POPULARITY
Categories
This light of the Church is one of only three holy Fathers whom the Church has honored with the name "the Theologian" (the others are St John the Evangelist and Theologian, and St Symeon the New Theologian). He was born in 329 in Arianzus in Cappadocia to a pious and holy family: his father Gregory, mother Nonna, brother Caesarius and sister Gorgonia are all counted among the Saints of the Church. His father later became Bishop of Nazianzus. He studied in Palestine, then in Alexandria, then in Athens. On the way to Athens, his ship was almost sunk in a violent storm; Gregory, who had not yet been baptized, prayed to the Lord to preserve him, and promised that henceforth he would dedicate his entire life to God. Immediately the storm ceased. In Athens, Gregory's fellow students included St Basil the Great and the future Emperor Julian the Apostate. The friendship between Gregory and Basil blossomed into a true spiritual friendship; they were loving brothers in Christ for the rest of their lives. After completing their studies, Sts Gregory and Basil lived together as monks in hermitage at Pontus. Much against St Gregory's will, his father ordained him a priest, and St Basil consecrated him Bishop of Sasima (in the Archdiocese of Caesarea, over which St Basil was Archbishop). In 381 the Second Ecumenical Council condemned Macedonius, Archbishop of Constantinople, and appointed St Gregory in his place. When he arrived in the City, he found that the Arians controlled all the churches, and he was forced to "rule" from a small house chapel. From there he preached his five great sermons on the Trinity, the Triadika; these were so powerfully influential that when he left Constantinople two years later, every church in the City had been restored to the Orthodox. St Gregory was always a theologian and a contemplative, not an administrator, and the duties of Archbishop were agonizing to him. In 382 he received permission from a council of his fellow-bishops and the Emperor to retire from the see of Constantinople. He returned to Nazianzus (for which reason he is sometimes called St Gregory of Nazianzus). There he reposed in peace in 391 at the age of sixty-two. His writings show a theological depth and a sublimity of expression perhaps unsurpassed in the Church. His teaching on the Holy Trinity is a great bastion of Orthodox Faith; in almost every one of his published homilies he preaches the Trinity undivided and of one essence.
Solo Travel Adventures: Safe Travel for Women, Preparing for a Trip, Overcoming Fear, Travel Tips
The room goes quiet after a major role changes—kids move out, routines fade, and you're left staring at a blank page. We lean into that space with a fresh frame: think of your life as a story you're authoring, not a script you're handed. From there, we use reflection prompts and practical tools to redesign your next chapter with intention and weave travel in as a catalyst for identity, creativity, and joy.We start by revisiting your eight-year-old self to uncover traits that never really left—curiosity, movement, creativity—and treat those as guideposts. Then we map your current “cast” and name the real conflicts: setting boundaries with adult children, shifting purpose after years of caregiving, or rebuilding confidence after a long season of responsibility. With a clear idea of the climax you want—a bold step, a reclaimed talent, a renewed sense of self—we plan travel that supports growth rather than distracts from it.You'll learn how to build a 20-activity joy list, schedule it so it actually happens, and turn items into trips that fit your values. Think hot air balloons in Cappadocia or at the Albuquerque festival, a butterfly migration in Mexico instead of a local exhibit, movement-focused getaways, or creative retreats that reignite your craft. The goal isn't more stamps in a passport; it's experiences that move the plot forward. Whether you're reclaiming an old self or practicing a new one, these steps help you design travel that feels personal, purposeful, and doable right now.If this season feels like transition without a map, start with the prompts, choose one aligned activity, and give yourself a destination that matches your story. Subscribe for more practical tools, share this with a friend who needs a fresh chapter, and leave a review to tell us what trip you're planning next. Support the showhttps://www.cherylbeckesch.com hello@cherylbeckesch.com Instagram @solotraveladventures50
Laughter may be one of the most powerful tools we have for navigating stress, burnout, and the weight of modern life. In this conversation, I had the pleasure of sitting down once again with Sir James Gray Robinson to explore why humor, self-awareness, and gratitude matter far more than most of us realize. James and I talk about how easily we lose the ability to laugh at ourselves, how that loss feeds stress and burnout, and why taking life too seriously often does more harm than good. Along the way, we reflect on comedy, culture, trauma, and the simple truth that being able to laugh can shift perspective faster than almost anything else. James also shares what he has learned from years of coaching high-stress professionals, especially lawyers, about how laughter resets the nervous system and opens the door to better problem solving. We talk about gratitude as a powerful antidote to fear and anger, the role artificial intelligence can play as a daily tool for perspective, and how self-reflection helps us separate reality from the stories our minds create. We even explore James's work with an ancient royal order dedicated to service and philanthropy. I believe you will find this conversation thoughtful, grounding, and surprisingly uplifting, because at its core, it reminds us that joy, humor, and connection are not luxuries. They are essential to living an unstoppable life. Highlights: 00:59 – Learn why losing the ability to laugh at yourself creates stress and emotional rigidity.04:26 – Understand the difference between witty humor and humor that harms rather than heals.11:03 – Discover how laughter resets the nervous system and interrupts burnout patterns.15:35 – Learn why gratitude is one of the strongest tools for overcoming fear and anger.16:16 – Hear how artificial intelligence can be used as a daily tool to shift perspective and invite joy.35:19 – Understand how burnout often begins with internal stories that distort reality and fuel stress. About the Guest: Sir James Gray Robinson, Esq. is an award winning third-generation trial attorney who specialized in family law and civil litigation for 27 years in his native North Carolina. Burned out, Sir James quit in 2004 and has spent the next 20 years doing extensive research and innovative training to help others facing burnout and personal crises to heal. He has taught wellness, transformation, and mindfulness internationally to thousands of private clients, businesses, and associations. As a licensed attorney, he is focused on helping lawyers, professionals, entrepreneurs, employers, and parents facing stress, anxiety, addiction, depression, exhaustion, and burnout. Sir James is a highly respected speaker, writer, TV personality, mentor, consultant, mastermind, and spiritual leader/healer who is committed to healing the planet. He possesses over 30 certifications and degrees in law, healing, and coaching, as well as hundreds of hours of post-certification training in the fields of neuroscience, neurobiology, and neuroplasticity, epigenetics, mind-body-spirit medicine, and brain/heart integration. Having experienced multiple near-death experiences has given him a deeper connection with divinity and spiritual energy. Sir James regularly trains professionals, high-level executives, and businesspeople to hack their brains to turn stress into success. He is regularly invited to speak at ABA and state bar events about mental and emotional health. His work is frequently published in legal and personal growth magazines, including the ABA Journal, Attorneys-at-Work Magazine, and the Family Law Journal. Sir James has authored 13 books on personal growth and healing, including three targeting stressed professionals as well as over 100 articles published in national magazines. He has produced several training videos for attorneys, executives, entrepreneurs and high-level professionals. Sir James has generously endowed numerous projects around the world to help children, indigenous natives, orphans and the sick, including clean water projects in the Manu Rain Forest, Orphanages, Schools and Medical Clinics/Ambulances in India, Buddhist monks in Nepal, and schools in Kenya, Ecuador, and Puerto Rico. In addition to his extensive contributions, Sir James produced and starred in three documentaries that will be released in 2024, focusing on healing, mental and emotional health. The first, "Beyond Physical Matter," is available on several streaming platforms, including Amazon Prime. The trailer can be found at www.BeyondPhysicalMatter.com. The second, “Beyond the Mastermind Secret”, is scheduled for release in the fall of 2024. The trailer can be found at https://BeyondMastermindSecrets.com/. The third, “Beyond Physical Life” is scheduled for release at the end of 2024. The trailer can be found at https://beyondphysicallife.com/. He has formed an entertainment media production company known as Beyond Entertainment Global, LLC, and is currently producing feature length films and other media. In recognition of his outstanding work and philanthropy, Sir James was recently knighted by the Royal Order of Constantine the Great and Saint Helen. In addition, Sir James won the prestigious International Impact Book Award for his new book “Thriving in the Legal Arena: The Ultimate Lawyer's Guide for Transforming Stress into Success”. Several of his other books have won international book awards as well. Sir James was recently awarded the President's Lifetime Achievement Award by President Joe Biden for his outstanding service to his community, country and the world. He will be awarded the prestigious International Humanitarian Award known as Men with Hearts, in London, England in the fall of 2024, as well as Man of the Year and Couple of the year with his wife, Linda Giangreco. Sir James has a wide variety of work/life experiences, including restauranteur, cattle rancher, horse trainer, substance abuse counselor, treatment center director, energy healer, bodyguard, legal counselor for several international spiritual organizations, golfer and marathon runner. He graduated from R.J. Reynolds High School in 1971, Davidson College in 1975 and Wake Forest University School of Law in 1978. Ways to connect with Sir James**:** FB - https://www.facebook.com/sirjamesgrayrobinson IG - https://www.instagram.com/sirjamesgrayrobinson/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@sirjamesgrayrobinson?_t=8hOuSCTDAw4&_r=1 Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@JamesGrayRobinson LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gray-robinson-/ About the Host: Michael Hingson is a New York Times best-selling author, international lecturer, and Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe. Michael, blind since birth, survived the 9/11 attacks with the help of his guide dog Roselle. This story is the subject of his best-selling book, Thunder Dog. Michael gives over 100 presentations around the world each year speaking to influential groups such as Exxon Mobile, AT&T, Federal Express, Scripps College, Rutgers University, Children's Hospital, and the American Red Cross just to name a few. He is Ambassador for the National Braille Literacy Campaign for the National Federation of the Blind and also serves as Ambassador for the American Humane Association's 2012 Hero Dog Awards. https://michaelhingson.com https://www.facebook.com/michael.hingson.author.speaker/ https://twitter.com/mhingson https://www.youtube.com/user/mhingson https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelhingson/ accessiBe Links https://accessibe.com/ https://www.youtube.com/c/accessiBe https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessibe/mycompany/ https://www.facebook.com/accessibe/ Thanks for listening! Thanks so much for listening to our podcast! If you enjoyed this episode and think that others could benefit from listening, please share it using the social media buttons on this page. Do you have some feedback or questions about this episode? Leave a comment in the section below! Subscribe to the podcast If you would like to get automatic updates of new podcast episodes, you can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher. You can subscribe in your favorite podcast app. You can also support our podcast through our tip jar https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/unstoppable-mindset . Leave us an Apple Podcasts review Ratings and reviews from our listeners are extremely valuable to us and greatly appreciated. They help our podcast rank higher on Apple Podcasts, which exposes our show to more awesome listeners like you. If you have a minute, please leave an honest review on Apple Podcasts. Transcription Notes: Michael Hingson 00:00 Access Cast and accessiBe Initiative presents Unstoppable Mindset. The podcast where inclusion, diversity and the unexpected meet. Hi, I'm Michael Hingson, Chief Vision Officer for accessiBe and the author of the number one New York Times bestselling book, Thunder dog, the story of a blind man, his guide dog and the triumph of trust. Thanks for joining me on my podcast as we explore our own blinding fears of inclusion unacceptance and our resistance to change. We will discover the idea that no matter the situation, or the people we encounter, our own fears, and prejudices often are our strongest barriers to moving forward. The unstoppable mindset podcast is sponsored by accessiBe, that's a c c e s s i capital B e. Visit www.accessibe.com to learn how you can make your website accessible for persons with disabilities. And to help make the internet fully inclusive by the year 2025. Glad you dropped by we're happy to meet you and to have you here with us. Michael Hingson 01:17 Well, hi everyone, and welcome to another edition of unstoppable mindset. And we're doing something today we haven't done too often, but we've done it a few times. We are having a second conversation with James Gray Robinson, actually, sir, James Gray Robinson, and we're going to talk about that part of it today we did last time, but I'm going to start actually a little bit different way. You and I were just talking about humor. We were talking about Mel Brooks, because I, when you came into the to the room, I said, What in the wide, wide world of sports is it going on here, which is a very famous line from Blazing Saddles. And you pointed out that that movie probably couldn't be made today, and I agree. But why do you think that is Sir James Gray Robinson, Esq 02:10 I think that we've become so disenchanted with ourselves that everything's offensive now, I think back when we and when I grew up in the 50s and 60s, people had so many really, you know, life threatening things to think about, like atomic war and, you know, it just seems like people have shifted their consciousness away from having a good time to simply having to be right all the time. And so we've lost the ability to laugh at ourselves. I mean, one of my favorite lines is, if you think Talk is cheap, you've never talked to a lawyer. And the thing is, is that I'm a lawyer, and I find that incredibly funny, yeah, because if you can't laugh at yourself, then you really are going to struggle in life, because a lot of times, things don't work out the way that we anticipated or wanted them to. And there's a couple of different ways that we can react to that or respond to that. There's a I found that people are losing the ability to take responsibility for themselves and that they blame everything on everybody else. We're raising a nation of victims, and victims are not going to laugh at anything. So what we, I think, what we have to do is we have to start teaching our children how to have a sense of humor. If something doesn't happen the just the way we want it to, then laugh at it. It doesn't have to, you know, unless it's pain, you know, if it's physically abusive or something, then you know. But the thing is, we're trying to helicopter parent everything, and we all get so upset when somebody says something off the cuff or maybe without fully thinking through what they're saying. So it's, it's just unfortunate that there are many, many things in life I think could be avoided with just a good chuckle and go ahead. Well, I was just going to say, you know, like if somebody said to me, you're. Eyes on wrong I'd laugh because it would what difference does it make? But what my tile looks like? Yeah, and I would just laugh, and I would laugh at me, and I would laugh at them, because somebody thought that there was something wrong with that, yeah. Michael Hingson 05:21 Well, what about people like Don Rickles? You know, who, who was always known for insulting everyone and being an obnoxious character. What do you think about him? Sir James Gray Robinson, Esq 05:36 I you know the thing is, is that he was offensive, but he wasn't, what's the word? I would say he he wasn't profane, because he never cursed at anybody. You know, I've watched a couple of roasts. You know, they call them roast, right? They get a bunch of people together, and they make fun of somebody. And back in the day, when Don Rickles and Johnny Carson, Milton, burl, rich, little even, what couple of committee is, I can't think of, but they were extremely witty, and they were perhaps offensive, but they weren't necessarily insulting to the point where you It's not Funny. And I think we've got and we've gone to the point where we now are seeing these roasts. And I thought I saw Tom Brady's roast. Actually paid to watch it, and it was the most profane, you know, unfunny, hurtful, hour and a half I think I've ever watched, and it just I didn't smile once. I just was wincing the whole way through, wondering why people think that sort of nonsense is funny. Michael Hingson 07:19 Well, I asked about Don Rickles, because I saw an interview with him on the Donahue show, when Phil Donahue had his TV show, one of the things. And after he said this, I thought about it, and of course, never really was able to see in person, but I believed him. Don rickel said, Look, I never pick on someone if I think they're going to be offended. He said, If I see somebody in the audience and start picking on them and it looks like they're taking offense or they're getting angry about it, I won't pick on them anymore. And he said I might even go talk with them later, but he said I won't pick on them anymore. And I thought about that, he said, I will never there are lines I won't cross, which is some of what you just said. But he really was absolutely adamant about the fact that he didn't really want to insult people. He wanted people to have fun, so he always looked for people in the audience who would laugh at what he had to say and how he and how he abused them and so on. He said those are the people that he really liked to to interact with because they weren't taking offense, which I thought was a very intuitive and interesting concept on his part. And if you really want to talk about a comedian who was never profane no matter what he did or happened to him, later, think about Bill Cosby, Sir James Gray Robinson, Esq 08:49 yeah, and or Red Skelton, or Red Skelton, yeah, that was and always, he would always end up with God Bless. And the thing that amazes me about today's comedy is how much violence. There's a subtle undercurrent of violence under all of their humor. And it's, you know, they're kind of like laughing at somebody who is hurt or is not as intelligent as the comedian thinks he is. Or, you know, they're making fun of stuff just to be hurtful. And it's not, you know, they've lost the connection between being taken taking fun, making fun of somebody and being hurtful. And I just amazed when I see a lot of comedians today. I mean, there's lots of very witty, very intelligent, grand guffaw producing comedy out. There. And it's, there's some, they're very, very talented comedians out there, but then there are the other people that want to drag you through the Michael Hingson 10:07 mud, yeah? And it's all shock. It's all shock, yeah, Sir James Gray Robinson, Esq 10:12 and intentionally offend you to, I guess it's some kind of power play, but it's simple. You know, people, I think that people actually are so traumatized that they they think it's funny when somebody traumatizes somebody else. Michael Hingson 10:34 Well, I Oh, Sir James Gray Robinson, Esq 10:35 go on. No, go right ahead. Michael Hingson 10:38 I I never got to see Don Rickles live, although I would have loved to, and I would love to have paid the money to sit in the front row, hopefully, hoping that he would pick on me so I could jump up and say, Yeah, I saw you once on TV. I took one look at you and haven't been able to see since. What do you think about that? Sir James Gray Robinson, Esq 11:02 Never that would be appropriate, yeah? I mean, because he'd love it, you're making fun, yeah, you're making fun of him, and you're making fun of yourself. And that's what I call self depreciating humor. He where the jokes, yeah, the joke really is about you. It's not about him, yeah, and it's in it, so it's people probably wouldn't take offense to that. But when people sit there, you know, start poking fun at how people look or what they their educational level, or their, you know, cultural background is I, I just don't get that. I mean, it's and I grieve that we're turning into bullies. Well, you know, and it's, it's unfortunate you Michael Hingson 11:52 you've dealt a lot, especially over the last 20 years, with burnout and things like that. Do you think that what's happening in in society based on what you're talking about, with the lack of humor, without self deprecating environments and all that. Do you think that's because it's stressful, contributing to burnout? Sir James Gray Robinson, Esq 12:14 Yes, I think, well, we again, we take ourselves way too seriously. The one thing that I've noticed, especially with my clients, is when I can get them to laugh, they start to take a different perspective of their life. But when they think everything that they're what I call they're stuck in Warrior mode. There's, you know, we have a, don't know if we talked about this last time, but we have a nervous system that goes one or two ways. It either goes to fight or flight, called the sympathetic nervous system, where you know you're reacting to everything in a negative way, because it's a matter of survival, or we go to the parasympathetic nervous system, which is the fun part of our psyche, and we can enjoy ourselves, but everybody is so scared of something there that they the body cannot stand That level of stress for years. I mean, that's what burnout is, and it it tears your body apart until it actually turns off. And that's what happens when you burn out. We used to call it nervous breakdown, but, you know now it's burnout. But the point is, is you just wear yourself out because you don't have anything that will break the constant stream of stress, and one of the best ways that you can handle stress is to laugh. Laugh at yourself, laugh at something, a joke, laugh at whatever you find stressful, because it breaks that autonomic nervous system response. And if you can reset yourself every now and then that you know, one of the ways I teach people how to deal with stress is to research jokes. Go buy a good joke book, and you can go and find enough. You know, all you need is a couple of jokes to start the day, and you're going to be in a much better frame of mind going to work or dealing with whatever you have to deal with. If you've laughed at least once before you go to work, because that that engages your parasympathetic. I call it the guru. And you can deal with adversity. You can deal with problems. You can actually problem solve. You. And but when we're stressed out because we're afraid of what's going to happen, we're afraid of making mistakes, and we're afraid of what somebody's going to think of us, then we are just going to end up in a very bad place, mentally and emotionally and physically. So it's, you know, one of the things that you can do, as if you're having to deal with stress on a daily basis, is to just remember how to be grateful. I mean, I think that of all the emotions, gratitude is probably the most powerful one there is because it will overcome fear, it will overcome anger, it will overcome shame, it will overcome guilt, it will overcome envy, all the negative emotions cannot stand up to gratitude. And so if you can learn to be grateful, and especially grateful for the struggle, then you are going to be a happy camper, and you can probably learn to laugh, until you can be grateful though you're going to struggle. And that's we're not designed to do the struggling. We're designed to have fun. I mean, that's people always say, what are my purpose, you know? And why am I doing here? And I said, you only have two purposes in life. One is to breathe, and the other one is to laugh. Everything else is just a complication. So if you just remember that, if you can be grateful and laugh once in a while, you're going to be a lot better off than somebody that takes it too seriously, Michael Hingson 16:44 yeah, well, and you, you must see a lot of it, because I know you, you do a lot of coaching and working with especially lawyers, which is a very stressful situation, especially people who are truly dedicated to the Law and who look at it in the right way, there must be a lot of stress. How do you get them to relax? I like the idea of getting a joke book. I think that's that's cute, and I think that that makes a lot of sense. But in but in general, how do you get people to laugh and to do it as a habit. Sir James Gray Robinson, Esq 17:24 Well, I've been doing this for 20 years, so my answer 20 years ago is probably a little different than the answer I have now. Artificial Intelligence is my friend, because I can, I can do anything with artificial intelligence. And one of the best ways I, you know, I program my artificial intelligence to to respond, to react and to know who I am. I put, I put all of my books onto artificial intelligence. Every time I write an article, I put it in there. I'm always talking to it. I'm always saying, Well, this is the way I feel about this. This is the way I feel about that. This is what this is funny to me. This something happened to me today that is was really funny. And then I tell it what was funny. And I would program this thing. So the next, when I wake up in the morning, I can just ask it tell me something that'll make me laugh, and it always has something that will make me laugh. And so because it can, not only does it know what I fed into it, it knows everything that's on the internet, right? And so you can, you can get a, you know, something funny, something to start your day, make me glad to be alive, you know, tell me something that'll make me grateful. All those things. It'll, just in a millisecond, it'll be on your screen, yeah. And so it's, that's a tool we obviously didn't have even a year ago, but 20 years ago, it was a little bit more depth, a little bit more effort to find these things. But you could, you could do that. I mean, we did have the internet 20 years ago, and so we, we could go looking and go searching for funny stuff. But it's not as easy as is artificial intelligence, so you know. And if you I'll tell you one thing, it's been a real tool that has been very useful for me, because sometimes if I'm not sure what I should say, my old my old motto was, if you don't know what to say, shut up. But now I asked, I asked, and I'm not sure what, how I should respond to this. What do you suggest? And it'll come up with some. Give me five things that I could say. Michael Hingson 19:59 Does it do? Will tell you, does it ever tell you should just shut up? Just checking yes, yes. Sir James Gray Robinson, Esq 20:04 Okay, good, good for you. Don't say any. Don't say anything, you fool. But the point is, is that it's got, you know, every book that's ever been written about psychology in its database, so you can find things that would make you sound wise and profound. And I use it all the time to figure out