#honours sailing academy

[captainamorysailing]

A Good Sailboat to live on in isla Guanaja S02 EP15

A Good Sailboat to live on in isla Guanaja Honduras. The First part of a two parts series documenting my sail into Isla Guanaja , Honduras.

Showcasing the town of Low Cay, the biggest town in the Island totalling a land size mass of one football field with total inhabitant of over 2,000 souls. One of the highest population density in the Caribbean. One can only arrive by sea usually on boat to this island, with no airport it is considered very remote part of the globe.

IF YOU WANT TO BE SAILING CREW, FOR THE NEXT LEG OF THE JOURNEY, GET IN TOUCH VIA CONTACT INFO. ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW FRIENDS & NEW ENERGY TO ADD TO MY VIDEOS.

My videos are free for everyone to watch, and always will be. However, you can give back (in ways that dont cost you a single penny) Click like & share the content with your friends.

[thiziri]

The Princess Royal visits South Africa 🇿🇦

Tuesday 21st January

Today, The Princess Royal conducted her first day of engagements in South Africa.

The Princess Royal’s first visit in South Africa was the South African Riding for the Disabled Association (SARDA), which has provided free equine therapy, sport and training to the most vulnerable in society for the last 52 years. Her Royal Highness previously visited the organisation 30 years ago, on 25 November 1994. 

SARDA is the only remaining riding for the disabled training facility of its kind - it has served over 9,500 previously and currently disadvantaged children and their families. 

SARDA scholars have won 6 Gold, 2 Silver and 4 Bronze Medals at the Paralympics.  Her Royal Highness is President of the Riding for the Disabled Association, becoming Patron of the RDA in November 1971, and President in March 1986. 

Later, The Princess Royal toured the British High Commission Residence Garden with Mr Leon Kluge, gold winner at the 2024 Chelsea Flower Show with Cape Floral Kingdom, and Mr Bulelani Bashe, Head Horticulturist at Grootbos Foundation.

The Foundation works to conserve the environment of the Cape Floral Kingdom and to develop sustainable livelihoods through ecotourism, education, enterprise and sports development.

Her Royal Highness planted a Princess Anne Rose in the Residence Garden to symbolise the visit.

Wednesday 22nd January

As President of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, The Princess Royal began the day at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), where she unveiled the Cape Town Labour Corps Memorial. 

The new memorial, which honours the contribution of South African military labourers in the First World War, is part of the CWGC’s commitment to ensuring all those who died in the two World Wars are commemorated equally.

Following this, Her Royal Highness visited the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation. Here, The Princess Royal heard about the life and work of Archbishop Tutu, his role in supporting healing from discrimination and injustice, and how his legacy is being continued through the current work of the Foundation’s programmes.

On a tour of the Museum, The Princess Royal met staff members at stations throughout the ‘Truth to Power: Desmond Tutu & The Churches - In the struggle against apartheid’ exhibition. Her Royal Highness finished the tour by meeting young people and staff who are taking forward Archbishop Tutu’s legacy through the Leaders for Humanity programme.

Later, The Princess visited the Royal Cape Yacht Club, where she learnt about the work of The Royal Cape Sailing Academy, an organisation that empowers young people to development their skills through sailing. 

The Academy teaches young people from some of the most under resourced communities how to sail, thereby developing self-confidence and leadership skills. Her Royal Highness met previous participants from the Cape 2 Rio Race including Jennifer Webb, who was sunk by a whale during the race in 1971.

The Princess Royal also visited the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), where she toured the observatory and had an in-depth look at the McClean Telescope. The SAAO is the South African national centre for optical and infrared astronomy and is the foremost establishment for optical astronomy across the African continent. 

Her Royal Highness met and heard from those who work within the observatory and learnt a little about the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), the largest optical telescope in the southern hemisphere, which SAAO owns and bears operational responsibility for. 

Finally, The Princess Royal visited a Thuthuzela Care (TCC). TCCs are intended to be a safe space for survivors of sexual assault, providing one space where individuals can receive counselling, medical and legal support without having to recount their experience to multiple agencies, thereby avoiding secondary traumatisation. 

Her Royal Highness met the team delivering support in the centre, which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. 

© Royal UK

[jedidryad]

A bad interview

It has been awhile since I posted about my progress on the Mara memoir project but I thought I should make it clear it's still in the works. For this snippet, we move to part 4 which covers the time period between the end of The Crystal Star up to the end of the Corellian crisis. Mara's time is not that well accounted for in canon during most of this stretch so I have expanded on her journey in running her own trading business, and it's not all smooth sailing.

In this passage, she is meeting with a contact she hopes to partner with, and well...imagine if you were at a job interview that went like this

“You wear a lightsaber. Are you a Jedi?

“No.” The bad feeling I'd been pushing away crept back in. I did not want to talk about my failures.

“Fear not. We hold Jedi in great esteem. I would be honoured to work with a Jedi.”

“I am not a Jedi.” 

“And yet you wear a lightsaber.”

“It was a gift.”

“Ah, a family heirloom.” There was a sense of quiet glee in his voice,  “passed down in secret from a Jedi ancestor.”

“Something like that.”

Lando snorted and Fiorzen raised an eyebrow.

“Not my family heirloom.” I acknowledged, “it was a gift from Luke Skywalker.”

“So you are Force strong.”

“Not all that strong really.” I cringed thinking of the number of times the Force had reminded me of that.

“Then why would he give you such a gift?”

Why indeed? As though I hadn’t pondered that very question a thousand times over the years. When he’d first placed the saber in my hand, it had been imbued with the warmth of friendship. It seemed simple and natural. Now I knew it was anything but.

“I don’t know. I doubt even he knows anymore.” I sighed, “at the time he said I was on my way to becoming a Jedi.”

“But if a Jedi Master believed you could become a Jedi, you must be very strong in the Force. I know Luke Skywalker has opened a training facility. Why are you not training there?”

I struggled not to flinch as all my worst experiences at the academy flew back to me. I fought harder than I should have to shrug casually.

“It just isn’t my path. Besides, the Jedi Master has no doubt changed his mind about me by now.”

“But you still carry the lightsaber?”

“It’s a useful tool. Cuts really well.”

“You use the sacred weapon of the Jedi to open packages?”

“Only the really stubborn ones.”

[heavensveil]

[piano sketch for a town theme]

Mergielka, Nest of the Fellow-Princes

-

It was in Mergielka, then little more than a hamlet situated abreast cliff and cave at the yawning maw of the Southern Mergiel, that the last nobles of Vedronia came to rest.

With what of their fortune the fellow-princes could bring on their caravans, Mergielka quickly became a bustling centre of trade. Built into a veritable seaside citadel, the city earned a reputation as the farthest-flung notable port of call for ships that hoped to chart new routes through the Whispering Sea.

So beloved were the fellow-princes Ernst and Ronovin that their skeletal remains were later exhumed from the catacombs, set in glittering armour, wrapped in silks, and then ensconced in the great lighthouse, just as any other honoured saints of the pharos.

In the days of the reave, Mergielka counts itself among the surviving city states, sheltered from the worst of the saltwinds by coastal cliffs.

Having never been able to safely consume fish from the Southern Mergiel or the Whispering Sea, primarily subsisting on imported goods and what could be grown in domestic conservatories, its residents were further spared the immediate fate of most other coastal cities.

Only ungoverned in the strictest sense of the term, Mergielka's sails turn to the whim of the Association of Praxics, not to be mistaken for the organisationally-similar Scholars' Association of the south, although their close cooperation has led to Mergielka being considered something of a playground for big-hats, regardless of affiliation.

Ostensibly uninvolved in city state politics, Praxics are constantly entrenched in party politics, within their academy and without. The coin spent by influential mages on frivolous escorts through the saltwastes is nothing to scoff at, for those seeking such employment.

Orphicot volatile, the propellant-like powder used to discharge spells from magical arquebuses, was first refined in Mergielka. This fact is a source of great pride among locals who know such things, but a source of great confusion among those who really don't get why they should.

The food is nothing to write home about, more similar to the other city states than it is different -- although it is entirely traditional to write home regardless, stretching the truth to the greatest extent short of outright lying.

There are certainly worse places to pay a tidy sum for a tepid drink and a cold bed.

[justablix]

TOP FIVE SHIPS

o o f

I have been in many many fandoms over the years so this is uuuh let me try what I can come up with on the fly. In no particular order:

Greg Davies/Alex Horne

Partly because this is you asking but also genuinely I haven't been this transfixed by a ship in a while. They are so straightforwardly Together, whatever that actually means, and everyday they choose to elaborate on that, sometimes to the dismay of the shippers

Stegi/McExpert

Because they were my first ever fanfiction I read, on fanfiktion.de. For the non-Germans, they were (are?) German Minecraft YouTubers wayyy back around 2010-14? I think? And probably many, many peoples first gay ship. Ever. This is the nostalgia pick

Ghastly Bespoke/Tanith Low

The diversity m/f ship! From the Skulduggery Pleasant books. Ghastly is a boxer and a tailor and he is very honourable. Tanith is a badass swordfighter. They were destined to be a battle couple but after they finally admitted their feelings after y e a r s, Tanith gets possessed and turned into a murderous psychopath. Which gives our jacked, honourable, well dressed Ghastly internal conflict so bad that it unlocked a few new kinks in me at age thirteen

Bones/Kirk

I am a sucker for a good academy roommates begrudging friends to old married couple to lovers. And for DeForest Kelly and Karl Urban.

