#avion answers

[avionvadion]

Bit of a random ask. But if Skully attended Night Raven, what dorm would you sort him into?

I’ve seen some people say Diasomnia, but honestly??? I think Heartslabyul. Yeah, he’s obsessive over Jack like Sebek is Malleus, and he has that all black theme going, but that obsession isn’t why Sebek is in Diasomnia??? Diasomnia is the dorm associated with elegance and powerful magic.

Heartslabyul, however, is the dorm associated with the weird and eccentric. Skully is arguably more obsessive than Sebek is, as Skully is twisted from Jack in the sense that he made himself that way. Sebek worships Malleus, but Skully lives and breathes Jack Skellington and, quite frankly, greatly resembles Cater in the fact that he has put on a persona- using Jack’s charm and warm personality as a reference for his mask- as a coping mechanism.

He’s clingy, overly affectionate, doesn’t seem to understand personal space, etc, and is actively imitating Jack in an effort to hide his loneliness. He’s a silly little guy. A weirdo. A goofy goober who is imitating his idol in an effort to hide the hurt he feels and to feel closer to this person he’s dreamed of meeting all his life. He would one hundred percent keep his house decorated with Halloween stuff all year round.

I think Heartslabyul would be PERFECT for Skully, and I could see him having a Clover suit as like a means to wish himself “good luck” in making new friends, since he states (someone’s said in the twst tags) that he doesn’t actually have any, and it would also keep with his black color theme.

[deeznutzzzz24]

Little Red Riding Hood

Chapter Three: A New Friend

Summary: Living a life of caution for as long as she can remember, Y/N has never stayed too long in one place, always moving from town to town in hopes to hide her identity. With the Hunters Moon coming, she knows she must be extra careful, as the local culture resides heavily in the hunting of her kind. One night, when a cloaked figure unveils her secret and narrowly escapes, Y/N finds herself in a desperate situation: kill or be killed. With no face to go by, she must now search through the townsfolk before the stranger can spread the truth about her. But the task proves more than difficult when she realises her only lead is a long, crimson cloak.

Genre: horror, fantasy, little red riding hood retelling

Warnings:cursing, stalking, death, heavy smut (in later chapters)

Pairing: redridinghood!Jungwon x femwolf!reader

chapter one here

chapter two here

chapter four here

Doubt clouds my mind as I shake my head and take a step away from the door.

You’re being paranoid.

I force my hand to still and bring it to the large stretch of timber before me, knocking three times with firm affirmation.

No answer.

I press my ear to the door again, checking for any signs of noise or movement.

I hear none. Blood running cold, my hands anxiously tug at the handle, cursing in frustration as I realise it’s been locked from the inside. I feel the tiny hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Shit.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

Another scream. My mind paints a picture of a frightened old lady cowering against her kitchen sink as she shrinks from her attacker.

I start banging now, waiting for any small sign that’s she’s alright and that my mind is playing tricks on me, but it’s no use, Mary has the thickest door in all of Avion. She has my paranoia to thank for that. I hear some shuffling from inside, but still, no one opens the door. My hands twist anxiously through my hair, pulling at my fringe with such force I’m sure I feel some hair ripping out.

Backing away from the door, I give myself a moment before kicking it with all my strength and sending it toppling over to the floor.

Small muffles of noise come from the kitchen and I slow in my steps, reaching a hand underneath my dress and grabbing at the small dagger tucked in my leg strap. I hear Mary groan in pain, and while the sound pulls at my heart, I can’t help but feel thankful at the discovery that she’s still alive.

I cast a glance to the glass cabinet facing her kitchen, cursing at the blurred stains that obstruct my view.

If Helena were here, she’d tell me to walk away. To leave this cottage and Mary with it. “This is the way,” she’d remind me, “don’t let petty sentiment deter your duty to the pack.”

She has a point, though I hate to admit. My affection for Mary brings me little benefits. If I continue the way I’m going, it will only make it harder for whats to come. In the end, they must all die.

Mary is no exception.

Footsteps echo across the floor and I listen intently, ears catching the sound of the back door swinging open and shut. Her attacker has left. Whether this move is meant to be brief or not, I’m unsure, but I have to make haste of what little time I have regardless. Swinging around the corner without hesitation, I grip my knife tightly and prepare to confront a messy scene.

Mary sits hunched over the kitchen floor, breathing in small hushed breaths. Blood trickles down her left arm and rejoins in a pool of patterns on the floor. Fragments of glass litter the floor and I observe the cracked vase sitting on the kitchen counter.

Mary doesn’t notice my presence, too busy hunching over her leg to hear my footsteps approach.

“Mary….” I speak softly, afraid of startling her. The glass begins to crunch beneath my boots, the sound sending uneasy quivers up my spine. “Mary.” Growing impatient as I crouch down before her, I gently lift her head to look at me, and I can’t help but smile when her sweet face comes into view.

Mary turned eighty five last Spring. Her hearing comes in little flecks of focus now, which explains why she wouldn’t have heard me banging at the door.

“Y/N,” she smiles up at me, giving my cheek a small pinch before cocking her head sideways. “I didn’t know you were coming today?”

I have to stop myself from laughing. Mary asked me yesterday to bring some flowers on my visit. As I said, eighty five.

I give her hair a pat and go to help her up. “I decided to visit because I missed you too much.” I lie through my teeth, “though I wasn’t aware you’d get yourself into so much trouble before I came.” Before I can help her stand, she gently swats my hands away, pointing at the small chunk of glass hanging out of from underneath her foot. The shard seems wedged deep enough to have cut nerves. Jesus, that’s gotta hurt.

If I had of come sooner, her attacker would of been faced with me, not a weak, elderly lady whom, quite literally, wouldn’t hurt a fly. Before I can move any further, the sound of the back door swinging open echoes through the house.

My hands reach for my dagger and I instinctively move in front of Mary. Shit.

Hurried footsteps rush through the living room and I have to stop myself from gripping the dagger too tight. He’s coming back. While my human form is strong , I am still constricted to the same strength as any other mortal girl from Avion.

Before I can lunge forward, Mary reaches a small hand up to tug at my dress. Glancing down, I watch in confusion as she shakes her head with an amused smile. Before I can protest, a young man rounds the corner, brushing past me as he juggles an assortment of first aid items and crouches down before Mary.

“Damn little lady, you seriously need to clear out that shack. Couldn’t see a damn thing.” He huffs, hands frantically sorting between jars. He picks one up and starts applying the herbal paste to her wound.

Mary reaches out a hand, brushing it against the strangers face before roughly grabbing at his cheek. Watching on in utter confusion, I glance between the two, trying to figure out their relationship.

Is he a young friend like me?

Is he family?

From what I was aware, Mary didn’t have any family in Avion.

He lets out a pained groan and tosses her a frown. “I wonder who you got that impatience from.” She laughs, brushing his hair back into place and motioning to her arm.

His frown melts into a cheeky smile. “Oh I think we both know who I got it from.”

She returns his smile. “Hurry up with those bandages, boy. I’ll bleed out at this rate with all this yapping.”

To an onlooker, the exchange would make the two out to be a pair of angry old siblings.

If it weren’t for the obviously enormous age gap, I know I’d certainly think so too.

The two murmur quietly amongst themselves, both impervious to my presence as I stand awkwardly a few feet away.

The young man stands, carefully brushing the glass to the side with a broom. Mary pouts, gazing at her once gorgeous vase now littered in little pieces across the floor. He catches her sad gaze mid sweep, giving her hair a soft pat. “Don’t worry, I’ll go into town tomorrow and get you a new one.”

She shakes her head, eyes glossing over. “It’s ok, it’s not something that can be replaced anyway. It was one of a kind.” Though I can only see his back, I catch the way the boys shoulders tense from her words.

The awkwardness becomes so overwhelming to the point where I don’t know whether to join in or leave.

The stranger helps Mary to her feet, brushing the glass from her apron with gentle motions. “You and your glassware. I tell you if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you cared more about your vases than you do me.”

Mary props herself against a chair, cradling her foot as he rushes to fetch her some water. “And don’t you forget it!” She shouts as the back door swings open and shut once more. “Oh my….” She gasps, finally realising I’ve been standing there all along. Laughing awkwardly, I smile to try and ease the tension between us.

“You didn’t tell me you had a visitor.” I smile through gritted teeth, trying not to let my frustration seep through. If I had of known, maybe I wouldn’t of rushed in here like hell on wheels. Before she can answer, the young man enters once more, this time stopping mid step as he notices Mary’s warm gaze pointed in the opposite direction.

Pointed at me.

The next few seconds slow in their course, a cold bite of nerves eat at my neck as the stranger slowly turns to face me, his features finally coming into view. Within seconds his eyes have found mine, and I have to remind myself how to breathe.

Face an attractive blur, the young beau bares soft ebony eyes with raven strands of hair that fall across smooth fair skin. It’s only when Mary clears her throat at my long silence that I come to a most uncomfortable discovery.

He’s the most beautiful boy I’ve ever seen.

Mary, amused, smiles from her kitchen corner, no doubt expectant of my surprised reaction. “Gets it from his father.” She laughs, gesturing towards her guest.

I throw her a confused glance, “Gets what?” I feign ignorance, but I can tell she doesn’t buy it.

“His looks, you silly girl.”

But the two of us aren’t listening anymore, standing in silence as Mary’s voice echoes through the space between us. I wait for him to respond to her taunts, but he doesn’t seem to find them amusing, in fact, he doesn’t pay them any mind at all.

He remains frozen from across the counter, eyes wide with something I can’t quite place. It’s then that he backs away, putting as much distance between us as he can. A shard of glass sticks upright from the floor behind him, and I open my mouth to warn him, but it’s too late.

The shard cuts through his boot, wedging itself into skin. The sound is so disturbing that we can hear as it squelches through flesh.

Mary stops laughing.

We both look up at him, waiting for him to double over in pain, but the boy pays his foot no heed, his pretty eyes trained on me as though I’m the only thing in the world that could hurt him.

Does he…..?

The cold nerves come back. My left hand, still clutching its dagger, instinctively tightens its grasp around the hilt.

He…….recognises me.

But that’s just the thing, though.

I don’t recognise him.

There’s no way….

“Jungwon!” Mary’s voice manages to break his daze and, after what feels like a lifetime, he finally shifts his gaze away.

So he has a name.

Jungwon.

“Look at your foot! Oh my goodness!” Mary bustles over to the mix of herbal pastes, grabbing the biggest jar and forcing him onto a stool.

She kneels to take off his boot, only for him to stand abruptly and move away. “Jungwon…”

I let my lips melt into an all too familiar smile, turning to the elderly lady who’s now kneels at his side. “Mary, you silly goose…” Feigning a laugh, I shake my head at her, “I thought you were getting beaten to death. You should’ve told me if you had another guest, I could’ve come another time.” She tries to make her way over but I’m quick to intercept and force her onto a chair. “Don’t even try, you need rest.”