what to say, or to how a better way to say something is Yeah, and that way I've managed to stay pretty much out of trouble by and, you know, it's like having a friend who you could ask, What should I say? And they would come back with a couple of answers that you know, then you can just decide yourself which one you should use, right? Michael Hingson 20:57 And you may, and you may, in addition, tweak it which which makes sense, because AI is, is a tool, and I, I am not sure that it is going to ever develop truly to the point where it, if you will, wakes up and and becomes its own true intelligence, Skynet Sir James Gray Robinson, Esq 21:24 on all the Terminator series, Michael Hingson 21:27 or or in Robert heinleins, the Moon is a Harsh Mistress. The computer woke up. It helped as a still my favorite science fiction book, and it was, if you've never read it, it's a story about the the moon in 2076 which had been colonized and was being run by the lunar authority back on Earth, it had no clue about anything. And so in 2076 the moon revolted, and the computer and the computer helped. So on July 4, 2076 it was a great movie or a great book. I'd love to see it dramatized. If somebody would do it the right way, I think it'd make a great radio series. But haven't done it yet. Sir James Gray Robinson, Esq 22:14 Well, Robert Highland is a genius. No doubt about that, Stranger in a Strange Land was big in my developmental years, yeah, and Michael Hingson 22:26 that was the book that came out right after the Moon is a Harsh Mistress. I still think the moon and harsh mistress is even a better book than Stranger in a Strange Land. But Stranger in a Strange Land really did catch on and and rightfully so. It was, it was very clever. Sir James Gray Robinson, Esq 22:42 Well, most people, I mean, you know, clean humor is a good place to start, yeah, because I think that all of the profanity that comedians rely on to shock people. And, you know, there are two ways that we have the laugh response one is, is that it shocks you in the sense that it makes you afraid, because it seems like a attack on you. It's a defensive mechanism that we have. It's not even if it's not funny, we will laugh, because that's our body's way of dealing with something that's really traumatic. The other way is when we something strikes us as funny because it's witty or clever, and that is more of a that's a less stressful response. And can we, we can laugh, and it's a more of a genuine response than one where we're basically traumatized, right? And I think that, and with everything else, is who? Who do you hang around? Who is your tribe? Who do you? Somebody was somebody said, some psychologist said, you know, show me 10 of your friends and I'll tell you exactly what your problem is, because the people you hang around will mirror what's going on in your interior landscape. And if you've got friends who are problematic, that means that there's some things on your psyche that you need to take a look at. And you know that, and it's especially people who have been traumatized early in life. Their coping mechanisms and their judgment is not so good, right? So they have to take a step back and look at well, are these people helping me? Are they hurting me? Because if you notice, a lot of traumatized people will surround themselves with traumatized people, and all they do is whip themselves in the lather. Are every day, and they get so melodramatic, and they get so upset about everything that's going on in life, they can't find any sense of humor or any sense of joy, yeah, and it's until they let go of those, those trauma responses they're they're pretty much in a hat, in a self repeating habit that is not going to be healthy. Michael Hingson 25:29 And I think you're absolutely right. It is very much about joy. And we, we should. We should find ways to be joyful and feel joy, and, of course, laugh and not take life so seriously. Unfortunately, there's so much going on today with people who clearly have no sense of humor, or at least they never exhibit it, that it tends to really be a problem. And unfortunately, I think we're all learning some really bad habits, or many of us are learning some very bad habits because of that. And I don't know what's going to break that cycle, but the cycle is going to have to break at some point. Sir James Gray Robinson, Esq 26:14 It will, unfortunately, a lot of times it takes a revolution, yeah, in order to replace old, unhealthy thought patterns with better thought patterns. You know, I'm reminded of the old saying that when an idiot tries to teach another idiot, you end up with two idiots. So you you have to be careful about who you're taking advice from, right? And so if, especially you know my my advice to anybody that's struggling and suffering is turn off your phone and turn off your TV, and if you know how to read, go read a book, because when you can get into a period of calm, quiet reflection, you're going to be able to make More sense out of what's going on in your life, and especially if you're reading a book that will explain to you the best way to deal with challenges, right? But just or just read a funny book, you know, something you know I find sarcasm and cleverness, extremely funny. So I love books like Forrest Gump, who who take extreme examples and turns them into funny scenarios, and they did a good Michael Hingson 28:01 job making that into a movie too. I thought, Sir James Gray Robinson, Esq 28:05 I mean, I tell you, I forget who the director was, but they were brilliant because they were able to spin a story that was honest. But it wasn't offensive, and you could laugh because of all of forests characteristics and everything else, but it was presented in the way that it wasn't, you know? It wasn't being mean, right? And it wasn't, being unkind, and so it was just a story of a man who ended up being a success, and it was more through Providence than anything else. You know, I love the Marx Brothers, oh, sure, because they always had a way of making fun of each other and making fun of other people and making fun of themselves that was truly humorous. And it was more sight gags. It was more, you know, one liners, and it wasn't by being mean to anybody. It was as about being very aware of what was going on. Michael Hingson 29:25 I'm trying to remember which movie it was. I think it was duck soup. Somebody fell into the water and she yelled, throw me a lifesaver. And so somebody threw her a lifesaver. That is a candy. Yeah, it's just so clever. It was clever. But, you know, one of the things that I enjoy is old radio shows, radios from the shows from the 30s, 40s and 50s, and the humor, again, was respectful of. Hmm, and they could pick on people to a degree, but it was never in a in a mean way, but just the humor was always so clever, and so I would, Sir James Gray Robinson, Esq 30:14 I would listen George and Gracie Allen, George, Jack Benny, Michael Hingson 30:19 Phil Harris, Sir James Gray Robinson, Esq 30:21 and you was his name, Jackie Gleason, Michael Hingson 30:29 Amos and Andy. And of course, people today have decided Amos and Andy are offensive because they say it's all about blacks, and you're insulting black people. If anybody would go back and look in history, the reality is that Amos and Andy probably was one of the most well, it was one of the most popular shows on radio to the point where, if you were in a movie theater on Saturday afternoon watching a movie, they would stop it when Amos and Andy came on and play the show, and it didn't matter what the color of your skin was. In fact, I asked an Amos and Andy expert one time, when did they stop referring to themselves as black or dark? And the reason I asked that is because the first time I was exposed to Amos and Andy was actually the Amos and Andy TV shows, and I didn't know they were black, and I learned later that they were taken off the air when people started becoming offended because there were two black people. But I asked this, this lady about Amos and Andy, and when did they stop referring to themselves as black? And she said, Well, probably about the last time that she was aware of where there was a reference to it was 1937 so for many, many years, if you decided that their voices were black people, then, then you did, but they didn't talk about black or white or anything else. And and so it was. It was a very interesting show. And one guy usually was trying to con the other one and the other, well, king fish would con Andy, who usually fell for it. But gee, how many shows with white people do we see the same thing. You know? The reality is that it was a very funny show by any standard. Sir James Gray Robinson, Esq 32:26 Well, Sanford and sons, Sanford, same thing. I mean, that humor was, it was cutting you know, anytime you get on a cutting edge type of program, you know, it's inevitable that somebody's going to take offense. But I always laughed out loud. I watched that show, and it wasn't because they were demeaning anybody. It was just watching people trying to get by and using their wits. And a lot of times it was, it was comical because it wasn't very clever, but it was just they were doing the best they could to make a living. They were doing the best they could to live in their society. And I always admired that. I mean, they never, and they were able to, I guess, touch on the aspect of racial inequality without burning the house down. And it was like always admired them. You know, Sanford and sons, the Jeffersons, all of those shows, how about all the family? If you want to talk all in the family too well they they were just, you could switch one script with the other because it was more about human beings being human than it was about what the color of your skin was, yeah. So, you know, I would invite anybody who is offended by something to really ask yourself, what is it that offends you? Because there's always something in your consciousness that you find offensive. You would never be offended by anything if you unless you found something within yourself that's offensive, whether because and it's called the psychological term is called projection. You're projecting on what you're perceiving, and it's called bias. We all have conclusions. We all have prejudice. We all have judgments. Our brain is built that way to keep us alive, and so we're always interpreting data and perceptions to see if there's any threat out there, and if, when we start taking words as threatening, then we've got a problem. Yep, and. But because things like comedy and humor shouldn't offend anybody, but because you believe in something that makes that offensive, that's why you're offended. And so it's really as useful to people to really think about what is it that I believe that makes that offensive? Because most of the time you will find that whatever it is that you believe may not be true, and it's just something that some kind of conclusion you've drawn because of your experiences, or what you've been taught or what you've witnessed that's given you a wrong idea about something. So I invite anybody who is mad or angry that they look and see what is that belief that is making you angry? Michael Hingson 35:59 Yeah, it gets back to self analysis. It gets back to looking at yourself, which is something that most of us haven't really learned a lot about how to do. How. How did you pick up all these, these kind of nuggets of wisdom and so on. Sir James Gray Robinson, Esq 36:19 Well, when I burn, when I had my nervous breakdown back in 2004 I quit practicing law for a while because I couldn't bear the thought of going into my office and fighting another day of the battles that trial lawyers always fight. Now I won't say that transactional lawyers don't have battles, but Trial Lawyers end up probably picking a few fights on their own that, you know, they didn't really need to go there, but they do because, you know, Trial Lawyers have a, You know, a talent for arguing they have it's exciting to most of them, and they love to fight. And so when? But eventually, if you don't know how to manage it, it will, yes, the key wear you down. Yeah. So I got out of the law business for a while, and instead, I decided I wanted to go find out. Number one, why did I burn out? And number two, how to heal it. And so I went and studied with a number of energy healers who were very, very conscious people. They were very, very aware. You might even say they were enlightened, but it was they were always teaching me and always telling me about whatever I'm experiencing on the outside is just a reflection of what's on the inside. And so it's not so much about somebody being right or somebody being wrong. It's just the world is a mirror to whatever is going on inside between our ears. Yeah, and it's not because it's we're seeing something that's not there, or we're not seeing something that is there. It's just simply, how do we process that information that comes in through our sense organs and goes into our amygdala, then the hippocampus and then to the rest of our brain to try to figure out and but it's well documented that the brain will see whatever the brain wants to See, and a lot of times it's not what the eyes see, because there are lots of experiments you can take with graphics and other things that are illusory. Because, you know, you can see these graphs or prints that look like a spiral that's going around and is moving, but it's actually circles. But the way our brain puts things together, it makes it move. And another way is sounds. If you don't know what a sound is? Your brain is going to make up a story about that sound. And it could be either That's the sound of a frog, or it could be the sound of a somebody getting attacked. It could be the sound of whatever your brain it has to put a label on it, because that's the way the brain has been wired over our couple of hundreds of 1000s of years of evolution. That's how we manage to stay alive, because we make up a story about stuff, and if we're accurate, we live. If we're not accurate, we don't. Yeah, so the a lot of people are very good at making up stories in their head about what they're seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, whatever, because a lot of lot of smells will have psychological responses in our brain. So you know the smell of baby's milk or the smell of mown grass, or, you know smell of something rank, you always will have an instant story about what you just smell. And so when I would spend long periods of time thinking about these things, contemplating them, trying to figure out, well, what does that mean for me? I mean, how does that? How will it looking at this change my life? And basically, what I learned is is that the more objective you can be, the less you make up stories about stuff, the more successful you can be, and the more happy you'll be. Because, for example, there's a term called Mind reading, where people will be listening to somebody talking, and in the back of their mind, they're making up a story about what that person means, or they're making up a story about, well, where is this guy going with this? And it's, you know, it's, it's the opposite of listening, because when listening, you're focusing on the words you're hearing, yes, and then when it's your turn to talk, you can respond appropriately, but most people are thinking while they're hearing and it totally colors their experience, because if they think that this person doesn't like them, then they're going to interpret whatever is being said a certain way. If they think that person does like them, then they will interpret it a completely different way. So it's fascinating to me how people can get the wrong idea about things, because it just is a story that their mind made up to try to explain to them why they're experiencing what they're experiencing. Michael Hingson 42:25 That's why I like to really say that I've learned so much from dogs, because dogs don't do it that way. And as I tell people, dogs don't trust unconditionally. They love unconditionally, but they don't trust unconditionally, but dogs are open to trust, and they're looking for reasons to trust, and they also, by definition, tend to be more objective, and they react to how we react and how we behave and and I think there's so much to be learned by truly taking the time to observe a dog and how they interact with you and how you interact with them, and that's going to make a big difference in how they behave. Sir James Gray Robinson, Esq 43:11 Well, you could definitely see a difference in the dog's behavior if they've been traumatized. Michael Hingson 43:16 Oh, sure, that's a different story altogether. Sir James Gray Robinson, Esq 43:19 Yeah, I agree that dogs are extremely innocent. You know, they don't have an agenda. They just want to be loved, and they would, they want to love Michael Hingson 43:31 and they want to know the rules, and they then they're looking to us to tell them what we expect. And there are ways to communicate that too, yes. Sir James Gray Robinson, Esq 43:41 And you know you all have to is give as a great example of how we should treat each other. Is all you have to do is, you know, a dog will forgive you eventually. And if you're kind to a dog. A dog will just give his entire being to you. Yeah, and it because they don't have any Guile, they don't have any hidden agendas. They just want to be you know, they want to eat. They want to be warm. They want to have fun. They do want to have fun, and so if you treat them timely, you will have a friend for life. Michael Hingson 44:29 Yep, we adopted a dog. We cared for it for a while. It was a geriatric dog at Guide Dogs for the Blind who had apparently had never worked as a guide dog, and she had been mistreated and then sent back to Guide Dogs for the Blind. She was 12. The school was convinced she was totally deaf because she wouldn't react to anything. They dropped a Webster's Dictionary next to her, and she didn't react. But we took her and we started working with her, and. It took several months before she would even take a walk with Karen, and Karen in her, you know, in Karen's wheelchair, and this wonderful golden retriever walking next to her. But the more we worked with her, the more she came out of her shell. She wasn't deaf. I'm sure she was hard of hearing, but you could drop a dictionary and she'd react to it, and if you called her, she would come. But it is all about developing the relationship and showing that you care and they will react. And so she she lived with us for more than three years before she passed, but was a wonderful creature, and we were, we were blessed to have her. Sir James Gray Robinson, Esq 45:48 Well, go ahead. No, I was just going to comment that I've got three Pomeranians, and they run the place course. You know, it's there. It's amazing how a six pound dog can run your life, but Michael Hingson 46:03 you let them, but you still establish, but you still establish some rules and you know, but that's, that's, yeah, I have a cat who runs the place, but that's okay. Well, we have not talked about, and I do want to talk about it when I first started hearing from you, your emails were all signed, sir, James Gray Robinson, and I always was curious, and you eventually explained it to me. But why don't you tell us all about your title and and all of that? Sir James Gray Robinson, Esq 46:39 Well, since we last talked, I've had a promotion. Now I'm a baron, so it's Baron James Gray Robinson, Scottish, Baron of Cappadocia. But I belong to a royal order that's known as the Royal Order of Constantine, the great in st Helen, and it was established in 312, 312, 12. Ad, when Constantine, who was the emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire, conquered the Western Roman Empire, who it was brother who was the emperor of the Western Roman Empire, and they can then he consolidated the eastern and the western empires. And it was that way until 14 153 when they were defeated by the Solomon Turks. So for 1100 over 1100 years Well, let me back up. The most important battle in that war between the two brothers was the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, which was in Rome and Constantine awarded, rewarded 50 knights, 50 warriors, soldiers who fought on that campaign and carried the day against much superior forces. And he rewarded them by making them knights and giving them land in Turkey, in an area that's known as Cappadocia. And this, if you know anything about Turkey, there's an area which is honeycombed with caves that have been dug out over the millennia, and it's kind of like some body was doing some renovation work, and they broke through the floor, and they went into a cave system that would have been hand dug, and it goes down 17 layers, and it could house 30,000 people. But that was, that was Cappadocia and Constantine the Great charged these warriors with the with the duty to protect the Christian church, because that's because Constantine had converted to Christianity. His mother, Helen, was one of the driving forces in the early Christian church. She's the one that decided to build a cathedral on top of the the nativity, the manger, which is actually a grotto in Bethlehem, I've been there. I spent Christmas Eve there one year. And so the Christianity was just a fledgling religion, and he charged these nights and all successive nights, with the obligation to protect the Christians and to protect the churches. And so a lot of people credit the royal order with advancing the Christian religion. So it's been around since 312 and it's the oldest peerage and a peerage. Is a group of royalty that have knights. They have royalty like Dukes and nobles and that sort of thing. But if you look at other orders that we're aware of, the Knights of Balta didn't get established until about 1200 ad the Knights of the Templar nights, similar thing. They didn't get established till about 1000 years after we did. So it's a very, very ancient, very traditional order that focuses on helping abused women and traffic children. We have, you know, we have a lot of, you know, compassion for those people in the world, and so we are actively supporting those people all over the world. And then on the other side, we have the knights, and we have the women, equivalent of that are called dames, and then we have the nobles who are like barons and other ranks that go all the way up to a prince who is actually related To the King of Spain. So it's been a interesting history, but we can try, we can directly trace our lineage all the way back to 312 and what the you know, we have a couple of reasons for existing, one being the charitable, but also to honor people who have been successful and have accomplished a lot for other people and who care about their fellow man and women, so that we accept Anyone in eight different categories, everywhere from Arts to athletics to entrepreneurship to medicine to heroics. We have a number of veterans that were credible. Have incredible stories. We have a lot of A listers, movie stars, professional athletes, that sort of thing. Also philanthropy. I got in for philanthropy because I've given a lot of money over my life to help people all over the world, and that's one reason why I was awarded the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award. But we're a group of people. We just today started a Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences because we want to help people all over the world learn things like finances and you arts and crafts and trades and so that people who are oppressed cultures that are in third world countries will be able to learn a good earn a good living, raise their status in life, and then learn how to go on and help other people. So that's very exciting. We've got a lot of things going on with the royal order that are we're growing very rapidly, where somebody said we're 1700 year old startup, but it's, you know, we've gone through some regime changes where people have died and there weren't any heirs, so they've had to go laterally to find somebody to take over. And that's where we are now. You know, interestingly enough, my sons will inherit my title, so it's a true royalty kind of thing, where it passes down by inheritance. But you know, we don't, you know we're, we're hundreds of people in our thing. It's like 300 people in our order right now. We'd like that to be 100,000 times that because we do good work and we foster principles of charity, silvery and honesty, so that we're trying to change the culture around us to where people don't take offense in everything that they're in a society that supports each other and that people can feel safe knowing that there's they have a brother or sister that will support them. Michael Hingson 54:57 Definitely fascinating. I was not familiar with it at all. All until you and I check, yes. Sir James Gray Robinson, Esq 55:03 Well, it's amazing that me. I guess you have to be somewhat of a history buff. Yeah, and there, and there are lots of service organizations like the Masons and the Shriners and every all the animal ones, the Moose Lodge, the beavers and all these people are doing, you know, charitable work. But not not. Many of them have a royal heritage that goes back to 312 right? So, and we do dress up like knights from time to time, and ladies, and we have swords and we have robes, and we have big parties, and we have gala events, and where we induct more people into our order, and it's all great fun, and it's, you know, and we raise money for charity. So it's a win, win situation. Cool, and it doesn't hurt having Baron on your resume. Michael Hingson 56:08 No, I am sure it doesn't well. I want to thank you for explaining that, and I want to thank you for being here again. This has been a lot of fun, and I'm glad that we had a chance to really talk about humor, which, which is more important, I think, than a lot of people realize. And again, if people want to reach out to you, how do they do that? Sir James Gray Robinson, Esq 56:31 My website is James Gray robinson.com Michael Hingson 56:36 There you go. Easy to spell, easy to get to. So I hope people will do that. And again, I hope that you all enjoyed today, and that you will let me know that you enjoyed it. Please feel free to email me at Michael h i at accessibe, A, C, C, E, S, S, i, b, e.com, please give us a five star rating. Go off and read history and learn about the royal order. I think that's probably relevant and important to do as well. And again, if anyone knows anyone who ought to be a guest on the podcast, please let us know. Introduce us. Give us a rating of five stars wherever you're listening. And again, James, I just want to thank you for being here. Excuse me, sir. James. Barron, James, really appreciate you being here, and we'll have to do it again. Sir James Gray Robinson, Esq 57:24 Well, Michael, my hat's off to you. I think you're doing amazing work. I think you're helping a lot of people. You have a great podcast I've gone on your website or your YouTube, and it's a lot of fun. And I think you're doing a great service for people. Michael Hingson 57:45 You have been listening to the Unstoppable Mindset podcast. Thanks for dropping by. I hope that you'll join us again next week, and in future weeks for upcoming episodes. To subscribe to our podcast and to learn about upcoming episodes, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com slash podcast. Michael Hingson is spelled m i c h a e l h i n g s o n. While you're on the site., please use the form there to recommend people who we ought to interview in upcoming editions of the show. And also, we ask you and urge you to invite your friends to join us in the future. If you know of any one or any organization needing a speaker for an event, please email me at speaker at Michael hingson.com. I appreciate it very much. To learn more about the concept of blinded by fear, please visit www dot Michael hingson.com forward slash blinded by fear and while you're there, feel free to pick up a copy of my free eBook entitled blinded by fear. The unstoppable mindset podcast is provided by access cast an initiative of accessiBe and is sponsored by accessiBe. Please visit www.accessibe.com . AccessiBe is spelled a c c e s s i b e. There you can learn all about how you can make your website inclusive for all persons with disabilities and how you can help make the internet fully inclusive by 2025. Thanks again for Listening. Please come back and visit us again next week.
