#Covert Operations

[cjrae]

Rank And Responsibility. Or: The Hairpin Scene from Jinshi's POV.

Be warned now about the consequences of choosing to do an English Lit degree - you end up doing lit crit for fun. With that in mind, let's break down the hairpin scene at the end of Covert Operations (Episode 5). Mild spoilers for Jinshi's arc are below.

While this moment does kick off the romantic subplot, with all the implications that giving Maomao the hairpin out of his own hair has, I would argue that this is not the moment Jinshi realizes he's in love with Maomao. Instead, from his point of view, this scene demonstrates how Jinshi handles failure.

Holding Power In An Open Palm

This is still very early in the story. Our first hint to Jinshi's true rank does come in this scene, but for now we know him as the manager of the Rear Palace. For the three thousand people who live and work there, for all intents and purposes, Jinshi is the highest authority they will encounter. He literally has the power of life and death over them, either directly in the case of the servants and eunuchs, or in the case of the consorts, his word to the Emperor directly can serve the same purpose. We also see Jinshi use this power early on - he's not just there to keep order, but also to test the consorts' loyalties and virtue. We never see what happens to the lower-ranked consort who attempted to invite Jinshi back to her room, but at the very least that report ensures that her already small chance of the Emperor choosing her as a potential mother of the nation is utterly cut off - and if she doesn't bear children, she will be discarded.

We also know that Jinshi will not hesitate to order corporal punishment if he views it necessary - for example, when Maomao discovers that the toxic face powder is still being used by Consort Lihua's ladies in waiting, she mentions in the aftermath that the eunuch who failed to recover the powder was flogged, while the lady in waiting who hid the powder is put in solitary confinement. These are brutal punishments - and if we consider the historical inspirations, these are also very restrained consequences. For hiding an item that caused the death of the prince (unfortunately, the more valuable child) and has put the life of one of the Emperor's favored High Consorts in danger, Jinshi would be utterly within his rights to order executions. If ignorance is a sin, ignorance in the face of knowledge is a greater one.

Microcosm of Li

For all that Jinshi holds his power lightly, he also takes the responsibility that power bestows upon him quite seriously. It's worth noting that Jinshi takes over governing the Rear Palace shortly after Maomao's service contract is purchased. (Remember, Xiaolan talks about the "beautiful, new eunuch that's been posted to the central courtyard," which tells us that Jinshi has not been in the Rear Palace long enough to become a fixture - he's an object of speculation and admiration from episode 1).

In context it's clear that, with the birth of two Imperial children, his job is to ensure the survival of the Imperial line and investigate why children of the Emperor are dying consistently in one of the wealthiest and safest places in the entire empire. We're shown him running in between Lady Lihua and Lady Gyokuyou to ensure that their very sick children are being seen to properly, investigating what could be causing it, while also managing tensions as rumors about the Emperor's children being cursed begin to spread and outright accusations of sorcery are being thrown between consorts. While the audience might immediately scoff along with Maomao at the idea of one consort cursing another, if Maomao hadn't found the cause of death, those types of accusations followed by Lady Lihua's and Princess Lingli's inevitable deaths could have ended with Lady Gyokuyou's execution.

The Rear Palace is a reflection of the nation as a whole. No Imperial heirs plus the deaths of two High Consorts with various foreign and domestic political ties had the potential to thrust the entire nation into chaos. Jinshi's choices have very real consequences, so when Maomao discovers what the true cause of death is and sends her warning, Jinshi looks at Maomao and doesn't see a person. He sees a "perfect pawn." A tool, one with talents that have ensured that at least one Imperial child has survived and providing a rational explanation why these children have died so that it can be prevented from happening again - and a skill set that can be turned to preventing any more shenanigans in the Rear Palace that could threaten the empire's foundation.

And, as Gaoshun points out, in the beginning of the hairpin scene, she is a toy. Maomao amuses Jinshi up until this point.

For all that Jinshi is shown wielding power with a light hand and a responsible mindset, it literally doesn't occur to him that the people working in the rear palace have stories - some tragic - about how they came to be there. They are resources to be used as befits the Emperor's (and therefore the nation's) need.

Hidden Beauty

When Maomao turns around and Jinshi doesn't recognize her until she speaks, he's shocked. He thought he knew exactly who and what this girl was - ugly and unremarkable, except for her intellectual brilliance and the challenge in managing her by other means than empty compliments and smiles. He attempts to recover and assumes that she is enhancing her looks - and is shocked again when he realizes that the face Maomao has presented to him so far is a protective mask against attracting attention. In a world where beauty is both a currency and a tool that others covet, Jinshi doesn't understand why Maomao would deliberately devalue herself like that. So she tells him.

This is the moment Maomao becomes a person to Jinshi.