She opens her mouth to protest but gives up just as easily.

“You’re right my dear, I’m sorry. It must’ve slipped my mind that you were visiting today. And just to be clear, if we ever were in such a situation, I’d be the one doing the beating, not the other way around. This idiot couldn’t hurt a fly.”

I smile at her humour. “Sure thing.”

“Ah, how silly of me! It would seem I’ve forgotten to properly introduce you.” She gestures to her guest and then back to me, as if to beckon us closer. “This is my grandson, Jungwon.”

My eyes fly to him. Grandson.

“Jungwon, say hello. This is Y/N, a friend of mine from town.” But her words don’t seem to comfort him. If anything, they appear to make him more anxious.

He gives me an awkward bow, eventually meeting my gaze with a great deal of hesitation.

My eyes dart down to the kitchen corner on his left, to the knife that sits idle by its board. His hand itches a few inches from it.

He doesn’t trust me.

Smart boy.

I laugh, giving him my warmest smile as I step forward, addressing Mary. “I wasn’t aware you had family in Avion.” I offer him a hand as I wait for her response.

He doesn’t take it.

“Jungwon is visiting from Borth, where him and his mother live. He visits every Winter, which is why you haven’t met him before.”

Ah. Of course.

I wasn’t here last Winter.

Mary bustles around the kitchen with her small limp, sweeping glass from corner to corner. She takes notice of her grandson avoiding my hand. “Jungwon! Don’t be rude!” She turns to me with a smirk. “Don’t mind him my dear, he’s just a shy idiot. Gets that from his father too.”

After a great deal of hesitation, Jungwon reaches his hand across, flinching when our fingers touch. His hands are warm and soft, a stark contrast to mine. Our hands meet with haste and just as quickly, he pulls his away, retreating completely until he’s backed against the kitchen counter.

I give a small bow to Mary. “Well then, I best be heading off. It was a pleasure meeting you Jungwon.” He doesn’t respond, instead bowing as he stares at the floor. Mary smacks the back of his head. “Walk her back to town boy.” He whips his head to her, his gaze pleading. I smile.

“A kind gesture. But I’ll be quite alright by myself.”

“Nonsense!” She shrieks, pushing Jungwon out the door and throwing him a coat. “The woods aren’t safe for a young beauty like you! Don’t worry, Jungwon wants to take you anyway.” I glance to the boy by her side.

His expression tells me otherwise, but he remains silent.

She gives him a sly nudge, bringing his ear down for her whispers. “Maybe you’ll make a new friend.” The boy remains silent, only nodding anxiously as a response.

“Really,” I laugh, pressing my hands to hers, “I’ll be fine. Besides I’m sure you’ll get him working on the door soon enough.” We look down to the door laying across her floor, it’s hinges torn awkwardly from the wall. “Sorry about that by the way. I got a bit impatient.”

“Oh I’ll get him working alright. When he gets back.” She murmurs, pushing Jungwon through the doorway and bidding us farewell. Jungwon leads the way, staring at the ground with fake fascination as if to distract himself. I don’t even have to turn back to know Mary’s probably waving warmly from her porch. She never goes back inside until she’s sure I’m sent off safely. Smiling, I turn around to bid her one last goodbye, but by the time my eyes catch sight of her little cottage trailing behind in the distance, she’s long gone.

————-

JESEUS!!!!! I’m so sorry to all my readers who were waiting for this one lmao it took me months just to publish one damn chapter! GOOD NEWS THO I’ve already written about 70% of chapter 5 so I’d say that’ll published at the end of this week sometime. I’ll let y’all know🙏 ps to that one anon who keeps sending rude ass demands and questions about why I’m “taking forever” if you keep sending them I’m gonna scrap this entire story just to annoy u 😘

If you want to join taglist, let me know😚

Taglist:

@ramenoil @moonmoongi @chlorinecake @denleave1088 @cha0thicpisces @w3bqrl @yu-yin-04 @rizzhee

[militarymenrbomb]

I happened across a reddit that features true stories from Military men about their m/m experiences while in the service. Would you guys be interested if I posted them? Here's a sample titled part 2.

Hook up in Iraq part 2: co worker in Balad

This one took place in Balad. I worked at the flight line so lots of hot pilots with attitude. I never found them interesting because they were divas. If they don’t get what they wanted, they complained . The one that interested me was my co worker. He was a plane mechanics and an avionics technician. We had different shops so we only see each other when the plane was broken. Other than that, I saw him rights across my shop but never really talked . We’re supposed to be smarter than them. Lol. He is a surfer type the way he talked and acted . He’s got that surfer bod too, lean and muscled in the right area. I only see him in uniform but I could he has a nice body when he took his DCU while working on the plane. He has ripped muscles and they flexed every r he turned that ratchet to tighten a bolt on the plane. Sometimes he catches me looking at him when we’re together. He just smirked and continued. We never talked since mission first when you’re out there.

One night I was in my pc shorts going to shower and I soon as I opened the door , it was him . I got startled and excuse myself while he continued shaving. He looked at me and continued to gaze until I was on the left side of him. I was gonna shaved too but decided not so I immediately went to the closest shower. He could see me cuz I saw him looking at me all way. I decided to flirt and slowly took my clothes off until I was completely naked. I can tell he was still looking . I kinda smiled. I turned on the shower but didn’t go inside . I want to show more of my body to him. He wasn’t even shaving anymore . He was just looking at me through the mirror . I leaned down to pick up my clothes and put on the bench. Now I’m facing him and we’re just looking at each other through the mirror. My cock was hard. I could see bulge on the white towel covering his bottom part of the body. It kept growing until the head was out. We both just looked at each other . No one else was there, just the two of us . I went inside the shower but didn’t close the shower curtain . Next thing I knew he was going towards me . I was scared and excited at the same time . I don’t know him well enough so I didn’t know what’s gonna happen. He took his towel off and revealed a beautiful cock. It wasn’t big but I love it anyways. He joined me in the shower and closed the curtain just in case someone comes in. We kissed for a long time. I can’t stop kissing him while we jerked each other off. The shower too small to kneel down so we just keep kissing and jerking each other off but not making too much noise just in case. We both came but we continued kissing and hugging . I told him to peek and go out first and leave. About few minutes , I decided to come out of the shower too. He was gone.

I saw him the next day at the shop and we smiled . I knew he is married so I left him alone and not pursue anything else. We still worked together in the flight line but never talked about Ty’s shower incident even if we’re alone.

He emailed me few times and said “ I like what we did “. I answered back “me too” . It never happened again but I wanted to.

[mama-29]

After several months of absence following an accident I was going to go back to high school. I phoned my best friend. We had worked together on a presentation before my accident. Since then we hadn’t seen each other. She picked up the phone. My throat was tight. We had finished our evening work in a very ... pleasant way with great pleasure.

She answered me by saying, is it you? Yes I’ll be back tomorrow.

She said, It’s really wonderful

I could show you the result of our work!

I have so much breast pain right now, but I don’t blame you. It’s so wonderful if you knew!

We hung up. I didn’t quite understand the relationship with her breasts and our presentation—

The next day I arrived at the entrance of the school. She was waiting for me. I stopped sharp, eyes wide open! She was .... Pregnant! So pregnant! And her breasts so huge and tight! I got her pregnant the first night! But she was so happy and grateful. Her belly was so round and big.

She approached me and whispered in my ear: I missed you so much, darling. Let’s go home and make up for lost time in my room...

She lowered her head looking at my pants. She smiled and told me I think you are willing to come inside me...

—————————-——————————————

Après plusieurs mois d'absence suite un accident j'allais retourner au lycée. J'ai téléphoner à ma meilleure amie. Nous avions travaillé ensemble sur un exposé avant mon accident. Depuis nous ne nous étions pas vue. Elle a décroché le téléphone. Ma gorge était serrée. Nous avions terminé notre soirée de travail d'une façon très ... agréable avec beaucoup de plaisir.

Elle m'a répondu en me disant, c'est toi ? Oui je reviens demain.

Elle m'a dit, C'est vraiment merveilleux

Je pourrais te montrer le résultat de notre travail !

J'ai tellement mal aux seins en ce moment, mais je ne t'en veux pas. C'est tellement merveilleux si tu savais !

Nous avons raccroché. Je ne comprenais pas trop le rapport avec ses seins et notre exposé...

Le lendemain je suis arrivé à l'entrée du lycée. Elle m'attendait. Je me suis arrêté net, les yeux grand ouvert ! Elle était .... Enceinte ! Tellement enceinte ! Et ses seins tellement énorme et serré ! Je l'avais mise enceinte le premier soir ! Mais elle était tellement heureuse et reconnaissante. Son ventre était si rond et gros.

Elle ses approché de moi et m'a murmuré à l'oreille : tu m'as tellement manqué mon chéri. Rentrons chez moi rattraper le temps perdu dans ma chambre...

Elle baissa la tête en regardant mon pantalon. Elle sourit et me dit je crois que tu est disposé à venir en moi...

[the-darkest-0f-stars]

Crested Fighters of the Starry Isles.

Context-

Southbound is an **artificial** speculative evolution project centering primarily around the speculative biology and evolution of machines, often with a focus on aircraft. Unless specifically stated otherwise, instalments take place somewhere on the surface of the tidally-locked planet, Xoturanseria (Anser).

Specific Context-

When thinking of stealth fighters, the avions of genus Tahji are usually the first to come to mind. However, they aren't the only genus the YF-22 gave way to.

Native to the Starry Islands of Anser (an archipelago near Hatzegonia), the crested raptors, or false Bronzewings can be found roaming around.

The most striking feature of these machines is obviously the large crest adorning the base of the nose where the AN/AAR-56 aperture would be located in an F-22A.

Because of the Inherent shyness of these fighters compared to the ones we are more familiar with, they have been relatively difficult to study. As such, while we lack a concrete answer for what exactly the purpose of the crests are within this lineage, there are multiple theories. It is most likely the crest serves as some sort of display structure. The excess of markings within the UV spectrum that line the crests of examined individuals make this a likely explanation.

Another theory is that they may serve some sort of protective role. Tahjirid fighters elsewhere on the planet are sometimes examined to headbutt each other in territorial disputes, most notably the SR-71, which shares relatively similar skull pressures when the bone spurs are examined.

Crested fighters also seem to have increased skull density as a whole when compared to their relatives. Regardless, it's still unclear how the crest would fit into such behavior. It may act as a guard for the canopy, although little research currently exists on the topic.

What is interesting to note is that false Bronzewings tend to retain the pale face colouration of the YF-22 far more than the species of Tahji.

[pitinthelanepages]

me gustas tu

summary: juan likes airplanes but he likes you more. based on the song 'me gustas tu' by manu chao.

pairing: juan manuel correa x reader

word count: 3.6k

genre: warning! smut, fluff and a bit of angst

a/n: i have been working on this oneshot for the past 7 to 8 hours. please show this lots of love! asks or comments are really appreciated. love you all!