Inspector Dash/Inspector Lestrade

The rarepair. Not only am I sailing this ship alone, there is no one else on this fucking ocean, because they're from a niche German audio drama Sherlock Holmes spinoff. They really are perfect for each other and I have no one to rotate them in my mind with. I pick up temporary sailors every now and then but I'm the one keeping this bitch afloat. They're the only ship I write fanfic for

[barkingbonzo]

UNDER SAIL

Harbour Scene with Sailboat and Bathing Children

Vilhelm Carl Ferdinand Arnesen (25 November 1865 – 24 March 1948) was a Danish painter.

Arnesen designed and painted ships and the sea already as a boy, he was probably influenced by his father who was a skipper and built model ships. He was apprenticed to a painter, then went through the Academy's schools. He was the last of the old national marine painters. For the town hall in Elsinore, he painted a large prospectus of the town during the time of the Sound Customs in a kind of Eckersbergian style, a commission on the occasion of the town's 500th anniversary.

He twice won one of the Neuhausen Prizes (1893 for A Larger Sailing Ship Lies Behind the Pilot, 1899 for The Training Ship Georg Stage). He received the Medal of Honour in 1907 (for In the Bright Nights) and was made a Knight of the Dannebrog in 1931

[atimble]

Here are my 9 favorite lgbtq+ characters! Thanks for tagging me @scienter

Willow Rosenberg - Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Cosima Niehaus - Orphan Black

James Flint - Black Sails (I literally could have listed the entire cast of Black Sails but I’ll limit it to one)

Amos Burton - The Expanse

Bess Marvin - Nancy Drew

Clarke Griffin - The 100

Klaus Hargreaves - Umbrella Academy

Black Beard - Our Flag Means Death (also could have listed pretty much all the characters. Love a good gay pirate tv show)

David Rose - Schitts Creek

Honourable mention to Cheery Littlebottom from the Discworld series who I’m not sure technically counts but definitely counts in spirit

Tagging: @flythesail @wanda-apologist @mother-nyx @starrydilemma @xxdivine-chaosxx and anyone else who wants to do this

[celtic-cd-releases]

https://www.elirmusic.com

https://www.facebook.com/elirmusic/

https://elirmusic.bandcamp.com/album/silver-sails-2

https://open.spotify.com/album/1kDkupv3mDkwssE07G2H8G

[wolf-innsheepsclothing]

Character Name: Captain Frederick Wolfgang Amadeus Title/occupation: Captain, Royal Navy. Assigned to the Fleet Training School. Magick Status: Mundus

Biography:

Frederick Amadeus II, more often known by his middle name to separate him from his father, grew up tall and handsome, and was apprenticed as a midshipman to the Navy before he was even 14. His family were descended from a German noble household, who had travelled to Britain in service of the King’s Grandfather, and had been devoted to a life of service ever since. A line of stern, military men who served with distinction and honour, and graceful women who made suitable and sensible matches saw the family hovering on the outskirts of the aristocracy. Never truly a part of the gentry, but regular fixtures at the seasons balls and dinners. Wolfgang grew up with great pressure on his shoulders, to take the family further than ever before, but with a wicked sense of humour and a boyish grin that saw him beloved of many god-parents.

 He set sail, to make a man of him, at just thirteen. Nearly 16 years later, Captain Amadeus is a well-respected officer in Their Majesties Royal Navy, but he was recalled to Swynlake several years ago. He made many good friends in the Navy, and among other services as well, over the years. The disappearance of his old friend, John Darling, only gave him greater reason to stay in Swynlake. The widowed(?) Lady Darling was alone, and he owed it to his friend to ensure the woman was well looked after. Having taken up a position teaching at the Naval Academy, he became a familiar, if imposing figure, around the ‘ton. Many have whispered about when he will seek a wife for himself and enter the season, but he is yet to be induced to do so. Is it simply his commitment to his job that keeps him out of the season? Or could there be another reason? A reason like the tenderness with which he cares for Lady Darling?

However, his good standing and honourable reputation have meant he is ready to sponsor the children of a few dear friends from the military this season, and welcome them into his townhouse to try their luck at finding love. 

[stastrodome]

A Defence of Rupi Kaur

Rupi Kaur is a famous writer whose poetry is admired by millions of people and the stature of her amazing work is unassailable by a nobody like me. I’m not trying to claim anything about her poetry and its artistic success. I am fine if people list her alongside Plath and Yeats. 

This “defence” of her writing is pieced out of Facebook comments about her work in which I was mostly offering a about mainstream literary poetry which was eager to exclude Kaur as being a poet for people who did not know the genre and for the impressionable young. My fence of Kaur in those streams w3as always about the expression of elitism in the literary arts as it exists in America—that is to say around MFA programs in English Departments of Universities around the country. 

Every now and then one of my colleagues would decry the uprise of Kaur (“the Instagram poet” they would call her) and her easy embrace of feminine subjectivity. “I think her poetry is terrible” they would say and then offering comments by saying “Am I missing something”. So, in the stream of comments (almost all affirming that Kaur was somehow not “a real poet”) I was suckered to pipe in a couple of times and both times to disastrous result. Embarrassed, I deleted my contributions to those streams and these notes are just cut and pasted from those comments.

I’m an old man and partial to old-fashioned poetry (Shakespeare, Tennyson, Yeats) so I am not saying I relate to  Rupi Kaur’s poetry but I can see how others relate to her writing and its sensibility. She seems to honestly take prevalent dynamic of poetry as honest and therapeutic but modernizes it with a more understood basis in feminist thought. So, less poems about horses, more about being treated unfairly by men. There is an argument to made for the shift of critical reception being subsumed by the totality of “did you relate to it?” but Rupi Kaur did not create that shift anymore than she created Instagram. She merely understood it in ways which felt authentic and unforced. 

I don’t really relate to Robert Lowell but I have loved some of his poetry enough. I don't like e.e. cummings like I did when I was younger but I can honour what his poetry meant to me when I was starting to get into it. Liking cummings certainly doesn’t embarrass me the way it embarrasses me that I once liked the music of the Clash but I can’t say I would honestly think of turning to cummings now that I’m my Sailing to Byzantium years anymore than I would think of turning to Rupi Kaur. 

That doesn’t mean she isn’t a great poet who kind of does everything people in creative writing programs are told to do, except she did it without their direct permission and, as such, gave hope that was at least one shred of poetry’s function which was not owned completely by the academy. 

As such Kaur avoids a lot of the awful things associated with poetry, its ballet practice anxiety, its coarse eagerness for political authority, its contempt for the working class and takes its spot in a still familiar place of a young woman’s attempt to make her feelings known. 

What kind of twenty year old is going to be into Tennyson and Yeats? I often find the poems that are packaged to us now as meaningful and high-hurdle profound come across as trite and disappointing. All those “powerful” poems about George W. Bush and all those “brave” poems about global warming. In this regard, I don't feel any different reading Rupi Kaur than I feel about reading Elizabeth Bishop or William Carlos Williams and, if I had to rank those three poets I would rank Kaur first. 

I once had a student (first year University) who thought north meant upward like in the sky. I also had a colleague (now a tenured professor at a north eastern college) who was bragging about liking a song by “Warren G Feat Nate Dogg” only to be hilariously humiliated by someone who said “Do you mean Warren G. featuring Nate Dogg?” While the mistake of thinking North meant upward is more obviously uninformed than not realizing “feat” was short for featuring but, because my colleague’s mistake was borne out of pretentiousness it will always feel like a better example of stupidity. That may also be why I think loving on some thirsty contribution to The Best American Poetry feels dumber than hating on a populist poet like Rudi Kaur. 

There is not enough intermediate poetry for young people to read to bring them from early stage of interest (validating sensitivity more than literary intent) to an interest in the heavy-hitting wrist-cutters of Big Poetry. For better or worse, Sylvia Plath was that intermediate figure for my generation, her comparisons of her husband’s infidelity to the holocaust and all. Kaur is a lot more legible than Plath, less prone to outrageous hyperbole and to the the mistake of being a high-minded writer rather than a passionate artist. 

That Kaur was able to do this without direct approval from the Show Don't Tell Industrial Complex is what’s most interesting to me, particularly considering her poetry maintains a very MFA informed vernacular.

Rupi Kaur seems to have found a underserved sector of the poetry market which tells us poetry is alive and well, I don't think makes her poetry bad per se any more than Rod McKuen or Jewel or ee cummings or Longfellow are bad. She is certainly less pompous than Longfellow and there’s a statue of Longfellow in Portland, Maine. The existence of a popular poetry can be good news if some of these new / unexpected readers become so attracted to poetry that they, god forbid, develop an interest in a genre that, otherwise, has practically zero popular interest. 

I suppose some people might be upset see Pavarotti sing with a muppet but that was some of Pavarotti’s finest work. 

