurehead. Perhaps that made him weak in the eyes of those like Soundwave and Megatron, but Optimus was able to see what they could not—that the conflict was likely to end in a Pyrrhic victory.

Megatron charged forward with overconfidence in himself and expected everyone to fall in step behind him. Meanwhile, Optimus walked forward with caution and humbly accepted that many saw him as an inspiration and the keeper of Cybertron’s future.

In the end, both were necessary to wipe Cybertron’s slate clean, but Optimus desperately hoped it wouldn’t have to result in so much destruction while Megatron never really cared how he got his way.

Megatron was destined to be the revolutionary.

Optimus was meant to be a luminary.

✧ ✧ ✧

series master post

[primus-why]

I Dream of MegOp

Okay imagine a MegOp story where they're both still at war and on one planet they touch some sort of Macguffin relic that ends up connecting their dreams? (Valveplug)

Like imagine Optimus is in recharge, and starts dreaming of a steamy scenario that just so happens to involve Megatron. That's harmless enough; this war has gone on for a very long time, and he's come to know and even respect a lot of things about the Decepticon leader... so long as it's a dream and he's not actually putting himself or his Autobots at risk, why not let his processor wander and indulge in some fantasy?

Strangely, his processor decides to conjure images of Megatron for multiple nights in a row-- don't get him wrong, it's incredibly lascivious, but it's an admittedly odd coincidence. He decides to forego his nightly rust sticks and hopes a change of diet will help him dream of something else... literally anything else.

... Okay, now this is getting ridiculous. The dreams have been going on for a couple weeks now. Optimus isn't even sure he used to dream so frequently. He tries something different and instead engages the dream Megatron in a fight as they would normally in real life... only for the scenario to morph into something straight out of those erotica he'd secretly read as a guilty pleasure from time to time back in his days as Orion Pax. It was a rush, being so thoroughly dominated and operating on pure, primal instincts like that. He briefly wondered what else he could push his mind to conjure... before stamping down on those fantasies to get ready for his work.

-----

The real Megatron wasn't faring any better. He'd been having dreams about the Prime constantly for so many consecutive days, he seriously considered approaching Soundwave about it. Of course, even though Soundwave is his most trusted and loyal Decepticon, he couldn't bring himself to explain to his subordinate that he's been fantasizing all kinds of lustful scenarios centered around their enemy.

Ultimately he's glad he hadn't said anything, because the dreams have recently gotten very interesting...

It began with a dream about a fight, just like any other... only this time it ended with the Prime pinned beneath him, writhing in ecstasy instead of bleeding out in the dirt. Another saw Optimus giving him the remote to an interface device while the Prime attempted-- with valiant effort, Megatron mused-- to orate some nonsense speech in front of a crowd as the warlord controlled every pulse, vibration, and thrust. In one dream, Megatron sat himself on-- what he assumed to be-- Optimus' desk, demanding the Prime's attention, and Optimus responded by worshipping his whole entire frame at a slow, tender pace. It was blissful, almost like a high...

Now they were engaged in debate, probably somewhere in Vos. Seated around a large table with other representatives from their factions, Megatron enjoys countering the dreamt up banter with legitimate arguments-- he can literally do this in his recharge-- but secretly looks forward to when he and the Prime may slip away into the hall during a recess...

... Which might be coming soon, judging by Optimus' mounting frustration.

"Fine." Huffed the Autobot leader, "We'll table that discussion for now. Why don't we take a quick fuel break?"

Finally. As everyone else scattered, Megatron made his way over to the Prime.

"In an effort to continue this peaceful discourse, we ought to fuel together. Someplace a bit more private than the commissary, perhaps?" said Megatron with a grin.

But something was off. The Prime's shoulders slumped a bit, which was not the enthusiastic response he had become used to.

"What am I even doing?" Optimus let out a long sigh, "Guess that's what I get for trying something different..."

Megatron eyed the weary Prime for a moment. The gripe was obviously rhetorical, but he felt compelled to respond anyway.

"Trying something new is commendable. After all, the Decepticon movement began because we wanted to abolish the old world order. You argue that much has changed since," the warlord looked at the Prime, who met his gaze, "obviously this is true, but you'll find there are certain points we won't budge on, even today."

"I know." The Prime smiled lightly, looking away and out one of the many windows in the conference room. Megatron found himself staring as well-- when was the last time he saw a functioning Vos? He'd forgotten how beautiful the view from the city spires could be.

"Still, it seems that even in my dreams I can't sway your mind."