Me gustan los aviones, me gustas tú (I like airplanes, I like you)

More often than not, people harbour a fear of airplanes, even if they claim they don’t. For some people, the lack of control that they have on the plane and the lack of understanding that they have on the technical aspects of flying plays a big part. For other people, it’s the fear of height or enclosed places that plays the part. As for Juan, it’s quite different. 

As he looks out the window of the plane he is in, he finds himself absolutely captivated at the sight of it soaring through the white fluffy clouds. People often do not see the positives of being on a plane, but he does. There's something breathtaking about being thousands of feet up in the air, watching the world below him pass by him just like that. He feels a sheer sense of freedom wash over him, making him feel freer than ever. 

He turns to look at you, who's dozing in the seat next to him, accompanying him to one of the races after finally being to take time off from your work. He finds his eyes trailing across your features. From the curve of your jawline to the way your lashes touch your cheeks, from the blush that takes over your skin due to the air blasting from the air conditioner above you to the delicate slope of your nose. He feels his breath catch in his throat at the sight, as if he is falling in love with you all over again.  

He thinks of how lucky he is to have you, how you make him feel free and happy in a way that no airplane ever could. And yet, there's a strange similarity between the two of you. Both airplanes and you have the power to take his breath away, make him feel free, give him a different perspective of life, show him the world in a new light and make him appreciate experiences he never did before. 

He reaches out to brush a strand of hair away from your face, and you stir, eyes fluttering open.

"Hey," you say, voice thick with sleep.

"Hey," Juan replies, his soft gaze boring into yours. "I was just thinking about something."

You rest your jaw on your palm, facing his side. “Hmm? What is it that you’re thinking about?”

“I was thinking about how much I like planes.” He answers, completely facing you this time. 

You chuckle but can’t help but let the confusion take over your face as your brows furrow. “Huh? Where is this coming from?”

“I was just thinking about what I like, you know?” He adds, sighing before clasping your smaller hand into his. He begins to draw circles on it, sending shivers down your spine.

You feel like teasing him. “Hmm, I see… so you like planes more than me?” 

Juan shakes his head, a grin spreading across his face. "No, no. I like planes, sure. But I like you more."

A smile takes over your face as you reach out to take his hand with your free hand. “I like planes, too,” you say. "But I like you more, as well."

Juan feels a rush of warmth spread through his body, and he leans in to cushion your soft lips with his. The kiss is soft, sweet, full of tenderness and affection. He knows that there are many more flights in his future, many more journeys to take and new horizons to explore. But as long as he's with you, he knows he'll always feel like he's flying.

Me gusta viajar, me gustas tú (I like to travel, I like you)

Both of your careers took over your life more often than not. You having a demanding job in the field of public relations whereas him having to train during free time when he wasn’t racing didn’t help his case either. However, when you two finally had time to spend with each other without having to stress over work, Juan insisted on travelling. So you did. You didn’t think much before planning a trip to Budapest. 

That is how you found yourself with your boyfriend, hand in hand, walking through the streets of the city that has people in awe. It isn’t any different for the two of you. Both of you are gaping, as you take in the breathtaking architecture and vibrant energy of the city. The streets bustling with ordinary people and countless tourists like you. 

As you walk, you can't help but admire the grand buildings that surround you, each one more beautiful than the other. The intricate details of the historic buildings, with their colourful facades and elegant balconies, leaving you speechless. 

Juan squeezes your hand tightly, as if he can feel your amazement. He chuckles at you before pointing out some of the city's most iconic landmarks, like the majestic Parliament Building and the ornate Fisherman's Bastion.

As you two cross the Danube River on the Chain Bridge, you feel a sense of wonder wash over you. The stunning views of the city from the bridge are unlike anything you have ever seen before. Your clasped hand, though smaller, squeezes his every time you felt a jolt of excitement pass through your veins at the sight you are witnessing before you. 

Juan feels his heart beat faster as he looks at you. He notices the way your eyes light up the entire time with excitement and wonder as you walk through the beautiful streets of Budapest. The warmth of your hand in his fills him with a sense of comfort and happiness that he has never known before.

As he takes in the breathtaking architecture around you, he can't help but feel that it pales in comparison to the beauty of the woman beside him. He begins to think of the time you moved to a new country just to support him in his dreams of becoming an F2 driver, leaving your stable job with much higher pay behind, just for him. He thinks of how you took in loads of work home and worked overtime whenever you could just so you could take time off to travel with him to races he felt more anxious about. He remembers all the late nights and early mornings you spent by his side, cheering him on and helping him train when he felt like giving up.

Juan's chest tightens as his mind drifts more and more into everything you have done, just for him. He knows that he wouldn't be where he is today without your unwavering support and love. He thinks about all the moments you have shared together, the highs and the lows, and how you have been there for him through it all.

As he tugs your hand and pulls you close, he feels a wave of emotion take over him. He looks into your eyes and feels his heart swell with love and gratitude. He knows that he wants to spend the rest of his life with you, exploring new places and experiencing all the beauty the world has to offer, together.

"I like travelling," he whispers, his voice filled with passion and sincerity. "But I like you more than any city in the world. No matter how beautiful it is." With that, he pulls you in for a tender kiss, his hand slowly cascading from the nape of your neck to your back and finally to your waist. From the point of view of a passerby, both of you sharing a passionate kiss in the middle of a city as beautiful as Budapest, is a sight to behold.

Me gusta la mañana, me gustas tú (I like the morning, I like you)

Me gusta el viento, me gustas tú (I like the wind, I like you)

Juan and you are woken up by the sound of wind howling outside. The gusts of air passing through the open window causes your hair to fly about and land on Juan's face. Juan instinctively wraps his arms around you and pulls you closer to him. "Good morning, beautiful." Juan whispers.

"Good morning.” You reply, sleepily. You snuggle into Juan's embrace, savouring the warmth and safety you feel in his arms. Juan's strong arms wrap around you, and you feel secure and loved. 

The wind outside intensifies, causing you to shiver. Juan tightens his grip on you, rubbing your back to warm you up. "Are you cold?" he asks, concern laced in his voice.

"A little," you reply, looking up at him with sleepy eyes.

Juan pulls the blankets up over you, covering you both and trapping in your body heat. "Better?" he asks, grinning.

You nod, smiling back at him. "Much better."

As you lay there, wrapped up in each other's embrace, he leans down, softly pressing a kiss on your forehead. "I love you," he whispers, his husky voice filled with tenderness.

You blush, feeling a surge of warmth spread through your body. You tilt your head up to look at him, meeting his gaze as he leans in to press his lips gently against yours. 

You feel Juan's hand run through your hair, cradling your head to deepen the kiss. You respond to him, your hands moving up to tangle in his hair as you pull him closer. As the gentle kiss turns into a tug of war as he tugs at your bottom lip harshly, you feel one of his hands untangle from your hair and move to your waist, where he grazes his fingers softly yet intense enough to cause you to jerk in his embrace as it tickles. 

Your breath hitches at his action. “What are you doing?” you gasp, pulling away, the lack of air causing your chest to heave up and down faster, trying to catch up on it. 

“What do you think I am doing?” He asks, not answering the question, seeming intent on teasing you as you witness a smirk taking over his face. 

You roll your eyes. “It’s ticklish.”

“Well, that’s the point.” He whispers and before you could respond, he pulls you into his lap. Your front pressing onto his. You could feel his heartbeat against yours. His hands trail on your back, soft and ticklish, sending goosebumps through your body. 

You run a finger from his chest to the hardness of his abs, his breathing getting ragged in the process but before you could continue any further, he traps your wrists in his and begins to pepper kisses from your jaw down to your neck. Your skin flushes and you find yourself closing your eyes at the sensation, soft sighs leaving your lips. 

His lips soon land between the valley of your breasts and licks it before moving to find your nipples, trapping one between his teeth. You groan at the pain that shoots through your system. He flicks his tongue around one of your nipples, the coldness from being wet making it hard, the pain making it sensitive. He does the same to your other nipple before moving down to your stomach and towards your core.

The moment you feel his warm breath against your core, you know what is about to come. He grips your thighs and rests them on his shoulders, his eyes locking onto yours as he sends you a look that, you’re sure, makes you even wetter. He bites his lips, staring at your core with a look of such concentration that makes you anticipate what’s about to happen more than ever and then, he dives in. He licks a stripe before using two of his fingers to find the soft bud and when he does so, successfully, he doesn’t wait. His mouth encloses in around the bud, making you let out a cry. 

As if something in him is switched on, he is no longer the passionate man he was just a moment ago. His mouth shows no mercy as it ruthlessly sucks into the pits of your core. One of his fingers soon enters you and joins in with the rhythm of his mouth. You begin to feel tears streaming down your face as you gasp more and more loudly for air with time, having a hard time breathing at the lack of mercy he was showing you.

You finally let out a loud cry when you feel the bundle of nerves giving up on you, reaching the point of ecstasy. Hearing a breathy chuckle, you look down and send the man who did this to you, a chuckle. “Very funny.” you huff, rolling your eyes. 

He laughs, looking amused at your annoyance as he climbs back up on the bed like he didn’t just commit an act of sin. He wraps an arm around your frame before bringing you closer to him so he could rest his head on your chest.

“What do you think you’re doing?” you ask, your hands raking into his hair, feeling his scalp.

He hums at the feeling, eyes closed, looking peaceful as ever. “Going back to sleep?” he murmurs.

“Are you serious?” you poke at him. “I am not done with you.”

He turns his head to face you, his eyes are crinkled with mirth, a smile playing at the corner of his lips. “You what?” There is a teasing tone in his voice that you could sense.

You furrow your brows in annoyance. “Who do you think you are? What is funny?”

He sits up, giggling that soon turns into a full blown laugh. “Oh my God, baby… I know you are tired. Let’s not lie.”

“So you mean, you are taking a break for me? No way.” You say refusing to back down.

A grin takes over his face. “Yes, absolutely. You got that right.” 

You narrow your eyes at him, a smile too sweet taking over your lips. “You know what? I’m gonna get you.”

“And what are you gonna do?” He challenges, smirking. 

“You underestimate me.” You say, before lunging towards him.

But Juan is quick to dodge your playful attack with a laugh. He jumps out of bed and darts across the room, you being hot on his heels. You chase each other around the room. While you’re struggling with the duvet wrapped around you, he darts out of the room and down the hallway.

You finally catch up to him in the hallway and find yourself collapsing on the floor with him, catching for breath. 

He looks at you, his gaze softening at the sight of you being happy. You raise a brow at him, wondering what’s in his mind.

He shakes his head, smiling. “I like mornings like this, you know? Bright and windy.” 

You hum, agreeing. “It’s beautiful to wake up to such weather.” 

“But, I like you, more.”

