#OM SYSTEM OM-5

[idostory]

「輕巧高性能，Olympus推出全新OM-5相機，擁有計算攝影和OM-Log模式讓你的影像更出色！」

自 Olympus 將影像業務出售給 OM Digital Solutions 後，他們推出了全新的 OM SYSTEM OM-5 相機，結合了輕巧的設計和高性能。 OM SYSTEM  OM-5 OM-5 的設計輕盈，淨重僅有 414 克，但它內置了 5 軸機身防震，達到 6.5 級的防震效果。此外，它還具有 IP53 防塵防水性能，即使在低至零下 10℃ 的環境下仍能正常運作。最令人興奮的是，它還加入了多元化的計算攝影功能，可用內置的計算攝影功能輕鬆處理高解析度拍攝模式、Live ND 等影像處理，不再需要借助電腦編輯和合成。 OM-5 亦表現出色，搭載可靠的 5 軸機身防震，方便手持拍攝 4K 影片時得到穩定的表現，而且不限拍攝時間。此外，新相機還提供 OM-Log…

[bhrarchinerd]

Bunker St. Pauli by Peter Glaab

[du-hjarta-skulblaka]

Extremely annoyed bc I couldn't fall asleep for like 2 hours last night bc I was vividly hallucinating an entire scene for my novel but I have neither the time nor the energy to write it down atm and I'm so worried I'm gonna forget

[rideandrideawmore]

Main Street, Plymouth MA. Gold Star Family recognition. God bless.

[g00melo5-art-blog]

Q：別売の充電器 「UC-92」 と 「UC-90」 の違いを教えてください。

A：充電器 「UC-92」 について

充電器 「UC-92」 は、リチウムイオン充電池 「LI-92B」 または 「LI-90B」 用の充電器です。

USB-ACアダプター F-5AC やパソコンの USB端子などから給電し、リチウムイオン充電池を充電します。UC-92 は、 UC-90 の後継品です。

[calochortus]

with Mt.Fuji by peaceful-jp-scenery Via Flickr: Cherry blossoms of Oshinohakkai 忍野八海の桜 One more, This is the scene of Mt. Fuji and cherry blossoms. もうひとつ、富士山と桜の写真です。 Oshino-mura, Yamanashi pref, Japan

[dphotoworld]

OMDS обновляет 5 беззеркальных моделей, в том числе OM SYSTEM OM-5

Компания OM Digital Solutions выпустила прошивк... Читать дальше »

[dandelionsresilience]

Good News - June 8-14

Like these weekly compilations? Tip me at $Kaybarr1735! And if you tip me and give me a way to contact you, at the end of the month I'll send you a link to all of the articles I found but didn't use each week!

1. Rare foal born on estate for first time in 100 years

“The Food Museum at Abbot's Hall in Stowmarket, Suffolk, is home to a small number of Suffolk Punch horses - a breed considered critically endangered by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust. A female foal was born on Saturday and has been named Abbots Juno to honour the last horse born at the museum in 1924. [...] Juno is just one of 12 fillies born so far this year in the country and she could potentially help produce more of the breed in the future.”

2. The cement that could turn your house into a giant battery

“[Scientists] at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have found a way of creating an energy storage device known as a supercapacitor from three basic, cheap materials – water, cement and a soot-like substance called carbon black. [... Supercapacitators] can charge much more quickly than a lithium ion battery and don't suffer from the same levels of degradation in performance. [... Future applications of this concrete might include] roads that store solar energy and then release it to recharge electric cars wirelessly as they drive along a road [... and] energy-storing foundations of houses.”

3. New road lights, fewer dead insects—insect-friendly lighting successfully tested

“Tailored and shielded road lights make the light source almost invisible outside the illuminated area and significantly reduces the lethal attraction for flying insects in different environments. [...] The new LED luminaires deliver more focused light, reduce spill light, and are shielded above and to the side to minimize light pollution. [... In contrast,] dimming the conventional lights by a factor of 5 had no significant effect on insect attraction.”

4. When LGBTQ health is at stake, patient navigators are ready to help

“[S]ome health care systems have begun to offer guides, or navigators, to get people the help they need. [... W]hether they're just looking for a new doctor or taking the first step toward getting gender-affirming care, "a lot of our patients really benefit from having someone like me who is there to make sure that they are getting connected with a person who is immediately going to provide a safe environment for them." [... A navigator] also connects people with LGBTQ community organizations, social groups and peer support groups.”

5. Tech company to help tackle invasive plant species

“Himalayan balsam has very sugary nectar which tempts bees and other pollinators away from native plants, thereby preventing them from producing seed. It outcompetes native plant species for resources such as sunlight, space and nutrients. [...] The volunteer scheme is open to all GWT WilderGlos users who have a smartphone and can download the Crowdorsa app, where they can then earn up to 25p per square meter of Balsam removed.”

6. [Fish & Wildlife] Service Provides Over $14 Million to Benefit Local Communities, Clean Waterways and Recreational Boaters

“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is distributing more than $14 million in Clean Vessel Act grants to improve water quality and increase opportunities for fishing, shellfish harvests and safe swimming in the nation’s waterways. By helping recreational boaters properly dispose of sewage, this year’s grants will improve conditions for local communities, wildlife and recreational boaters in 18 states and Guam.”

7. Bornean clouded leopard family filmed in wild for first time ever

“Camera traps in Tanjung Puting National Park in Indonesian Borneo have captured a Bornean clouded leopard mother and her two cubs wandering through a forest. It's the first time a family of these endangered leopards has been caught on camera in the wild, according [to] staff from the Orangutan Foundation who placed camera traps throughout the forest to learn more about the elusive species.”

8. Toy library helps parents save money 'and the planet'

“Started in 2015 by Annie Berry, South Bristol's toy library aims to reduce waste and allow more children access to more - and sometimes expensive - toys. [...] Ms Berry partnered with the St Philips recycling centre on a pilot project to rescue items back from landfill, bringing more toys into the library. [...] [P]eople use it to support the environment, take out toys that they might not have the space for at home or be able to afford, and allow children to pick non-gender specific toys.”

9. Chicago Receives $3M Grant to Inventory Its Trees and Create Plan to Manage City’s Urban Forest

“The Chicago Park District received a $1.48 million grant [“made available through the federal Inflation Reduction Act”] to complete a 100% inventory of its estimated 250,000 trees, develop an urban forestry management plan and plant 200 trees in disadvantaged areas with the highest need. As with the city, development of the management plan is expected to involve significant community input.”

10. Strong Public Support for Indigenous Co-Stewardship Plan for Bears Ears National Monument

“[The NFW has a] plan to collaboratively steward Bears Ears National Monument to safeguard wildlife, protect cultural resources, and better manage outdoor recreation. The plan was the result of a two-year collaboration among the five Tribes of the Bears Ears Inter-Tribal Coalition and upholds Tribal sovereignty, incorporates Traditional Ecological Knowledge, and responsibly manages the monument for hunting, fishing, and other outdoor recreation while ensuring the continued health of the ecosystem.”

June 1-7 news here | (all credit for images and written material can be found at the source linked; I don’t claim credit for anything but curating.)

[hillbillyoracle]

So you can't get out of bed...

This is a resource list for all those who are having trouble getting out of bed. Whether that's because of injury, disability, or mental health, this collection of resources should help address some of the common pain points I've experienced over the years. Some will require modification if truly bedbound but my hope is this sparks ideas and gives you a place to start.

A warning: this is a *long* post. I went for thoroughness over brevity so people had options where possible.

Food

This video from Sarah McGlory of Adaptive Cleaning details her system.

It is excellent. I have a similar bin to her first in my room for high pain and low mood days. Prioritize high fiber and high protein shelf stable foods. Make sure electrolytes and water are within easy reach.

If grocery trips are too much, it's worth looking into pick up or delivery. In my experience, the delivery services through stores are better than Instacart and the like. The retailer who must not be named also has a great snack selections that hold up pretty well in transit.

