#Delta-plus case

[becausegoodheroesdeservekidneys]

Hi. My wife referred me to you for your knowledge and enthusiasm for ecology. If I wanted my fictional fantasy world to have a saltwater river (my world is weird), how could I explain or justify that? Is it even possible, ecologically speaking? Anyway, love your posts and thank you!

I have been considering this with my colleague who is a physical geographer with a passion for riverine geomorphology and she wants to sit down with me and discuss the possibilities more fully. So I may yet update this post with more options.

But, the short answer is yes, there are options to make it possible.

The one we've best fleshed out so far basically comes down to groundwater contamination. Groundwater is contaminated with massive salt input (this would likely need to be anthropogenic - up to you whether that looks like Evil Factory Output, massive magical damage post-war, or any other consideration.) One or more of the river's main tributaries is fed primarily by this groundwater store, so it cannot flush through. Once it meets the sea, it would be brackish around the estuary anyway, but this would mean halophilic species - those tolerant of salt - would be able to spread backwards back up the river channel. Depending on what you want, for plants this could mean cordgrasses (saltmarsh formers), seagrasses along the riverbed in slower areas, or potentially long, linear stands of mangrove forest; in all of those cases, it's much more likely on a slower river than a faster one.

Now, a salt river will be far more erosional than a fresh one, so the river banks and bed would be eroding more. This means higher quantities of suspended sediment in the water, so the water colour would be murkier and browner than if it were fresh. However, if its a river with slow meanders, you might get little patches of saltmarshes establishing, where the erosion turns into deposition instead, so although the water would have a colour difference it would be extreme; on faster bits, though, it would.

There would be, either from the groundwater at the top of the catchment or along the river channel, a certain amount of salt incursion into land. This would basically make arable agriculture in those areas nigh-on impossible, but you could maybe try farming something like samphire along the banks. The exception would be areas that were away from the contaminated aquifer, that also got plenty of rainfall OR freshwater groundwater imputs from another part of the catchment. Even then, though, it couldn't go too close to the river.

Floodplains need considering, too! Floodplains only flood during wet weather events that cause the river to overtop the banks; the rest of the year, they're dry. In this case, that means you might have areas that are freshwater marshes, or maybe even normal grasslands/scrub for most of the year, which then suddenly get inundated with salt. That'll kill all those organisms quite rapidly. You wouldn't have any trees in those areas, and they'd look like mudbaths for the majority of the time, I'd imagine. Very ugly wastelands. These would then provide even more lost soil into the river, for even more browning of the water.

That much sediment would therefore mean the estuary would be a depositional one - new land forms at it. It would probably have a delta. This means lots of mudflats with lots of marine worms and other invertebrates, and consequently insane levels of wading bird diversity to feed on them (plus foodstuffs - oysters, cockles, octopus, smaller fishes, etc). Loot up Korean getbol for an idea of how impressive these things can get. Saltmarshes and/or mangrove forests, too! Depending on climate. Mangroves are a tropical species.

HOWEVER, this is just one idea we've explored so far, so I shall update you if we think of others

[whocaresstillthelouvre]

Tide

Pairing: Frankie Morales x Female Reader Rating: Explicit. 18+ (Minors DNI) Summary: Frankie Morales is capable of almost anything... except not cumming in his jeans when he thinks about you, the pretty clerk at the grocery store he always buys his giant jugs of laundry detergent at. Warnings: Smut thoughts, Frankie's POV and internal monologue, premature ejaculation, so much cum talk, addiction recovery, laundry detergent, this is so ridiculous but I also tried to make it super sweet. Words: 1,200

A/N: I'd probably classify this as a crack fic... but with heart. This is SOOOOO indulgent and ridiculous. I don't know what @luxurychristmaspudding unlocked in me but this is what's released. I know this is my *4th* story in a week, but I couldn't help myself. Also, shout out to the JM Discord and all of the tenants who join in the luxuriousness of this level of depravity.

Masterlist

🚁👖🤍Frankie🤍👖🚁

It keeps happening to Frankie over and over and over again. Recovery has been a challenge, abstaining from all of his previous vices means he’s no longer numbing his mind… and body. 

Nobody should ever cum during a prescription commercial and yet… he does. The swimsuit hugged the woman’s curves a little too close, plus she had the same color hair as you. His mind couldn’t help floating to thinking about you in a swimsuit.

Aye dios mio, get a hold of yourself man.

He’s too embarrassed to bring it up to his doctor. The notion of ever mentioning it to the Delta Force boys terrifies him, although he knows deep down they’d lend a sympathetic ear. They’ve killed, fought wars, and climbed out of the lowest points of their lives together… but the thought of letting his secret out? Awful. He shudders at the thought of telling his fellow Narcotics Anonymous attendees: “Hi, my name is Frankie, I’m an addict and I can’t stop cumming in my pants.”

He tries to think of the worst things, mental images that should scar even the scariest of humans, thoughts about death, rotting produce, weird looking insects, and yet, it still happens.

___

“Hi, how’d you find everything today?”

He blinks towards your tag though he’s already memorized your name, it repeats through his mind whenever he climaxes… he wonders to himself how your sweet voice would sound repeating his name. 

Uh oh, quick, think of a bee sting, everyone’s going to die, burnt pizza. 

He shakes his head, the thoughts of you wrapped around him flying out of his head with each subtle knock. 

“Sir, are you okay?”

Fuuuuuuck, you really had to call me sir, didn’t you?

“Y-yeah, sorry, long day. My name’s Frankie by the way.”

Focus, don’t look at how her hand wraps around the shampoo bottle, soldier. 

“Hi Frankie, nice to finally have a name to the face.”

Of course you say his name in the sweetest way. He presses his fingers into the flesh of his palm as hard as he can withstand, he prays you don’t see the way his nostrils flare.

Be strong.

He’s been captivated ever since he first saw you working in the mom and pop market across the street from his apartment. You’re always friendly and smiling, he swears he feels your eyes on him every time he leaves yet he’s too scared to look back and confirm for himself. He wishes he knew how to small talk and somehow step over the threshold of this case of shyness he has with you. 

Why bother? I’ll just end up disappointing you, never leaving you fulfilled. 

He’s so ashamed. 

“That’s a big bottle of detergent, you must do a lot of laundry. You have kids?” 

“I do… a four year old, but she lives with her mom,” he answers, lifting the giant jug into his cart, his cock twitches when he feels your eyes on his biceps. 

Stay cool, you can do this, you’ve literally overcome worse… and cummed over less.

He wonders if you notice just how much laundry soap he buys… he’s confident that you have no clue you're the only reason why his washing machine is constantly working overtime. 

“Oh, I love that age,” you mindlessly muse scanning a cereal box. “Is she as cute as her dad?”

His spine turns to jelly… he feels the phantom getting closer. 

Trash compactors, mom and dad’s divorce, elephant seals.

“Everyone says she has my eyes.”

“Then she must be,” you wink.

Not a wink, not a wink, not a goddamn wiiiiink. 

He quickly pulls his head down, sticking his card in the chip reader, resisting the urge to think of his now aching cock pushing into you. 

STOP. STOP. STOP THINKING FRANKIE.

Focusing on the pin pad breaks his spiral. Relief spreads through his tense body knowing this run in will be over soon, he can go home in peace, his pants surviving this moment.

Your fingers brush against his hand when you hand him the receipt, his favorite part of buying groceries. He’ll stand in your checkout lane no matter the size of the line for the split second of skin to skin contact. It’s all he can afford to let himself have, any more would surely stain his jeans. 

___

“Hey Frankie!” 

He turns at your voice, his breath hitching when you walk over to him while removing your name tag.

“Want to go next door and grab a drink?”

“I’d love to… but I, uh,” he lifts his hat nervously tussling his hair, “I’m in recovery.” 

“Oh,” your voice and face falter, “I’m sorry, um–”

Don’t let this moment pass, you can do it.

“I know a really good ice cream place, a few blocks down, I can meet you there?” 

Ice cream means licking. Frankie, you're an idiot.

“Oh, um, that sounds amazing but I don’t drive.”

“I can take you… if you’d like.” 

“Yeah?” your smile grows wider. “That sounds amazing.”

“I just need to drop these off, and then I’ll meet you outside in twenty?”

“Awesome!” You squeeze his hand wrapped around the cart handle. “I’ll see you soon.” 

Your touch scorches his skin, he blinks watching your ass sway while walking through the doors to the backroom. 

1-2-3, a gush of hot liquid releases against his jeans, his knuckles turn white as they clutch the cart handle.

Jesus Christ.

Frankie picks up his bags, holding them close to his crotch and leaves the grocery store. He better hurry. Thank god he just bought more detergent. 

___

In hindsight, he’s thankful for his little grocery store indiscretion. He’s carefree and relaxed as he falls even harder for you over chocolate sundaes. You ask for extra rainbow sprinkles and laugh at all of his jokes. 

This must be what it’s like to live normally.

___

“That’s me,” you point to a small bungalow unbuckling your seatbelt. “Thanks for the ice cream Frankie."

“This was really fun,” he turns towards you, shocked at how close you’re leaning towards him. 

Kiss her. No, wait, don’t kiss her. Yeah, definitely don’t kiss her. 

“It was,” you lick your lips and lean even closer. 

He can smell you now, you smell divine. Like ice cream and floral perfume. 

You place a soft kiss against his lips and pull away.

Frankie’s body tenses, a pathetic whimper escapes his mouth, he spurts against the cotton of his briefs. Doe eyes rounded with embarrassment stare at you.

“Sorry,” whispers out of his downturned lips. 

“Oh,” your face fails at hiding a smile, “Frankie, it’s okay. Really.”

His head knocks against the headrest, face frozen in a grimace, his eyes squeezed shut. 

“Frankie,” your hand clasps his chin forcing him to look at you. “Honestly, it’s okay. It’s actually… kinda hot.”

Right then and there he knows he’ll never shop at another grocery store again. 

[jolalibrary]

welcome to jo’s march madness master list

i have LOVED reading all of these wonderful fics, and I wanted to put them in a place where others could enjoy them. i've tried to break them down into characters, but I've not highlighted content warnings, so please check warnings/ratings.

MARCH MADNESS DOESN'T END UNTIL 1ST APRIL. HOWEVER, I WANTED TO SHARE WHAT I'D BEEN READING TO SPREAD THE LOVE BEFORE THE END OF THE MONTH (IN CASE ANYONE WAS LOOKING FOR RECS). THIS NOTE WILL DELETE ON 1ST APRIL.

some links ⥄ all my fic recs ⥄ are you after some less than 3k fics? check out @goodwithcheese's quick pic fic here

FRANKIE MORALES

delta landscaping 14 + 15 by @rhoorl [triple frontier multi characters]

love language by @trulybetty

adrift with you chp. 8 + 9 by @morallyinept [frankie x ofc!jude]

always there for you by @pedroscurls

home by @dancingtotuyo

life is but a by @wordywarriorwrites

hold fast (series) by @jeewrites

imbued by @morallyinept

the melting point series (up to chp. 11 currently) by @penvisions

against the apples by @kteague

the study by @superhoeva

acts of service by @swiftispunk

he with the dark curls, you with the by @hellishjoel

tonight you belong to me chp. 3 by @intheorangebedroom

it's about the way you... by @penvisions

paper airplanes by @littlemisspascal

JAVI PEÑA

call me javi by wildemaven

safe place by @gnpwdrnwhiskey

every inch by @javierpena-inatacvest

señorita chapter by @lavendertales

take the weight off his shoulders chp. 8 by @thetriumphantpanda

JOEL MILLER

mine by @secretelephanttattoo [joel x tess]

denim on denim by @fuckyeahdindjarin [joel (in shiv's world)]

just to see you smile by @gnpwdrnwhiskey [joel x oc!bee]

a lovers pinch by @hier--soir

honey, i won't be home by @trulybetty [jackson joel]

rookie mistake by @fuckyeahdindjarin [seams!joel]

new perspectives by @thetriumphantpanda

the duke's illicit affair by @hellishjoel

northern lights by @morallyinept

raw edge by @fuckyeahdindjarin [seams!joel]

adoration (bodies series) by @morallyinept [tw: mention of breast cancer]

thirst for beauty by @psychedelic-ink [plus size!reader]

MARCUS PIKE

second chances part 1 + 2 by @pedroscurls

i'll crawl home to her by @ezrasbirdie

DAVE YORK

love at first... sight by @goodwithcheese

out of sight by @goodwithcheese

DIN DJARIN

this is the way by @psychedelic-ink

a rule of three by @5oh5

JACK DANIELS

southern nights by @secretelephanttattoo

[paingoes]

What would have happened if Delta during Destroyer had straight up sent Kitty and Apollo the empire's file on Δ-107 and been like "this is me"?

my understanding is that a lot of the plan was predicated on plausible deniability. its unclear exactly how things developed on galatea’s end but by the time of rescue, apollo and kitty were pretty sure of delta’s identity. but without explicit confirmation they could kinda just frame it as a normal rescue operation and justify it like “we didnt knowwwwwww ฅ^•ﻌ•^ฅ” (they knew).

if delta just came out and said it they would probably have to tell levon. in that case there would be a more formalized plan put in place to address the Δ-107 crisis.

its a really delicate situation. i think it would take a while for galatea to reach a consensus about it. unfortunately the most straightforward way to neutralize delta is to kill him. its also a matter of removing him from the equation without crippling paris’s offense, thus ending the war early and letting nezu predominate. plus its a lot of resources sunk into both rescuing and then safeguarding delta for the rest of his life.

i think he wouldve still been rescued ultimately. probably wouldve been fine tbh? and safer??? this is why levon is so pissed off at them like “why didnt you just tell me? i wouldve said yes.”

but hes lying to himself when he says this. there was a non-zero chance he wouldve said no and opted to kill delta instead, given the information he had at the time. its a war!

[doubleddenden]

I had a rather "American" realization about Legends Z-A. No its nothing about hamburgers and guns, hear me out-

As an American (apologies), I've been pronouncing it as Zee-Ay. I recently heard a non American poketuber refer to it as Zed-Ay, as I forgot Zed is typically how a lot of places pronounce it, much like H (pronounced Ay-ch here) can be pronounced Hay-ch elsewhere.