Megatron barked a laugh at that. "Silly Prime, that's because this is my dream."

"..."

"... Shall we--" but Megatron stopped, taken entirely off-guard by Optimus' perplexed expression.

"What did you say?"

"I was going to suggest we head back to--"

"-- No, not that, you said this was a dream. Your dream."

"I... did." Where was he going with this??

"But... this is my dream." The Prime said, letting out a nervous laugh.

"... No, it is not." Megatron said carefully, but instinctually he knew something was very wrong here.

"I think I would know my own dream!" Said Optimus, "I settled on this scenario and location before falling into recharge!"

"What?"

"These dreams have felt so real! I just wanted to see if I could walk through some hypothetical peace treaty discussions, you know? Make them a bit more useful aside from getting me all hot under the hood!"

"What??"

Basically they both wake up with a start, thinking 'wow that was really weird and specific' or whatever, but next time they dream they learn the truth and they wake up screaming lmao!

[transingthoseformers]

I had an absolutely silly IDW1-ish AU that I needed to share.

Basically, Prowl went to work for Sentinel to try and improve things and is barely keeping him from being worse, and finally, he has enough. The issue is that he can't quit. His contract is solid.

Sentinel has to fire him or nothing else.

Prowl cannot bring himself to do subpar work so he has to do the thing Sentinel can't stand.

Romance.

Prowl begins flirting with people in front of Sentinel. He isn't very good at it at first, so her corners his co-workers Sideswipe and Jazz for advice and slowly improves. Sentinel is flabbergasted, as is Prowl’s victim, Senator Ratbat, who was the closest free person. But he can literally see Sentinel firmly think about this and dismiss it to his dislike.

Prowl decides he has been too subtle and also Ratbat was a one off. So he thinks carefully and decides to go for someone Sentinel doesn't like but has to deal with.

Gritting his teeth, he takes a shot, drinking on shift is another offense he hopes will work to his advantage, and takes over correspondence with Orion Pax. Who slowly realizes his advances when he takes Jazz's advice and boldly asks him if he'd like to interface.

This is successful and perfectly adequate.

Prowl keeps this up and flirts lightly which Orion returns. He actually becomes easier to work with as a result and then Prowl sees his opportunity while Orion is visiting and grabs him by his helm and starts passionately kissing him as Sentinel walks in.

OP does not realize what happened and thinking Prowl locked the office continues kissing him.

Sentinel clears his throat, and they part, and Prowl nonchalantly greets him while trying not to look like he is preening while Orion looks embarrassed and Sentinel splutters. Prowl makes eye contact and can see Sentinel swelling up to yell, and he starts to. But then he cuts off when he says he ought to fire him and Prowl's door wings twitch up in interest.

Sentinel falters, and then Prowl sees him make some connections because he visibly calms himself, looking horribly offended, glares at Orion and dismisses him after forcibly calmly giving them a lecture on workplace relationships and saying he'll let them off this time before dropping some paperwork on Prowl’s desk.

OP walks off afte pecking Prowl on the cheek, leaving Prowl fuming and plotting.

It escalates from there with Prowl kissing, groping, and heavily petting Orion at any chance he gets at events, late shifts, and one gala. It accumulates with them having sex in Sentinel’s office while Prowl makes sure they are in front of the cameras Sentinel keeps there and Prowl absent mindedly responds to Orion who is saying something about feelings and concerns but is easily distracted when Prowl pushes everything off Sentinel’s desk and drags him on top of him.

The next day, Sentinel won't look at him, and Prowl is thrilled absolutely convinced he will be fired and decides to reward Orion for his assistance with a blowjob. He has become grudgingly fond of Orion at this point and realizes he's one of the few people he regular interacts with besides Jazz who continues to give him advice and is eating up this office drama though also doesn't know why Prowl has suddenly gone wild.

Now, here I had two directions, either Orion invites Prowl on a date at his friends party, which they never do and Prowl agrees because he's feeling satisfied with Orion's performance as of late only for Orion to introduce him as the person he is courting with intention of Conjunxing (he really missed that discussion before office sex since he was plotting and three drinks in) or Orion breaks up with him to "spare Prowl’s feelings" since he'd become convinced Prowl was in love with him.

They are two different but equally humorous plotlines post this scene.

Prowl, babygirl, yes

Syudfjkhkhnd

Oh Sent

Senttttt.