Fruit + veggie pouches, baked chips, and RXBars are some of my favorites to keep on hand.

Clean Space

This video from KC Davis of Struggle Care details her "Five Things Tidying Method".

If you can't tidy your whole space, focus on the walkways. Make sure you have a walkway to your bedroom door, to your front door (or other way to leave your house), to the bathroom, and to the kitchen or where you store food.

Another tip from KC Davis - if you're struggling to get your plates back to the kitchen before they stick or attract bugs, get gallon sized plastic bags and seal the plates inside of them. You can always wash and reuse them once you've delivered it safely to your sink or dishwasher. When you're just surviving, it's just as okay to toss them after.

Bonus: This no-mess method of decluttering from Dana K. White is low energy friendly. You can stop whenever and your space is still better.

Hygiene

This post details my care kit that I use.

If you're unable to shower regularly, I'd add in some baby wipes. Yours probably won't look exactly like mine but I hope it can be a jumping off point. If I could only pick two items, it'd be the disposable toothbrushes and a good facial lotion (since it can also be used on the body). If you can't bare to change your clothes, just change your underwear. This helps prevent health issues down the road.

Movement

Arm Workout in Bed: [3 Min] [5 Min] [10 min]

Core Workout in Bed: [3 Min] [5 Min] [10 Min]

Leg Workout in Bed: [3 Min] [5 Min] [10 Min]

Yoga in Bed: [Morning] [Anytime] [Evening]

Stretching: [5 Min] [10 Min]

If you're able to stand + move but not up for leaving your room, then Rick Bhullar's walking workouts are great in a small space.

For a long time, I thought that you could only get exercise by getting dressed in specific clothes and going outside or to a gym. Now I know that there are lots of options for getting a little movement in bed. Even a short 3 min workout a day can help decrease muscle atrophy. Don't let perfect be the enemy of good enough.

Bonus: I also just walk laps around my room/apartment. You don't have to go outside. It can get a little boring sure. But quick 5-10 min walking breaks through out the day add up.

Spirituality

This is ultimately going to be specific to you and your tradition. Even if you are not religious at all taking a moment to think about your bigger picture values is important. Since my core spiritual path is Buddhism, here are some recommendations in that vein. I could not find good links for all of these. I don't necessarily do all of these everyday but I try to do a few.

Three Refuges by Plum Village

The Five Precepts by Access to Insight

The Five Remembrances on Wikipedia

Chanting Om Mani Padme Hum

Chanting Namo'valokiteshvara

Reciting the Heart Sutra

Bonus: A pagan practice I enjoy is reciting the hymns to the planet of the day. Offering water and incense is great but optional. Praying to and thanking ancestors and land spirits is also a great practice.

Alternatives to Social Media

It's easy to get stuck in the black hole of scrolling. It's good to have something enjoyable to pivot to.

Cozy Games

My favorites are Stardew Valley, Wingspan, and Animal Crossing. The first two aren't terribly expensive. A lower cost alternative to Animal Crossing would be Cozy Grove which regularly goes on sale. Sims can be cozy as well - minus any pool shenanigans.

Slowly

This is an app that allows you to send messages but delivers them on a delay based on how far away you are from someone. It makes it fairly easy to find penpals though, as with anything, it can be hit or miss. I've even convinced a few of my irl friends to try it and write them little letters on there. The delay makes receiving them more special. It's a great way to play letter writing rpgs with friends. I'm currently using it to play Grandpa's Farm with my partner.

750 Words

Ever wished you could do morning pages digitally? That's what 750 words started out as being but you can ultimately use it however you want. Some people use it to hit word counts on their writing projects. I'm a fan of using it to brain dump and then micro journal. It does cost a small fee after 30 days but it's by far been worth it to me.

FeederWatch

Getting outside - even if it's just for 5 minutes - once a day is a great goal. But if you can't, take a break and watch one of these feeder streams for a while. Even just seeing images of the outdoors, is calming. I sometime throw this up on one screen while I'm playing a cozy game or doing some non-screen activities.

Screen Breaks

We all know it's important to take screen breaks - but it's extra important to do it when you're in bed and you're screens are a big part of how you spend your day. Below are some of my favorite ways to take a break. 10 minutes every two hours or 20 minutes every three hours can make a big difference.

Postcrossing or writing letters to friends

Solo RPGs - here are some of mine, here's a D&D example

Free adult coloring pages

Read a Book - reading challenge, get personalized recommendations

Play a solitaire card game - there are so damn many now

Walk around for 5-10 minutes, bonus if it's outside.

Volunteer

One of the big feelings that come up for me when I'm mostly in bed is that I feel like a burden to others. Rather than trying to "be productive" I've found it's much better to try to positively contribute to others even if it's in small ways - sending a text to someone remembering/thanking them for something kind they did for me, ordering a little present for someone I know who's had a rough time, sending a card to someone who has a birthday coming up. The little stuff really helps people.

If you don't have many people in your life like that to help or you'd like to help some strangers too here are some other options.

Sigma Phi Eta

This is a 100% online and free greek service org I'm trying to get off the ground. 3 hours of service to become a pledge which count towards the 10 needed to become a member. 10 hours each year to stay active. We maintain an updated list of online/distanced volunteer opportunities as we find them. We have service awards for those who want to go above and beyond. Plus once you're a member you can wear our letters.

We're small right now but if you want a group of people to talk service and grow with - come join us!

Letters Against Isolation

LAI is probably my favorite charity I volunteer for. Volunteers write cards and letters to people in nursing homes, assisted living, and those connected to senior centers through Meals on Wheels and other programs. They're always adding new facilities so the need is always growing. They have facilities in multiple countries they write to and could use people who speak another language especially.

Warm Up America

Mostly for crocheters and knitters - this org accepts donations of all kinds of patterns and distributes them to smaller projects and charities who otherwise wouldn't be able to access these kind of goods at scale. I've made a few things for them - simple hats - and greatly enjoyed the process. Great use for your cheaper acrylic yarns.

7 Cups

I've had a mixed experience with 7 Cups. I really have enjoyed my experiences chatting with people on there but it can be really hit or miss as to whether I feel like I've helped people. There's also the usual people who try to use any chat service for sex. That aside, I still think their training is pretty good and it can feel meaningful when you're able to connect with someone who's not doing so hot.

Checklist

Have you cleaned yourself + changed clothes? [ ]

Have you tended to your spirituality? [ ]

Have you fed yourself? [ ] [ ] [ ]

Have you tended to your space? [ ]

Have you gotten some movement in? [ ]

Have you taken a social media break? [ ] [ ] [ ]

Have you taken a screen break? [ ] [ ] [ ]

Have you volunteered or done something nice for another person? [ ]

[rubbercasing]

when youre playing sonic adeventure 2 there's several levels of ascension you reach wheren you start by beating the game like normal and really get into the chao garden for a bit and you go "oh neat" but the game has a rank system an d 5 missions per level and several power ups per character so you do that so you can collect emblems but then you realize you don't get every ebmlem through normal gameplay so you go okay what now so you go back to the chao garden and you learn that there's like 10 or so emblems locked behind a.gauntlet of chao racing games and the chao level up based on what chaos drive and animal you give them which are only collected thru regular gameplay and tyen you go to the chao kindergarten and you realize the doctor there rstes your chao's ability pokemon iv/ev style with the stats set when you first get your chao egg and when they reincarnate and reincarnation is a sevwral ingsme hour long processnwhere you have to tend for your chao with fruit and leveling and petting and leveling up and such but when they reincarnate they lose most ofntheir skills but have a chance ofngrtting a higher defsult dtat rating and actually you can reincarnthe the same chao over and over and actually if your chao loves you enough and you love it enough it becomes a chaos chao which looks like the slime antagonist dude from sonic adventure 1 and then you learn actually the chao have a chaos chao form for each of the different main forms theu have and actually also the chao all have different forms based om what stats they're best at and what character alighnment has been petting them nd then you realize the actual game in sonic adventure 2 was the chao garden the entire time

[astaroth1357]

My (Painstakingly Plot-Spoiler Free) Thoughts on Nightbringer So Far:

Hello. I have played up through Lesson 7 out of 10. Here are my thoughts:

1. The rhythm game is difficult at first if you don't play the genre all the time, but even someone with a disability like myself can pick them up with some trial and error. Admittedly, I have found that knowing the songs inside and out really helps in that regard. Otherwise I flounder. All OM tracks (without dance beat) are on Spotify.