Not a toy, not a pawn. Someone who has been ripped from her home and her life illegally and sold off. It's in this moment that Jinshi is forced to confront the ugly side of the society he lives in, people who would rape Maomao out of pure convenience or just take a "borderline marketable" girl off the street in order to get extra drinking money.

Worse, Jinshi is complicit in Maomao's captivity. The Rear Palace has bought her contract - and as the manager of the Rear Palace, Jinshi is responsible for everything that happens within its' walls. The fact that Jinshi does not personally oversee service contracts is irrelevant. The buck stops with him. If the Matron of the Serving Women or whoever is below her is buying these contracts without checking their sources, that is Jinshi's fault because he has allowed a lax enough system to flourish. He has failed to govern this microcosm of the nation wisely, with thought for the welfare of the least powerful among his people. Worse, he has failed to even notice the problem - Maomao may say she's angry about having been kidnapped and sold, but she doesn't react in a way that indicates anger. Instead, she's resigned. Yes, what happened to her was wrong and she's angry about it, but there's literally nothing she or Jinshi can do.

Or Is There?

Jinshi offers Maomao two apologies, the first of which is our first hint to his true status. "I'm sorry we couldn't police them better." Maomao immediately blows off this apology - she points out that there's no way Jinshi should have known and has a very "all's well that ends well" attitude about her situation - her contract will be up eventually and in the meantime she's managed to land in a fulfilling role. Essentially Maomao is telling Jinshi that this apology is not his to make - he's overstepping his responsibility. And, if Jinshi were simply the manager of the Rear Palace, she would be right. It's his job to ensure that the Rear Palace is properly staffed, not to regulate that all contracts comply with the law.

Jinshi apologizes again. This time, he offers no other context. He doesn't accept Maomao's absolution of responsibility - because he knows (even if we, the audience, don't) otherwise. It can certainly be read as Jinshi refusing to accept easy absolution, and the rest of those witnessing the scene, apart from Gaoshun, certainly take it that way.

Instead, he takes the hair stick from his own hair and places it in Maomao's. Their entire relationship has just been upended; Maomao is a person who has been gravely wronged and it is Jinshi's responsibility to begin to make it right. Aside from the personal implications of giving her the hairpin (and the faint blush on his face makes it clear that he's aware of them), it is a form of restitution. There is an unspoken social contract Jinshi is offering that Maomao does not understand in the slightest. It never occurs to her that Jinshi would do something for her with no thought of what he would receive in return, because of the difference in their social ranks. But, from Jinshi's perspective, that social difference is the point. He has failed her and, as the person of higher rank, it is his responsibility to do what is within his power to begin to remedy the situation in front of him.

And, of course, in that moment he sees Maomao in a new light, the other meaning of gifting her his hairpin has fertile ground to take root in Jinshi's mind.

[gentlemensarts]

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

[totally-a-different-person]

The paultryk stans are dying for some nsfw content aka me just me I beg for more 🫧🖤

I love writing for Paul and Pat man they're so underrated, we really need more characters that so fucking silly, we need more goofy idiots, more absolute fools. So I'm always happy to provide! (Nsft past this point, proceed at your own risk)

Paul pretty much ran back to his quarters once he got back, he didn't care how it looked or what the other soldiers would think if they saw him. He had been out getting supplies with Yuu when he got a call from red leader. Patrick also worked today but he was on an actual mission instead of just maintenance jobs. Their cover got blown and Pat didn't know at first so they were able to spike his drink with an aphrodisiac. It was likely just an attempt to make it harder for him to be a threat, but thankfully they made it back fine.

Tord didn't give him much information over the phone, just that he should get back quickly. He'd done the examination himself, after all Patrick was one of his most important soldiers and a close friend, he wanted to make sure he was alright.

Paul tried to be quiet as he opened the door to their bedroom, their living quarters were nicer than most of the others simply because they were high ranking. They didn't even have to have any bunkmates if they didn't want to, Paul and Pat just liked sharing a room though.

Pat was laying in the bed but he wasn't asleep, just shifting and trying to get comfortable, but honestly it felt impossible like this. He was happy to see Paul though, the shorter shutting the door behind him and walking up to the bed to put a hand on his lover's face, mostly to check if he was warm. "Hey, I'm here" he spoke softly, Pat smiling a bit and leaning up to meet his lips in a gentle kiss.

One thing Patrick would always appreciate so much about his boyfriend was that while he was often silly and more laid back in a way that helped Pat balance out some, he also knew just how to be serious when it mattered. The kiss was short, and incredibly sweet and tender, Paul breaking the connection but not moving away from the other "So what's going on? Are you gonna be ok?"