Then I had another realization.

Z-A/Zed-Ay? Could make sense if you just read it as is the way you're supposed to in your respective dialect. But then I had a 4 a.m. moment of mispronounced words- Zed-Ay in this case became Zed-Ah, or Zeta depending on how you say it (I've heard both Zay-ta and Zeh-Ta/Zeh-da).

And suddenly the peanut I call a brain started to bounce around in this skull of mine. And mind you, it's almost 5 am, and maybe won't mean much, but hear me out

Zeta- Greek. Not the first time we've had it in a Pokemon title. Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire, plus Episode Delta. All of these were Gen 6, despite being in Hoenn. In fact, Zeta is the 6th letter of the Greek alphabet.

Zeta is represented by the lowercase ζ. Capital? Ζ.

Yall it fits. Idk wtf it means but I might have stumbled upon something neat by complete sleep deprived accident.

If we follow this rabbit hole to the Ratatosk theory I posited a while back (summary: i basically theorized Zygarde is Z, so A probably would be a new Pokemon like X and Y were with Xerneas and Yveltal, and Ratatosk- a gossipy squirrel- comes from the same story of the Nordic world tree that the XYZ legends are based from), perhaps it could also tie to the ORAS primal forms to some degree? If for nothing else than to bring back Primal Kyogre and Groudon. Again, it is Gen 6.

But that's all I got so far. Thanks for hanging out in DD's theory corner

[anomalocariscanadensis]

simplest possible translation of girard's paradox (plus a couple usages) to "music" - just reading a file with the proof and mapping characters to notes, almost no effort - not even close to what i hope to achieve, but a first step at imagining what the output could be - the little recurrent fragments of melodies as names and such repeat. "forall" is a low burble that rises at the end, a particular pair of two high notes (the first slightly lower) is a lambda, etc. source text below the cut in a little toy dtlc language

let setsOf = (\ t -> (t -> *)) :: * -> *;

let U = forall (X :: *) . (setsOf (setsOf X) -> X) -> setsOf (setsOf X);

let tau = (\ t X f p -> t (\ u -> p (f ((u X) f)))) :: setsOf (setsOf U) -> U;

let sigma = (\ s -> (s U) tau) :: U -> setsOf (setsOf U);

let delta = (\ y -> Not (forall (p :: setsOf U) . sigma y p -> p (tau (sigma y)))) :: setsOf U;

let preomega = (\ p -> (forall (x :: U) . sigma x p -> p x)) :: setsOf (setsOf U);

let omega = tau preomega :: U;

let lem0 = (\ p h1 -> h1 omega (\ x -> h1 (tau (sigma x)))) :: forall (p :: setsOf U) . (forall (x :: U) . sigma x p -> p x) -> p omega;

let D = forall (p :: setsOf U) . (sigma omega p) -> p (tau (sigma omega)) :: *;

let lem2 = lem0 delta (\ x h2 h3 -> h3 delta h2 (\ p -> h3 (\ y -> p (tau (sigma y))))) :: Not D;

let lem3 = (\p -> lem0 (\ y -> p (tau (sigma y)))) :: D;

let girard = lem2 lem3 :: False;

prove quodlibet : forall (x :: *) . Fin 0 -> x; intros; exfalso; assumption; qed;

let trivial = (\ x -> quodlibet x girard) :: forall (x :: *) . x;

let plus = natElim ( \ _ -> Nat -> Nat ) -- motive ( \ n -> n ) -- case for Zero ( \ p rec n -> Succ (rec n) ); -- case for Succ

let addition_is_commutative = forall (n :: Nat) (m :: Nat) . Eq Nat (plus n m) (plus m n);

let commute = trivial addition_is_commutative :: addition_is_commutative;

let zero_equals_1 = Eq Nat 0 1;

let ze1 = trivial zero_equals_1 :: zero_equals_1;

[blade-that-was-broken]

For the question about what other peeps could be in JDs squad what about coopers parents Queen Essence or King Quincy I think they’re around jd and deltas age maybe about 5-6 or so years older. It would be that only one or them would be in jds squad because someone has to parent their kids but the other could definitely be military. Plus if Cooper is branches friend that adds to another level of angst in the separation and irony because jd probably stayed at coopers house before cause he stays with his squad mates during leave sometimes and it would be a case of so close yet so far cause jd would have no idea that cooper is branches friend and branch would have no idea that coopers parents friend/cooper’s uncle JD that gets mentioned sometimes is actually his missing older brother John.

Actually I already had a spot for them! They gave me the vibe of being older than JD so I kind of went with Quincy being in JD's squad when he joined when John was younger but over a few years, got promoted to a more managerial/overlooking position.

But Quincy has quite the soft spot for all of them. He keeps in contact with the squad and once in a while pulls some minor (non illegal) strings for John on occasion. He's probably the one who found Bruce's number and nudged the hospital in that direction (that one might be against the rules, using military resources like that or whatever but idc). He kind of keeps an eye on John, knowing his history and stuff. He's stationed somewhere now, but I'm not sure where yet.

Although the Branch angle... I kind of like that.

I suppose in this au, Cooper might have been kind of Branch's friend before Poppy's possibly? Hmmm... lemme think... okay. So, when Quincy was part of the squad, his family was in a place where Cooper and Branch went to school together. They were kinda friends but when Quincy got promoted, they moved to wherever he was being stationed at... which was not where Branch lived. Anyway, Cooper and Branch do stay in contact. They aren't super close or anything but talk casually, probably have an interest or two in common.

Branch probably complains about his brothers, Cooper probably talks about his family. Things get messy when Branch's mom dies and Coop is kind of the one he is there for him at the time, although idk if he is actually "there" physically. They probably play video games together on occasion. Branch has no idea about John anyways so when Cooper mentions his parent's friend, someone he knows as Uncle John/JD (idk which yet), Branch doesn't think anything of it and neither does Cooper. They aren't quite close enough that Cooper talks about Branch to JD, although if he does mention him, it might be a nickname.

Quincy and Essence are always quick to let John stay with them (granted, so are Dickory's parents and Delta's sister lol) and once in a while he does.

There may be a funny thing that if Quincy and his family go to see John after what happens, it might be at the same time that Branch is staying with him over the summer... possibly. So it would be funny cause Cooper might be like hey! I get to see my pseudo uncle again AND by coincidence, an old friend is ALSO on the SAME island/area!

And then find out Branch's newfound brother and Cooper's uncle is the same person.

Which would probably make Cooper ecstatic.

[suzyundertale]

You have to remember the Japanese translation is well, for the Japanese audience. If it was Gaster I don't think it would make sense to hint at that with a similar typing style in English while not hinting at it whatsoever in Japanese. The translation should ideally be conveying the same information to both audiences. After all, if it was just him speaking more casually, wouldn't the english text not be in all caps to match?

Also, Ralsei says DELTA RUNE too. "This is the legend of DELTA RUNE." Notable too that both times Gaster said it on twitter it was DELTARUNE, one word, while Ralsei and this mystery guy both say DELTA RUNE, two words. I think DELTARUNE is the game and DELTA RUNE is... The story? The legend? Something ingame yet to be seen?

that is a good point and i do wonder why it isn't written like gaster's text normally is in japanese. i'm not really fluent enough to say if the speech patterns match, either.

from what i've seen on twitter, the japanese fans do seem to think it's gaster, too, so whether there's a similar speech pattern also present in the japanese version that i can't pick up on, or if they just got the info from the english version, or even if just the mysteriousness of the letter is enough to make them think that, the information is being conveyed somehow...

i wouldn't be super surprised if the valentine-guy turned out to be someone completely different, but i do think it would be odd to make a mysterious valentine with a very similar speaking pattern to gaster, plus several references to gaster, and have it not be at least some form of gaster, yknow?

as for the second point, i was specifically talking about the phrase "delta rune" referring to the real-life Video Game DELTARUNE, like in a meta context. ralsei references "the legend of DELTA RUNE" as an in-universe prophecy, but gaster and valentine-guy are referring to the actual game itself - note that valentine-guy immediately after says there was "a rumor of valentines day", which i interpreted as talking about fans speculating about the release date of chapter 3/4.

also, in the japanese version of the valentine it is actually written as "DELTARUNE" and not "DELTA RUNE", so i don't think the distinction is meaningful in this case!

[phoenixyfriend]

Ko-fi prompt from Becky:

I actually would love to hear where ticket/concession/merch money for concerts go. If someone has already asked about that, can you do something similar for a sports game of your choice?

Already got a request for concerts, but I can do the sports game!

So, let's go with... baseball. I've been to professional baseball games ('twas the Ducks), even if it's been a Very Long Time, so that's the one I have some perspective on. Who is in control of the money any given game (as in, who owns the stadium and the home team) varies by place and sport, so let's use the Mets and Citi Field as our example when we need a specific.

Mostly, this is because I'm in New York and so it's down to either them or the Yankees, and between the two... the Mets, through a wholly owned subsidiary, Queens Ballpark Company, are the ones that actually own their ballpark, which makes a few things easier and includes a Fun Fact about the naming. It also means that I can treat the team and the stadium as one singular entity instead of waffling over who gets to be the Main Character of this simulation. It's not exactly uncommon for teams to own their own stadiums, but it's not most of them.

(The Mets, btw, are owned in large part by a hedge fund manager. Like, 95% of the team stock is owned by this one guy. Why can't more sports be like the Packers and just belong to the city.)

In this case, I will be referring to the Forbes article on Citi Field's revenue for 2022 as a guide or framework, as they have an actual image of the financial report; they don't do much explaining of the actual data, though, so my part will be explaining the less-obvious things and doing some maths. A few other articles will also be cited as they come in useful.

I'll also note that the Mets are a very expensive team operating at a loss, but they still work for our purposes.

MONEY COMING IN:

Tickets, most obviously

To quote the wiki article on Major League Baseball:

"MLB is the second-wealthiest professional sport league by revenue after the National Football League (NFL). [...] MLB has the highest total season attendance of any sports league in the world; in 2018, it drew more than 69.6 million spectators."

I didn't know that until I started researching for this post, but it makes sense. After all, baseball is "the American pastime." The Forbes article cites average attendance of 33,000 per home game. The stadium seat about 41,900, so we're looking at roughly 79% attendance. This is fine, because attendance is not the only stream of revenue.

Advertising

If you have seen a professional sports game in the past however many years, you have seen that, depending on the type of court, they are plastered in advertising. Let's take a look at Citi Field:

(Image Source: MLB website)

The Forbes article states that the stadium makes about $48.5 million per year from advertising. About $28.5 million of that comes from the various 'temporary' and long-term ads, the Nikon and Geico and Toyota and Coca Cola, etc.

$20 million of it comes from one company. I'm going to quote Wikipedia again:

The naming rights were purchased by Citigroup, a New York financial services company, for $20 million annually.

This is not uncommon! ESPN has an article about it, and some standout examples are Bank of America Stadium, Coors Field, Delta Center, FedEx Field and FedEx Forum, General Motors Place, Gillette Stadium, Heinz Field, and the list just goes on. I'm not even sure if the list is up to date, because I'm seeing even more articles elsewhere with higher figures.

Concessions

The financial report that Forbes cites has $22mill in concessions. This is not entirely surprising. Going by this page, we're looking at... 84 home games in that 2022 season. Let's assume that 33,000 average cited earlier. That's 2,772,000 attendees over the course of the season. So, what, a little under $10 per attendance tick? Entirely plausible. A hot dog plus a soda is $15, so... that tracks.

Parking

Apparently parking is, collectively, about $13mill annually. That's... genuinely a little concerning to me, for uh. Reasons. Also parking is $40.

(A lot of people go to games via train, if anyone's interested.)

Luxury Suite Premiums

I had to google this one, but uh. Turns out those fancy private box seats are even fancier and more private than I thought, bringing in over $10 mill a year.

Other Revenue - Stadium, undefined

"Other Revenue" and "post season revenue" are not given any further information, but they're about $16.5 mill so. They're definitely doing their part? Wish we had more information.

One guess is that there are events in the vein of the Citi Field Spring Carnival that contribute to the revenue through either fees to the stadium (if this is a carnival that rents the parking lot) or concessions and tickets (if the stadium rents a carnival).

Other Revenue - to the team that is not direct operating income of the stadium itself

Not counting the "other revenue" section of the financial statement, the Forbes article tells us that:

National broadcasting deals with Fox, ESPN and TBS that pay over $60 million a year to every MLB team, as well as the local cable fee the Mets get from SNY, which is over $80 million a year.

That's another $140mill in addition to the $244mill that the financial report cites.

Merchandise - not direct stadium revenue.

Get your Mets hats here! And your jerseys! And your logo bats! And your commemorative plushies! And--

MONEY GOING OUT

Operations

This one's easy: you have to pay wages to your employees, from the players themselves to the food sellers to janitorial to security to field maintenance, etc. Also, you have to pay for utilities (those billboards and floodlights aren't cheap), product to sell (frozen hot dogs), supplementary materials for products you sell (plastic cups, paper for the ticket machines, bags for garbage cans, and so on), and repairs/maintenance for the stands themselves (can't imagine they get through a season with all 41,900 seats intact).

Player salaries (and a few others, like the coach) aren't actually included in stadium revenue, but since the stadium is owned by the team, we're bundling them together for the sake of this case.

Payment in Lieu of Taxes

So this is an interesting one, and while the Forbes article does touch on it, there's a bit more detail to the story.

Citi Field was built in 2009, and the process cost $850 million. Of that, $615 was public subsidies. A lot of this was municipal bonds, which the Mets have to pay back with interest for the lifetime of the park; those municipal bond repayments are an offset, and in return for paying tens of millions in municipal bond repayments each year (the 2022 report shows about $43.5 mill), Citi Field does not have to pay property taxes.

Wikipedia only cites property taxes, but the financial report doesn't include any other taxes, so I'll assume the only other taxes they're on the hook for are sales and payroll, which aren't displayed in the financial report.

