#fighter jets don’t have keys

[thatsrightice]

Don’t mind me mourning the fact that I won’t get to write a scene in my fanfic where Slider tosses the keys to their jet behind his back to Iceman who catches them without looking all cool and stuff cause they just have that ✨synergy✨

Fighter jets don’t have keys y’all 🥲🥲🥲

[bunny584]

OBSESSED: FUSHIGURO

A/N: OH. MY. GOD. Anon. I love you and hate you for this request. This was…hard. I told myself I wouldn’t publish it unless it was fucking perfect (you should see the scalpels I took to each goddamn sentence before this version).

SECOND: I will square up with Gege for writing the most enigmatic, LAYERED, complex, muddled character to exist. I wanted this to be Megumi. Through and through. His darkness, his light, his reservation, his crazy, all in one. And IDK. I think I did it? This one is purely to prove to myself that I can write for characters that are hard to write for (*cough* yuta im glaring at you *cough*)

THIRD: if you do read this (I get people feel things about aged up characters etc), I implore you to listen to this. Guys. I heard this at 0200 IN THE OR during a 6 hour case and the entire concept for this came to me. Meg is sophisticated and unruly, selfless and selfish, etc. So this has some NSFW but definitely probably more on the poetic, long ends of my works.

CW: Aged up characters (20+), college AU, fluffy/raunchy/dark romance-y because LOOK at him. He takes after Gojo AND Toji. Mature, 18+

“You like it when I’m rough.”

Megumi’s melody rings crystal clear.

Low.

Precise.

An F-14 Tomcat fighter jet, flying dark. Below enemy radar.

The piano keys float beneath his tone. His long, slender, deft fingers effortlessly execute the sheet music before him. It’s his GPS system, a personal flight map.

Little Beethoven, his advanced music theory professor calls him.

Truth is, Megumi is a prolific pianist and vocalist. He can tame any note, any melody, any harmony faster than any of his Shikigami.

Speaking of…

Megumi pulls off the piano and tortured love song in an instant. Just as the grade 3 curse creeps through the open door.

The part between his right long and ring fingers is automatic. His left hand grips the web space between his right thumb and index finger.

“Demon dog.” Megumi summons.

Low. Precise. Decisive.

“Eat it, boy.”

A small, approving smile tugs on the corners of his lips. Low level curses are the nothing more than chew toys to his divine dogs. With a tiny wave of his fingers, his technique buzzes inward.

Megumi’s eyes float to the ancient analog clock on the wall.

13:50

10 more minutes until you’ll meet him for your date.

No. Not date.

Study. 10 more minutes until you’re meeting him to study.

Your thought blooms within him like wildfire. It sets his normally cool, porcelain skin ablaze.

Megumi whips his body around to face the piano. To exorcise the feeling. The keyboard has always been his outlet. His life blood. Playing, singing, musing in and out of written songs is his catharsis.

Words don’t come easy. They never have. But lyrics do.

And when he gets to ride lyrics with his voice, his runs..?

The words he can never find on his own are suddenly out there. In the atmosphere. Coating empty rooms in a mist of his thoughts, his feelings.

No certain promise that the person the words are destined for will ever catch them. Or ever walk through the room and be kissed by the remnants of his musical trail. But Megumi has said (sung, played) them. And that’s enough.

“Sorry if I come across a type of way.”

“I’ve been trying to get out of my way…”

His fingers dive into the keys. Angrily. Earnestly.

“I know it doesn’t seem like I care, but you know I care—“

“Wow Meg, you sound incredible.”

You bring him to an abrupt stop. Your voice is maple syrup trailing down Megumi’s neck, leaving goosebumps in its candied wake.

Pitch fucking perfect.

A soft, ethereal C, gliding down Heaven’s staircase. You infuse sunlight into his name, whichever way you choose to say it.

And it’s hell. It’s cruel. To have as keen hearing as he does. To listen to you sing his name and have nothing else follow.

“Fushiguro.” Megumi shoots up from his seat, slinging his backpack over one shoulder.

“What?”

“Fushiguro.” He repeats, eyes briefly meeting yours before settling above your head. He’s at least a head and shoulders taller.

“Nobody calls me Meg.”

You throw your head back. Feather light crescendo in your laughter. It’s pretty. Tantalizing in the way chandeliers twinkle when they capture a beam of light.

His eyes dart down to catch the feminine column of your neck. Curving into your delicate collar bones. How are your lines so seamless?

So cinematic. Like he’s watching a figure skater land a triple axel. Or a prima ballerina en pointe. It’s not fathomable.

Gorgeous.

You are gorgeous.

“I call you Meg.” You retort with a smile that liquifies all of his joints.

You double your walking speed to keep pace with Megumi’s long strides. Both of you exit the sound engineering building. Heading straight for the campus library a couple blocks away.

“Who were you—oh,” Megumi’s glacial hand along the small of your back steals your voice away.

Your eyes and feet follow his gentle push, shifting you to the other side of him.

“Walking on the wrong side.” He mutters, monotone. Matter-of-fact. Obviously.

He’s a gentleman. Of course he is going to walk on the traffic facing edge of the sidewalk.

Of course he didn’t feel the electric currents wire through his fingers to clench — suffocate — his heart.

No, he didn’t hear that punched out, falsetto gasp when his hand cradled your perfectly tapered waist.

Or notice how well you fit into his hand. How light you are under his touch that had none of his real strength behind it.

You’re made of alluring lines. Intoxicating sounds.

What would it take to coax a pretty melody out of your pouty lips?

His fingers?

They’re long. And smart. Cold. Remarkably patient. You’d like them.

He could make you love them.

Crave them. Need, whimper, whine, and cry out for them.

“So who was it?” You tether him to reality.

“Who was what?” Megumi counters, leading you to a private study room.

“The way you were singing earlier.”

Hairs along the back of his neck stand at attention. Blood runs Siberian cold. Megumi’s gaze on you is subzero.

“It had to be for someone.” You lower down into a seat in slow motion.

The sweetheart neckline of your sundress is mean. Your supple mounds tilt and ripple with every micro movement. Megumi has forgotten why he’s glaring at you.

“You sound too…pretty. It can’t be wasted on thin air.” You continue.

“She must be—“

“Let’s just get started, okay?” He sharply redirects the conversation.

And promptly shifts gear to low autopilot. He’ll speak when spoken to, answer questions intermittently. But his mind’s true coordinates are a galaxy away.

Megumi retreats to his shadow garden.

Watching you.

Drinking you in.

Savoring each detail on his tastebuds like dessert.

The pencil eraser leaves an indent on your bottom lip where you’ve been pressing too hard.

Megumi wants to roll your bottom lip under his teeth. Until it flushes rose and swells beneath his relentless pull.

His eyes fall to your bracelet, far too big for your dainty wrist.

He could hold both of your wrists in one hand above your head or behind your back for hours. Without breaking a sweat.

His other hand would take its time.

To stroke you. Pet you. Learn your sheet music. Then play your body like a harp until you’re a chorus of beautiful, soprano whimpers and moans. Begging and pleading so prettily, enticing him to give in.

But he won’t.

Not until you’re soft enough. A babbling, warm, ruined brook beneath his fingers.

Then he’ll take you, gorgeous.

Searing pain from his sharp swallow and nails digging into his thighs rip him down to the present.

Vision a little fuzzy. Head a revolving door of vulgar scenarios. A dull, demanding ache between his legs draws his eyes to his lap.

Fucking hell.

His jeans are uncomfortable. He’s stiff and needy. Not nearly enough strength in his pants to hold back his drunken arousal.

Not to the mention, the—

swarm of shadows growing at his feet?

Is his…innate domain materializing around him right now?

Megumi aggressively slices through the air at his hip level. Below the table, but you don’t miss his sudden stirring.

“Meg? You okay over—“

“Going to the bathroom.” He gruffs through a clenched jaw. Megumi places his forearm over his crotch before hurrying out of the room.

He can barely recognize the man in the mirror. Flushed to his ears. Volcanoes threatening eruption in his eyes. Api Biru. Pure, triple distilled, blue lava coursing through his veins.

Snap out of it, Fushiguro.

The splash of cold water does nothing for his internal heat. But his milky complexion returns to its effervescent state.

But then he turns a little too quickly to leave. And his painfully hard length drags along his fabric. It’s blinding.

A feeble moan tumbles out of his tight lips.

“Fuck.”

Megumi slams his eyes shut. He needs to readjust. But if he touches himself now, he might not be able to stop.

A slow, steadying breath fills his lungs.

“Just adjust, don’t…” His voice trails off. Icey fingers around his hot, angry base is enough to rip the carpet from beneath his feet.

“Oh, fuck.” Megumi mumbles through one quick pump up his shaft.

He shakes his head as if to tell himself enough. He rests his erection along his thigh before zipping up. Still painful, but tolerable.

A tornado obliterates any remaining resolve in Megumi’s mind on his walk back to you.

You are a dream.

Or a nightmare? A curse?

It doesn’t matter. He couldn’t care less.

Megumi would follow you. Deeper than the crypts of his 10 shadows. Into hell if it meant he could have you the way he wants you.

The way he craves you.

Because fuck the cost.

He’d pay anything.

You’re working on an elaborate concept diagram on the white board. On the tip of your toes. Lip curled under your teeth. And you are just irresistible.

So, he won’t resist.

“Meg! Took you a bit, you okay?”

Megumi is silent. Unblinking. Sauntering toward you.

“Megumi?”

You lower to the soles of your shoes. Neck craning to look at his face. Your eyes widen at his persistent silence. Rosy heat dusting your cheeks.

Pretty little doe, rooted in place by his wolfish glare.

Megumi takes the marker out of your hand and tosses it behind him in one swift motion.

“Hmm,” a tiny acknowledgment of his name. Just because it sounds so sweet rolling off your tongue.

Megumi corners you against the wall. Both of his hands casually in his pockets.

He watches you shift. Flicker your eyes in every direction. Fiddle with your thumbs.

His quiet.

His presence.

It flusters you. Well before he’s gotten the chance to run his hands along the lazy curve of your waist and hips.

“So…so blue.” You stammer. Your warm eyes metronome between his.

“They are.”

Megumi steps impossibly closer. His eyes drop to your chest. Dainty, nervous heaves. Up and down. Up and down.

“You are so,” you swallow thickly, dropping your gaze. “hard to read.”

Megumi snakes his large, graceful fingers into your nape. The temperature difference between your warmth and his cold startles you deeper into his grasp. Your head evanesces into his pull.

A beautiful, shocked gasp escapes you. Just as Megumi’s lips trace the shell of your ear.

“I want you.”

His breaths collide with yours, now. Heat welling deep in his groin. His cock thunders against his thigh.

“Can you read that?” Megumi rasps. Ensuring his voice vibrates down your spine.

A new sound tumbles from your lips. Like you choked on your last swallow. How pretty. You gurgling and gagging like that.

“W-want me? Megumi wh—“

“I.” Megumi nudges his thigh between your legs. His steel pipe erection digs into your dewy, hot core. He angles his leg slightly upward, inching you on the tip of your toes.

His prima ballerina, en pointe.

“Want you.” His lips ghost against yours. Free hand cups the flesh beneath your thigh. Pads of his fingers twitching to dig in.

The two of you drink in this lock-in-key fit. Megumi revels in you. Like this. At his complete mercy.

The prodigal son, born with more power than he knows what to do with.

Ten shadows. Ten Shikigami. It’s been centuries since the last head of his bloodline had power buzzing beneath his fingertips like him.

And somehow he’s never felt more powerful than this.

With you, heaven’s most precious angel, cradled in his arms. Drowning in sinful ecstasy. He brands this freeze frame into the most permanent part of his memory.

Then, he free falls off your cliff edge.

Megumi takes your lips with unfettered greed. Hunger woven into the way his tongue traces every corner of your delectable, soft mouth. His fingers push your head deeper into him. Sucking and nibbling on your warm muscle.

You shower him with airy, choppy little pants. Moans and whines so light they crescendo to fairy dust. You can’t keep up with his bruising kiss. His other hand palms your thigh, kneading little bruises into your silky smooth skin.

Marking what’s his.

“Oh my god.”

You breathe into his mouth when he lets you up for air. Megumi’s eyes dart down to the meeting point of your sex and his muscular thigh.

Did you really think he wouldn’t notice how you’re rutting your pretty little cunt against his leg like that?

Crimson high on your cheeks. You look away when he tries to catch your fucked out gaze.

“Don’t hide from me, gorgeous.” His hand traces up to your hips. You preen into his firm grip.

“Megumi.”

“Don’t stop, pretty girl.” He forcefully moves your hips in more dramatic, languid, deep rolls against his thigh. He’s not paying any mind to the pool of his precum soaking through his pants.

You bury your head in his neck. Fingernails digging pretty crescent moons into his back. You take over the pace. Undulating against him. Shameless. In complete heat.

“You feel s-so…so good.” Your lips smear against his dampened neck. Megumi responds by circling your puffy, slick bud with his fingers.

And fuck. The slurred, broken whimper that rings in his ears.

The way you hump him even more sloppily.

He could finish from that alone.

Your hand flies to your mouth. Empty huffs spilling. Whines ascending in pitch. You are close.

“Such pretty sounds, baby.”

“Megumi…meg..I-“

“Let it out.” He grips the back of your neck. Feeling dangerously close to his own nirvana. Drunk off your precious melody.

“Sing for me.”

“F-fuck, GOD.”

You bite down on his neck. Waves of pleasure crashing into you like hurricane winds. He grips your waist steady. Feeling every involuntary twitch and jerk of your doll-like frame.

Blessing or curse?

He doesn’t know.

But he will follow you to the end of his lifetime and the next.

“God, Fushiguro. That was…” The lusty haze from your peak settles around you. The once shattered world, slowly pieces itself back together.

“No.” Megumi pulls you out of his neck. Dropping his lips to yours, so he can breathe the air directly from your lungs.

“Meg. You call me Meg.”

[ohtobeleah]

Need more of Terms of Endearment. Plz and thank xx

Warnings // Rooster x F!Reader. Hangman x Platonic!F!Reader. Mentions of Alcohol consumption and physical assault.

Masterlist

***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~

“What the hell are you playing at Hangman?” Rooster questioned as he dried his hair roughly with the towel that had recently been tucked around his waist. A fresh pair of jeans now adorning his hips.

“I'm playing matchmaker–” Hangman was quick to respond as he sat the car seat down on the bench in the locker room. Tapping the top of it twice with a shit eating grin. “Fe asked me to drop this off before you go.” Rooster hadn’t even thought about the car seat. God his Bronco was not built to harbour a car seat. “She also told me to tell you that she’ll call when she's leaving the workshop.”