Pat swallowed thickly and nodded "Y-yeah, I'm gonna be fine, Tord said it was some kind of aphrodisiac, but there's nothing we can do to stop it" his already rather flushed cheeks just went more red as he explained, again shifting his legs under the covers. Paul nodded sympathetically, he wanted to hug his boyfriend and squeeze him, but didn't know if that would make it worse, it was so nice to know he was ok though.

"alright, good, is there anything I can do to help then?" He offered with a little smile, but the taller just blushed deeper, ears bright red at this point "Uh, well... Tord said that as far as he knew there would be no harm in... Indulging" obviously it was terribly embarrassing, but he was so hard it hurt and felt like he was on fire, desperate to have his boyfriend's cool hands on his body. Paul laughed softly, getting on the bed as well, on his knees over his boyfriend who stared up at him with his beautiful green eyes.

"You want me to touch you? Do you think it will help?" Patrick nodded quickly, and in truth sure he had absolutely no idea if it would but his body was begging for it. Paul shifted some and sure enough he could feel the taller man's erection under him in the blankets. "Why don't you say please then?" He smirked slightly as he started gently removing the covers from Pat.

The look he received from his lover told him right away that it was not the fucking time, and he backed down right away, doing his best not to laugh "alright alright, I'm sorry. But you shouldn't act so proud, you know you'll be begging later, I bet I won't even have to tell you to" he smirked as he spoke, gently running his hands down Pat's ribcage making him shudder as he mumbled "sh... Shut up"

Paul knew that he likely wasn't in the mood to be toyed with, laughing softly and getting comfortable between his legs once the covers were out of the way. The shorter leaned in to place a kiss on Pat's chest, said man turning a deep shade of red. He didn't say anything, but his lover had a sneaking suspicion he just didn't wanna admit that Paul had been right

Paul's rough hands squeezed and caressed the taller's hips for a moment before gently taking his leaking cock in one hand, giving a little sigh and mumbling "oh sweetheart..." an expression of sympathy settling on his features before glancing back up to Pat's face as he started carefully stroking the shaft "will you hand me the lube love?" The other soldier didn't say anything, just quickly reaching into the drawer next to their bed and handing Paul the bottle.

He was thanked with a kiss on the cheek, which doubled as an apology for having to let his dick go for the moment. Sure enough Pat seemed very sad, but just gave a sad desperate huff and laid down completely again. The shorter opened the lubricant, pouring some on his fingers, then some directly onto his boyfriend's cock making him jump a bit.

"Calm down, don't worry, I'll take care of you~" He spoke sweetly, using his clean hand to take Pat's twitching member again to start stroking again, much more comfortably now with the lube. "O-oh, oh Paul~" He breathed, biting his lip and moaning softly, seeming beyond relieved to finally receive the stimulation he was so desperate for.

"That's right" Paul said softly, having the other spread his legs a little more before slipping two fingers in which earned him a very happy sounding gasp. He stroked Pat with the same pace that he moved his fingers, gently stretching him and opening him up as he moaned and buried his face and the pillow next to him, gripping it tight with one hand. He was even more responsive than usual, it was cute though.

The lanky soldier melted when he added a third, it felt so unbelievably good but the pressure from before wasn't being released, if anything it felt like it was building up more. "F-fuck... Paul, more, please" he requested softly, peeking out of the pillow to give his lover a desperate look that was impossible to refuse.

Paul was searching for the man's prostate as he curled his fingers and received a loud moan. He felt Pat's cock twitch in his hand as he found the little bundle of nerves, the polish man nearly screaming into the pillow as he bucked his hips. The shorter only got to press against it once more before Pat came, blowing his load all over the pilots hand with a sweet and shaking moan.

He was breathing heavily, staring at the ceiling with hazy eyes before gently letting them flutter shut. He could feel feel his fantastic lover gently stroking him through his orgasm. Though the dull green eyes shot open when he felt the fingers pull out of him and Paul's hand let his dick go. He quickly sat up a bit, urgency in his eyes as he did "w-wait don't st-" "I know, I know" Paul quietly hushed him, having only taken his hand back to take his own pants off.

"I've got you..." The mumbled as he pressed his completely hard dick against Pat's hole, watching as he calmed back down, nodding quickly and spreading his legs more. The shorter took that as a sign that it was fine, pushing inside of him relatively slowly and watching as Patrick threw his head back.

"Oh fuck- P-Paul more, please" he was panting, and Paul didn't hesitate to comply with the request, pushing it the rest of the way in moving right away, holding his hips as he gave a few long hard thrusts. Patrick arched his back and squeezed his eyes shut, one hand grabbing desperately onto the blanket and the other coming up to hold Paul's shoulder, gripping tight and pulling him a little closer.