It took him a bit but Sentinel realized what was going on lol

Prowl sweetheart are you sure this is better than just being shit at your job

Yes

Yes he is

Because part of him fucking loves this. Part of him absolutely is getting a spite filled "and that's karma for you, bitch!" feel. Even if Sentinel doesn't fire him, he can tell Sent disapproves. And I mean. The 'facing is good.

Jazz is having the time of his life watching this go down, of course he's gonna enable it

Two funny directions that both lead to some interesting office drama, and I'm wondering if Sentinel will even fire him

[usafphantom2]

Dutch court prohibits delivery of F-35 parts to Israel due to violations in Gaza

Exported parts of the F-35 can be used in serious violations of international humanitarian law, said Dutch judge

Fernando Valduga By Fernando Valduga 12/02/2024 - 18:56in Military, War Zones

A Dutch court ordered the Netherlands to suspend the delivery of parts for F-35 fighters intended for use by Israel in the Gaza Strip.

The decision was made after the court upheld an appeal by human rights organizations, stating that the supply of these pieces contributed to alleged violations of international law by Israel in its conflict with the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.

"The court orders the State to cease all real exports and transits of F-35 parts destined for Israel within seven days of notification of this sentence," the decision stated. Judge Bas Boele, in reading the decision, emphasized the undeniable risk that the exported parts of the F-35 could be used in serious violations of international humanitarian law, provoking applause from the people present in court.

Lockheed Martin Israel, the local division of the U.S. aerospace giant that manufactures the F-35, indicated to the Israeli media that it had no immediate comments on the events.

The F-35 parts in question, owned by the United States, are stored in a warehouse in the Netherlands and then shipped to various partners, including Israel, through existing export agreements. Human rights groups argued that, by facilitating these transfers, the Netherlands was contributing to serious violations of humanitarian law in the Gaza conflict.

Government lawyers contested, stating that prohibiting transfers of F-35 parts from the Netherlands would make no sense, since the US could deliver them from other locations. In December, the district court in The Hague had already decided that the supply of the parts was a political decision, far beyond the interference of the court.

Reimer Veldhuis, a lawyer for the Dutch government, emphasized Israel's right to self-defense, stating that it must respond to threats under international law. However, the government maintained that it was not possible to establish at this time a clear risk of serious violations of international law through the use of the F-35.

The court's decision is subject to appeal.

The ongoing war between Israel and Hamas, triggered by a devastating attack by the terrorist group on October 7, has taken thousands of lives. Gaza health authorities have reported at least 28,000 victims since the beginning of the conflict. Experts in international law suggest that human rights violations may be occurring on both sides of the conflict.

The International Court of Justice in The Hague, which judges disputes between states, called on Israel to do everything possible to prevent genocidal acts in Gaza. PAX Holland, one of the human rights groups involved in the appeal, expressed confidence in a positive decision based on this precedent.

Tags: Military AviationNetherlandsIAF - Israeli Air Force/Israel Air ForceLockheed MartinLockheed Martin F-35I 'Adir'War Zones - Middle East

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Fernando Valduga

Fernando Valduga

Aviation photographer and pilot since 1992, he has participated in several events and air operations, such as Cruzex, AirVenture, Dayton Airshow and FIDAE. He has works published in specialized aviation magazines in Brazil and abroad. He uses Canon equipment during his photographic work in the world of aviation.

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[flipping-the-coin]

Orion, what are some of the things you miss most about Kaon?

From the desk of  Head Archivist: Orion Pax Hall of Records East Trion Square Iacon

Thank you for your inquiry! It is not often I am asked to speak about my time in my second home. I urge all who read this document to set aside whatever prewar and wartime propaganda that has been fed to you regarding the people and culture of Kaon, as the stereotypes of Kaon are largely based in misunderstandings and prejudice. I became fond of Kaon long before I ever met my Conjunx, when I stumbled upon a collection of Kaoni graffiti that was posted to a forum on the datanet. Graffiti was largely nonexistent in Iacon back then; I had never seen artistic expression presented this way before and was fascinated by how beautiful it was. It inspired me to attempt to learn to draw myself, for a time, however I was quickly reminded of my function as an archivist and not an artist, and thus dropped that as a pursuit, but my interest in Kaon remained, and was acceptable per Alpha Trion to pursue as a specialty interest.

Megatronus later took me to visit many of the artistic works I remembered after we became friends. There was one, in particular, that we used to visit often that depicted the Pits Arena, with a depiction of fallen Gladiators covered in energon with only one standing, looking up towards the sky. Above it was written, 'Save our City.' Megatronus told me that it was one of the oldest murals in Kaon, created when the Arenas were first constructed, in protest of their function. He told me that it had been removed several times, but it was always recreated within a decacycle of its destruction.