Me gusta soñar, me gustas tú (I like to dream, I like you)

Me gusta la mar, me gustas tú (I like the sea, I like you)

Juan stands at the altar, his heart pounding in his chest as he waits for his bride to walk down the aisle. He can feel the sweat beading on his forehead despite the cool air-conditioning in the church. He adjusts his tie nervously, his eyes scanning the crowd of guests, but he can't find you. He begins to feel a sense of panic rise in him, but then he catches a glimpse of you in the distance. You’re breathtakingly beautiful, clad in a white gown that flows down to the floor in a soft, elegant cascade. Your hair is styled in loose waves, framing your face perfectly. As you walk towards him, Juan feels a rush of emotion. It's as if time slows down, and all he can focus on is the woman in front of him.

As you reach him, Juan takes your hand and guides you to the altar. He can feel your fingers trembling slightly in his, and he gives you a reassuring squeeze. The priest begins the ceremony, but he is barely listening. His mind is lost in the moment, in the way the sunlight is streaming through the stained glass windows, casting a rainbow of colours across the church. He's lost in the way your eyes are fixed on him, full of love and trust. 

When the priest asks Juan to say his vows, he feels his throat tighten. He takes a deep breath and begins to speak. He tells you how much he loves you, how much you mean to him. He promises to always be by your side, to be your partner and best friend. He vows to support you in all your dreams. As he speaks, tears prick at the corners of his eyes. He's never felt so vulnerable and exposed.

Finally, the priest pronounces you husband and wife, and Juan feels a wave of relief wash over him. As you kiss, the room erupts into cheers and applause. 

But then suddenly, the scene fades away to the sound of sea waves crashing onto the shore. He blinks blearily, his eyes adjusting to the bright sunlight. He finds himself on your lap on the beach, and the sound of the waves has become part of his dream. 

He sits up, rubbing his eyes and taking in his surroundings. The waves are gently lapping at both of your feet, and the sun is beginning to set, casting a warm glow across the horizon. He looks over at you, and feels a surge of warmth in his chest. He likes dreaming, but he likes being here with you even more.

"Sorry, I must have dozed off," he says with a sheepish grin.

You laugh and playfully push him away, "You were snoring! I thought you were going to keep me up all night."

Juan's heart races as he finds himself staring at your face, still beautiful even in the sunlight. He realises he likes the sea, but he loves you more. 

¿Qué voy a hacer?, je ne sais pas (What am I going to do?, I don't know)

¿Qué voy a hacer?, je ne sais plus (What am I going to do?, I don't know anymore)

¿Qué voy a hacer?, je suis perdu (What am I going to do?, I’m lost)

Juan sits alone in his apartment, staring blankly at the television. He doesn’t even know what is on the screen, his mind running a million miles with thoughts of the upcoming race. He has been training tirelessly for weeks, leaving him with no time for anything else, including you. 

His apartment is surrounded by silence. He used to love this place, relishing the peace and quiet it offered after a long day of training and racing. But now, the silence is suffocating.

Without you here, the place feels empty. The thought of going to bed alone tonight makes him feel a deep sense of dread that he can't shake off. He's never been one to feel lonely, but now it's all he feels. He knows he has to focus on his training and upcoming races (even though that’s all he has been forcing him to focus on for weeks), but he can't shake the feeling that something is missing.

Juan tries to fill the void with constant training and preparation for the upcoming race that fills him with anxiety, but it's not the same as having you around. The joy he once felt in his sport is now replaced with a feeling of unease. The sound of his car engine revving used to bring him excitement and adrenaline, but now, he doesn’t know what to feel anymore.

He sighs deeply, realising that he has been pushing you away. You have tried to be understanding of his busy schedule, but he knows that he has been distant and unavailable. He misses you terribly but doesn’t know how to balance his passion for racing with his love for you. He knows it’s a terrible habit of his but he can’t help it.

If he is being completely honest, he misses your warmth and your laughter, the way you could brighten up his day. He misses your touch, the way you would rest your head on his shoulder and whisper words of encouragement in his ear. He misses your smell, the way you always smelled like lavender and vanilla.

Juan realises now that he needs you more than he ever thought he would. He can't bear the thought of going through his days without you. The loneliness he feels is too much to handle on his own. He knows he needs to make time for you, to make sure you know just how much you mean to him.

As he sits there alone, the realisation hits him like a ton of bricks. He can't keep living like this, with you being just a distant memory. He needs to find a way to make it work, to balance his love for you with his love for racing. He's not sure how, but he's willing to try.

Juan stands up from his seat, determined to make a change. He'll start by calling you, apologising for his absence and promising to make it up to you. He'll find a way to make time for you, even if it means sacrificing some of his training time. He knows now that you’re worth it.

As he steps out onto the balcony, the sounds of the city start to fill the silence. Juan takes a deep breath, feeling a newfound sense of purpose. He may be an f2 driver, but he's also a man in love. And he's willing to do whatever it takes to keep the love of his life by his side.

[pompadourpink]

Le Petit Prince

Le Petit Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, 1943

Chapter 1.

Once when I was six years old I saw a magnificent picture in a book, called True Stories from Nature, about the primeval forest. It was a picture of a boa constrictor in the act of swallowing an animal. Here is a copy of the drawing. 

Lorsque j’avais six ans j’ai vu, une fois, une magnifique image, dans un livre sur la Forêt Vierge qui s’appelait « Histoires Vécues ». Ça représentait un serpent boa qui avalait un fauve. Voilà la copie du dessin.

In the book, it said: "Boa constrictors swallow their prey whole, without chewing it. After that, they are not able to move, and they sleep through the six months that they need for digestion."

I pondered deeply, then, over the adventures of the jungle. And after some work with a coloured pencil, I succeeded in making my first drawing. My Drawing Number One. It looked something like this:

On disait dans le livre : « Les serpents boas avalent leur proie tout entière, sans la mâcher. Ensuite, ils ne peuvent plus bouger et ils dorment pendant les six mois de leur digestion. »

J’ai alors beaucoup réfléchi sur les aventures de la jungle et, à mon tour, j’ai réussi, avec un crayon de couleur, à tracer mon premier dessin. Mon dessin numéro 1. Il était comme ça :

I showed my masterpiece to the grown-ups, and asked them whether the drawing frightened them.

But they answered: "Frighten? Why should any one be frightened by a hat?"

My drawing was not a picture of a hat. It was a picture of a boa constrictor digesting an elephant. But since the grown-ups were not able to understand it, I made another drawing: I drew the inside of a boa constrictor, so that the grown-ups could see it clearly. They always need to have things explained. My Drawing Number Two looked like this:

J’ai montré mon chef-d’œuvre aux grandes personnes et je leur ai demandé si mon dessin leur faisait peur.

Elles m’ont répondu: «Pourquoi un chapeau ferait-il peur ? »

Mon dessin ne représentait pas un chapeau. Il représentait un serpent boa qui digérait un éléphant. J’ai alors dessiné l’intérieur du serpent boa, afin que les grandes personnes puissent comprendre. Elles ont toujours besoin d’explications. Mon dessin numéro 2 était comme ça :

The grown-ups' response, this time, was to advise me to lay aside my drawings of boa constrictors, whether from the inside or the outside, and devote myself instead to geography, history, arithmetic, and grammar. That is why, at the age of six, I gave up what might have been a magnificent career as a painter. I had been disheartened by the failure of my Drawing Number One and my Drawing Number Two. Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them.

So then I chose another profession, and learned to pilot airplanes. I have flown a little over all parts of the world; and it is true that geography has been very useful to me. At a glance I can distinguish China from Arizona. If one gets lost in the night, such knowledge is valuable.

Les grandes personnes m’ont conseillé de laisser de côté les dessins de serpents boas ouverts ou fermés, et de m’intéresser plutôt à la géographie, à l’histoire, au calcul et à la grammaire. C’est ainsi que j’ai abandonné, à l’âge de six ans, une magnifique carrière de peintre. J’avais été découragé par l’insuccès de mon dessin numéro 1 et de mon dessin numéro 2. Les grandes personnes ne comprennent jamais rien toutes seules, et c’est fatigant, pour les enfants, de toujours et toujours leur donner des explications.

J’ai donc dû choisir un autre métier et j’ai appris à piloter des avions. J’ai volé un peu partout dans le monde. Et la géo- graphie, c’est exact, m’a beaucoup servi. Je savais reconnaître, du premier coup d’œil, la Chine de l’Arizona. C’est très utile, si l’on est égaré pendant la nuit.

*

In the course of this life I have had a great many encounters with a great many people who have been concerned with matters of consequence. I have lived a great deal among grown-ups. I have seen them intimately, close at hand. And that hasn't much improved my opinion of them.

Whenever I met one of them who seemed to me at all clear-sighted, I tried the experiment of showing him my Drawing Number One, which I have always kept. I would try to find out, so, if this was a person of true understanding. But, whoever it was, he, or she, would always say: "That is a hat." Then I would never talk to that person about boa constrictors, or primeval forests, or stars. I would bring myself down to his level. I would talk to him about bridge, and golf, and politics, and neckties. And the grown-up would be greatly pleased to have met such a sensible man.

J’ai ainsi eu, au cours de ma vie, des tas de contacts avec des tas de gens sérieux. J’ai beaucoup vécu chez les grandes personnes. Je les ai vues de très près. Ça n’a pas trop amélioré mon opinion.

Quand j’en rencontrais une qui me paraissait un peu lucide, je faisais l’expérience sur elle de mon dessin numéro 1 que j’ai toujours conservé. Je voulais savoir si elle était vraiment compréhensive. Mais toujours elle me répondait : « C’est un chapeau. » Alors je ne lui parlais ni de serpents boas, ni de forêts vierges, ni d’étoiles. Je me mettais à sa portée. Je lui parlais de bridge, de golf, de politique et de cravates. Et la grande personne était bien contente de connaître un homme aussi raisonnable.

Fanmail - masterlist (2016-) - archives - hire me - reviews (2020-) - Drive

[usafphantom2]

USAF U-2 Avionics Technician tells why S-300 and S-400 SAMs would not be able to shoot down the SR-71 Blackbird

The SR-71 Blackbird

The SR-71 spy plane, the most advanced member of the Blackbird family that included the A-12 and YF-12, was designed by a team of Lockheed personnel led by Clarence “Kelly” Johnson, then vice president of Lockheed’s Advanced Development Company Projects, commonly known as the “Skunk Works” and now a part of Lockheed Martin. The Blackbird completed its first flight on Dec. 22, 1964.

SR-71 T-Shirts

CLICK HERE to see The Aviation Geek Club contributor Linda Sheffield’s T-shirt designs! Linda has a personal relationship with the SR-71 because her father Butch Sheffield flew the Blackbird from test flight in 1965 until 1973. Butch’s Granddaughter’s Lisa Burroughs and Susan Miller are graphic designers. They designed most of the merchandise that is for sale on Threadless. A percentage of the profits go to Flight Test Museum at Edwards Air Force Base. This nonprofit charity is personal to the Sheffield family because they are raising money to house SR-71, #955. This was the first Blackbird that Butch Sheffield flew on Oct. 4, 1965.