2. The game is like.... fun. Actually, legitimately fun. It probably helps that electronic j-pop is my jam, but I often find that even if my cards are strong enough to skip a stage, depending on the song, I really don't want to. The rhythm sections feel satisfying. Sometimes challenging, but not cheap (when it doesn't bug out). Which reminds me...

3. JANK. Oh good lord so much jank! The faces on 3d models are the stuff of nightmares. I honestly can't bring myself to look at them. Even if it's the only thing on screen, I glue my eyes to the text. Some things are a little buggy still, hits on the rhythm sectiond don't always register and I think the intimacy system is broke on mine. Mammon has had intimacy 5 then 6 then 5 then 6 then..... You get the idea. It resolves itself overtime, but it's ridiculous. Fix it.

4. Some small quality of life improvements all around. You no longer have to look at each new card individually to get stupid notification to go away, the phone is all one bundle now so you can check for calls and texts in the same place, you can actually SEE your own damn inventory through the gear menu button (finally), that kind of thing.

5. There's both good stuff and bad stuff on the grind front... I think the biggest double edge sword will be the new Skill Up cards. In theory, good! Because if a card goes out of availability you can still level up its skill with the right resources. Bad, in that it adds yet another currency item you need to farm and now, get this, parts of the Devil Tree are locked behind a certain skill level requirement. It... kinda bites pretty hard.

6. Without getting into spoiler territory, I love the story so far. It feels like a good balance between character drama and a decent amount of mystery in-between. Not to any payoffs yet, but very happy so far. I squint if the devs really believe that a newcomer is going to be able to follow along without any confusion, but I digress.

I will give a deeper breakdown of my impression of story and new! (old) characters in another post which will be spoiler marked to high heaven. Right now, I'm just playing as far as I can before I really gotta start grinding up levels and cards (read as: hit a brick wall). But look y'all!

She learns!!! 🥲🥲 (And I know My Chance like the back of my hand so duh it's this song)

[sarahowritesostucky]

Art: @hopelessartgeek

📖 "Medically Necessitated" Ch 5

Rated: Explicit Pairing: Bucky x Steve Tags: a/b/o, age gap, past rape, rape recovery, trauma recovery, pregnancy, medical trauma, hurt/comfort, mentions of CSA, religious fundamentalism, first time, gender dysphoria, male omegas are intersex (peen & vagine) Summary: After a medical emergency brings him into the ER, Bucky escapes the religious cult he's been raised in. It's up to Steve, nurse practitioner and omega sex & repro specialist, to see him through a medically supervised heat.

Wait! I haven't read an earlier chapter! Story masterlist

5. Robert Wheeler

Just as the bond is settling, someone from Bucky's past shows up unexpectedly.

“Good boy,” Steve praises again, when Bucky obeys him and finishes a fair amount from the breakfast tray.

By the time they’d woken from their nap it’d been nearly noon, so they nuked everything and had breakfast for lunch. Bucky’s been saying he isn’t hungry, but he needs carbs and sugars during his cycle, and thankfully he’s been very compliant to Steve’s commands now that they have each other’s pheromones in their systems.

They’re bonded.

Steve had Voiced for him to eat at least one of the pancakes, “with plenty of syrup.” Bucky ate two.

Once he's finished, Steve puts the tray outside the suite and relocks the door. There’s a notification flashing on the room’s tablet. He pulls it down to check and sees it’s a message from Banner.

B. Banner M.D. [om-Sex&Repro]: We need samples: CBC, BMP, TFT. And a urinalysis.

Steve twists his lips and types back: Urgent?

The tablet chimes as Banner’s reply comes through.

B. Banner M.D. [om-Sex&Repro]: No. After his next insemination would be ideal.

Even Steve has to grimace at that one. People in his field can tend to become callous and clinical in their language over time. Steve really hopes he isn’t that bad yet. There’s a message from Sam as well, marked from earlier that morning.

S. Wilson R.P.N. [om-Psy]: I have him booked for a session. Banner knows to send him my way once you two are done shacking up. And they’re scheduling a care plan conference at his discharge. Barton says the foster parents will probably show, so you should prepare him for that.

Steve’s still frowning at that when the tablet pings another incoming message. “Christ.”

C. Barton L.C.S.W. [om-Care]: Somebody from his home situation showed up. They’re forcing legal into a meeting. Today. They won’t get him, but Phil wants you there if possible.

Another, automated notification pops up on the home screen. It’s from legal, informing Steve of the conference room he’s now supposed to try and get to in only a few hours. Tense, he grits his teeth and tries to mentally clock out if he could possibly get Bucky down to a dip somewhere around 3:30. That’d feasibly give him time to—

He glances up to see Bucky, sitting in the bed and watching him use the tablet. “What’s it say?” Bucky asks.

Steve hurriedly sends back a thumbs up emoji to each of the messages and closes out the app. “Just a few staff notes,” he says, purposefully vague. Bucky might panic if he knows anybody from his old life is here trying to claim him. “The doctor wants to test your blood again. And I’m supposed to try and make a meeting in a few hours.”

Bucky shrinks into the back wall of the nest. “Oh. So … you’ll leave me alone? And somebody else is going to come and—”

“No,” Steve cuts him off, shaking his head. “No, nobody else is coming. I’ll do the blood draw myself.” He sees Bucky visibly relax at this, and offers him a tender smile. “I promised you, remember? Nobody but your Support touches you while you’re in here.”

“And that’s you.”

Steve smiles. “Yeah, Buck. That’s me. Did you get enough to eat?” He goes over to the counter and grabs a protein bar for himself. He’s got it ripped open and half the thing rammed down his throat by the time he turns back around to face Bucky. The omega has rolled up the sleeve of his bathrobe and is blinking at Steve expectantly. Steve makes a sound past his mouthful of granola and swallows. “Aw, no, not yet, Sweetheart.” He walks back over to the bed and stops Bucky with a hand on his shoulder. “There’s no rush. It can wait.”

He purposefully doesn’t mention the ‘insemination’ factor from Banner’s message. Knotting Bucky’s body and exposing him to alpha semen during his heat is a therapeutic tool that’s part of what’s helping here, but Steve is almost positive that the kid doesn’t really understand that. Bucky’s certainly had zero sex education on such topics, and Steve doesn’t think bringing up words like ‘insemination’ would be helpful at all. “I’ll take your blood later,” he simply tells him, then changes the topic by asking the omega if he’d like to use the bathroom or maybe watch a show during the lull before his next peak. “They’ve got Netflix and Hulu,” he says. “Disney Plus too now, I think.”

Bucky glances briefly at the tv on the wall, but then decides, “... Yeah I’ll grab a shower.” He wrinkles his nose and grimaces down at himself. “Cause, ya know, I probably stink by now.”

Steve laughs. “Oh I’m sure we both do. We’re just nose-blind to it at this point.” He cheerfully reminds Bucky that the tub has jets, and Bucky perks up and heads into the bathroom to investigate. Steve doesn’t follow at first, convinced that the omega will want his privacy.

But Bucky soon reappears in the bathroom doorway, peeking back out. “Um, the tub’s big,” he says. “... Wanna share?”

“Sure.” Steve’s hands go to the tie of his robe, but then he hesitates. “Are you sure? We don’t have to.”

Bucky looks down and shrugs, heat collecting in his cheeks. But he surprises Steve by throwing out a blithe little, “I mean I’ve already seen you naked, Steve. But if you’re too shy …” He shrugs dismissively and turns to walk back into the bathroom, out of sight.

Steve chuckles and follows after him with a grin. If the kid is feeling relaxed enough to make jokes at Steve’s expense, then they’re probably doing okay.