Eventually, I stumbled upon the speeches and poetry of Megatronus online.  (I am well aware that everyone knows how that turned out in the end, but I would like to specifically speak on our early correspondences for just a klik.) I am afraid that my early attempts at truly understanding what Megatronus was saying were obscured by my lack of understanding of his dialect. He was quite patient in educating me on Kaoni glyph usage, and I become enthralled by the way that the mechs of Kaon use metaphor in their common language; a direct opposite to Iaconian standards that prefer direct, clinical glyphs to convey meaning.

Kaoni speech is simply different. Many metaphors obscure what is being said to those who do not understand the dialect, this was especially true for the Gladiator caste of Kaon. For example, in Iacon, spark merges are simply referred to as spark merges. If one were to wish to ask for one, They would use the glyphs directly referring to merging their sparks; "I wish to merge sparks with you." It is direct and clear. However, in Kaon, if one were to express this desire, they would use much different glyphs such as "I wish to taste your spark." or "I would give my spark to you." I found this sort of poetic glyph usage to be quite beautiful, and I do miss the dialect in my audials. Hardly anyone speaks Kaoni here.

Everything in Kaon was warm: the climate, the people, the fuels…. It was much less rigid than Iacon, and I found myself enjoying how little they cared about one’s caste or status. I enjoyed the informal nature of social gatherings, where boisterous laughter and jovial banter was common. The high grade wasn’t as refined, but there were many Kaoni specific beverages that simply were divine that have been lost, as well as many recipes that I am devastated that I never took the time to process and archive myself. 

There were many places of great beauty in Kaon, if one knew where to find them. Megatronus often took me to a particular abandoned mine shaft that had one particular branch that led to the most exquisite naturally formed crystal garden I have ever laid my optics upon. They glowed marvelously in the most exquisite shades of soft greens, blues, pinks and purples and created spires that twisted and merged into each other and the ceiling above them… I loved it there so much that that is where Megatronus and I performed our Rites and gave our sparks to each other. They were one of Kaon’s best kept secrets, and I will never reveal where they are located. I am unaware of whether they remain accessible in modern times. 

I stress again that Kaon was so much more than the propaganda would have one believe. This merely scratches the surface of the things I miss of the Kaon of old. I am afraid I would keep you all cycle if I went over everything. Kaon was special to me. It felt more like home to me than Iacon ever has.

Head Archivist,

Orion Pax

[mamwieleimion]

Tfp head cannon

So I have read a fanfic recently (mainly part 1) about what if Megatron meet Nemesis Prime. ("Know Thy Enemy" by YunaYamiMouto on AO3) And it got me thinking. Like here are some quotes from this:

"The mech before him turned around, something ... not quite right in his movement. In fact, he held himself all wrong. Even as a data archivist, Orion had held himself more regally than that fake Prime, Sentinel, ever could. The shape of the body in front of him was right, but the motions were all wrong. Yes, Optimus had always held himself as a fighter: proud back straight, shoulders bravely squared, helm held high as he regarded any enemy that might oppose him, [...] Whether he knew it or not, both as Orion Pax and as Optimus Prime, he had a very sensual motion to his hips, whether he was standing still, charging into battle or strolling into a verbal sparring match. It could be quite distracting, if one was not used to it or of a weak processor and resolve. Gladiators and soldiers both had ran into things when the red and blue mech used to pass them by on his way to Megatron, whether it be in the streets of Kaon or the battlefield. The shape before him was right and held itself halfway decently, [...].

Seen or unseen, heard or unheard, Optimus Prime's presence was always felt. It wasn't even just Megatron. Every bot felt it when Optimus Prime set foot on the battlefield. The Autobots started fighting harder, the Decepticons found it far more difficult to hold the line but they didn't give up ground easily, either, though most of their fields sang with the need to run and Megatron always felt his spark skip a few harmonics. Optimus could be on the other side of the battlefield entirely, miles upon miles separating them so not even their sharp optics could pick each other up and yet he'd always know Optimus was there." And here is what got most of my attention:

""I must admit, I'm impressed. It took the other robots a lot longer to figure that out," the imposter said in sub-vocals that were distinctly human despite the robotic drawl of the vocalizer it was using. Megatron growled, optics narrowed, EM field lashing out in anger. The other didn't react, only straightening Megatron's suspicions about this fake being a drone. Created by the fleshlings of this pathetic, cursed planet, no doubt. [...]