Whether it's through sheer luck or hard work, you've been handed an opportunity you've maybe only dreamed of. What do you do with it?Actor Feaven Abera has been hustling in the industry since she was 17 years old. She remembers taking jobs to pay for acting classes, commuting from Hamilton to Toronto and back for auditions and student films, and sometimes coming up short on bus fare. At 25, she was ready to call it quits, until a phone call changed everything.When Joey Gibbs spotted a lost stuffed bunny at the Vancouver airport, he decided it needed to go on an adventure of a lifetime too before being reunited with the owners.On a whim, Amanda Buhse entered her name to be a seat filler at the Emmys. When she got the call, she had less than 24 hours to get from Winnipeg to LA and be camera ready to rub elbows with the stars on TV.Edith Lemay, Sebastian Pelletier and their four children have swam with dolphins in Indonesia, sailed high above Cappadocia in a hot air balloon, and jumped into ancient lakes in Mongolia. But this epic around-the-world-adventure is more than just fun - they're also trying to create 'visual memories' before three of their kids lose their eyesight permanently. What do you pack to take to space? How do you handle the fear? And how do you prepare your family to watch you blast off? Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen gets personal ahead of his mission to the moon.
1 Peter 1:11:1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia...John 1:35-421:35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” 37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter).Luke 5:1-115:1 On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. 3 Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. 4 And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” 5 And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” 6 And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. 7 They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. 8 But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” 9 For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, 10 and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” 11 And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.
"The Martyr Gordius, who was from Caesarea of Cappadocia, was a centurion by rank. Unable to bear the impiety of the heathen, he withdrew to the wilderness to purify himself through prayer and fasting. After he perceived that his ascetical training had prepared him sufficiently, he came down from the mountains when a certain pagan festival was held in Caesarea, attended by all, and presented himself to the multitude. Although the spectacles of the festival continued, no one paid them any heed, but all eyes were turned upon him. From his sojourn in the mountains, his look was wild, his beard was long, his raiment squalid, his body like a skeleton; yet a certain grace shone round about him. He was recognized, and a loud shout and tumult was made, as his fellow Christians rejoiced, and the enemies of the truth cried out for his death. He boldly professed his faith before the Governor, and after torments was beheaded, in the reign of Licinius in the year 314. Saint Basil the Great delivered a homily on Saint Gordius, mentioning that some of those in his audience had been present at the Saint's martyrdom." (Great Horologion)
Send us a textTwo saints, one goal: heaven. We trace Basil and Gregory from Cappadocia to Athens and Constantinople, showing how holy friendship, strong doctrine, liturgy, and mercy can shape a life that burns for God and serves the poor with courage.• childhood formation in faith-soaked Cappadocia• covenant friendship at Athens aiming at holiness• conversion through prayer, fasting and surrender• monastic vision shaped by community and the Eucharist• defense of the Trinity against Arianism• Basil's rule and Gregory's preaching in action• letters as spiritual direction and encouragement• hospitals, care for the poor and lepers• liturgy and hymns that form the heart• final call to pursue sanctity with courageBe sure to click the link in the description for special news itemAnd since there is more to this article, finish reading and check out the special offerVisit journeysoffaith.com website todaySaints Basil and Gregory CollectionOpen by Steve Bailey Support the showJourneys of Faith brings your Super Saints Podcasts ***Our Core Beliefs*** The Eucharist is the Source and Summit of our Faith." Catechism 132 Click Here “This is the will of God, your sanctification.” 1Thessalonians 4“ Click Here ... lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven...” Matthew 6:19-2 Click Here The Goal is Heaven Click Here Please consider subscribing to this podcast or making a donation to Journeys of Faith we are actively increasing our reach and we are seeing good results for visitors under 40! Help us Grow! Buy Me a cup of Coffee Why you should shop here at Journeys of Faith official site! Lowest Prices and Higher discounts...
In its services, the Church calls St Basil a "bee of the Church of Christ": bringing the honey of divinely-inspired wisdom to the faithful, stinging the uprisings of heresy. He was born in Cappadocia to a wealthy and prominent family. Their worldly wealth, however, is as nothing compared to the wealth of Saints that they have given to the Church: his parents St Basil the Elder and St Emmelia; his sister St Macrina (July 19), the spiritual head of the family; and his brothers St Gregory of Nyssa (January 10), and St Peter, future bishop of Sebaste (January 9). Inspired and tutored by his father, a renowned professor of rhetoric, the brilliant Basil set out to master the secular learning and arts of his day, traveling to Athens, where he studied alongside his life-long friend St Gregory of Nazianzus. When he returned from his studies in 356, he found that his mother and his sister Macrina had turned the family home into a convent, and that his brothers had also taken up the monastic life nearby. Puffed up by his secular accomplishments, he at first resisted his sister's pleas to take up a life devoted to God, but at last, through her prayers and admonition, entered upon the ascetical life. After traveling among the monks of Egypt, Palestine and Syria, he settled in Cappadocia as a hermit, living in utter poverty and writing his ascetical homilies. A monastic community steadily gathered around him, and for its good order St Basil wrote his Rule, which is regarded as the charter of monasticism. (St Benedict in the West was familiar with this Rule, and his own is modeled on it.) In about 370 he was consecrated Bishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia. Even as bishop, he continued to live without any possessions save a worn garment to cover himself. At this time the Arian heresy was rending the Church, and it became St Basil's lot to defend Orthodoxy in Sermons and writings, a task which he fulfilled with such erudition and wisdom that he is called "Basil the Great." He reposed in peace in 379, at the age of forty-nine.
QUOTES FOR REFLECTION“Wrong will be right, when Aslan comes in sight,At the sound of his roar, sorrows will be no more,When he bares his teeth, winter meets its death,And when he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again.”~C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe “Human beings are not self-referential. You don't make yourself feel loved by telling yourself ‘I love you.' We are relational beings, and so we need something outside of ourselves to tell us we have value and worth.”~Dr. John Ashley Null, Humboldt University (Berlin) and Anglican Bishop of North Africa “But where, say some, is the King of America? I'll tell you, friend, he reigns above….”~Thomas Paine (1737-1809) in “Common Sense” (pub. January 10, 1776) “There has not been a ‘when' when the Father was not in existence. This, then, is true of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Put another question and I will answer it.Since when has the Son been begotten? Since as long as the Father has not been begotten.Since when has the Spirit been proceeding? Since as long as the Son has not been proceeding but being begotten in a non-temporal way that transcends explanation.”~Gregory of Nazianzus (c. 329-390) in “On the Son” orations 29, chapter 3 “We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of all things visible and invisible. “And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father, the only-begotten; that is of the essence of the Father, God of God, light of light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; by whom all things were made both in heaven and on earth. Who for us men and for our salvation came down and was incarnate and was made man; he suffered and the third day he rose again, and he ascended into heaven; from then he shall come to judge the living and the dead. “And in the Holy Spirit. “But those who say: ‘There was a time when he was not;' and ‘he was not before he was made;' and ‘he was made out of nothing,' or ‘he is of another substance' or ‘essence,' or ‘The Son of God is created,' or ‘changeable,' or ‘alterable'—they are condemned by the holy catholic and apostolic Church.”~The Nicene Creed (325 AD) “…we are not entitled to such license, I mean that of affirming what we please; we make the Holy Scriptures the rule and the measure of every tenet…”~Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335-c. 394), church leader from ancient Cappadocia; key participant in the Council of Constantinople (381AD), that confirmed and expanded the Nicene Creed (325 AD). SERMON PASSAGEselected passages (ESV)John 5 19 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. 20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. 21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. 22 For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23 that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. 25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. Philippians 24 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Psalm 21 Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,3 “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” 4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying,6 “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” 7 I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.9 You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.”10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth.11 Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.
Ever wanted to go Cycling in Turkey? Experience hot air balloons flying overhead in Cappadocia? Then you definitely want to listen to this episode where Slauka give us her account of what it's actually like to go bikepacking there. She talks about the history of the region, the landscapes around there, waking up to hot air balloons all around her tent and of course the extreme hospitality shown to her by the locals. You can follow Slauka via her instagram account- @allridegirl You can also listen to our full length episode with Slauka where we talk about her experiences taking a 3 week bikepacking adventure in Norway. During this episode i also shout out places many listeners are looking forward to going to on a bike adventure in 2026. Get involved with the community adn join us on instagram - @SeekTravelRide Check out the Cycplus tiny e-Pumps and use the code STR for a 5% discountSupport the showBuy me a coffee! I'm an affiliate for a few brands I genuinely use and recommend including:
In this episode, we dive into eight reasons why Cappadocia deserves a spot on your travel bucket list—from its surreal landscapes and cave hotels to unforgettable experiences like hot air ballooning at sunrise. Let's explore the region's incredible food, unique spa and hamam traditions, underground cave cities, and outdoor adventures that make it such a magical destination. Whether you're planning a couples getaway or dreaming up your next big trip, this episode will leave you ready to book a flight to Turkey!
“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.” (1 Peter 1:1) These “strangers” to whom Peter wrote his tw... More...
He was born in the province of Asia, to a Scythian who had secretly converted to Christianity. Like his parents, he was a secret follower of Christ, serving as a legionary in the Roman army during the reign of the Emperor Decius. During a campaign, an Angel appeared to him, gave him a sword and told him to go into battle trusting in Christ's help. Mercurius plunged into battle, fought his way alone through the enemy lines, and reached the barbarian commander Rigas, whom he killed. Upon the death of their chief the barbarians scattered and the victory was won. The Emperor, hearing of the young soldier's exploits, promoted him to a position at court. There, lulled by the pleasures and honors of the court, Mercurius forgot his duties to Christ his King. One night the same Angel who had given him the sword appeared to him once again and reminded him of the sword that Christ had given him, an emblem of the battle of martyrdom that he was about to enter. The next day Mercurius, now returned to his senses, refused to offer sacrifice to the gods. When called before the Emperor, he boldly proclaimed Christ and threw off his badges of office. He was thrown in prison and subjected to cruel tortures, all of which he bore with peace and joy, encouraged by the Angel who appeared to him again to offer comfort and encouragement. After long torment he was beheaded in Caesarea in Cappadocia, at the age of twenty-five.
He was born in the province of Asia, to a Scythian who had secretly converted to Christianity. Like his parents, he was a secret follower of Christ, serving as a legionary in the Roman army during the reign of the Emperor Decius. During a campaign, an Angel appeared to him, gave him a sword and told him to go into battle trusting in Christ's help. Mercurius plunged into battle, fought his way alone through the enemy lines, and reached the barbarian commander Rigas, whom he killed. Upon the death of their chief the barbarians scattered and the victory was won. The Emperor, hearing of the young soldier's exploits, promoted him to a position at court. There, lulled by the pleasures and honors of the court, Mercurius forgot his duties to Christ his King. One night the same Angel who had given him the sword appeared to him once again and reminded him of the sword that Christ had given him, an emblem of the battle of martyrdom that he was about to enter. The next day Mercurius, now returned to his senses, refused to offer sacrifice to the gods. When called before the Emperor, he boldly proclaimed Christ and threw off his badges of office. He was thrown in prison and subjected to cruel tortures, all of which he bore with peace and joy, encouraged by the Angel who appeared to him again to offer comfort and encouragement. After long torment he was beheaded in Caesarea in Cappadocia, at the age of twenty-five.
Cappadocia (in eastern Turkey) is virtually devoid of Christians now, but in 1840, when St Arsenios was born there, there were still vital Orthodox communities. He became a monk and was sent to his native town, Farasa, to serve the people. He became known as a mighty intercessor before God, praying for all who came to him, Muslims as well as Christians. His countless miracles of healing became known throughout Cappadocia; those who could not come to see him would sometimes send articles of clothing for him to pray over. He became known as Hadjiefendis, a Muslim term of honour for pilgrims, because he made pilgrimage to the Holy Land every ten years on foot. He never accepted any gifts in return for his prayers and healings, saying ‘Our faith is not for sale!' “He concealed his holiness as much as he could beneath a rough and sharp-tempered exterior. If anyone expressed admiration for him, he would reply "So you think I'm a saint? I'm only a sinner worse than you. Don't you see that I even lose my temper? The miracles you see are done by Christ. I do no more than lift up my hands and pray to him." But as the Scriptures say, the prayers of a righteous man avail much, and when St Arsenios lifted up his hands, wonders often followed. “He lived in a small cell with an earthen floor, fasted often and was in the habit of shutting himself in his cell for at least two whole days every week to devote himself entirely to prayer. “Father Arsenios predicted the expulsion of the Greeks from Asia Minor before it happened, and organized his flock for departure. When the expulsion order came in 1924, the aged Saint led his faithful on a 400-mile journey across Turkey on foot. He had foretold that he would only live forty days after reaching Greece, and this came to pass. His last words were "The soul, the soul, take care of it more than the flesh, which will return to earth and be eaten by worms!" Two days later, on November 10, 1924, he died in peace at the age of eighty-three. Since 1970, many apparitions and miracles have occurred near his holy relics, which reside in the Monastery of Souroti near Thessalonica. He was officially glorified by the Patriarchate of Constantinople in 1986.” — Source: Orthodox Parish of St John of Kronstadt (UK) The primary source for the life of St Arsenios is Saint Arsenios the Cappadocian, compiled by Elder Païsios of the Holy Mountain, who was baptized as an infant by the Saint.
Cappadocia (in eastern Turkey) is virtually devoid of Christians now, but in 1840, when St Arsenios was born there, there were still vital Orthodox communities. He became a monk and was sent to his native town, Farasa, to serve the people. He became known as a mighty intercessor before God, praying for all who came to him, Muslims as well as Christians. His countless miracles of healing became known throughout Cappadocia; those who could not come to see him would sometimes send articles of clothing for him to pray over. He became known as Hadjiefendis, a Muslim term of honour for pilgrims, because he made pilgrimage to the Holy Land every ten years on foot. He never accepted any gifts in return for his prayers and healings, saying ‘Our faith is not for sale!' “He concealed his holiness as much as he could beneath a rough and sharp-tempered exterior. If anyone expressed admiration for him, he would reply "So you think I'm a saint? I'm only a sinner worse than you. Don't you see that I even lose my temper? The miracles you see are done by Christ. I do no more than lift up my hands and pray to him." But as the Scriptures say, the prayers of a righteous man avail much, and when St Arsenios lifted up his hands, wonders often followed. “He lived in a small cell with an earthen floor, fasted often and was in the habit of shutting himself in his cell for at least two whole days every week to devote himself entirely to prayer. “Father Arsenios predicted the expulsion of the Greeks from Asia Minor before it happened, and organized his flock for departure. When the expulsion order came in 1924, the aged Saint led his faithful on a 400-mile journey across Turkey on foot. He had foretold that he would only live forty days after reaching Greece, and this came to pass. His last words were "The soul, the soul, take care of it more than the flesh, which will return to earth and be eaten by worms!" Two days later, on November 10, 1924, he died in peace at the age of eighty-three. Since 1970, many apparitions and miracles have occurred near his holy relics, which reside in the Monastery of Souroti near Thessalonica. He was officially glorified by the Patriarchate of Constantinople in 1986.” — Source: Orthodox Parish of St John of Kronstadt (UK) The primary source for the life of St Arsenios is Saint Arsenios the Cappadocian, compiled by Elder Païsios of the Holy Mountain, who was baptized as an infant by the Saint.