Parking

Right, so, parking as a bundle is about $7.5 mill in expenses, which means that parking alone has a marginal profit of about 42.3%, given the earlier figure of $13mill in parking revenue. I'm not finding any solid information on where that money goes, but it seems very like that New York City's taxes on land use for parking is not included in the property tax exemption we discussed above, and that most of the $7.5 mill is in that regard.

Post Season Expenses

I'll be honest, they don't define this $1.8 mill, but given what is and isn't included in the other sections, I'm going to hazard a guess that this may be about upgrades (more than maintenance) or replacement of physical billboards that are also not included as regular maintenance but require a lot of manpower to get up and set if complicated enough.

General and Administrative

This is the other possible allocation of the utilities and related payments. This is also where back of house activities like accountants, lawyer fees, payroll clerks, facilities managers, and so on are bundled in. It's about $5.5 mill.

Publicity and Promotions

This one's easy, it's just marketing that doesn't fall into General Mets Things and is rather for home games specifically.

Depreciation and Amortization

Bit trickier, but you know how a car loses value the second you drive it off the lot? That is depreciation. You paid $20,000 for a car, but two years later it's worth $16,000; on a financial report, you put that down as a $4,000 loss to depreciation. Amortization is similar, in that it lowers values of various assets in relation to time and relative value to what it was when new.

Interest Expenses

Expenses related directly to interest rates tend to get their own line separate from regular debt repayments. This isn't really relevant beyond 'loans are more expensive than when you first get them.'

Travel and League Expenses

Since this is a traveling team, being professionals, and a Major League Baseball Team in particular, money has to be spent on the plane rides, team bus, and of course, the league fees. I wanted to end that a bit more pithy, but it turns out it's not easy to find league fees for the MLB.

(A new team joining would have to pay about $2.2 billion, according to one article, while previous new additions were a couple hundred mill, so... 100 mill? Maybe?)

Hope that answers your question!

[yanderes-galore]

Just making this because I've been replaying Gears 1/Ultimate and wanted to share my niche little interest with you all in here so you just know what I like. If someone here likes Gears feel free to hmu, I'll happily listen to your brainrot and please do tell me if you have other ideas for how they act or if I got something wrong. No one's done anything like this but... hey... Gears was the first thing I ever wrote fanfiction for so I love it.

I decided to just do these four In one post to see what happens. As a result, it's kinda long :p Pure unedited brainrot, enjoy! Maybe I'll do another for the Gears 4 crew or the Carmines in the future.

General Look at Delta Squad as Yanderes

(Marcus, Dom, Cole, Baird)

Pairing: Romantic/Platonic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Overprotective behavior, Mentions of war, PTSD, Character's feeding into obsession, Violence, Death, Blood, Guilt tripping, Manipulation, Delusional behavior, Self-destructive behavior, Possessive behavior, Threats, Kidnapping mentioned, Stalking, Trackers, Swearing with Baird's part, Recordings, Secret pictures, Dubious relationship/companionship.

Marcus Fenix

Marcus would certainly be one that's hard to read.

Due to his past and tendency to lose those close to him due to war, he isn't the most expressive person.

He's loyal to his comrades and does care for others such as Dom, Anya and in this case... you.

However, Marcus doesn't show much emotion compared to people like Dom and Cole.

He often comes off cold and angry, yet he's a leader and expects to be listened to.

His darling may often think he doesn't care despite the fact he does.

To a concerning degree, actually.

He tries to avoid risks that could cause unnecessary loss.

As a platonic view towards you, he'd be most likely to take on some sort of father role or even be a friend. Yet father seems most likely for him due to Gears 4?

Romantic he sees you as someone he'd like to settle down with when he has the chance.

It's hard to tell how he feels until his obsession progresses due to his lack of emotion half the time.

Even if he seems apathetic, he'd be devastated if anything happened to you.

I feel when it comes to Yandere! Marcus and the loyalty Dom has towards him, Dom would feed into his tendencies.

The two are friends and Dom would probably encourage his less emotive friend to be closer to you.

Marcus doing dark things for you isn't too OOC.

He's seen death, he's been through a lot, he's often assertive and aggressive at times...

Anything like violence or murder isn't too hard to think of when it comes to him, but he tries to avoid it.

In terms of jealousy I feel he doesn't show it much.

He may take it out on others or maybe even Locust in battle, but he isn't going to outright admit it.

He shows he cares for you in his own way.

Physical affection is difficult since he's only known war for so long.

However, when it comes to you and coaxing from Dom, he gives in.

The most I can see for affection from him is pats on the back and pulling you close.

Outright hugging you is rare but happens.

He just... isn't very expressive.

A yandere being hard to read can be an issue.

With Marcus I can agree somewhat.

He knows better than to kill another human, he's already been labeled as a traitor once.

Fist fights don't count.

Marcus would get physically violent to protect you.

He's been covered in multiple times before, it's his line of work.

Violence is just expected of him.

But when it comes to you he gets softer.

He doesn't let his guard down but he's a bit more considerate.

Marcus would never let you out of his sight.

As a leader he feels responsible for your safety.

Plus, he expects you to listen to him due to his authoritative nature.

I feel he's a protective yandere and isn't all that possessive.

He'll have you return to him in the end in some way.

Marcus fights for you and the future he could share with you.

Be it taking you under his wing or taking you as a romantic partner, he's determined to see you live through it all and be beside him.

If you rejected Marcus then I don't think he'd be violent towards you.

He understands but doesn't leave you alone.

Then there's if Dom finds out....

Being loyal as ever, Dom would guilt trip you into going back to Marcus.

You'd be dragged back by his friend to return Marcus' care towards you.

Marcus tends to make orders towards you and is stern.

Out of everyone on Delta, Marcus and Baird may be the more "forceful" ones towards you if you disagree with them.

Marcus wouldn't force his darling into "obedience" aggressively.

He won't lay a hand on you but he may threaten or be persistent about it.

He most likely outranks you, so you should listen to his orders anyways.

He knows what to do so just listen.

He doesn't seem the type to kidnap.

Yet he does seem like someone who could murder and will probably even get help from Dom. (Platonic yandere Dom/hj?)

Overall, Marcus is a stern protective yandere who is hard to read. No only that but he often gets help from Dom if there is some issues between you and him.

Dominic Santiago

Dom is a much different type than his friend, Marcus.

He's an upbeat family man who's loyal and defends those he cares about.

He's most loyal to Marcus, willing to even break his loyalty to the COG to help him.

Dom would lean more into a protective delusional yandere.

He thinks his darling couldn't hate him and is always super caring towards you.

In terms of a platonic yandere, Dom could work as a fatherly yandere or a close friend.

He's loyal and one for family.

When it comes to romantic intentions he's incredibly affectionate and caring.

While Marcus tends to bottle his feelings and obsession over you, Dom is more emotive about it.

He knows how to be serious but also knows how to make his darling smile.

However, he isn't as in your face about it as Cole.

Dom makes it known he cares for you.

Plus he thinks you'll feel the same regardless on how you feel now.

Dom is someone willing to sacrifice everything for you.

You and Marcus mean the world to him.

As a result, he'd get himself hurt to protect you.

One of his biggest fears is losing those he loves.

Which means he'd rather die than lose you.

Dom can be a bit invasive at times but will give you space.

In terms of jealousy I'd imagine he'd make it known in passing.

He seems like he'd get moody or mention it later but wouldn't hurt anyone over it.

The only time he hurts others over you is if your life is in danger.

Other than that, Dom is an affectionate man who wants nothing more than to give you the world.

In terms of Delta Squad he's in the middle.

He's protective and delusional at times but knows when it is right to give you space.

Although Dom tends to use emotional manipulation to nudge you in the direction he wants.

He isn't really possessive, just jealous at times.

When it comes to Dom I can't really see him killing people out of jealousy.

Not unless he was overcome with some sort of emotion or was aiding you or Marcus while doing it.

In terms of if Marcus would help him with his obsession, it can go one of two ways.

Marcus either tries to correct him and tells him off...

Or Marcus helps by intimidating you into compliance, because they're friends after all.

Dom doesn't want you to be scared of him.

He wants you to eventually love him in whatever way he feels (romantic or platonic).

He'd be more physically affectionate, he's much more willing to physically embrace you and kiss you.

Dom would be one who wants to pamper you.

He wants to make you happy and cared for.

Sometimes his own dark thoughts of obsession disturb him, but he gives in eventually.

Dom is someone I can see kidnapping you.

It isn't at the top of his list but he does seem like the type to do that.

His motive is most likely to start a family but he doesn't need to kidnap you to do that.

Manipulation is theoretically all he needs.

If you told him you hated him he'd be in disbelief.

In his mind he doesn't think he's doing anything wrong once he fully accepts it.

He sees following you close and holding you to be a sign of protection.

Obviously you're going to need someone to be your second half in the world, right?

In a war riddled Sera you'll need him to keep you safe... so let him help!

He'd do anything for you.

Overall Dom is certainly a very loyal, protective, yet delusional yandere. He's pretty average when it comes to Delta Squad's yandere behavior for the most part... but has his moments.

Augustus Cole

Cole is similar to Dom but more intense.

He's energetic and enthusiastic.

Cole knows how to cheer up his squad and is always friendly.

Everyone seems to get along with him and he's even been friends with one of Delta's most stubborn members, Baird, for years before Delta.

I have a feeling no one could really hate him as he's just that nice to be around.

In fact you most likely get along with him fine.

Before E-Day Cole used to be a celebrity Thrashball player, he's famous prior to the Locust war but stays modest.

He actually doesn't like flaunting his fame all that much.

Yet if his darling knew him from those days and still admired him, he isn't complaining!

I have a feeling Cole is protective like most, a bit delusional, and a bit manipulative.

He'd also be one to prioritize his darling's happiness and often tries to keep them happy.

I can also see him being very affectionate and somewhat clingy.

Cole as a platonic could work as either a fatherly yandere or a very close friend.

He's a dad in canon at some point and is just so damn friendly.

With romantic intentions he'd be charming too.

Honestly, Cole may even fit into the role of the yandere you have no idea is a yandere.

He could get close to you and even integrate himself into your life before you even figure out something's wrong.

His friendly persona is no facade but he certainly utilizes it to stay on your good side.

He's just always so excited and happy despite the situation.

Cole would probably not harm another human unless they hurt you first.

Locust on the other hand?

He takes pleasure in killing them.

He's has a fighting spirit and it even disturbs others at times how often he runs into battle with no plan.

It would definitely be hard to tell he is a yandere.

He doesn't consider kidnapping or murder, most of the time he's just slowly worming his way into your life.

He makes all these cute promises of taking care of you and lives for your smile.

He'd also give you little nicknames.

He'd definitely be physically affectionate, probably even more than Dom.

He loves the idea of you smiling and laughing in his arms.

Cole would never want to do anything that would upset you.

Which is why overall he'd be a rather tame yandere for your sake.

However, if it ever comes to it, he doesn't mind getting some blood on him.

It comes with the job, plus, while he tries not to hurt other humans/soldiers...

Can you really tell the difference between human and Locust blood?

Overall, Cole would be very caring and would give you anything to make you happy. Any signs of obsessive behavior are really hard to spot with him.

Damon S. Baird

Baird is noted as being hard to get along with.

It isn't until later in the series that he stops being selfish and tries to get along with others.

Before that he only ever got along with Cole and later on, Delta Squad as a whole.

When he just meets you he's going to be a bit of an... ass.

As a result I feel Cole would help him out similar to Dom with Marcus.

Cole acts as a bridge between you at first to get along.

Doesn't matter if he's aware of Baird's obsession or not, he's willing to help you get along.

Baird has always been antisocial and poor with people.

He prefers to turn to machines and work on those rather than talking.

He's skilled in mechanics, demolitions, and robotics.

He could use such talents in his obsession.

Especially in Gears 4 where he owns the DB robotics company.

I could see him making drones or trackers to help his obsessive need to be near you.

Baird would be the yandere of Delta Squad more prone to stalking.

He'd secretly place a tracker in your armor or clothes or assign JACK to watch over you.

Baird when it comes to being platonic would more likely lean closer to being a friend than a fatherly yandere.

He's the type of friend that's hard to get along with at times but cares for you above all else like with Cole.

When it comes to romantic feelings he comes off awkward when trying to express it.

He struggles with personal connections like Marcus and struggles with his attempts to flirt or be on your good side.

You may hate Baird at first but he begins to grow on you.

He tends to run his mouth when he shouldn't which may make you upset.

As a result Cole may need to step in to repair things between you.

Cole is a bit of an enabler, guilt certainly creeps up on him at times though.

I feel Baird falls into the possessive category more than the others do.

You are one of the ones he tolerates the most.

It gets on his nerves at times when others are around or you're placed on another squad.

I feel if Baird ever got jealous he'd be willing to make it everyone's problem.

He'll complain to you about it and overall make it a big deal.

It gets annoying quickly.

He just wants to be alone with his robotics and have you to talk to him.

He also doesn't really need to kidnap because he'll have you covered in trackers.

No, don't ask what the device in his hand is that he keeps checking.

It's not important... (it's the thing he uses to track you).

Why kidnap you when he can just know where you are?

Murder? Ehhh... probably not his thing.

He could kill Locust all day like most of the COG.

Humans? He doesn't really like people but won't turn his gun on them unless they were traitors.

Threatening them would be up there though.

He's mostly bark but would probably punch someone if they got on his nerves.

He'd probably try to hide the fact he cares for you until much later, sort of like he's in denial.

He claims he doesn't have any specific feelings towards you when anyone asks...

But that's a huge lie.

He keeps track of you through tech and often shows worry when you're not around.

Others seem to notice but he quickly hides hid worry if it ever shows too much.

He's bad with affection at times but could give either verbal or physical.

He struggles with verbal.

He doesn't want you to think he hates you, truth is you often occupy his mind more than he'd like.

He'd probably lose it if he lost you somehow.

Which often means he clings around you, both to keep your attention and defend you.

Baird may also be one to utilize JACK to take pictures/record you when you aren't looking.