"I am Silas, but more importantly, we are MECH," 'Silas' responded in a proud, arrogant tone [...] It only made him hate the human and the impersonator of his rival even more. "I was honestly expecting Optimus Prime here, but instead I got you. And just who might you be?"

"Megatron of Kaon, the Lord of the Decepticons. Why are you impersonating Optimus Prime, filth?"[...]

"MECH is always searching for new technology. As soon as we learned of your species' presence on Earth, we started studying you until we finally managed to build you. Optimus Prime was the strongest, sturdiest robot we knew of, so we made a copy of him. Only we made him better."

Megatron couldn't help it. He laughed in the human's face. The mere notion of someone thinking they could create a better Optimus Prime than the bot himself was so ridiculous it was bordering on mad. "You are so delusional, human, that I actually pity you. You can't make a better Optimus Prime!"

"And why is that?"[...]

"Because Optimus Prime is perfect," replied the gray mech instantly, feeling no shame in admitting something that he had thought even before the Matrix had reformatted his enemy. "From spark to mind to frame, Optimus Prime is the pinnacle of perfection in a Cybertronian. A little too naively idealistic and optimistic, perhaps, but even Primes aren't flawless." [...] "What made it so easy to tell you apart from the real Optimus Prime is that you've chosen to replicate the closest thing to perfection itself and you've failed miserably."

"I find myself doubting your words, Megatron of Kaon, as I am quite confident this perfect mend of man and machine can defeat you." Megatron only grinned more at that. A fight is what he had been invited to, so a fight is what he will get, though he will have to find the real Optimus after he's finished with this pathetic fool. This stunt he's pulled is quite sneaky for Optimus' standards. [...] Luring Megatron out to fight his fake would keep his Autobots safe without worrying himself at the consequences of meeting the weak copy in close combat." There is also this moments, that absolutely is my favourite: "Even if he hadn't known this wasn't Optimus already, the stance the other picked would have told him everything, as would the fact that he attacked first. They had locked themselves in an unconscious dance throughout the centuries, taking turns in who's leading with the first attack. The last time they faced off was Optimus' turn, which meant this time it should have been Megatron's. Even though it wasn't a conscious decision on their part, it repeated itself like a general law of dynamics. They never strayed from the pattern. The fact that this fake Optimus engaged first in servo-to-servo combat was also completely un-Optimus-like, as the Prime always first engaged him in a firefight to discourage close combat, as it usually led to longer battles, higher risks, more casualties and more energon lost in the process." _____________ " After the long millennia of fighting with his dearest rival and the centuries before that of them being as close as brothers, Megatron knew every minute shift of Optimus' every nut and bolt and screw. To most of the universe, Optimus was as stoic as they come, especially if he engages his battlemask. In truth, he was very expressive, if only one knew where to look. Not only the optics gave him away. Megatron could see the direction his opponent might be going or on just what Optimus was focused on by tracking the movement of those ridiculously endearing audio finials of his. They were as telling as seeker wings or door-wings, particularly in Praxians." ___________ ""You are a special kind of fool, flesh bag. I know the body of Optimus Prime better than his medic! I know best how to both bring him pain as well as pleasure. Perhaps you would have been a better challenge had you picked anyone else for your little experiment. It would have at least held an element of surprise! As it was, this was rather disappointing.""

I thought I was going to fall and not get up when I read this. The dynamic between them both in this fic is incredible. I sincerely recommend reading it, specialy if you ship them togeher (if you do not then read scenario 2, it won't disapoint). ;)

[tflegendarium]

Son of unicron AU

Ok, I don't know when you're going to respond, but here's my confession:

When I found out that you made Optimus and Prowl brothers I had been introduced to the topic "Tfp Optimus was a gremling when sparklings" a while ago

I genuinely imagined ironhide and chromia looking at the two of them, still protoforms, fighting like kittens

Wonderful AU, in which Prowl and Orion get adopted very early and as bean babies to happy married ChromeHide, they would definitely be the feral kitten siblings.

Prowl would act dignified and calm but would definitely still bite his brother in arguments as adults if he got pushed, and Optimus would sit on him or put him on top of something high he couldn't get down from.

Also, a big proponent of the TFP Orion Pax is a gremlin theory.