Christian College Sex Comedy: Part 29 Barbie Lynn s Genetics In 30 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the podcast at Explicit Novels. Nymphomania, while enticing to consider, is still utter madness when experienced. "Why Mr. Zane, my Barbie Lynn has told us so many wonderful things about you," she sounded so sugary that the honeyed words flowed off her tongue in a manner that was barely coherent. Also, her eyes flickered to the shower where I'd nailed Barbie Lynn repeatedly for forty minutes not all that long ago. Next to me Thomas grunted something that sounded like 'hello'. "I'm sure she's exaggerated to my betterment," I pulled that banter out of my tush, my brain was suffering catastrophic blood loss. "I can't wait to live in this dorm next year," Laramie came across with a nearly a molasses like drawl as well. "Zane, will you let me use this room next year?" "Dude! This is your room?" Jefferson perked up. "Mom, I have to come here next year!" "Um, yes Laramie, I'm going to hold this room open to every girl, and perhaps guy, in the dorm. I don't need much space," I said, "so keep out of the way of housekeeping and we are good. Also, you are immune from Handmaiden's Duty while here." "Oh, I was thinking about the game stations, satellite dishes and cable hook-ups," Jefferson added. Jefferson Davis, that name rang a bell. "Come on now Honey, a man can't go to a women's," Savannah let that sentence die unfinished. For me, it was keep the lone male status quo; or to get a good night's sleep'. "Mrs. Masters, I offer a thin hope for your son; if your daughter could line up some upstanding seniors and juniors, he might slip in under the Zane Exception to the enrollment policy," I told her. "You'd do that for Jeff?" Savannah took off her sunglasses and bit one of its arms. "Ma'am, I'd wrestle an alligator blindfolded for your daughter. I would certainly put in a good word for her brother," I smiled. I had no idea how tough alligators could be but I knew about crocodiles and those were some mean mothers in their own right. Still, faced with alligator wrestling or no anal-sex with Barbie Lynn, I was getting a belt, handbag and new shoes, damn it. The odds of getting Jeff in were long, Victoria barely suffered Heaven being around, and it would take an act of the Southern Baptist Convention to bring in a male to replace me when I was gone. "It would give your Father another option for Jefferson if you could do this Barbie Lynn," Savannah politely replied. "That would be great," the kid rejoiced. Yes, he was a fully functioning teenage male. "Zane can move mountains when he sets his mind to it," Barbie Lynn winked at me. Thomas saw it but was caught off-guard. "Let me show you my bedroom," Barbie offered her kin. They turned and the women sashayed away while Jeff had an almost run-in with Raven and 'company'. Each woman shot a look over their shoulder and smiled at me at some point along their journey which boded trouble. "I apologize, Zane," Thomas mumbled. "I thought, deep down, you were weak for submitting to your lusts. Now, I don't, I don't think that anymore." "Don't sweat it," I smiled. "It is only another day for me ending in y." "And don't you be forgetting about me, and how tough it has been resisting Zane," Vivian warned the man she was hoping to marry. "A wife should obey her husband," he started, "and a husband should know when to shut up." Lunch and what comes after I dropped Ms. Reveal's lunch off with just enough sassiness to make her smile and believe that our bad episode was behind us. She sent me to the Vice Chancellor's office a minute later, and while Doctor Victoria Scarlett was conversing over the phone, I felt comfortable to set her meal up in front of her and mine across her desk. Victoria only had this canned ice tea in her mini-frig so I swiped two and set one before her and opened mine. I wasn't exactly sure what it was, it was pretending to be Southern Ice Tea and I pretended to like it. The best thing I could say about it was it was cold. This was our fourth "working" lunch where she would insidiously fill my head with her philosophy and I'd causally remind her that women ran this government, not me; I was a figurehead. "What are you doing for New Year's Eve?" she inquired as she daintily cleaned off some crouton crumbs on her cheek. Her look was very intense. I wasn't getting 'quite' sexual signs from her but something, somehow this was personal. That could only mean one thing. "I'm spending it with Ms. Rio Talen but no set location has been chosen," I replied. "Oh," she paused then, "There is a Science Fiction convention in Seattle that runs from December 29th to through the 1st. My friends and I are attending and Hical asked about you." "Deal but we have to fit Rio in," I agreed. "I can send some Universe, TV and movie series and well as costuming information for her to look over," Victoria agreed tentatively. "No need, she's a Klingon, a small craft captain whose Father betrayed the Empire and whose survival is a stain on her honor," I told her. "With that barely constrained fury, she's a natural. You teach her how to use that bat-a-rang and," "Batleth," Victoria interjected. "Wicked-curved-bladey thing," I continued, "and you'll see. Oh, I'll need an Orion Slave Girl outfit and some green body paint for Mercy and all of her stuff by October 30th, cost is not an object." "I'll call my outfitter when you leave and I must say you are taking this rather well," Doctor Scarlet noted. "Why? I had a blast in your office that time," I admitted. "As long as I'm not crawling in, screaming fur-balls, I'm okay. I'll be a human Starfleet Doctor Xeno-biologist who has done surgery on multiple species. A "Doctors Without Borders" kind of guy. I'll get Cordelia to build me an actual tricorder, trust me." We ate, she asked for my sizes, I gave her Rio's and Mercy's sizes; at the Con we were all 'Next Gen' except Mercy who would be Old School for Halloween. She offered me a chance to be a Borg but since they all looked to be in desperate need of a sun tan, I declined. All in all, it barely took twenty minutes. "You did a very good job as Mediator this morning," the Vice Chancellor added as I made to leave. "It is not so rough," I grinned. "WWKSD?" "Wha, oh," she smiled warmly. "What would King Solomon do, clever." "Hell, the Bible has a whole book called Judges. This shit ain't so hard," I laughed as I breezed out the door. Ms. Reveal was waiting, as was Heaven. Heaven had to exert some will to not kiss me on the spot. Christina had lectured us on P D A, public displays of affection, during Homecoming. The more people who knew about us, the more the outcry and the stronger Chancellor's radical decision to keep Heaven on as part as the student body, would be challenged. As it was, our hands would casually brush one another until we got inside my dorm where I chased Heaven up the stairs, pinching her ass every time I caught up. After entering my code, I gauged Heaven's mood deciding we needed some quiet time; there would be too much traffic over most of the floor, and Heaven being too vocal, to get away with sex; and cuddling would be fine anyway. I caught sight of Rio with one of my Marksmanship team mates, Genesis. "Hey Zane," Genesis stood up. She was a weird one, going from borderline contempt to grudging respect over the last two weeks. If I didn't know the impossibilities, I'd think she had a boyfriend. "Hope wants everyone at the Amory for an equipment check at seven. We leave at 8:15." Heaven held my hand tightly. "Boudoir occopodo," Rio snickered as Genesis made her exit. Heaven's grip nearly crushed my hand, ouch. "Babe," I whispered to Heaven, "let me check this out." I disentangled myself and went for the wall of screens that separated my bedroom area from the rest of the floor. "Get some popcorn and get ready to sit a spell," Rio joked to Heaven who grumbled. I went around to see who, or whom, were using my room. Inside was not what I expected. Savannah Belafonte Masters had taken off her top (which was peach) and was rummaging with growing frustration through Barbie Lynn's bra drawer. I saw some grape juice splashed on her beige skirt. She saw me, pulled up her shirt to cover her bra-covered assets while looking a bit fearful and upset. "What are you doing in here?" she asked softly. "It is my bedroom," I replied. "What are you doing in my bedroom?" "But, but Barbie Lynn's stuff is in here," she gasped. "That would because it is her room too, we sleep together," I answered. That slowed her up for a second. "Can I help you with something?" "I, I, I spilled juice on my shirt," she began. "And your skirt," I pointed out." "Oh no," she choked back a sob. "What am I going to do? I'm a mess and none of Barbie Lynn's bras, shirts, or skirts are going to fit me." I mused over that for a second. "I've stashed some bra extensions around here somewhere and that should allow for the difference is sizes between you and Barbie," I said. "Now give me your skirt and I'll find a replacement." She hesitated so I added. "I'm not going to molest one of my best friends' mom, Savannah. Give me your skirt and I'll take care of everything." This time she did it, though I had to turn my back. I padded back out to Rio and Heaven who had just returned with the popcorn. "Rio, Heaven, I need you to break into Chancellor Bazz' residence and steal a skirt like this," I offered up Savannah's. "Hell yeah," Rio exulted. "Time for a little Breaking Entry." "Oh, what the fuck," Heaven shrugged. "Count me in." She gave me a quick kiss and the two miscreants headed out on their nefarious mission. I went back to the bedroom and stumbled into Savannah, now with her bra off, eyeing two of Barbie Lynn's double barreled slingshots. Our eyes locked. "Right," I spun away. "Bra extensions." "Zane, do you think I'm attractive?" Barbie Lynn's Mom asked. When women say that, they can mean three things; the truth, the lure, or the lie. Some women want to know if you find them attractive. Others want you to find them attractive for nefarious means. Lastly, a few woman want to be reminded that they are beautiful. Savannah was the latter. "If you are asking me if you are as good looking as Barbie Lynn, Mrs. Masters, I'll have to say no but that's because you are a lady who is fully a woman and Barbie Lynn is still leaving some of the girl behind. There is no comparison. You are both hot," I affirmed. "I don't know," she sighed. "It is with my husband, then seeing you and Barbie Lynn, in the shower, What's wrong with you and your husband, if I may intrude?" I asked. "He had an accident at work, one of his factories, and he hasn't been the same," she sniffed. "Do you love him?" I questioned. "Honestly." "Yes, yes I do," she sighed. "But he's just not there." "Do me a favor; come over and sit next to me and I promise to be as well behaved as a Montana Miner (hey, it is where my family comes from)," I said as I sat at the foot of the bed. Savannah very, very reluctantly came over and sat at my bed, but I said nothing. "Yes?" she broke down and inquired finally. "I want you to laugh," I related to her softly. "Laugh, laugh like you do with small kids." "But, I'm not sure," she began then I poked her in the ribs. "What?" So I tickled her under her arms. Savannah covered her breasts by mistake so I got some finger in and began making her giggle and squirm. "Stop it," she gasped for breath, so I rolled onto my side and tickled her other underarm until she finally flailed in surrender. "See Savannah, I'm not the bad guy," I grinned. "I'm not seducing you because I think you love Barbie Lynn's Dad and you simple need to worry a little bit less, and love yourself a little bit more." "How do I do that?" she panted. "I want you to try on some of Barbie Lynn's new clothes and see what you like, and what your husband might like," I suggested. "I'm not asking you to dress like a teenager; but not every day is Sunday school either." Oh God, I was talking clothes therapy to someone's Mother. "But," she stammered. "There is a screen right over there," I pointed out, "that you can change behind and the armoire over here has a mirror." "But I'll be parading around here, in my bra and panties," she worried. "Well, that's a bonus for me," I shrugged, "but a lady with a body like yours should be wearing bikini's with less material. Look at it that way." "Well, don't ogle, alright?" "Sure," I lied. What was I going to say? 'I'll pluck out my eyes?' After several tentative steps walking to the dresser and looking over her shoulder at me with real worry that I might find her either too attractive or not attractive enough, I gave up. I covered my eyes because they gravitated toward her backside like a plant seeking the sun. A minute later she finally spoke up. "I can't find anything that I think will fit," she said in desperation. I had the answer to that; I went up and picked out the clothes Barbie Lynn wore to the concert a few weeks back. "I can't wear this," she gasped in fright. "Barbie Lynn wore this to a social function," I assured her. "It is perfectly fine and you aren't going to leave here in it, only try it on." You see, the beauty of this pants/halter top combination was the lacing. I knew it would fit her, but she'd be showing a bit more flesh than Barbie had. She looked mortified when she stepped from behind the screens, and a little better when she saw herself in the mirror. I withheld my comment until she looked at me. "I'm dressed like a hussy," she stated sadly. "No; a hussy dresses like that when she goes to the supermarket. A wife wears that around the house to remind her husband he's a man and that she's his woman," Caveman mentality. Savanna gave her reflection a second, longer glance. This time she took in the sides, and dare I say, her ass. All her curves were smoothed out and pulled tight by the leather. "My ass looks younger," I caught her whispering to herself. "My Boobs appear like they are about to bust free," she addressed me once more. "Yes Ma'am! Yes ma'am, they do," I smirked. "That is the whole purpose of the design of the shirt but I assure you, Barbie Lynn hasn't had one escape yet." "Oh, that's nice," she went back to looking at herself in the mirror. "Now there are some nice shirts in there, as well as some, short, skirts," I directed Savannah. She came out in the first shirt, trying to make the buttons hook but they wouldn't. I came off the bed and helped her. That is, I left most of them unbuttoned. "But they, my husband can see my bra," she worried. "Mrs. Savannah, that would be the point," I nodded. "Let him get a peek of the bra." We both heard the quiet footfalls and it couldn't be Heaven and Rio back so soon. Savannah froze and I reclined passively on the bed. "Mom, Zane?" Barbie Lynn gazed back and forth. "Baby Child," Savannah blathered. "Wow Mom," Barbie clasped her hands in approval. "The golden shirt with the plum bra is a wonderful combination for you." See, I trusted Barbie Lynn more than her Mother did. "I was trying on some clothes and, um, Zane was helping me," Savannah gulped. "Oh Mom, don't worry about it," Barbie hugged her mother, "Zane sees eight girls getting dressed every morning. He's used to it." "Oh, she trailed off. "So he's safe?" "I'd never say that," Barbie Lynn glanced back my way and licked her lips. "But he's a good friend and I think that's more important. Let's try on this next; the black leather will look good with the knee boots." It continued like this for a while. Rio and Heaven slinked back in with the now rather redundant set of conservative attire. We retreated to the head of the bead with Heaven snuggling next to me and Rio right beside her. Heaven and I shared a pillow, on our laps. "Do you think they have any idea that we're all bi-sexual," Heaven whispered as Barbie Lynn was prying Savannah into a red bustier. "Momma Mia," Rio hissed. "Those are some mounds. Big fluffy mounds." "Seriously," Heaven nudged us both, "I'm going to need a blowjob if this goes on much longer." I moved my hand behind Heaven, worked it up her skirt and up against her panties until I was giving her bunghole quite a workout. "Fine," Heaven ground out. "You can fuck me but I'm coming all over the sheets damn it." "What was that?" Savannah called out. "Do you think this is too much?" "Oh no Mrs. Masters," Heaven gulped. "If I wasn't totally into guys I would think you look, delicious." "Why thank you Ms. Vickers," Savannah smiled. "And if I wasn't totally into guys I'd have you chained to this bed and be ripping your clothes off right now," Rio added gleefully. "Oh, huh, thank you?" Savanna responded more cautiously. When Barbie Lynn, now totally torturing us, convinced her mother to wear a thong and a short skirt something had to be done. I reclined sidewise on the bed while Heaven built a pillow fort behind me and Rio dove under the covers to suck my feisty transvestite off. It was a half-assed endeavor and a minor miracle that nothing went wrong. Finally Heaven yanked my shoulder back and took a big bite out of it. I could hear Rio slurping up Heaven's cum and prayed the others couldn't. Is everything okay?" Barbie Lynn called out. "Heaven's got a muscle cramp but we are working it out," I fibbed. Second later, Rio's tussled head reappeared and she punched Heaven in the ribs. "Shit Bitch," Rio scooped up some errant semen with her finger, "Have you been holding that up all week long. You nearly choked me." "Why don't you come by every morning and we can work out an installment plan?" Heaven shot back quietly. Regrettably, Savannah noticed our, acquisitions and reluctantly put them on but I caught sight of her running her hand over some of the racier things left lying around before she and Barbie Lynn left. I had barely gotten outside with Heaven and Rio, to see if I was needed, when a squeal manifested right behind my ear and a body slammed into me, bowling me over. Paige "Lover!" Paige greeted me. "Mom, Dad, this is my boyfriend Zane." Now, I was on my back, on the floor with Paige in my arms and with her skirt flapping far, far too up her ass when darkness descended on my world. It took me a moment to realize that the two Joten (Norse giants), standing behind the sofa were her parents, they were freaking huge! Her Dad alone looked like he played two simultaneous positions on an NFL team. Paige's Mother was dainty, only in comparison to her husband. Not that she's fat, oh no, this woman was simply big boned and brawny. I had to ask myself: what happened genetically? "Zane, I want you to meet my parents," Paige studied my face. "Sure," my smile wasn't too forced, "but you have to remember to give me a kiss for luck, for tomorrow's match." We rose up and my arm easily wrapped around Paige's waist. Mom and Dad seemed guarded and wary. "What game do you have tomorrow?" the Dad, Roger; finally asked. "Marksmanship Sir. I'm the spotter to the team captain, Hope Song," I smiled. "I'm Zane Braxton, by the way." I can do this. I mean, how many other girls here think they have their hooks in me? "We have the impression that you and our daughter are, romantically involved," her Mom asked me. It was the way she stated it in disbelief that astounded me and pissed me off, as if a big healthy strapping guy like me would choose their 'flawed' daughter. "Paige is an upperclassmen so mainly we hook up for the hours of hot sex," I pulled her close. "Come here, you," I turned and looked down at Paige she pushed up and kissed me deeply. "What are you doing with my daughter?" Roger rumbled. "I'm kissing my lady," I smiled at him, "What does it look like I'm doing Sir?" "I don't know what you think you are going to get out of this," he snarled. "Paige," I addressed the sultry albino who was all but humping my leg at this point, "what do I get out of your relationship?" "Hot steamy White Russian sex," she purred in a Russian accent. Yes, this side of 'poor pitiful Paige' was new to her parents. "But our daughter can't," the Mom stumbled verbally. "Oh yeah, and I'm taking Paige with me on a cross country motorcycle trip this summer," I kept grinning. "I hope you don't mind, she's our computer tech and back-up bar bouncer." Maybe the bar-bouncer bit was too much. "She'll get hurt," Roger sputtered. "Ah, I bleed more than she does and there will be a dozen of us; so if she kicks someone's ass and ends up in jail we'll be able to bail her out," I kissed Paige's forehead. "Baby, Paige," Roger muttered softly. "How about we talk about this?" "Sure thing, Daddy," Paige agreed. "Zane, I'll catch up with you before you head out for the tournament." I swatted her ass, in full view of her parents, which Paige loved. She sauntered off like a woman victorious. "You are such an idiot," Rio snickered in my ear. "That girl is a nut-bag and you are feeding her dynamite." "Speaking of feeding someone some dynamite," Heaven took my hand. "No one seems to need me at the moment," I squeezed her hand back. "Let's run for it!" and we raced for the bedroom like lovers possessed. Heaven I lay between Heaven's legs, her thighs arching up against my own. She wiggled her hips against me and her cock against stomach. I bit down at her nose but she laughed and turned her face away so I nipped her proffered neck instead. "Oh," she gasped. To show me how much she liked it, she rotated her hips, rubbing my cock around inside her. "My Honey likes?" I teased. "You know I do you bastard," she panted. "Nice, slow and hard." I withdrew my cock and then eased it back into her depths. Heaven hisses out her pleasure and with her hands on my shoulders she pulls me in tight. "God, I love you," she whispered to me. "I love the woman grinding up against me too, Heaven," I smiled to her. She hiccupped in passion then began thrusting harder up against me until I could feel her ready to erupt. I took hold of her shoulders and begun pounding her in sympathetic penetrations. "God Damn!" she seethed into my collarbone. Dampness flushed up my stomach and onto my chest to the very edge of my neck. Face to face sex really appealed to Heaven and she was really shooting off hard because of it. I slowed down; I hadn't ejaculated yet but I didn't want to wear her down while I worked up to it. "Oh no you don't," Heaven gasped. "I, I know what you want," she giggled weakly. Heaven struggled against my hold. "You don't have to," I said softly. "I want to you dummy," she kissed me. "Now let go and I'll roll over." "No, let me," I related before I leaned in for a French Kiss full of need. She gave one more surge of defiance then relaxed. Then I shifted my arm down until I reached the back of her left knee. I pushed it up until she passed my hip. Heaven was glowing with anticipation. I was folding her up and then I was going to pound her thoroughly and fully. Heaven brought up her right leg all on her own but the real gift was the way she arched her back in ecstasy when I bottomed out in her with all the muscle power I could muster. We held eye contact as I drove into her time and time again. A tear escaped her eye and scarred her cheek. "Babe?" I worried and slowed down. "I'm happy Zane," she breathed deeply. "Happy." I resumed my energy and the very essence she was lending me set me off by surprise. "Oh God," I gasped and gave her my seed. Heaven bit her lower lip as I sizzled up her rectum with my hot semen. A smile must have etched my features because Heaven became quizzical. "What are you thinking about, Lover?" she asked softly. "I think I've had the best homecoming ever," I answered. It took her a second to get it. "You can keep coming home as often as you want," Heaven licked her lips and bucked her luscious ass against my still rigid rod. Brandi Hand in hand, Heaven and I had barely exited my bedroom when Brandi came rushing up with a girl in hand. "Hey!" she beamed. "This is my sister, March; and she's coming here next year. I wanted her to meet you, Zane." How bad could this be? I squeezed Heaven's hand. "Hello March, this is Heaven Vickers, my girlfriend," I shook March's hand with my free limb. "Hey Zane," March said shyly then, "Brandi says you do things, with lots of girls here?" "See how Heaven is smiling," Brandi whispered to her sister like some conspirator. "He makes me smile just like she is." Well, I had to think, not exactly like I do with you. "Brandi, what did you tell her?" Heaven intervened. "I told her," the two giggled, "that he's magic with his fingers and tongue; and he'll do all the things, to her." "You pimped Zane out?" Heaven snickered. "It, it isn't like that," Brandi back-pedaled. "I sent her a link to his website and told her to hide it from Mom and Dad." "And Brandi says we can have sex here with you, and God won't hold it against us," March piped up. I had to go 'What the Hell?' I give out dispensations from God? He really ought to tell me these things. "I wouldn't go that far," I got out. "Oh, being with Zane is a spiritual experience," Heaven snickered. "Ten minutes ago I swear I was seeing Angels." I wanted to stomp on her toes because March seemed to be buying it. "Are you a virgin?" March whispered to Heaven. "I swear on the Bible that Zane's never penetrated my cunt," Heaven raised up her hand to God. "Did he, you know, the other way?" Brandi leaned in expectantly. "Until I cried tears of joy," Heaven teased her right back. I really wanted to stomp on Heaven's foot. "What other way?" March joined the conversation. "You know, like Barbie Lynn," Brandi giggled to her sister. Oh fuck. "Didn't it hurt?" March sounded concerned. "Oh no," Heaven stroked March's arm. "He's slow and gentle." "Okay; fun conversation!" I declared. "I see someone who wants to kill me. March, you are a beautiful young lady with an exceptional sister and I'll see you next year." I stormed deeper into my apartment only to hear. "Look at that ass go," Heaven sighed. "Yeah," Brandi murmured. "Those pants are so tight. They are hot! Cappadocia Rio was getting downright mopey when we headed for dinner. As we were going in, I spotted Cappadocia and what had to be her little brother, mother and father. I wasn't sure if she wanted to have me meet the folks so I tried to quietly move passed. "Zane," she turned and called out. I deviated my path and went over. Rio tagged along. "Hello Cappadocia, Mr. and Mrs. Davis and, um, young man," I greeted them. "Tobias," the young guy offered his hand and I shook it. "This is my good friend Rio Talon," I brought her forward. Mr. Davis stepped up and shook my hand next. His grip was stronger than needed in that alpha male style. "It is good to meet you Mr. Braxton. My little girl says you are a promising candidate on the new to the first squad," he grinned smugly. "Well, Cappy would know, she's Team Captain and I'm sure she'll be Captain next year when she'll get to decide if I stay on First Team," I tried to be nice. "So does it feel bad to be beaten