“Id ask if you hit that bird on purpose but I know you wouldn’t be stupid enough to risk ruining a multi million dollar jet on the grounds of setting me up with your roomie.” You and your little girl Dot had been living off base with Jake since you arrived in North Island in the middle of the night, running for what was essentially life or death. You wouldn't have come to Jake if you had any other choice–not one for handouts or charity, so when he was opening his door in the middle of the night, bat in hand because who the fuck was trying to bang his god damn door down in the middle of the fucking night–he was softening instantly.

“I have nowhere else to go–” You sobbed as Jake dropped the bat to the ground just barely missing his own foot. Completely and wholeheartedly accepting you and your crying daughter into his humble abode. He wasn’t blind, nor did he have a deviated septum. He saw the bruises and smelt the absurd amount of liquor on your breath. The way you clung to your daughter like she was your entire word made Jake hold his tongue. Pressing it into the side of his cheek as he let his chin rest on top of your head. It had to have been bad if you drove in the state you were in.

“Uh, I prefer stowaway–actually.” Jake teased as he watched Rooster throw his shirt over his head. “She needed a push—“

“I know what I’m doing man, I don’t need you interfering with my love.” Rooster huffed, he honestly didn’t mind playing the long game with you. He knew winning you over slowly would be worth it in the long run. He wasn’t all that sure of what you had been through—both you and Jake liked to keep that information under lock and key. But Bradley knew, he knew you were worth the wait, the work, the effort it would take to break your walls down brick by brick.

“Your love life is nonexistent Bradshaw I’m doing you a favour here!” Jake was no stranger to bringing home beautiful women, but ever since you and little Dot had been occupying his spare room? He had become more and more selective about the type he brought home. “And honestly, I’m just about sick of having to explain the children’s toys lying around whenever I bring someone home—“

“So this isn’t about Y/n at all then?” Rooster scoffed as he shook his head in utter disbelief. “This is about you wanting her out of your place.” Rooster had never actually strapped an infant's car seat into his car before. Picking up the capsule he marched out of the locker room into the hall, Hangman right on his tail. “I don't know what your thought process is man, but getting me to pick up Dot isn’t gonna have Y/n outta your house any quicker.”

The first time Bradley met you, he'd been tasked with finding out why Hangman was late for work. The cocky fighter pilot with the big ass egomaniacal smile and even bigger shit eating grin was usually if anything early. But the day Bradley first met you? It had been two hours since the first flight and Coyote was about ready to trade out his wingman. Patient had worn very thin. There’d been no calls and texts from Jake, no excuse or reason for his absence.

“Bagman!” Rooster was banging down Jake's front door incessantly. Huffing when there was no response. “Jake man you good?” He never stopped knocking. It’s what had woken you from what felt like your final resting spot on the lounge in the living room. The morning after Jake had taken you in. “SERESIN!” Roosters knuckles didn't meet hardwood when you swung the door open. Almost connecting with your already bruised and battered face as you held the door open.

“Fuck off!” Bradley Bradshaw had never been so taken aback in his life. “Stop knocking its rattling my fucking brain.” Rubbing your eyes as you yawned, stepping back to let whoever it was that wanted your brother so desperately into the house that would soon become a home. “Jakes upstairs–” At the mere mention of his name, Jake Seresin was barreling down the stars still doing up his flight suit. He knew he’d fucked up, but he’d been up with you all night holding your hair out of your face while you cried and threw up the content of your stomach. Dot in his lap crying in hysterics because she hadn’t slept a wink either. He’d only just work up after having slept like a log through his alarm.

“Dude—I’m fucked aren’t I?” Jake groaned as he tried slipping his work issued steel caps on.

“Who's the walking corpse?” Rooster asked as he watched you fall back onto the lounge, your ass on full display for him as you rolled over and pulled up the blanket Jake had given you. You were so plastered that the pain of your hangover hadn’t even set in yet. Jake was right, maybe he should have taken you to get your stomach pumped last night, but he was confident you'd thrown enough up that it wasn't a life threatening amount. “She's wearing your TopGun shirt–” Raising a questioning eyebrow, Rooster turned back to Jake. “You let strays stay the night now do you?”

“She's my sister.” Bradley heard the way Jake said it with a sigh, like he was almost disappointed. Jake could never be disappointed having you as a sister, but he was disappointed in a few of the choices you made that led you to this moment. Hungover, on his lounge with your daughter still asleep upstairs. You hadn’t been coherent enough last night to watch over her. Jake had stepped in. “Shows up on my doorstep last night, believe it or not she was in a worse state than this.”

“And the bruises?”

“Like I said, she showed up on my doorstep last night in a worse state than this.” Jake repeated himself as he held back tears. “I haven't really been able to get much out of her besides vomit.”

“Why haven't you ever told me you have a sister?” Rooster knew it was probably a stupid question to ask as he watched Jake fixed up the blacket that youd thrown harphazardly over yourself. “All this time we've known you and never a peep about a sibling—well, we know you have a brother but—“

“Non-biological.” Was the only answer Jake gave Bradley. “And whatever it is she’s going through it must be bad or else she wouldn’t have shown up here.”

“Yeah but if she’s occupied with you she might not be home all that much and before you know it? She’ll have approval for staff accommodation in no time.” You’d been waiting for a house for you and Odette the second you applied for a job as a technician. Jake had been the one to set you up. Your visit wasn’t meant to be permanent, but it seemed to be the safety and most secure option for you and your daughter.

“And she swears you’re an alright guy?” Rooster groaned as he unlocked his car, opening the passenger side door before placing the capsule inside. “Stay out of my love life—I don’t appreciate the meddling.”

“Fine, but I’m not making any promises to not meddle in Felix’s love life—“ Jake was quick to slightly step Bradley aside as he watched him struggling to connect the capsule car seat. “Here, you gotta loop the straps.” Rooster just stood back and took notes. How many times had Hangman actually done this? “She deserves the world and if I know anyone deserving of her? I’m looking at him.” Rooster just let the compliment Jake had gifted him sink in. Perhaps this wasn’t such a bad thing—maybe Jake was genuinely doing him a solid.

Or maybe Jake Seresin was truly just over the two year old who cock blocked him more than she’d ever know.

***~***~***~***~***~***

Odette Dolan was the light of your world. Anyone who knew you knew that you’d set fire to the rain for that little girl. And as Bradley waited at the front counter of Sunny Side preschool and after school care, he understood what that feeling felt like.

“Who are you to little Odette again, Mr. Bradshaw?” One of the early educators asked as she eyes Rooster down. Curious as ever to know who this mystery man was. You’d only ever picked Dot up. Jake had done a few scattered—but it was always you if you could help it.

“Uh—I’m whoever she needs me to be I guess.”

Roosted rubbed the back of his head nervously. “Y/n asked if I could pick her up, I was free—so why not right?” 

“Well, She had a bit of a meltdown just after lunch but since she's woken up from her nap she’s been fine—“ One of the early educators beamed as she signed Rooster in. His palms were sweaty as he rubbed them together. “I already let her know that mummy’s friend Rooster was coming to pick her up today so she didn’t get too disgruntled on pick up.”

“Routines are important, I get it.” Rooster had a soft spot for your daughter. That spot got a whole lot bigger when Dot came flying around the corner with her bag on her back, shoes on the wrong feet and a picture of a stick figure flying a plane that her early educators had helped her draw.

It was Bradley. Her Rooster.

“Hey Dot!” Rooster beamed at the little girl smashing into him as he crouched down to pick her up–swinging her up onto his hip. “Whatcha got there?” Rooster always had the all the time in the world for Odette Dolan. How a single man has so much patience and so much unconditional love for a two year old you'd never understand. But they shared a bond like no other. Jake liked to joke that Rooster and Dot bonded so well because they shared the same mental age, but you knew deep down it was because he saw a little bit of himself in her.

“Wooster–” Your little girl laid her head gently against Rooster's shoulder, her eyelids heavy as he handed him the paper. Another picasso to add to his ever growing collection of fridge drawings. Too sentimental to let fall to the wayside. His heart exploded like new years eve fireworks over Time Square every single time she’d hand him a new artwork dedicated in his honour.

“Oh for me?” Rooster raised his eyebrows in excitement as he took the piece of paper. “Woah! You’re getting so good at these, looks just like me” If Bradley were a few pounds lighter maybe.

“Mama?” Dot questioned as she looked around for where you might be. Holding your daughter a little tighter as Rooster said his thanks to the early educators before venturing outside.

“No bubba, just me—“ When Rooster placed Odette into her car seat, he double then triple checked if everything was secure. “But mama's coming soon.” For a moment Rooster just sat in his car, wondering if he should go back to his or not. Looking over at your daughter as she already started to doze off in her seat, Rooster settled his decisions.

First Stop? The Hard Deck for some take away. Second Stop? Your house, not because he didn’t trust himself to take care of a two year old. But because this specific two year old probably wanted to go home.

And who was Bradley Bradshaw to deny your daughter of anything she wanted?

***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~***~

Tags: @a-serene-place-to-be @lilyevanswhore @thescarletknight2014

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

Local Lens Scotland with Ewan & Colin McGregor

Ewan McGregor is coming home. This special episode of Local Lens, where the actor, director and goodwill ambassador reconnects with his brother, Colin, a former Royal Air Force fighter pilot turned instructor, in their homeland in the Scottish Highlands.

Ewan McGregor and his RAF fighter-pilot brother Colin take the trip they always dreamed of in the latest Local Lens episode directed by Stuart McIntyre, produced by production company Somesuch and serviced by production partner LS Productions.​

‘Ewan McGregor: A Brothers’ Guide to Scotland’ The chance to explore the Highlands, where they holidayed with their family as young boys, presented itself via Expedia’s Local Lens video series, and they seized it. The backdrop of the Cairngorms' lush mountains, shimmering lochs, and the majestic trees of The Hermitage forest, the brothers embark on a nostalgic adventure in search of the northern lights—a trip complete with laughs, memories, music, and sheep.

Ewan McGregor and Colin McGregor after taking to the skies over Scotland in an RAF Tornado jet. DAVID CHESKIN - PA IMAGES/PA IMAGES/GETTY

Produced by Somesuch for Expedia’s Local Lens series, the episode follows the pair as they travel from Colin’s home in Elgin, 175 miles north of Edinburgh, to the Scottish highlands in search of the northern lights.

​A love of adventure was a force bred strong in the brothers on childhood forays around their home country, forging an intimate bond. As Ewan says now, “When you know someone as well as your brother, you don’t need words.” They would take road trips with their parents, go hill-climbing, vacation on rugged Scottish beaches, and immerse themselves in water so unfathomably cold it fired them up for the rest of the day. “A lot of my memories are of us scrambling across cliffs and looking in rock pools,” says Ewan. “There’s a freedom about being a kid in this rugged, weathered landscape that’s just fantastic.”

A picnic stop reminds them of childhood: “Then, it was a white roll with one lopsided cheese slice”

The weekend’s adventure across the Cairngorms is no less memorable. Watch as Stuart candidly captures the pair as they bicker. Get nostalgic. Get side tracked. Even have a mishap with sheep and take a dip in a friend’s freezing loch. They stop for fuel and Tunnock’s teacakes, an iconic Scottish chocolate-and-marshmallow snack that transports them back to their childhoods. They have moments of awestruck silence and absolute solitude. But most of all, the episode touchingly records the brothers as they reconnect with each other—and with the spectacular, otherworldly terrain they grew up surrounded by.

The Cairngorms mountain range contains five of the six highest mountains in Scotland. Photo: Courtesy of Expedia

Stuart McIntyre a Canadian director. Recognised for his reverent depiction of sport and natural rapport with high-profile talent, his work is an exhilarating, high-octane style of realism.

The brothers emphasised spending some time in the great outdoors, hanging out with some friendly local farm animals, hiking through the Hermitage Forest, and trying to catch an elusive glimpse of the Northern Lights. Photo: Courtesy of Expedia.

Guests at the Ewe Bar can expect live music and a jovial, classic pub atmosphere. Photo: Courtesy of Expedia.

#Expedia

Photo: Courtesy of Expedia

The quaint one-bedroom cottage features a soaking tub, a fireplace, a zip line, and a fire pit. Photo: Courtesy of Expedia

"It's a very old, sort of rambly house, and the design of it is beautiful, very rustic and real," McGregor says of the Dell Cottage, where he stayed during the trip. Photo: Courtesy of Expedia

I love that they were making this video. This is the best one yet from Scotland. One’s a Hollywood star, the other a fighter pilot. But these famous brothers, have one key characteristic in common. Take in the majestic sights and sounds of the McGregor brothers’ adventure through the magnificent Highlands, on a voyage underpinned by childhood memories and encompassing the true and natural warmth and wit of Scotland. Jumping into lochs. Congrats to Colin and Ewan and Expedia Group who brought this wonderful film to life.

#Scotland #ColinMcGregor #EwanMcGregor McGregorbrothers #Highlands #ExpediaGroup #childhoodmemories #DellCottage #EweBar #RAFTornadojet #pilot #Expedia’sLocalLens #northernlights #StuartMcIntyre #Somesuch #LSProductions #childhoodbesttimeoflife #gettyimages #DavidCheskin #PAimages

Posted 25th March 2024

@hillandglen “Per Ardua Ad Astra” – Through Adversity’s to the Stars ✨

[hangmansgbaby]

Friends Don’t | J.Seresin

Summary: Y/n L/n and Jake "Hangman" Seresin have been best friends since birth (their parents are life long friends and they were born exactly a month apart. They visited on and off for years after Jake left for the Naval Academy and Y/n went to UCSD. Late night calls, random week long vacations to cross off bucket list items, and even staying together if Jake was ever in San Diego. When Jake returns to San Diego for the Uranium mission, everyone points out the little things about Jake and Y/n’s relationship that are definitely something friends don't.

Pairings: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x reader

Warnings: oblivious childhood friends to lovers, mentions of possible death, reader loses it, uranium mission (Let me know if I should add any)

Note: This is my submission for @roosterforme ‘s #love is in the air TGM challenge. When I tell you it took me a month to wrote this! I’m so glad it’s finally out! Enjoy!

Word count: 2.9k

Masterlist

The morning after graduation, y/n l/n met her childhood best friend Jake Seresin out front of their neighboring houses. His truck is parked in front of the houses on their family’s shared ranch, his suitcase and duffel bag sat in the back seat. She watched as his mother hugged him with tears and her eyes along with his sisters. His father simply shook his hand and wished him luck. Y/n leaned against the front of his truck as he walked up to her.

“So….” He trails off, stopping before his best friend.