He definitely has a folder of such information recorded by JACK.

Baird would appear forceful at times, often getting frustrated if his darling was refusing him or ignoring him.

He has to be calmed by Cole but it only does so much.

You quickly become a big part of his life...

Recording you, protecting you, and being covered in blood for you becomes part of his daily life.

Regardless on if you like him or not due to his past behavior, he always has liked you.

You can only push him away from you for so long before he attempts to force his way into your life.

Overall, Baird can be a yandere who seems to hate you at first to hide his obsession. In reality he struggles with his obsessive tendencies towards you to the point he can't take it anymore and takes control of the situation.

He may seem like he doesn't care... in reality he cares so much it may just be destructive for the both of you.

[lonestarflight]

Space Shuttle Development, Phase B: North American Rockwell and General Dynamics B9U/NAR-161-B

North American and General Dynamics B9U / NAR-161-B proposed their final Phase B shuttle proposal on June 25, 1971.

"The fully reusable 'B9U / NAR-161-B' configuration would now weigh 2,290t at liftoff vs. the Phase-A limit of 1,587t and the total estimated cost of the development project had doubled, to almost $10 billion. The thrust of the space shuttle main engines had to be increased from 1,850KN to 2,450KN. Part of the problem was the shuttle now would have to be a much more versatile and capable vehicle than originally anticipated, since the space station and the manned lunar/planetary program evaporated in 1970. Critics in Congress contended that it was 'a project searching for a mission.' As a result, the new space transportation system was instead increasingly being promoted as a low-cost 'space truck' for unmanned NASA & USAF satellites."

"The North American Rockwell 'NAR-161-B' orbiter was designed for carrying a crew of two plus up to ten passengers in the forward crew module. Note the four deployable landing jet engines on top of the vehicle; NASA was planning to use modified F-15 or B-1B aircraft jet engines on some missions and for ferry flights from test sites or alternative landing fields. But the jets would be omitted for heavy-lift missions since the additional weight greatly reduced the shuttle's payload capability. The thermal protection system was based on silica tiles. The blended wing/body design was chosen for uniform load distribution. It would have produced a 2300-kilometer crossrange capability to satisfy USAF reentry requirements; North American also decided to replace the wingtip fins with a single vertical tail. The 2,450KN main engine thrust upgrade was motivated in part by the need to have a single engine-out abort capability. Analysis showed that the orbiter still would be able to return to the launch site after a single orbit in case one of its two main engines failed during ascent, but only if the engines were powerful enough. Unlike McDonnell-Douglas (who proposed to use RL-10s), North American favored a brand new oxygen/hydrogen 45KN-thrust orbital maneuvering system (OMS) engines. Three OMS engines would have been carried for orbit insertion, orbital changes and the de-orbit burn."

"General Dynamics' final 'B9U' booster design differed considerably from the earlier straight-wing 'B8D' concept. The landing jets were moved from the nose back to the delta wing in order to reduce the launch drag & heating effects and to minimize the jet engine exhaust effects on stability, control and drag. General Dynamics felt the delta wing would provide better stability & control over the entire flight regime than the B8's straight wing. It would also create more room for the main landing gear and jet engine installation. The gross liftoff mass was 1,886.2t including a jet fuel load of 62.2t for the 850km flight back to the launch site. The high staging velocity (3300m/s) and altitude (73.8km) created some problems since the booster would have to be very large, require a relatively advanced thermal protection system and carry lots of jet fuel for the return flight. The contractors also examined downrange landing sites or in-flight propellant transfer in order to reduce the amount of booster jet fuel. NASA also seriously considered a proposal to use gaseous hydrogen rather than jet fuel since it would have saved thousands of kilograms, but decided against the idea in the end since it would have increased the technical risk."

North American Rockwell Phase-B shuttle orbiter docks with modular space station.

"Payload capability (without landing jets): 29,484kg into a 185km 28.5 deg. Orbit; 18,144kg into a 185km 90 deg. polar orbit; 11,340kg into a 500km 55 deg. orbit with landing jets installed on orbiter and 20,411kg without landing engines.

Cost per mission: $100-200/lb. [1970 rates] or $950-$1900/kg in 1999. 75 missions/year max. Space station rescue mission capability within 48 hours of emergency call.

Liftoff Thrust: 2,606,810 kgf. Total Mass: 2,188,488 kg. Core Diameter: 10.4 m. Total Length: 98.0 m.

Stage Number: 1. 1 x Shuttle R134C-1 Gross Mass: 1,886,200 kg. Empty Mass: 290,000 kg. Thrust: 29,370-32,233.575 KN. Isp: 442 sec. Burn time: 209 sec. Isp(sl): 392 sec. Diameter: 10.4 m. Span: 43.9 m. Length: 82 m. Propellants: Lox/LH2 No Engines: 12. SSME Study

Stage Number: 2. 1 x Shuttle R134C-2 Gross Mass: 383,260 kg. Empty Mass: 121,560 kg. Thrust (vac): 5,624.8 KN. Isp: 459 sec. Burn time: 264 sec. Isp(sl): 359 sec. Diameter: 4.6 m. Span: 32.6 m. Length: 62.8 m. Propellants: Lox/LH2 No Engines: 2. SSME Study

- information from "INTRODUCTION TO FUTURE LAUNCH VEHICLE PLANS [1963-2001]" by Marcus Lindroos: link

SDASM Archives: 08_00941, 08_00943, 08_00944

Mike Acs's Collection: link, link

Numbers Station: link, link, link, link, link

source

Boeing image: 71SV13043

[romana-after-dark]

Room’s on Fire: Wildflower

NOT CANON NOT CANON NOT CANON!!!!!

This is a COMMISSION done for my dear @umnitsa based on my fic Room's on Fire. Rooms on Fire is Triple Frontier fanfiction cult au, however this does not have any TF characters in it, nor is it canon to ROF. However, things talked about are, and it is canon compliant and COULD have happened in theory.

Jonah Hanson (Timothy Olyphant) x plus size!reader x Marcus (David Habour

Timeline: In the past in ROF canon timeline, two years before the "uprising". Madonna and Iris arent in this fic but are talked about, Iris is 20 and Madonna is 10.

Summary: Jonah, Reader, and Marcus spend a weekend away.

Warnings and content: PIV sex, anal, anal fingering, m/m dynamics and sex but focus is mostly on reader. Some angst but not between characters, just their circumstances. Blowjobs, fingering, Jonah is scared of bee's tee hee. Mentions of Beatriz's sexual and physical abuse of Jonah and Frankie. General cult wanrings.

6k words

***************

"You belong among the wildflowers You belong in a boat out at sea Sail away, kill off the hours You belong somewhere you feel free Run away, find you a lover Go away somewhere all bright and new I have seen no other Who compares with you" ~Wildflower, Tom Petty

The house was ready!

You had been picking wildflowers while waiting for Jonah and Marcus to arrive, freshening up your little cabin in the woods. This was your getaway. Every few months, you, Jonah and Marcus find some time to get away and see each other for a night or two, have fun, make love, and relax. In Delta, they did their best not to be seen together. Friendship and relationships were dangerous, especially for Jonah and Marcus. Marcus was a pretty high up as a guard, just trying to get through the day without harm coming to his daughter.

Jonah was a similar but more precarious role. He was closer to the top, almost at the peak, a consort of Divine Mother, or “that bitch” as you call her. His daughter, Iris, is in the same dormitory as Marcus’s daughter, but she’s ten years older so they don’t know each other. You feel hands on your hips, startlingly you. You turn around and slap the person now in front of you.

“JONAH!” You scold him, but immediately go to touch his face. “You fucking scared me!”

“Oowwww!” He whines, pouting with his pretty lips. “You’re so mean!”

“Oh hush now.” You peck his slightly pink cheek and he smiles. You’ve seen him take way worse. “Maybe don’t scare me next time!” You wander off to set tea on the stove for Marcus, if he comes. Marcus loves tea. When his daughter was little, she loved tea parties and when Marcus was able to see her he always obliged her in pretending to be a princess with her small assortment of toys she was allowed. He grew accustomed to the taste, it always reminded him of her.

Jonah trailed after you, hips swaying before stopping and resting on one foot, leg popped out. You wanted to knock his stupid cowboy hat off his head and smother his face in kisses, but you had a few more things left to do.

You turn to your lover. “Think Marcus will make it?” 

He gives you a sympathetic look. “I dunno, darl’n, he’s try’n but he’s got a lot on his plate..”

You look down stiring the soup. “I know, I know.” You all did your best. Sometimes you couldn’t make it, sometimes Jonah or Marcus couldn’t, it was natural living in a high control environment. Still, you missed them and had hoped for a weekend with both. “Here, let’s eat. I’ll keep it on a simmer in case he comes.”

After diner, you laid on the couch in Jonah’s arms, his long fingers lazily fingering you. He wasn’t necessarily trying to bring you to orgasm, although it was near inevitable with the way he made your body feel. Jonah just liked to feel you. He loved your body, and spent countless hours in these hidden moments just familiarizing himself you every curve, every inch of fat, your smooth skin, the swell of your heavy breasts, and of course, the inside of your cunt. He had a body type that was for sure. Although Jonah certainly was just a lover of love, appreciating men and women of all shapes and sizes, he did gravitate towards big. He was a small man in terms of body type, a thin frame and slutty petite hips, he loved the feeling of weight on him. You and Marcus were happy to oblige. So, sometimes you laid like this, your full body access given to Jonah, your body comforting him and his hands bringing you pleasure by the fireside.

You heard the keys in the door and gasp. “Marcus!!”

Jonah grumbles about having to pull his fingers out of your dripping hole, but you jump up and run to the day.

Marcus opens his arms to you, folding you into his strong grasp. “Hiya, baby.” he kisses your cheek, then kisses Jonah as he approaches.

Jonah kisses him back and gives a warm side hug. “We didn’t think you were gonna make it.”

“Yeah, sorry.” He rubs the back of his neck. Fuck he was tall, a good couple inches of Jonah. “I was doing round on the dormitory and Lydia asked if I wanted to see her for a little, and well I just stayed until I had to leave, ended up a few hours.”

If there was ever a reason to be late, it was for your men to see their daughters. Delta split up families young, sending girls to live in dormitories around 12, but Jonah and Marcus had a different position. Jonah’s wife, Jess, died giving birth to Iris and Marcus’s wife, Lana, died of cancer when their daughter they adopted was 8. Marcus’ daughter was moved to a dormitory as soon as the funeral and grieving traditions were done. 

Jonah had all of 6 months with Iris before that bitch Beatriz decided it was “best” if Jonah moved into the mansion with her. She also decided it was “best” that Iris didn’t come with, seeing as she had her young son, Santiago and the boy she had adopted, francisco, there. Too many children, was her reasoning. So Iris grew up largely without a parent. Jonah tried his best to make time for Iris, but Beatriz didn’t allow much, leaving Iris and Jonah’s relationship strained. 

“Oh! Jonah, this is for you.” Marcus reached into his pocket, pulling out something covered in a napkin.

Jonah unwrapped a sugar cookie, looking at it confused. “You got me a cookie?”

Marcus barked a laugh. “No, I ran into Iris with my kid. She was walking back to the common room with some cookies for her friends she made, gave one to my baby and me, then wrapped one up for you.”

You turn to Jonah, still wrapped up in one of Marcus’s arms. He had a happy, small smile on his face, looking fondly at the cookie. Iris was angry a lot, often at him, but she found these little moments, small acts that remind Jonah she does love him, very much.

“C’mon!” You pull Marcus’s hand towards the couch. “Catch us up, how is she?”

But Marcus stayed planted firm where he was. “Aht, aht, aht, you think I didn’t see what you and Jonah were doing just a minute ago.” He yanks you backwards, your back flush against his chest and an arm wrapped around your middle keeping you pressed to him. “Jonah, want you to lift up the little sluts skirt for me, will you?”

Jonah set the cookie down, not wanting to eat it just yet. He wanted to save it just a bit long, a reminder that Iris still loved him, still thought about him. Making his way back to you and Marcus, he admired your bodies and bit his lips in anticipation for whats to come before lifting up your skirt. It was long, flowy, and he slid his hands all the way up to cup your breasts in the process.

Marcus chuckles. “Always so eager, aren’t you, Jonah?” Then slides the tips of his fingers over your slick core. “Hmmm” His voice verberates against your neck. “So are you, it seems.”

You were. You were always eager for them.

*

These men were your reprieve, and you adored each of them for different reasons. It wasn’t like you loved them, you didn’t think you did. You couldn’t, really, not in the situation you were all in. You worked long hours as a doctor, training the next generation as you were one of the few with any medical experience before the world fell apart. Jonah and Marcus were both guard, and their first priorities were their daughters. If somehow they found a way to get them out but it meant leaving you behind, they would and you wanted them to. Their children deserved a life. That’s honestly a reason why you loved them the way you did, as dear friends, as a reprieve. Few things were more attractive than a man who cared for his children.

Marcus was a symbol of strength. Do not let the roundness of him, the soft plush of his body fool you, Marcus could lift grown men in the air, and had no problem manuvering you where he wanted you to be. In fact, he had picked you up and placed you on top of Jonah’s face just now, sinking your body down to his awaiting tongue. Jonah was eager like that. Despite having a 20 year old daughter, Jonah was quite young himself, having had Iris at 19 where as Marcus had adopted his daughter as an infant when he was 40. There was a 10 year age gap between them, but Marcus never let his age slow him down. He had more stamina than men you’d fucked with half his years. 

Marcus fucked Jonah with a vigor you couldn’t believe, slamming into his ass again and again, grunting, using Jonah’s bent knees as leverage and fuck, did Jonah like it. Jonah’s tongue was something of legend, he could eat pussy for days, drowning himself in cum and slick. Maybe that’s why Beatriz latched on to him so much, that and his handsome face. And his hot fucking bod. And his beautiful cheeky smile-

“FUCK!” You scream, on the verge of cumming on Jonah’s face already, but you wanted to wait, you wanted to cum at the same time as Jonah.

