#air-mechanical

[ddagent]

smut promt no. 7!

7. A quickie because No Time [This was more angsty than I had intended - I'M SORRY]

"Margo, I—"

"—don't. Stop." She couldn't bear to hear those words. Couldn't bear to have him tell her I love you only once. Couldn't stomach the thought of rolling those words around on her tongue, knowing she would never get to hear them again.

Instead, Margo broached the gap between them, the gap that she had made out of fear, fear of getting her heart broken. She decided she could live with touching Sergei's hand one final time. Feeling the weight of his fingers against hers, the callouses from years of pencils and slide rules and mechanical models. She could also live with pressing her hand to his lapel, feeling the beat of his heart. After weeks, months, years of not knowing what had happened to Sergei, it felt comforting to hear it.

Could she live with herself with kissing him just once more? Or was the greater regret to have only kissed him once?

"Can I kiss you?" Sergei's eyes widened at her request. "Not–not goodbye. Just–I just want to kiss you again."

This was not the most romantic of settings. The '92 IAC, with that bottle of stolen liquor and that soft, supportive hotel couch, had been perfect. All alone – or so she'd thought. Now in her office, with two KGB agents outside and a plane waiting to whisk Sergei back to Moscow, was far from the fantasies she had indulged between IAC conferences. But his smile as she cradled his face was full of warmth; his touch gentle on her hips as she leaned into his embrace. They shared their second kiss: soft, achingly tender. Not goodbye forever. Goodbye for now.

But who knew when hello would be again?

Margo did not mean for the kiss to turn so desperate. Did not mean to grasp the back of his neck and bring his mouth down firm upon hers; did not mean for her tongue to slip inside his mouth and slide against his own. But Sergei responded in kind, kissing her as if she was the very lifeforce he needed to breathe. His touch grew urgent, hands possessive on her hips, skimming her sides before his arms wrapped tight around her.

They took a moment to breathe, still consumed in the other person. Margo stared into his eyes, at his unbearably bright smile after having been kissed so passionately by her. She imagined her own smile betrayed similar emotions at being held so closely; every inch of her pressed against Sergei Nikulov.

"Margo. I—"

Not those words again. She couldn't hear them, not falling from his lips with a tone so reverent it left her unbalanced, uncertain, but wanted. So she occupied his mouth with hers once again. Pushed him against the edge of her desk, spun them until it was her ass pressing into the wood. Before his imprisonment, Margo imagined Sergei would have lifted her up, encouraged her legs to wrap around his hips, press his cock against her centre. But it was Margo who lifted herself onto the desk, Margo who pressed a hand against the belt of his trousers, Margo who made her intentions known.

There was no time for romance. No time for finesse or foreplay. Just Sergei fiddling with the zipper of his suit pants and Margo sliding off her panties and ruching up her skirt. Her hands gripped onto his shoulder blades as he thrust inside her – shallow thrusts, both overwhelmed with this sudden jolt of desire, the fear of the KGB outside, and the sorrow of knowing this could well be their last meeting. Margo tried to ignore that notion, ignore the tears welling up in the corner of her eye. She kissed Sergei harder, wrapped a leg around his waist, encouraged him deeper.

Margo wanted the whole world to just fade away until it was nothing but him and her.

Sergei came with a shudder against her; a string of Russian ushered, her name a handful of broken syllables. Margo didn't come; she was too keyed up to push herself over the edge. So she held Sergei against her, savouring the warmth of him, the weight of him, before the KGB knocked at the door. Time to go.

"Next time we'll do it in a proper bed," Margo said as they quickly righted themselves. She was flushed; his lungs were struggling. Margo was tempted to hide him away in her bedroom and never let him go. But he had to go.

"I look forward to it." Sergei then bent his head and kissed her on the cheek. His eyes glanced towards the door before finally settling back on her. His frame sagged; he was a man defeated. But there was still hope in his eyes. "You will not let me say it, but you know, don't you? I need you to know."

Margo blinked hastily against the threat of tears. "I know. And I hope you know too."

Sergei nodded, his smile the rising sun behind a blockade of clouds. "Until the next time we see each other, Margo."

"Until then."