Once they’re dried off from the bath, Steve starts to reach for their robes again but Bucky quickly touches his wrist and shakes his head a little. “No?” Steve checks softly, noting the rising flush under Bucky’s skin. “Okay Honey, okay.”

Bucky climbs back into the nest and rolls around a bit, rubbing his face in the piles of soft blankets, picking up Steve’s scent again.

Steve watches it fondly and with a small thrill of possessiveness that he can be almost certain is coming from their bond. Bucky’s gone increasingly non-verbal again since he let Steve hold him in the tub and rub soapy hands all over his body. “C’mere,” Steve murmurs as he gets into the bed, guiding Bucky to lie on his back and crawling over him. He kisses him down into the sheets, still able to taste the remnants of maple syrup on his lips. “Hey Sweetheart,” he rumbles, propping over him on his elbows. He idles a thumb at the edge of Bucky’s damp hairline, clocking his pretty blue eyes and his pupils, blown wide in arousal once again. “How you feeling?”

“Better,” Bucky whispers, squirming under Steve’s bulk and parting his legs more. He’s been more relaxed with the bond, more pliant. “Um ... I think it’s coming back,” he admits.

Steve glances over to the clock on the wall: 12:27pm. He’s got the next three hours to get Bucky through this peak. “Yeah. Well it’s been a while, so that’s not a surprise.” He presses kisses to his lips, keeping it gentle and shallow until Bucky starts to ask for more by venturing out with his tongue in timid little licks. Steve hums in approval and gives him a slow, purposeful swipe of tongue, dipping into his mouth and relishing the whimper he makes.

They kiss like that for a bit, Bucky humping his half-chubbed little cock up against Steve’s abs and Steve feeling his own cock getting rock hard at the increasingly strong smell of slick. “You wet, Honey?” he asks, when Bucky has started squirming and whining like he wants more. “You want to have sex again?”

Bucky nods. There’s a little color in his cheeks but Steve’s apt to believe it’s more from arousal than shame now. Bucky can sense Steve’s urges through their new bond, after all. He can feel the proof of how much Steve wants him, how desirable he finds him, and it’s helping him to not be as embarrassed. “But can we …” he starts, but cuts himself off unsurely.

“What is it, Buck?” Steve prompts. “What do you want? Tell me.”

“Well … this way I can see you,” he murmurs, still shy but forging ahead. “Um, and it’s … it feels closer, ya know? I like it when I can, like, touch you and stuff.” He slides his hands over the tops of Steve’s shoulders and his upper arms, eyes going half lidded as he drinks in the sight of the alpha's body. “Can we?”

“Of course,” Steve coos, pride flowing through him at Bucky’s improved confidence, at him asking for what he wants so sweetly. He cups Bucky’s jaw and draws him in for another kiss to show him how pleased he is. “We can do whatever you want, Baby. Whatever makes you feel good.” He reaches down between their bodies and finds Bucky’s cock. He’s small there; soft and delicate, just enough that Steve’s palm barely covers everything from root to tip when he wraps his hand around him.

Bucky gasps quietly when Steve starts working it, more of a pulsing squeeze than actual stroking, and his hips judder up into it. “Oh!”

Steve keeps eye contact the whole time, watching, turned on by Bucky’s easy reactions. “You want to cum like this?” he asks, and Bucky gives a breathless little nod. Steve smiles. “Okay.” It only takes a few more minutes of gentle touching, and then Bucky’s tensing up and moaning, what meager ejaculate his body can produce wetting up the inside of Steve’s hand. “Good boy,” Steve praises, kissing along his neck and shoulder as he recovers. “Beautiful, Bucky. Yes. I bet that felt so good, didn’t it?”

Bucky nods weakly, still catching his breath. “Yeah. Oh.”

Steve chuckles and waits him out while he calms back down. Like beta women, omegas don’t have much of a refractory period, and in estrus they tend to need four to eight orgasms every time their cycle peaks. So, knowing his job isn't done, Steve lets Bucky’s cock go and looks back down at him. “Face to face?” he rechecks, stroking a thumb tenderly along his cheek. “You’re comfortable with that?” He’s not going to say one word about the rape if the boy doesn’t initiate it himself, but he now knows a few specifics on how Bucky was violated, and he wants to give him plenty of opportunity to decide on what his feelings are as they move along. Triggering distress in a tied omega is something that Steve’s dealt with before and wants to avoid at all costs. It’s not the easiest thing to change positions once knotted, after all.

But Bucky smiles and nods, pulling down on Steve’s neck for more kisses—which Steve happily gives—and bringing his knees up higher around Steve’s hips. “Yeah,” he breathes, “yeah I am.”

If they didn’t have the physicality of the bond, Steve would ask again, but he can feel the certainty and safety that Bucky feels, and that’s enough to have him nodding, reaching down to run fingertips over the omega’s slit. Bucky whines and tries to tilt up into it as much as he can, so eager from only a touch. And Steve can understand because he feels it: Bucky is soaked already, so slick that Steve’s fingers just glide right through, effortless. He hums and pulls away so that he can kneel back between Bucky’s legs. He can’t resist, he wants to see.

He hushes Bucky gently when the boy whines at losing their full body contact. He guides Bucky’s knees higher, pushing, making him spread his feet farther apart in the sheets. “Good boy,” he praises. “There you go. Let me see you, Gorgeous.” Bucky whines and shuts his eyes like he can’t take the scrutiny, but he’s still humping the air, tilting up for more. “Shhh,” Steve soothes, running his hands over the skin of his lower belly and hips, framing his pelvis as he stares. He represses the moan that’s building in his throat, his own hips twitching once and his balls giving a mightly throb at the pornographic sight before him. “Fuck,” he can’t help but whisper.

Bucky’s sex is pink and glistening, outer lips swollen and inner lips bloomed open from his first orgasm. It’s obscenely beautiful. Steve loves getting to see such a sweet cunt unfurl under his attention, loves slipping the pads of his fingers through all that wetness, watching that vulnerable little hole pulse and clench on nothing.

All he wants in the world is to bury his cock inside and never come out.

But they’re not here for him. They’re here for Bucky. So he ignores himself for the moment and continues to explore Bucky instead, stroking along the delicate lips of his sex. Bucky’s only a little different here than a female would be, but he’s still got all the same nerve endings in almost all the same places, and Steve wants to give him pleasure in every way possible. He uses both hands, thumbing errantly along the underside of Bucky’s little cock with one hand while sliding the fingers of the other through his sopping folds, up and down, giving just the barest bit of pressure. It’s so slick, so fun to play with, and Steve takes the time to tease him, avoiding penetration for long minutes.

Until Bucky opens his eyes and chirps in annoyance. Steve laughs in surprise. “Didn’t know you could make that sound, Honey.”

Bucky’s face flushes harder. “N-neither did I.”

There’s the tiniest bit of self-consciousness there, so Steve finally dips the very tips of two fingers in at his entrance and tells him, “I like it. I like an omega who asks for what he wants.”

Bucky groans and his hips jerk up, making Steve’s fingers slide inside by an inch. “Oh … fuck.” His eyes slip closed. “S-steve.” Steve watches his face carefully to make sure it’s good for Bucky as he slowly presses all the way in. Bucky breathes open-mouthed, eyes closed and an agonized little pinch appearing between his eyebrows. But it’s from pleasure. Steve starts fucking him softly on his hand, bumping knuckles against his mound on the way in, curling fingers on the slow drag out. “Oh, oh, oh,” Bucky pants; tiny, sweet little sounds that get stronger the closer he gets. He grabs suddenly at Steve’s wrist between his legs, not to stop him but to urge him on, and Steve grins and goes a little harder.

“Right there, huh?” he purrs.