“That’s right, baby” Marcus grunts as he slaps into Jonah, encouraging you. You loved when he called you baby. Pet names like were a rarity here, and when this all started they said they didn’t want to use them because they might slip and say it in the real world, but that soon went out the window. You were Jonah’s darl’n and Marcus’s baby. “Cum on his pretty face, can you do that for me? Be my pretty girl and let me watch you cum?”

You’re a panting, sweaty mess, two hands planted on Jonah firm, strong chest as you ride him. “Wanna see him cum first, please? CanI touch him?” Jonah’s cock twitched at the prospect. You honestly had no idea how he heard anything between your thighs, but he was something else. 

Marcus smiled at that. “Suck his cock, baby doll.”

You return the smile, walking yourself down your lover's body to bring yourself down to his throbbing hard, neglected dick and quickly take him into your mouth. Despite the sizable length, you’ve had enough practice and it goes down fairly easily, but Marcus still slows his thrust in order to not inadvertently knock him into your mouth. Jonah’s dick was fucking beautiful, long and veining and uncut, just fucking stellar to look at. It always made you drool and you took any chance you had to suck it. You and Jonah had more opportunities to steal away. You were the family doctor, Beatriz bringing you in whenever her little brat of a child had a sniffle. 

Recently, you’d been in charge of training Will in medicine, honing in his supposed “medicinal gifts” which was a loud of complete shit, but whatever. In exchange you were allowed a little more freedom, which was how you were able to take these getaways. Some days, Will would end things early, he had some pretty blonde girl he was seeing on the down low, so you liked to sneak away and find Jonah.

Jonah tasted delicious, and mixed with the musky scent of Marcus, the slap, slap, slap of their bodies together, and the way Jonah devoured your pussy between loud moans, you could hardly contain yourself. With the knew angle of you bent over, Jonah had taken the opportunity to feel up your buttcheeks, lightly smacking them just to watch and feel them jiggle. He always was an ass man. As you slobbered on his dick, letting yourself gag and drool so your saliva dripped down his balls and lubricated Marcus’s dick.

Jonah’s hands spread over your ass, and his thumb slid into your tight little hole, causing you to sigh in content and sink down further on his member. 

Marcus chuckled above you. “Jonah finger fucking that gorgeous ass of yours?” You whimper in affirmative, and he laughs again, muttering- “fuck’n predictable.”

Tongue deep inside your cunt, your asshole with his finger inside and Jonah’s cock stuffing your mouth. Everything was Jonah, Jonah, Jonah… until-

Hand grip your hair, forcing you to look up at him through your lashes as you sucked another man off.

“You’re gonna look me in the eyes while I blow my load into your little boy toy.” Marcus growls, and you nod. Marcus loved eye contact. He liked being seen. Jonah liked being used. 

Marcus was stunning above you, sweat beads trickling down his hair body, massive and imposing and absolutely fucking beautiful. He was commanding and powerful, the kind of man who made you wanna get your shit together. But he could also be gentle and kind. He made a good dad.

Filled to the fucking brim, you cum all over Jonah’s face and although he explodes in your mouth, never for a moment does he stop his ministrations on your body, drawing out your pleasure as he laps up your mess. Marcus does not cum quietly, but with a roar, the sounds of his orgasm echo in the rooms while you ride out the last of your climax on Jonah’s face.

*

Jonah always fell asleep right after sex. He didn’t get to sleep much between his duties as head of the guard and everything Beatriz needed of him. He’d been carrying so much of their world on his shoulders since he was only 19. That’s too much for someone with teen still in his name. At 39, his body ached like someone of double his years and he took sleep where he could get it. Sometimes he woke up to nightmares, but they were less when you or Marcus were in the bed. His body knew yours by the feel and felt safe. Usually, you liked to fall asleep with your arms wrapped around him to protect him from all his bad thoughts, but after Jonah was knocked out (Before Marcus even picked your exhausted body up off him.) You opted to cuddle with Marcus as long as Jonah slept peacefully. 

Your bodies were naked, a little bit cold so he pulled a blanket over the three of you. It’d been an hour of just talking and laughing, trying to keep quiet to not wake your sleepy lover. Marcus talked of his daughter with a twinkle in his eyes. You’d seen them together a few times, mostly when she wasn’t feeling well and Marcus was able to take her to you. The dormitories had a lower standard of calling on a doctor, but Marcus was frequently worried. Watching your wife die of cancer can make you paranoid, so you were happy to indulge him and check on the girl. She did get sick a little more than the average child, seemed like a weaker immune system but nothing of note. 

“She really likes painting. I mean, she’s always loved art but she’s really taken to painting. Good at it too.”

Delta required lots of hard work to keep running, to keep its people fed, there wasn’t a whole lot of down time. His daughter at only 10 was taking on chores and work already. Still, members were encouraged in a hobby, Decon Davis thought it was important to have an outlet. Marcus’s daughter was showing promise, and although there weren’t careers in art and she’d still have to do manual labor, it was good to know she had something creative to look forward to.

“What does she like to paint?”

“Nature, mostly. Pretty things. I mean, she’s ten.” He chuckles. “But I’m glad that despite everything, she’s happy. She says she likes to paint her dreams, so… yuh know, it’s nice to see she dreams of sunshine and flowers. She’s been learning portraits but uh…” Marcus laughs again, and you bounce with his belly. “It’s not so good yet. She’s do great! I’m sure! Just right now they look kinda funny.”

You could imagine. You loved hearing them talk about their kids, but Marcus was more open than Jonah. Honestly, you knew Iris better than Jonah sometimes. Iris had been picked for her leadership abilities and was being brought up for a future role as a house mother. Some thought it was because her dad was “sleeping with” The Divine Mother, and that may have had a part in it. Jonah was not above using his position to get his daughter out of physical danger and back breaking work, but honestly she had a natural skill. You’d worked with her on the medical portions, teaching her first aid and far beyond and she picked it out quickly. She was very intelligent, strong willed but not arrogant or prideful, and despite a tough exterior she cared deeply for people. She’d be good as a house mother, making this life bearable for the children of a cult.

“C’mere.” Marcus mutters, pulling you up on top of his belly and only then do you notice he’s half-hard again. You grind yourself down on him, feeling him harden because of you, and kiss him.

“My handsome man…” You mutter, prodding at his mouth with your tongue and he does not hesitate to let you in. He’s fucking delicious, tasting of cookies and cigars even after all the time. 

Marcus notches himself at your entrance. “You want it hard, or slow?” He’s asking for permission. No one’d been inside you yet except for Jonah’s fingers a few hours ago, and Jonah was more on the long side than he was thick. Marcus didn’t want to hurt you in any way you didn’t like but both you sometimes enjoyed the burn of him tearing you up. It was up to you.

“Hard”

Marcus kissed you, encasing your mouth in his to swallow your screams as he thrust into you, splitting you open on his fat cock. You were wet, he slid in easy and filled you up to the fucking brim. Jonah’s cock was longer but Marcus’s was fatter, stretching you out so fully for a moment you’re blinded, his dick resting deep inside you. He can feel you pulsing, your sweet, tight little hole just sucking him right up. He begins to thrust slowly, lazily,  enjoying how your cries settled into whimpers. Fuck, he loved being inside you. He respite, his safe haven. With you and Jonah, here in the cabin, he could relax.

It wasn’t always enough, sometimes he couldn’t shake worry for him daughter, the sweet little girl he was supposed to protect. How could he protect her when she wasn’t even allowed to live with him? That’s why he liked Jonah. Jonah got it, he understood the position this cult put fathers and mothers in. Keep their children locked away, they’ll never leave. Jonah and Marcus would never leave without their girls. There’d be no point in life without them.

But days like today, he could forget. Not forget her, never. She was always there, lingering… but he could have some peace. He could come here, fuck Jonah and their woman, make sweet, sweet love and have some reprieve from the vile world they lived in. 

Marcus pulls back from her, tugging on her bottom lip with his teeth gently. “Gotta be quite. Can’t have you waking Jonah up.” He teases you with a particularly deep thrust, hitting that spot inside you he knew made you scream.

“Well maybe if you -oh fuck!- didn’t have such a fat cock I could -shitshitshit- keep QUIET! Ah!”

Marcus slapped a hand over your mouth, glancing to where Jonah slept. He still seemed peaceful. He turned back to you. “You’re gonna cum, and you’re gonna cum quietly or else I’ll have to punish you.”

As enticing as that was, you wanted Jonah to sleep, so you tucked your face into Marcus’s plush shoulder, ready to bit if needed. He pulled out of you slow, then thrust back in hard and quick, repeating this process over and over until your pussy clenches down on his hard, pulsing and cumming and soaking him and you muffle your cries into his skin. 

“Off.” 

You slid off him, and as he reaches to jerk himself off, you bring your mouth to him. Marcus cums inside your mouth, thick ropes you wished you could feel inside your cunt. Tasting him was second best.

As you settle at his side again, ready to take a nap, you hear Jonah.

“Jesus Christ you guys are loud.”

*

You were outside picking flowers with Jonah while Marcus cooked breakfast. Well, closer to lunch honestly. The three of you had spent all evening, night, and morning waking up, fucking one or both of each other, then going back to sleep. It was messy, waking up in sweats and haze and heat, sometimes entangled in bodies, sometimes lips were on your cunt or Jonah’s eyes flickered awake with your hand wrapped around him. You all were very aware of each others boundaries and dislikes, so no one had an issues getting a head start on things while one was a sleep. It wasn’t unheard of to wake up cumming.

The sun was bright out and the wildflowers in perfect peak, bumble bees dancing around you. You had told Jonah to stay still, watching a bee hover around him. It landed on his cheek, making him freak out and scream a little. When Marcus rushed out to see what the screaming was, he found Jonah waving his arms around shouting and you on the grass giggling. Marcus threw a spatula at him. 

Tomorrow, you all headed back, and Jonah wanted to stop by and see Iris. He’d have to leave a little earlier than you and Marcus, but that was okay. Jonah picked flowers to bring to her. He wanted more than anything to grow Iris’s for her, but he had to prioritize trades for useful plants and seeds. One day he’d find them, one day a tradesman would happen to have the flower’s seeds and he’d learn how to grow them for her. For now, however, he’d bring her wildflowers. Depending on her mood, she may not want to see him, but if she sent Marcus with a cookie (which was fantastic, by the way) he’d try to bring her something nice. Jonah had used his position to leverage things for Iris on occasion, but usually to other people. He liked to make Beatriz think Iris didn’t matter to him, that Beatriz was the most important thing in his life. He wanted her to think that Santiago and Francisco were what he considered his children, that his own daughter was an afterthought. Nothing could be further from the truth, but it was safer for her that way.

“Jonah look! Daffodils!” You call him over. Daffodils were harder to find, not wild flowers but not necessarily rare. Still, not something Iris would likely find on Delta grounds. She loved daffodils. 

*

Marcus’s cock always stretched your mouth so fucking wide, you knew you looked rediculos trying to take it all, but Marcus liked how messy you looked. On you hands and knees you suck him off, Jonah railing you from behind, smacking your ass again and again, but never hard enough for discomfort. Just a little reminder to leave you for tomorrow of who you belonged to. 

Jonah loved you face down, ass up like this. “Fucking love your ass, darl’n” Jonah grunts, squeezing the fatty flesh, making you hum around Marcus’s throbbing, red dick. 

Marcus huffs. “Yeah, I think she can tell. You’ve had your mouth up in there half the weekend.”

“Not my fault she tastes so damn good.” He shrugs.

Your jaw a little achy, you pull off Marcus and stroke him, breathless. “You guys really can’t stop talking, can you?”

“Nope. Now, take a break and suck his balls, beautiful, doing so good.”

Keening at the praise, you do as you’re told and go down to his balls. They are too big to fit both inside at once, so you focus on one and then the other, all while stroking his thick length. Jonah was hitting deep, making you whimper and gasp as he hit that spot. A strangled moan escapes your lips when he gets closer to his release, kissing your womb and god, you couldn't wait for him to flood your insides. With Jonah, there was no worry of pregnancy, so you could get completely filled by him.

“Messy, messy girl…” Marcus praises, running his fingers through your hair, careful not to pull at any knots. 

“She’s about ready to cum again, can you believe it Marc? She’s so fuck’n easy.”

You go back to swallowing Marcus’s cock.

“Just a pathetic little thing, isn’t she? Gotta have her holes filled all the time. Gotta take care of everything out there, so she needs to be taken care of here.”

Jonah tsks. “Well, guess we’ll just have to take care of her, huh? Think we can -ohfuckimgonnacum- think we can do that?”

“Oh yeah, we can do that. Jonah, I want you to fill her up, okay? Then I think you should clean her up. It’s only right.” 

“Oh yeah, it’s only right. Fuck, cumming right inside you, darl’n you feel that? You feel me in your womb?”

You did, oh god you did. He was hot inside you, whimpering noises as he came, the pride at bringing him such pleasure making your heart sore. He deserved to feel good. But Jonah was not one to leave you wanting.

Pulling out, he helps angle you down without choking on dick, more on your stomach while you sucked of his comrade. Jonah then gets on sniper position, licking his dripping cum out of you. His tongue wonders, getting anywhere from your clit to plunging into your asshole, leaving his face a wet slobbering mess as you came on him three times before Marcus filled your mouth. 

“Don’t swallow yet.” Marcus orders. “Give Jonah a kiss.”

And you did. You kissed until Marcus’s cum from your mouth mixed with yours and Jonah’s cum from his mouth, until the three of you were one.

*

It was the late evening, Marcus added one more log into the fire, then settled back on the couch next to Jonah, both you and him laying on the younger man’s shoulders.

“This is nice.” You tell them, snuggling up to Jonah. Marcus’s arm wrapped around the back of the couch behind Jonah to scratch your head as you relaxed. It was so warm, you felt so safe… everything was so… good.

When you fell asleep on Jonah’s shoulder, the men let you rest for a while, getting your sleep before nudging you awake. “C’mon, darl’n let's get you to bed.”

You wrap an arm around both men and they help guide your exhausted body to bed, settling in on either side of you.