The door opened. Sergei walked through it and out of her life. Margo just sat at her desk and let everything crash over her. A little while later, Emma informed her her next meeting was running a little late. Before leaving, she left a box of tissues on Margo's desk, knowing that she would need to cry alone.

[andorshitdaily]

Got to give an appreciation moment for the Andor Imperials for actually being frightening. Their intelligence was so refreshing to see. And the dialogue! So good. It says so much with so few words. Of course they're villains doing awful things within an awful system and you'd never want them in charge. But as villians to watch, they're the best. Because they're the worst.

A platoon of nameless, faceless troopers who couldn't hit a target if they were holding it in their other hand aren't scary. They're a waste of space. But a few neatly dressed middle managers sitting around a spotless conference table calmly discussing the logistics of mass imprisonment and wholesale slaughter is deeply unsettling. This is their job. And they're going to do it to the best of their considerable abilities. Some of them just want personal power and career advancement, and don't care what they have to do. They don't enjoy signing orders that condemn people to death. They don't let it trouble their sleep. It's just a job. Whereas some genuinely believe that only The Empire can bring peace and stability to the galaxy, and their actions are helping to uphold necessary laws designed to make life better for the vast majority of living beings.

And it's even better, even worse, when it's made clear they're not one-dimensional monsters who enjoy bathing in blood. They get tired. They doubt themselves. They have families. They look out for, praise, and encourage their subordinates. The Andor ISB is one of the best portrayals of the banality of evil I've seen.

Such a great point! The show wouldn't be half as great as it is without these antagonists that actually feel real!

[idliketobeatree]

hey you know what. maybe it doesn't matter if S2 happens, we left the season on charles leaning on edwin's arm, flirting into his ear and looking at the door cleary to check if anyone's planning to come in right this second before planting himself on edwin's lap and kissing him soundly. saw it through the window. the blackout was to give them some privacy

[redbelles]

I don't even feel it.

MASTERS OF THE AIR Callum Turner as Maj. John "Bucky" Egan

[sluttyhenley]

Callum Turner as John "Bucky" Egan

MASTERS OF THE AIR (2024) Part Five

[kbsd]

john and gale in stalag luft iii // "violet hill" for @swifty-fox

if you love me, won't you let me know?

[pencilofawesomeness]

Dual Mode: Toxic Sky Dragon

for @ft-platonicweek 2024, Day 6 [Prompt: Unison Raid]

This was the perfect excuse to draw one of my lowkey favorite dragon pairs, for that beautiful opposite-but-similar older and younger sibling energy. This technically counts as a sneak peak for HTRYDS but oh well, tis the season for the Unison Raid prompt and I couldn't resist. :3

They're coming to inflict every debuff at once

Version with less lighting and effects under the cut because I think it looks cool too (aka I like the hand fades)

[khaotunq]

an assortment of thai bl first (onscreen*) kisses (insp - this post crossed my dash and my brain wouldn't quit)

[rcbertleckie]

MASTERS OF THE AIR PART 2 / PART 5 — for @lamialamia

[weebssecretattic]

Cardan: I am no murderer!

Jude: awe, dw baby I'll do that for you, you just sit in your little throne and look pretty. You're doing great honey 🥰❤️🤗

[villadiodatis]

Fantasy High Junior Year: level 10

As psyched as I am for the jokes and character moments we'll get with FHJY, I am a mechanics nerd at heart, so! Here is a preview of what awaits the Bad Kids when they hit Level 10. This assumes no one multiclasses into a new class.

Adaine

Adaine's level up is relatively simple: as a level 10 Divination wizard, she gets an ability called The Third Eye. Once per long rest, she can use her action to gain darkvision (not useful, since she already has it as an elf), see into the Ethereal Plane, read any language, or see invisible creatures/objects within 10 feet. This lasts until she is incapacitated or takes a short/long rest.

She will also learn an additional cantrip and get another 5th level spell slot, and she can add two new wizard spells of level 1-5 to her spellbook.

Fabian

Fabian could hit level 7 in fighter or level 4 in bard. At level 7, Battlemaster Fighters get an additional maneuver and superiority die, plus a feature called Know Your Enemy, which allows him to determine if other creatures he interacts with outside of combat are his equal, superior, or inferior in terms of ability scores, AC, level, and HP.