Not that Rupi Kaur herself is without guile or ambition or is not some secret super fan of John Ashbery. I would not know. I just think that in her writing we might be seeing the last triumph of creative writing—something vested in the notion of the therapeutic workshop share that somehow leaves the insular circle and reaches the people. . 

[aimeedaisies]

Wednesday 22nd January

As President of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, The Princess Royal began the day at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), where she unveiled the Cape Town Labour Corps Memorial.

The new memorial, which honours the contribution of South African military labourers in the First World War, is part of the CWGC’s commitment to ensuring all those who died in the two World Wars are commemorated equally.

Following this, Her Royal Highness visited the Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation. Here, The Princess Royal heard about the life and work of Archbishop Tutu, his role in supporting healing from discrimination and injustice, and how his legacy is being continued through the current work of the Foundation’s programmes.

On a tour of the Museum, The Princess Royal met staff members at stations throughout the ‘Truth to Power: Desmond Tutu & The Churches - In the struggle against apartheid’ exhibition. Her Royal Highness finished the tour by meeting young people and staff who are taking forward Archbishop Tutu’s legacy through the Leaders for Humanity programme.

Later, The Princess visited the Royal Cape Yacht Club, where she learnt about the work of The Royal Cape Sailing Academy, an organisation that empowers young people to development their skills through sailing.

The Academy teaches young people from some of the most under resourced communities how to sail, thereby developing self-confidence and leadership skills. Her Royal Highness met previous participants from the Cape 2 Rio Race including Jennifer Webb, who was sunk by a whale during the race in 1971.

The Princess Royal also visited the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO), where she toured the observatory and had an in-depth look at the McClean Telescope. The SAAO is the South African national centre for optical and infrared astronomy and is the foremost establishment for optical astronomy across the African continent.

Her Royal Highness met and heard from those who work within the observatory and learnt a little about the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT), the largest optical telescope in the southern hemisphere, which SAAO owns and bears operational responsibility for.

Finally, The Princess Royal visited a Thuthuzela Care Centre (TCC). TCCs are intended to be a safe space for survivors of sexual assault, providing one space where individuals can receive counselling, medical and legal support without having to recount their experience to multiple agencies, thereby avoiding secondary traumatisation.

Her Royal Highness met the team delivering support in the centre, which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The Princess Royal visits South Africa

Published 21st January 2025

The Princess Royal is visiting South Africa this week. Read on for more.

Tuesday 21st January

Today, The Princess Royal conducted her first day of engagements in South Africa.

The Princess Royal’s first visit in South Africa was the South African Riding for the Disabled Association (SARDA), which has provided free equine therapy, sport and training to the most vulnerable in society for the last 52 years. Her Royal Highness previously visited the organisation 30 years ago, on 25 November 1994.

SARDA is the only remaining riding for the disabled training facility of its kind - it has served over 9,500 previously and currently disadvantaged children and their families.

SARDA scholars have won 6 Gold, 2 Silver and 4 Bronze Medals at the Paralympics. Her Royal Highness is President of the Riding for the Disabled Association, becoming Patron of the RDA in November 1971, and President in March 1986.

Later, The Princess Royal toured the British High Commission Residence Garden with Mr Leon Kluge, gold winner at the 2024 Chelsea Flower Show with Cape Floral Kingdom, and Mr Bulelani Bashe, Head Horticulturist at Grootbos Foundation.

The Foundation works to conserve the environment of the Cape Floral Kingdom and to develop sustainable livelihoods through ecotourism, education, enterprise and sports development.

Her Royal Highness planted a Princess Anne Rose in the Residence Garden to symbolise the visit.

[thesschesthair]

I've been trying to catch up on shit i've wanted to watch this year. This is the list so far:

D&D honour amongst thieves is so so good. I enjoyed it way more than I thought I would. It's my fave film this year so far.

John Wick 4 is what I expected, although i've never felt so exhausted watching someone else try to get up some steps.

Creed III was boring.

Fast X is dumb af still but better than the last few- Momoa smashes it & makes it interesting again.

Quantumania is funny and your typical Antman movie, but it looked like a lot was ripped off from Star Wars aesthetically.

Guardians of the Galaxy is surprising. I wasn't too bothered about watching because I really can't stand Pratt anymore, but the Rocket storyline was tragic and worth it. That shit hurt but the jokes soothed the pain.

Across the Spiderverse is good but that ending suuuuuuucked.

Ted Lasso is up there with Black sails for me- an amazing & wonderful show with unforgettable characters i'm going to miss terribly.

Umbrella Academy s3 is better than I expected.

Abbott Elementary is another variation of Parks & Rec. I don't think it's as good, but I still like it? It's not very exciting but i'm hooked.

NEXT ON THE LIST IS THE FINAL PART OF MANIFEST AND IT HAS BEEN HARD AS FUCK AVOIDING SPOILERS... BUT I KNOW NOTHING YET AND WANT IT TO STAY LIKE THAT UNTIL I CAN WATCH.... I CAN'T FUCKING WAIT.

[ouroborus-momento-mori]

In the Air Tonight - Chapter One, Someday

Word count: 8,990 Link to AO3: Here.

Lt. Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin x Reader

18+. Does contain explicit sexual scenes. Please do not interact if you are a minor.

The fics corresponding Spotify playlist: Hangman

Glen Powell’s Hangman’s playlist: Hangman’s Direct Hits

***

Life likes to throw curveballs at you. You had become all too familiar with this fact, as it often meant that you couldn’t plan your life too far ahead. So, you’ve trained yourself to live in the now. To take everything you can out of the moment. Because in your experience, you could never predict what the future had in store for you.

Fourteen years ago, having freshly turned eighteen, you enlisted yourself in the Navy. You started your career at the Naval Academy, studying to take your post as an Intelligence Officer. Those first four years were some of the toughest of your life. The gruelling training haven taken you from being an as green as grass civilian to a pragmatic and astute military officer. 

Some parts of you wished that you hadn't chosen this life for yourself. Nearly every other path you could have walked would likely have been easier. But you tried not to blame your younger self, for she was a slightly naive girl with stars in her eyes when signing those papers. 

You couldn’t really blame her, especially not after all those charming and alluring words the recruiter had slipped into her mind back in high school. Now, it was your duty to yourself and to her to try to make the best out of the life you had. 

You had made yourself a vow near the end of your time with the military. One that you had yet to forsake. That vow was that you would do everything possible to protect yourself, your feelings, and your own peace. 

This vow had come into place after you had tragically lost one of your best friends, Tiana. She had been the most beautiful soul you had ever known, a jubilant person who spread love and joy wherever she went. She had joined the Navy as a Nurse, wanting to sail around the world while helping people. 

She had been killed in an explosion. Your ship had been docked in a foreign harbour, giving your shipmates a chance to go on land and stretch their legs. Tiana had been a part of a team to volunteer to bring supplies and gifts to a local hospital. 

On the way there, the convoy had been a victim of an Improvised Explosive Device. Tiana’s vehicle had been the worst hit. She had bled out while working to stop the bleeding on one of her fellow passengers. 

Her death still haunts you to this day. It had spun your own life completely around. How could someone so pure and kindhearted have been the victim of such a horrific act? 

You had grieved her for months and you still missed her everyday. A few months after her death your eight year service contract with the Navy had been up for renewal. You couldn’t bring yourself to sign those papers again. So, just like that , you had been honourably discharged from the Navy. 

You had spent a few months floating around the country as a civilian, seeking the thrill of life again. But your heart longed for you to do more, to help people, to seek to protect innocents again. 

So you picked yourself up and moved to Washington D.C., finding a part time job at a local Veterans Affairs centre, helping veterans like yourself find new purpose in their civilian life while you still searched for yours.

Previously, you had envisioned yourself as a career officer . Intending for your whole working life to be dedicated to your service in the military. The first major curveball in your life had been Tiana’s death, it had made you come to an almost complete stop and had forced you to change directions. 

The second major curveball had been a complete unfathomable surprise to you, as curveballs often are. While you had been searching for a new career and purpose in life, it turns out someone ( something ) had taken notice of you. 

It had been a grey foggy morning, you had been in your office, when your office’s assistant had notified you that you had a meeting. An unscheduled meeting. 

Thus began a long road of you being recruited by the CIA. They had scouted you after you had left the service having had an exemplary, but cut short , career.  

That had been nearly two years ago. And it’s what brought you to where you are right now. 

Presently, you were getting yourself all dolled up for the evening. You took great pride in yourself and your appearance. 

Sure , some may call it vain. But you knew the power you held, and everytime you stepped out in public, for everyone to see, you liked to look your very best. 

Especially for evenings like tonight. 

Early on in your career you had learned just how powerful really femininity is. How something so seemingly simple as a slight doe eyed look or a well fitted dress could so easily become a weapon . 

You have learned to use your god given assets to your advantage. And that is exactly what you intended to do tonight. 

Tomorrow afternoon you were to ship off with your team of operatives to begin gathering intel in a hostile foreign country. You knew the stakes were high for the mission ahead, just like how you knew tensions would be running high.

You needed to let yourself go tonight, to let off some steam.  