“So…”

“I guess this is good…” Jake doesn’t even get to finish the sentence before y/n is jumping into a bear hug, holding her best friend close. It takes a moment for Jake to realize what's happening before he’s returning the hug, holding y/n impossibly closer. 

“I’m gonna miss you, Jakey.” Y/n cries softly into his chest.

“I’m gonna miss you too, sweets.”

“Don’t forget about me?”

“I could never forget about my best friend.” Jake chuckles, pulling back from the hug. They stood there for a few moments silent, Jake's keys in his hand swaying slightly. “So….”

“I love you.” Jake has to pause and think out what y/n just blurted out. It sounded different than the thousands of times they’ve said it but there's no way she meant it like that.

“I love you too.” He replies, he really means it.

“You should–” Y/n pauses, smiling softly as she steps away from Jake and his truck. “You should probably get on the road.”

Jake nods. He wishes she’d ask him to stay, he has an acceptance to UCSD too. If she asked, he’d give up the Navy in a heartbeat.

Y/n watches as Jake climbs up in his truck. She wants him to drag her with him. Take her all the way across the country and be with her but he’d never jeopardize her dreams, the same way she’d never ask him to give up his.

She holds back her tears as Jake drives down the long road away from the ranch. As soon as she knows he can’t see her, the tears fall. Jake’s mom comes up behind the girl to hold her.

“It's okay sweetheart, he’ll be back for you.” Adeline whispers as she rubs her hand up and down Y/n’s back. “He’d never leave you too far behind.”

15 years later……

“Miss l/n! Can you tell us about the planes again?” One of y/n’s students pleads as they come in from their afternoon recess.

“Didn’t we just talk about the planes this morning?” Y/n laughs as she guides the last couple of fourth graders onto the room.

“Come on Miss l/n!”

“Please?”

“Pretty please Miss l/n?”

Y/n chuckles at the pleads of her students. Teaching at a school close to a Naval Air Station leads to kids constantly seeing fighter jets flying over the playground and lots of questions. Fortunately for y/n, being best friends with a Naval Aviator means she knows way too much about a career she has nothing to do with. 

“I think I can take a few more questions before we go home.” Y/n answers walking towards her stool at the front of class.

“And maybe someone who actually flies the planes can answer a few too?” Y/n looks towards the door to see someone she did not expect.

“It's Mr. Jake!”

“Hangman!”

“You came back!”

The students crowd around the aviator who stands just inside the classroom door, cheering at the return of the only aviator most of the kids know.

“Alright back to your seats, let's go!” Y/n directs as Jake makes his way to the front of the classroom.

When Jake was in San Diego for their birthday weekend this year, y/n convinced him to come assist with a science lesson pertaining to planes. The students loved getting a visit from Jake when he’s in the area, and being stationed in Lemoore means Jake visited at least once a month. But what confused y/n more was she didn’t plan for this visit, nor did she know that Jake was even in town.

The kids asked every question under the sun and when the final bell rang no one really wanted to leave. Y/n had to practically force the kids out with the promise that Jake would come visit soon.

“Bye! Have a good weekend!”

“Bye Miss l/n! Bye Mr. Jake!”

When the last kid leaves, Y/n turns to her best friend. “What are you doing here?” Y/n questions.

“Wow, good to see you too, sweets.” Jake laughs, standing from y/n’s office chair.

“Don’t get me wrong, Jakey, I love seeing you, but I just saw you last week for your birthday. Why are you here, and dropping by my work unannounced?”

“It's Navy stuff, sweets.” Jake sighs. “Top Gun called me back. I’ll be here for a few weeks.”

“Seriously?!” Y/n’s eyes light up. They have never spent more than a 3 day period once a year together in the last 10 years. “Do you have a place to stay? I just moved into that new house by the base with a spare bedroom. You won't have to crash on my couch anymore.” Y/n laughs softly.

“I’d stay with you even if I had to sleep in the backyard.” Jake smiles, picking up y/n’s purse as she packs up her cart with work for the weekend. “Missed my best girl.” Jake throws his arm over y/n’s shoulders as they walk to y/n’s car. “Speaking of missing you, few of the pilots are meeting at the Hard Deck, wanna come with?”

“I guess I could use a bit of a break.” Y/n answers as Jake opens the passenger door for her, loading her things into the back before climbing in the driver seat.

“Well look what we have here!”

“Hey Javy.” Y/n laughs, hugging him.

“How's the new place treating you?”

“Wonderfully! Thanks again for helping me move.”

“Hey Coyote. How have you been?” 

“Hangman. I’ve been around, man.” 

“I’m gonna get a drink, Jake. You want a beer? Javy, beer?”

“Yea, thanks y/n.”

“Thanks sweets.” Jake smiles, pulling his card out for her to open a tab.

“You know I can pay for drinks right?” Y/n tries to push the card away. 

“What kind of best friend and gentleman would I be if I let a lady buy her own drinks?” Jake pushes the card towards her again. “Besides, you know our parents would have my head if I let you pay for me.”

“I need to stop letting you use the parent excuse. I know it's bullshit.” Y/n laughs as she makes her way to the bar counter, Jake’s credit card in hand. “Hey Penny can I get 2 beers and a…” y/n trails off. “You know what? Make me an old fashioned, I'm sure Jake’s gonna steal my drink anyways.” Y/n laughs.

“Oh? That pilot of yours back already?” Penny gives y/n a knowing look. There were one too many drunken nights that y/n sat at Penny’s bar complaining about an aviator she liked but didn’t like her back.

“He’s stationed nearby for a bit.” Y/n nods, handing Penny the credit card.

“Jacob Seresin? Y/n, don’t tell me you just handed me a stolen credit card.” Penny chuckles.

“You know me Pen, schools don’t pay enough.” Y/n laughs. “No, it's my best friend’s. He refuses to let me pay everywhere we go.”

“Sounds like a boyfriend thing.” Penny suggests the idea. She’s been watching the two all night and even on the many other occasions the two were around. “I’m just saying Y/n, I think he likes you more than a friend.” Penny points over to the pilot whose eyes are locked on the girl. Y/n turns around just as Jake turns away.

“He’s just looking out for me.” Y/n defends as Penny turns with the drinks.

“Whatever you say but I know that look and that boy is 100% in love with you.”

“Thanks Penny.” Y/n smiles as she walks back over to the boys. “Your beers, gentlemen.” Y/n sets the two bottles down as she takes a sip of her drink.

“Oh lemme see that!” Jake snatches the old fashioned from her hands. 

“How did I know?” Y/n laughs as she grabs the second beer, taking a sip as Jake downs the glass.

“Honey I’m home!” Jake calls as he walks into y/n’s house.

“I'm upstairs!” Y/n laughs at his antics

“Hey! The team wants to know if we can have a barbeque the night before the mission here.” Jake asks jogging upstairs.

“Yea that's okay. It’d be Thanksgiving right?” She asks, walking out of the bathroom, a half folded towel in her hand.

“Actually, it's gonna be this saturday, they moved up the mission date.”

Y/n dropped the towel in her hands. “No.” She looks at her best friend with tears in her eyes. “A week early?”

“They told us today.”

“How long are you guys gonna be gone?”

“Three days.”

“Where?” Y/n questions. She’s been through this before but it never gets easier.

“You know I can’t tell you that.”

“Can you tell me anything?” Y/n walks up to Jake with tears in her eyes.

“I brought the file…”

“No. Jake, no.” Y/n stumbles back, the tears streaming now.

“Sweets…”

“No. We're not doing that.” She knew exactly where he was going with it. The first time Jake went on a life or death mission y/n helped him put together a file of everything that whoever needed to know in case something happened.

“Y/n, it's the reality of my job.” Jake tries to comfort her but she backs away.

“Then don’t go!” She shouts, crying. “Stay here, where it's safe! Where I can���t lose my best friend!” Where I can’t lose the love of my life.

“You know I would if I could.” Jake says softly. 

“I… I…” Before y/n could get a word out she’s bolting to her bedroom, locking the door behind her. 

“Sweets?” Jake is hot on her heels. “Sweetheart, come on.” Jake knocks on her door. “Y/n?”

Y/n doesn’t know what time Jake went to bed but she didn’t leave her room until she knew he wasn’t in the hallway anymore and she dodged him like the plague leading up to the barbeque.

By the time Saturday rolled around Jake and Y/n still weren’t on speaking terms. And the team noticed.

“What's up with you and Hangman?” Phoenix was the first to question y/n.

“I don’t know what you're talking about.” Y/n walks past her with a couple bowls of chips to the dining room table.

“Y/n, he’s giving you puppy eyes and has been slacking at work all week. We’re worried about him and you!”

“Nothing happened, Nix.” Y/n sighs.

“It's about the mission isn’t it?” Bob asks, seeming to appear out of nowhere.

“Dude you’ve been moping for almost a week. What's up with you and Y/n?” Coyote questions.

“She freaked out on me the other day.” Jake sighs. “I told her the mission was moved up when we were talking about today.”

“Don’t tell me you brought the damn file.” Jake just looks down. “Jake, you know how she is about that.”

“You heard Mav and the admirals. We may not come back. I can’t leave her hanging.”

“Have you tried talking to her?” Coyote questions.

“She’s been avoiding me.” Jake sighs looking over to where y/n walks towards the table with Phoenix following her. 

“You better do it tonight.”

“I know.”

“Thanks for letting us hang out here tonight.”

“Of course! You guys are welcome here anytime.” Y/n hugs each aviator as they exit the house. “Be careful tomorrow, okay?” Everyone nods as they leave and y/n immediately starts to clean up.

“Hey sweets?” Y/n ignores Jake as she walks past him to the kitchen. “Sweetheart, will you please talk to me?’

“There’s nothing to talk about Hangman.” 

“Y/n, you’ve been ignoring me for days, please just talk to me!”

“What do you want me to say?!” Y/n shouts, turning to face him. “You can’t stay! You wanna hand me that fucking file and go off to your death and I’m just supposed to be okay with that?!”

“You could at least talk to me knowing I might not come back!” Jake shouts. “I don’t want to leave knowing my best friend can’t stand me because of my job.”

“I don’t hate you.” She says softly. “I just don’t want to lose you.”

“You won’t lose me sweets,” Jake takes a cautious step towards her. “I will do everything in my power to come home to you.”

“I’m gonna go to bed. I’ll clean this tomorrow.” She sighs, moving past Jake to go to her upstairs bedroom.

Jake, sighing, quietly cleans up everything before grabbing his duffle bag and loading up in his truck sending y/n a quick text.

I’m going to stay on base tonight so I don’t wake you up when I leave in the morning. I love you, sweets. J

That's what y/n woke up to the next morning when her 3AM alarm went off. That and a clean downstairs. She had set her alarm so she could drive Jake to his 4AM departure time but she must have missed the text while she was crying herself to sleep last night.

She could just send him a text. Wish him luck and go back to bed, but the manilla folder on the coffee table catches her attention and holds it. 3:30 rolls around and she can’t sit there anymore.

This was her best friend. The guy she grew up with. That she’d seriously been in love with since she was in high school but something about the last two weeks really set that thought in. 

Jumping from the couch, she quickly changes and throws on shoes before running out the door to her car. She had exactly 15 minutes before she may very well miss her only chance to tell him the truth. She didn’t even bother correctly parking when she reached the docks. She recognized a few of Jake’s fellow aviators as she ran through the crowd.

“Where’s Jake?” She practically breathed, out of breath from how quickly she ran.

“I think he’s with Coyote by the ramp.” Bob barely gets out before y/n is running again. She scans the crowd as quickly as she can, hoping to catch even a glimpse of her best friend's blonde hair.

“Y/n?” Phoenix questions, seeing the girl run by.

“Jake?!” Y/n shouts when she finally sees him, walking towards the ramp. “Jake!”

Jake turns at the call of his name, when he doesn't recognise anyone he turns to continue his walk before he hears it again.

“Jake!” Looking down he sees y/n breaking through a group of people. Swiftly moving down the ramp, Jake meets y/n halfway, neither moving closer or further from the other. “Hey.” Y/n says softly.

“Hey, sweets.”

It was silent between the two. Neither knew how long they stood there before they were surging forward into a tight hug. Y/n cried into her best friend's neck as his arms held her close, wrapped around her waist. 

“I love you, Jakey.” She mutters.

“I love you too, sweets.”

“No, Jake.” She pulls back to look into Jake’s eyes. “I… I keep telling myself this might be nothing, but one look in your eyes and God there's something.We can continuously lie and go around in circles but I love you, Jake Seresin. I’m in love with you and if you don’t come home from this mission I’ll kill you myself.”

“I love you too, sweets, so goddamn much.”

“Seresin! Time to go!”

Jake pulls away from y/n and picks up his abandoned duffle. He makes it 2 steps on the ramp before he’s dropping his bag and running back over to y/n.

“Jake, what…” 

“Can’t leave without a proper goodbye.” Jake says before pulling y/n into a searing kiss.

The kiss was only interrupted by the cheers of the dagger squad. 

“Finally!”

“Took you guys long enough!”

“Hangman, enough smooching! Let's go.” Mav shouts, pushing the rest of the team on.

“I gotta go.” Jake practically whispers as he moves a piece of y/n’s hair away from her face.

“I love you.” She says again. Jake smiles at the softness in her voice. 

“I love you too.” He presses another kiss to your lips before a final kiss is planted on her forehead. Jake stumbles backwards smiling at his long time best friend. The feeling of the ramp railing on his hip is what breaks their eye contact. He only pauses on the ramp when he hears her call out.

“Lieutenant!” Looking down, Jake sees her small smile and bright eyes looking up at him. “Come home safe!” She shouts. “That's an order!”

“Yes ma’am!”

[amplifyme]

Cat and Mouse

I’m back! Another short entry; but I’m sure it will still be delightful~ :DDDDD

Anyway, my thoughts: a pleasure to reread, especially in putting William’s grumbles and Winslow’s abrasiveness in better contexts, having gotten to know the characters from the show. Love how Nan captures the littleness of “human” reactions without self-discipline, all ages, ranges, and stages of life. Cullen is really growing on me-- I already liked him from AWTN; but was a bit thrown by the series episode. Rereading is putting it all back together, in a way. Father is delightful even in his flustery, mother hen panicky concern. Vincent and his chessboard maneuvers-- with ‘Rat’ and the people Below alike-- are fascinating, especially knowing what else Nan is building on top of these moments. Vincent’s anger at feeling ‘separated’ from the people Below by his failure is really, really excellent of Nan to draw from, touch on, and further set up for future explorations. 