“Need you…” you muttered to them as Jonah kissed you goodnight, and he chuckled. 

“Need me that bad can’t wait until morn’n?”

You shake your head sleepily. “Need a goodnight orgasm.” Which made him chuckle. 

“Marcus, wanna take care of our girl while I kiss her pretty little mouth.”

Marcus was happy to oblige. He slide off your pj pants, exposing your wet and needy little pussy to him, sliding his rough fingers up and down the slick folds. You whimper, need rising in your body just Jonah kisses your unspoken words away. “Hush now, go to sleep. Trust us, we’ll take care of you… always will. Now close your eyes.” Marcus slides a  fat finger inside you, and you sigh, closing your eyes and relaxing.

“Atta girl” The older man praises you, caressing your thigh as you open up to him more. He feels so fucking good on his own, but the feeling of Jonah kissing your neck and gently caressing your breasts is working you up faster. Many hands make for light work. Marcus fucked his fingers into you, your sleep body thrumming inside. You’d fall asleep if you were so close to cumming. “Gett’n nice tight, Jonah, don’t stop whatever you’re doing.”

Jonah was lost in the sauce, licking and sucking and nibbling all over every inch of skin he could find on you. It was then you noticed him humping the bed. This was no longer about your pleasure, although he certainly was giving it, but it was about him about ready to cum in his pants with his mouth suckling on your tit. Fuck, he felt so goddamn good, three of Marcus’s fingers plunged inside you, stretching you, curling in to reach juuuuust right, and Jonah worshipping every inch.

When you cum, it isn’t earth shattering, you down see stars or scream or break headboards. Instead, you hold your breath for a moment, feeling them, savoring them as you cum on Marcus. Then, you let go of the breath, sighing and falling into sleep.

Jonah cums in his pants next to you, sucking a hickey into your skin as he groans into you. For all his complaining earlier, he can’t stay quiet either. Marcus pulls out his hard cock, jerking himself over your sleeping body, large and imposing, until he comes all over your naked and dripping pussy.

Both your boys clean you up and tuck you in. No matter how much they wanted to fuck you, they let you sleep. You deserved it.

*

The morning was bittersweet.

You enjoyed cooking for you men, filling up their tummies. Despite living in the big house, Jonah didn’t eat enough. You figured it was his anxiety. Marcus certainly ate. You loved watching him devour your food the way he devoured you, so you always made a nice big breakfast on your last mornings just to hear him hum and say “gyatDAMN baby! Good as hell.”

Jonah was quieter eating, but always had his signature smile on his face. You liked seeing his smile. You liked that no matter what he’d been through, the world couldn’t knock it off him. A new guard you’d just done an exam on reminded you a lot of him. Something Saha? You couldn’t remember, but he was a smiley lad too. Jonah never failed to make you laugh, to make you feel pretty and nice and sweet and like you didn’t like every single day of your life at risk.

Marcus was more stoic, aged and refined, the picture of safety, community, fatherhood, responsibility. He made you feel incredibly safe, like nothing could get to you, no matter the things you were planning, the people you were working with, the changes you were trying to make happen that you couldn’t talk to them about… They had there secrets, you had yours, but these weekends away they made life bearable, and you hope you did the same for them.

“Morn’m darl’n” Jonah came up behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist and kissing you neck. “Smells good like always, thank you.”

“How long do you have?”

He sighs, “Maybe half an hour. Beatriz wants me back for some bullshit ceremony for rain with Ben.”

“Is that code for she fucks him too?” You immediately regret it. Jonah didn’t like talking about what happened between him and Beatriz or this recent between Beatriz and Francisco. Francisco was the same age Jonah was when the abuse started for him. He liked Francisco a whole lot more than he did Santiago, although you suspected Jonah still had a soft spot for the boy. 

He kissed your neck. “It’s okay honey. Why don’t you turn off that stove so I can get all up in your guts and show you how thankful I am for breakfast.”

He always managed to make you laugh, rolling your eyes. “And they say romance is dead.” but you do turn off the stove, because this is the last you’ll get of him for a while. 

Jonah bends you over the counter, nearly ripping your pants down with the force of his motions and begins to finger you open, two fingers in your pussy and a thumb in your asshole, bringing you to a whimpering mess before the pans cooled. When he thrust his cock into you, all your sadness of the end of the trip came to a head. It was desperate thrusts, fucking into you and holding you tight, never pulling far away from you body. He needed you, he needed to fuck someone who loved him, who cared about him, who treated him as more than a toy to use and show off. It wasn’t love, but christ it was friendship, it was caring and affection. There were times he thought he loved Beatriz, times he thought maybe she really did love him… Then he’d see the burn marks on his chest from cigarettes and he’d remember who he was to her. Disposable. 

He wasn’t disposable to you.

He wasn’t disposable to Marcus.

And despite their complex relationship, he wasn’t disposable to Iris. This was what happened. You three were who mattered. 

He filled you, again and again and again and when he tucked his face into your neck, you swear he felt wet, but you didn’t dare say a thing about it. His kisses were a tender contrast to the harsh, sloppy, needy thrusts of his hips. His arm slips down, rubbing your clit, and Jonah whispers in your ear, soft and loving. “Come for me, please.”

All it takes is a few more minutes, cumming on his cock with choked moans shutting and collapsing onto the granite. But Jonah wasn’t done with you yet. He pulls two more climaxes out of you feral and grunting, hands wandering over every inch of you, needing to memorize whatever he could of your softness.

“Jonah?” You whisper, face and upper body pressed into the hard surface. Jonah stops, cock buried deep inside you.

His voice is strained. “Shit, sorry, am I hurting you?” He softens, letting his body weight off of you.

“No, no, sweetheart…” But he separates from you. You turn around, grabbing him and pulling you right up next to your body again. “Don’t go… I like how you feel….” Soft, the kind of touch he’s not used to, you kiss his pretty lips. Jonah helps you hop up onto the counter and there he re-enters you. It’s less rough but just as desperate, sweaty bodies clinging to each other, your hands pawing at his back, careful not to scratch, careful not hurt him. Jonah liked when you scratched down his back, but you knew he needed something else right now. He needed soft.

Jonah came inside you, gentle kisses on your neck, chest, lips with sweet kisses.

*

It’s hard watching him leave. It always is. Jonah mounts his horse,  french toast in his bag for a snack on the way back and a bouquet of wildflowers and daffodils for Iris tied to the sattle. You give him a wave, and realize how, even though Jonah made you feel safe, he didn’t feel safe in his own life. You wanted to protect him as well. You would. Jonah was too close to the top to tell him what was happening, but you and Marcus were working on something with other members. Something that would change things. Something that would help fix this world and make a better life you, Marcus, Jonah, and their daughters. 

Jonah rides off with a smile, and Marcus wraps his arms around you in a bear hug. 

“He’s gonna be okay. We’re gonna figure this out.”

You sigh. “I know. I just worry.”

“I know.” Marcus kisses into your hair, squeezing you tightly. “I know you do. C’mon now, you and I got another few hours before we should head out. Let’s say we make good use of it.”

Marcus lifts you off your feet to spin you around, making you laugh again.

The laugh echoed down to Jonah as he road away.

**************

Again. NOT CANON. When we get more info on marcus and the past, mrcus and jonah have sexual and romantic tension but in my head they dont fuck. thats up to you. Howver, things like Beatriz physically harming Jonah, Iris training to be a house mother (hence why she knows medical, cooking, sewing, cleaning all that stuff so much) are all true.

Thank you May for this commission!!!! I love yooouuu!!!

[wanderinginksplot]

Refuge Chapter Four

Continued Delta Squad x fem!reader fic

Sorry for the late update, guys! I've had crazy writer's block, plus I'm trying to work through getting my sideblog un-shadowbanned. Anyway, here we go!

Word Count: 5,700

Warnings: Discussions of the Separatist occupation of Voubos, a condescending GAR officer, and more self-indulgent plot devices.

Previous | Next | Masterlist

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A Proposal

Barriss Offee was a kind girl, if a little quiet. 

She had taken you directly to the Jedi’s clothing… supply. She hadn’t actually given the room a name, now that you thought about it, but she had brought you there first. You were grateful for that. The sonic shower on Delta Squad’s ship had removed most of the physical contaminants from your skin, hair, and clothing, but there was a film of river scum on everything and your tunic smelled like you had been wearing it for a month. 

Which, to be fair, wasn’t far from the truth. 

In any case, the Jedi Order had some spare clothing they let you have. The items were simple and well-worn, but your new leggings and tunic felt nothing short of luxurious. Barriss even managed to find a pair of soft boots for you.

When you were fully dressed once more, Barriss led you all to an expansive room filled with tables. A delicious smell came from a long table on one side of the room, but your guide seemed distracted by the group of people - made up largely of teenagers - calling greetings to her.

“There are only limited dishes at this time of the day,” Barriss explained, “but you have several options. Please, feel free to help yourselves. I will be nearby if you need anything.”

Delta Squad lingered uncomfortably, but you didn’t need a second invitation. You hadn’t eaten anything other than ration bars for two days, and they didn’t make the most appetizing meal. You had missed real food. 

Most of the dishes on the table were unfamiliar to you, but you made several choices based on scent and ended up with an overloaded plate before you knew it. Fighting the urge to take even more, you retrieved utensils and scurried off to a table while Delta Squad was still choosing their own meals. 

The tables were long and lined with benches of equal length. The Jedi scattered around the room seemed to have formed small groups. Most groups contained beings of similar ages, but there were more than a few pairs of older Jedi and younger students, or a single Jedi surrounded by a handful of fascinated younglings. You shook your head, still floored by the new realization that the Jedi were not only real, they believed you to be one of them.

No, not one of them, you internally edited a moment later. Your abilities weren’t strong enough to be those of a real Jedi. You just had some sort of connection to their mystical Force… That sounded strange and off-putting to you, but your instincts had saved your life more times than you could count, so you couldn’t be entirely ungrateful. At least, not until you learned what conclusions the Jedi Council had drawn during their private conversation.

The thought made you nervous enough that your stomach twisted, so you pushed it away and focused on your meal. You were halfway through the pile of food by the time anyone joined you: Boss and Sev on either side of you while Scorch and Fixer took spots across from you.

Your table manners were terrible, but you were too busy eating to worry about that. Some kind of spiced meat disappeared from your plate, followed by roasted vegetables. The spoonful of unidentifiable fluff you had taken turned out to be a type of starchy vegetable. You found that you didn't enjoy the long slices of herb-crusted fish. Whether that was because of the spices or because it reminded you of vomiting up river water and half-digested fish, you couldn't be sure, but you pushed it off to the side regardless.

When you finally slowed, Scorch was grinning at you. "You eat like a clone."

"My apologies," you said, wishing you had thought to grab a napkin only seconds before Sev handed you one.

"You don't need to apologize for that," Boss told you. "You must have needed it. What I do want to know is why you left the ship when we specifically told you not to."

You ducked your head, which gave you an excellent view of Fixer moving some of the starchy fluff from his plate to yours. You sent him a quick smile in thanks and turned to face Boss once more.

The intensity you had noted in him before was even more pronounced when you were sitting this close. You looked directly at him, then away again, unable to hold direct contact with those eyes.

"My mind was too loud," you admitted, shifting uncomfortably in your spot on the bench. "I couldn't stop thinking about Voubos and everything that happened there. I had to leave or have a breakdown. I'm sorry. I hope I didn't get you into any trouble."

Boss continued looking stern until he sighed and passed you the piece of bread from his plate. "Let us worry about the trouble. You had to get out. Did you find what you needed outside?"

"Not really," you admitted, then laughed. "Though when you're looking for a distraction, nothing beats being told your instincts are actually part of an ancient religious system."

"Do you think they're gonna give you a lightsaber?" Scorch asked. It was so far from the other questions on your mind that you could only stare blankly at him.

"The real question is whether she'll be tried for treason or if we'll be the only ones," Sev scoffed.

“They can’t!” you denied immediately. Your voice was too loud, and you choked on the bread you had been in the middle of eating. Sev thumped you between the shoulder blades a few times to help dislodge it. “I won’t let them.”

“You aren’t a general or a Jedi,” Fixer pointed out. “Technically, you aren’t even a citizen of the Republic. What could you do to stop them if they decided to court-martial us?”

“I’d…” you trailed off, having not really thought this far ahead. “I’d do something.”

Scorch snorted. “Leave the plotting to us, nattie. We’re better at it.”

Boss shook his head at him. “And you’re the worst of the whole squad, Scorch. Lay off.”

“Ouch, Boss,” Scorch tossed back, though his broad grin showed exactly how seriously he took his sergeant’s censure.

“What are you going to do if they do decide to accuse you of treason?” you asked, breathless with the idea alone. You were struggling under a surge of guilt at referring to it as their problem rather than one you had a share in, but Scorch had made a good point. Technically speaking… you were no one. “I mean, I would fight for you, but I don’t think it would mean very much. Oh! I could try to-”

“Easy, nattie,” Sev told you, half-laughing with his harsh voice. “I wasn’t being serious.”

“You-? Oh. So you… You’ll all be fine?” you summarized weakly.

“More or less,” Fixer replied with a shrug. “We might get a slap on the wrist for picking you up from Voubos, but we knew that was a risk.”

“You knew?” You frowned, suddenly realizing that you had done nothing but repeat things, ask questions, or ramble for the past few minutes. “I just don’t understand why you would take such a chance for… me.”

The men exchanged glances, something you pretended not to see while you paid attention to your nearly empty plate. 

“You helped us,” Boss told you. “And you did it when there was no benefit to you. You tried to keep us from danger on your world. And then the Seppies arrested you, burnt down your house, and were going to-”

He cut off what he was going to say and you glanced up at him curiously, that curiosity only deepening when you saw him shake his head. You glanced over at Sev and found a muscle dancing in his jaw, but he didn’t offer an explanation, either. 

“I never did find out exactly what they were planning to do with me,” you admitted carefully. “Execution, but… was there more?”

“Yes,” Sev said sharply.