Bucky's eyes are still closed but he nods his head tightly, whispering, “... f-ffuck. Ohh.” He’s gripping Steve’s wrist hard, clinging to the part of him that’s giving him so much pleasure, rocking his hips against it as his breath hitches in desperate little 'ah, ah, ah's. “M’gonna cum," he gasps. "Steve. I’m, I’m gonna …”

Steve rumbles low in his chest and reaches down to give his own cock a merciful squeeze. “Yes, Bucky,” he praises, fucking his fingers in faster, the noises wet and sloppy. “Good boy. That’s what I want. Come on now, right on my hand. Lemme feel it.”

Bucky fights for it for a few more seconds, then he cries out sharply and jerks, his cunt pulsing rhythmically as he starts to come. There’s a wet gush against Steve’s palm, and then a bunch of high, hurt little moans and sobs of “shit, shit, onghfuck!”

Steve groans at the feeling of it, at the sight and sound of Bucky gasping and riding his pleasure out against his hand, humping down mindlessly through the entire orgasm. “Fuck, Honey,” he whispers in awe.

“Ohh.” Bucky lets all his breath out in one big ‘whoosh’ and goes limp against the sheets, his death grip dropping away from Steve’s wrist. “Oh, man.”

Steve withdraws, using his absolutely drenched hand to tug on his own aching cock a few times. “Feel good?” he asks, voice coming out deeper and rougher sounding than intended.

Bucky hums and nods. His eyes open lazily. “Mm. Yeah. Really good.” He locks onto Steve's stroking hand, arousal growing in his eyes at the sight of his own slick coating the alpha's cock.

Steve gives him an easy grin and reaches out to swipe over his soaked cunt again, gathering even more slick to wet himself up with.

Bucky moans. “Oh my god, that’s so—” he swallows thickly, cutting himself off. Steve feels a pang of sadness, because he can tell when Bucky’s tamping down his attraction, can sense the intrusive thoughts and conflicting feelings he’s having again. His shame is creeping back in.

“Hey.” Steve snaps, a low, dominant growl starting up in his chest. He’s Voicing when he quietly orders, “Look at me, Omega.” Bucky snaps right to attention, wide eyes tripping down to Steve’s huge cock, and Steve hums his approval. “Yeah, that’s it. Watch me. Look at it. Watch me touchin’ myself.” He gives a lewd squeeze and drag, letting all the slick squelch between his fingers, and chuckles when Bucky looses a little, uncontrolled moan. “Yeah, exactly. Y'see that?” He wrings his fist up beneath the fat head of his cock, forcing a bunch of precum out of the slit. It rolls over his knuckles. He groans indulgently and finds Bucky’s eyes again. “That’s all because a’ you, Honey. Look how good you make me feel.”

Bucky whimpers and squirms, obviously pleased, so Steve keeps on using the praise and dominance and his own hand around his dick to distract him, telling him how gorgeous he is, how natural and good, how much Steve loves touching him and watching him come. It works, in that Bucky loses his reservations and his hips start to move again, tensing and releasing in little pulses that he probably doesn’t even know he’s doing. “Steve,” he says. “Steve can you?” He reaches for him, tries to pull his big body back down close, and of course Steve obeys.

“Course I can, Sweetheart.” He lies back over Bucky and lets his cock drag against his groin a few times, back and forth, their two very different cocks lined up and brushing together. “Want me inside you? It’ll feel so good, won’t it?”

Bucky makes a meek little sound and nods, tilting his pelvis up to try and get him lower, where he’s aching for him to be. “Yeah. Please.”

Steve reaches down to guide his cock up and down through the slick folds of his cunt. “Yeah, okay. Here you go.” He allows himself another few indulgent swipes before letting the head catch at Bucky’s entrance. He lets go of himself, propped on his elbows as he watches Bucky’s face, watches his expression as he slowly, slowly pushes in.

Bucky’s irises flare and his breath shudders and trips as Steve slides all the way home. Finally, when they can’t get any closer, he lets out a sob and wraps himself around Steve, feet hooking behind his thighs and arms grabbing around his shoulders. Steve lets him cling, lets him bury his face against his neck and mouth needily at his glands. Bucky starts crying, rubbing his tears against Steve’s skin.

“Shhh,” Steve soothes, nuzzling into his neck in return, not thrusting yet. “Shh, it’s okay. It’s okay.” He strokes at Bucky’s sides, up and down his ribcage, promises softly against his bond mark, “Only when you’re ready, Buck. You just tell me when.” It’s only because of their bond that he knows he doesn’t have to be worried about the crying. They’re tears of grief, but not distress. And there’s relief there, too. Steve hums against Bucky’s skin and gives him time. He never expected a miracle out of the poor kid. This has got to be equal parts devastating and pleasurable for him. “You’re so good, Honey,” he tells him, murmuring kind, understanding things for Bucky to latch onto. “So brave. I know it’s hard. It’s gonna be okay. Gonna take care of you.” Bucky calms down over the next few minutes, tears going sluggish and then disappearing altogether. When he stops clinging to Steve enough to look up at him, his eyes and cheeks are still wet. Steve offers him a tender smile. “Feel better?”

Bucky nods, licking his lips. “I’m sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry for,” Steve says, gripping him a little tighter. “Whatever feels good. That’s what I said. If you need to cry, that’s just fine.”

Bucky relaxes and his body loosens a little bit more. He moves his hips experimentally, looking up with an expression that makes Steve’s balls throb. “Please,” he says, hands migrating to the backs of Steve’s arms, up to his shoulders and back down again. “I’m ready.”

Steve smiles and leans down to kiss him as he pulls out and pushes back in. He begins to roll his hips, setting into fucking Bucky with a steady, if somewhat slow, rhythm. And it’s exquisite, has his cock pulsing with need and his knot aching within minutes. He has stamina though, knows he can fuck Bucky through at least one more orgasm before he gives in to his own.

And Bucky is so perfectly responsive beneath him, moaning little sounds of pleasure and pushing up into every thrust, hands roaming ceaselessly over his back while he mouths at his neck. “Oh, ohSteve,” he sighs when Steve has grabbed behind his one knee to hitch it higher and rut deeper. “Yeah.”

Steve grinds slow and hard against him, keeping himself buried in Bucky’s warm cunt. “You close?” he asks, feeling Bucky’s fluttering walls as he holds still. Bucky whines and nods, trying to move his hips, to get more. Steve growls and obliges, fucking him firm and with purpose, grinding in and barely pulling out, making him feel it deep, getting him close.

Bucky’s soaking wet and his cunt makes filthy noises with each thrust, getting wetter and wetter until he cries out and starts to come. Steve shoves a hand between their bellies and thumbs rapidly under the head of his cock, prolonging it for him. "Aw, yeah Honey. There you go, there you go ..."

It’s gorgeous, Steve could watch it all day. But eventually Bucky’s orgasm subsides. When it’s clear he’s done, Steve kisses him softly. “Feel good?” he murmurs. Bucky nods his head, still calming his breathing. “Can I knot you?” Steve asks, desperate to do it. But then he catches the eagerness in his tone and revises it to a more open ended: “Do you want me to knot you?” He needs to make it Bucky’s choice. Everything, every step. He waits for an answer and kisses leisurely along the boy's jaw, pulsing his hips a little bit but keeping himself buried.

“Please,” Bucky eventually whispers, when his desire has started ramping back up and his hips are chasing Steve’s again. He kisses Steve and drags his lips against the short hairs of his beard. “Please.”

‘Please’ is Bucky’s way of asking for things he’s ashamed to want. Steve knows this well by now. So he hums in approval and tells him he’s a good boy, and he starts to fuck him again, this time letting his self control go enough to start seeking his own release. When he’s close he grunts a warning, but he knows Bucky can feel his knot growing erect, can feel it tugging more with every thrust, and he hasn't pulled away. He pushes into it, legs wrapping around Steve’s waist and holding him deep as he comes and ties them together.

Steve moans through it, eyes slammed shut because holy fuck does it feel good. Bucky’s cunt is so tight and wet and perfect. The sheer, primal satisfaction Steve gets from burying his knot and emptying his balls into a willing omega while he comes and comes and comes is the best feeling in the world. He registers Bucky’s body locking down in another orgasm, and it only prolongs his own. “Uhfuck,” he moans, humping into it, face buried in Bucky’s neck and mouth latching onto his gland in a hard suck. Bucky keens and Steve thinks he comes again from the stimulation, but he’s too blissed out in his own, drawn-out pleasure to be sure.