The SR-71 was designed to cruise at “Mach 3+,” just over three times the speed of sound or more than 2,200 miles per hour and at altitudes up to 85,000 feet.

During its 24 years of service, the SR-71 Blackbird gathered intelligence in some of the world’s most hostile environments. The Blackbird evaded all the missiles fired at it and, to this day, remains the only USAF aircraft to never lose a crewmember associated with it; whether in the air or on the ground.

But could the SR-71 be shot down by missile systems such as Russia’s S-300 or S-400?

SR-71 Blackbird Vs S-300 Vs S-400

But could the SR-71 be shot down by missile systems such as Russia’s S-300 or S-400?

‘Looks like I’m going to give the only “no” answer so far,’ Damien Leimbach, former USAF Avionics Technician on U-2 aircraft, says on Quora.

‘The S-200, S-300 and S-400 are amazing platforms, and given their stated performance, the 300 and 400 could probably hit a target at the Sr-71’s speed and altitude. But that is not the same as hitting an SR-71.

‘Now, could those missiles shoot down the version of the SR-71 that existed in the 70’s or 80’s? Sure.

USAF U-2 Avionics Technician tells why S-300 and S-400 SAMs would not be able to shoot down the SR-71 Blackbird

S-400 SAM

‘But the question was could it shoot down the SR-71 if it were still in service, and if it were still in service, it would have received the same jamming and Electronic Warfare upgrades as other planes have.

‘Would these EW jammer upgrades make the plane immune from those missiles? Yes it would.

‘How do I know? Well, because I spent 6 years, recently, working on the sibling of the SR-71, the U-2 and as an electronics specialist I was directly responsible for installing and maintaining the AN-ALQ 221 jammer that made our high flying (but slow moving) plane immune to those missiles as well.

‘The U-2 and the SR-71 don’t just take pictures. They listen to cell phones. They monitor radios. And they also listen to, record and analyze the frequencies, pulse rates, variable modes and power outputs of enemy SAM systems like the S-200, 300 and 400.’

Knowing everything about S-300 and S-400

He continues;

‘We know everything about them. We know how they work, so it’s very easy to design systems to defeat them. The -300 is 1970’s Russian technology, which makes it about as sophisticated from an electronics standpoint as 1950’s American tech. The 400 is just an upgraded version of that. But we’ve had a long time to study them and build electronic countermeasures.

‘When the Berlin wall fell in 1989, and East and West Germany reunified, the very first thing NATO did was go in and scoop up all the Russian military tech it could find. We got T-80’s, We got Fulcrums and we got entire missile battalions worth of S-300 missiles.

SR-71 print

This print is available in multiple sizes from AircraftProfilePrints.com – CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS. SR-71A Blackbird 61-7972 “Skunkworks”

‘When other very poor nations like Belarus and Moldova split away from the USSR, we bought other stuff, like Flankers, Hinds, and more missile systems.

‘Only Russia, China and India operate the -400, but as much as they want access to American markets, I’m more than sure we’ve been allowed to peek at the equipment, and a missile or two may have fallen off a truck somewhere.

S-300 and S-400 could not shoot down the SR-71 Blackbird

‘Maybe its cheating a little, but buying out the competition is the American way. The point is, we know exactly what their missile systems can do and we’ve known for a long time. We build those upgrades into the U-2 and if we still flew the SR-71, we would build them into it as well.’

Leimbach concludes;

‘So, no, if modern weapons can’t even take down the U-2, they could not shoot down the SR-71.’

@Habubrats71 via X

[thetruearchmagos]

Airplanes VS Aeroships: A Comparison

Hey folks, and happy Worldbuilding Wednesday! Consider this a follow up this post, made in a response to two questions by @pixelazer :

How big the speed gap between fixed-wing types and airships is in your setting, and what sort of aircraft see use?

So, let's go!

Tagging @nerdexer @athenswrites @theprissythumbelina @hessdalen-globe @caxycreations @thatndginger @lividdreamz

Performance Gaps

The answer I gave in the last post was definitely an oversimplification. The real answer probably changes depending on what period in the setting you'd refer to. The earliest fixed wing aircraft, biplanes and the like, were generally not much faster than an aeroship designed with speed in mind, but could comfortably out pace the largest, most lumbering examples of such craft. The development of more powerful engines, culminating eventually with the invention of jet propulsion, would significantly widen the gap between high performance aircraft and aeroships.

To put it in more obvious terms, you could compare aeroships to our world's helicopters, and the latter's relative performance compared to modern jets. An important factor that has shape aeroship design through the ages is how they manouevre; modern aeroships typically don't use control surfaces, instead relying on impulse thrusters across their hull which allow them to adjust their positions even while simply 'levitating'. While they allow incredibly precise movements, they quickly lose effectiveness at higher speeds. The blocky and bulbous hull forms of aeroships, needed to accommodate their Aerium crystals and associated equipment, are also not kind to high speeds.

All that said, I can't really answer the question with a firm answer. If you really tried, you could probably make an aeroship that goes faster than a given fixed wing. The main reason for this general divide is that characteristics like cost, lifting capacity, and others have nudged craft of either type into specific niches which favour varying degrees of speed; you could probably make an aeroship go supersonic, but if you have a need for something to go supersonic, you're better off going fixed wing.

2. Sorts of Aircraft

If I'm reading this correctly, my usual answer for this sort of question is 'anything that currently exists in real life', mostly because I lack the in depth knowledge in the field needed to list every possible aircraft in existence and the roles they fill. I mean, part of my approach in the 12 Worlds is to show that is in whole a genuinely 'believable' Setting, which means acknowledging the existence of a thousand and one things that would logically exist even if I never pay much attention to it. Crop dusters, medical evacuation aircraft, search and rescue, etc., if it's the sort of thing that 'should' exist it probably does. Which feels like a lazy answer, but it's the truth.

------

Bonus Stuff;

All this comparing of aeroships and fixed wing craft reminds me of a few details I've had in mind for a while, on the backburner. Basically, there have at various times been attempts to incorporate Aerium and its associated technologies in 'fixed wing' platforms, or lifting surfaces on aeroships, in order to get the best of both worlds. Most of these tended to fizzle out, but the development of highly sensitive and precise avionics seems poised to shake things up. Test beds of fixed wing aircraft incorporating miniaturised Aerium crystals across their bodies have successfully shown how the lifting output of each crystal can be altered in real time, allowing for the craft's overall lift to be increased without impeding responsiveness. Where these developments might lead is a question for the future.

[greybenjii]

Part 3: Random Stars and Shields Chapter

you know the drill! Tetsuro and Kira belong to me Matsubara and Aki belong to @patchesiclez ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Day three dawned with a sense of urgency for the three of them. They had spent the previous day enjoying the festival of the owls, but now it was time to focus on their original purpose: finding medical supplies to replenish their dwindling stock.

As the trio packed up their campsite, they searched the village for any sign of extra supplies, but to no avail. The local apothecary had nothing to spare, and none of the villagers had any to offer. “Dang it, there is actually nothing here!” Kira said, frustrated as she slid against the wall. “Maybe we waited too long… It should have been the first thing we seeked out for.” Tetsuro said with a sigh. “Well, we still are on schedule! Maybe we can check back tomorrow? Focus on checking out stock today?” Aki suggested. The trio nodded in agreement. Frustrated but undeterred, they returned to camp, deciding to resume their search the following day.

Meanwhile, Matsubara watched them from a distance, her brow furrowed with concern. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss, but try as she might, she couldn't pinpoint what it was.

…

As night fell and the streets of the village grew quiet, Tetsuro found himself unable to sleep. Restless and unsettled, he slipped out of camp and wandered the empty streets, lost in thought. What are they going to do? They need medical supplies… What if something happens? What if one of them gets sick? Get’s hurt even…? What if he’ll be the cause… He thought to himself, tugging on his left glove. He paced back and forth, practically doing laps around the village, consumed by his fears. It was then that he stumbled upon the medication they had been searching for, lying abandoned on the ground. Tetsuro stared at the bag for a second before kneeling and opening it. Inside it was everything that they were looking for: Bandages, needle and stick, medication, everything. This could last them a while out there. But he couldn’t even begin to comprehend it. Why did this just appear out of nowhere? He had walked down this same street practically a million times and nothing. How did this conveniently end up at his feet? Tetsuro snapped out of it. Without hesitation, he picked it up, relief flooding through him at the sight of the much-needed supplies. But before he could return to camp, a figure emerged from the shadows, clad in armor and wielding a sword. Tetsuro's heart sank as he realized he had been caught, his mind racing as he tried to come up with an explanation. “Oh heeeyy Matsu,” Tetsuro said with a nervous laugh, “I was just out on a stroll–” he began before immediately getting cut off by the clanking of armor. Matsu wasted no time in accusing him of theft, their voice cold and authoritative, “Save your breath, thief.” He said and he grabbed Tetsuro along. “Oh come on, I found it on the street! I didn’t threaten anybody or broke into anything. You gotta believe me…!” Despite Tetsuro's protests of innocence, he was thrown into a makeshift jail cell, his heart heavy with frustration and disbelief.

“Oh you got to be fucking kidding me…” Tetsuro growled, slumping down from the wall and onto the floor. 

…

Hours passed like an eternity as Tetsuro sat in the darkness, his mind swirling with thoughts of betrayal and injustice. This is just my luck. Of course I somehow get caught with stupid shit like this. What am I gonna do? What are the others going to do? How are Kira and Aki going to get to me? They can’t find out I got in trouble again. They’re gonna take me to Avion Prison… Suddenly, as if his prayers were answered, the jail cell door opened. Outside the cell were two guards and Matsu towering over him. Relief instantly turns into dread, he brings himself to his feet and waits for instruction. “You’re free to go, kid.” One guard says. “There wasn’t enough evidence to tie you to a legitimate crime.” The other chimes, “Next time, stay off the streets, will you? We’ve been having too many problems with outside folks already.” Tetsuro stormed out of the jail, his anger burning like a wildfire, “So you thought imprisoning me for hours was the right thing to do? Are you actually serious right now? This is the second time this has happened!” He said, seething with rage. “Listen man, we go do our thing based on the tips and calls we get. It’s our job to investigate people of your kind.” “My kind?! This has to be a joke!” Tetsuro shouted, getting more and more agitated. Matsu, frustrated by their inability to frame him, stormed off in a fit of rage, leaving Tetsuro to stew in his own anger and confusion. Unable to contain his frustration any longer, Tetsuro set off in pursuit of Matsu, determined to confront them and demand answers for their accusations. 

"Matsu!" he called out, his voice echoing off the cobblestone walls. "Show yourself! I demand answers!" Tetsuo heaves, but nothing.