up by girls?" he joked. "Well, if I ever get beaten up by a girl I'll let you know," I gave him my best steely grin. "Here I get beaten up by women, really tough women." That brought the big guy up short. "Oh well, my daughters a real fighter alright," he stammered. "I believe you, she's knocked me unconscious once, in a practice session. She laid me out cold for about a minute," I enlightened him. "Zane knocked Coach Gorman down Father," Cappy came to my defense, "and took down three men who threatened some girls once." "You girls shouldn't be leaving campus," her mother chimed in. "Mother, we go out in groups and we are just fine," Cappy insisted. "Are you responsible for this new attitude?" the Dad asked. "Sir, I'm one freshmen in a school of 900 women," I shrugged. "The fearlessness was here before I ever arrived. It will be here long after I'm gone. I belief the unofficial motto for the Karate program is 'I kick ass for the Lord'," I sort of lied. Cappy said it and she smiled slightly the hear me repeat it. "Yes," he muttered, "we want our girls to be strong in their faith for the Lord. It is good to see Cappadocia having a vibrant faith." "Oh, I've seen Cappadocia vibrant," I smirked her way. She restrained herself from hauling me off and punching me because our act of vibrancy had everything to do with sex and nothing that she wanted to tell her parents. Her dad missed it, her young brother wasn't even paying attention but her mother caught our undercurrent. A smirk creased her face as she looked the two of us over. "Cappy dear, you to practice safety when you spar, don't you?" she cautioned her daughter. "Yes Momma," Cappy gave a sly smile of her own, "I'm always careful, even when I have Zane down on the mat." "As long as you keep control of the situation," the Mother nodded. "You keep winning Girl," the Dad rejoined the conversation, "because you have one more year of playing around then you need to find a job and let God give you a husband." Cappy didn't flinch but I knew how hard she struggled for the team and having it disregarded by someone who meant so much to her. "Maybe Cappadocia can either compete on a National level or train students when she goes home," I offered. "She's real hardcore," Rio added. "No one trains as hard as she does and the other girls know it. Hell, when I first met her I thought she was some Inner City Gangsta Chick, she was such a bad ass." There was my girl Rio, the Conversation Killer. Sure, Cappy was African-American but that never came up with us. As I recalled, she came from a moderately-sized town outside Atlanta Georgia. "What?" the father darkened. "Rio," I tried to pull her away. "No," Rio growled. "Listen buddy," she poked the man in the chest. "Your daughter is an athlete and a damn fine one. If she was a he and in football you'd want him to try for the NFL so why are you treating your daughter any different?" "I don't think you know what you are saying young lady," Cappy's father stated angrily. "Maybe I should have a word or two with your father." "My father is a self-righteous self-serving asshole," Rio began before I started dragging her away, "and he knows I'd kick his ass if he treated me this way!" she finished screaming at him. "Whoa Rio," I calmed her. "The truth is only going to rub that situation raw." "Cappy deserves more than that," Rio spat. "Face it, you are channeling some Mercy into this Bro," I said. "She'll be okay and back in your arms come Sunday. Cappy is tougher than her father knows." "You hope so!" she groused. "I swear, with some of these bitches, they are perfect bright and confident then you roll a man around and out go the lights, nobody's home." "Then we'll have to find a way to set them on fire so the light never goes out," I suggested. "Face it, you are the schools premier pyromaniac." "That I am," Rio grumbled. "I'll find a way to burn this shit up." Opal "Hey you two," Opal greeted Rio and I as we started eating diner. "What's wrong, Rio?" "Plotting the end of male domination of the Western World," Rio grinned wickedly. "Is there something I need to know," Opal looked from one of us to the other as she sat at my side. "Are we mounting a rescue mission for Mercy?" "Mercy?" Rio said suspiciously. "Sure," Opal sampled her fare, "give the word and I'll get six or seven girls together for a run at her family if you need it." Rio stared at her for a second. "Why would you?" Rio asked suspiciously. "A lot of us like her since she came over to our side," Opal grinned, "and she keeps you in line, most of the time." "Just to keep things straight," Rio sneered. "I keep her in line damn it." "Oh please," Opal rolled her eyes, "one little whimper and a look from those soulful eyes and off to the bedroom you two go." "Gurrr, as long as everyone knows that she's mine," Rio was now embarrassed. "And that's why we would come to help you, Rio," Opal gobbled a quick bite. I tried not to laugh. "Zane," Rio pointed her fork at me, "if you are trying to tell me I have friends, I'll bleed you like a little bitch." "Who me?" I grinned. "Perish the thought that anyone likes you or considers you 'user-friendly'." "I'm the soul of friendliness, fuck you," she snipped then smirked at me. "Opal, Rio met Cappy's dad and that didn't go well," I enlightened my shower buddy. "What went wrong?" Opal sighed. With Rio, you never knew. "It is the whole bullshit of get your degree, go home, get married and start pumping out babies because that's some twisted vision of God's will," Rio stated angrily. "Most of the girls here are like that Rio," Opal responded. "Now hold on, they want to get married but we can certainly help them find the right guy and not some bum foisted on them by their families." "Opal, that's positively human of you," Rio wondered. "I was the bad girl before you two arrived," Opal snickered. "I wasn't in your league but I had radical thoughts." "The first day in the shower showed me as much," I confessed. "Well, that first body wash confirmed you weren't a girl," Opal bumped my hip with hers. "With Rio, well, it took us a while to figure out she wasn't a guy with a really small cock." Rio reached across me and smacked Opal. "My desire to be in the driver's seat doesn't make me a guy," Rio griped. "You are only the second person on this campus to have a girlfriend Rio," Opal rubbed her shoulder. "Give us a chance to adjust." "Adjust? I'm hoping for some conversions," Rio quipped. "Okay then, what are you doing tonight? Brigit and I are at loose ends," Opal offered. Rio stopped eating and looked over at Opal. "Sure, but the first one to suggest a pillow fight or that we paint our nails gets an attitude adjustment," Rio demanded. "I can hear Brigit's quim quivering already," Opal leered. "It's a date." Raven, and Paige again We had packed the last of our firearms away in the van modified to be a secure courier when the families in attendance and some of the other students gather around the bus. I spotted Raven hanging back with an older woman who was a bit heavier than she was. I walked over to make sure she was okay. "Hey Raven," I slipped past her guard and gave her a hug. She tensed up and muttered something. "What?" I wondered. "This is my mother, Carol," Raven said softly. She kept looking down at the ground. "It is nice to meet you Mr. Braxton," Carol greeted me. She seemed to be studying me intently as if she was expecting something from me. "It is nice to meet you to Ma'am," I grinned. "Raven is a really good friend to me and I couldn't be doing as well in English without her." "Do you and my daughter have a close relationship?" she pried. I could feel Raven start to fold up next to me in embarrassment. "I don't know what you mean?" I inquired. "Mom, we are just friends," Raven said sadly. Oh, now I thought I understood. "Mrs., Raven's Mom, Carol, please understand that being the only male in such a large female student body, several girls put all kinds of pressures on me," I began. "Your daughter is unique in that she treats me like a student first and that she truly helps me get by. If I couldn't touch base with her from time to time I might go nuts." "Oh," the Mom sounded somewhat disappointed. "Raven, how many girls have you helped me get away from?" I tried a different angle. "I, Paige, oh God Paige," Raven rumbled then, "and Barbie Lynn, and Rio and that girl Iona." "You really do help him with other girls?" Carol sounded surprised. "Yes Mom," Raven perked up. "Girls are always swarming around Zane, they won't let him study unless I'm around." Not totally the truth but hey. "I hope you understand that my daughter thinks a great deal of you," Carol drilled me with her over-productive Momma eyes. "The feeling is mutual," I nodded. The bus's horn beeped, it was time for us to board. "Raven, give me a kiss for luck at the meet?" Raven looked shocked but reached up on her tip-toes and kissed me on the cheek. I reciprocated the gesture and turned to leave. I had made it half way when I got blindsided and staggered. Several kisses smothered my face. "Hey Lover," Paige panted. "Good luck shooting shit and taking names." "I'm a spotter Paige. I don't actually shoot things," I clarified. "Good," she purred then stroked my cock. "Save more of that for me." "Who is that?" I heard Carol ask her daughter. "That's Paige," Raven growled with menace. Yeah, lots of love there. "Zane," Hope said evenly. We were ready to go. I gave Paige one more kiss and a squeeze on her ass then slipped passed Hope and got on the bus. Hope got on after me and Gorman started up the bus. "Well, that's not a send-off I'm used to," Genesis chuckled over Paige and I. "If it breaks his concentration, it won't be the only thing I'm sending off," Hope informed the bus to even more chuckles. Hell, it's a gun club; a bit of bloodthirstiness was to be expected. Working Past Homecoming. As Rio and I pulled into the driveway of my house, I noted both the progress Aunt Jill's contractors were making on the extension being built to shelter the motorcycles that were now hanging out at the place and their number. I also saw a bike that I didn't recognize with a brazen gang emblem on the saddle bags, Stormrider's, not Valarie's. Rio was still sulking over Mercy being with her parents. It was Saturday night so she had less than a day to go before Homecoming ended and Fall Break began. The hope was that Mercy could convince her parents she was required to stay on campus for the week school was out. Considering what her family patriarch thought of women's opinions, we didn't think she had a prayer. "A lot of bikes," Rio noted. "I don't care what Jill says, I'm grabbing a few beers." "Don't run around the front yard naked or swing from the rafters and we'll do fine," I joked. I wasn't going to fight Rio on this, I was preparing for a hung-over Rio at Church in the morning. We heard laughter as we stepped onto the porch. I swung the door open and announced us. "Jill, it's me and Rio," I said. The laughter died down and I heard footsteps coming my way. Jill and I met at the entry to the living room. We hugged, kissed and then she showed us in. Belle and Willa were regulars and Valarie was expected. The ginger-haired woman with a beer and a smile was unknown to me, though. "Zane, Rio, this is Fontana Palmer, Valarie's mother," Jill introduced us. "How's the leg, Old Lady?" Rio grinned. That's Rio for you. Fontana turned to Valarie. "You were right, you can't go ten minutes without wanting to punch her," she chuckled. "I got it for you," Belle hopped up. Rio, in her foul mood, was ready to get in a scrap right then and there but I knew that was plain stupid. "Come on, Belle," I intervened. "GF problems." "Yours or hers?" Belle hesitated. "Hers," I answered. Belle leaned past me and looked seriously at Rio. "Mercy's in trouble?" Belle sounded concerned. Willa half-turned on the sofa to get a better view of things. "She's with her," Rio bit down on the expletive for Jill's sake, "parents." "Ah, what a bitch," Belle moved past me and led Rio to the sofa. "Isn't it great when the folks decide that you aren't good enough for their little pride and joy? Been there, done that." Belle handed Rio her beer then looked back at me. "Zane, two more beers," she ordered. "Hi, Zane," I mocked myself, "Glad to have you back. How did the match go?" "It is good to have you back, Zane," Jill touched my arm. "How did the match go?" "What was the match in?" Fontana inquired. "Oh, hi, Mrs. Palmer," I corrected my rudeness. "He was in a marksmanship competition," Valarie jumped in. "How did you and Hope do?" "Hope took top spot but it was close," I informed them. "The number two guy came in .02 points behind and third was .08. The team took third place." All I have to say is those two guys scared the crap out of me. Apparently they shoot moose with .22's in their spare time or some shit like that. "Congratulations, Zane," Willa grinned. The room followed suit, except for Rio. I motioned Jill to return to her chair and made for the stairs. "Beers, bitch," Belle teased me. "Sorry, Jill, beers, Punk." I opted to not make a scene so I dropped my bag, went to the fridge, and got two beers. By the time I got back, Rio had buried her first beer and grabbed for her second. Belle took hers and winked. "What? No tip?" I wondered. "Oh, what were you expecting?" Belle tilted back her head. I ran a hand through her hair, leaned in and kissed her on the lips. Our tongues darted forth, then danced back and forth within our mouths. I put a hand on her shoulder then let it migrate down to her breast. I squeezed it gently and Belle moaned. I broke the kiss and smiled at her. "That'll do," I chuckled. Belle's eyes were alight and she was smiling as well. Jill was looking into the fireplace and blushing, Rio was blas , working through her beer, but the other three women were staring at me. "Beer, Zane," Valarie leered. Fontana, far from being protective, patted her daughter on the shoulder. "Oh, hell no," I waved off. "I was crawling through the woods all morning then spent the rest of the day riding in a bus with other smelly athletes. I'm putting my bag in my room and taking a shower." "Are you sure you know what to do showering alone?" Valarie called after me. Bitch. The first thing I noted was that someone had been sleeping in my bed. My money was on Fontana. I'd deal with that later but at the moment, all I wanted to do was get clean. As the hot water scalded away the grime and sweat I thought happy thoughts about Hope. She hadn't complimented me but she hadn't a bad thing to say about my performance either. In a way I felt 'in the zone'. I caught the range, slope and wind changes like a pro and I thought her score showed it. I knew she wanted the team to do better but with the youth of the squad, coming in third out of a field of twelve felt good to me. For Hope, nothing short of first would do. By the time I got downstairs, I was shirtless, wearing gym shorts, and drying my hair with a towel. The group had migrated to the den, the TV was on, and the conversation was muted. Jill's look told me I should have put on more clothes. I only wanted to unwind. The looks the other women were giving me were far less motherly. I groaned, shook my head and went to the kitchen for some OJ. When I returned, I looked around for a seat and decided to sit down at Jill's feet. She leaned forward and patted my shoulder. That was fine. Valarie and her mother constantly stealing my glances my way was less so. Rio was nursing a beer and her hurt feelings, Belle was running her hand through Rio's hair in a strangely comforting gesture, and Willa seemed amused by the whole affair. At the commercial break, Fontana stood up. "Zane, can I talk to you alone for a minute, outside," she requested. "Sure," I half stood then, "Wait, does this involve me and pain?" She snorted mirthfully. "No," she smirked. "If you behave I won't hurt you too much." "Go on, you wuss," Rio teased. "It isn't like you've despoiled her daughter or anything." "But I didn't," I explained desperately. "That's right," Willa joked. "It isn't like you two have rolled around in that, it's not a bed. What is it?" "It is a sleeping platform," I mumbled. "I got tired of girls taking a header off my bed." "That's awful considerate of you," Fontana smiled warmly. "A moment, please." I followed her into the hall, then reluctantly outside to the porch. I was wearing shorts and it was cold so I folded my arms to conserve some warmth. Fontana moved a few more steps down the porch, turned, and looked me over. "Zane, thank you for being a good friend to Valarie," Fontana began. That wasn't what I was expecting to hear. "Umm, okay," I responded. "See," Fontana went on, "when her father forced this on her to make her into his mold of what a good Christian woman should be, I was afraid the experience would leave her bitter." "Why is she doing this anyway?" I asked. "She's eighteen and can make her own choices." "Oh," Fontana mused thoughtfully. She paced back and forth once. "She likes you so much I assumed she told you." She paused for a moment. "After my problem with the law, my ex threatened to keep my other two daughters from me unless Valarie came to FFU." "Oh, the fuck you say," I growled. My arms came down and I balled up my fists. "Listen, I know a pretty good lawyer if you want someone to have another go at your case, or I can shove his head down a toilet until he changes his mind." Fontana laughed. "No, you are doing enough. Stormriders take care of themselves most of the time but it's good to have friends too," Fontana smiled. "Valarie is having a great time at school. She likes the girls she's met, well, some of them, and she's happy that so many are heading out our way over the summer," Fontana went on. "She's very proud." "I would have never guessed," I replied sarcastically. "No, really," Fontana faked her surprise well. "I know she hides it well but she's really proud of where she comes from. Honest." She paused again. "Can I ask you a personal question?" "Sure," I shrugged. "Why haven't you and my daughter hooked up? She won't tell me," Fontana questioned. "I'm not sure," I worked out. "I've never pressed her. She may not like having sex with the eternal audience that hovers around me. Maybe she's respectful of all the other women in my life right now. All those answers sound plausible." "Ha," Fontana laughed. "Stormriders aren't exactly bashful. She says your girlfriend, Heaven, shares but I think she really likes you because you aren't hitting on her." "She likes me because I respect her boundaries? Oh, Gawd," I groaned. "At times I really wish I was an asshole. As it is, I'm afraid that one day my cock is going to fall off." Fontana walked up, patted my crotch. "That would be a pity," she whispered into my ear before heading inside. Because I Must Secretly Abhor a Good Night's Sleep Later that evening At school, I slept on a contraption that easily slept twelve and was often occupied by eight. I go home so I can sleep, on the sofa? See, Valarie and her mom were in my room, they were guests after all. In the prepared guest room, now Belle's room, Willa and Belle had crashed out. We had three other rooms upstairs but Jill hadn't gotten around into making anything of them. Rio was supposed to join Valarie and Fontana in my bed but somewhere between the 12 and 20 beers she and Belle were sharing; Rio decided to grab a throw pillow, curl up on the floor and pass out/go to sleep. An effort to rouse her failed so I put a quilt over her and let her sleep it off. After 11:00 Jill went upstairs and the rest followed her to bed. I put a few logs on the fire and laid down to sleep on the sofa. I couldn't have been asleep more than an hour when I felt something nudge my hip. I looked up to see Fontana's ass pressed against my side, her looking down into my eyes. Fontana was beautiful but in a hard, flinty way. She was mature but compact, like a she-wolf with little padding or softness to her. Her long ginger hair was pulled back in a ponytail though her bangs were hanging loose. She wore a tight grey t-shirt that said 'Eyes Up!' that highlighted her breasts. Sure, a bit of a sag in her 36C's but very nice. The shirt only came halfway down her belly, fully exposing her bright red bikini brief panties to my gaze. Her eyes were the same blue as Valarie's and danced in the fading fire's light. There were lines around her eyes and her face was weathered but strong. I could have stupidly asked what she wanted but, hey, she was sitting next to me, dressed like that after 'lights out'. I propped my upper body with my right elbow while reaching out with my left and cupping her right cheek. As I drew her to me, Fontana twisted her body around so that she straddled me. I had to scoot my body toward the edge to give her knee room to settle down. She kissed me with a steady intensity that slowly pushed my head back to my pillow. "Man, you are easy," she breathed playfully after we broke a long embrace. "I thought I'd have to explain myself or some other shit like that," she added. "If there's anything else I need to know, you'll tell me," I said softly as I brushed her bangs aside. "I fig
Original Episode Transcript FollowsStephanie:Hello, everybody, and welcome to Dishing with Stephanie's Dish, the podcast where we talk about food. A lot of times we talk to cookbook authors and kind of understand their process and what they're doing. Well, I'm just noticing my hair is real bedhead, but it is what it is. Friends, in this particular episode, I want to talk to my friend Michael Kenney. He is from Defined Destinations. He owns his own business, and it's a travel company. And. And Michael and I met about three years ago now, and we have done a number of trips together, and we are planning our April trip, which is going to be to Turkey, and we have a lot of different cities that we're going to visit.And one of the things that I've heard from a lot of people is they all know we're going to Turkey and they want to hear about it, and they're excited to know about the destination, but they're nervous about signing up for the trip. So said to Michael, let's just talk. Let's do a podcast where we give people an idea of what to expect, where we're going, what kind of things we're going to see. My friend Todd Walker, coincidentally has. He's in Turkey right now. And he said. And he's been. He travels all over.He works for the Viking Cruise Lines, doing trips for them and helping to write about them and help people experience them. He sent me a text, and he said, turkey is in his top three places he's ever been. He's just super hot on it. He's like, you are totally going at the exact right time. Because he's like, people are just starting to learn about it, but there's so many cool things. He said it's a trip like nothing has ever experienced before. So, Michael, I'm excited to talk to you about it. And people ask me like, well, why did you pick turkey? And I was like, why not? I have always.I met a guy 20 years ago and in Paris that was from Turkey, and first of all, he was gorgeous, so let's just go there. But second of all, he really, like, he just was telling me about where he lived and what Turkey was like and what the food was like. And he talked to me about the spice Trail and kind of how people came in through Istanbul and then crossed over into Italy and into Spain. And it made me feel like, wow, okay. Turkey is this very Mediterranean feeling place with tons of culture, and I've always wanted to go there, so I picked it. Michael, why did you allow me to pick Turkey? Knowing that it would be a destination that would be harder to sell for people.Michael Kenney:Yeah, I think that's what's great. And thanks for having me on, Stephanie. It's always a blast, you know, to travel with you and with your, your listeners. It just, we've built some really great bonds with the people, which has been a fun. So even our latest trip to Sicily. What, what a blast. And great people.Stephanie:Yes.Michael Kenney:But you going back to why we choose this and with Turkey, and that's what's great about you. It's like you're willing to try some new areas. And a lot of people are like, well, I've heard of Turkey. I don't know much about it. And I think that's where we both kind of glammed on. Like, let's go and let's have this experience. And we've been putting group trips together for 27 years and we have some great partners and some Turkish partners, too, that can really open up the, the eyes. I know several people that have been to, to Istanbul and everyone's heard of Istanbul, like, oh, it's a top five city on earth for a lot of people.And you're probably wondering, well, why? So I encourage you to kind of jump in, look at our website, do a little research on that. But Turkey is so, so much more than that. I. They have absolutely stunning beaches, their food culture, their spices, the seaside communities, the, the Roman ruins. They have so much in different little pockets. So Turkey offers. And I think that's what maybe gravitated you and I both to it. Just the diversity and still a little of that wonder, like what's, what's really, what's in Turkey.And I think, you know, we, we talked about a little earlier before the podcast about some of the places, you know, that are kind of overrun with tourists. And definitely Turkey is not there. It will be at some point. So it's kind of fun to get on maybe the ground level to, to some of these places and not just Istanbul, because it, it is busy, but some of the other places that we're going to go from Ephesus to Kabukia or Pamuk. There's so many different places that are on this trip that you've never even heard of. So it's kind of like, well, I haven't really heard of that. Go, go look at our website. Go do a little research on the Internet and see what.It's so amazing. The Europeans, they know of Turkey really, really well because it's a, it's a quick flight and they Absolutely love it. I'm in Europe nine times a year and the folks that I talk with over there, they absolutely love it. So it's kind of like a discovery trip for Americans. And what's great about our trip that will, it's fully guided. We have 31 meals included. We have the inner flight inside, Turkey included. So there's really no out of pocket expense for that.So you can really sit back and relax and take in the best of Turkey with our local guides. And there's just so much and I think that's what's going to be kind of fun to go discover. This place in our group is going to be no more than 15 people. It's a small group experience so you can really relax and enjoy that. And I know folks that maybe, well, what's a group tour? You know, I think you even mentioned that too for some people. Like, well, what do you do? It's again, we've kind of handled everything. We've taken care of the hotels, the buses, the cooking class that we're going to