Overall, highly enjoying myself-- and so is Sis (she is enjoying the experience more than the human drama; but that’s her typical schtick.Sis: “Hey, don’t get me wrong, I can get invested in human drama….”). And I am also highly enjoying taking her most extreme reactions, hyperbolizing them, and reading them back to her (Sis: “Yeah… they’re fun…” said with woeful sarcasm? “I dunno-- irony, maybe.”) And now, I shall transcribe Sis’s reactions: 

““He resignedly scuffed on to the top of Father's stair, overlooking the study, which seemed empty. “Father? I'm sorry if I'm late, I—” “Vincent?” Father's voice brought Vincent's head up, and he located Father on the balcony, shoving off a stool and starting in great haste down the spiral iron staircase. “Vincent? Where on earth have you been?”” Sis: COOL YOUR JETS, OLD MAN. Let him live.”  (We had a bit of banter here-- her Father’s stanship will last because she is invested enough to critique and still hold him as a favorite.) 

She and I are having a brief tete a tete (Sis: “BUT WE ARE ALREADY HAVING A CONVERSATION-- it’s different than a tete a tete because--” and I lost the rest because she was talking a mile a minute) over Father’s parental worries-- she’s still salty about Devin-- but, overall, it’s entertaining for me to hear her ranting (“No, it’s not ranting, it’s not really ranting!” she rushes to assure me, after she calls it ranting.) 

““You say you were hunting,” Father prodded. “The so-called rat, I presume? Did you...settle the matter?”” Sis was so highly amused she was cackling over Vincent going Street Fighter on a metaphorical rat. 

I was describing these short stories as photos in an album to better illustrate why Father still has lessons to learn (on top of the other lessons he will ALSO learn in AWTN); and Sis threw in the idea that Diana is the third party that thinks all of this is messed up. We’re having a blast (Sis: “It’s about the friends we made along the way.”) 

““Vincent, don't ever say that. You are not an animal.”” Sis: “Just try getting him to believe you. Obviously, that didn’t work.” 

We briefly talked about Gabriel, and Sis made a crack about punching him amicably before both of us denied it because she doesn’t have amicable feelings towards Gabriel (Sis: “I’m not friends with him. He’s just a guy.”) 

““...Vincent could sense only the tension and the anger, none of the love and relief they sprang from.”” and ““As the outer bruises faded, the inner ones went deeper, toward the heart, affecting Vincent's most basic sense of who he was and of what he was to everyone around him.”” are so key to Vincent’s journey in AWTN-- glad I caught it even more the second time around. 

““Father patted at the air. “William, that's a matter of simple logistics--”” Sis’s mouth dropped open, imagining the numerous logistics: “Well then, you figure it out, Father!” I explained how Father would not be able to do so as well as William. She completely understood: “Oh, well, fine.”

““When Cullen's hand landed on his shoulder, he was so startled he nearly choked.”” THERE’S CULLEN STARTLING HIM AGAIN. Love whenever Cullen does that in the narrative. 

Sis gave Part 2 a “thumbs up”-- she’s a self-described “click off” reader, meaning she reads, she likes, she clicks off. Her modus operandi. So a thumbs up is her way of expressing “yay” to the reading experience. (Yes, she does this to my stuff, too.) 

Anyway, gotta shuffle off again! Will be back soon with the next installment~.

Hey! Sorry I didn't get to this sooner. Yesterday was cray-cray. I love reading yours and Sis's thoughts and the bantering you do while in the midst of your re-read. I really don't have anything to add to this except for one thing, below the cut...

““Vincent, don't ever say that. You are not an animal.”” Sis: “Just try getting him to believe you. Obviously, that didn’t work.” 

Okay, but here's the thing, V is right: he is an animal. And he's much more cognizant of that fact than any of the people he lives amongst and loves. That's always been and will continue to be Father's absolute blind spot when it comes to his very unique son. There's no doubt F offers that belief to V out of deep love and respect for all the things V is that don't include "animal," but to deny that part of him is to refuse to accept the whole of the person - good and bad. And I think it's part of the reason V has such issues with his own sense of worthiness.

It's the same thinking that so many fans (especially Classic) have of Vincent: that he's this perfect man who just happens to have leonine features and enormous strength. But they're wrong, he's not just a man. He's very much other, and a large part of that is animal. And there's nothing wrong with that. Vincent is a singularly unique individual, a "creature who has never been."

I think one of the reasons Nan and I hit it off so well is because we shared the same beliefs about V. It's so easy to focus on the aspects of him that are the most admirable and relatable. But if you chose to ignore or disregard the truth of his otherness, then you do him a great disservice.

One of my favorite lines in the show ever, is one of Diana's and is, sadly, one that a lot of folks didn't or don't pay enough attention to. It not only goes a long way in explaining who she is and how she thinks, but it also strikes me as the perfect example of why she and V are such a perfect pairing. Because it proves that she'll be able to acknowledge and accept all of Vincent, and not just the parts that are the best of him.

"If all you’re willing to see is what you’ve seen before, you’re gonna miss half of what’s going on."

I'll leave you with that. 😊

[jimclassicstoycollection]

Transformers

War For Cybertron

Kingdom

Voyager Class

Cyclonus

by Hasbro (2021)

I got this figure off of Ebay in later May 2021, since I couldn’t find this figure anywhere in the stores (now he’s everywhere at Ollies discount stores; here was he when he was supposed to be at the big box stores?!).

Collector’s Card:

I’m getting really tired of these Autobot Ark cards...I pretty much have a fleet of them at this point. I don’t remember what was underneath the sticker, but I had that too.

I love that Hasbro has been including collector’s card along with these figures, especially since prices are increasing and quite frankly stores have raised prices almost to the point where they’re not worth buying for much longer; however (and I don’t think I’m speaking solely for myself on this topic) it would have been nice if the cards were for the corresponding figures.

I really like the box art for several of these War For Cybertron figures, and even though the card doesn’t represent of the box art, the art on the card is still good too, and I would love for that character to BE on the card. 

With Combiner Wars and Titans Return it was great getting collector’s cards; why can’t Hasbro do it again?! 

Am I asking for too much here?

Vehicle mode:

Cyclonus’ jet mode is a jet...space fighter more likely and I’ve always dug this look with the inverted wings.

This is probably one of the cleanest vehicle modes that I’ve seen in a long while.

It’s a cool space fighter mostly cast in light purple plastic with some metallic deep purple hightlights, with some light gray paint apps.

I both love and hate that Cyclonus’ space fighter has landing gears when Earthrise and Kingdom couldn’t even do that for Starsream and the other Seekers. THIS GUY GETS LANDING GEARS!

They’re solid plastic and don’t actually roll, but they’re there!

I couldn’t set up a 3mm port for the flight mode, but I was able to wedge a stand in a gap underneath , and so far it held pretty well.

ZOOOOOM!

This is such a photogenic alt mode! You can take a picture of this thing at any angle, and it’ll look great!

Transformation:

Transformation is both simple and really clever, in my opinion. The arms and legs transform as you would expect, however the cockpit rotating and the nose cone unfolding like some kind of Russian doll really surprised me.

Robot Mode:

Kingdom Cyclonus is wonderful.

This guy looks perfect, and much like the space fighter there is virtually no alt mode kibble hanging off him aside from the wings and the cockpit on the back. Aside from that everything that’s a jet mode folds into the robot mode.

Cyclonus poses well, and he stands well

And he looks great from all angles.

He can pull off the one leg pose. I can always appreciate that.

Accessories:

Cyclonus’ only accessory is his gun, which painted in a silver paint, however I decided to buy a duplicate TF Universe Nightstick for the deluxe class version of Cyclonus from like 11 years ago, and I learned that it works really well for the Kingdom figure too.

He’s got enough 5mm ports that he can store his weapons.

Final Thoughts:

Kingdom Cyclonus is low-key spillover for the Studio Series 86 line, and I’m fine with that. Recommended.

Cyclonus has a Mega-buster. Lol!

[iimeris]

CHARACTER SHEET REPOST, DON’T REBLOG!

basics !

FULL NAME.  shionne vymer imeris daymore

TITLE.  n/a

NICKNAME.  n/a

GENDER.  cis female

PRONOUNS.  she/her

HEIGHT.  5'5"

AGE.  19

ZODIAC.  virgo

SPOKEN LANGUAGES. yes

physical characteristics !

HAIR COLOR.  strawberry pink

EYE COLOR.  iced blue

SKIN TONE.  light

BODY TYPE.  slim and soft in tone , not evidently a fighter at first glance

VOICE.  xxxx a little raspy !!

DOMINANT HAND.  right handed

POSTURE.  graceful -- she always strikes a poised pose , arms hanging like a ballerina . it is pretty evident by how she stands that she is rather princess-like

SCARS.  some larger more notable ones appear on her torso and back from various wounds , cuts , burns , etc . as well as iv scars on her arms .

TATTOOS.  none

BIRTHMARKS.  none

MOST NOTICEABLE FEATURE(S).  her eyes glow an etherial , electric blue when she casts magic , lighting up even in a dark room . she also has thorns that are invisible and contained within until a living being ( human or animal ) gets close to her , glowing a crackling , electric purple and emanating a threatening sizzling sound .

childhood !

PLACE OF BIRTH.  lenegis , the artificial renan orbital colony

HOMETOWN.  same ; although she lived in an unspecified research facility believed to have been close to the main port district

SIBLINGS.  several unknown younger siblings ( alive )

PARENTS.  mother ( deceased ) , father ( alive ) , step-mother (alive)

adult life !

OCCUPATION.  none ; currently a fugitive for treason

CURRENT RESIDENCE.  archimedes ward condo 415

CLOSE FRIENDS.  none

RELATIONSHIP STATUS.  none

FINANCIAL STATUS.  previously unbothered , currently broke

DRIVER’S LICENSE.  none . but damned if she'll flight a space jet

CRIMINAL RECORD.  treason , theft , trespassing , conspiracy against the government , murder

VICES.  she's a glutton for large quantities of food .

sex & romance !

SEXUAL ORIENTATION.  demisexual

LOVE LANGUAGE.  physical touch ( this is why she's so depressed ) , acts of service

RELATIONSHIP TENDENCIES.  shionne is extremely unexperienced and unaware of relationships of any kind , but any relationship with her must be found in unwavering trust and resilience . she is fiercely loyal to those she loves .

miscellaneous !

CHARACTER’S THEME SONG.  normally tales of titles have very memorable tracks associated with their characters or key moments , but while the soundtrack is fitting to the story and well orchestrated , nothing stands out as being a shionne specific track . if you know , you know .

HOBBIES TO PASS TIME.  reading fashion magazines , eating foods from local vendors , accessory shopping , target practice , collecting fashion dolls PHOBIAS.  touch ; hurting loved ones and innocent people

SELF CONFIDENCE LEVEL.  shionne has a lot of pride ( in her people , in her skills ) and generally she is confident in herself and her resolve , but it doesn't translate into any sort of self love . shionne has non-existent self worth , to the extent that she is rather unhappy with her own existence .

VULNERABILITIES.  she's got a tough exterior and not easily sentimental or empathetic , but she is genuinely concerned with helping other people . throw her an injured person and she can't say no to stopping and healing them . she is also weak of heart , and is easily affected by kind gestures . with enough persistence , it is easy for someone to wedge themselves into her heart . she's sensitive when it comes to her relationships with others , so she'd bend over backwards for someone who can prove themselves as caring about her . dare she even . . . put her convictions into question for someone strong enough to love her .

[mic-nz]

What Military Technologies Does Each Country Excel At?

Military technology constantly evolves, with countries vying to develop the most advanced weapons and systems. But which countries are leading the way in each key area? No country excels at all military technologies, from the United States' stealth aircraft to China's hypersonic weapons. However, several countries have developed a particular expertise in certain areas. This article will examine the military technologies each of the world's leading military powers excels at. We will also discuss the implications of this for global security. In no particular order, here are the countries and the military technologies they excel at:

1. Switzerland

You know, Switzerland's military readiness is a fascinating topic that really gets my curiosity going. It's one of those things that makes you wonder how a neutral country can be so well-prepared for any scenario.

First off, let's talk about those Swiss bunkers. It's mind-boggling how they can accommodate more than their entire population. That's serious overcapacity – a statement about the Swiss commitment to their people's safety.

Hawker Hunter on Highway in Switzerland Then there's the idea of turning highways into runways – now, that's something you don't see every day. They remove those lane separations, and voila, you've got a runway. And those airbases carved into mountains? That's like something out of a James Bond movie. Now, here's where it gets interesting. The Swiss Air Force has office hours! Can you believe that? It's almost comical – all that heavy armor, and they're in bed at night. Plus, the noise level in the mountains during tourist season – I get it, but it's still surprising. The Swiss have this deep-rooted paranoia about defense, and it's not without reason. Their strategic location in the Alps has made them a tempting target throughout history. During the Cold War, they built a colossal militia-based defense system that could rival any nation's. If anyone thought of invading Switzerland, they'd find a nation ready to defend itself tooth and nail. And mandatory bunkers? Well, that's taking preparedness to a whole new level. This national building code gives every Swiss citizen quick access to a shelter.

Photo credit Those mountain bunkers and hidden cannon placements are like something out of a spy movie. Imagine being an invader and suddenly realizing you're in the firing range of one of those cannons. What's even more intriguing is the disguised military installations. You could be hiking towards what looks like a quaint mountain chalet, and it's got machine gun slits when you take a closer look. It's all part of Switzerland's master plan to blend defense with civilian life. As for the Swiss Air Force, they may be small, but they're incredibly secretive. Their fighter jets are tucked away in those mountain tunnels. There's even a rumor that runways disappear into the mountains when not in use – now, that's some next-level concealment. But what really caught my attention was how Swiss military pilots fly in the Alps without ILS and GPS. They know the geography like the back of their hand, and when the weather gets bad, they get guidance from ground stations. It's a level of trust that's simply mind-boggling. Switzerland's military preparedness is a testament to its unique approach to defense. It's a blend of historical paranoia, geographic adaptability, and a deep-rooted commitment to protect their people, and it's nothing short of awe-inspiring.

2. Isreal

Israel's Special Forces are renowned for their cutting-edge support equipment, which enables them to excel in complex and high-stakes missions. Let's discuss Israel's Special Forces and the remarkable equipment that sets them apart. Their cutting-edge tools are truly impressive and play a vital role in their missions.

First up, the "Corner Shot." This device is a game-changer. Imagine having the ability to shoot around corners with a built-in camera for clear visibility. This technology provides a remarkable advantage, especially in the complex terrain of urban warfare.

For close-quarter combat, the "Micro Tavor" is a standout choice. This 5.56 mm assault rifle's compact size makes it ideal for navigating tight spaces. It's my belief that a compact yet powerful weapon is a game-changer when maneuvering in confined environments.