“Matsu, get your ass back here! You got some explaining to do.” Tetsuro shouted some more. When he turned the corner, Matsu had seemingly just disappeared. Confused, Tetsuro began to search high and low for this mysterious man. He refused to let this go until he gave him a piece of his mind. Despite the anger, he couldn't help but feel a stinging feeling in his chest about it all. Maybe they were all right, maybe Matsubara was right. He thought he had been changing, getting better. But perhaps he was always going to be a thief, his past constantly haunting him. … Tetsuro finds himself at the location Matsubara had mentioned to him during the festival, a place sacred to her and filled with memories of her past. In the tranquil embrace of the night, the lush garden near the river came alive with a kaleidoscope of colors beneath the gentle glow of the moon. The air was thick with the heady scent of flowers, each bloom a delicate masterpiece of nature's design. Tall stalks of lavender swayed gently in the breeze, their fragrant blooms releasing a soothing aroma that mingled with the sweet perfume of roses in full bloom. Delicate petals of cherry blossoms danced in the air, their pale pink hue a stark contrast against the deep greens of the surrounding foliage. Along the banks of the river, clusters of irises stood tall and proud, their vibrant hues of purple and gold reflecting in the shimmering waters below. Moonflowers unfurled their delicate petals, their luminescent white blossoms glowing softly in the moonlight like miniature stars scattered across the night sky. And as the moon cast its silver light upon the garden, it seemed to awaken a sense of magic and wonder that lingered in the air, enchanting all who beheld its splendor.

However, It didn't take long for Matsu to appear, their figure emerging from the shadows with an air of authority that sent a chill down Tetsuro's spine. "What do you want, thief?" Matsu sneered, their voice dripping with contempt. "Haven't you caused enough trouble already?" Tetsuro bristled at the accusation, his fists clenched at his sides. "I'm not a thief!" he protested, his voice rising with frustration. "I found the medication out in the open. I was trying to do the right thing!" Matsu scoffed, their eyes narrowing with suspicion. "The right thing for everyone or only for yourself? Save your excuses. The evidence speaks for itself." Frustration bubbled up inside Tetsuro, threatening to spill over into rage. "You have no proof!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the empty streets. "Face it. You're just a bigot, quick to judge and slow to listen."

For a moment, there was silence between them, the tension thick and palpable. And then, with a resigned sigh, Tetsuro turned and stormed off into the night, his heart heavy with disappointment. But even as he walked away, he couldn't shake the feeling of unease that lingered in the back of his mind. Something about this encounter felt off, as though there were pieces of the puzzle he had yet to uncover. Lost in thought, Tetsuro found himself drawn to the location Matsubara had mentioned to him during the festival, a secluded spot on the outskirts of the village. There was no way… As he begins to approach the garden, he finds Matsubara standing alone in the moonlight, their armor glinting in the soft glow and their helmet to her side. She turns around and sees Tetsuro, staring back at her. Her eyes began to widen as her face was mixed with emotions. Without a word, Tetsuro approached them, his gaze searching their face for any sign of understanding. "Why?" he asked finally, his voice barely a whisper. "Why did you do it?" Matsubara met his gaze with a mixture of defiance and regret, her features softened by the moonlight. "I had to," she replied, her voice heavy with emotion. "For the sake of the village, I couldn't let you get away with it."

Tetsuro's heart sank at her words, his anger fading into sadness. "Get away with what…? I didn’t do anything– I haven’t done anything since the moment I got here." he stammered, his voice tinged with sorrow. "You don’t understand. I was desperate, I was just trying to help." Matsubara scoffs, “Help? Is that what you call it?" she retorted, her tone laced with bitterness. "You waltz into our village, causing suspicion wherever you go, and you expect me to believe you're here to help?"

“But see, you can’t even name a crime I have committed. You had to frame me to support whatever delusional narrative of me!” Tetsuro laughs in disbelief before turning to her, “You come onto me with your gorgeous voice and your enchanting personality, pretending to be my friend. Was last night a fluke? I thought we could be friends.” He spat out. Matsubara looks away, ashamed and says nothing. Silence falls upon them briefly. Tetsuro's frustration bubbled up within him like a simmering volcano, threatening to erupt at any moment. "I didn't ask for any of this!" he exclaimed, his voice echoing through the empty silence. "All I wanted was to find some medicine for my friends, and now look where it's gotten me." The weight of Matsubara's accusations hung heavy in the air, suffocating and oppressive. Tetsuro's chest tightened with the burden of their words, his breaths coming in shallow gasps as he struggled to contain his rising fury. "You think you have the right to judge me?" he demanded, his voice trembling with emotion. "You don't know anything about me or what I've been through." Matsubara shook her head, her expression hardening with resolve. "The safety of this village is my responsibility, and I won't let anyone jeopardize it." She says firmly, her voice cutting through the night air like a blade.

Tetsuro's anger threatened to consume him, a tempest of emotions swirling within his chest. "Fine," he spat, his words dripping with venom. "Do what you want. But don't expect me to stick around and play your games."

“Tetsuro…” Matsubara began, but was immediately cut off. “Don’t… Save it, you made your point very clear what you think of me and my friends. We are leaving tomorrow anyhow, we will get out of your precious village.” Tetsuro says coldly. With a heavy heart, Tetsuro turned and walked away, the weight of Matsubara accusations pressing down on him like a leaden cloak. He didn't know what tomorrow would bring, but one thing was certain: his trust and its inhabitants had been shattered, leaving nothing but bitterness and regret in its wake.

[spacetimewithstuartgary]

Completed experiments on International Space Station to help answer how boiling and condensation work in space

After a decade of preparation and two years of active experiments in space, a facility that Purdue University and NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland designed, built and tested has completed its test campaign on the International Space Station.

The Flow Boiling and Condensation Experiment (FBCE), led by Purdue professor Issam Mudawar, gathered vital data for engineering innovations to help astronauts travel farther into space and conduct long-duration missions on the moon or Mars. The data will also support the design of future spacecraft propulsion, thermal management systems, in-space refueling and vapor compression heat pumps for planetary bases.

"We were asked to create an experiment to test flow boiling in microgravity, and I'm thrilled to see that we've delivered in a big way," said Mudawar, the Betty Ruth and Milton B. Hollander Family Professor of Mechanical Engineering and FBCE's principal investigator. "The amount of data coming out of the FBCE is just absolutely enormous, and that's exactly what we want."

Mudawar's space-based experiment tackles a simple question: How do we keep future vehicles and facilities cool in space's harsh environment? For example, the moon's surface fluctuates wildly between minus 410 degrees and 250 degrees Fahrenheit; to create a human habitat there, reliable thermal management will be essential.

Traveling farther into space requires cryogenic fuel depots, but the flow physics of cryogenic liquids in microgravity haven't been fully understood. Even future propulsion systems, such as nuclear fission or Rankine cycle heat engines, will also require efficient cooling systems capable of operating in a zero-gravity environment.

For all these reasons, NASA solicited research proposals on the topic and selected a proposal submitted by Mudawar, who is one of the most cited researchers on flow boiling and condensation, and Glenn's Mojib Hasan.

In flow boiling, heat is removed by flowing a liquid that then boils, phase-changing into a gas, and then later condensing back into a liquid. While this efficient thermal management solution has been studied in-depth on Earth, no one knew if it was feasible in space.

"We have developed over a hundred years' worth of understanding of how heating and cooling systems work in Earth's gravity," Mudawar said, "but we haven't known how they work in weightlessness."

Enter the FBCE, which started operating on the space station in 2022. About the size of a refrigerator, FBCE contains two Purdue-designed test modules—one for flow boiling and one for condensation—integrated with a fluid system that Purdue researchers and NASA Glenn designed together. NASA Glenn built the fluid system along with avionics modules. Sitting in the space station's Fluids Integrated Rack, the fluid system enables researchers to conduct space station experiments autonomously from the ground.

"The FBCE experiments are crucial in two ways," Mudawar said. "Not only do they generate fundamental data that would be difficult for us to gather on Earth, but they also serve to validate theoretical models that we have spent years developing. Once the models are validated, it becomes possible for NASA to more accurately predict the fluid physics of lower-gravity environments, such as the moon or Mars."

Boiler up

Mudawar started this project in 2011 when NASA selected his proposal after a decadal survey from the National Academies emphasized the need for this research.

"Every 10 years, the National Academies conduct a survey that advises NASA what specific aspects they should focus on," Mudawar said. "This report indicated a lack of fundamental models of how fluids behave in microgravity. That's when I began work with NASA Glenn to create an experimental facility to study fluid flow and phase change in space."

The first prototype FBCE flew on parabolic airplane flights with Zero Gravity Corp. (ZERO-G). Purdue students and NASA Glenn-qualified operators conducted experiments on that flight during 15-second periods of microgravity. After promising results and years of hardware development, testing and flight qualification, the final version of the facility came together at NASA Glenn.

After passing NASA's design, safety and readiness reviews, FBCE's flow boiling module was launched to the space station in August 2021 and began operations in early 2022. Last August, the condensation module of FBCE launched, replacing the flow boiling module. Purdue completed its test campaign in July.

The mountains of data gathered from FBCE's experiments will form the basis of fundamental models and future research for years to come.

"This is among NASA's largest and most complex experiments for fluid physics research," Mudawar said. "We have published more than 70 papers on reduced gravity and fluid flow since the project's inception and even contributed to the most recent National Academies decadal survey based on our findings. Collectively, these papers are really almost like a textbook for how boiling and condensation works in space."

Cool future

While the Purdue test campaign has ended, FBCE isn't going anywhere. The facility will remain on the space station for other researchers who want to experiment with fluid physics in space.

"My original proposal established that FBCE would eventually become a national resource," Mudawar said. "Other investigators have already started using it since our campaign ended. It's my hope that the data coming from FBCE will help establish the science of cooling spacecraft for years to come."

TOP IMAGE: NASA astronaut Frank Rubio services the Flow Boiling and Condensation Experiment (FBCE) on the International Space Station, designed, built and tested by Purdue and NASA's Glenn Research Center. While its official test campaign has concluded, FBCE is staying in space and is available for other organizations to conduct zero-gravity fluid dynamics experiments. Credit: NASA

LOWER IMAGE: The second module of the Flow Boiling and Condensation Experiment launched to the International Space Station last August among other cargo for NASA. Credit: NASA/Danielle Johnson

[avionvadion]

Skully is like a weird mixture of Epel and Cater. Like Epel, he came from a small town in the middle of nowhere. Instead of becoming surly, defiant and sassy thanks to being surrounded by old people, he puts on a persona. Unlike Cater, who puts on a chipper and positive one to cope with his depression, he slips on a dapper and charismatic one. Like Cater, behind the mask, he's a lonely boy without any friends. This leads him to be rather clingy and socially awkward. Idk, I thought that was interesting.