It feels like it lasts forever, but eventually they both come down. Steve rubs his face over every part of Bucky he can reach, a reassuring and possessive gesture, and Bucky hums little sounds of satisfaction as he lets it happen. When Steve pulls back enough to look him in the face, Bucky is totally relaxed, his heavy-lidded eyes blinking slowly up at him. Steve smiles and strokes his cheek. “You’re purring, you realize that?”

Bucky huffs and makes a face, but Steve can tell that he’s pleased. “Can’t help it,” he murmurs.

“You’re not supposed to help it,” Steve says happily. He can feel how relaxed Bucky is, can feel it so intimately from the bond. And it feels good in a way that’s intensely pleasurable but not exactly sexual, to be tied to him right now, his knot held snug inside his body. Steve sighs and gives him a lazy kiss. “It usually takes me about fifteen minutes,” he murmurs, knowing that Bucky will know what he means. They trade kisses and he asks, “You want to cum again?” He rolls his hips a little in indication.

Bucky smiles and shivers at the jolt of stimulation. “I don’t know if I can,” he says, but he rocks into their tie a few times to test it out. His breathing picks back up, the tension returning to his body as he works himself to another orgasm on Steve’s knot. It feels good for Steve but he can’t come again so soon, so he focuses on giving Bucky pressure, on encouraging him with sweet sounds and praise rumbled into his ear. Bucky exhales long and low after he comes that final time, relaxing again. “Oh, man.”

Steve smiles against his neck. “Feel good?” He’s nuzzling against the bond mark.

“Duh.”

He laughs softly, satisfied and beyond pleased that he’s just been able to bring Bucky to orgasm … five times? Six? One of those. He asks him if he wants to roll over together, so that Bucky can lie on top. “You can fall asleep if you want.”

Bucky makes a thoughtful noise and yawns and asks if that will be uncomfortable for Steve. “Mmm. Won’t I be too heavy?”

Steve rolls his eyes and holds onto Bucky's hips as he turns them, putting the omega on top and letting him settle into the new position. Bucky seems happy to rub his cheek against Steve’s pecs and chest hair, quickly growing still and quiet, though there is the faintest hint of a purr still coming from him.

Steve closes his eyes and lets his mind drift as he pets the smooth skin of Bucky’s back. He’s extremely content right now, primally satisfied in a way that only this can make him. Helping an omega feel good through their heat, helping them find that relief, is the absolute best feeling in the world. And Steve is so thankful he’s the one who gets to help Bucky now. The poor kid’s been through the wringer and he deserves a fucking break. He deserves to be treated like something precious.

Steve plans on doing just that. Peeking his eyes open, he glances around the mussed nest, spotting several blankets that’ve come loose from where they were tucked neatly in formation. Bucky’ll probably want to fix it before they go again, Steve thinks with a smile. They’re both still overheated from their sex, but once they cool down and lose the tie, he'll snuggle Bucky into the soft things around them, hold him close and watch over him until his heat peaks again.

After a long few minutes of his breathing deepening and slowing down, Bucky begins to snore the tiniest, most adorable snore ever, right against Steve’s pec. Steve chuckles and reaches for the nearest loose blanket.

There’s a simple blood draw chair next to the suite’s medical supply cabinet. Steve makes Bucky sit in it while he gets everything ready. Given that omegas tend to become dehydrated during heats, he selects a pediatric butterfly needle for the draw. Bucky whines from the moment Steve ties the tourniquet and starts tapping around for a vein.

“But Steeeve: I hate needles.”

In Steve’s experience, roughly a third of all patients are lookers, and the rest are looker-awayers. Bucky falls into the previous camp, needing to know exactly when the jab is coming. He still complains ad nauseam, and Steve catches on fairly quickly that he’s half doing it just to annoy him. It’s amusing.

The omega maintains his grumpy little grimace the whole time that Steve is taking his blood. “Hate needles,” he mutters, again, then gasps when Steve has the audacity to pinch him in retaliation. “Hey!”

“It’s already in, you big baby.” Steve removes the second collection tube and pops on the third, glancing up at Bucky’s face as it fills. “Stop looking, if it bothers you.” Bucky scowls at him. Steve finishes up with the whole process and has Bucky hold the cotton ball in place while he goes to root around for a bandaid in the supply cabinet. He grins when he sees the perfect box sitting there. Someone’s been stealing from Pediatrics. He rips the box open and hands one of the bandaids over to Bucky. “My little Pony, just for you, Princess.”

Bucky stubbornly takes it, slapping on the bright pink bandage and looking down at its pattern of googly-eyed little unicorn characters. He shrugs and looks defiantly up at Steve from his seat. “Whatever. I like it.”

Steve rolls his eyes. “Course you do.” He plucks a specimen cup from the cabinet and tosses it over. “Pee in the cup,” he says cheerfully. “Past the red line at least.”

Bucky complains less about this. He sighs and heaves himself up from the chair. Steve busies himself with labeling the blood vials while Bucky disappears into the bathroom. Bucky comes back out with the filled specimen cup. The dark color tells Steve that he was right to go with the butterfly needle.

“One, steaming-hot cup��o’piss,” Bucky drawls, handing it over. “What’s this for, anyway?”

Steve’s still wearing gloves as he labels and bags the cup. “Just checking your progress,” he answers vaguely. “You had infection when they admitted you. The doctor ordered repeats on all your labs.” Luckily, Bucky doesn’t ask for any specifics, which is a relief. Steve would be legally obligated to tell him if he did.

The blood is for typical panels, but the urine is mainly to recheck for pregnancy. Hospital policy is to test throughout any patient’s heat where a support alpha or seeding machine is employed. Lab-manufactured seeding solution is sterilized, and Steve’s on the mandatory birth control for his position, but mistakes can happen, so they test for malpractice reasons.

He checks the clock and tenses when he sees that it’s already three-twenty. “Crap,” he whispers. Only ten minutes until the meeting with legal. He hurriedly starts collecting the cup and the vials in a little basket. He can drop it off at the nurses’ station, then if he gets like a three minute shower he’ll probably still have time to—

“What’s wrong?”

Steve pauses. He looks over to where Bucky has flopped back on the bed. The nest is a mess but Bucky seems unconcerned at the moment, attention fixed on the room’s tv screen as he fiddles with the remote to bring up Netflix. Steve tells him, “I’ve got that meeting, remember? They want me there in a few minutes.”

Bucky nods, getting distracted as he finds the horror section and starts scrolling through the titles. “Oh.”

“... You gonna be okay?” Steve checks. Bucky has seemed to be in the lull of a dip for the past half hour or so. It’s likely he won’t peak again for at least two more hours, and Steve has no intention of being gone for that long. “If I leave you here alone for a bit?” he adds. “I won’t be gone long. And you can page the nurses for anything you need.”

Bucky finally looks back over at him and smiles. “Yeah. ‘Course.” He waves Steve off, digging himself back into the messy remnants of the nest and clicking on what looks to Steve to be some sort of torture porn flick. Gross. “I’ll be fine.”

Between that and the bond, Steve can tell that Bucky really is feeling okay about being left alone for a time. Exhaling in relief, he turns for the door.

“What the fuck, Rogers?” Sharon snaps at him when he’s passing by. The next nurses are on shift at the desk and Sharon’s got her purse in hand, about to clock out. She’s pointing accusingly at Steve’s naked feet. “Gross!”

Steve grimaces just to avoid rolling his eyes at her. He’s in a hurry, okay? “Sorry!” He hustles down to the staff locker room and grabs a towel and pair of disposable shower shoes, because he’s not a monster. He doesn’t even give the water enough time to fully warm up before he’s stepping into the spray and yanking the curtain closed. The shower stalls are all outfitted with dispensers: shampoo, conditioner, and hospital grade scent-neutralizing body wash. Steve lathers himself up in record time, rinses, then dries off and goes to root through the supply cage for some scrubs that are big enough to fit his shoulders. He’d left his clogs in the heat suite, so he’s forced to don a pair of unisex keds that’re at least a half size too small, and that’s the best he’s going to manage. He glances at his phone: 3:29. Fuck.