“What was it?” you asked. “I don’t really know what more they would have done.”

“It’s better that way,” Fixer told you.

“Oh, but-”

“No, nattie,” Scorch said, cutting off your protests with a tone that was shockingly firm for someone who spent so much of his time making jokes. “Don’t ask.”

You closed your mouth and gave a small nod, but there was nowhere for the conversation to go after that. The table fell silent, and that silence stretched until Barriss reappeared just behind Fixer’s shoulder.

“The Council has not finished their deliberations yet,” she announced, “but I can show you some of the Temple if you would like.”

“Yes, please,” you agreed instantly, pushing yourself away from the table. 

When Delta Squad had gathered behind you, Barriss gave you all a measured look. “What exactly would you be interested in seeing? There are certain sections of the Temple to which you do not have access, but there are meditation rooms, study areas, extensive gardens…”

“We’re just following along, Commander,” Boss said, before you could ask what Delta Squad wanted to see. “Ask her.”

Barriss nodded thoughtfully, then took a step closer to you even as she lowered her voice. “If you’ll excuse me saying it, you seem… I believe you are off balance. I mean no offense, but you seem to need some peace. You may benefit from meditation.”

“I don’t really… meditate,” you admitted, feeling like that was an insensitive thing to say to a Jedi. You were struggling to think of them in a setting outside of a story, but they were often portrayed as defenders of the peace who meditated to retain or strengthen their connection to the Force.

“Perhaps now would be an ideal time to start.” Barriss’s smile was kind, even when faced with your hesitation. “Or we could find a later opportunity. Is there anything that puts your mind at ease? Any activity that allows you to concentrate while your mind rests?”

“Sewing,” you admitted, your face heating at her curious look. “Sorry, I just- The movements are simple and they just let me think about things when they don’t feel so… close.”

The silence that fell was thoughtful, but you still shifted your weight uneasily, worried you were making a bad impression. A presence stepping up just short of your shoulder gave you an odd sense of comfort.

“Do you have a room for sewing in this temple?” Sev asked from just behind you. “You’ve gotta fix these clothes somewhere.”

“We do,” Barriss agreed eventually. “It is far from the most impressive place, but I can show you if you wish. Are you sure you would not prefer to visit the library? Or the music room, perhaps? They are much more popular with outside guests.”

“I’d love to see the sewing room, myself,” Scorch told her, laying it on thick. “What about you, Fixer? Boss?”

“It would be interesting to see how much work goes into supporting the clothing needs for a group this large,” Fixer mused.

Boss took longer to reply, but he only said, “Whatever she wants.”

“Very well,” Barriss said, clearly doubtful but trying to hide it. “Follow me.”

—

Fixer hadn’t been lying; he did think it was interesting how the Jedi Order recycled clothing to meet the needs of such a large and diverse group of beings. Granted, a lot of it was probably born of necessity. The Jedi Order only gained financial support through donations from outside parties and a modest governmental stipend. The group didn’t earn credits in any way.

Not that they would be incapable of it, if they tried. The Jedi could farm out their skills to the highest bidder and be richer than anyone could dream. They would be persuasive lobbyists for the highest-paying politicians, frightful mercenaries for anyone rich enough to afford their skills, or unprecedentedly efficient thieves working on behalf of any organization who hired them. Hells, the natties on Coruscant would line up for blocks to have their future read by a real Jedi - anyone who could prove that their skills were more than just bravado and cleverly-concealed mechanisms.

But the Jedi did none of those things. 

Instead, they existed on what they had access to. They accepted donations of clothing from generous civilians and made sure that clothing lasted long enough to be used by generations of students from younglings to adults. The Jedi took their limited funds and used them to purchase what they couldn’t find or make for themselves, somehow finding enough spare to help anyone in the galaxy they could.

Even now, with most Jedi masters working as generals in the Grand Army of the Republic, they didn’t collect payment. They could charge insane amounts of credits to use their talents on behalf of the Republic, but they didn’t. For all the unfairness that the clones weren’t paid for their work, at least they knew that their superior officers weren’t collecting a paycheck, either.

Whether that made the Jedi more sympathetic or utter fools, Fixer couldn’t be sure.

Either way, he couldn’t help but appreciate the Jedi just for this room alone. You were happier than he had seen you since they had all been sitting in your comfortable home as you taught them all how to knit. Actually, you were happier than Fixer had ever seen a civvie, especially over something as trivial as a sewing room. But, considering you had lost your comfortable home so recently, you could use some happiness.

It didn’t hurt that your joy made your face glow. You weren’t beaming or even smiling more than usual, but there was a deep contentment that had settled over you as soon as the doors had opened to reveal the room. 

Scorch had given a slight exhale through his nose; that was as good as an exclamation of surprise for a clone trooper. Fixer privately agreed with his brother’s assessment. Commander Offee had been dismissive of the room, clearly of the opinion that they would find it underwhelming, but Fixer couldn’t see how. 

It was an expansive space, filled with small tables holding machines that whirred with flashing needles and rotating spools of thread. Light filtered down from the ceiling, though there were small lamps at every workstation that offered more direct illumination. A few beings, presumably Jedi, were scattered around the tables, working on garments. Some of them sewed in silence while others held soft conversations brightened by occasional laughter.

Overall, it was a peaceful setting. Even Fixer could concede that much.

Ahead of him, you were already speaking excitedly to Commander Offee: “Do you simply alter the clothes you have or do you create new ones?”

Commander Offee looked taken aback by the question but, fortunately, she gave a real answer. If she had been dismissive or mocking, Fixer would have been forced to say something that would have broken - or at least intensely bruised - the chain of command.

“We decide that on a case-by-case basis,” she explained. “Certain members of the Order come from a heritage that determines how they would dress, and their clothing needs are taken into consideration when deciding how to prepare clothing. Master Luminara and I are Mirialan. Our cultural background means that we need clothing that offers more coverage, along with additional cloth for our hoods and hair coverings. If items come from the Mirialan community - and they often do - they are offered to Mirialan Jedi before they are added to the bulk clothing storage. If pre-made items cannot be found or altered, we are allowed to create the necessary pieces from cloth that is donated to the Temple.”

“That makes sense,” you agreed easily. “Your cape is beautiful. Did you make it or was it donated to the Temple?”

“Neither,” Commander Offee admitted, running her fingers over the patterned fabric with a soft smile. “When I first became a padawan, one of my early assignments was to accompany Master Luminara to Begamore as she offered aid to a group of our people who had begun to steal from a nearby community. They were simply trying to support themselves in a place that had become hostile. The group accepted our aid, but we offered to help them build a better community so that their troubles would never be repeated.”

“Clever,” you murmured, your voice low and soft enough that the commander wasn’t pulled from her reverie.

“The assignment was meant to be a simple one, but we stayed for several months as we worked to create a place where our people were not only tolerated, but accepted.” The commander was still smiling, tattooed face alight with warmth. “Even in such a short span of time, my master and I watched as the community began to thrive. Eventually, we were called away, but one of the women gifted me this cape. She said I should have something from my own culture to carry with me.”

“That’s a lovely gesture,” you remarked.

“It was,” the Mirialan agreed. “We were summoned back to Coruscant to discuss the Secessionist Movement with Chancellor Palpatine, which of course, led shortly into the war. Master Luminara and I have been fighting ever since, but I have never forgotten the joy that stems from offering aid to those across the galaxy who need it.”

The air of peace that had been emanating from you dimmed slightly and Fixer frowned, but you only said, “With any luck, the war will end soon and the Jedi will be able to take up old practices again.”

“Yes, with luck, skill, and a great deal of training,” Commander Offee agreed. “But while we fight a war, there are still younglings who need clothing. This room remains as it ever was - filled with donations and Jedi working to shape them into necessary items. Would you like to see anything else in the Temple, or would you rather stay here?”

You hesitated, glancing around the room before admitting, “I would like to stay here for a little while. I don’t need any clothing, but I could help out if anyone needs it?”

Commander Offee smiled. “There is always a need for someone to mend tears in clothing. It is often torn from use or by excited younglings learning to augment their abilities with the Force. If that is truly what you wish to do, the repairs section is here.”

She led you to a section of the room with clothing piled high, small tags detailing what had been damaged. As you settled in to sew fastenings onto clothing or neatly close rips in fabric, Boss took a step toward Fixer.

Immediately, Fixer’s attention was on his sergeant. Boss didn’t keep him waiting long. “If it comes to an investigation about why we went to Voubos, I’m taking full responsibility.”

“Respectfully, no,” Fixer told him. 

Boss’s eyes narrowed, and Fixer couldn’t really blame him. He wasn’t typically one to argue, but this was something he didn’t intend to let slide… even if his sharp mind helped him guess exactly what Boss was going to try next.

“That’s an order, Fixer.” 

Fixer almost smiled despite himself. That had been exactly what he had expected from Boss. However, he managed to keep an even expression and a firm tone as he said, “No, sir. No disrespect meant, but I won’t let you take responsibility for something we all wanted. As your second-in-command, I could have argued and I didn’t. At best, you can claim half the punishment, but the other half belongs to me.”

“The other half of what?” Sev asked, dark eyes suspicious as he glanced between Boss and Fixer. “What’s going on?”

Scorch followed closely behind Sev. “Yeah, we wanna be included, too!” He tossed an arm around Sev’s shoulders.

Sev pushed Scorch’s arm away, making a disgusted sound. “I don’t want to be included in anything with you, Scorch.”

“Men,” Boss said tiredly. “Fixer and I were discussing how to handle the possibility that we’ll be held accountable for our side trip to Voubos. I want to take full responsibility. I’m the squad leader and the ranking officer. Any repercussions should be mine. I’ll make it an order if I need to.”

Sev snorted loudly and, for once, Fixer didn’t mind the display of insubordination. In fact, he agreed whole-heartedly that their Sergeant was being ridiculous. 

Scorch seemed to agree with Sev’s nonverbal dismissal. “Make it an order if it makes you feel better, Boss. We’ll just disregard that one, too. We’ve got the practice.”

Boss didn’t laugh… not that anyone had really expected him to. Instead, his jaw tightened and he tossed a firm look toward the rest of the squad. “There’s no reason for all of us to be reprimanded when I can take the blame.”

“Kark that,” Sev told him lowly. His rumbling voice held enough venom that it drew attention from the closest Jedi, along with Boss’s ire. In a concession clearly aimed toward placating the Jedi rather than the sergeant, Sev reluctantly tacked on, “Sir.”

“None of us agree, Boss,” Fixer summarized. “But maybe we should just see what happens. We don’t even know if the Jedi are going to go for formal discipline.”

“‘See what happens’?” Scorch repeated incredulously. “You feeling okay, Fixer? You always like to have a plan for everything, and a backup plan for that, and then a backup backup plan in case something goes wrong with the backup…”

Sev dug his elbow into Scorch’s ribs. “He’s helping us for once, di’kut. Don’t let your personality ruin it.”

Fixer glared at both of his brothers, but couldn’t deny that the comment had stung. Maybe he was tough on Scorch and Sev, but it was only because that was the best way he could find to keep them safe. Though he couldn’t deny that the ‘wait and see’ method was extremely out of character for him. He did prefer to plan everything down to the last detail. 

Now that it had been pointed out to him, though, Fixer couldn’t help but wonder about his own change of heart. What could have happened that changed a fundamental part of his personality so intensely?

Fixer’s eyes were wandering as his mind whirred, a common habit for him, but his gaze paused in its journey around the room when you glanced in his direction and offered a smile over the pair of pants you were mending. His lips quirked in response without his permission, and he stifled the emotion as a comlink beeped.

Commander Offee answered the comlink, listened intently to a conversation too quiet for Fixer to hear across such a long distance, then glanced over at Delta Squad. “The Council has asked us to return.”

—

You weren’t going to let the Jedi punish Delta Squad.

You had decided that much almost as soon as Sev had mentioned that repercussions were a possibility, but your determination had only grown as the squad insisted on going to see the sewing room. The men probably knew how to sew, if only for injuries or clothing emergencies out in the field. They might even enjoy it; you had never asked, so you couldn’t be sure. But you had a suspicion that none of them had a strong interest in sewing. In that case, they had pushed to visit the room purely so you could see it.

Even through the fear of being summoned in front of the Jedi Council once more, your heart warmed at their casual kindness to someone who could offer them nothing in return.

You frowned. On the subject of having nothing to offer them, you weren’t sure how you would keep the Jedi from punishing Delta Squad. You would have to come up with something, and you needed to come up with it soon. The doors of the Jedi Council chamber were already in sight.

When you entered, the buzzing preoccupation of worry was filling your mind, along with a distinct lack of galaxy-shattering epiphanies. And, as you stepped into the center of the room and glanced around at the gathered Jedi, it seemed you were out of time.

Earlier, many seats around the room had been empty, but most were now occupied. Even places that didn’t hold a physical occupant had been claimed by holoprojected beings. 

It was intimidating, standing in front of that group. The semicircle of chairs in front of you were filled with people watching you. None of them looked cruel or harsh, but all of them were serious, and your stomach twisted with nerves. 

Before your fear could shift into panic, you heard the shuffle of someone settling into place in the back of the room, along with the soft clearing of a throat. Boss was here, you could feel it. Even if the sergeant of Delta Squad wasn’t thrilled with your earlier disobedience, you had no doubt that he would speak on your behalf if the situation called for it. You weren’t alone. Your shoulders eased down slightly, and you finally felt as if you could take a full breath.

“Council members,” Master Unduli announced, drawing the attention of the seated figures. If any of them had been speaking before then, you were sure they would have stopped to pay attention, but they seemed to already be focused on the meeting. “We have gathered to discuss the woman Delta Squad found on Voubos. Or, rather, we have gathered to deliver the results of our discussion.”

The man from earlier, Master Windu, leveled his steady gaze at you. You did your best to return the look without fear. “Your Midichlorian levels are high. They are not high enough to grant you entrance into the Jedi Order, but we would like to offer you the chance to train with us.”

“What?” you gasped out inelegantly. “Why?”