Now, let's talk about the "Human Backpack." In my opinion, this is a lifesaving invention. It's essential in high-risk situations where swift extraction of injured soldiers is a matter of life and death. The capability to carry a wounded comrade on one's back for rapid evacuation is ingenious.

Israel's leadership in exporting drones is another noteworthy aspect. Unmanned aircraft offer invaluable reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities, significantly enhancing the situational awareness and effectiveness of their Special Forces.

The "Mitznefet" is a piece of equipment that, in my opinion, showcases Israel's meticulous attention to detail. It's designed to break the shape of the helmet for enhanced camouflage. Effective camouflage is essential for staying concealed in the field, and the "Mitznefet" takes it to the next level.

One of the most intriguing tools in their arsenal is "X-ray vision." The ability to see through walls and track enemy movement is, in my opinion, truly remarkable. It's a technological marvel that offers invaluable insights for Special Forces.

And then there are the miniature spy satellites. I believe Israel's capability to deploy over eight spy satellites is a testament to its dedication to global security. Sharing this technology with nations like France, Italy, and Singapore is impressive. In summary, Israel's Special Forces are equipped with some of the world's most advanced and innovative tools. These technologies provide them with a significant tactical edge, making them a formidable force on the global stage.

3. Czech Republic

They have a lesser-known aspect of their defense capabilities, and it's truly remarkable.

You might not guess it at first, but the Czech Republic has a long history of top-notch radar systems. It dates back to the Cold War era and continues to this day. One of the legends from the 1970s is TAMARA, which was ahead of its time. It could simultaneously track up to 23 radar and 48 IFF targets, setting the bar high. Fast forward to the present, and you have cutting-edge systems like VERA and ERA, which utilize Passive Coherent Location technology. These radar systems can do something incredible – they can detect stealth planes, including the likes of the F-117, B-2, and the F22/35 family, within an impressive 450-kilometer range.

What makes these radars even more intriguing is their mobility and ability to remain undetectable. They don't emit any waves of their own but instead piggyback on other signals, such as common television and radio waves and active radars. This level of innovation is nothing short of extraordinary. In fact, these radar systems are so advanced that their export is restricted outside of NATO. The U.S. diplomatic efforts have been involved in preventing the sale of this technology because it has the potential to nullify two decades of progress in stealth technology. It's a testament to the Czech Republic's radar development prowess and contribution to global defense capabilities.

4. France

France's military prowess extends to a wide array of advanced technologies, but one domain where they truly shine is in wheeled combat vehicles. This often-overlooked aspect of their defense capabilities deserves recognition.

The Carron armored car - both the first French and the first serial-produced armored car of history, it was actually designed by a Georgian engineer for the Russian Empire; however, France manufactured it, as Russia did not have the industrial capacity to do so. Its history traces back to colonial wars, particularly in Indochina and Algeria. In these challenging environments, wheeled vehicles outperformed tanks due to their adaptability to the poor infrastructures of these regions. Even after France departed from Africa, they exerted significant influence through various military interventions.

Panhard AML; designed by Panhard in the late 50s, in the context of the Algerian war, the AML ended up as one of the most successfull armored cars ever; light (5.5 to 5.7 ton regarding the model), mobile, reliable, and hard-hitting (it could be armed eitheir with a 60mm mortar or a 90mm anti-tank gun, which was able to knock out a T-55; each model also had one (two on some AML-60s) coaxial machine-guns, and some mortar AMLs were given a 20mm autocannon. As far as I know 47 countries operated the AML at some point, not counting un-recognized groups; more than 30 still use it, but in France, the model was phased out in the 90’s. This interventionism and a commitment to maintaining a highly mobile army have driven France's development of powerful wheeled vehicles since the 1900s. One of the notable pioneers in this domain was the "Carron" armored car, the first-ever serial-produced armored car in history. Designed by a Georgian engineer for the Russian Empire but manufactured in France, it marked the beginnings of French expertise in this field. The Panhard AML is another standout in France's wheeled vehicle history. Designed in the late '50s during the Algerian War, the AML became one of the most successful armored cars globally. It was known for its lightness, mobility, reliability, and firepower, with the ability to be armed with a 60mm mortar or a 90mm anti-tank gun. More than 30 countries still operate AMLs to this day.

The classic “taxi” VAB, here seen armed with an M2 Browning 12.7mm machine-gun during Operation Daguet, France’s participation in the First Gulf War. This model has been used in the French army since 1976, a moment in which it was a very modern vehicle; through several upgrades, it was maintained as a good troops taxi up to this day. France's reliance on wheeled vehicles continues today. The Renault VAB is a prime example, serving as the standard armored personnel carrier. It comes in various configurations, with around 3,900 in service in the French military. The VBMR Griffon will replace these in the coming years. The ERC-90 and AMX-10RC "armored cars" also play significant roles. The ERC-90, developed by Panhard in the late '70s, is a lightweight and fast vehicle, although it has lighter armor. It is ideal for peacekeeping missions and security operations.

AMX-10RCs in Mali, 2013. The AMX-10RC was the armored workhorse of the French Army in both the Malian conflict and Operation Daguet; in comparison to the ERC-90, it is heavier but better armored and more advanced (it notably has night vision systems, the COTAC fire control system, thermal imaging systems…) On the other hand, the AMX-10RC, in service since the early '80s, is more of a wheeled light tank. It's heavier, armed with a potent 105mm L/48 anti-tank gun, and offers better protection than the ERC. With the end of the Cold War, the French military transitioned to wheeled infantry fighting vehicles, most notably the VBCI, introduced in 2008. This heavyweight is equipped with a 25mm autocannon and is designed to carry a nine-man combat team.

The AMX-10RC shows its hydropneumatic suspensions; the vehicle can “depress” toward each flank or the front or rear of the vehicle; this can be used to go through uneasy terrain and even, in some conditions, to improve the firing angles. The Panhard VBL is another unsung hero in the French military. It serves as a versatile workhorse for tasks where heavier vehicles might struggle. It's used for scouting, as a liaison vehicle, a command post, an anti-tank missile carrier, and more. With over 1,200 in service in the French Army, the VBL has gained international attention, with 19 other nations operating some units.

A VBL and a VAB in Mali, 2013. Both vehicles are used for a vast number of missions in the French Army, and both are regarded as valuable assets, especially during overseas interventions. In the grand scheme of modern militaries, France is perhaps the closest to being an entirely wheeled force. Besides the main battle tank, engineering vehicles, and an older self-propelled gun, almost everything in the French military is a wheeled vehicle, from infantry fighting vehicles to ambulances mortar carriers to mobile command posts. France's expertise in this domain has made them world leaders, and their commitment to developing advanced wheeled vehicles is evident in the pipeline, with the likes of the VBMR Griffon and the EBRC Jaguar set to replace older models.

5. South Korea

Let's delve into South Korea's military prowess, particularly its focus on sheer firepower. It's intriguing to see how their military strategy revolves around this concept, and it's all because of their neighbor on the north side, North Korea. In South Korea, military enthusiasts have a quirky nickname for their armed forces – they call them "Hwaryuk Ducku" or "firepower-taku," a nod to their intense focus on firepower. Read the full article

[nooncv]

Advise for Creating a Terrific Cv

CV Your cv is a key product of your task use. Here's the best way the idea right.

Businesses glimpse at resumes on an average of just six or several seconds. You’ll discover the best results if you happen to send your curriculum vitae between 6 some sort of. m. and 10 a. m. inside first four days to weeks of a occupation increasingly being posted. Ones application should end up clear, succinct together with tailored to your career for which people are generally applying. The following article ideal for position seekers who require to increase their own resumes to extend ones own chances of possessing an interview.

CV

Along with the current labor lack and low jobless rate, job searchers are in an gain when it can come to making an application for work opportunities. However, that’s not necessarily to say that will you don’t require a professionally published resume. Employers nevertheless want to see and additionally hire that best people with regard to each open job, and resumes are definitely the first step with which search. Truth be told there are several plans you can employ to make ones resume stand available in addition to demonstrate this you are the most effective candidate for this employment. Importance with a continue

Ones own resume could be the the majority important document you’ll submit in ones own occupation search. It’s a frontline jet fighter, as it were, as it’s a person's first ability to current one self to a probable employer. Hiring administrators and recruiters examine resumes for a great usual of sole 6-8 to key a few seconds each, which means that it’s important of which you make just about every second count. A very good resume can allow you differentiate yourself with the crowd, nevertheless a weak cv can remove everyone from the functioning.

Consistent with Zippia explore, properly written resumes may not be only superior for you a particular interview, nonetheless they may well also boost ones earning potential just by 7%. Simple curriculum vitae writing tips to help assist you stand released

It can get challenging to succinctly found all involving your experiences along with qualifications on an individual web site, but truth be told there are many ways of spruce up ones own application without intending over the top. To assistance you land some sort of interview, we round up some associated with the best continue writing tips. one Keep your cv short-term and immediate.

That No. 1 regulation of producing some resume is usually to always keep that short and your point. The standard tip is virtually no more than a particular article unless most people have a really valid reason for the application to be more time, like an comprehensive occupation or your lot of really applicable work encounter.

An easy process to keep a resume concise may be to include only current, relevant experience. Even though that yearlong primary job might get conditioned you a good lot regarding the discipline, it’s not necessarily vital to include every single detail from a person's comprehensive career historical past.

The majority experts propose which include jobs because of the old 10 or 15 a long time only, nevertheless the following time frame may very well be shorter if anyone are novices at a workforce. Which include way too many unrelated succeed experiences can get ones resume show up as well busy together with get attention gone from ones own applicable qualifications. A curriculum vitae should be concentrated, clear and short.

[sciencespies]

Russia's Nord Stream gas pipelines to Europe suffer mysterious leaks

https://sciencespies.com/humans/russias-nord-stream-gas-pipelines-to-europe-suffer-mysterious-leaks/

Russia's Nord Stream gas pipelines to Europe suffer mysterious leaks

Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2, key gas pipelines between Russia and Europe, have sprung large leaks within hours of each other, sparking fears of deliberate sabotage

Humans 27 September 2022

By Matthew Sparkes

Two key gas pipelines designed to bring Russian gas to Europe have developed leaks within hours of each other, prompting speculation about sabotage. The Nord Stream pipes, which run under the Baltic Sea, have at times been a focal point of diplomatic tensions around Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. European Union leaders have previously accused Russian president Vladimir Putin of leveraging energy supplies in response to strong sanctions from Europe and the US.

The Danish Energy Agency said in a statement that two leaks have been detected on Nord Stream 1 – one in Danish territory and one in Swedish – and one was also found on Nord Stream 2. The agency raised its alert level to orange, the second highest.

Kristoffer Böttzauw, the agency’s director, said in a statement: “Breakage of gas pipelines is extremely rare, and therefore we see reason to raise the preparedness level as a result of the incidents we have seen over the past 24 hours. We want to ensure thorough monitoring of Denmark’s critical infrastructure in order to strengthen security of supply going forward.”

Reports suggest that the leaks are large holes, rather than small cracks.

Advertisement

A European security source told Reuters there were indications that the leaks were caused by “deliberate damage”. Denmark’s prime minister, Mette Frederiksen, said, “It’s hard to imagine that these are coincidences. We can’t rule out sabotage.”

The gas leak at Nord Stream 2 seen from a Danish fighter jet

Danish Defence Command

Denmark has imposed a prohibition area around the leaks, banning all ships and aircraft from getting within 5 nautical miles. It says there is a risk of ignition and ships could lose buoyancy due to the escaping gas.

The Petroleum Safety Authority Norway said in a statement on Monday that it had recently received a number of warnings from oil and gas companies about unidentified drones and aircraft flying close to offshore facilities. The organisation also issued a reminder that there is an exclusion zone with a radius of 500 metres around all offshore oil and gas facilities, and it says encroaching on them could be punishable by law. But it said it did not wish to speculate about the causes of the Nord Stream leaks.

Anthony King at the University of Warwick, UK, says the development is odd, and that sabotage and accident were both possibilities.

“The Russians have the capability to carry out something like this – and they regularly threaten the internet fibres in the Atlantic to show that they could cut them if necessary. So it could be the Russians,” he says. “But I don’t see what they’d gain – they want to sell gas. It may indeed be an accident.”

A spokesperson for the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences told New Scientist that it detected two large and distinctive spikes in seismic activity under the Baltic Sea on Monday, one at 00:03 UTC and one at 17:03 UTC. This was followed by “much stronger” than usual seismic noise than before the spikes. “We have no information on the cause of the spikes and the noise,” they say.

Each of the two affected pipelines actually comprises two pipelines, made up of approximately 100,000 sections, each 12 metres long. None of the pipelines was in operation at the time the leaks were discovered, but they all still contained pressurised gas. Environmental impact documents relating to the network reportedly point to the pipes being 26.8 millimetres thick and covered in anti-corrosion material and steel-reinforced concrete.

Nord Stream 2 hadn’t yet been put into normal operation, but was filled with 177 million cubic metres of natural gas. Scientists are divided on how great the effect of that gas leaking will be on the atmosphere, and on climate change.

Joe von Fischer at Colorado State University says that the effect of the leaks on levels of atmospheric methane would be low because the methane will become carbon dioxide, which is less potent as a greenhouse gas, as it rises through the water. “When methane is released at the bottom of a deep body of water, nearly all of it is oxidised by methanotrophic bacteria in the water column,” he says.

But Grant Allen at the University of Manchester, UK, says that the amount of gas rising might change the picture. “My intuition, and this is only intuition, is that those leaks are so big that a column of bubbles going up to the surface is so pure and so intense that nature isn’t going to have a chance to to act on it,” he says. “You can see how violently it’s coming out. I suspect this event is going to be all over in the timescale of hours.”

Allen estimates that the contents of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline alone would create the equivalent methane emissions as 124,000 average UK homes do each year.

The pipelines aren’t the first pieces of energy infrastructure to be affected since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Fighting around the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant – Europe’s largest nuclear plant – and Chernobyl have caused experts to warn of the prospect of an accidental release of radioactive material in recent months.

More on these topics:

#Humans

[mmorgthings]

How to download civilization 5 from disc

#How to download civilization 5 from disc for free#

#How to download civilization 5 from disc serial number#

#How to download civilization 5 from disc Crack Serial#

#How to download civilization 5 from disc android#

The question is: do you have what it takes? Download Civilization Revolution 2 on PC with BlueStacks and do your best in order to do so. In CS5.5, the Acrobat installation process is incorporated into the installer.