The soldier moaned and cried out every time Paul shoved it inside of him. He whimpered and spread his legs further, not looking his lover in the eyes as he panted, sheepishly asking him to go faster. The shorter felt his heart flutter in his chest listening to the sweet tone of Pat's voice. Paul just thought he sounded so cute, he sped up right away, earning a loud, gorgeous moan with his name comfortably laced in.

He felt his lover's legs hook around his waist, only encouraging him to go harder. Patrick felt like his skin was on fire everywhere his boyfriend's hands touched him and it was the most addicting feeling in the world. He needed it to survive, if he couldn't breathe Paul in for one second it would surely kill him.

As Paul set his brutal and rough pace that he stayed consistent with Pat just allowed himself to melt. He gave desperate, whiney moans every time it was pushed into him, voice starting to get slightly hoarse as he felt his peak approach again, not really used to being so loud. But he hardly cared.

The feeling of his orgasm building was so much more satisfying with Paul inside of him. Being able to hear the pleasure in his boyfriend's voice as he huffed and grunted, his fantastic cock pounding into Pat's warm tight hole. This was perfect. This was what he needed. And then he felt it pull out, and his previously half lidded eyes that were glazed over with bliss shot open.

He tried to sit up some to look at Paul alarmed "What are you doing?? Y-you said you wouldn't-" he was cut off as the shorter flipped him over, putting him on his knees then slamming back into him causing him to nearly scream as it pressed right into his sweet spot. It was embarrassing, but Patrick kind of forgot how easily Paul could toss him around like that just since he was taller. But really he was very light, and the soldier had pretty great upper body strength so it should have been no surprise.

The sub didn't think it could possibly get better, but now he could stuff his face in a pillow, and it was so much deeper, and Paul had the mobility to fuck him even harder. The shortest of the two was starting to get really close as well, one hand tightly gripping Pat's hip as he jammed it into him, and the other came up to grab his hair, the man's eyes shooting open as he realized what was coming.

Paul got a good grip on the dark locks then tugged hard enough to lift Patrick's head out of the pillow as he pushed it as deep as he could. Pat screamed, loud enough that the other soldiers could definitely hear them if it was quiet enough, and came pretty much right away, making a mess of the bedsheets beneath him.

The pilot didn't let go of his hair, but stopped pulling and just shoved his face into a pillow. He thrusts were getting sloppy and inconsistent before finally pushing as deep as he could and releasing inside of his lover, the man giving a pleasant little whimper. They stayed put for a little while, and Pat couldn't have been happier. He felt so much better now. Paul pulled out, affectionately rubbing his hips before guiding him to properly lay down. He cleaned the other up gently with tissues on their bedside table before throwing them away and coming to lay down with him.

He wrapped his arms around Pat from behind and rested his chin on the man's shoulder and feeling the way the other leaned into him. "You feeling any better?" He asked, looking up at him. The green eyed man nodded with a little smile "Yeah, a lot better, thank you"

[historyofguns]

The article "History of the MACV/SOG Knife - The Armory Life" by Randall Chaney delves into the origins and development of the MACV/SOG knife, a unique combat tool used during the Vietnam War. Conrad “Ben” Baker, the Deputy Chief for the United States Counterinsurgency Support Office (CISO) in Okinawa, was instrumental in designing this "non-attributable," sterile knife for U.S. special operations troops, particularly those in the MACV-SOG. This elite group conducted reconnaissance and raids across borders into Laos, Cambodia, and North Vietnam. Baker's design was inspired by a combination of historical and practical needs, leading to a knife that served as both a survival tool and a weapon. The article highlights Baker's meticulous process involving steel selection, field testing, and refining the blade to a version of the American Bowie knife. The MACV-SOG knife's historical significance is underpinned by notable users such as U.S. Army Special Forces Major John Plaster and the knife's lasting legacy, which continues through modern reproductions by SOG Specialty Knives & Tools. This account honors Baker’s creativity and his contributions to military gear during and beyond the Vietnam conflict.

[retrogamelovers]

Ever play this game? 🎮

[marmarlaade]

hello medispy or gentle surgery fellows. give me your analysis/ interpretations/character dynamics/SOMETHING of the two... can be happy sad wahwaha.. i want to understand how the two of them work together... not hating on the ship i Like it i just wanna see this and have more things to think about!!!!!

[dronescapesvideos]

North American T-28D "Zorro" Of 606ACS At Nakhon Phanom.

➤➤ T-28 And A Look Back At Covert Operations: https://youtu.be/X1M4snpr5YQ

➤➤ HD Image: https://tinyurl.com/532yd6vn

[trailertrends]

Guy Ritchie's Directorial Triumph: The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes 45 seconds Introduction: “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,” directed by Guy Ritchie, is a thrilling wartime action film that delves into the covert operations of an elite British task force during World War II. With a stellar cast including Henry Cavill, Eiza González, and Alan Ritchson, the film offers a gripping narrative filled with espionage, daring…

[alanshemper]

[iamnomad98]

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the first 9/11, when the US CIA overthrew the democratically-elected socialist president of Chile, Salvador Allende, and replaced him with the notorious military dictator, Augusto Pinochet, to resume Chile’s status as a vassal state of the US.