There would be very little to no opportunities to do so on your deployment, and you were eager to let go of everything you had built up. So that tomorrow when you left, you had a near clean slate to build on again.

You sauntered over to your closet, bare feet padding lightly on the hardwood floors.

Thankfully for you, a friend you had made while working with the VA had invited you along to some fancy congressman’s charity event. A very high ranking friend, Rear Admiral Grant, deputy commander of the United Sates Second Fleet. 

You had said yes of course, not only to see your friend before having to leave, but also because you were all too familiar with events like these. And all too familiar with the kind of men who attended them.

Part of you felt like you were on the prowl tonight, searching for your next victim to sink your teeth into. 

Not that you would ever say that aloud. It sounded a little too similar to the kind of bodice ripper smut you used to consume when you were younger.

Reaching your closet, you gently pried the doors open. You let your hand glide over the dresses you had picked out as candidates for the evening. You stopped when you reached your favourite, taking time to let the satin glide between your fingers. Yes, you were feeling like wearing redtonight. 

Having made your decision, you let your robe fall off of your body, before slipping in to dress. 

You enjoyed the way it hugged your body. The dress has a built in boning lining the bodice, creating the perfect hidden corset to highlight everything you wanted to show off tonight.

Taking a minute, you admired yourself in the mirror. You had done well.

Your hair had been perfectly curled into soft voluminous waves, then perfectly piled into a soft updo - perfect for oncoming done later. 

Your makeup was flawless imperfect, with chiselled contour, lifted brows, fox eye makeup, cheeks perfectly flushed and a pouty lip to match.

You looked devastating. It was perfect.

***

Stepping out of your Uber you took pleasure in the soft clicking of your heels on the marble stairs, heading up towards the hotel’s ballroom. 

You had to admit, you were impressed. The event was very well done, the whole grand ballroom decked out in full glamour. The room had dimmed lighting and was filled with dark wood, leather and deep jewel tones. 

It reminded you of an old WW2 era officers club, which was fitting for the occasion. The congressman throwing the gala was donating all proceeds to the Air Warrior Courage Foundation, a charity you were more than happy to donate some funds to.

Your eyes swept over the room as you walked towards the bar, scanning with two intentions. 

The first was to locate the good admiral, Oliver Grant. You were looking forward to catching up with him and his wife this evening.

The second you took far more glee in. Your eyes scanned the crowd, taking stock of the men in the room. There were plenty of dashing and ambitious men in the room. Your eyes lingered on a few that peaked your interest, even catching eyes with a couple. 

As you waited for your first glass of red wine for the evening, you let your gaze linger on an almost-obscenely handsome aviator. He was standing with other sharply dressed men in uniform, friends or colleagues of his.

As if he could feel your eyes on him, his eyes turned to meet yours, stopping you both in your tracks for a moment. Target in sight.

Even from far away you could tell his eyes were a striking blue-green colour. You held his gaze with a sly smile, not shy to admit to him that you had been admiring him. From the slow grin that grew on his face, you could tell he was appreciative. 

You positioned yourself slightly tilted away from him, flicking your eyes towards the bartender as he handed you your drink. Turning your eyes back over your shoulder towards the blonde, you caught him slowly lowering his gaze clearly checking you out. 

You felt a warm shiver run down your spine, a heat settling into your centre. Your first of hopefully many thrills this evening. 

You smiled demurely at him once he caught your gaze again, nodding slightly to him. He nodded to you as well, with what you were sure was his signature wink, acknowledging your attention with a slight raise of his beer towards you. 

Making sure his gaze was still on you, you started to walk away towards a crowd of people intent on finding your friend. You made sure to add an extra little sway to your hips as you walked away. 

You made your way over to where you knew Oliver and his wife, Sherry, would be. The two of them always had a crowd around them, as was typical of a couple of their status. Oliver was the highest ranking officer in the room tonight.

“Oh! There you are my sweet little, Cherry.” A soft euphoric voice flowed over in your direction. It was Sherry, who was quite possibly one of your most favourite people.

She’s a shorter, slightly plump, older woman with the most impeccable style. She was looking glamorous tonight, dressed in a floor length light pink gown, her red hair piled on top of her head in a bundle of curls. 

Sherry and Oliver had become like a second set of parents to you here in D.C.. Sherry volunteered frequently with various veterans organisations, you had met her and her husband through your brief stint with the VA. 

When you had confessed to Sherry about your past, she had warmly welcomed you, adopting you into her life.

“Sherry!” You laughed lightly, walking into her open arms as she embraced you in a warm motherly hug, giving you a kiss on the cheek. 

“Cherry!” Oliver laughed as well, patting you on your shoulder as you pulled away from Sherry. 

Sherry had presented you with your long lasting nickname after the one single time you had worn a certain cherry-printed sundress in her presence. She had thought it was adorable and ever since she and Oliver had referred to you as Cherry. Sometimes you playfully acted exasperated at the nickname, but in reality it warmed you.

Sherry & Cherry. An unlikely symbolic tie between you and your would-be adopted mother. 

“How’s the prep going, kid?” Oliver prompted kindly. He and Sherry both knew you were shipping out tomorrow, but only Oliver knew what waited for you overseas. Sherry wasn’t aware of what your mission pertained too, but with all her diligent work with veterans, she held an empathy within her for what you were about to face.

“All finished. Everything is packed and by the door waiting for me. Now all that’s left is one last hurrah and a night of rest.” You smiled reassuringly towards them, not wanting to worry them. 

You weren’t overly worried for yourself, you tried not to linger on the what-ifs of the future. Best to live in the now.

“Oh sweetie, I’m gonna miss you.” Sherry hugged your side, smiling sadly up towards you.

“I know, darlin’. I’ll be home before you know it.” You tightly squeezed her hand. 

“You let me know if you need anything over there, kid. I can get almost anything delivered to the nearest military outpost for ya.” Oliver nodded towards you, a proud fatherly smile on his face. 

He had a good idea of what your mission was, you were sure of it. He had likely tapped into his own intel channels within the fleet to see what various objectives in your area were going to be.

You went to thank him, but were abruptly cut off by the man of the hour, Congressman Rodriguez as he started his “many thanks” speech of the evening.

Everyone in the room had turned their eyes towards him, listening to his far too long speech. Men in politics had a tendency to speak too much about themselves and their accomplishments, always a re-election speech, instead of focusing on the charity you were all here to really support tonight. 

You felt your eyes starting to drift again, fixating on a set of empty chairs near the centre of the room. Set between them was an oddly beautiful  game of Battleship, it was gleaming in the dimmed lighting. Glancing around you could see various other military themed board games around the room, they were commonly used as icebreakers.   

You smirked to yourself, having formulated a plan for how you were going to really catch the attention of that aviator from earlier. You hadn’t seen a wedding ring on his finger, nor was there a beautiful woman on his arm this evening. You were going to make sure he was yours for the night, and only for the night. 

The last thing you needed right now was to get tangled into something with the lifestyle you were currently living. While you loved your work with the CIA, it often meant being quite secretive and often having to leave for long periods of time. Not exactly the best conditions to get into any kindof relationship besides short hookups.

A sudden shiver went down your spine, there were eyes on you. Which, to be completely honest, was not unusual. Especially with the way you looked tonight. But this was different, their gaze was warm, and intentional. 

Turning subtly to the side, you playfully let your eyes glide over the crowds of people. Searching for a set of newly familiar blue-green eyes you were certain were the ones watching you now.

Locking eyes, you were only slightly surprised with how heated his gaze was. Well that settles that . You knew exactly how your night was going to end. You were looking forward to the build up the two of you were going to have over the course of the evening. 

You playfully looked through your lashes at him, giving him a cheeky wink your own. Target acquired .

When the congressman had finally finished his speech you turned your attention once more towards Oliver, nodding towards the chairs and board game. 

“What do you say, old man? One last game before I ship out?” You joked lightly with him, a cocky grin on your face.

“You know I can never say no to a challenge. You're on, Cherry.” He grinned mischievously at you. Sherry couldn’t help but chuckle at both of your antics.

As the three of you made your way over to the table, you turned your gaze backwards once again locking eyes with your target of the night. You made sure to add a seductive sway to your steps and put on a taunting smile as you nodded towards the table, making sure he would know where to watch for you.

You saw his eyes widen slightly as you took your place at the table, choosing your lucky side of the game. 

He was most likely surprised and impressed with who you were about to beat in a game of Battleship. If you were to take a guess, Oliver was most likely the deputy commander of his fleet. 

“Ready to put on a show?” You jokingly asked of Oliver, observing the crowd that was now gathering around you and the admiral.

“Ready as ever, Cherry.”

The two of you began the not so delicate dance that was the game of Battleship. Each taking turns to sink each other's ships. 

You chanced a glance over to your aviator, only to him more fixated on the game board instead of the game player . You don’t know why this irritated you slightly. You were feeling greedy. You wanted his eyes on you .

“The Hangman caught your eye?” Oliver quietly asked you, a devilish grin on his face as he sunk a hit on one of your ships. 

You huffed as you made your next move. “The who?”