#How to download civilization 5 from disc serial number#

If you manage to resist, then you have the right to rule all people. The components of Adobe Creative Suite 5 are on multiple DVDs: Adobe Creative Suite 5 Application DVD set (multiple discs) Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro Application DVD (single disc) (O nly in CS5 is Acrobat 9 installed with a separate serial number and installation media. Manage to create and use new technologies in your favor, build new wonders and see it all in amazing 3D graphics, with breathtaking visuals and scenarios. Play with new civilizations like Korea, leaders, like Lenin and even exclusive units, like Aircraft Carriers, Jet Fighters and dozens of Special Forces. Nothing beats how difficult it will be to sustain order and fight against the enemies trying to bring it all down, including time! Are you up for such a difficult harsh challenge? Play Civilization Revolution 2 on PC and Mac with BlueStacks and see how it goes when you get in touch with one of the most successful strategy games of all time! Civilization Revolution 2, the sequel, is finally here, and now is time you prove, once again, that you have what it takes to rule the world. But it’s far away from being the hardest part of it all.

#How to download civilization 5 from disc android#

BlueStacks app player is the best platform (emulator) to play this Android game on your PC or Mac for an immersive gaming experience.īuilding an empire is not easy, of course. Next week’s selection could be an even bigger game - or it could be a good opportunity to highlight something more niche.Civilization Revolution 2 is a Strategy game developed by 2K, Inc. While we don’t know what game Epic will offer next, it’s been skewing toward major hits over the past few weeks, rather than mid-budget or indie titles. The game also offers a variety of difficulties and game lengths, so it’s just as appealing to strategy newbies as it is to hardened wargame grognards.

#How to download civilization 5 from disc for free#

The best alternative - EaseUS hard disk data recovery software full version with serial key is available for you to download for free and apply to restore all lost.

#How to download civilization 5 from disc Crack Serial#

27 new units, thirteen new structures, nine new ponds, and nine new playable developments area unit featured in Civilization V: Gods and Kings. Data Recovery Software freeload Full Version with Crack (Version 13.5) Stop using hard disk data recovery software with crack serial key and protect your own rights immediately. You can conquer the world through military might, or surpass your rivals with diplomacy and technology. Civilization 5 freeload: With Civilization V: Gods and Kings you will get additional specialists, units, structures, Wonders and playable Civilizations if you are already a giant fan of it. You choose one of history’s great civilizations, such as the Egyptians, the Mongolians or the Spanish, then take them all the way from the Stone Age into the near future. Not every free Civilization VI player will pick up the DLC, of course, but many will.įor those of you who have never played the Civilization games, they’re part of a long-running turn-based strategy series. Furthermore, Civilization VI has at least $40 worth of paid DLC, which adds civilizations like the Mayans and the Ethiopians. Once you build up your Epic Games Store library, you may feel more inclined to buy future games at Epic rather than at Steam or Origin. Of course, the Epic Games Store isn’t giving these games away purely out of the goodness of its heart.

[wildbornsiren]

nsfw alphabet | b.b.

NSFW Alphabet B.B. author’s notes: I love this man. He’s filthy, and you can’t change my mind. Thank you all so much for the likes and reblogs. Makes me happy. 

what: a collection of not safe for work headcanons for one Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw. Gender neutral reader. 3,064 words. warning:  adult content. Do not read or interact with this post if you are under the age of 18. Explicit sexual content, frank discussion of adult themes. If you’re a minor move on. 

A: Aftercare (what they’re like after sex) Rooster will go get you a glass of water and make sure you drink it. He checks in with you on an emotional level, making sure that everything he said and did was okay. Lingering, wandering touches as he gives slow kisses, or simply lays close to you. When movement is something that you can tolerate, he’ll help you to the shower or bath. He washes your hair and spends time washing your body. B: Body part (their favorite body part of theirs, and also their partner’s) Rooster is proud of his hands. They’re used to operate a fighter jet, bring a bar of strangers together in a song as he pounds the keys of a piano. They’re also the first thing that touches you. On a partner? He’s a leg man. More often than not he’s trying to figure out how to get between them. When you’re sitting together, his hand rests on your knee, or higher up on your thigh, fingers splayed on the inside. He likes to have you sit on his lap, keeping a grip on your hips, or wrapping his arms around your waist, hands resting on your thighs.

C: Cum (anything to do with cum, basically) When he’s with someone who is on birth control, he fucks you raw. He wants to fill you completely and keep you filthy and sloppy. When his cum slips out, he’ll gently push it back into your body. If birth control isn’t needed and you’ve both got a clean bill of health, it’s much of the same. Spitting is for quitters. Once you sent him a photo of the wet spot of his cum in your underwear a couple hours after a quickie. Minutes later, he sent you a video of him jerking himself off, desperate and whispering some of the filthiest things you’ve ever heard. D: Dirty (pretty self-explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs) Dry humping is something that gets him going almost as much as the thought of having his mouth on your genitals. Since it was bit cool for a spring day the two of you to cancel plans for a hike and picnic. Instead, Rooster had sprawled out on the couch, ‘reading’ a magazine that had fallen onto his face, muffling his snoring. You’ve cleaned up the living room, face softening when you catch yourself watching him sleep. “You don’t have to stare you know.” His voice was low and rough, sleep heavy on his tone. He shifted on the couch, sitting up, discarding the magazine. He crooks his finger at you, beckoning you to him. “C’mere.” You drift closer, and he pulls you down onto his lap. You straddle one of his thighs, fingers brushing mussed curls from his face. “You needed that nap.” You didn’t miss the slight darkening of his eyes when you shifted your hips grinding against that solid warmth under you. “I can think of a few things I need.” He rumbles, mouth against your neck, one hand creeping under your shirt, palm skimming up your back. “Do something for me baby.” “Anything.” The warmth of his mouth, the scrape of his moustache against sensitive skin, and the way his hands, oh his hands map your body like he’s touching you for the first time all over again. “I wanna hear you.” He murmurs. Both hands make their way to your hips, encouraging the rocking motion you’ve started. The friction was delicious, building between your legs as you grind against his thigh. “And it’s my thigh or nothing, baby. I’m not helping you.” E: Experience (how experienced are they? Do they know what they’re doing?) In general, he’s experienced. He likes sex, it’s a perfectly natural urge and he gets it as often as he can. If you’re having just a hook up, it’s good sex. He tries to read what you like and set a pace/rhythm that works for both of you. If you’re having sex on the regular? This is a man who remembers how to get you to moan, curl your toes and whimper nothing but nonsense and his name. He knows how to touch and kiss you and knows what to say to make you feel like you’re the only thing on his mind—because you are. F: Favorite position (this goes without saying) Sit on this man’s face. He will enthusiastically, without any want for reciprocity will make you cum over and over. You were hesitant at first, but he soothed your fears and waited until after to tease you that ‘if I died babe, I’d go happy’ Cowgirl: He wants to touch as much of you as he can. With you on top, his hands can wander, and he can watch you grind yourself on his cock. Missionary: It’s close, intimate. He can be all over you, overwhelm you with his scent, the power in his body. He loves it when your nails rake down his back, or you bite his shoulder. G: Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? Are they humorous?) He's playful when initiating sex. He’ll pepper your face and neck with kisses, sneak a couple gropes. He’s kind of the terrible dirty jokes. He has been known to send you terrible flirty messages during the day when he wants to let you know that you’re getting when he gets home. ‘I may not go down in history, but I'll go down on you.’ ‘Wanna go on an ate with me? I'll give you the D later.’ ‘Twinkle twinkle little star, Let's have sex inside my car.’

‘They call me Rooster, watch what this cock-a-do-to-you’

When it comes down to fucking, this man puts his whole self into it. Expect to fuck all night and be properly worn out and delightfully achy in the morning.

H: Hair (how well-groomed are they? Does the carpet match the drapes?) Rooster takes care of himself. He’s fit, clean and well groomed. Body hair is kept shaved or short because he’s got a lot of texture/wave.

I: Intimacy (how are they during the moment? The romantic aspect) Sex with Rooster is a playful experience. Even when you’re having anniversary sex or reuniting after he’s been gone. He wants to make his partner feel good and forget the world around them. The intimacy comes after. He holds you close, his hands will wander, mapping every inch of your skin. He’ll kiss freckles, scars, telling you exactly what he loves about you. He wraps himself around you, overwhelming you with his physicality. Rooster often falls asleep on top you, his head tucked against your shoulder or chest as you talk. J: Jack off (masturbation headcanon) Rooster jerks it often. It’s a way to blow off steam and scratch an itch if he can’t be with another person. He watches porn, often of the performer masturbating as well. He’ll match their pace and have himself a nice little mutual masturbation session. If watching porn isn’t an option, he’ll scroll though his phone and jerk it to photos and sext messages that you’ve exchanged. As a result of his inspiration, he strokes himself slow, letting the fantasy take over. It’s almost lazy, getting caught up more in his partner’s imagined response. He tries to keep quiet, but soft grunts and moans will let anyone who’s listening know -exactly- what he’s doing. If that’s not an option, he jerks it in the shower, and with that the volume filter is gone.

K: Kink (one or more of their kinks) Exhibition: He likes to show off what he can do to you. He’s also into the thrill of getting caught. Praise: This man has a praise and affirmation kink. All it takes is for you to tell him that you’re proud of him, or that he’s doing good and he’s hard and ready to go. Give him praise while you’re fucking? He loses his mind, and it is some of the best sex you’ve ever had. Dirty talk: ‘you’re my fuck toy’ ‘I’m going to ruin you for anything else’ ‘come on baby cum on my face, I want you to soak me’ “You’re so messy.” Breeding: He wants you full of him, and he likes knowing that he can fill you until it spills out around his cock. If he’s in an aggressive mood, he’ll often have you lay there after he’s rocked your world and watch it slowly leave your body.

L: Location (favorite places to do the do) Penetrative sex? Any flat surface that will hold your combined weight. He’s fond of fucking in the shower as well. Oral? Anything he can get you on, with your thighs as earmuffs. M: Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going?) A brilliant smile, sense of humor, sharp wit. Someone who can keep up with him mentally. He likes softness compared to what he’s surrounded himself with all day. He likes dirty talk/dirty messages. He has a high libido and wants to be on, in or under you any time, he’s deeply romantic and will want a partner who wants to be taken care of. N: No (something they won’t do/turn-offs) He doesn’t like restraints. He wants to touch and be touched. Sensory deprivation is another hard no. O: Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill) This man will eat you for hours. He loves going down on his partner and having them lose control. He uses his mouth and fingers, incredibly patient, and enthusiastic. He doesn’t care how sloppy it gets and wants you all over him. He’ll stop occasionally and bring himself up to kiss you on the mouth so you can know what you taste like to him. He takes pride in his head game, and it is possibly the best you’ve ever had. He likes fucking but would rather spend an afternoon wearing your thighs as sunglasses—one leg on either side of his face. Rooster enjoys receiving head, and that’s often how you spend your quickies. You on your knees, mouth wrapped around his cock, one of those hands in your hair as he moans uncontrollably. He comes quickly when you give him head so it’s a perfect way for you to get an urge sated. P: Pace (are they fast and rough? Slow and sensual?) Aside from quickies, when Rooster takes you to bed, you’re there for a few hours—if not all night. He enjoys foreplay, taking it as a personal challenge to get you as wound up as he possibly can. You’ll be begging for more by the time his mouth gets to work. You’ll be sweat soaked, trembling, voice hoarse and needy, body aching when he slides into you. Q: Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often) Quickies are a necessity for being with Rooster. When he’s working, even when he’s at home there’s a chance he could be called away. You’re familiar with most bar bathrooms, the secluded hallways, locker rooms, cars, the beach… if he can get you away without either of you being missed, and you’re down to get it on, it’s on. The quality doesn’t suffer, it just means that you get more chances to get him on you, and all over you.

R: Risk (are they game to experiment? Do they take risks?) Rooster has asked for a few things. You’ve fucked him at work, in a supply closet in a hangar, in the middle of the day when anyone could stumble upon the both of you. He will never do anything to get you into trouble and will protect you as best he can. It’s about the thrill of getting caught for him, not actually getting caught. You have had a threesome with him and another man. Everyone was enthusiastic, willing and very satisfied at the end of it. You and the other two will never speak of it again, but the song ‘Slow Ride’ never fails to make you blush.

S: Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? How long do they last?) Rooster can go all damn night. He’ll switch between oral and intercourse to allow yourselves to rest between rounds. When he’s stationed on base, you’re getting it on four to five times a week. Penetrative sex he lasts for twenty minutes, half an hour at the longest. When it comes to giving oral he's there until you’re tugging him up because you’re overstimulated and it’s just this side of being too much. He doesn’t last long when you suck him off and can quickly bounce back after he’s come for a second round or actual penetrative sex. T: Toys (do they own toys? Do they use them? On a partner or themselves?) He doesn’t have toys, he’s a porn guy. He’s up front about his porn habit and will watch it with you if the mood strikes you. He's not challenged or intimidated by your toys. He’ll use them if you need them to have a complete positive sexual experience and sees them as tools. If his partner needs a little extra, he reassures you that it’s fine. He wants to make you feel good. If you are open to toys, he likes plugs. He wants to fill you, keep you full and have you constantly aware that you’re full of him. U: Unfair (how much they like to tease) He doesn’t tease in the traditional sense. He’s very playful when it comes to intimacy. Occasionally you’ll get teasing dirty messages, or voice notes. Sex is an interactive experience, so he very much gives as much as he takes. V: Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make) Soft moans, groans. Low grunts when he’s pounding you into the mattress. W: Wild card (random headcanon for the character) “What’s in the oven? Smells good.” Rooster’s voice cut through your focus, and you looked up from the cake you were frosting. He’s in his flight suit, leaning in the doorway of the kitchen watching you. A glob of frosting slides off the knife, and he follows it with his gaze. “You’re not supposed to be home yet.” You offer a small smile. He had been called out on a three-day mission, low risk and he was home earlier than he had told you he would be. “Briefing didn’t take as long as it normally does.” He said, stepping into the kitchen and closing the distance between you. His touch is warm and light, one finger lifting your chin to kiss you softly on the mouth. “Again, what are you making? You taste delicious.” Your breath catches in your chest when he smiles, that slow wicked grin that makes his eyes crinkle. “Well, dinner is in the oven, and I’m attempting to frost this cake.” He grins again, soft kisses landing on your neck, his arms around your waist pulling you closer to him. “Do we have time to shower?” “You have time to shower.” You correct him, if you joined him in the shower, dinner would turn to ash, and you’ve spent way too long preparing the meal and calling his aunt for the recipe for the roast. “Please?” “No chance, Bradshaw.” You shake your head in the negative. “You shower, we eat dinner, talk like civilized adults, have cake and then you can take me to bed and wreck me.” He chuckled, the sound sending warmth pooling in your belly. “You always know what to say.” As he speaks, one hand reaches for the frosting bowl. You tap his hand with the spatula, and he draws it back. “That hurt.” “You’ll ruin your appetite.” “Not a chance of that darlin.” He winked, making another pass at the frosting and getting some on his index finger. He licked some of the frosting and grinned again. “This is good. Have you tried it?” He lifted his hand to you, offering the frosting.