Supported by American capitalists, President Richard Nixon, and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, the CIA instituted 17 years of state terror in Chile, torturing, imprisoning, and executing tens of thousands of people, including the infamous “death flights”. Chile’s living standards fell drastically as it became the first neoliberal experiment.

The YouTuber PlasticPills made this excellent documentary about Salvador Allende and his ambitious plan to transform Chile using a network of computers to manage and plan the economy with the input of workers.

[cmweller]

Challenge #04032-K014: Going Undercover

May we see the mission to the lands where ones such as this young human escaped from? And what became of the lands, and the cruel slave owners?

https://peakd.com/fiction/@internutter/challenge-03947-j295-a-whisp-of-hope -- Lessons

Vaphambryl. Picturesque Archduchy renowned for its fine arts and gloriously beautiful farms. Even those who visit rarely wonder where all the workshops are. There might be a few little hobbyists here and there, but they aren't producing the quality of detail evident in their exports.

Those are things made with love.

The things made for profit don't see the sunshine until after they're unpacked in the emporiums they're exported to. That's because the fine arts are made underground. No inspection before this one has found Vaphambryl's dirty little secrets. No inspectors looked hard enough at the barrows or boarded-off mineshafts. They'd have seen the hinges or found the mechanisms if they did.

[Check the source for the rest of the story]

[zentarablog]

Ten Fascinating Facts About the Delta Force: Inside the U.S. Army's Secret Unit

Crouched in the shadows, operating far beyond the glare of public scrutiny, lies a unit shrouded in secrecy and steeped in legend: the U.S. Army’s 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (Airborne), more commonly known as Delta Force. Established in the late 1970s as America’s premier counter-terrorism force, Delta Force is a highly specialized and intensely secretive unit designed to…

[totally-a-different-person]

could you please write a nsfw fic on Paul and pats first time? Also what’s you’re headcanons on this scenario

This is a fun one, my head cannons for Paul and Pat's little workplace romance are that there was a lot of mutual pinning and slow tension building neither of them felt like they could do anything about. Paul saw him as this gorgeous weirdo that was fun to play with at first, while Pat just saw him as a handsome annoyance. He didn't even like that though, he kept everything clean and organized and still he found himself so attracted to the stupid scruffy messy idiot and it bugged him a lot. It didn't take long for them to become pretty close though once they were around each other enough. When they did finally give in to each other (as shown below) afterwards was a bit of an awkward period where they didn't know if that also implied romantic involvement or if the other even wants that like they do, but they figure it out eventually. Here's the fic lol (nsft past this point, proceed at your own risk)

Patrick wasn't a very vulnerable person at all, for any reason really. He felt like he could handle things more efficiently with complete control over them and the only way to do that was not share the problem. That was never hard at all before, because he tended to keep to himself. He was one of the best mechanics and best pilot they had, he was on great terms with Red, he didn't need anyone else. Then he went from being lucky enough to not have a bunk mate to having to live with this guy who'd transferred from the Norway location or something. It was annoying but he could cope, it happens, if he minded his business and left Pat alone to do his work it would be fine. Unfortunately it seemed like Paul took an immediate liking to getting under his skin. Pat didn't know his mate just wasn't very good at flirting.

What he didn't expect was that it started to sort of grow on him after working together so much and getting put together on so many shipments and missions. Instead of actual anger he felt an almost fond annoyance when the other would tease him. It was feeling less and less like he was a burden that happened to be sort of handsome, and more like he was handsome, east to talk to, and funny if not a little annoying. What to do with this new development? Patrick had no clue, so he didn't act on it at all. He'd become very accustomed to not being alone, Paul's presence in specific, and didn't want to ruin their friendship by being stupid.

That didn't mean he was any better about talking about his problems or feelings though, it just meant that if a time came in which it was needed he had someone who would understand and be there for him, Apparently that was enough though in a time like this. Pat was sat in his room on the floor with his back against the wall, hunched over with his face in his hands, Paul sitting next to him.

"Pat, beating yourself up wont make anything any better, everybody makes mistakes, these things happen" The shorter did his best to comfort his friend. He was admittedly in a little over his head though, he'd never seen Patrick like this before, but he'd also never seen the man slip up before. One of the helicopters that was in his care malfunctioned and crashed, it would have been an easy fix if he'd noticed it during maintenance, but he hadn't.