“The Hangman. Lieutenant Jake Seresin. The blonde aviator you’ve been making eyes with all night?” Oliver looked downright tickled as your cheeks turned rosey. That bastard.

You glared playfully up at the man as you chose to remain quiet, concentrating on your strategy. You wanted to win. You called out your next shot, effectively sinking one of his patrol boats. 

“He’s one of my fleet's top pilots. In fact, he’s one of the best amongst his gen. He’d probably be well worth your time getting to know .” Oliver was jokingly wiggling his eyebrows at you. 

You laughed while shaking your head with a wide smile on your face. If there wasn’t a crowd watching you would have playfully reached over to smack his arm.

“Oh come on, Cherry. Sherry and I don’t have any children. You're our best bet at giving us any semblance of grand babies. Even if they’re the furry kind. You know we’d help you with anything.”

“Little soon to be bringing up Hangman and I’s prospective babies, isn’t it Ollie? I haven’t even met the man yet.” You smiled in disbelief, chancing another glance over to your aviator - Jake . 

You sucked in a breath as you made eye contact with the man. Yup. You definitely wouldn’t mind having his babies. Good lord. You were sure he had an ego that lived up to both his reputation and his looks.

Oliver started laughing again, pulling you out of your heated staring match. You were getting close to the end of your game now, both of you toe to toe with only a couple ships left.

“I’m definitely introducing you two.”

“That's alright. I think I’ve got how tonight’s going to go down all figured out.” You winked to the man, reassuring him that you had everything under control.

The two of you were getting down to the last few strikes you needed to win the game, you could feel a sense of anticipation even in the crowd. Like a magnet you felt your drawn up to behind Oliver, where your blonde aviator ( Jake ) was standing. 

He offered you a slightly awed smile and a wink as the two of you made eye contact. You felt a grin on your face, appreciating the encouragement he was offering you in this ever so trying time of yours.

Feeling a sense of warmth coming over you at the knowledge you had at least one - actually, now that you caught sight of her, Sherry was definitelyrooting for you too - so at least two supporters in the crowd, you called out your hopefully last strike. 

“3F.” In an instant you heard the onset of groans from Oliver and those behind him, signalling your win. 

You couldn’t help the triumphant grin that made its way onto your lips, laughing at the playful disbelief on Oliver's face. The both of you standing up, you shook hands, you pulled Oliver in for a hug. 

“How could you embarrass me like this, Cherry? My men are never going to let me live this down.” Oliver smiled sheepishly at you, a laugh on his lips. 

Sherry pried you away from him, pulling you into her own arms for a side hug. The night was getting later now. They would soon likely be leaving for the evening. Time to say your see you laters .

“Thankfully for you, Ollie - most of your men have likely drunk too much to remember the outcome of your game.” Sherry laughed, patting her husband's chest good naturedly.

You smiled wistfully at the two of them. They had been together for nearly thirty years and they were still so in love. 

Oliver smiled sadly at you, recognizing how late in the evening it was, and what that meant for the three of you.

“I think it’s time we say goodnight, don’t you think Sherry? Cherry here needs to rest up. She’s got a big day ahead of her tomorrow.” 

Sherry’s eyes started to go glassy as she looked up to you, once again pulling you into another hug. You roped Oliver in too, giving him a kiss on the cheek and Sherry a kiss on the forehead. 

“I’ll see you both in no time at all. I promise . It’ll be like a blink and I’ll be back here stateside once again.” You stayed strong, unwilling to give in to your emotions. 

“We’ll see you soon, Cherry. We both love you, so very much .” Sherry let herself shed a tear, reaching up to pat your cheek. She knew your penchant for never saying goodbye.

“Love you guys too. I’ll see you soon.” You smiled towards them, pulling them in for one more short hug before waving them off. You watched them make their way out of the room, having to say about a dozen other goodbyes before they were left for the evening.

You rolled your shoulders slightly, clenching your jaw a few times blinking your eyes. Game time . You only had a few hours left of the evening to accomplish your goal for the night.

Turning around you scanned the crowd once again searching for a certain someone. Thankfully, he hadn’t moved positions too much from his last known location. Target locked in sight .

You quickly judged your angle of attack, before deciding on your path of flight. “Hangman” ( what a callsign ) was standing about twenty feet from the bar, giving you the perfect opportunity.

Putting an extra swing in your hips you began your journey towards the bar, aiming to buzz past the aviator. Closing in . You set your gaze directly on him now, your eyes calling his up towards yours. 

You gave him a coy smile, holding his gaze as you brushed right past him on your way to the bar. You held his gaze over your shoulder for a moment before fixating on the bar, pulling up in a spot where there were few people, an opening on either side of you for someone to take.

You ordered yourself an old fashioned, needing the burn of the whiskey to ease the last remaining nerves you had.

Feeling your breathing and pulse both quicken slightly, you registered the fact there was someone gliding up to your side. You were leaning as casually as possible on the bar when he pulled up on your side, his left arm brushing against yours. He was considerably taller than you, his presence even going as far to cast a shadow over your figure. You didn’t mind.

You glanced over towards him through your eyelashes, aiming a doe eyed look in his direction as you captured his eyes in your gaze. 

“You know, little red ” He started softly, smiling down conspiratorially at you, “you’re the kind of woman to make a man think he may be religious. You might just be the answer to all my prayers tonight.” He bumped you lightly on your shoulder. 

You let out a barking laugh at the absurdness of it. Oh shit . He’s one of those pick up artists.

“That the best you got in your roster, fly guy?” You turned a taunting smile his way, turning front on to him, standing closer. After all, if what seemed like it was in the air tonight was actually true, you wouldn’t need to hear very much from him.

“Well shit, ma’am. I had a few more lines waiting to be used, but I’m hoping I can demonstrate just how useful I can really be to you this evening.” 

“You better slow down before you get ahead of yourself, Lieutenant . Wouldn’t want you to crash and burn too early in the night. We haven’t even exchanged names yet.” You grinned up at him, stepping half a step closer. You could see all the swirling shades in his eyes from this close, the blue and green seemingly at war with each other for dominance.

“Lieutenant Jake Seresin at your service , ma’am.” He was openly gazing at you with brazen lust in his  eyes. You felt a heat settling into your centre, your breathing starting to deepen. “Figured Admiral Grant would have told you that though. Quite the show you put on there.”

“I saw you watching us, I appreciated your support. I was hoping…” You trailed off, glancing up towards him then over to the exit of the ball room. “I was hoping you might let me express my absolute gratitude ?” 

You were playful now, reaching up near his collar to swipe a non-existent piece of lint, using the excuse to lay your hand on him briefly.

“You seem to have the upperhand on me here, Red .” He smirked down at you, referencing the colour of your dress,“You didn’t give me your name.” 

You leaned towards him, placing your hand on his resting on the bar. 

“You can keep calling me Red.” You squeezed his hand gently, intertwining your fingers. The two of you naturally gravitated towards each other, your chests deliciously now touching. “Or ma’am . Whatever you prefer.” 

“Why the secrecy, Red? You some kind of top secret agent or something?” He was joking, but you couldn’t help the little giggle that escaped you.

“Something of the sort. I’m shipping out tomorrow.” His brows raised in understanding. He was military. He knew exactly what you were after tonight. He also had the sense not to push you any further. He knew you wanted him.

“So what do you say, fly guy? Can you give me a nice send off? Something to think about on those long hot nights in the desert.” You crooned to him, eyes shining mischievously, smiling that coy little smile of yours up towards him.

“I can definitely send you off with something to remember, Red.” He secured your hand in the small of his elbow, leading you towards the exit to begin the main event of the evening. 

***

The two of you could barely make it to the elevator in time before nearly jumping each other. Thankfully Jake had a suite booked upstairs. 

The walk to the elevator had been painstakingly long, even more so as you waited for that damned elevator, both silently praying to your god of choice that no one else would come up behind you to join you in your wait.

Once that elevator door digned open you both rushed in, stuck to each other's sides. Jake quickly slammed his hand on the floor level and close door button as you caught sight of another couple rushing to try and catch a ride with you. 

The door had barely closed when you felt Jake cup your waist with one hand, your face in his other. “This okay with you, Red?” You nodded at him, eyes fixated on his lips, inching closer towards him. “You speak up if I do anything you don’t like, ma’am. I won’t mind.”

Ma’am . His husky tone sent a warm jolt through your core. The casual way he calls you by it, unknowing of your military past. His charm works its way on you, sending a warm fuzzy feeling between your thighs. 

You reached for his belt loops, tugging him towards you. “Likewise, fly guy.” 

He takes a sharp breath in before slamming his lips down hungrily upon yours, his kiss earnest and fierce. The two of you moulded perfectly together, panting in between rushed kisses and hurried grasps as he backed you up against the cool metal wall of the elevator. 

You let out a hiss as the cold metal hit your bare back. You once again reached for his belt loops, using them to manoeuvre him so he was the one pushed against the elevator wall. 

He opened his eyes, his pupils fully blown with lust, eyes near black in the dim lighting. He gazed down at you with an awed half smile, an inquisitive look in his expression. 

You leaned upwards, kissing along his jaw and ear as you pushed your centre against his growing erection. He let out a breathy moan. “Hope you don’t mind, Hangman . Any objections?” He didn’t question how you knew his callsign.