It is!!! Skully is actively using Jack’s personality as a mask to hide his loneliness. Boy doesn’t have any friends, and clearly doesn’t really know how to interact with people- so he’s fallen to acting, using the personality of someone he’s read about all his life and absolutely adores.

I can’t wait to read the rest of the event. Because I wanna SEE HOW DEPRESSED AND GOOFY THIS GOOBER ACTUALLY IS. 😭

[deeznutzzzz24]

Little Red Riding Hood

Chapter Four: Reckoning Day

Summary: Living a life of caution for as long as she can remember, Y/N has never stayed too long in one place, always moving from town to town in hopes to hide her identity. With the Hunters Moon coming, she knows she must be extra careful, as the local culture resides heavily in the hunting of her kind. One night, when a cloaked figure unveils her secret and narrowly escapes, Y/N finds herself in a desperate situation: kill or be killed. With no face to go by, she must now search through the townsfolk before the stranger can spread the truth about her. But the task proves more than difficult when she realises her only lead is a long, crimson cloak.

Genre: horror, fantasy, little red riding hood retelling

Warnings:cursing, stalking, death

Pairing: redridinghood!Jungwon x femwolf!reader

chapter one here

chapter two here

chapter three here

The trek through the forest is long, awkward, and incredibly quiet.

Jungwon trails behind me now, walking at a hesitant pace to ensure there’s enough distance between us.

He hasn’t said anything since we left Mary’s cottage, but then again, neither have I.

Stopping in the middle of the forests path, I wait for Jungwon to catch up to me. Just as quickly, however, he comes to a stop too, taking a step backward. “Is there something wrong?” His soft voice is soft and calm, or at least that’s how he wants it to sound. I can hear it brimming with fear.

“My dress…” I pout, pointing to the taut fabric stuck to a tree, “its caught on a branch.”

I hear him suck in a breath.

I don’t have to be telepathic to know he’s contemplating how to escape this. He’s afraid of me. And I intend to find out why.

Despite my obvious impatience, he makes no move to come closer. “Have you tried tugging it?” His voice is gentle, as though not to test my patience further.

“Twice, but it just won’t budge…” I muster the most helpless face possible and plaster it against my skin.

He’s calculating his options. He knows I’m close to Mary. He also knows I will relay all his actions to her when and if she should ask.

If Mary were to find out that her grandson refused to help her dear sweet Y/N, she’d make his stay in Avion a living hell.

He grimaces, slowly moving forward and kneeling before me. Gently manoeuvring the fabric away from the branch, he carefully tugs at the loose fragments so they don’t rip. I peer down at him, catching the way his jaw clenches in determination.

If he is who I think he is, I’m going to have to play at this very carefully. Helena and I didn’t just spend an entire year planning a siege on Avion just for it to be spoiled by a boy. Besides, it wouldn’t work if I killed him now. While Mary would likely take my side, I have no doubt the Council will point their stubby fingers to me. Not to mention, if I kill him now, everyone will know I was the last person he was seen with.

Helena’s words echo through my ears.

All good things come to those who wait.

She’s right, as always.

If I want this boy dead, I’m going to have to play chess with him first. And the first step is to move his piece as close to mine as possible so that when he gets there, I’ll be able to lean over and snap his neck.

————————-

We make it to the town pathway and bid our farewells, parting ways in the opposite directions. The walk was quick and silent, as expected.

After the incident with the branch, I didn’t initiate any further conversation. It wasn’t like there was really any point, anyway. Every time I tried to, he’d give brief, quiet answers.

I make it to the Avion welcome post and turn back to watch him walk away. I study his figure, comparing it with a memory of a red cloak running away into the forest. Jungwon has a similar build, but then again, so do most young Avion men. Lean, tall with broad shoulders. It could’ve been anyone.

Yes, I shouldn’t be so quick to make assumptions. I need something more solid. Something clearer.

But it’s no use. The strangers face was covered during our tumble, and I can’t go by his voice as he never actually spoke. My memories can’t disclose any detailed traits, only the image of a long, dark red cloak descending into the darkness remains.

Casting one last glance back to him, I turn around to resume my journey.

A fleeting memory evades my mind and I whirl back around.

His leg.

I threw a heavy rock at him during our tumble, which by any measure, would’ve given him a noticeable limp. If it really is him, his leg will give him away for sure.

But it’s too late, Jungwon is long gone, his figure completely swallowed by the darkness of the forest.

I contemplate running after him, but it’s no use. The last thing I need is for him to know I’m onto him. It’s not like his leg can heal itself overnight.

Helena’s voice rings through my head once more.

All good things come to those who wait.

Yes.

I’ll check tomorrow.

——————————————

Roaming through endless stretches of darkness, I come to a stop as I notice something out of place. It takes me a good five minutes to realise I’m lost. You’d think such a thing to be impossible, considering werewolves simply don’t get lost. The forest is both their home and hunting ground, not to mention, I’ve hunted in these woods every night for almost a year.

Hiding under the stark shadows of the moon, a grand chapel stands proud against the quiet blur of forest, its walls painted with breathtaking swirls of gold and white.

I eye the barren gates blocking my view.

Hmmm.

I know the dark forest better than the back of my hand. The curve of every leaf, the song of every house sparrow, the whisper of every hallowed tree hidden beneath the southern sky. I would’ve noticed a grand fixture like this if I’d seen it.

You definitely weren’t here before, were you?

But, no. The trees, the shade of ebony green flooding through the forest, it’s too…..unfamiliar.

I come to the realisation that this isn’t the Dark Forest at all, but somewhere else entirely different.

Maybe I’ve gone mad…

I shrug at the thought and move forward. The gates open silently as I pass through, standing firm as I come to a stop before the chapels smooth marble steps.

Unlike the entrance, however, the grand doors make no move to welcome me inside.

Cocking my head to the side, I lift a hand to the smooth white surface, giving three firm knocks.

No response.

I sigh, turning to retreat.

They can probably sense my dark magic through the doors. It’s clear I’m not welcome in such a holy place.

Before I can turn away, a thrum of noise echoes from the other side.

Without warning, the right door creaks open, defying its twin, who stays stubbornly stuck in place as I pass through.

The interior is enormous, boasting a grand sea of pews that face a massive podium. It’s windows shower a heavenly glow from the outside world onto its empty seats.

I stop in my tracks, glancing back to the grand doors from which I came.

They’re shut solid.

Huh….

I could’ve sworn it was night time.

I turn back to the windows. Observing the harsh stretch of white oblivion behind them, I come to the sensible conclusion that I have indeed gone mad.

This place is filled with magic.

Magic has been banned from Avion since the Dark Ages.

Yes, I’m not in Avion at all, rather somewhere else entirely.

Small echoes of church choir embrace me from every corner as all thoughts of realism slip between my fingertips like sand.

I look around, expecting to find a hoard of quire children singing their hearts out, but the chapel remains empty.

Well, almost.

In the distance, I spot a figure sitting alone in the first row of pews. His back faces me as his fingers clasp desperately together in prayer, hands held high above his head. He’s too far away to call out to, so I go to step closer, only for a soft voice to stop me.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” I whip my head around, fingers dancing across the hilt of my dagger with caution.

A tall young man stands at my side, admiring a large mural hanging high on the wall before him. I observe his long robes, taking careful notice of the golden silk adorning his cuffs.

A Priests cuffs.

Naturally, my gaze lifts to look upon his face, only to choke on my own breath as I realise he doesn’t have one.

That’s it, I’ve officially gone mad.

Face covered by a cloud of beige blur, the stranger stands patiently to the side as he waits for my response. It’s nearly impossible to see what he looks like.

“Beautiful?” I glance to the giant engraving of Christ before us, cocking my head to the side as I inspect its infinite detail. The carving depicts a heart wrenching image of Jesus hanging limp against the cross, his features scrunched in agony as onlookers watch his suffering from afar, unmoving from their posts.

I glance over to him, cocking a small grin. “A Priest who delights in the suffering of Christ? I can’t say I’ve met one until now.” Though I can’t be sure, I feel his smile widen at my remark.

“I’m no Priest, though I’m flattered you think so. And it isn’t Christ’s suffering I find beautiful, but rather his sacrifice.” His voice remains calm, a beacon of gentle reprieve.

Stopping in brief intervals to observe the artistry of each portrait, I hear him follow behind me as we trail down the hall, coming to a large portrait of gods greatest disciples standing atop a grand table. For a fleeting moment, I allow myself to admire them in all their glory, that is, until I realise they’re cowering above the table as a group of atheists throw food at them from below.

Why would a painting like this be allowed in here?

“What sacrifice?” I laugh, nodding my head back towards the last mural. “The one where he ties himself to a wooden post and lets people stab at him?”

He laughs, his voice a soft, song like noise that feels sinful to listen to. “You don’t believe his suffering to be honourable?”

I shrug, turning my head to the side. “A noble sacrifice, I’m sure.” My eyes dance along the carved lines, tracing the fervent colours that connect the faithful. “But a pointless one all the same.”

I hear him scoff beside me. “How so?” I glance across, scanning the blurry haze that clouds his face. “Please,” he laughs in derision, motioning a hand towards the painting, “indulge me, little bird.” I can’t help but cringe at the nickname.

Without thinking, my hand reaches up towards the engraving, letting my lips explain the difference between reality and blind faith. “Most believe God sacrificed his sons life to teach us a lesson,” my fingertips trace the carved lines as I continue, “to eradicate the temptation to sin, by showing us that his very weak, very mortal son would live a life without sin, only to die for the price of ours. An honourable contribution and yet, look at them.” I motion to the carved audience watching Christ’s suffering from afar, whose faces stain with worry and fear. Among the carved crowd, my fingers find that of a mother clutching her young son as they watch on in horror.

They, much like the rest of those watching, make no move to release Christ from his restraints. Some faithful indeed.

I turn to face him now, staring into a hidden face with features I can’t quite make out, “Such a noble sacrifice, and for what? The mortals Christ died for? They don’t care. They may hang crosses above their dinner tables and dress for church every Sunday, but their blood boils with sin. It is the very beat of our hearts between each breath that condemns us.“ I pause and lift my head high, reciting the verse my mother used to drill into me as a child, “It’s as the judgement reads, ‘we are all sinners, though some of us are far better at hiding it than others.’”

The stranger makes no move to argue with my reason. Instead, he remains silent, and though I can’t quite see, I’m certain I feel his gaze burning straight through me. “And I suppose you would consider yourself such a person?” He asks softly, as though he’s sure of my answer.

I laugh and shake my head. “I used to be. But I’m afraid a rather…..” I pause, briefly hesitating as I trace the outline of an edge, “unfortunate shortcoming has exposed a sin of mine.” My fingertip gets caught on a jagged edge, and I watch in silence as it slices through taut skin with ease.

Small drops of blood fall to the floor.

“I suppose I’m not as good at hiding my flaws as I thought.” I murmur that last part, unsure if I even meant for him to hear.