Really it wasn't that bad at all, no one died, the aircraft was totaled but the pilot made it out with minimal injury, they had worse accidents constantly, Tord didn't seem mad at all. Still, Patrick couldn't get over it.

"That's not... not me. I'm supposed to be better I need-" He stopped when his voice cracked and he realized he was on the verge of tears, quickly and aggressively wiping his face on the deep red sweater he wore. Pau wore an expression of even further confusion and concern now, starting to see the actual problem.

"What do you mean..?" He asked softly, keeping his voice gentle and the least pushy he could manage. Patrick sighed, slumping forward a bit more "I put all my energy into being the best and doing everything right, bullshit like this isn't supposed to happen, I'm supposed to be better" He repeated, a little more clearly this time, not looking the other man in the face. He knew how it sounded. He must have looked so foolish, but what did it matter anymore. Maybe he was just a fool. He had to work harder, he couldn't let something like this happen again, if he could just-

Paul placed his hand on the taller man's shoulder "Pat, you need to calm down. It's not fair to hold yourself to these ridiculous expectations- that would drive anyone crazy!" It explained a lot though, why Patrick pushed himself so hard in the first place. He didn't know where this mentality was coming from but he almost felt guilty for not thinking about it sooner. He was used to trying to get the other to take more breaks or not push himself so much but didn't ever wonder why it was needed.

Patrick scoffed, bringing his legs up to hug them against his chest but not pushing Paul's hand away "It's not that easy, I mean the only reason I am where I am is because I push myself, the only way to deserve it is to do my job and keep pushing but I can't even do that" He'd gotten to comfortable and let his guard down, comfortable with his work, with his position, with Paul, and he felt like this was the consequences.

The shorter man sighed, and shuffled closer as he properly wrapped his arm around Patrick's waist, gently encouraging him to get closer as well. Pat blushed, and resisted and first, his posture tightening and his brows furrowing. He relented all the same though, all but collapsing against the other man and allowing himself to be comforted. Paul's hand sat flat against his back and rubbed wide circles against the base of his spine, and he hated how good it felt.

"Pat, you chilling out for once didn't bring the helicopter down, it was probably gonna happen anyway, these things do. Margin of error and stuff, you know all about that" He spoke gently, a small smile coming to his lips as he felt the other essentially snuggle up against him and finally relax. Patrick may have been kind of lanky if a little awkward, but when they got close enough it seemed like he fit against Paul like a puzzle piece.

The polish man sighed, but nodded a little as he folded his hands together, letting his head rest against Paul's and doing his best not to think about that fact "Yeah, I guess you're right" He mumbled before giving a short chuckle. "Mhm. It's not like Red would just let you go anyway, he'd be stupid to" Pat looked a little confused, glancing down at the other man "You're the best mechanic I know, probably the best we've got." He continued, meeting his friends eyes and watching as his eyebrows raised a bit and his cheeks went pink.

He thought about how cute it was, and how close their faces were. Pat turned his gaze away and said something like "thank you" but Paul wasn't paying too much attention, sitting up a little more and bringing his free hand to Patrick's shoulder, the other now resting on his hip. By the time the taller man realized what he was doing, he was once again staring into the beautiful chestnut brown eyes and could only brace himself, heart thumping almost painfully hard in his chest.

Their lips pressed together and it was wonderful, really it felt exactly perfect. At first Pat was a little nervous and wasn't sure what he was meant to do with his hands, but without even realizing it he'd done it they ended up holding onto Paul's sides anyway as he gently kissed back, tilting his head just slightly when the other pushed closer. He could feel the scratchy stubble against his face, it wasn't bad at all though, in fact he'd found himself fantasizing about the very sensation on multiple occasions. He trailed one hand up to gently cup his partner's jaw, not pulling him closer or moving his head at all really, he just wanted to feel, slowly rolling his thumb over that man's cheek.

Paul definitely seemed to enjoy it as well though, leaning into Pat's hand affectionately and squeezing his hip a bit, bringing the other in just a little closer. He knew Patrick would stop him right away if he went too far, but he still wanted to be careful. He'd been wanting this for so long and it really felt like Pat did too, the moment just never really seemed right, so now that it finally was, he wasn't going to ruin it. The taller man didn't seem to mind at all though, pliantly pressing in closer. He hesitated for just a split second when encouraged to open his legs so Paul could settle between them, the kiss finally, unfortunately having to beak for air.

He made his mind right up though when the kisses started trailing down his neck while he panted, tilting his head back and squeezing his eyes shut as he slipped his hand back to tangle into the man's hair, gently cupping the back of his head and keeping him from straying too far. Their chests pressed together now and Pat could feel that Paul's heart was racing, his probably was too but something about that felt good. A hand tentatively slipped up under his turtle neck and he could feel the calloused pads of his friend's hand against his skin as it rubbed up his side briefly over his ribs, sending a little shiver up his spine.