do. I mean, you might want to touch on that later.But we've taken all of that, these best of experiences and put it in one itinerary so you can sit back and relax and know that you're going to see the best of Turkey.Stephanie:I think explaining my husband Kurt's sort of transformation is good here. My husband is an independent person. He's owned his own business, he's a sailor. He would, he, he has no interest really in group travel. Like when I brought it up to him and that I was going to start leading trips, he was like, why would you want to do that? Why would you want to be with people you don't even know? Like, he is just anti group travel as a rule. And he came on our first trip, he wanted to come with us when we went to Cambodia and we went to Vietnam. He knew that he would never plan a trip to Asia on his own. So he thought, well, I'll go along on this group travel and I'll just suck up the group travel part because I get to go to this cool destination.Well, what happened is he loved it. He liked group travel. He liked meeting new people. He liked not being the person that had to be in charge of making sure that we got our luggage to the room and that we made it to the right flights and that he had to carry all the stuff and all the itinerary. He kind of liked that he wasn't responsible for all that. And he liked the food, he liked Meeting the people he liked, not having to be in a city he'd never been in and figure out exactly where we were going to eat every single meal. We had flexibility. Obviously, on these trips, we want it to be your trip.In our Sicily experience, you mentioned a couple times, like, if this doesn't feel like something you want to do, then don't do it. Do something else for the day. We can help you orchestrate other things. He really loved the idea that he didn't have to do everything. And in fact, when we did our cooking class in Sicily, which was amazing, by the way, we learned to make arancini, which they call arancino. We made a thing called a pinella, which was a chickpea pancake that they eat in a sandwich, which was kind of different. But Kurt didn't want to do the cooking class. He was like, you know what? I think I'm just gonna go walk around the city.So him and another friend peeled off and, like, that's the joy of these trips. We plan everything, but if you're tired or if you just want a day of rest, you can do that too. We really try to make it so that we know it's your experience. We're not as interested in you just being forced to come along on things that you're not interested in. We're interested in your experience. We want you to have a good time. So if Kurt Johnson can get turned on to group travel, I feel like, seriously, anyone can.Michael Kenney:No, that's. That's well said. I would have never guessed that about Kurt initially. You know, and I wouldn't call him an introvert by any means, but I think we get, you know, a lot of people like that with. With. Kurt. You know, maybe their. Their.Their husband or their wife drags them on a trip, and they're like, you know what? This is actually pretty cool, especially for the person that maybe is doing typically all the planning. And it's stressful. You know, we do all that for you, but you can really, again, sit back and enjoy. You spend a lot of money to go on these trips, and that's what we want. So we want you to feel like you. You have that. That freedom, too. When we set up our hotels in nice, central locations and safe areas, too, that you can go out and explore, so we encourage you to do that.But honestly, we feel pretty good that the pace of these trips are designed really well, that you have that flexibility, because we want you. Yes, you're in a group, even a small group, but we want to make it feel like you're having these experience with, with a friend or a family member that's with you too, that you, you feel like you're, you're having these little exploring trips, but it's all kind of put together already for you. But again, we, we have time for you to go exploring, to have these other experiences, which is really, really important. Balance is so important. Over 27 years, I think we've really, we focus on that so we know that, that people are comfortable having that free time to explore. But again, having the, the framework of an itinerary with, with experiences. Typically, we might do a city tour in the, in the morning and then have the rest of your day free to have your own exploring. Then maybe for, especially for this trip with the 31 meals that will meet up and have dinner in a place.And again, they're all being curated with our local team too, in the area that you're going to have foods local from the area in great mom PA type of restaurants. So sometimes it's stressful when you're trying to figure out where am I going to go eat, what should I do? I want to make sure the dinner is going to be great. We've got that taken care of so you can sit back and relax. And again, we know most of you probably have not heard of a lot of these places. Please, we implore you to go and take a look at the itinerary, do a little research, because I guarantee in a few years from now, these are going to be mainstream and you'll be able to go explore and see these places before they're overly busy. So take a look at this itinerary.Stephanie:I was impressed because when I first was thinking about Turkey, I went on a map and I didn't realize, like, when I started going to Croatia, I didn't realize how close Croatia is to Italy. That literally they share a sea and that a lot of Italians use Croatia as their summer vacation spot.Michael Kenney:Yeah.Stephanie:And I didn't also realize that Turkey and Italy are very close and that a lot of Europeans, because they've got EasyJet there, that's an Italian airline, they're going to Turkey like we would be going to Palm Springs. I mean, a lot of Europeans are experiencing Turkey and it's just not a destination that a lot of Americans are familiar with. But a lot of people are going there and having fun, doing fun things. This. It's been so fun for me to watch my friend Todd Walker, because he went to Cappadocia, which is a city that we're going to go to and they have all these fairy houses that are like these stone. They look like dunce caps sort of. They're these weird structures. And he, like, actually spent the night in one of them.He did a hot air balloon r there, which is part of our itinerary. If someone wants to add that on, I know Kurt's going to do that. It's like he went and he had all this video of it where there's 140 hot air balloons going up kind of all at once out of this city. It just looks so completely cool. And then the. The huge market. There's like, the world's largest market. So all of these trips, I always end up with a group of great women shoppers.And I'm like, okay, bring an extra bag, ladies, because you're going to come home with a rug and you're going to come home with all of these spices. There's 4,000 stalls in the Grand Market in Istanbul. Do you know that?Michael Kenney:Yeah, the Grand Bazaar. I didn't know exactly how many, but, yeah, it's massive.Stephanie:So just that, like, I love getting into a market and just, like, seeing all the different things, feeling all the different spices. In Sicily, we had an opportunity to go to the market, and afterwards we had our. Our local guide that kind of takes you around and shows you where everything is and gives you a sense of maybe what to look for at the market. And then we split up and Kurt and I, he just wanted to drink beer in the market and kind of experience feeling in the market. So we went and got sandwiches. But a bunch of other people, like, shop till they dropped. Like, they had huge shopping bags full of stuff. So if your jam is shopping, great.If your jam is just sitting and taking in the culture, great. Like, you can also learn more about a city by spending time with the city guides that are with us. They're always having lunch with us, and we have a bus driver that we get to know in certain trips. It really just. We just got back from Sicily and we had such a great experience. We had such a great trip. It was probably one of my favorite groups because a lot of the folks had traveled with us before, so we really knew each other, too. It's group travel is really fun.I'm just. I don't know, I'm really jazzed about it, and I'm jazzed about Turkey, and I want people to come. If you could describe Ephesus, because that's a place that I haven't been before and you have what is that like?Michael Kenney:Yeah, Ephesus, it was, you know, built by the Romans in the time of Christ, so 2,000 years ago. And it's. You're walking through. It's. It's unbelievable. It's not like when you're at the Roman Coliseum or that area around there that's actually, it feels like it's in. More in ruins, if you will. But you're like in this village, this Roman village that you can think of, the Apostles walk, maybe if you're, you know, religious.Mary, Jesus's mother, has walked. And the. Still, the stone streets are there. You know, a lot of the buildings are in ruins, but the library, the, the whole front facade is still there. It's, it's unreal. It feels like you're just being brought back in time. And there's truly nothing like Ephesus, which is just right outside of the, the village of Kusadasi, or city in Turkey. But it's, it's like the.If, again, if I could have an analogy, like you're in Rome, but to another level that it's, it's much more, I would say intact. Still in ruins, but intact. But this, this, this village that it's in hibernation. So walking these streets. And we have these local guides as you touched on too, that kind of can bring everything to, to, to life. So, you know, you're not looking through your, your book and trying to like, well, what is this? You listen to an audio guide or our, our local guide speaking about that. So you're learning about the history. But Ephesus is, is.Is unbelievable. And we're not going to see. There's other ruins and more Roman sites and throughout this trip, so you'll really get, you know, a history. I wouldn't say a deep dive. They touch on it. So you're not like, oh, this is so boring. But you even said it's, it's a trip like this is great for, for shoppers, if you want to shop. I'm not a shopper.I like to do what Kurt does. Sit down, maybe have a beer and take it all in and do nothing. Just take in the people walking around, the smells. There's. There's nothing like it. And again, I think this trip to Turkey really offers a potpourri of different experiences. So if you're a foodie, if you're into photography, to culture, to history, this trip really ticks all the boxes. And I guarantee it, you'll love it.You'll love the trip. But then even at the end you. There's a great chance you're going to make lifelong friends on, on a trip like this too. So it's, it really ticks a box of. Of of experiences. So hopefully April is a great time to go to. The temperatures you can expect, you know, low 70s, you know, 50s, 60s at night. So it's really comfortable.Not like in the summer when it's really busy and it's busier with the Europeans and the temperatures hotter. This April time is a great time to visit for sure.Stephanie:Can you talk a little bit about what the food is like? Like, I have an idea, but I don't really know. Like, is it Mediterranean? Is it like meat and pomegranates and couscous?Michael Kenney:Yep, you're nailing it right now. No, it. It is like that. So I think I encourage again people to. To look online too, to see what some of these are. But you maybe have heard of, you know, baklava or, you know, kebabs, the lamb, the beef, the chicken. They have, you know, the different kebabs, lots of different spices, ganache, as many, you know, like fried dishes too, but then a lot of cooked on open fires. But I would say, I wouldn't necessarily say it's comfort food, like German, you know, in having, you know, some of the staples that you might know, but still something that's not too odd.It's probably more closer to home than maybe some of the French food you would see. But you'll see a lot of lamb, the beef, I said some of the fried foods, lots of, you know, from your Turkish delights and different things like that. So I think even when we're walking around in the market, you'll get that. And then we'll at our dinners have different meals as well that will infuse some of these different experiences. So it won't be something completely foreign, but it'll be. It'll be comfortable enough that I think you'll enjoy it, but it definitely be a nice array of different experiences with the food.Stephanie:I haven't told you this, but one of the places, and I don't know where I'm going to do this, but I am going to find. Have you ever been to a hammam or done the spa experience where like, you lay on like hot marble and it's sort of like a sauna and you get sweaty and then you like, go into a room and they like brush you with salt and scrubby things and like completely clean you. It's a Muslim tradition and it's the most amazing thing I've ever done. I did this in Athens and I loved it so much. We went three times while we were in Athens.Michael Kenney:Wow.Stephanie:Find a spa that does this there. I don't know in what city or where we are, but I know a local guide can help me when we get there.Michael Kenney:Yep.Stephanie:Both Kurt and I, it was just the most amazing, relaxing experience. Just someone scrubbing you with all these different herbs and salts. And they have weird little brushes that your eyes are closed and. And you can't even. Like. One of them was this big, puffy, like, pillow feeling that was running across the top of your body. It was so weird, but so great.Michael Kenney:Yeah, I haven't done it. I've seen them. I've done, like, the part that we're just going in, like, in the. In the sauna or the steam bath. That's it. I haven't had the full rub down yet. Maybe on this Turkish.Stephanie:We're going to do it. Yeah, it's great. I'll do it.Michael Kenney:No, it'll be fun, but no, it's very popular over there. The Turkish amans. To do that. So there definitely will be that opportunity. I will. I'll give it a shot. You know, it'll be interesting to have someone scrub me down with salts. But, hey, life's about to have any experiences and.And I'm. And I'm. I'm for it, but I'm glad you enjoyed that. But, yes, they definitely have that. And you'll have that opportunity if you want again. It's. Yeah, it's always. It's.Stephanie:I'm not gonna make anyone go get naked and do this, but if you want to get naked and do this, I'm telling you, it's amazing. And they probably actually. They wear bathing suits because they're pretty modest. Or they'll have, like, a separate women's area and a separate men's area. When we did it in Athens, it was men and women together, and we wore bathing suits. And then when you got into the private room, you could take your bathing suit off. And they were very modest and helpful, but.Michael Kenney:Yeah. So being comfortable. Yeah, no, that's. That's great. Well, that'll be. Maybe we'll just get a whole group and do that to get so great.Stephanie:Yeah, it's just like. It was one of the best things I've ever done. And I. I like spas and massage, and I've done a lot of weird things like that. This was, like, just amazing. Well, I'm excited. I hope that people will join us. The way it works is you can find all the itinerary on defined destinations website.We'll link that in the show notes here you can see each particular day and what city you'll be in and what you'll be doing and what's included. I would imagine in most of these breakfast is included because that's typically a sort of European thing to do. And then as he's. As Michael said, a lot of the meals are included. I do think when you're breaking open a new destination, it's important to kind of give people a sense of what they're going to be experiencing. And food is obviously a big part of that. And food is a big part of my journey on this trip. Turkish delights, if you've never had them, they're like this beautiful little jelly.Turkish coffee is very different. It's a much more intense coffee experience. So if you're a coffee drinker, you'll learn a lot. Also, olive oil is very much present in Turkey. Like again, I keep comparing it to Italy, but it is right across the water. So there's a lot of different olive oils that are used in Turkey, a lot of different spices. We're going to have fun. So the way this works is you can go online, you can put your deposit down and full payment is due I think in January for this trip.You can book your own travel if you want to, meaning get your airfare to get to where we're going to meet for the trip. Or you can use Michael's got a service that can help you book all your airfare. I personally like to control my airfare because I like to have the miles and I like to know exactly how I'm going to set things up on my itinerary. Kurt and I also like to get there like a day or two in advance just to get acclimated a little bit before the rest of you guys come. So that I'm not super jet lagged. I'm on fire by the time you arrive. And yeah, we do. There's going to be a lot of beautiful wine, I'm assuming too, because that's something that there's a great grape destination there.You don't know about Turkish wines yet, but you will. They, they exist. There's actually quite a lot of them. Yeah. And that's how it works. Michael, you've got a special offer just to get people that may be on the fence a little bit. Yeah.Michael Kenney:Well, we're excited. The trip again is April 9th through the 20th. And again, go online, take it just take a look at the website, look at some of the pictures. You'll absolutely love it. And then even all the things that we've talked about that aren't even mentioned in the itinerary, there's so many fun things. But if you're listening to this and you're new to register, you'll get $200 off per person if you register for the trip. Final payment is January 1st, so just think about that. So this would be a great.A great gift for a loved one. Hey, let's. We're going to go to Turkey. And I hear more and more people are. They want to have a travel experience rather than having tangible things about having experiences, especially with ones you love. So hopefully this trip to Turkey, if you want to try something new and have just an amazing experience about a place you maybe haven't heard too much about, I think you'll absolutely love it. So just go to defined destinations.com, like Stephanie said. She'll have the link there, too.Against April 9th through the 20th. You can register right there. If you need help with airfare, we're happy to do that. So we make it pretty easy for you on that end. So we're gonna. We're gonna have a blast with a great group of people and hopefully, you know, you'll want to join this small group of no more than 15 people.Stephanie:Is this the time that we tell people that are listening to maybe stay tuned. I mean, we do have a pretty epic October trip planned.Michael Kenney:Yeah, no, I mean, go for it. We don't have the. All the dates totally confirmed, but we're. Yeah, go ahead.Stephanie:Well, we're working on one of the trips. So I have taken people to Spain, I've taken people to Croatia, I've taken people to Cambodia, Thailand, and now Turkey. And the Croatia trip was really magical and people loved it. And I have a huge fondness for Croatia. Obviously, I've been there a lot, and there were a lot of people that wanted to go on that trip that didn't get the opportunity because it's a luxury experience. It's a luxury yacht. It's small rooms or not small rooms. It's a small ship with actually, the rooms were quite big for a boat.And so we had so many people that wanted to do that itinerary again. Michael said, hey, how about we do it again? But I'll add a couple of new things so that it's a new experience for you too, Stephanie, because there is. I've never been to Zagreb, which seems probably surprising since I've been to Croatia so many times and there's a bunch of these finger lakes. What do they call those? Is it the plastic lakes?Michael Kenney:Yeah, the Plaviche Lakes National Park. Yep.Stephanie:The national parks in Croatia are legendary. If you. I mean Mijet has one of the most beautiful national parks on it with a monastery in the middle of this lake. So we are going to be taking another small group. It'll be smallish. I think we had 28 on our last.Michael Kenney:Yeah, enough to fill the boat. And the boat only can sleep like 34. So it's a small experience on that. But yeah, I'm excited to go back to that again. That's been one of our hot sellers, our Croatia trip. So with the Zagreb and the Blevice lakes and then our seven night cruise, the Croatia trip will be great. So maybe you want to do two trips. Our beautiful Turkey trip in the spring and then come October we'll have this amazing trip to, to Croatia.So go out and have experiences and hopefully you want to join us. I think you'll find great value, great meals just. And great people that to travel with.Stephanie:And if you're listening and you want to explore Michael's other trips because he takes trips with other people, not just me. And also he just guides trips himself. Just tell him that you're a friend of Stephanie's dish so that he knows that you came from my referral. But just like, yeah, if you want to sign up for a Christmas market or you're interested in heading to the Amalfi coast, traveling with defined destinations is a really great opportunity. They do it extremely well. I have traveled a lot and so I've had some good experiences and some not so good experiences. So I know that when you travel with Michael, you're in good hands. I'm still just missing our guide Peter, who was with us on our last Sicilian trip, who turns out has been your friend for like 25 years.I just miss him. He's such a character. I loved him so much.Michael Kenney:Yeah. And that's great. Yeah. Peter's a good friend of mine for. He's our Austrian guy, but he's. He's got family in, in Italy and does some of our, our Central European trips. But again, like you said it too, it's, it's. Again, it's more than just the sights.You're building relationships even if you're not even looking for that. But it's fun to recall and all the good people you've met and the fun experiences you've had along the way. I love what I do, and hopefully it shows in our trips. It's all about having a great experience with great people, so encourage you. And you've been such a great part of the defined destinations family. Thank you, Stephanie.Stephanie:I love it.Michael Kenney:Looking forward to more.Stephanie:If I didn't, people know I would have kicked you to the curb long ago. And you even have got. You've even converted Kurt.Michael Kenney:So, I mean, yeah, that's great. So, yeah, it's about. About having fun and that's what we do. And we'd love to have you on, on any of our trips.Stephanie:Yeah. All right, you guys. So I'll put all that information that you need in the links below. We are going to Turkey and I hope you come. That's all I can say because I'm gonna probably be talking about it non stop because I'm so excited.Michael Kenney:That's great.Stephanie:I'm.Michael Kenney:I'm looking forward to it. Thanks again, Steph.Stephanie:Thanks, Michael. Okay, bye. Bye.Stephanie's Dish Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stephaniehansen.substack.com/subscribe