[ss-shitstorm]

Okay okay the ratchet first fp au was equally heartrending but also perfect and thank you so much for going into so much detail to expound on my silly little fantasy, I love it! But if you don’t mind, I’m gonna poke you with one more question that’s bugged me ever since MC woke up and ratch op and bee had to catch her up on the last 30 years: they mentioned unicron and Optimus’ amnesia (which is another au you’re portraying marvelously well btw! I love shiny and new to pieces!), as well as a couple of the other tfp eps, but I don’t recall them mentioning synth-en? Like, at all? (Unless I totally missed it?) Between ratchet’s problems and op’s withdrawal, I figured that the tension between them like the scene where they fight and ratchet accuses op of being too soft to take out megatron and that’s why they lost cliff jumper, combined with MC’s unconsciousness, op’s guilt about it, and ratchet’s (partial?) blame for op putting her in that condition to start with and envy knowing he would’ve had more restraint and cared for her more in his mind (and them both missing her terribly and being lost without her), would kind of cause a boiling point between them? (Fun fact if you didn’t know it but the tfp writers had tossed around the idea of ratchet blaming op for elita one’s death instead of cliffjumper, but they had the Orion pax arc coming up and they didn’t want to add anymore characters or smth so they nixed it) So if ratchet spews about mc (and elita??) to op, does op snap too in this case? Do they actually come to blows? Does op even get mad and rise to the bait or does it just break his heart bc now ratchet is turning on him too and pointing out every mistake he’s made and ratchets never been that mean to him before and wouldn’t dream of saying any of it under normal circumstances but is so hyped up he no longer has a filter? I am reeling here at the possibilities! I am so fricken curious bc your unique individual characterizations of them as well as their mutual adoration for mc would give so many delicious untapped layers to that episode - and again you don’t have to answer this at all but I would love to hear your thoughts! :) thank you so much for your time!

(dude I'm so sorry it took me so long to respond to this AND that it's nowhere near as long as that other ask)

A : anon thank you for the praise about everything esp. shiny n new like goddamn I love that little thing so much, B : I had no idea about Elita in TFP until you mentioned that and I'm very glad they left that out bc I would absolutely have not fucking survived that my heart's in pieces just from reading that, and C :

I think they would have started fighting. As in, Ratchet, with 0 filter, would start laying it out how mad he is about what happened to you. He would blame it on Optimus, and at the time, he would feel totally justified in saying it.

-Optimus would be barely able to hold back his rage, but manages to restrain himself. Tells Ratchet he needs to go home, let that crap work through his system, and recharge before talking to him again.

-Ratchet would then suggest Optimus frag him because that tends to knock people unconscious for indefinite periods of time.

-Optimus looses it. Lunges for him, grabs him and fucking throttles him.

-And the second his servos wrap around his throat, freezes. Because he touched someone. He touched someone he cared about, and he did it with the intent to hurt them.

-He goes catatonic.

-Ratchet, slightly sobered, has to pry his servos off of him, digit by digit.

-Once he does, he leaves in a huff, runs off to punch Megatron in the face like he originally intended.

-But not before ducking out of sight and having the quickest, filthiest guilty-wank of his life. Doesn’t matter how mad you are. Angrier-than-god-Optimus touching you will make you cream your jeans, and marching through deception territory with a spontaneous overload looming on the horizon probably isn’t a great strategy.

-Once he gets the shit kicked out of him and finally sobers up, and realizes that entire exchange not only happened, but happened in front of Bumblebee, he decides this was, in fact, the second worst thing he’s ever fucking done. He calculates the damage done to his filters, finds that the synth-en was mostly processed by other organs, chugs the rough hi-grade equivalent of 2 handles of bourbon, and blacks out for 72 hours straight.

-Neither of them ever speak about it again.

-To each other.

-They both tell you at different times after you’ve woken up

-shock, sadness, understanding, and reason no# 234382643 for feeling guilty about coma time.jpg.

-you bring it up to Bee eventually after a loooooong-ass time.

-He’s just like “wow that sucked but I figured it was par for the course having two(2) reincarnated gods and the universe’s most overpowered 3rd wheel as a family.”

-Thank you for putting things into perspective Baybee boy.

-Reader eventually relays this to both of them.

-Everyone feels marginally less shitty.

[autobots-and-their-crazy-kids]

What if TFP Orion Pax didn't put up with anyone's crap:

Orion (pointing at Knockout): Frag you!

Orion (pointing at Breakdown): Frag you!

Orion (pointing at Starscream): Frag you!

Orion (points at Soundwave): Your cool.

*Soundwave responds with a thumbs up*

Orion (points at Megatron): AND FRAG YOU! I'M OUT!