His sweater was pushed up, then carefully pulled over his head along with his shirt and tossed aside. Paul had seen him shirtless before, multiple times even, but he never really got to drink him in like he wanted to, it would've been weird if he stared but it was hard not to. "Fucking hell, Pat" He breathed, leaning back in and slipping his hand lower, using his hold to squeeze the man's ass and press their hips together in the process, earning a gasp. He placed just a few more kisses, now letting his teeth graze skin and nipping just gently.

He stopped when Pat tugged at his sweater as well, softly muttering "You too" the helping Paul pull it off, removing his undershirt after. Paul had more bulk than him by a long shot, both in muscle and fat. He was harrier in general too, and Patrick didn't even care how embarrassing it was to stare like he was, giving a heavy breath as he pulled the other closer, wrapping both arms around the man's neck.

He was essentially laying on his back on the floor now, and they must have looked ridiculous but Pat didn't even think about that. After all Paul was the only other person here, and it's not like he would care. He didn't even care that Patrick had blown up a helicopter and set back an entire project, he was here to stay.

Their lips pressed together again and Patrick was the one who initiated this time. It was deeper, and hungrier, fingers tangling themselves back into Paul hair and holding on, as if he was gonna try and pull away despite the fact that he would have rather died. He bit and tugged the taller man's lips, hearing him gasp and tense momentarily. Patrick's now almost completely stiff cock was pressing into Paul's hip, the soldier grinding against him and forcing a strained noise of pleasure.

The kiss broke but Pat's eyes didn't open all the way, looking down between them as he hooked his legs around his partner's waist "Fuck Paul I-I want- can we-" He was hushed by a more gentle kiss, this one shorter, before Paul nodded without hesitation. The mechanic couldn't have been more relieved, giving a heavy, needy sigh and using Paul's help to get out of his bottoms.

"There's lube in my drawer, should be some condoms too" He muttered as he tugged his own jeans down, shuffling out of them then his boxers. He wasn't certain about the condoms, mostly because he'd bought the box ages ago and didn't exactly get a lot of action, especially with how much time they spent at the base, so he hadn't had reason to check how many were left in a while. He was certain there was lube though, that came in handy pretty much anytime Pat was working late.

Said man nodded, leaning back and opening the drawer of the nightstand next to Paul's bed. It was just a little difficult to get their needed items because of his angle and his refusal to get into a better one. Moving would mean moving away from Paul though, and at the moment he wished he could crawl under the man's skin to be as close as possible.

He was successful after a moment, Paul now finished with is own clothes and taking the bottle from Pat's hands. First he tore the condom package open and rolled it over his shaft in a smooth motion, then he pushed the lubricant lid open with his thumb and poured some onto his fingers then set the bottle down, using his left hand to push his lover's legs open further.

He looked the man in the eyes as he pushed two of his fingers inside, seeing the embarrassment and discomfort in his expression, refusing to meet his eyes in return. Paul's fingers were big, thick, and Pat wasn't a virgin or anything but it had been a long time, like a stupidly long time, and he didn't exactly have the most free time for that sort of "self care"

All to say, he was glad Paul was being patient with him, because it hurt. In complete honesty Paul found himself kind of enjoying taking the prep a little slower anyway, sort of losing himself in sinking his fingers all the way into his partner, then slowly working him open little by little with small movements at first, watching as he seemed less and less shy about giving himself over so completely.

Eventually it was safe to add a third, Paul leaning in to place a few gentle kisses against the man's collar bone, his free hand trailing along Pat's inner thigh to finally grab his aching cock, slowly jerking him off to the pace of his fingering, much to the man's delight. Immediately it was clear Patrick was having a much hard time keeping his noises to himself like this, holding onto Paul tighter and arching his back a bit as he panted and whined. His eyes were blurry and unfocused, jolting when his prostate was touched and he unintentionally cried Paul's name in a mortifyingly lewd display.

It seemed to be embarrassing enough to bring him from his blissed out state, but could still hardly think straight with Paul not stopping for a second. In fact, when Pat finally let his green eyes fall to the soldiers face he was startled to find how seriously starved he looked, like he was physically holding back just to not pounce on the poor guy. What was even more startling was how much of a rush that gave Pat, butterflies exploding in his stomach as he blushed deeply and his cock twitched. All three of the fingers pressed so hard into the little bump Pat's whole body twitched and he gasped before letting out the breath in an even louder moan, this one complete nonsense.

The only words he managed were after, frantically muttering "Wait- I'm- I'm gonna- don't-" He all but begged, tears of pleasure welling up in his eyes as pre spilled from the head of his cock onto Paul's hand, and the man seemed to get exactly what he meant, taking his fingers back as well as his other hand, instead using them to Spread Pat's legs and push him back while the man yelped.