Original Episode Transcript FollowsStephanie:Hello, everybody, and welcome to Dishing with Stephanie's Dish, the podcast where we talk about food. A lot of times we talk to cookbook authors and kind of understand their process and what they're doing. Well, I'm just noticing my hair is real bedhead, but it is what it is. Friends, in this particular episode, I want to talk to my friend Michael Kenney. He is from Defined Destinations. He owns his own business, and it's a travel company. And. And Michael and I met about three years ago now, and we have done a number of trips together, and we are planning our April trip, which is going to be to Turkey, and we have a lot of different cities that we're going to visit.And one of the things that I've heard from a lot of people is they all know we're going to Turkey and they want to hear about it, and they're excited to know about the destination, but they're nervous about signing up for the trip. So said to Michael, let's just talk. Let's do a podcast where we give people an idea of what to expect, where we're going, what kind of things we're going to see. My friend Todd Walker, coincidentally has. He's in Turkey right now. And he said. And he's been. He travels all over.He works for the Viking Cruise Lines, doing trips for them and helping to write about them and help people experience them. He sent me a text, and he said, turkey is in his top three places he's ever been. He's just super hot on it. He's like, you are totally going at the exact right time. Because he's like, people are just starting to learn about it, but there's so many cool things. He said it's a trip like nothing has ever experienced before. So, Michael, I'm excited to talk to you about it. And people ask me like, well, why did you pick turkey? And I was like, why not? I have always.I met a guy 20 years ago and in Paris that was from Turkey, and first of all, he was gorgeous, so let's just go there. But second of all, he really, like, he just was telling me about where he lived and what Turkey was like and what the food was like. And he talked to me about the spice Trail and kind of how people came in through Istanbul and then crossed over into Italy and into Spain. And it made me feel like, wow, okay. Turkey is this very Mediterranean feeling place with tons of culture, and I've always wanted to go there, so I picked it. Michael, why did you allow me to pick Turkey? Knowing that it would be a destination that would be harder to sell for people.Michael Kenney:Yeah, I think that's what's great. And thanks for having me on, Stephanie. It's always a blast, you know, to travel with you and with your, your listeners. It just, we've built some really great bonds with the people, which has been a fun. So even our latest trip to Sicily. What, what a blast. And great people.Stephanie:Yes.Michael Kenney:But you going back to why we choose this and with Turkey, and that's what's great about you. It's like you're willing to try some new areas. And a lot of people are like, well, I've heard of Turkey. I don't know much about it. And I think that's where we both kind of glammed on. Like, let's go and let's have this experience. And we've been putting group trips together for 27 years and we have some great partners and some Turkish partners, too, that can really open up the, the eyes. I know several people that have been to, to Istanbul and everyone's heard of Istanbul, like, oh, it's a top five city on earth for a lot of people.And you're probably wondering, well, why? So I encourage you to kind of jump in, look at our website, do a little research on that. But Turkey is so, so much more than that. I. They have absolutely stunning beaches, their food culture, their spices, the seaside communities, the, the Roman ruins. They have so much in different little pockets. So Turkey offers. And I think that's what maybe gravitated you and I both to it. Just the diversity and still a little of that wonder, like what's, what's really, what's in Turkey.And I think, you know, we, we talked about a little earlier before the podcast about some of the places, you know, that are kind of overrun with tourists. And definitely Turkey is not there. It will be at some point. So it's kind of fun to get on maybe the ground level to, to some of these places and not just Istanbul, because it, it is busy, but some of the other places that we're going to go from Ephesus to Kabukia or Pamuk. There's so many different places that are on this trip that you've never even heard of. So it's kind of like, well, I haven't really heard of that. Go, go look at our website. Go do a little research on the Internet and see what.It's so amazing. The Europeans, they know of Turkey really, really well because it's a, it's a quick flight and they Absolutely love it. I'm in Europe nine times a year and the folks that I talk with over there, they absolutely love it. So it's kind of like a discovery trip for Americans. And what's great about our trip that will, it's fully guided. We have 31 meals included. We have the inner flight inside, Turkey included. So there's really no out of pocket expense for that.So you can really sit back and relax and take in the best of Turkey with our local guides. And there's just so much and I think that's what's going to be kind of fun to go discover. This place in our group is going to be no more than 15 people. It's a small group experience so you can really relax and enjoy that. And I know folks that maybe, well, what's a group tour? You know, I think you even mentioned that too for some people. Like, well, what do you do? It's again, we've kind of handled everything. We've taken care of the hotels, the buses, the cooking class that we're going to do. I mean, you might want to touch on that later.But we've taken all of that, these best of experiences and put it in one itinerary so you can sit back and relax and know that you're going to see the best of Turkey.Stephanie:I think explaining my husband Kurt's sort of transformation is good here. My husband is an independent person. He's owned his own business, he's a sailor. He would, he, he has no interest really in group travel. Like when I brought it up to him and that I was going to start leading trips, he was like, why would you want to do that? Why would you want to be with people you don't even know? Like, he is just anti group travel as a rule. And he came on our first trip, he wanted to come with us when we went to Cambodia and we went to Vietnam. He knew that he would never plan a trip to Asia on his own. So he thought, well, I'll go along on this group travel and I'll just suck up the group travel part because I get to go to this cool destination.Well, what happened is he loved it. He liked group travel. He liked meeting new people. He liked not being the person that had to be in charge of making sure that we got our luggage to the room and that we made it to the right flights and that he had to carry all the stuff and all the itinerary. He kind of liked that he wasn't responsible for all that. And he liked the food, he liked Meeting the people he liked, not having to be in a city he'd never been in and figure out exactly where we were going to eat every single meal. We had flexibility. Obviously, on these trips, we want it to be your trip.In our Sicily experience, you mentioned a couple times, like, if this doesn't feel like something you want to do, then don't do it. Do something else for the day. We can help you orchestrate other things. He really loved the idea that he didn't have to do everything. And in fact, when we did our cooking class in Sicily, which was amazing, by the way, we learned to make arancini, which they call arancino. We made a thing called a pinella, which was a chickpea pancake that they eat in a sandwich, which was kind of different. But Kurt didn't want to do the cooking class. He was like, you know what? I think I'm just gonna go walk around the city.So him and another friend peeled off and, like, that's the joy of these trips. We plan everything, but if you're tired or if you just want a day of rest, you can do that too. We really try to make it so that we know it's your experience. We're not as interested in you just being forced to come along on things that you're not interested in. We're interested in your experience. We want you to have a good time. So if Kurt Johnson can get turned on to group travel, I feel like, seriously, anyone can.Michael Kenney:No, that's. That's well said. I would have never guessed that about Kurt initially. You know, and I wouldn't call him an introvert by any means, but I think we get, you know, a lot of people like that with. With. Kurt. You know, maybe their. Their.Their husband or their wife drags them on a trip, and they're like, you know what? This is actually pretty cool, especially for the person that maybe is doing typically all the planning. And it's stressful. You know, we do all that for you, but you can really, again, sit back and enjoy. You spend a lot of money to go on these trips, and that's what we want. So we want you to feel like you. You have that. That freedom, too. When we set up our hotels in nice, central locations and safe areas, too, that you can go out and explore, so we encourage you to do that.But honestly, we feel pretty good that the pace of these trips are designed really well, that you have that flexibility, because we want you. Yes, you're in a group, even a small group, but we want to make it feel like you're having these experience with, with a friend or a family member that's with you too, that you, you feel like you're, you're having these little exploring trips, but it's all kind of put together already for you. But again, we, we have time for you to go exploring, to have these other experiences, which is really, really important. Balance is so important. Over 27 years, I think we've really, we focus on that so we know that, that people are comfortable having that free time to explore. But again, having the, the framework of an itinerary with, with experiences. Typically, we might do a city tour in the, in the morning and then have the rest of your day free to have your own exploring. Then maybe for, especially for this trip with the 31 meals that will meet up and have dinner in a place.And again, they're all being curated with our local team too, in the area that you're going to have foods local from the area in great mom PA type of restaurants. So sometimes it's stressful when you're trying to figure out where am I going to go eat, what should I do? I want to make sure the dinner is going to be great. We've got that taken care of so you can sit back and relax. And again, we know most of you probably have not heard of a lot of these places. Please, we implore you to go and take a look at the itinerary, do a little research, because I guarantee in a few years from now, these are going to be mainstream and you'll be able to go explore and see these places before they're overly busy. So take a look at this itinerary.Stephanie:I was impressed because when I first was thinking about Turkey, I went on a map and I didn't realize, like, when I started going to Croatia, I didn't realize how close Croatia is to Italy. That literally they share a sea and that a lot of Italians use Croatia as their summer vacation spot.Michael Kenney:Yeah.Stephanie:And I didn't also realize that Turkey and Italy are very close and that a lot of Europeans, because they've got EasyJet there, that's an Italian airline, they're going to Turkey like we would be going to Palm Springs. I mean, a lot of Europeans are experiencing Turkey and it's just not a destination that a lot of Americans are familiar with. But a lot of people are going there and having fun, doing fun things. This. It's been so fun for me to watch my friend Todd Walker, because he went to Cappadocia, which is a city that we're going to go to and they have all these fairy houses that are like these stone. They look like dunce caps sort of. They're these weird structures. And he, like, actually spent the night in one of them.He did a hot air balloon r there, which is part of our itinerary. If someone wants to add that on, I know Kurt's going to do that. It's like he went and he had all this video of it where there's 140 hot air balloons going up kind of all at once out of this city. It just looks so completely cool. And then the. The huge market. There's like, the world's largest market. So all of these trips, I always end up with a group of great women shoppers.And I'm like, okay, bring an extra bag, ladies, because you're going to come home with a rug and you're going to come home with all of these spices. There's 4,000 stalls in the Grand Market in Istanbul. Do you know that?Michael Kenney:Yeah, the Grand Bazaar. I didn't know exactly how many, but, yeah, it's massive.Stephanie:So just that, like, I love getting into a market and just, like, seeing all the different things, feeling all the different spices. In Sicily, we had an opportunity to go to the market, and afterwards we had our. Our local guide that kind of takes you around and shows you where everything is and gives you a sense of maybe what to look for at the market. And then we split up and Kurt and I, he just wanted to drink beer in the market and kind of experience feeling in the market. So we went and got sandwiches. But a bunch of other people, like, shop till they dropped. Like, they had huge shopping bags full of stuff. So if your jam is shopping, great.If your jam is just sitting and taking in the culture, great. Like, you can also learn more about a city by spending time with the city guides that are with us. They're always having lunch with us, and we have a bus driver that we get to know in certain trips. It really just. We just got back from Sicily and we had such a great experience. We had such a great trip. It was probably one of my favorite groups because a lot of the folks had traveled with us before, so we really knew each other, too. It's group travel is really fun.I'm just. I don't know, I'm really jazzed about it, and I'm jazzed about Turkey, and I want people to come. If you could describe Ephesus, because that's a place that I haven't been before and you have what is that like?Michael Kenney:Yeah, Ephesus, it was, you know, built by the Romans in the time of Christ, so 2,000 years ago. And it's. You're walking through. It's. It's unbelievable. It's not like when you're at the Roman Coliseum or that area around there that's actually, it feels like it's in. More in ruins, if you will. But you're like in this village, this Roman village that you can think of, the Apostles walk, maybe if you're, you know, religious.Mary, Jesus's mother, has walked. And the. Still, the stone streets are there. You know, a lot of the buildings are in ruins, but the library, the, the whole front facade is still there. It's, it's unreal. It feels like you're just being brought back in time. And there's truly nothing like Ephesus, which is just right outside of the, the village of Kusadasi, or city in Turkey. But it's, it's like the.If, again, if I could have an analogy, like you're in Rome, but to another level that it's, it's much more, I would say intact. Still in ruins, but intact. But this, this, this village that it's in hibernation. So walking these streets. And we have these local guides as you touched on too, that kind of can bring everything to, to, to life. So, you know, you're not looking through your, your book and trying to like, well, what is this? You listen to an audio guide or our, our local guide speaking about that. So you're learning about the history. But Ephesus is, is.Is unbelievable. And we're not going to see. There's other ruins and more Roman sites and throughout this trip, so you'll really get, you know, a history. I wouldn't say a deep dive. They touch on it. So you're not like, oh, this is so boring. But you even said it's, it's a trip like this is great for, for shoppers, if you want to shop. I'm not a shopper.I like to do what Kurt does. Sit down, maybe have a beer and take it all in and do nothing. Just take in the people walking around, the smells. There's. There's nothing like it. And again, I think this trip to Turkey really offers a potpourri of different experiences. So if you're a foodie, if you're into photography, to culture, to history, this trip really ticks all the boxes. And I guarantee it, you'll love it.You'll love the trip. But then even at the end you. There's a great chance you're going to make lifelong friends on, on a trip like this too. So it's, it really ticks a box of. Of of experiences. So hopefully April is a great time to go to. The temperatures you can expect, you know, low 70s, you know, 50s, 60s at night. So it's really comfortable.Not like in the summer when it's really busy and it's busier with the Europeans and the temperatures hotter. This April time is a great time to visit for sure.Stephanie:Can you talk a little bit about what the food is like? Like, I have an idea, but I don't really know. Like, is it Mediterranean? Is it like meat and pomegranates and couscous?Michael Kenney:Yep, you're nailing it right now. No, it. It is like that. So I think I encourage again people to. To look online too, to see what some of these are. But you maybe have heard of, you know, baklava or, you know, kebabs, the lamb, the beef, the chicken. They have, you know, the different kebabs, lots of different spices, ganache, as many, you know, like fried dishes too, but then a lot of cooked on open fires. But I would say, I wouldn't necessarily say it's comfort food, like German, you know, in having, you know, some of the staples that you might know, but still something that's not too odd.It's probably more closer to home than maybe some of the French food you would see. But you'll see a lot of lamb, the beef, I said some of the fried foods, lots of, you know, from your Turkish delights and different things like that. So I think even when we're walking around in the market, you'll get that. And then we'll at our dinners have different meals as well that will infuse some of these different experiences. So it won't be something completely foreign, but it'll be. It'll be comfortable enough that I think you'll enjoy it, but it definitely be a nice array of different experiences with the food.Stephanie:I haven't told you this, but one of the places, and I don't know where I'm going to do this, but I am going to find. Have you ever been to a hammam or done the spa experience where like, you lay on like hot marble and it's sort of like a sauna and you get sweaty and then you like, go into a room and they like brush you with salt and scrubby things and like completely clean you. It's a Muslim tradition and it's the most amazing thing I've ever done. I did this in Athens and I loved it so much. We went three times while we were in Athens.Michael Kenney:Wow.Stephanie:Find a spa that does this there. I don't know in what city or where we are, but I know a local guide can help me when we get there.Michael Kenney:Yep.Stephanie:Both Kurt and I, it was just the most amazing, relaxing experience. Just someone scrubbing you with all these different herbs and salts. And they have weird little brushes that your eyes are closed and. And you can't even. Like. One of them was this big, puffy, like, pillow feeling that was running across the top of your body. It was so weird, but so great.Michael Kenney:Yeah, I haven't done it. I've seen them. I've done, like, the part that we're just going in, like, in the. In the sauna or the steam bath. That's it. I haven't had the full rub down yet. Maybe on this Turkish.Stephanie:We're going to do it. Yeah, it's great. I'll do it.Michael Kenney:No, it'll be fun, but no, it's very popular over there. The Turkish amans. To do that. So there definitely will be that opportunity. I will. I'll give it a shot. You know, it'll be interesting to have someone scrub me down with salts. But, hey, life's about to have any experiences and.And I'm. And I'm. I'm for it, but I'm glad you enjoyed that. But, yes, they definitely have that. And you'll have that opportunity if you want again. It's. Yeah, it's always. It's.Stephanie:I'm not gonna make anyone go get naked and do this, but if you want to get naked and do this, I'm telling you, it's amazing. And they probably actually. They wear bathing suits because they're pretty modest. Or they'll have, like, a separate women's area and a separate men's area. When we did it in Athens, it was men and women together, and we wore bathing suits. And then when you got into the private room, you could take your bathing suit off. And they were very modest and helpful, but.Michael Kenney:Yeah. So being comfortable. Yeah, no, that's. That's great. Well, that'll be. Maybe we'll just get a whole group and do that to get so great.Stephanie:Yeah, it's just like. It was one of the best things I've ever done. And I. I like spas and massage, and I've done a lot of weird things like that. This was, like, just amazing. Well, I'm excited. I hope that people will join us. The way it works is you can find all the itinerary on defined destinations website.We'll link that in the show notes here you can see each particular day and what city you'll be in and what you'll be doing and what's included. I would imagine in most of these breakfast is included because that's typically a sort of European thing to do. And then as he's. As Michael said, a lot of the meals are included. I do think when you're breaking open a new destination, it's important to kind of give people a sense of what they're going to be experiencing. And food is obviously a big part of that. And food is a big part of my journey on this trip. Turkish delights, if you've never had them, they're like this beautiful little jelly.Turkish coffee is very different. It's a much more intense coffee experience. So if you're a coffee drinker, you'll learn a lot. Also, olive oil is very much present in Turkey. Like again, I keep comparing it to Italy, but it is right across the water. So there's a lot of different olive oils that are used in Turkey, a lot of different spices. We're going to have fun. So the way this works is you can go online, you can put your deposit down and full payment is due I think in January for this trip.You can book your own travel if you want to, meaning get your airfare to get to where we're going to meet for the trip. Or you can use Michael's got a service that can help you book all your airfare. I personally like to control my airfare because I like to have the miles and I like to know exactly how I'm going to set things up on my itinerary. Kurt and I also like to get there like a day or two in advance just to get acclimated a little bit before the rest of you guys come. So that I'm not super jet lagged. I'm on fire by the time you arrive. And yeah, we do. There's going to be a lot of beautiful wine, I'm assuming too, because that's something that there's a great grape destination there.You don't know about Turkish wines yet, but you will. They, they exist. There's actually quite a lot of them. Yeah. And that's how it works. Michael, you've got a special offer just to get people that may be on the fence a little bit. Yeah.Michael Kenney:Well, we're excited. The trip again is April 9th through the 20th. And again, go online, take it just take a look at the website, look at some of the pictures. You'll absolutely love it. And then even all the things that we've talked about that aren't even mentioned in the itinerary, there's so many fun things. But if you're listening to this and you're new to register, you'll get $200 off per person if you register for the trip. Final payment is January 1st, so just think about that. So this would be a great.A great gift for a loved one. Hey, let's. We're going to go to Turkey. And I hear more and more people are. They want to have a travel experience rather than having tangible things about having experiences, especially with ones you love. So hopefully this trip to Turkey, if you want to try something new and have just an amazing experience about a place you maybe haven't heard too much about, I think you'll absolutely love it. So just go to defined destinations.com, like Stephanie said. She'll have the link there, too.Against April 9th through the 20th. You can register right there. If you need help with airfare, we're happy to do that. So we make it pretty easy for you on that end. So we're gonna. We're gonna have a blast with a great group of people and hopefully, you know, you'll want to join this small group of no more than 15 people.Stephanie:Is this the time that we tell people that are listening to maybe stay tuned. I mean, we do have a pretty epic October trip planned.Michael Kenney:Yeah, no, I mean, go for it. We don't have the. All the dates totally confirmed, but we're. Yeah, go ahead.Stephanie:Well, we're working on one of the trips. So I have taken people to Spain, I've taken people to Croatia, I've taken people to Cambodia, Thailand, and now Turkey. And the Croatia trip was really magical and people loved it. And I have a huge fondness for Croatia. Obviously, I've been there a lot, and there were a lot of people that wanted to go on that trip that didn't get the opportunity because it's a luxury experience. It's a luxury yacht. It's small rooms or not small rooms. It's a small ship with actually, the rooms were quite big for a boat.And so we had so many people that wanted to do that itinerary again. Michael said, hey, how about we do it again? But I'll add a couple of new things so that it's a new experience for you too, Stephanie, because there is. I've never been to Zagreb, which seems probably surprising since I've been to Croatia so many times and there's a bunch of these finger lakes. What do they call those? Is it the plastic lakes?Michael Kenney:Yeah, the Plaviche Lakes National Park. Yep.Stephanie:The national parks in Croatia are legendary. If you. I mean Mijet has one of the most beautiful national parks on it with a monastery in the middle of this lake. So we are going to be taking another small group. It'll be smallish. I think we had 28 on our last.Michael Kenney:Yeah, enough to fill the boat. And the boat only can sleep like 34. So it's a small experience on that. But yeah, I'm excited to go back to that again. That's been one of our hot sellers, our Croatia trip. So with the Zagreb and the Blevice lakes and then our seven night cruise, the Croatia trip will be great. So maybe you want to do two trips. Our beautiful Turkey trip in the spring and then come October we'll have this amazing trip to, to Croatia.So go out and have experiences and hopefully you want to join us. I think you'll find great value, great meals just. And great people that to travel with.Stephanie:And if you're listening and you want to explore Michael's other trips because he takes trips with other people, not just me. And also he just guides trips himself. Just tell him that you're a friend of Stephanie's dish so that he knows that you came from my referral. But just like, yeah, if you want to sign up for a Christmas market or you're interested in heading to the Amalfi coast, traveling with defined destinations is a really great opportunity. They do it extremely well. I have traveled a lot and so I've had some good experiences and some not so good experiences. So I know that when you travel with Michael, you're in good hands. I'm still just missing our guide Peter, who was with us on our last Sicilian trip, who turns out has been your friend for like 25 years.I just miss him. He's such a character. I loved him so much.Michael Kenney:Yeah. And that's great. Yeah. Peter's a good friend of mine for. He's our Austrian guy, but he's. He's got family in, in Italy and does some of our, our Central European trips. But again, like you said it too, it's, it's. Again, it's more than just the sights.You're building relationships even if you're not even looking for that. But it's fun to recall and all the good people you've met and the fun experiences you've had along the way. I love what I do, and hopefully it shows in our trips. It's all about having a great experience with great people, so encourage you. And you've been such a great part of the defined destinations family. Thank you, Stephanie.Stephanie:I love it.Michael Kenney:Looking forward to more.Stephanie:If I didn't, people know I would have kicked you to the curb long ago. And you even have got. You've even converted Kurt.Michael Kenney:So, I mean, yeah, that's great. So, yeah, it's about. About having fun and that's what we do. And we'd love to have you on, on any of our trips.Stephanie:Yeah. All right, you guys. So I'll put all that information that you need in the links below. We are going to Turkey and I hope you come. That's all I can say because I'm gonna probably be talking about it non stop because I'm so excited.Michael Kenney:That's great.Stephanie:I'm.Michael Kenney:I'm looking forward to it. Thanks again, Steph.Stephanie:Thanks, Michael. Okay, bye. Bye.Stephanie's Dish Newsletter is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit stephaniehansen.substack.com/subscribe
The Order of the Vanquished Dragon is a reference to Michael/Miok slaying Apollyon, which is parallel to St. George of Cappadocia lore, which was actually a real story of the Noble Goths who defeated the Serpent/Dragon child sacrificing semitic cult in Carchemish 5,000 years ago.This Christian Order was devoted to the defense of Christians against the Muslim Ottoman Turks and their co-conspirator Jewish alliance. Your LINKS:Get Dr Monzo's Whole Food Supplements for your 90 Essential Revitalizing Nutrients here: https://SemperFryLLC.comClick His Picture on the Right for the AZURE WELL products and use code BB5 for your discount.Join Dr. Glidden's Membership site:https://leavebigpharmabehind.com/?via=pgndhealthCode: baalbusters for 25% OffFind clickable portals to Dr Monzo and Dr Glidden on Dan's site, and it's the home of the best hot sauce, his book, and Clean Source Creatine-HCL.Subscribe to the NEW dedicated channel for Dr Glidden's Health Solutions Showhttps://rumble.com/c/DrGliddenHealthShowPods & Exclusives AD-FREE! Just $5/mohttps://patreon.com/c/DisguisetheLimitsDon't be a schmoe, Support the Show!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ba-al-busters-broadcast--5100262/support.