You continued your attack on his jugular as you waited for his response, leaving wet kisses along his neck. 

“Not at all, ma’am. I’m all yours to do as you please.” You grinned up wolfishly at him as the elevator door signed open. 

“Lead the way, Lieutenant.” You purred. 

He led you quickly down the hall with his hand at the small of you pack, petting the material. You reached your hand to lead him further down to grasp at the curve of your ass. He gave you a light smack.

Before you knew it you were in front of his door, Jake fumbling around in his pocket to try and pull out his room card. You giggled slightly as he clearly struggled to find it, ever aware of the growing hard on he has.

Once he finally found the card the two of you were dragging each other through the door before slamming and locking it shut again.

The two of you battled for dominance with your lips, breathy moans and sighs releasing as you tried your best to tear the many unfortunate layers of Jake's dress uniform off of him, careful not to rip anything. Those uniforms were fucking expensive .

You finally managed to unbutton and pull his outer layers off, leaving him only in his base button down shirt and pants. You reached for his belt, looking up into his eyes for reassurance. “This alright, Jake?” You made sure to use his name, pulling him back to earth for a moment. 

“Sure is, Red. I’ll let you know if anything changes.” His eyes were warm on you, not just with lust, but with what you thought appreciation too. Consent was always important to you, you were glad he held the same value. 

With glee, you started to undo his standard issue belt, him starting to unbutton his dress shirt. You tried to muffle the groan you wanted to release upon seeing just how in shape the man before you is. It was clear from most of your interactions this evening he had an ego, you did not need to feed into it.

But god , you really couldn’t help yourself. You loved to please your partners. Their ecstasy adding to yours. You were going to take significantpleasure in bringing this practical Adonis to release tonight.

Jake kicked off his dress shoes, leaving him only in his socks and pants. You, however, were still fully dressed. Jake clearly thought this was unfair.

With a predatory intent he backed you up towards the wall before lightly turning you around, pushing you up against the wall. He trailed wet hot kisses down the trail of your neck down, focusing his attention on the joint of your neck and shoulders. 

Fuck. You were definitely going to have hickeys tomorrow. You mentally pushed aside the thought of your teammates giving you the gears about it tomorrow.

Both of your hands rested against the wall in front of you, as Jake pushed his growing erection against you. His hands were trailing lightly up and down your sides. 

“Quit being such a tease and undress me.” You huffed out to him, grinning at his languid expression. “ Please .” You added, for good measure.

He kissed the base of your neck before bringing one hand up to your zipper, the other slipping down to your lower abdomen, pushing down with just the right pressure . At this rate you might just pass away. You just wanted him to touch you .

He unzipped your dress tauntingly slow, his breath warm fanning across your back. His fingers glided down the centre of your back as he unzipped you, sending shivers down your spine with how light his touch was on your back. When your dress was all the way undone he lightly let it fall to the ground. 

You stepped out of the dress, chucking your heels off to the side of the room, before once more grabbing him by his belt loops. You flip the two of you around, pushing him up against the wall, beginning to undo his pants. You glance up towards him seeking permission. 

He dips his lips down to yours, pulling you in by your hips for a heated kiss. His tongue flicked into your mouth. You opened for him, tasting whiskey on his tongue. He sighed in pleasure. 

You began tugging his pants down his waist, your mouth leaving his to press light kisses down his delicious front. Good lord . Fuck. He was absolutely shredded. His six pack looked like it was carved in marble, and the tantalising v of his waist leading your gaze down towards his bulging cock. 

You were certain you were drenched. You continued your trail down his front as he watched on in awe of you. His cock twitched as you started to lightly tease his lower abdomen, right where his underwear started.

“Thought tonight was all about you, Red? You’re the one shipping out tomorrow.” Jake breathed down out, but wasn’t protesting your actions. 

“I like to spoil my partners. You don’t mind, do you?” You smiled coyly up towards him, giving him a taunting doe eyed look as you cupped his erection, laying light kisses over his underwear. 

“ Fuck .” He bucked lightly into your touch, clearly enjoying your attention.

“You gonna answer me, baby?” 

“Fu- no. Yes. Please. Continue.” Jake let out a light wanton whimper as you began pulling his underwear down, giving him the same treatment he gave you. You adored rendering powerful men like him speechless with just your touch. It made you feel powerful. 

He was huge. Now you understood why he had such an air of an ego about him. He was by far the biggest of anyone you had ever been with. Fuckhe was pretty too. His Hollywood charm encompassed every aspect of him. You would have been pissed off about it if you weren’t about to have his cock in your mouth. 

You stroked him firmly, cupping his balls in your other hand. His hips rocking up into your grip, you had a steady rhythm going between the two of you.

“You want my mouth on you?” 

“Yes, ma’am.” He groaned out, eyes shining down at you with some unreadable emotion in them. 

You took him in your mouth slowly, needing to take some time to adjust, careful not to scrape him with your teeth. 

His hands reached down to grasp your face and neck, settling into your hair. His grip made your up-do start to come undone. You didn’t mind too much.

You groaned as the taste of precum hit your tongue, enjoying the tangy saltiness of it. You started bobbing your head lightly, Jake was trying his best to remain still so as not to overwhelm you. 

His pulling on your hair was driving you wild, and one of your hands left cupping his ball in favour of trailing down your own abdomen, your clit near begging for attention.

You pushed your own panties to the side so you could touch yourself, putting the perfect amount of pressure you liked. You moaned around his cock, making him tug on your hair harder - shivering in pleasure as he moaned.

“Fuck. You’re gorgeous. Have I told you that tonight? You are an absolute - fuck - a fucking goddess, Red.” Your thighs clenched together at his words, they were music to your ears and food for your own ego. This is why you loved pleasuring your partners.

He was full on panting now as you swirled your tongue around his tip, paying extra attention to lap up the leaking precum. “You keep this up and you’re going to have me cumming in no time, ma’am. Can’t have that. I've been wanting to sink into you all night.”

He lightly tugged on your hair to bring you off his cock, tugging your lips up towards his own. He kissed you fiercely, tasting himself on your lips. Your tongues battled for dominance, seeking to show each other who was in charge. 

His hands slid down your sides to your thighs,leaning down slightly without breaking your kiss to pick you up, wrapping your legs around his waist. You let out a little squeal of delight, giggling at how easy it was for him to pick you up. 

Only now were you realising the two of you hadn’t even made it out of the entryway of his hotel room. He held you steady in his arms as he manoeuvred through the hotel room towards the bedroom. 

He threw you down on your back on to the plush bed, taking care to brace your head and neck. Without pause he started kissing down the valley of your breasts, reaching up to tweak your nipples from the outer layer of your bra. 

“You still good, Red?” He breathed into your skin, glancing up at you from behind his lashes. Fuck you loved his eyes. You could spend eternity staring into their depths.

“You gonna answer me, baby?” He asked, repeating your line from before back to you.

“More than good, Jake. You gonna show me what that mouth of yours can do?” You raised your brow with a sly smile, presenting him with a challenge.

“I’m gonna ruin you for everyone else. Hope you know that.” 

“You’re talking big game for someone who hasn’t even found my clit yet.” You giggled at his expression.

“Give me a minute, baby. I’m not used to flying blind.” 

He came swooping back up to kiss you. It was a hungry kiss, tongue and all, but there was something different about this one. You enjoyed his attention, and his kisses. Come to think of it, you’ve been just enjoying him . His presence too. You meshed well together. 

You didn’t linger on that thought. 

His hand trailed down, cupping you at your core. He worked both his hands to pull your underwear down, leaving you open and exposed to the cool room's air. You weren’t left uncovered for long. 

He once again cupped you at your core, supporting your arching back with his other hand as he began trailing his way down your front leaving a blazing hot trail of wet open mouthed kisses. He eventually found your clit after some light probing. Bulls eye .

Fuck he was good with his hands too .

When his mouth had finally reached your core he took the time to hook one of your thighs over his shoulder, leaning to press a lasting kiss to the inside of your thigh. He latched himself directly on to your clit, lapping languidly seeming to genuinely take pleasure in the way you tasted.

He groaned into your centre causing you to let out a moan at the vibrations that wracked through you. One of his hand was holding your thigh on his shoulder, the other beginning to finger you. 

One, then two fingers entered you, scissoring you to prepare you for his massive cock. 

“You’re so fucking wet for me, Red.” He squeezed the thigh he was holding. “Don’t be afraid to let out a little noise. I love the sounds you’re making.”

“Fuck, Jake .” You whimpered out as he began his targeted assault on both your g-spot and clit, his fingers curving up into you. “You’re so good to me. You weren’t fucking lying either. You’re gonna be a tough one to beat.”

He paused in his ministrations, his hand squeezing your thigh much harder now. He let out a low throaty laugh, almost a growl. You glanced down at him wondering what was the matter, only to find him gazing up at you, his gaze dark and clouded.

“Oh, Red.” He began, before crawling his way back up to you, his significantly larger frame looming over you. “There’s going to be no beating me, I’m the best. Your best. I can remind you of that fact at any point in the future. Preferably near future.” 