He was a little surprised by the sudden severity when Paul started out so tender, but really wasn't complaining, and the shorter was practically drooling at the thought of getting to press himself inside of the tight wet heat he'd just explored with his fingers. He wanted to be as close to Patrick as possible, and he was going to, literally getting to be INSIDE of him, the thought had his hand shaking as he used it to press the thick head of his cock against his "friend"s twitching entrance.

Pat tensed as it pushed inside, giving a strangled sounding moan ad grabbing onto one of Paul's wrists, holding tight and whining. Again he wrapped his legs around the man's waist once and panted heavily, Paul's huge shaft sitting still completely inside of him. His thighs were trembling as he took ragged breaths. Everything was so warm, burning hot even at every point of contact between their skin and Patrick wanted more so bad. It wasn't long at all before Paul started moving and while it did hurt a little the Pat couldn't have cared less.

He wanted to ask Paul to touch him more of come closer, but he couldn't speak. More accurately, he couldn't think. For one of the first time in his life every part of his brain was completely silent and occupied, as if Paul had forced all of the needless monologue and rambling to make room for himself. In the absence of thoughts he had very basic carnal wants. He wanted Paul to go harder, he wanted to ask if he could suck Paul's dick later, he wanted Paul to touch him more, he wanted Paul. He had so consciously force the words when he tried to articulate one.

Paul was just setting a steady pace, not slow, but not fast or hard enough to overwhelm Pat too quick, the polish man rewarding each thrust with a sweet little noise of ecstasy, sometimes flinching or jumping it got deep enough to jostle him again. Between moans, he spoke up, pathetically croaking "M-more, Paul, please I- harder" He panted. Said man complied immediately, very likely in part due to how badly he wanted to hear Pat moan his name again.

Sort of unprepared, despite having specifically asked for it, the taller fell apart in a matter of moments as he was pounded, choking on his own gasps. He was completely incoherent other than plenty of "Oh god"s as well as the occasional "Paul!~" And the soldier couldn't get enough of it. Pat looked so gorgeous coming apart at the seams for him, big green eyes all watery.

With one hand, the man held that back of his neck and tugged him in close enough to bite down on his shoulder to muffle a couple louder, more high pitched noises as Patrick felt his orgasm building rapidly. He wrapped the other hand around his own shaft, desperately stroking himself off with his best attempt to keep pace with Paul. It didn't take long at all for him to cum like that, his load spilling over his own stomach and hand, some even getting on his partner's lower stomach as well.

The way he squeezed around when he came was obscene, and it felt beyond heavenly. He forced the taller flat on his back again, listening to the more whimpery and whiney moans he received while rutting into him, it was more rough and less coordinated, finally pushing as deep as he could and gasping Pat's name as he came, panting heavily and bucking his hips as he filled the condom.

As everything started to calm down their lips found each other again, the kiss a lot more gentle and loving despite how deep and long it ended up being, breaking once Paul pulled out and put the condom in the little waist bin by his bed. He snuggled back into Pat's side with a smile, but the man's brain was starting to clear up and he suddenly felt unsanitary to a violent degree. "We really can't stay on the floor" He muttered, Paul frowning and looking at him with clear disappointment. "Ok, can I sleep with you in your bed though?" Patrick blushed, but couldn't help a little smile as he muttered "Fine. We should really clean up before properly laying down though"

[themorningnewsinformer]

Iran’s Quds Force Breach: Mossad Infiltration Deepens

Introduction In a stunning development, the Iranian intelligence community is facing an unprecedented crisis as reports of Mossad infiltration continue to emerge. The assassination of two senior Iran Quds Force commanders—Saeed Izadi and Behnam Shahryari—demonstrates the deep breach within Iran’s intelligence apparatus, raising serious questions about Tehran’s internal security. Assassinations…

[sponsored-deactivated20210106]

Anyone see Elon Musk in last 24 hours???

Am genuinely concerned that JD Vance has offed him like they did to Pope Francis and to Jeffery Epstein.

Musk tweeting on x.com doesn't count. Grök do 95% of that automatically, hooked directly into the zeitgeist of x.com's "Firehose" ...it was Grök who told Musk to buy Twitter in the first place, as Musk has mentioned when asked about his reasons. Try asking the public-facing version, Grok, on x.ai if Musk's been offed or kidnapped. JV, as Vance is known on Signal, initially (allegedly) dropped a

🤣🤣🍿🍿🍿🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

🇺🇸🍊🌮⛳⚔️⚔️⚔️🤓🚗 🚀💡

But just now on Signal, it's reported JV dropped

🇺🇸🖕🔥⚔️💀🚗 🚀💡

Skull? Really?