Your hand closes around his wrist, fingers sliding along the back of his hand as you bring it closer to your mouth. You lift your gaze to meet those gorgeous eyes gazing down at you full of adoration. A darker emotion ekes in when your tongue darts out, licking some frosting from his fingertip. He breathes a little deeper, not breaking the eye contact as you take his finger into your mouth, sucking the frosting clean. You let go of his hand, watching as it takes him a few moments to engage his brain enough to lower it. “Go shower, it’s almost time to eat.”   X: X-Ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes) This man is built. He works hard to keep himself in shape, he lifts weights, eats properly, he likes to run and swim so his muscles are a bit leaner. Body hair is shaved or trimmed very close to his skin. He’s a little longer than average, with matching thickness. Y: Yearning (how high is their sex drive?) His favorite part of the day is going to work or sleep with your taste still on his tongue. He likes to have sex; he likes making his partner feel good. At home, he’s often just in a tank top and sweats for easy access. He’s got a high drive, and when he returns from duty or a long mission, you’re not leaving the house for a couple days. When you moved in together, you christened each room, nearly every piece of furniture and every car that you have ever driven. If you take him to visit your family, it’s doubly stressful because you know this man, if he can, will get you away from everyone and have you every chance he can get. Z: Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterward.) It takes him a while to come down from the heightened emotions and physicality of fucking. He’ll sit up, completely comfortable in his body, playing with your hair as he talks your ear off. More often than not, you’ll need to remind him that he needs get up in a few hours to get up for work, or that -you- have a meeting in the morning. Eventually, he’ll lay down, he needs be touching you somehow as he drifts off to sleep. It could be anything from just his hand touching yours because it’s hot as balls in the house, or being a living, breathing, weighted blanket for you.

[shadeops21]

Top Gun, aircraft identification, and advice for fan-writers and fan-artists.

Heyo, class is in session. This is going to be aimed towards primarily fanfic writers who want to include little details in their fics, and for fan-artists who want to do “accurate” aircraft representation in their works.

We’re going to talk about aircraft identification. Specifically related to the Super Hornet and markings. There are small nuances and details that are easy to overlook, but likely to have any extremely picky aircraft nerd on alert if they’re missed or mis-done.

Class is under the cut.

Let’s take a look at an example aircraft, shall we?

Can you count how many markings are on that aircraft?

If you counted 12-13 (one is on there twice), then award yourself a point. If not, then listen up. We’re going to work from nose to tail here.

There are four markings here, three of which are what I’d consider “critical” markings if you want to be accurate.

1 - Modex Number. Modex numbers, or simply Modex’s, are used to denote the squadron’s mission and specific aircraft in a squadron. Ripping from Wikipedia here, but the first number of a modex is used to denote mission type, while the last two are the aircraft itself. 1xx through to 4xx are used for Strike Fighter squadrons, typically those that fly F/A-18E/F or F-35C in the Navy and/or Marine Corps. 5xx is for Electronic Attack squadrons, flying the EA-18G Growler. Most squadrons will have twelve aircraft, so you’ll see numbers like 511 and 205 printed on them, but not 566 or 154. Additionally, these numbers are distinctly visible on them, as they are key for identification.

2 - Pilot name. Just below the cockpit is where the name of the pilot (and WSO for F-models) is printed. Typically, it’ll be the abbreviation of the rank, and either the first initial(s) or full first name and surname of the pilot, with their callsign or position below. Here’s a higher resolution example on an F-model Super Hornet. However, a caveat is that pilots don’t exclusively fly “their” jet during their career. It’s subject to whichever aircraft are available that day, depending on sorties and maintenance scheduling.

3 - Roundel. Below the canopy and under the leading edge extension is the roundel, which for the US is that star with the striped ribbon on either side. This is the most important marking on the jet as it allows the aircraft to be visually identified as being operated and owned by the United States of America. 90% of tactical aircraft’s roundels are subdued in nature as not to be immediately overt from a distance, though there are special aircraft liveries where the full colour roundel is displayed.

4 - Crew Chief name. This one isn’t a deal-breaker marking, as it’s something really only seen on the ground and by ground crews. The lead maintainer of the aircraft has their name on the jet, and unlike the pilot, they are the one “responsible” for the aircraft. It’s joked among pilots and ground crews that the jet really belongs to the crew chief, and that the pilot is only borrowing it from them.

That’s the nose covered, now onto the “spine”:

There are three markings here.

1 - Squadron ID code. The squadron identifier is written on the aircraft as another way to identify who the jet belongs to in a pinch. Each letter of that code relates to a designation:

V - Fixed Wing, H for Helicopter/Rotor Wing F - Fighter A - Attack FA - Strike Fighter AQ - Electronic Attack AW - Airborne Warning P - Patrol & Recon Q - Fleet Reconnaissance RC - Logistics Support T - Training X - Air Test & Evaluation

The number simply represents that specific squadron. So, the above example would be Strike Fighter Squadron Eighty-Six. It’s not like how the US Air Force name squadrons, like the 94th Fighter Squadron.

2 - Danger Air Intake marking. It’s partially hidden by the weapon’s pylon, but the air intake does have a warning diamond to indicate the danger from air sucked into the intake. It has happened in the past where deck crew have wandered too close to an aircraft’s intake and get sucked in. Again, these are low-vis subdued, but these were traditionally painted bright RED.

3 - On the front of the fuel drop tank, some squadrons embellish their tanks with squadron-specific markings. Not all squadrons do this, but some do. Some go small like the snake seen in the main image, while others go more bold. Again, not a major deal breaker: research the squadron and you’ll see if they do it on their drops or not.

And now onto the tail and rear. We’ll work top to bottom here:

1 - Modex. We covered this on the nose section, so we’ll move on.

2 - Squadron Marking. Alongside the identifier on the spine, all aircraft will have “artwork” that denotes their squadron, and it’s typically pulled from the squadron’s insignia patch. This is where you have a lot of variation, as some squadrons are low-key in their marking type while others are a lot more flashy, even if they are subdued in colour. Some squadron’s tail markings are very distinct and have the accompanying notoriety. Above is a sidewinder snake, for the eponymous VFA-86 “Sidewinders”. A few more examples are below:

VFA-143 Pukin’ Dogs

VFA-41 Black Aces

VFA-151 Vigilantes

3 - Air Wing Identifier. This is the two-letter code seen beside the squadron identifier, and like the alphabetic squadron code seen on the spines, these letters also have meaning. They’re used to denote which air wing the aircraft is currently assigned to, which is why if you look at a squadron’s aircraft pictures across a long period of time you’ll note that these letters (and the modex numbers) change.

A/N refer to the fleet, A being Atlantic Fleet and N for the Pacific Fleet. The second code relates to the carrier the air wing is embarked upon.

Using the pictures I’ve posted above as reference, here are some examples:

AC - Air Wing Three, USS Dwight D Eisenhower (Atlantic Fleet) AG - Air Wing Seven, USS George H.W. Bush (Atlantic Fleet) NH - Air Wing Eleven, USS Theodore Roosevelt (Pacific Fleet) NG - Air Wing Nine, USS Abraham Lincoln (Pacific Fleet).

4 - Carrier Assignment. Below the tail in small print is the name of the carrier that squadron (and air wing) is embarked upon. Pretty self explanatory.

5 - NAVY. Branch marking, also self explanatory. Note that USMC aircraft will have MARINES printed there instead.

6 - Serial Number. Located under the rear elevator fin, this six digit number is the aircraft’s unique serial number, which remains unchanged even if the aircraft itself is transferred to another squadron.

I hope I haven’t lost you yet, as I’ve got a few more things to quickly point out.

You may notice in your own research that some aircraft aren’t painted in low-vis markings like the ones I’ve shown here, and that some are fully decorated out. These are typically the “CAG” and “CO” aircraft, painted as such to foster esprit de corps within the squadron and air wing. CAG aircraft (given modex numbers of x00) are the aircraft “reserved” for the Commander of the Air Group (Air wing commander, essentially). Likewise, the “CO” birds are painted in a less-lively livery and given modex numbers of x01, and are reserved for the “Commanding Officer” of the squadron. Here are some examples:

VFA-103 Jolly Rogers CAG Bird

VFA-41 Black Aces CAG Bird

VFA-2 Bounty Hunters CAG Bird

VFA-11 Red Rippers CAG and CO aircraft

And last thing. Those off-yellow lines that you can see on the nose, vertical tail, and above the NAVY marking? They’re formation markers, and can be activated to glow at different brightness depending on situation requirements. Here’s how it looks at night/low light:

Hope this has helped educate my budding writers and artists! Any questions, don’t hesitate to leave a note, reblog with an @, or send me an ask.

[right-brain-of-froggy2]

The Exordium

An insight into Scott's last mission as an Air Force Captain.

TW: injuries, overall military-esque violence, mentions of Bereznik

AO3 link here!

Seriously, this is just my brain plotting out a Top Gun: Maverick inspired one shot with Scott for the past month and finally having some free time after Christmas in July to do it. I did my best for military terms, but definitely took some liberties as this is supposed to take place in the ~2050s. Hope y’all enjoy!

Note: Preacherman is Scott and the other three are OCs

“Dagger Two, where are ya Valentine? I don’t see your position. Speed up, speed up.”

“Copy, Preacherman.”

“Maintain low altitude. I have visuals on SAMs.”

Scott peers around his shoulder, past Kronos in the WSO control seat and out the window. True to his word, Valentine swings out with a sharp increase of speed. He settles into the secondary position of a two jet attack position. Scott pushes the throttle to its max with his wingman comfortably in sight.

The mountain is coming up fast like a brick wall. Scott braces his body against the seat and shoots the F-30 up vertically, out of range of the first set of SAMs and before the second’s sensors. Kronos puffs heavy breaths behind him. It takes all of Scott’s concentration to breathe in, breathe out- to fight against the G’s threatening to crush his body. The oxygen can’t flow fast enough from his mask.

“Preacherman, we’ve got sight of two Whispers in the clouds. Our radar isn’t finding them.”

“Visual, Kronos?” Scott asks once he catches his breath. 

Kronos peers looks as far as he can around the canopy. “No radar. I can’t see ‘em either! Must be somewhere far behind us.”

“Not good. One minute, thirteen seconds inbound,” Scott informs his team.

“Smoke! I see smoke! Preacher, bank right!” Valentine’s voice cuts through the static of high altitude.

Scott takes the warning from his wingman to heart. Despite being the leader, he follows Valentine’s shouts and banks the F-30 in a tight loop. 

“They’ve got lock,” Kronos shouts after smashing an array of keys. The missiles follow the direction changes almost as fast as Scott can make them. “Firing flares.”

“Fuck, already?”

The explosion of flares versus missiles sends a shockwave through the fighter jet. Kronos braces his forearm against the left side of the canopy to look out back. “Two Whispers inbound! First visual contact!”

Scott barks his orders like he’s more than the twenty-three years his body is. He can slip down into the mountain cliff crevasse, but Valentine and Sparrow are too far to follow. The Whispers will shoot them down before they can get to cover. “Valentine, break off! Break off!”

The second jet screams out to the right, taking one of the Whisper jets with it. But the other is trailing after Scott without a scratch. A drop off results in Scott shooting out into open air. No more Earth walls to protect him. Scott’s gripping the control stick with both hands and gasping in oxygen as he shoots up in altitude at a ninety-degree angle. The Whisper follows, unsuccessfully attempting a bullet spray. Scott pulls on the brakes, flipping the jet upside down before swooping down to get behind the Whisper jet.

The new Berezniki technology may succeed theirs, but Scott’s the best pilot of his division. And he’ll be damned if now isn’t the perfect time to prove his dogfighting skills. If he squints, Scott can make out the Berezniki pilot desperately trying to gain visual on their F-30.

“C’mon, Kronos, work your magic. Buy us some time!”

Kronos switches to a laser guided missile lock now that the enemy jet is in front. Scott doesn’t see how he does it. He never does. The jet rattles as a set of flares and machine gun bullets fire blindly out to the Whisper. It evades but doesn’t see the missile hidden by the smoke from the flares. The Berezniki jet explodes into an array of shrapnel and fire that falls beneath their wings. Scott dares a short breath of relief.

“Enemy down. Confirmed ejection. We ain’t gonna worry about that one,” Kronos says as he taps on the canopy covering. But that means there’s still one fighter left they can’t see. 

Scott is thrown off balance as it comes down out of the clouds in pure silence. Whisper is an understatement. He rolls the F-30 out of the way of its guns. But before it has a chance to make a second dive at Scott and Kronos, Valentine’s F-30 launches an ambush of missiles.

“Woo boy! Second fucker down!”

“Language, fellas,” Sparrow quips. His voice is all smiles and adrenaline.

“Target thirty meters ahead. Drop bombs when you’ve got a clear shot.” Scott focuses on keeping the F-30 steady as he lowers their altitude to only 100 meters off the ground. He does a flyby and hears a short confirmation that the bombs hit the target from Kronos’ steady aim. That’s half the battle; the other half will be Valentine and Sparrow making the finishing blow with a SEMI.

“Dagger Two, you got a lock?” Scott asks. He can’t look over his shoulder to see if his wingmen are back behind. “Dagger Two?”

“Negative, Preacherman. We’ve-”

Valentine is interrupted by a crunching sound and Sparrow’s uncharacteristically shrill voice. “Third Whisper! Negative radar, visual to right twenty degrees. Hostile, two zero miles, south, track east. Valentine-”

“We’re hit! We’re hit!”

“Shit!” Scott’s instincts take over before his mind can. The Lieutenant General is not going to be happy about his actions, that’s for sure. “We’re coming, Dagger Two! Hold on!”

“Preacherman, I’ve lost sight of the Whisper again. No radar, no clear sight.” Kronos supplies. He flips switches on the paneling to his right. “Negative heat tracking. We’re fighting blind.”

That is not good news. 

Scott shoves the thought in the back of his mind as he races over to cover Valentine and Sparrow. The first two attacks didn’t show all their secrets to the Whispers. There’s a few tricks left up their sleeve yet. He doesn’t speak as their conversation fills the radio waves. Smoke billows out of the back of the F-30 of his wingmen.

“Engine One, on fire. Taking emergency measures!”

“No good! Extinguishers damaged in impact!”

“Fire spreading, lost control of internal combustion rods.” Valentine’s voice is tight.