If he takes another level in bard (remember, he dances now!), he'll get a new cantrip, another 2nd-level spell slot, a new 1st or 2nd level spell, and an ability score improvement or feat. There are a million directions he could go with an ASI or feat, so I won't speculate here.

Fig

Fig will be either level 9 in bard or level 2 in warlock. As a 9th-level bard, she gets an additional 4th level spell slot, her Song of Rest goes from a d6 to a d8, and the big one: she gets a 5th-level spell slot. There are a few options here, but some that I think Emily could be absolutely devastating with are Dominate Person, Geas, Mislead, Scrying, Seeming, or one that I've seen make a lot of trouble in other actual plays, Modify Memory.

If she takes another level in warlock, she gets an additional warlock (1st-level) spell slot, another 1st-level warlock spell, and two Eldritch Invocations. There are also some that would be incredible for Fig--some that do things like strengthen her Eldritch Blast, but particularly Mask of Many Faces, which lets her cast Disguise Self without using a spell slot, or Misty Visions, which lets her cast Silent Image without using a spell slot. Fig may be getting more comfortable being herself, but she's still gonna find a way to cause trouble.

Gorgug

Gorgug could hit level 9 in barbarian or level 2 in artificer. If he goes with barbarian, he gains Brutal Critical, which means he gets to roll an extra damage die (d12 with his Heavy Metal Axe) whenever he scores a critical hit. Additionally, his Rage Damage bonus increases to +3.

If he goes with artificer, things get more complicated, and very fun. Level 2 artificers get Infuse Item--basically, he can create magic items. He'll be able to pick 4 infusions off of the table, and can have 2 infused items at a time. Some options that catch my eye: Enhanced Arcane Focus, Enhanced Defense or Weapon, Homunculus Servant, or Replicate Magic Item, which would let him make items like a bag of holding or rope of climbing.

Kristen

In addition to a second 5th level spell slot and a new cantrip, Kristen Applebees will get access to an incredibly exciting feature that I would bet money on Ally using in an insane, perfect story moment: Divine Intervention. By rolling a d100 and getting your cleric level or lower (so 1-10 for Kristen, a 10% chance) (D20 has done this as hitting a 19 or 20 on a d20), Kristen can ask Cassandra to intervene on her behalf in a way that Brennan decides. If you've seen The Seven, you may remember Ostentatia's successful Divine Intervention, when Logren shattered the aspect of fire, put a vein of mithral under Elmville, and ended Charity Blythe's Greater Invisibility. I am very eager to see what happens with it.

Riz

Riz's next level is very simple, but brings a lot of options. At level 10, rogues get an ability score improvement or feat. There are a lot of useful feats for rogues, and ASIs are always helpful, so frankly I won't even begin to speculate.

And of course, they may go in an entirely new direction, whether with homebrew, multiclass, or something I haven't thought of! I'm so excited to see where this goes, and I can't wait to see where the players bring these characters.

[sandssservices]

This 1954 Chevy Bel Air is leaving us this week. We were happy to help the owner out with a new wiring harness. We always recommend updating the wiring on any classic to benefit from the fire-resistant properties of modern wire coatings. Come talk to us about keeping your classic safe!

[andorshitdaily]

For the reality show, Eedy Karn on a courtoom show. Something like Judge Judy, but with more insults and less justice.

okay imagining Eedy's day job being the most brutal Judge Judy knockoff is making me insane. what an incredible thought

[forkaround]

BLs in 2022 didn't kill me but they gave me kinks that are difficult to explain

[ceruleanblueshells]

I'm pretty positive Adam Parrish chews on ice to destress himself.

[wuxian-vs-wangji]

Alright, let's break this down:

According to The Google:

Boiler (Heating Core) Replacement: ~$1,500

Starter Dynamo Replacement: ~$750

Battery: ~$400

Full tire replacement: ~$500

What Rain's ass is worth to Payu at this point: ~$3,150

** Before taxes and based on average parts/labor cost in the US, and without knowing the exact model and year of Rain's BMW.

Babe, don't be mad, he may be calling you a ho, but he's calling you an EXPENSIVE HO.