You could only gulp in response, lost for words. Your entire body was humming with a thrill. Was he - was he jealous of prospective future partners of yours?

You’ve gotta be shitting me.

You simply decided to stop that train of thought for both of you with a kiss, hooking one of your legs up over his waist, pushing his core down towards you. He began rutting lightly, his cock held firmly between you. The pressure was delicious but you desired more. 

Using the leverage you had with your leg hooked around his waist, you flipped the two of you over, you planted proudly on top of him.

“I think after tonight you’re going to find I’m going to be tough to beat too, baby. Enjoy me while you still can.” You smirked down at him, grinding your wet folds over his fully hardened cock. “You got a condom anywhere?”

He actually let out a little whimper , that awed look back in his eyes as he smirked up at you, his eyes practically twinkling. He nodded towards the bedside table to his left. 

You scrambled off him to grab one, coming back to straddle his thick thighs. You ripped open the packet, throwing it to the side. You slowly rolled the condom down his cock, leaning down to give it a kiss once it was securely in place.

“You’re gonna kill me, baby.” He huffed out, a smiling grin on his lips. You briefly thought to yourself about how much you liked his smile.

You held yourself above him, straddling him, as you grasped his cock lining it up with your entrance. You slowly lowered yourself down on to him, taking pleasure in how well he stretched you. You had to pause twice on your way down just to adjust to him, before he was fully inside you. 

You looked at eachother with half-lidded gazes. The lust in his eyes was not hidden at all as he began to unconsciously slowly rut into you, your teasing unmoving state starting to drive him wild.

“You gonna show me how a real man fucks, baby?” You taunted down to him, wanting to jeer him on slightly more.

With one strong movement of his hips he snapped up into you, burying himself to the hilt, his cock twitching inside of you as he groaned at the hot tightness of your walls surrounding him.

He reached up to grab a fistful of your hair, bringing you down to meet his lips halfway in a forceful kiss, your tongue entwining with his. “ So fucking good to me, Red .” He breathed into you, a small bite to your tongue sending a shiver down your body.

The two of you began a relentless rhythm, both working towards making the other cum hard. The pounding of his hips up into yours caused your breasts to bounce, one of his large hands coming up to grasp one, tweaking your nipple. He watched you through half-lidded eyes, continuing his amazingly brutal pace. You moaned into his mouth. 

“Fuck! I’m so close.” You panted, your eyes rolling into the back of your head. You began to reach your hand down to where you two were joined, intent on helping yourself to finish. 

His hand slapped yours lightly away, taking its place to stimulate your clit for himself.

“Let me know if the pressure is okay, Red.” 

“ Such a gentleman, Jake . Little harder please.” He obeyed your wishes, stroking your clit with your prefered side to side, up and down with just the right pressure.

Wrapping his other arm around your back, his strength was impressive as kept the war up on two fronts, chasing both of your highs. He kept pounding up into you, all his inhibitions lost, as his cock pumped in to you. 

It was by far the most intense sexual experience you have ever had, the man arching up off the bed into you until you were a mess of moans, whimpers, tingles and screams. 

Your climax hit you like a dozen exploding rockets behind the lids of your eyes .

“Fuck. Fuck!” Was all Jake could manage to say as he spilled into the condom inside you, your walls milking him as you both ran out your highs, his hips still stuttering up into your core.

You came down before he did, melting completely into him, resting on his chest. You placed absent minded kisses on his chest, your hands rubbing his chest lazily, unwilling to let go of him just yet. 

The two of you just laid there on the bed holding each other, catching up on your breaths. When you turned your eyes to him you found him watching you, a curious expression you couldn’t quite make out on his face. 

You hummed at him, not quite understanding what his eyes were trying to convey. You ran your fingers through his hair and pressed gentle kisses up and down his jaw. 

“Don’t suppose you have enough energy for a round two?” You smiled down at him. His eyes immediately lit up, his cock twitching with interest - still buried inside you. You couldn’t help but giggle.

***

Your fun ran well into the early hours of the next morning. Rounds two and three being just as good as the first. You continued exploring each other's bodies for hours, bits of small talk strewn and water breaks strewn between them.

Eventually the sun started to shine through the curtains - your tell-tale sign that you absolutely couldn’t delay any longer. You had a flight to catch . Unfortunately. 

Even though you had settled on the fact you didn’t want a relationship with anyone , you couldn’t help but wish you had more time to spend with Jake. He was caring, able to thoroughly fuck you, and funny. 

You didn’t have time to consider that though. In less than forty eight hours you would be touching down in a desert, where you couldn’t afford to have any distractions. 

That included the butterflies you got when you thought about the would-be lover you were laying in bed with. You hadn’t intended to stay this long with him. You hadn’t slept, but you had meant to leave after all the sex was over. 

You blamed the fact you were resting in his arms on your sore thighs and legs. You started to get up from his grasp only for Jake to gently pull you back in. You didn’t fight him on it.

Your hand continued to absentmindedly rub up and down his chest, finding the skin to skin contact comforting. 

“What time does your flight leave?” He was avoiding your gaze.

“Early this afternoon.” You gulped, trying to catch his eyes. “I’ll have to leave soon. I gotta make it back to my apartment to freshen up.”

He finally met your stare, his expression closed off from you - far different from how he had been the entire time prior.

You had half the mind to apologise, but you didn’t have a real reason to. He knew from the very start you were deploying today. That you couldn’t stay. 

“Can’t share anything about where you’re going?” He asked hesitantly, an unsure look in his eyes. 

“I’m sorry, Jake. I can’t divulge any details. You know how it is.” You shrugged, that was something you could apologise for. Something you were used to apologising for to people in your life.

You covered yourself in the sheet, feeling exposed for the first time since undressing. 

He nodded his head, a sad smile on his lips. “I know, Red. I’m sorry for asking.” He looked into your eyes, that unreadable emotion back again. “It must be tough for you. Not being able to talk about it.”

You were struck by how sincere he was.

“It can be. I’m a little too used to it now.” You smiled a half-hearted smile, shrugging again. “You just get used to it. It’s a part of the job.” Not one you enjoyed, though.

It was then you realised that you hadn’t shared your name with him. As you started to get up, you grasped his hand - giving it a gentle, comforting squeeze. 

You said your full name, aloud for him to hear, while looking into his eyes. He raised his brows in surprise.

“What?” He asked softly, eyes searching yours.

“My name, fly guy .” You repeated your name, watching as a light started to shine in his eyes again. You caught yourself grinning with him again.

You forced yourself to break your gaze, forcing yourself to get out of bed, groaning at how sore you were. You busied yourself with finding your dress and panties, groaning once again at realising the inevitable walk of shame you would have to do. 

“Here.” Jake spoke to you, he was now up and getting dressed himself. He got up and picked out some standard issue navy sweatpants and sweatshirt. “You can wear these. I’ll just get a new  set issued to me next time I’m on base.” He smiled comfortingly, saving you from having to wear your gown again.

You stole the sweats right out of his hands, not being shy about throwing them on. Fuck you had missed these . Nothing beat the comfort of military issued sweats. 

He started to laugh at you and your eagerness before stopping in his tracks, gulping loudly, staring at you in his clothes.

You caught his gaze and felt a rush of hea- nope . Nope! You are out of time . Pull yourself together.

“You look good, Red.” He complimented you, voice both heavy from the nights activities and his morning raspiness. You wished you could for longer with him just to hear him talk for longer. 

“Still calling me Red?”

“It suits you. You mind?” 

“This is likely the last time we’ll see each other, Jake. I don’t mind. I’m sorry, I genuinely wish I could stay for longer.” You tried to smile apologetically, eyes searching for his to show him the warmth and genuine feeling you had. 

He had a hard time meeting your gaze. 

“Right. Top secret agent shit. Sorry.” He mumbled, his apology genuine. 

You gathered your gown in your arms, readying to leave. You turned to face him one more time. You don't know what came over you but you leaned up, steadying yourself on his shoulder. His eyes searched yours, inquisitive. You leaned up on your tippy toes to press a warm lingering kiss to his cheek.

“I really am sorry, Jake.” You whispered to him. Leaning back slightly you looked into his eyes. “Who knows. We run in similar circles, maybe we’ll run into each other again someday.”

“Someday.” He agreed, holding your gaze. 

You lingered for a moment longer, before nodding to him, excusing yourself from his room. Leaving him there alone in the early hours of the morning. 

Someday.

*** 

Within forty eight hours you found yourself touching down in Afghanistan for your first foreign field mission with your team of CIA operatives.

Upon getting home the day prior, you had discovered that you had accidentally left your panties in Jake's hotel room. You didn’t know what to think of that. 

On the other hand though, you had indeed worn the pair of his sweats he had given you on your flight here to Afghanistan. They were now a part of your wardrobe for the next few months.

You didn’t know what the future held in store for you. Despite your vow to live in the now, you couldn’t help but think about the potential for someday that might come. In the suffocating heat of the Middle East, it was something you thought of often.

Authors note: It’s finally here! Thank you to everyone who waited so patiently for this first chapter to drop. It’s been so busy at work that I barely had time to sit down and write this. 