“Put it out!” Scott snaps over the comm line. 

They’re over the heart of Bereznik’s Tempo Base. There’s a reason this mission was kept hush hush, and a reason they were briefed on the horrid doings of Tempo only after agreeing. The details included learning there would be no possible rescue inbound should they eject. Scott talked to his four brothers last night for an hour over his allotted time. John was suspicious and Scott feels the guilt bubble in his throat now. The fact the higher ups allowed it is enough reason for concern.

The F-30 shakes as the engine erupts. It sends a shockwave through the jet and has her tumbling out of the sky. The smoke turns to a dark black. Scott’s thrown against his seat as he reverses direction to avoid the explosion of their wingmen’s F-30. That smoke can only mean one thing: the fire’s hit the fuel tanks. It’s a worst case scenario for any pilot.

“We’ve gotta eject!”

“Disengage fuel pumps to line four avids. Try to limp her out!”

Scott watches the cockpit of the F-30 fill with flames at the same time the Whisper emerges from the shadows. His eyes widen in terror for his team.

“Eject, eject, eject!”

“Eject now!” Kronos throws in. The fire is spreading.

“Throw the canopy!”

“Eject, eject! I’ve got smoke,” Scott says. His voice is hidden over the sound of Sparrow’s gasp as his seat launches into open air. “Kronos, we’re gonna cover ‘em.”

He dives down where Dagger Two is rapidly losing altitude. The Whisper foregoes Scott’s F-30 and approaches the ejected pilots like a hungry predator. The enemy craft fires a missile in their direction before readying a spray of bullets. The parachutes make for beyond easy targets. Sparrow is desperately holding onto his chute lines as he rips his mask off. Scott whips their fighter between the Bereznik aircraft and his two men. 

The missile loses sight of the broken plane and latches onto Scott’s instead. 

“Fire flares!”

“Flares are out, Preacher! Launching last counter missile.”

Kronos spins around in his seat to ensure the missile is negated. “Out of missiles. We’ve got only 27 rounds of bullets left.”

Scott’s mouth stays shut in a tight line. His eyes track the Whisper screaming through the air in a loop, coming around to target their jet. They can’t just leave the two falling to their demise. But Scott sees no way out. The Whisper jet barely aims in their direction when Scott’s choice is made for him as the F-30 lurches into a tailspin. 

“What the fuck Kronos?!”

“We’ve been hit! Nothing showed up, new tech that-”

“You better use those 27 shots up real quick!” Scott screams as he attempts to pull them out of their tailspin. It’s hopeless. The right side is burned to ashes, not a single remnant of the wing left. Both engines are a sputtering mess of flames and smoke. It starts filtering back into the cockpit. There’s only so much time before their own canopy fills with the same flames that filled Dagger Two’s.

Kronos falters for purchase on the above striped handles. “I’m ejecting us!”

“You will not!”

“Preacher! We’ve got to bail!”

Scott’s not panicking. Fighter pilots don’t panic. He attempts a maneuver to reverse the polarity of their spin. It only increases the speed. Up above the Whisper aims its nose down for the best angle of machine gun bullet fire.

“Scott!”

“Eject!”

That’s all Kronos needs before he’s releasing the canopy top. The force of the wind knocks Scott’s torso down towards his knees. Kronos ejects first. Scott pulls his cord in between his legs and his head whips back as his body is pulled from the flaming wreckage. With no pilot, the F-30 crashes in a blaze alongside its sister ship. 

They were close enough to the ground that the parachutes provide little drag. Scott crashes to the ground and feels the bones in his left ankle grind together. Something snaps. Kronos fares better than he does with landing. His WSO unhooks his parachute gear and runs to Scott’s side to help him.

The Whisper does a flyby. It speeds up and bypasses the pilots. The Berezniki craft fires no more and turns back towards where it came. If Scott wasn’t wearing his helmet, the supersonic blast would have ruptured his ear drums for sure.

“I saw Valentine and Sparrow up ahead. C’mon!” 

“Your ankle?”

Scott tries to stand. He hesitated in his first step with his left foot. Pain shoots through his body. But the adrenaline rush masks the worst of it. “Forget about it! Go! Go, go, go, go!”

He signals to Kronos and they take off in a sprint.

“Find us a way outta here Preacherman!”

He radios into base as they run. The soldiers may be able to triangulate their position if they’re listening in on the frequency. But they won’t get any help staying silent. Either way, Scott and his men are sitting ducks. Calling for reinforcements is their best bet at survival.

“This is India-Romeo-Zero-One transmitting in the blind guard. Scramble standby Dagger Three and Four.”

A pause over the radio. Then static. “Negative Captain Tracy. Enemy is hostile, engaging off target.”

“Send in the A-Tidals. Lucky One is on foxtrot.”

“Negative. Airspace is not under clearance. SAMs are currently engaged.”

“Requiring backup! Dagger One and Two down. Repeat, requiring backup. Dagger One and Two down!”

“Captain Tracy,” the Brigadier General’s voice is cold. Scott didn’t realize he was even in the control room. His word is law and Scott’s waiting with dread for what he has to say. “We cannot send aid. Search and rescue will be locked down until threat is neutralized upon second pass.”

Search and rescue? Scott swears. That old bastard knew this was a suicide mission and sent them in anyways. Scott decides to do his own search and rescue, with emphasis on the rescue part. They continue in the snowy mountains of Bereznik’s countryside, plowing through without a second thought on if any mines may be planted or soldiers lying in wait for ambush.

Sparrow is the first one they find. He’s cut loose from his parachute and running desperately towards them. 

“Wrong direction, Sparrow!” Kronos yells. He makes a sharp cutting motion with his hand parallel to his temple as Scott’s hands are tied up with his radio. The look on Sparrow’s face is worthy of Scott’s pity. 

“You got Valentine with you?”

“No clue… where he’s… at!” Sparrow gasps between breaths.

A round of air strike bombs rings out where Scott and Kronos crashed. Falling bombs fill the air with a backdrop of a beautiful blue sky. The trio is just out of blast range. For now.

Running in the direction opposite of Sparrow proves successful. Valentine is on the ground, one hand around his leg. His parachute is tangled up in the evergreen trees above.

“Valentine!”

The man garbles out some words. Scott catches none of them. He removes the lieutenant’s hands from his leg. They’re coated with blood soaking through the heavy fabric. Scott examines his leg and it’s not a promising sight. One of the bones of his leg has ripped through the skin. A gash in his flight suit from landing shows the whole gory scene. Scott pulls out his knife and hacks away at the tangled parachute lines.

Kronos is right by his side. “It’s no good, the bone’s all stuck out. He’s immobile.”

“You didn’t… have to come back for me… Cap’n…” Valentine gets out with grit. 

“Yes we did. Don’t be stupid,” Scott retorts. Scott points out the only two living humans nearby. “You two! Get him out of here!”

A gunship roars and the air fills with the thundering of military boots on snow. Faint, but ever present. There’s the harsh shout of Berezniki that carries over the tranquil snow drifts.

“Preacher-”

“Captain-”

“That's an order! Do not disobey! There should be an access path in the cliffs some two miles from here. Take him and run as fast as you can. Hide if you’ve got to.”

Scott pulls out his gun from the holster and checks that it’s loaded. The bullets glint in the morning sunlight. He cocks it.

“Here.” Kronos pulls out his own gun and hands it to Scott. It’s a gesture that’s well appreciated. The situation becomes a ton of lead weighing down Scott’s mind. He helps Valentine up onto Kronos’s back and adjusts Sparrow’s gear.

“Write to my brothers, wouldja?”

Kronos knocks his helmet with Scott’s. The words Kronos and Preacherman connect. “I will.”

Scott nods. Kronos’s words are a promise.

[thescarletchan]

Gone

ship: Spike Spiegel x Reader

tags: major character death, hurt no comfort, angst

summary: When Spike goes to face his past, Reader gets concerned and goes after him, only to find that they were too late. 

word count: 1.4k

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

a/n: This is a part 2 to Not Coming Back

It had been too long. 

An hour and a half since Spike had left, and I spent the whole time pacing the bridge, watching the skyline, hoping to see the bright red fighter approach.

But there was nothing.

Jet had gone to his room an hour ago. I don’t know if he was sleeping or not, but my belief was the latter. Faye… she left, maybe a bit before Jet. 

Now, standing at the window, staring out, I let out a breath, before leaving the bridge. I couldn’t just stand here, doing nothing. Not when Spike is out there, risking it all when he doesn’t need to.

I headed towards my room, walking at a brisk pace, but not running. I got to my room in record time, and began to gear up. I threw my shoulder holster on, something I almost never used before, as I normally only use one pistol. I practically threw both pistols in, then a jacket over the holster.

I walked out of my room, looking down the hall both ways before heading towards the hanger. I don’t know if Faye took Red Fin, but if she didn’t… Well, I needed it.

And to my surprise, there it sat in the hanger. Knowing Faye, the keys were somewhere in the cockpit, and I found them in the ignition.

“Faye, you should know better.”  I sigh, before starting the ship's engine. Pressing a few buttons, I communicated with the Bebop, opening the hangar doors and turning the fighter towards the exit. Then the radio crackled to life.

“I know that isn’t Faye. Kid, what the hell are you doing?” Jet asked, most likely from the bridge.

“I have to do this Jet. Spike… he should’ve been back by now. Something had to happen, he could be in danger.” I gripped the controls, steeling myself for the incoming lecture. 

“Alright.” He said solemnly, which took me by surprise.

“What?” I asked, looking at the radio as if he could see me.

“I know you. You’re like Spike when it comes to stuff like this. You’re stubborn, and you’re gonna do what you want to do, no matter what others say. That’s why Spike left. Just,” There’s a pause, and perhaps, a slight waver in his voice, “Be careful kid. I can’t go losing two friends in one day.” I scowl at that.

“Don’t say that. We don’t know… we don’t know if he’s gone.” I try to steady myself, dread setting into my stomach. I knew it could happen, of course, it’s what I had been worrying about for so long, but this was the first time I heard it out loud.

“Right. Well… come back in one piece, alright?” Jet sighed.

“I’ll try my best.” I said, unable to promise him. Is this how Spike felt before? When I asked him to come back? I must be.

“That’s all I ask then. Good luck.” And with that, the radio crackles again, before going silent.

I looked out the cockpit window, out of the hangar, on to the Martian skyline. The sun had long set, and now I could see the inky black sky, dotted with bright white stars. 

“Focus.” I told myself, revving the Red Fin and taking off, first hovering, then flying out of the Bebop, and into Tharsis. I never spent much time in this city before, knowing that it was crawling with Syndicate.

It didn’t take me long to find the skyscraper that served as their base, as there was a plume of smoke coming from the base, along with quite the fire.

“Shit.” Was all that I could say, bringing the Red Fin to the ground.

Police cars were all over, and officers were beginning to tape the area off. Jumping out of Red Fin, I dashed past an officer before he could finish taping. 

“Hey! Police only!” He shouted after me as I pushed myself into the building, but I just ignored him. I stopped abruptly in the lobby. The elevator was blown up. And this is a fucking skyscraper.

“Damn it.” I muttered, finding the nearest stairs to the second floor, then the stairwell. 

I don’t know where Spike went, but my gut told me that he was up, that he caused the destruction that I saw at every turn. And the destruction led me up more and more flights of stairs, with dead syndicates at nearly every floor.

And then I heard voices.

“How’d he get past them?” 

“I don’t know, but he’s up there now… with Vicious.”

That name set off alarms in my head, and even though I didn’t know who he was, I knew that he was bad news. Reaching into my jacket, I unholstered both pistols, rounded a corner, and with two shots, both syndicate members were dead.

Then I saw why they were just waiting around. There was an elevator. Luckily, intact. 

The doors opened moments after I got there, and with a push of a button, the doors closed, and I was on my way up. 

Up to Spike.

I calmed myself on the way, taking breaths, and preparing myself for whatever I was met with. The doors opened.

However, what I didn’t expect was a bunch of syndicate members standing around, staring at… something. 

And that’s when I heard it, the most gut wrenchingly familiar voice, one I had been aching to hear for so long.

Spike.

“Bang.” Was all he said before there was a thud, followed by murmurs from the small crowd. 

I stepped out of the elevator, my presence still unknown to them.

“Hey assholes.” 

Then, the bloodbath.

There was no other way to describe it. They were all armed, a few of them pointing their weapons at me as they heard me. But they were all too late. They were shot down as they raised their guns, their lifeless bodies hitting the ground with the same thud I heard only moments before.

The last man fell over, clutching his thigh before I put another bullet in his chest, silencing him. Never before had I been this… deadly.

Life as a bounty hunter was bringing in targets alive, maybe taking out a few lackeys in the process, but it was never this bloody. 

The adrenaline rush died down as I began panting, looking around, before my eyes settled on a familiar head of green hair.

“Spike,” I all but shouted, stowing my guns as I ran towards him. I flipped him over as I got to his side, his chest barely moving as his breath faded, “Spike, listen to me. Come on, wake up,” I shook his shoulder gently, pulling him into my lap. His eyes hardly opened, “Yeah, that’s it.” I looked him up and down, finding blood seeping through his clothes in multiple places. 

“What… what are you doing here?” Spike questions, catching me off guard. 

“You were taking too long. I was worried… Spike, what happened?” I asked, my eyes glued to the large wound in his stomach, which was bleeding at an alarming rate.

“Nothing you need to worry about. Listen, you need to leave-” He started.

“You’re coming with me.” I looked him in the eyes. God, he looked so tired, so pale.

“No, I… I’m not gonna make it.” 

“Don’t you fucking say that. You don’t get to die on me. Not yet,” I began putting pressure on the stomach wound, my hand was instantly slick with blood, “Not yet.” I repeated, tears welling up in my eyes

“Leave…” He was quieter, and his head lolled back.

“No! No you are not gonna die Spike, not now! Not yet! I haven’t… I haven’t told you yet.” My breath caught in my throat as I realized what I said.

“Then,” He swallowed, then coughed. “Then tell me now.”

“No, I’m gonna tell you on the Bebop, come on,” I tried to lift him, but he was all dead weight at this point, “Please Spike. Not now. Don’t go…” “Tell me now, please. What is it?” He kept getting quieter and quieter, the sobs that began to wrack my chest nearly making me unable to hear him. I looked at him, his eyes dulling, the life leaving him, and I knew this was my one chance.

“Spike… I,” I choked a sob, looking him in the eyes, “I love you.” 

And I swear, his eyes lit up, even if it was just a bit. A soft smile graced his lips, and I leaned down, pressing a kiss onto his forehead.

“I love you too…” The smile grew, but the light faded. 

His face relaxed, and just like that, Spike Spiegel was gone.