There’s a missed text alert, too.

Clint Omcare guy [Today 3:22 pm]: You coming? We’re using the Soc. conference room.

Steve grinds his teeth and hurries for the elevators.

Most of Mercy General’s administrative staff is located on ground level. Steve takes the B elevator down to put him out closest to the building’s east wing, where social services, legal, and financial aid are all located. He pushes through the conference room door at precisely 3:33.

Six faces turn his way. Steve stalls as he tries to apologize for being late. “Sorry. Hope I didn’t hold things up. I was …” he twists his lips, not knowing a polite way to say ‘balls deep in our patient’. “Sorry,” he says again, pulling out one of the available chairs and sitting. He looks around. Phil’s there at the head of the table. Clint is sitting next to Sam, the woman from legal on his other side and Steve next to her.

The other two people, a man and a woman, sit isolated on the opposite side of the conference table. They stick out in their plainclothes, and Steve knows they must be the ones who are trying to get Bucky back. They’re from the cult.

The man looks like he's in his seventies, with mostly silver hair pulled back in a gross little ponytail. He’s older, but tall and broad in a way that hints he might’ve been an athlete, back in his prime. He’s got a look of authority about him, a stern face and the sort of posture that makes it clear he’s the kind of guy who’s used to getting his way.

The woman is much smaller and nearly diminutive in comparison. She seems meek, right down to her mousy brown hair and modest dress. She'd glanced up when Steve first entered the room, but now she’s back to keeping her eyes downcast and her hands tucked in her lap.

Steve instantly dislikes the both of them because he knows what they’ve done. He knows about the abusive way Bucky’s been treated and the messed up things he’s been raised to believe. These people, whoever they are, are responsible for Bucky nearly dying.

Phil is nearing the tail end of his introduction of Steve, explaining how Steve is the alpha support who’s been seeing Bucky through his heat. Disgust is already curling the old man’s lip as Steve nods in confirmation and says, “Hi,” without too much friendliness in his tone. “I’m Steve Rogers. I work on the hospital’s omega OB GYN ward. I’ve been caring for Bucky.”

The man scoffs. “Is that what he’s told you his name is?” When Steve and everyone else from that side of the table just stare at him, the man says, “His name is James.”

“And a last name?” Clint is holding his pen poised over a stack of forms. “Sir?”

The man shakes his head. “We forswear our earthly family names. James is simply James.”

“... Uh huh.” Clint looks about as unimpressed as Steve feels. “And your name is? Sir?”

“I am Russel. His father.” After a beat, the man seems to remember himself and flicks his hand at the woman seated next to him. “This is Rebecca. His mother.”

Steve catches Sam shooting him a dubious look from down the way. He gives Sam a matching look and a little nod back. This dude’s lying. Steve pulls out his phone, careful to keep it below the level of the conference table. He searches for the Wikipedia page on The Children of God’s Kingdom. When he finds what he’s looking for, he glances up. “You’re Russel Wheeler,” he says, confronting the man. “The head of your little religious group.”

Wheeler’s face goes stony but he holds his chin up. “I told you who I am.”

“Right. Bucky’s father.”

“James’ father,” he corrects. He and Steve kind of glare at each other from over the table for a long moment, until Phil clears his throat and says,

“Nurse Rogers has been booked into your son’s heat suite these past thirty-six hours. He’s the one who’s been most closely involved with James’ care. I promise you he only has your son’s best interests at heart.”

Steve watches as Wheeler’s face deepens in disgust. “'Heat',” he repeats, saying the word like it’s something dirty. “James was on suppressants. He shouldn’t be in heat.”

Steve leans forward in his chair. “We took them out. Suppressants are illegal for omegas under twenty-one,” he says. “You broke the law by putting that poison in him.”

Wheeler scowls. “I’m his father.”

“His biological father?” Steve challenges.

“Adopted,” Wheeler grits back.

“I’m sure you’ll have adoption papers to show us then. Legal ones?” Clint says.

Wheeler says nothing.

“You know he almost died,” Steve says icily. “People in your group assaulted him, and the reaction he had afterwards almost killed him. He could have died from all the years you suppressed his heats.”

The woman at Wheeler’s side finally looks up, her eyes round with alarm. “Is he okay?” she asks. Wheeler looks sharply at her for speaking up, but she keeps looking at Steve until he answers her.

“He’s okay now,” Steve says. He’s got a feeling that this might actually be Bucky’s real mother, if her concerned look is anything to go by. She seems way too young to have a seventeen year old kid, but cults have a reputation for child marriages, and Steve can see Bucky’s eyes in her eyes. She relaxes somewhat at his reassurance. “We’re helping him to recover,” Steve says. “He should be just fine.”

The woman’s shoulders sink in relief, but she quickly withdraws again once Wheeler makes an upset noise. “We want him home,” he says. “Where is he? We’re taking him home today.”

“Sir, I’m afraid it’s not that simple. Your son has treatments that he—”

“We didn’t consent to any treatments!” Wheeler snaps, cutting Clint off and hitting the table with his hand. The woman next to him flinches. “We don’t believe in all that stuff. Boy-girls. It’s unnatural and against God.”

“Sir,” Phil tries,

“You all are infringing on our religious liberty!” Wheeler declares. He points at Steve as if he’s the mastermind behind the whole situation. “You’re perverting him and forcing him to go against his religion!”

Steve glowers while everyone else shifts in place uncomfortably. “Hey,” he hisses. “You can believe whatever you want to believe, but not when it starts to spill over and hurt other people. Bucky almost died. Don’t you get that? Your so-called ‘religion’ nearly killed him!”

Infuriatingly, all Wheeler does in response is narrow his eyes and repeat, “His name is James.”

Steve scoffs and throws himself back in the chair, fed up. He folds his arms and shakes his head. Talking logic with these people is useless. The next person to speak is Phil. He and the woman they sent down from legal try again to explain the reality of the situation the Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler: Bucky isn’t in their charge anymore. OmCare has custody now. Bucky needs to receive ongoing medical care and therapy to get well.

“Unfortunately, sir, there isn’t anything you can legally do right now,” Clint finishes up at the end of the meeting, when they’ve made absolutely no progress with Wheeler. “There will be another custody hearing in two weeks. You’ll have to bring proof of identity and of legal custodianship, and you’ll need to get a lawyer to help you if you want any chance at getting your son back.”

“You bet your ass I will,” Wheeler says, standing abruptly from the table. He points angrily at Clint, and then at Steve. “I’m not going to let you pervert him against the Lord. I’ll be back. Come on,” he says to Rebecca, and when she doesn’t move fast enough he grabs her wrist and yanks her along. “I said come on!” He storms out of the room, promising that he’ll be back and that every single one of them is doomed to go to hell because of what they’re doing. Once it’s just Phil, Clint, Sam and Steve left in the room, the air seems to double in oxygen saturation.

It’s Sam who speaks first. He lets out a low whistle. “Wow.”

“You said it,” Steve grumbles. “What a piece of work.”

Clint makes a sound of agreement, still scribbling down notes on a paper form. “Well the good news is that it’s a pretty cut and dry case. Even if they are the real parents, he just openly espoused his nutso beliefs.”

Phil’s mouth quirks and he quietly checks, “Nutso?”

“An official, scientific word,” Clint maintains. “And we have him on record admitting that he's got no intention of following any medical care directive. That's good. No judge in their right mind is going to let an omega be dragged back into that cult. Religious liberty my ass. It’s completely unsafe.”

“Good,” Steve says, happy to hear Clint express it with such certainty. If anybody knows how the system works for minors in custody disputes, it’s Clint. And it’s just one less thing for Steve to worry about. He pushes his chair out from the conference table and stands up. “If you don’t need anything else from me, I’m gonna head back up.”