Next chapter will be dropping hopefully within the next two weeks. 

Super excited to work on this fic. The first half of this story takes place before the main plot of Top Gun: Maverick. This chapter is set about two and a half years prior to the movie. 

Please let me know what you think! This was also my first time writing smut so please be kind, lol. Comments, likes and reblogs are always appreciated and totally act as fuel for me the writer to get the next chapter out :)

Tag List: @marauderskeeper @the-untamed-soul @wanderdreamer @camidalet @exo-wayv @serrendiipty @keziainafreakland @ivy-miranda-2390 @bradleybradshawsgirlfriend @jonginvlog @srry-itshockeyszn @et-homephone @lclove2012-blog @maverooster @zofps @dempy

[blue-aconite]

Any chance you feel up to a Hangster with the prompt "it was just supposed to be sex"?

I don’t know, but Pete snuck in here and wanted to be a part of it. Blame him, not me. Thank you for this prompt! Hope you enjoy!

No beta, not edited, it’s Christmas and I’m lazy, sue me.

“Tell me what to do.” Pete stared at Bradley from across the table, mug clasped between his hands. Bradley didn’t meet his eyes, option to look anywhere but Pete’s face.

He didn’t know what to say. While he had his suspicions, Bradley had never confirmed nor denied the relationship between himself and Hangman. But this was something else.

Pete had woken up to a frantic knocking on the front door, rushing downstairs only to find his godson standing on the front porch. Bradley had been pacing back and forth, not making any sense until Pete dragged him into the house and forced him into a chair at the dining table. Penny and Amelia were out sailing so he had been alone in the house.

Telling the man to calm down, he made a pot of tea, opting to forgo the coffee. It was probably the last thing Bradley needed. Pete had then handed him the mug and told him to start at the beginning.

“It was just supposed to be sex.” Had caught Pete off guard, choking slightly on his tea. Bradley had then gone on and on about Hangman, their story apparently starting way back in the academy. Pete had said nothing, patiently letting Bradley get everything off his chest.

“The first time around was fun but then it ended badly. And this time, we both swore it would be easy, no strings attached. We drew a line.” Bradley had dragged hand down his face, eyes solemn and mouth drawn in a tight line.

“And I’m so far across the line. Mav, tell me what to do.” Bradley was pleading with him, slumping down in his chair, cradling the mug to his chest.

Pete’s heart broke for Bradley, the man he considered his own son. They had come a long way since the uranium mission, mending the broken bridges between them. He hoped that where ever Goose and Carole was, they were proud of them. For making it work.

He felt honoured Bradley would come to him like this, displaying his feelings so openly. He had grown up. And Pete only had one thing to tell him.

“Do you love him?”

Bradley’s head snapped up and he stared at Pete, mouth opening and closing. If the conversation hadn’t been so serious, Pete would have laughed.

“I can’t tell you what to do Bradley. All I can ask is, do you love him? Do you love Jake?” If they had been further apart, Pete would have missed Bradley’s answer. It was a softly spoken whisper in the middle of the night.

“Yes.”

“Then tell him. I’m no expert, but I’ve seen the two of you, watched both of you grow this past year. I know it’s not my place, but you gotta tell him. I don’t think you’re the only one feeling like this.”

Pete isn’t ready for when Bradley shoves the chair back, coming round the table to throw his arms around him. Startled at first, Pete then hugs him back, hand gently squeezing his neck. Bradley’s voice is quiet, muffled against his shoulder.

“But what if I am? What if he doesn’t feel the same? What if it just ends with me being alone again?” Bradley reminds Pete of the little boy he once was. Holding him tighter, he wishes Carole was here. She would have been so much better at this.

“If that’s the case, then you’ll be sad. And angry. But you’ll move on eventually. And I’ll be here. Penny and Amelia too. You’re not alone anymore Bradley, and I’ll try my hardest to make sure you never will be again.”

They stay locked in the embrace until a pounding on the door breaks them apart.

“Lot of late night visits tonight.” Pete has feeling who is at the front door and he’s proven right when he opens the door to find Hangman on his porch.

“Captain. Uh, is Rooster here?” Hangman is far from the cocky aviator Pete is used too, hands shoved in the pockets of his sweatpants and hair tousled from sleep. Pete don’t have time to answer because Bradley appears behind him.

“Jake.” Is uttered softly and Pete moves and leaves them to it. They need to talk and don’t need onlookers to do it.

He puts the mugs in the sink and makes sure the kettle is turned off. When he turns back, Bradley and Jake are locked in a hug, clutching onto each other as if they would disappear.

Pete cracks the door open.

“You’re welcome to stay in the guest room. But if I so much as hear anything, I’ll kick you both out.”

He spares them no other glance as he heads back upstairs, closing the bedroom door behind him. He can hear them shuffle into the bedroom down the hall, whispers thrown back and forth.

‘You should be proud of him. He’s grown into an amazing man. Better than I could ever be.’ Pete says silently into the dark, hoping that Carole and Goose are watching.

[scotianostra]

Janet Elizabeth Macgregor was born on January 12th 1920 in Glasgow.

Not a name the vast majority of you will know, but I love finding the unsung heroes, and Jane Macgregor is certainly in that category, her work has definately helped save countless women's lives.

Born as Janet Elizabeth McPherson in Glasgow, Betty, as she became known was just 7 when her mother died from tuberculosis. Betty attended school at Bearsden Academy, going on to study medicine at the University of Glasgow during the Second World War, graduating in 1943. It was there she met Alastair Macgregor and they married a year later. She did her house jobs at Glasgow Royal Infirmary and Western General Hospital.

During the next few years she raised their four children and worked part time in child welfare clinics. In 1958 Alastair was appointed to the regius chair of materia medica and therapeutics at Aberdeen University. Betty became a research assistant in the department of obstetrics and gynaecology, run by Sir Dugald Baird, regius professor of midwifery, who was famed for his compassion and social awareness.

It was in 1960 that it was decided to embark on a schedule of cervical testing for the entire area, Dugald Baird, inspired Macgregor to research the origins of cervical cancer and to concentrate especially on all the women - and in particular disadvantaged women - of the north-east.

Macgregor brought to the project a dedication, determination and considerable medical skills that ensured her programme worked efficiently. Diplomacy was also required, as all the GPs had to be written to (often repeatedly) in Aberdeenshire to obtain their approval so that smear testing could commence. Macgregor created a comprehensive call-and-recall system that broke new ground with its findings.

It was done so expertly under her supervision over the first five years there was such a decrease in the cervical cancer in the area and she had comprehensively proved her case. Betty was a superb cytologist and it has been commented, "the most delightful person. Without a doubt, she saved many lives."

It was not a period when priority was given to such a lengthy and complex medical programme: politicians had other demands on public funds. It was the way Macgregor organised the tests that brought the programme so much renown. Everything was meticulously documented and recorded with great care and attention. After five years she had assembled such powerful scientific evidence that other health authorities throughout the UK immediately adopted her system.

Her work brought Macgregor much esteem within the medical profession. She was much honoured by several of the Royal Societies and was a most distinguished president of her own medical association from 1980-83. During that presidency of the British Society of Clinical Cytology (BSCC), she published a book about improving the smear-test programmes nationally. It became a medical best-seller and sold 15,000 copies in its first edition and 10,000 in its second.

A memorable evening was held in 1985 whenBetty retired from Aberdeen University.

But this most active lady did not slip gently into retirement. She had bought a house on the Isle of Seil, off the coast at Oban, but Prof Templeton suggested she join a Birthright Programme he was initiating at the university. It was to research into pre-cervical care and patients who had slightly abnormal smear tests. "Betty accepted immediately and was as focused and enthusiastic as ever," he said. "She bought a house back in Aberdeen and did three days a week here and then travelled back to the west coast.

Macgregor wrote several medical books and was a regular contributor to the British Medical Journal. She was awarded the OBE in 1984/

It wasn't all work fior this dedicatec lady, Macgregor was devoted to her family and enjoyed taking her grandchildren sailing around Seil. She had her own yacht and loved the spectacular scenery of the west coast. 

Betty Macgregor developed Alzheimer’s disease and died of cerebrovascular disease on 8th October 2005 at the Lynn of Lorne Nursing Home, Benderloch, near Oban.

[grandmaster-anne]

6 September 2022: The Princess Royal Visits Tarbert Harbour THA would like to thank HRH The Princess Royal for visiting Tarbert on September 6th for the afternoon. It was an honour to have The Princess open Phase One of the new harbourside facilities. Duncan Cunningham (Chairman of THA) and Kenneth MacNab (Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Argyll and Bute) gave Princess Anne a tour around the new developments and presented various stakeholders involved in recent projects. HRH also learned about the numerous regeneration plans in place to provide additional services and facilities. Tarbert Yacht Club also organised a demonstration for HRH, where young pupils from Tarbert Academy sailed over to the pontoons on toppers to greet The Princess. To end the royal visit, HRH unveiled a plaque recording her visit and was later presented with a bouquet of flowers from Tarbert’s Seafood Queen and her Princesses. This was a memorable day for THA and marked the completion of a decade of successful developments for the harbour.

@TarbertHarbour