Master Unduli spoke again. “There is a chance your Midichlorian levels will continue to climb. More importantly, you’ve been through a trauma. In a heightened state of emotional upheaval, there is a strong possibility that your abilities will appear in unexpected situations. We can help teach you control.”

“So…” you trailed uncertainly, trying desperately to gather your thoughts even as you spoke. “So I would stay here and learn how to control my… abilities?”

“Yes, in part,” an unfamiliar man with reddish hair agreed. “But we could also teach you to use your abilities to do certain things. From the point made by Padawan Offee, it seems as if you could aid the Republic with missions that require strategy and secrecy.”

“She is not a citizen of the Republic,” a male countered. “Why should she feel any real desire to aid us?”

“Actually,” you interrupted, glancing over your shoulder as subtly as you could. To your surprise, Boss wasn’t alone. The entirety of Delta Squad was standing in the back of the room. Scorch gave you a thumbs up and a wink. “I would like to help any way I can.”

“Why?” Master Yoda asked, not unkindly. 

You shrugged. “I lost my home and my planet, and nearly lost my life. We on Voubos were loyal to no one, but the planet fell to the Separatists anyway. I’ve learned a hard lesson about the price of neutrality - specifically, that there is no one to back you up. If it comes down to it, the Republic sent the men who saved my life. That already puts you ahead of the Separatists for me. I’ll help you because you’ve helped me. Simple.”

There was a beat of silence, a heavy one.

“As it happens,” a human male with a yellow stripe trailing across his nose said, “we’ve already come up with a way you can help the Republic. If you’re interested, of course.”

“I’m interested,” you assented immediately. 

A few Council members glanced around at each other in a way that put your nerves on-edge, but you waited for someone to speak. Master Windu was the first.

“We have a lot of missions that require what Master Kenobi said earlier: strategy and secrecy,” he told you. “We have a few Jedi who are gifted with those abilities, but they’re busy leading armies. Or, in some cases, busy with missions here on Coruscant.”

The man with the yellow tattoo met Master Windu’s eyes, inclining his head with a smirk. Windu didn’t smile back, but he gave a short nod before he finished, “We could train you in the basics of control and subterfuge, then send you out with squads who are working missions that line up with your abilities.”

“Squads-?” you started.

Master Unduli cut in. “I sense you share a bond with Delta Squad. They often go on missions that would require the abilities you’ve already shown. We could partner you with them for any secrecy-driven assignments. Is that something you would be interested in?”

“Train in the Temple, she should,” Master Yoda told her, his eyes traveling to you a moment later. “Much to learn, have you. Vicious and desperate, this war is, but no reason is that to send an inexperienced soldier out into the thick of a battle that belongs to us. Before you answer, think it over, you should. Whatever your answer… have a place with the Jedi, you will.”

“I- thank you,” you said after a moment. “I would like a day or two to think about everything.”

“In the meantime, you may stay here in the Temple,” Master Windu told you. “Padawan Offee  will show you to your temporary quarters. Delta Squad, you are dismissed.”

“One moment, General Windu,” someone interrupted. You glanced over to find a man wearing the gray uniform of a military officer. “There is an open investigation into Delta Squad’s conduct. I would like to collect this woman’s testimony before she disappears into the depths of this… temple.”

“Of course, Investigator Nylirk,” Master Yoda said, bowing his head slightly. “Proceed, you may.”

Nylirk turned his searching gaze on you. “I understand these men freed you from your home planet of Voubos. Is that correct?” 

You searched for a way to refute that, but came up with nothing. “Yes, it is.”

“Did they ever mention why they came to help you?” Nylirk asked. 

“They found out Voubos had fallen to the Separatists and were worried about my safety,” you reported. “If they hadn’t returned for me, I would have died.”

Nylirk seemed unimpressed. “Then they brought you back to a secure building run by the Grand Army of the Republic and let you wander the premises unsupervised. Did they ever offer an explanation for that?”

“No,” you said shortly, listening intently for any hint from Delta Squad about what you should say.

“I thought as much,” Nylirk said contemptuously. He directed his next comment over your shoulder, to Delta Squad. “There will be a full investigation into every part of this, then we will discuss disciplinary action.”

He had already started toward the four commandos by the time you found your voice. Maybe you wouldn’t have said anything, but the resignation on the men’s faces spurred you into action. “I made them do it!”

Nylirk paused, glancing back at you with disbelief written across his face. “You made these highly-trained men disobey orders and general security protocols?”

“Yes, I did,” you told him, stubbornly kicking your chin up.

Nylirk frowned. “Impossible.”

“Not impossible, Inspector,” Master Windu denied. “Improbable, perhaps, but she has demonstrated an impressive amount of skill in evading notice. Who is to say that she didn’t influence them? The Force can grow stronger in those who fear for their lives. Perhaps it grew strong enough for her to influence them.”

“Yes, that’s what happened,” you repeated firmly. “Sergeant Boss said earlier that it felt like he was being pulled to the spot I needed him to be. Who can really say when I started pulling? Maybe I wasn’t just directing them to a river, but to the specific planet.”

“And you’re admitting that you did this?” Nylirk asked.

You took a beat to give that question full consideration. “I didn’t do it on purpose, but I often thought about Delta Squad as I was being held captive by the droids. I… I wished they were there with me. Maybe that was enough to influence them, even over the distance between us. I’m new to this, you know.”

Scorch laughed at your joke and Fixer cracked a smile. Sev gave a small nod. But what really struck you was the look on Boss’s face. He looked… stricken by your admission. His dark eyes held more than a hint of guilt, and you hoped he would let it pass. There was no way he or Delta Squad could have helped you any more than they did. They had saved your life. As far as you were concerned, that was far more than you had expected.

“General Yoda,” Inspector Nylirk redirected. “Your best guess: is it possible that she influenced Delta Squad to come back and help her?”

Yoda sat quietly for a moment as your stomach twisted with nerves. If he didn’t back up your story, Delta Squad would be punished and there would be nothing you could do to stop it. You would have failed to uphold your promise to the commandos, and repaid them poorly for helping you.

When Yoda finally spoke, he said, “Mysterious, the Force is. Possible, it is, that she influenced them. Yes, very possible.”

Nylirk’s face twisted in displeasure. He bit out, “Very well. Report back to GAR headquarters for a full debrief and an update on your next mission.”

Barriss approached, gesturing toward the door of the Council’s chambers. “I’ll show you to an available room.”

You hesitated a moment. There wasn’t time for you to say goodbye to Delta Squad and you knew that, but you wanted to apologize for getting them in trouble. However, with Nylirk still watching you closely and the entire Jedi Council looking on, you had to content yourself with giving the ghost of a smile.

Delta Squad looked serious and coolly professional as they watched you leave with Barriss, but Boss gave you the barest hint of a nod, eyes warm. You fought back a smile. It was a drop in the lake you owed them, but you had done something right for these men.

---

Author's Note - Thanks for reading! Extra thanks to all of those who have said kind things or asked questions about this fic. It has been a HUGE motivating factor for continuing to write!

Have a great day! 😊

Taglist (join here): @theclonesdeservebetter @ladykatakuri @fordo-kixed-rex @bitchylittleredhead @itsagrimm @murderofcrows1 @quietplaceinthestars @dinsverdika @cawyden @merkitty49 @professional-yearner @xxxcertifiednerdxxx

If you should be tagged and you're not, I'm sorry! I temporarily don't have access to my taglist, but I'll fix it as soon as I can get into the taglist again!

[covid-safer-hotties]

Summer COVID-19 wave arrives in St. Louis. The scale is tough to judge. - Published Aug 14, 2024

ST. LOUIS — A summer wave of COVID-19 has swept across the country and into St. Louis, finding a region far better-equipped to face the virus than in years past but still vulnerable to its disruptions.

Because fewer people are getting sick enough to require hospitalization — and the bulk of COVID-19 tests are now administered in the privacy of peoples' homes rather than at clinics, hospitals and pharmacy drive-thru windows — experts are finding it difficult to judge the scale of the wave.

But it is clear that more people are catching the virus now compared with earlier this summer.

Virus levels in wastewater, detected through sewershed testing, have jumped. BJC HealthCare reported seeing more COVID-positive patients. And officials advise the area's residents to take stock of their vaccination plans for this summer and fall.

"I think we don't really have the full picture yet because it is still ongoing," said Dr. Hilary Babcock, an infectious disease expert at Washington University who serves as vice president and chief quality officer for BJC. "It hasn't been a really sharp spike. ... It kind of slowly rose and just kind of keeps slowly inching up locally."

Babcock said BJC has seen a consistent rate of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 through most of the year, and the number has remained flat during the recent uptick of cases. Statewide, however, data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show an increase in the portion of hospitalized patients with the virus.

Marc Johnson, a professor at the University of Missouri School of Medicine who is involved with the state's wastewater testing efforts, said there haven't been any obvious changes in the way recent virus variants behave. Whenever a new variant emerges, experts look for changes in its ability to transmit from person to person, cause severe illness and overcome built-up immunity from vaccines and previous infections.

"But," he added, "those are things that are hard to tease out. It's usually much later that you can kind of look retrospectively and see, 'Oh, delta (an early variant) had much more of this or that.'"

Since the onset of COVID-19, doctors have questioned whether the virus would eventually settle into a regular, seasonal pattern like the flu, which circulates year-round but peaks between December and February.

Babcock said that including the recent summer wave, the virus is showing clear signs of seasonality, defined by a winter surge and a summer surge.

Each winter, COVID-19 cases have spiked to varying degrees. And the summers have also seen waves — though last year the increase was smaller and began later.

"People are still trying to understand what drives the surges that we have each year for all respiratory viruses, honestly, including flu," Babcock said. But the virus that causes COVID-19 seems to mutate quickly. The summer infections hit almost a year after most people have received the vaccine, new versions of which are typically rolled out in autumn.

"The summer surge kind of falls into this funny place, from an immune perspective," she said.

An updated vaccine is expected this fall and will offer stronger protection against the most recent versions of the virus. But some people might consider getting the shots that are currently available, Babcock said, in light of the recent uptick.

During pregnancy, for instance, people are at higher risk of complications and severe illness from COVID-19, Babcock said. Plus, some of the benefits from the vaccine can be passed along to the child. People who are about to travel or who are at risk for severe complications from COVID-19 might talk to their doctors about getting vaccinated now, Babcock said, or simply exercise more precautions while awaiting the updated shots.

Babcock said she hasn't made any changes to the precautions she takes day to day. She has continued to wear masks in airports and on airplanes, where it's not possible to distance oneself from others.

"I think the most important thing for people is to be sure that they don't go out themselves if they're sick," she said, "and that they stay home to minimize the risk to others around them."

[vikenticomeshome]

Cyberchase (Australian Release by MRA Entertainment) DVD Volume 2 (+ Italian Release Volume 2 by Delta Pictures)

Alright, today I give you a double feature of Cyberchase DVD scans. One of these is Volume 2 of the Australian release through MRA Entertainment. The other is Volume 2 of the Italian release through Delta Pictures. The MRA Entertainment release had 11 known volumes, while the Delta Pictures release had 3 known volumes.

The reason I am pairing these two up is because the artwork is almost the same. It features the kids flying through the vortex that connects their real world and Cyberspace.

https://archive.org/details/cyberchase-australian-dvd-from-mra-entertainment-group-pty-ltd-volume-02-case-wrap

https://archive.org/details/cyberchase-italian-dvd-from-delta-pictures-volume-2-case-wrap

There are some differences, of course. The vortex on the Italian release has the droplets much bigger, as if they zoomed in on the original image. While both of them have a red plus sign and blue-green 2, the Australian release adds a pink plus sign.

The Australian one does have any copyrights on it beyond the 2001 for the show. However, I don't believe it released that early. MRA Entertainment apparently went bust in 2007, so I would guess somewhere between 2001 and 2007.

The Italian release claims the packaging was copyrighted in 2006, and that Delta Pictures license ran from 2004-2009.

Now, the vortex is an iconic part of Cyberchase, and it is great that they included it here. However, the kids seem ever so slightly off-model. There's something off with with Matt's mouth, as well as Nezzie's chin. Jackie remains on-model. Does anyone else see what I am talking about here?

[satoshi-mochida]

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater physical edition pre-orders now available - Gematsu

Konami has opened pre-orders for the physical editions of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater.

In the Americas, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater will be available in a day one “Tactical Edition” and a Collector’s Edition.

In Europe and the United Kingdom, a Deluxe Edition will be available.

Get the Americas details below.

Collector’s Edition

The day one “Tactical Edition” of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater.

Miniature terrarium based on the iconic opening scene of Virtuous Mission where Naked Snake must recover his backpack snagged on a tree branch. Includes miniature Naked Snake figurine and tree stump with hanging bag.

A recreation of the fake identification badge Naked Snake uses to break into Groznyj Grad Northeast as a scientist.

High-quality stitched patch showing membership in the legendary FOX UNIT.

Unique rubber patch commemorating Naked Snake’s historic HALO parachute jump.

Beautiful retro style metal game case utilizing original Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater artwork.

Tactical Edition

The retail release of the day one “Tactical Edition” of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater contains the full game plus additional unique digital items that will be announced at a later date.

Metal Gear Solid Legacy Series Part 2

Actor and writer David Hayter introduced new mechanics and graphical improvements coming to Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater in the latest installment of the Metal Gear Solid Legacy series. Hayter touched on key features such as the new damage system that leaves battle scars on the main character as players progress through the game. A New Style control and camera layout offers intuitive controls for players accustomed to modern third-person action games. Plus, Hayter sat down with producer Noriaki Okamura who has worked on the series for several years to discuss the new title and the future of the franchise. “We left the gameplay, the story, and the voice cast of the original game as-is, but we had to bring the graphics and controls up to modern standards, all of which has changed over the years,” Okamura said. “All of that has been updated, but the core game—and the creative vision of the original staff—none of those parts of the game have changed.”

Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater is in development for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC (Steam). A release date has yet to be announced.

Watch the new Metal Gear Solid Legacy Series video below.

Metal Gear Solid Legacy Series Part 2