Phil nods at him that he can go, and Steve leaves to go back to Bucky.

Art: @hopelessartgeek

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[lonestarflight]

"A 'night' scene of the STS-5 Space Shuttle Columbia in orbit over Earth's glowing horizon was captured by an astronaut crew member aiming a 70mm handheld camera through the aft windows of the flight deck. The aft section of the cargo bay contains two closed protective shields for satellites which were deployed on the flight. The nearest 'cradle' or shield houses the Satellite Business System's (SBS-3) spacecraft and is visible in this frame while the Telesta Canada ANIK C-3 shield is out of view. The vertical stabilizer, illuminated by the sun, is flanked by two orbital maneuvering system (OMS) pods."

Date: November 17, 1982

NASA ID: S82-39796

[bonefall]

Clanmew: Counting, Measurements

For @willowthegraycat who requested this a billion years ago!

See also: Pronouns + Threat Level and Tribemew.

Welcome back to Cat ESL everyone! Today we're going to be talking about quantifying things.

The five Clans have a very unique number system. If you're looking for exact measurements, you will not find it here. Clan cats count using fractions, communicating size and 'completeness' instead of straightforward mathematical concepts.

Denominator Words

There are five "number" words, each responding to the 'denominator' (bottom number) of the fraction:

2 to 4 = "Arra" = Amount of pieces of prey that can fit in a mouth. Direct translation: Amount.

5 = "Rarra" = Amount of claws on one paw, amount of Clans Etymology: Clan Amount

9 = "Pabparra" = Amount of a full day's patrol assignments Etymology: Patrol Amount

12 = "Husskarra" = Amount of whiskers on one side of the face Etymology: Whisker Amount

30-ish = "Shomarra" = Amount of days in a month Etymology: Moon Amount

Usually, the fraction chosen to describe an amount is relevant to the concept at hand. Arra is for tasks like a checklist. Rarra describes collections of things. Pabparra is for working in teams. Husskarra is about danger and hordes. Shomarra is for keeping time.

Technically, "3 quarters of Husskarra" is a "Whole Pabparra," but the former implies you should be alert because there could be unknown danger, where the latter means completeness and good planning.

Human numbers, 1 2 3, are straightforward descriptors of reality. Clan fractions are symbolic of something.

Breaking the Fraction

For each fraction, the completeness is specified with a prefix,

Beginning = "Prra"

Quarter = "Warl"

Half = "Yosh"

Three Quarters = "Ark"

Entire = "Ul"

3 quarters of Husskarra would be, "Ark-husskarra." One whole Pabparra is, "Ul-pabparra"

Sometimes these just don't cut it-- how would you tell someone to meet you in three days, since Shomarra is such a large fraction? Even "Warl-shomarra" means a whole week!

You add onto the fraction itself, with,

Om Owar = "And Another"

Nyo Owar = "Less Another"

To say "three days," the phrase is "Prra-shomarra, om owar, owar, owar." For a month that will be about a day shorter than usual, they would say, "Ul-shomarra, nyo owar."

Husskarra is sometimes doubled to invoke the mental image of needing to use one's whole face to fathom the danger, or just for hyperbole to describe an overwhelming amount of something.

"Husskarra om owar husskarra!" = "Half a face of whiskers, plus another!" Says Jayfeather, being given one (1) minor inconvenience

When this is applied to Pabparra, in contrast, it implies being over-prepared or being careful. "Ul-pabparra am owar ul-pabparra, am owar" = "I doubled the patrols and threw in some extra."

The Uniqueness of Arra

The closest thing the Clan cats have to true counting is modifying Arra with these prefixes, then using 'ul' as a sentence modifier to imply fractional completeness.

"Three toads" = "ark-arra amam ul" = "Three-quarters-amount toad only."

If you said, "Ark-arra amam," you would have said that there are three toads, maybe more. This is helpful in Clanmew because on a hunting trip, there's usually more than what you can currently see.

Besides its numerical amount being situational, there is another interesting quirk of 'arra.' It can mean completeness, and also, loneliness. "Ul-arra" is a completed fraction and can mean many things; whole, finished, the full moon's light, lonely, or translated simply, just one.

Clan cats define themselves as being part of something, and always having a task to do, even if that task is to take their well-earned midday nap. There is a common expression of despair,

"Arrl gryr ul-arra wrah!" = "I have to do everything myself!" = "(I) must contain wholeness mine!"

Onewhisker's name was a reference to his birth; the only child of Cloudrunner and Larksplash, both his mother and the rest of his litter having not survived the kitting. His father named the child "Ul-arra-mew," "Onekit," "Only-Child."

(Bonus Vocab: Onewhisker = "Ul-arra-hussk." Onestar = "Ul-arra-shai")

Vocab Round-up Below!

Denominator Words

2 to 4 = "Arra" = Amount

5 = "Rarra" = Clan Amount

9 = "Pabparra" = Patrol Amount

12 = "Husskarra" = Whisker Amount

30-ish = "Shomarra" = Moon Amount

Fraction modifiers

Beginning = "Prra"

Quarter = "Warl"

Half = "Yosh"

Three Quarters = "Ark"

Entire = "Ul"

Om Owar = "And Another"

Nyo Owar = "Less Another"

Et Cetera

Whisker = Hussk

Must, have to = Arrl

Contained/Contains/Will Contain = Grryrrg/gryr/gry

Toad = Amam

Kitten = Mew

Moon = Shom

Star = Shai

[zoobus]

Not a lot of boy centered otome mobile games out there in English, which means recommendations are usually bad because within that limited pool, none of them are actually alike beyond being a probable attraction to men. Here's what I played in the desperate hope of fulfilling the same hole Obey Me did for me.

Love and Deepspace: the new girl on the block. Allegedly breaking ground by being for girls and you beat up aliens. Extremely well made, tons of money poured into it, boring. Lots of reviews in that "I'm giving it 5 stars because I want to prove women are worth this kind of investment and/or are interested in action dating sims!" vein.

If I'm honest, I've realized no brown skinned dateables = no interest, so there was no chance I would care about this game. I tried though!

Twisted Wonderland: Despite how often I heard "if you liked OM, you should play Twisted Wonderland," the two aren't alike beyond surface level. It's an all right time passer, especially the vignettes. I have more fun mentally comparing them than anything - I could probably write a whole post about how despite similar premises, they're clearly not even after the same demographic, plus all the things each excel at, PLUS all the things I wish OM had copied. Why the hell does the Disney property understand the importance of deranged anime boy diversity, but the fucking 7 deadly sin dating simulator does not?

I also enjoyed watching my character tier-list change in real time. It starts off like I think these guys are the hottest, so I'll probably like them the most (Leona, Jamil, Malleus, Professor Male!Cruella) -> Okay, seeing this guy in action made me realize how cute he is (Azul) -> hahaha holy shit, this guy rocks (Rook, Azul, Jade) -> Your good looks will not save you from dropping tiers after that stupid story (Leona) ->...but a horny-coded vignette might (Leona and Vil)

Also, the story is kind of terrible, so I've been ignoring it. "What if we gave all of our hot guys tragic backstories that contradict the premise of the game (Disney villains won in this universe and are idolized for their actions) and were just kind of. Needlessly pathetic. In an embarrassing way."

Lovebrush Chronicles: Tried to care. Could not. Sorry.

Nu Carnivale: Love how it jumps straight into you getting a blowjob from demons but the second they pulled that card based battle system out, I was done. I'm sorry, I can't do this.

What in Hell is Bad: I'm not done with this. I will try again. But I am truly baffled by their battle system. No idea what was happening or how I won. Also, the one sex scene I read was cringe and bad.

Mystic Messenger: I saw my own review for the game timestamped to 2016 and withered up. I did love it though.

[g00melo5-art-blog]

レンズフィルターを取り付けられますか。(TG-7 / TG-6 / TG-5)

A：コンバーターアダプター CLA-T01 とは