The young man steps closer, stopping just short of contact, watching, waiting, searching for something. At this proximity, I can almost make out the soft glaze of ebony eyes. Its clear he wants to ask me something, though it seems he already knows the answer. While the small distance makes me feel uneasy, I don’t turn away, opting to neglect my emotions as he involuntarily unveils them.

Anything.

His eyes nearly plead the word, as though he wants me to confess something to him. After a long moment, he realises that’s not going to happen and turns away.

He motions to a mural on our right. I follow his hand, expecting to find another glorified portrait of Christ, but no, this one’s not quite like the others at all.

Its canvas spews a swirl of fiery reds across its surface, painting a picture of terrified mortals falling into a pit of hellfire from above. I look down to its description plaque. Its design is different from the rest, with three short words etched against a small, non descriptive plate of metal.

Day of Reckoning.

Unlike the rest, it bears no mention of a deeper meaning.

“Dishonesty is the quickest path to evil. You’ll do well to remember that, little bird.” I watch in silence as he lifts a hand out to graze a finger against the canvas. “They had sins too.” He sighs. “And like you, they chose to hide them from their forefathers.” He motions to the boiling pit of hellfire. “Of course, all sinners eventually go to hell, but there’s a special place for those who try and keep those sins secret.” I feel his gaze burn through me.

Before I can respond, he turns abruptly and resumes his stroll down the hall. He doesn’t look back as he calls out. “The day of reckoning will come, little bird. First, with your confession,” I watch in silence as he descends into the darkness of the Abbey, hands held firm behind his back, “and then with mine.”

————————

Scanning the Abbey’s pews for the lone figure I spotted earlier, my eyes hunt for any sign of movement, but it seems he too, is long gone.

The church quire still echoes in the distance, but the chapel is truly empty now. My only company is the tall shadow attached at my feet.

Small drops of water fall nearby from a leaky faucet. Turning to confront the noise, I come to face a stone well that sits dead centre in the middle of the Abbey.

What the hell is a well doing inside a church?

I creep forward, itching with the need to see what lays inside.

Instead of water, I’m greeted with an endless stretch of black oblivion that seems to stretch on forever. An empty well? Surely not. Perhaps it does have water at the end. Perhaps it’s too dark for me to tell.

A thought spears at my mind and my blood runs cold with dread.

Perhaps it doesn’t have an end at all.

Curiosity gets the better of me as I grip one hand to the stone corner and lean over, squinting against the darkness.

Still, I see no sign of an end to the well. It simply goes on and on, and I wonder, for real this time, where I truly am.

Before my mind can spiral a thousand different theories, a cold hand attaches itself to the small of my back and pushes me in.

I let out a panicked gasp and reach out for a pillar or a slab of stone I can grab onto, but it’s too late, I’m already falling down, down, down until there’s no more down to fall.

Before I plummet into the last depth of darkness, I whip my head to the cloaked figure that pushed me in, forcing my eyes to adjust to the darkness as the figure watches me from the top of the well. Face concealed by the shadow of his hood, the stranger turns to retreat, leaving a small corner of his red cloak to flap behind him before he disappears completely out of sight.

I force my drooping eyes open, denying them the reprieve of sleep as they try to whisper sweet nothings in my ear.

A red cloak.

My breath catches in my throat, and I question my sanity as I fall further down the well.

Wait, or was it orange? Maybe an amber beige?

But the colour of the cloak is no matter now, for my eyes are much too tired and my bones much too sore. I feel the bottom of the well nearing and briefly ponder the thought of death.

I’ve heard stories that when one dies they experience a slow peace that floods them from all sides. All the beautiful memories of their life flash before their eyes in slow motion.

Where is this the peace they speak of?

Why isn’t everything in slow motion? Why instead, am I falling ridiculously fast to my death?

Is this what it’s really like? A tumbling, torturous rotation of fear? A well with no end? A faceless figure?

I hear the echo of my screams ricochet off the bottom of the well, and when I glance behind me I realise I was right.

There is water after all.

An endless, black pit of it.

———————————-

Authors Note:

…..I have no words for how sorry I am at how long it took me to write this……..

…..really, no words…..🥲🔫

Taglist:

@ramenoil @moonmoongi @chlorinecake @denleave1088 @cha0thicpisces @w3bqrl @yu-yin-04 @rizzhee @babyy-bambii

[militarymenrbomb]

if you're not into stories, just pass this up.

I don't know if it's true or not, but it's from a Reddit that claims to post true gay military stories from followers.

Hook up in Iraq part 2: co worker in Balad

This one took place in Balad. I worked at the flight line so lots of hot pilots with attitude. I never found them interesting because they were divas. If they don’t get what they wanted, they complained . The one that interested me was my co worker. He was a plane mechanics and an avionics technician. We had different shops so we only see each other when the plane was broken. Other than that, I saw him rights across my shop but never really talked . We’re supposed to be smarter than them. Lol. He is a surfer type the way he talked and acted . He’s got that surfer bod too, lean and muscled in the right area. I only see him in uniform but I could he has a nice body when he took his DCU while working on the plane. He has ripped muscles and they flexed every r he turned that ratchet to tighten a bolt on the plane. Sometimes he catches me looking at him when we’re together. He just smirked and continued. We never talked since mission first when you’re out there.

One night I was in my pc shorts going to shower and I soon as I opened the door , it was him . I got startled and excuse myself while he continued shaving. He looked at me and continued to gaze until I was on the left side of him. I was gonna shaved too but decided not so I immediately went to the closest shower. He could see me cuz I saw him looking at me all way. I decided to flirt and slowly took my clothes off until I was completely naked. I can tell he was still looking . I kinda smiled. I turned on the shower but didn’t go inside . I want to show more of my body to him. He wasn’t even shaving anymore . He was just looking at me through the mirror . I leaned down to pick up my clothes and put on the bench. Now I’m facing him and we’re just looking at each other through the mirror. My cock was hard. I could see bulge on the white towel covering his bottom part of the body. It kept growing until the head was out. We both just looked at each other . No one else was there, just the two of us . I went inside the shower but didn’t close the shower curtain . Next thing I knew he was going towards me . I was scared and excited at the same time . I don’t know him well enough so I didn’t know what’s gonna happen. He took his towel off and revealed a beautiful cock. It wasn’t big but I love it anyways. He joined me in the shower and closed the curtain just in case someone comes in. We kissed for a long time. I can’t stop kissing him while we jerked each other off. The shower too small to kneel down so we just keep kissing and jerking each other off but not making too much noise just in case. We both came but we continued kissing and hugging . I told him to peek and go out first and leave. About few minutes , I decided to come out of the shower too. He was gone. I saw him the next day at the shop and we smiled . I knew he is married so I left him alone and not pursue anything else. We still worked together in the flight line but never talked about Ty’s shower incident even if we’re alone. He emailed me few times and said “ I like what we did “. I answered back “me too” . It never happened again but I wanted to.

[lonestarflight]

Space Shuttle Phase B: Grumman Design 532

"Design 532 is a quite different response which we believe holds promise for answering the question 'Can we limit the program risk?' If Design 518 yields a program requiring a funding pattern as shown in Fig. S-2, we will face a situation which may permit neither the development of the space shuttle system nor the development of its payloads. This consideration as well as the NASA/MSC interest in a smaller, simpler, vehicle which could fly earlier, led to the development of Design 532.

Design 532 is a fully reusable, two-stage space shuttle with an initial low cross-range payload of 12,800 lb. Design 532 is also designed for the high aerodynamic cross-range potential and makes provisions for phased implementation of increased payload and performance capability. This approach permits a stepwise increase in capability and growth while decoupling the technical risk and reducing initial cost. Using engines and electronics derived from existing equipment should assure an earlier first flight. Additional performance becomes available with introduction of the high-pressure orbiter engines with a payload of 22,600 lb.

The Design 532 booster is fully reusable with LOX/RP-1 propellants and five F1 engines. A deliberately conservative approach to the design of the booster minimizes technical risk and cost by avoiding development of large-scale hydrogen tankage. Development savings of several hundred million dollars per year appear possible for this orbiter-booster combination.

The Design 532 orbiter will, at first, use three J2S engines, operate at low cross range, and be fitted with first generation avionics. The baseline Design 532 orbiter is achieved by subsequent installation of the high Isp, high-pressure 250,000 lb. thrust engines. Improved thermal protection systems extend cross range, and second-generation electronics improve operational efficiency. We believe that operational experience with the orbiter will show that for certain missions the air-breathing engines are not required. Therefore, the flying qualities have been tailored to accommodate both engine weight in and engine weight out cg positions. Removal of the air-breathing engines and reduction of on-orbit propellant will increase payload capacity to orbit to 52,700 lb. As a further step to make even heavier up-payloads possible, we have made provisions for a potential non-reusable kick stage. This would raise the payload limit to 76,500 lb. In conjunction with this attention to capacity for heavy payloads, the Design 532 cargo bay has been conceived as a 'flat-bed' sized for a 10 ft. diameter payload carried internally, 15 ft. diameter carried semi-submerged, and for 22 ft. diameter carried externally.

To summarize, Design 532 is based on the following considerations:

Reduced initial funding requirements

Payload flexibility and growth

Early initial flight date and initial operational capability'

Further, from the same document, addressing the big thing attached to the tail of the orbiter:

'Growth Configurations

Grumman's baseline program for Design 532, described in the Summary, makes provisions for growth beyond the baseline system capabilities. These include a change to second generation avionics which will increase mission reliability by developing to the Fail Ops/Fail Ops/Fail Safe criteria through increased redundancy. (These changes can be limited to those systems which have shown troublesome behavior tendencies in operating experience.) Increased autonomy will also be achieved.

By far, the most significant capability increase will be brought about in payload size and weight that can be delivered to orbit.

We are including Phase B studies of extra-large diameter payloads to 22 ft, and an expendable kick stage that will provide payload capabilities of more than 70,000 lb. to space station orbits or 50,000 lb. to more difficult orbits.

For use with heavy orbiter payloads, a kick stage is added behind the orbiter. Low cost is the primary criterion in the design of this expendable component. Separate LH2 and L02 tanks with ellipsoidal domes avoid the expense of a common bulkhead. These 19 ft diameter tanks are joined by a cylindrical section. At each end, a conical transition section transmits thrust. The forward transition attaches to four built-in thrust points around the center engine of the orbiter. The aft transition supports the four LH2 /LOX engines, their plumbing and actuators. Engine nozzles are shielded by a conical skirt. Gimballing is restricted to 7 deg radially outboard and ± 1 deg tangentially for roll control. This provides adequate control and reduces cost. Instrumentation and controls are reduced to a minimum. The overall length of the stage, before nozzle extension, is 65 ft. Total weight of the kick stage is 230,000 lb. at liftoff. The ideal delta V supplied to an orbiter carrying 76,500 lb. of payload is 3500 fps.'"

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[greyhound-with-a-mega-wizard-hat]

Damn tumblr and its answer limit