To be continued in part 23, By FinalStand for Literotica. Christian College Sex Comedy: Part 23 Zane Spars with the minds of the Faculty In 30 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the podcast at Explicit Novels. "You are quite the James T. Kirk in this Undiscovered Country of Freedom Fellowship University," Doctor Scarlett eventually spoke up. I didn't know who that was but I had a feeling it wasn't a modern Christian author. "Who?" I asked. Doctor Scarlett blinked. "James T. Kirk, Captain of the Starship Enterprise, from Star Trek," she seemed confused that I didn't know who this guy was. "Wait, you mean that bald guy? I thought he was named something else," I wondered. "That's Jean Luc Picard, who was the captain in the second series called Star Trek: The Next Generation," she corrected me. It was somewhat amazing to me that the Vice Chancellor was a science fiction buff. Who knew? "Oh, wait, you mean that guy that Chris Pine plays?" I thought I figured it out. "Thank you; he is kind of hot." "No," she corrected, "that is the new series of movies, but it is the same character." I nodded as the pieces slowly came together. "Ah, the Green Orion Slave Girl," I finally clued in, "and that black babe who later showed up on Heroes." Sensing Doctor Scarlett's exasperation I added, "I remember ladies better than I do men." "Obviously," she noted. "I did not call you to my office to discuss trivia, Mr. Braxton, " "Please, call me Zane," I interrupted then, "and I apologize for interrupting. May I call you Victoria?" "Doctor Scarlett will do," she shook her head. "As I was saying, I asked you here to discuss your integration into this school so that we can avoid some of the problems experienced in the past." I looked at her; she looked back, expecting me to say something, but I didn't. "As the sole eligible male on campus, what do you see as your role here?" she pressed on. "Uhmm, Doctor Scarlett, I am a student here, that is my role. Are you implying that I'm looking for something special because I am a guy?" I questioned. "Mr. Braxton, Zane, you are a guy, you have remodeled your personal quarters into a bordello, and there is evidence of you having sexual relations with multiple female students," she responded. "How is that not 'something special'?" "The administration stuck me in the attic, then told me I could set up my room any way I saw fit," I clarified. "The vast majority of my room is set aside for my fellow freshmen to have a place to unwind and relax." "I've never violated any girl's Purity Pledge, though a few have reconsidered it after meeting me," I admitted. "I've been in a few fights, I'm not proud of that. I did as much as I could do to resist Chancellor Bazz, I am proud of that. What she was doing was ten shades of wrong and I don't run away from a righteous fight." "Zane, I am not condemning you for defending the women in your life, nor for having a healthy libido," Doctor Scarlett stunned me with a lack of blame being tossed my way. I worked that over in my mind until I figured out what was going on. "So, do you have any recommendations on what I could do differently to fit in?" I inquired. The problem was, this wasn't about me fitting in. She wasn't lauding my sexuality and she was trying to throw me off-center by the little annoying phone call game, followed by this sympathetic interpretation of my school life to date. I knew she wanted to manipulate me but I didn't know why. I had to get her to tip me her hand so I could figure out what the game was. "Are you familiar with the concept of Christian Female Tribalism?" Scarlett opened. "I get the feeling it has something to do with the six framed articles from non-Christian magazines hanging on your wall," I noted. "Also, you are clearly the darling of the Christian media," I added, as I tallied up the dozen other articles attesting to her fame. "I haven't dedicated my life's work for the sake of popularity," Doctor Scarlett smiled (sure, right). "I am looking into the relationship between Jesus Christ's teachings, men and women. My research has led me to believe that women exist in a more spiritually pure form when solely in the company of other women." "Where do men fit into this picture?" I questioned. "Men provide the ultimate guidance, of course, as well as their roles in procreation and raising male children past the age of eleven," Doctor Scarlett related. "Women are happiest and most effective when they form their own networks and hierarchies." "You don't date much, do you?" I had to ask. "Mr. Braxton, I have lived a chaste life in pursuit of my studies," she answered. "Outside of your father, Victoria, have you ever lived under a man's guidance?" I wondered. It was a calculated move to use her Christian name. "It is Ms. Scarlett, Zane, and I have relied on a variety of pastors for spiritual guidance over the years," she stated. "Okay," I stood up, "we have nothing to discuss then." She didn't yell at me as I headed for the door. "You've never been in love and I can tell you have a poor estimation of romance." "You would be incorrect, Zane; I have been in love but I chose purity over sinfulness," she countered. "My faith is based on God being love, without reservation, restriction, or guilt. I know exactly where you are coming from," I said with my hand on the doorknob as I looked over my shoulder. "You are seeking validation for the mistakes you've made over your lifespan and you are willing to sacrifice the young ladies at the school." I was getting angry. "I was hoping for something better but it seems like a different conductor but the same old music, Doc." "That is not so," Doctor Scarlett stayed calm. "I am not attempting to drive you or any other student off campus. I am not your enemy." "That is simple enough to resolve," I nodded. "What is your perfect women's society view and response to promiscuity?" "Lust is a sin; women should resist sin as vigorously as men," she countered. "The seven deadly sins are Catholic, not the words of Jesus," I grinned. "In fact, the first list wasn't even created until the 4th century after Christ." "That does not make them any less valid," Doctor Scarlett offered. "What is the cut-off date for Bible legitimacy?" I turned and faced her. "1000 Ace? Today, here, and now? Who is to say I can't create new scripture, then?" "I apologize, Zane," she mused, "but you hardly seem to be someone touched by the hand of God with a gift of prophecy." "Do I have to lay on hands to prove it?" I beamed. I had finally been able to interject sexual innuendo into the conversation. She didn't respond like a damn normal person, no. Doctor Scarlett stood up, walked around her desk and came to a stop barely a foot from me. I am not so easily deterred. I leaned into the doctor until my nose was at the crux of her neck and shoulder. I used my cheek to push her hair aside and sniff my way up to her ear. She was really ironclad in her control of her passions. I trailed my nose up to her eyebrow ridge, circled over the forehead, down past the other eye, and over to her lips. We didn't kiss but I did get what I wanted. "How about I call you Victoria when we are alone?" I tested her. "No; call me Ms./Dr./Vice-Chancellor Scarlett," she corrected. "You are my student." "Cool," I shrugged. "Is there anything more for us to discuss?" "I would like to discuss my plans for this school and the role I think you can take on," Scarlett persisted. "We've had that discussion, I chose a messy democracy over any sweet-smelling dictatorial existence," I declared. "Your belief system stands for the denial of self-determination." "It does not, Zane. If anything, it gives women more power over their lives," she explained. "But the basis for your system retains men in charge, with the added 'benefit' of women being more removed from the critical decision-making processes," I replied patiently. "Don't you enjoy being in charge of so many women here at FFU, Zane? You have certainly convinced dozens of women to do what you want, even to their own detriment," Doctor Scarlett drove her point home. I laughed; I couldn't help myself. "I might enjoy being in charge if any of the women would give me the opportunity, Victoria. Honestly, I allow the women here to safely experiment with their sexually," I explained. "Thing is, I really don't mind because I help these ladies become more comfortable in their skins, with their desires, and allow them to share things they have discovered about themselves. If I was with only one woman, what peer could she talk to? You've put your blinders on to the fact that women want to examine those urges they all have," I proposed. "They don't surrender to lust; they acknowledge it, explore those frontiers, and then decide how to use that knowledge," I continued. "Most of the women in my life here don't lose their virginity. I think by challenging their Purity Pledge, they become stronger in their convictions. I'm not taking any choice from them; they are exercising their own will concerning their bodies." "If you deny the male role in the Christian relationship, doesn't that emasculate you?" Victoria asked, and I noticed she didn't chastise me for using her first name this time. "I'm not going to fall into the trap of mistaking sexual activity for true masculine activity," I headed her off. "I would like to think I mediate disputes, help with our studies, and protect them physically if needed. I don't like to fight, but I will fight to defend my ladies. So no, I don't feel less of a man because I listen to, occasionally obey, and always try to respect women." "I see your point, Zane, and I will give it some consideration," Doctor Scarlett lied to me. "Oh, wow, that condescension was unwarranted, Doc," I shook my head. "You would never accept that I could be the man who would alter your lifelong path. You have an unrealistic expectation of what that man would be like but it allows you to pursue your goal without male guidance and still be a good Christian woman." "So now you think I am a hypocrite?" She gave a patient smile. "Nope. I think you believe the theory you are selling, Vic. You are clever, attractive, but somewhat annoyed that your looks give your ideas less credence though you still use your looks when needed. You are manipulative because you are sincere and you want to keep the argument based on rational discourse, not passion." "That would make you my opposite," she observed. "You embrace your gut instincts and allow your emotions to override what you think is the safe course of action. It is a pity you perceive me to be your enemy; I thought we could do great things together." "You are the enemy, but you are not the bad guy; I respect those who have faith, even if it is faith in something I don't agree with," I pointed out. "You believe women are better off without male interference in their lives. I believe there is nothing better in Creation than a man and woman in harmony with one another," I stated. "Don't you believe in safeguarding these young ladies' souls?" Victoria pressed on. "If the ladies were children I could understand your interference," I countered, "but they are adults, capable of making adult decisions, and you do them a disservice by stealing their destinies from them." "You see yourself as a better alternative?" she remained serenely calm, that's so hot. "Lady, my life is a mess," I grinned. "I have a hard time figuring out what I'm going to do much less what I should tell someone else to do." "But you are making the decision that my solution is the wrong one. How do you justify that?" she countered my grin with a smile of her own. "Just because I don't have the right answer doesn't mean I don't recognize the wrong one when I see it," I reposted. "As I said earlier, we have nothing to discuss." "Very well," she allowed, "but please tell me what the whole sniffing thing was about." "It was more than sniffing, Doctor Scarlett. I was looking for your pulse reaction, sweat, what kind of perfume and body soap you use, as well as facial tics and eye dilation." "That is certainly odd," she pointed out. "Well, it tells me you are a mid-thirties virgin who likes feminine things. Your skirt is finely woven wool, your shirt is silk, and your cross is 24 K, as is the necklace, with a real ruby inset. Your bra is a black half-cup, which is very nice if you are wearing a white shirt. Lastly, you are wearing stockings, not pantyhose." "Since neither you nor Ms. Reveal is a lesbian, you are wearing these clothes for your own enjoyment because you are not interested in any man right now," I told her. "You are still holding out for your Mystery Man which is oddly romantic for someone who denies romance." "Ms. Buchanan was right," Scarlett laughed softly. "You would be interesting to deal with." Right as I made ready to ask her what exactly Christina said, my stomach began rumbling. "I'm off to lunch unless you need me for anything right now," I sighed. Victoria turned me around and directed me out the door. Rio, Mercy and Vivian were waiting for me. It rapidly became clear that Rio was Doctor Scarlett's next appointment. "Ms. Reveal," I inquired of Doctor Scarlett's assistant who glared in response. "I'm heading off to the dining hall, and since I doubt you've been able to grab a bite to eat, do you want me to pick up something for you and the doctor?" I doubted that was what she expected. She typed away at her keyboard for a few second, checking out today's menu. "Mr. Braxton, could you get me the Caesar Salad and Doctor Scarlett the trout?" she said. "Zane," Rio snickered softly, "how far did you get? I'd hate to have to sex her up all over again when I can go straight for the main dish." "Smooth, Bro," I groaned while Marisol looked like she was going to staple Rio's ear to the desk. "The Doctor and I talked and that is all," I cautioned Rio. "I suggest you do the same and keep it simple." Rio snorted and followed Doctor Scarlett into her office. Before she dropped out of sight, Rio half-turned, pointed at Victoria's ass, and mouthed 'Wow' and made out the hourglass curves. She was really subtle; only Mercy, Vivian, Marisol and I saw it, which meant all of us. "Mercy, are you going to be okay?" I inquired once the door shut and Mercy had sat down on the bench outside the office. "I need to stay for Rio," Mercy sighed. "Vivian, can you wait for Rio while Mercy and I take a walk?" I asked my guardian. "Absolutely, Zane," Vivian nodded. She took a seat while Mercy followed me wordlessly out the door. "You don't have to do this, Zane," Mercy spoke up after a while. "Own up to all you do, Mercy," I replied, "and by that, I mean I brought you and Rio into a collision course so I am as responsible for your happiness as I am for Rio's." "I, umm, thank you," Mercy worked out the words. "Rio can be too much to handle at times." "Yes," I wrapped a very inappropriate arm around her shoulder, "she can be, but I feel she's worth putting up with the bull crap. Don't be discouraged by her fooling around with other women, or men; Rio is far more loyal than people give her credit for. She may do things to piss you off, that's a given, but she wants to be with you. In fact, who do you believe she was thinking of when she bought that ass plug?" "You?" she meekly mocked me. "Ha, ha, ha," I chuckled. "That is the reason I don't sleep on my stomach these days, Mercy. She plays rough. She loves rough too, so I feel it is an adequate trade-off. If you want to snuggle with someone else from time to time, you are welcome on my pillow any night." "Zane, do you think I'm a lesbian? What I am trying to say is, I think I may be a lesbian but I'm not sure," Mercy confided in me. "It doesn't matter what I think but in my experience, you are bi-sexual, not a dedicated lesbian. That could mean that you like relationships with girls but the occasional fling with a guy," I said. "You have had sex with me and I know you enjoyed it. You are not in an environment that allows many men so now that you are coming into your sexuality, you are confronted by women. Sexual orientation is one thing; sexual preference is another," I went on to say, "At Spring Break we should put your ideas to the test. Until then, don't worry too much about it." "Not being a virgin would be horrible enough," Mercy related. "If my parents thought I was homosexual, they would die, or kill me." "Mercy, do you think what you are doing is sinful?" I questioned. Mercy had to think about that for a while. We gathered up three trays and made our way back to the Vice Chancellor's office. "Yes, yes, I do, Zane," Mercy muttered. "I am afraid I'm going to Hell." "Mercy, you are not going to hell, at least not for what you've been doing the past few weeks," I comforted her. "Think about the good you've done for Rio." "I am still steeped in perversions," she moped. "Trust me on this; the battle between Heaven and Hell will not be decided by the playful use of a dildo, ass plug, or vibrator," I whispered into her ear. Mercy rewarded me with a wicked little smile. "What matters is the happiness you bring, the trust you earn, and the powerless you protect. Don't knock yourself out because you too are feeling pleasure." Mercy stopped walking which brought me up short. She worried her lower lip as she worked some things out in her head. "Do you think I'm really Rio's best hope at salvation?" she asked softly. "You more than anyone else," I responded. I could see a weight lifting off her shoulders. "Thank you, Zane," she smiled at me. We entered the Administration building and headed for the Vice-Chancellor's office. "I'm going to have to tell Rio about his conversation," I told her. Mercy looked uncertain. "Someone deserves a spanking, don't you think?" That wonderful little lusty smile crept onto her lips once more. More Monday Mornings Doing the correct thing is good; doing right and confounding your enemies at the same time is golden. Blow & Arrow "You are getting better, Zane," Molly Travers told me after my rotation to the shooting line. "If you say so," I shrugged. "I've yet to hit the rings twice in a row." "But you are hitting the target every time," she pointed out. "Great," I chuckled, "if I ever get attacked by a rhino or a barn door, I'll do fine." "If it is a big barn door, a really big barn door," she snickered in sympathy. "So, uhmm, what do you think your chances against Hope are?" "Huh," I looked to her, "are you betting on me and Hope's sparring match?" "It's not really a bet, more like a wager," Molly grinned. "Betting and wagering is the same thing, Molly," I pointed out. "Okay, fine, we are betting on the outcome," Molly admitted. "So what do you think the odds of you winning are?" "Barring the intervention of large fighting robots, I'd bet on the cute Asian chick to win," I joked. "Arrows," Chastity called out. It was my job to retrieve all the expended arrows from the field, being the junior member of the team. After that we did one more round, then we cleaned up and made our way to either study period or our next club. Chastity held me back so that we could go to Karate class together. "Don't be too hard on Hope," Chastity abruptly told me. "I'm not all that sure I can beat her, Chastity," I confided. "Oh, there is no chance of that," Chastity assured me. "She's going to destroy you. I only want to make sure you are a good sport about it because she really likes you and she's worried you might take this beating the wrong way." I stopped and stared at her somewhat incredulously. "Oh, come on," I grumbled. "I have some sort of chance. She's not that good." "If thinking that makes you feel better," she patted me on the back. "Well, if you believe I can't win, you will be willing to make a wager on the outcome then," I challenged Chastity. "What would it be?" Chastity mused. "You in a little, itty-bitty French Maid's outfit for twelve hours of my choosing," I said. "What do I get if Hope wins?" Chastity countered. "What would you want?" I grinned. "Any one favor to be decided on later," was what she came back with. "Oh, please, my favor is relatively precise while you want the world," I pointed out. "Okay, I want one 'forgiveness' in advance," Chastity offered. I groaned. "You just have to keep busting my chops, don't you?" I sighed. "Fine, I'll make the bet." For a private sparring match, Hope and I drew a great deal of attention. Christina, Heaven, Chastity, and Faith were expected, as was Coach Gorman. I had kind of hoped Cappadocia would hang around so we could hook up when the fight was over. Everyone else was rather distracting. Both Hope and I went shirtless, me bare-chested and she with a black sports bra, as well as barefoot. We set up four meters apart with Hope doing something that mimicked warm-up exercises. It took a second of eye contact for the fight to begin. I kicked out viciously; she collapsed beneath the blow and swept my legs. My back slapped the mats and before I could move or mount much of a defense, Hope was all over me. It was arm bar and she had my head in a scissor lock and that was that. I tapped out before she could render me unconscious. No one said anything as I regained my feet. I was careful not to make eye contact until I'd backed up a bit. I had no clue to what kind of Monkey Kung-fu she had just worked on me but I knew that what little Thai Kickboxing I had wasn't cutting it, but I knew even less Karate and even less of what Gorman and Black had shown me. It boiled down to making use of what I did know to the best effect. This time I danced to the left using a little trick Gabrielle Black had taught me (with some pain added). At first Hope mirrored my movements so when I lashed out with my first kick it caught her off-guard since I'd also been slowly closing the distance between us. She tried to snake within my reach but I kept shifting and kicking to hold her at bay. When she finally did get inside, I hit her with every fist/arm/elbow strike I knew. I knocked her back, pursued her, and for a moment it looked like I had a chance. Hope kept maneuvering with the grace of a gymnast so I couldn't pin her to the mat. Once she got to her feet I sensed I was rapidly running out of options. I certainly didn't expect a chop to my temple and that was pretty much all she wrote. She jumped up, put her knee into my diaphragm and rode me to the ground. I managed to block twice against her strikes as she straddled my stomach. I almost knocked her aside, we wrestled, and that was the totally wrong thing to do. I knew crap about wrestling. My tapping out was a foregone conclusion once she got me on my stomach. For a second I lay there marveling how quickly I'd gone down, twice. I noticed that Hope was still standing astride my body so I rolled over in place and looked up. For a second she had this look that reminded me of staring into the pitiless depths of the ocean. "My head hurts," I emphasized with a deep breath. That set off a flash of light in her eyes. "The important one or the one on top of your neck?" she smiled from above. Hope crossed her arms and helped me stand. "Are we okay?" she suddenly seemed worried. "Oh, hell, no," I gasped. "I've got to learn me some of those moves. You were freaking awesome." That outburst gained me a snort of amusement on her part. "I am not a master so I would have to consult my master before taking on a student," Hope informed me. "Your Father?" I was curious. "No; my Father had to get permission to teach my sisters and me. My Master is back in Korea," she answered. Hope and I parted ways and various friends now felt free to join the party. "Damn, Bro, she kicked your ass. I'm ashamed to call you family," Rio mocked me. "Rio, now you know how he feels about you every day," Valarie shot back. "I think he did pretty good, all things considered," Coach Dana Gorman stated. "I don't believe Zane's ever fought against a 'soft' or passive style." "Fifteen or twenty more years and I would have had her," I chuckled. "You are right, Coach; I've never seen her precise style. I've tried some of the exercises monks use but those were primitive compared to what Hope showed me today. Now I think I'm going to take a shower." "Everyone will clear out now," Coach ordered as I made my way to the showers. ZETAS "Honestly, Zane," Sahara lectured me deliciously, "did you have to flush my phone down the toilet?" "Technically, I only dropped it in," I corrected. "I didn't hit the handle. Besides, you know your husband would only annoy us with his incessant phone calls." "I still feel a little guilty," Sahara sighed. "He knew when I would be over and where we would be going if he wasn't going to be kind enough to be there," I pointed out. "The only reason to call you would be to ruin the moment he could have pre-empted by showing a little consideration for your feelings." "That is not fair," Sahara countered. "My husband is a community leader with many responsibilities." "So would you be if people would wake up and see you as I do," I answered. "Zane, I don't want any misconceptions about me," Sahara stared at me intently. "I am loyal to my marital vows." "I don't doubt that for a second," I agreed. "Betrayal leaves its own scars and I don't see any on you." Sahara didn't immediately react to that, instead taking a long sip of her tea. "Certainly you have heard the rumors by now?" she said softly. "Yes, and I believe them," I responded gravely. I let that hang there for thirty seconds. "Aliens did land in Roswell, New Mexico in 1947, and they interred the bodies at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base before finally moving them to Area 51." Sahara didn't know what to make of that for a second but slowly began to smirk. "What? Was there another rumor that I should be giving a damn about?" I concluded. "Some people compromise for the easy way out, some people remain mostly steadfast and take the hard road, but you are the only man I know who gladly skips through a minefield because even the hard road is too much of a compromise for you," she commented. "I can only be me," I replied. "I couldn't be you; I doubt the clothes would fit." "Oh, you are such a strange individual," she tilted her head. Before she could explain our food arrived and she felt it prudent to wait until there were fewer prying ears. "Do you think it is appropriate for me to, ask about Ms. Vickers?" "No," I responded patiently. "If you ever feel like it is your business, she's in church every Sunday and she's nice, if a bit nervous considering the current circumstances." "It is only that I hear things about you when my husband talks to other people and, much of it doesn't make sense," she added. "For instance, I believe I'm the only one who sees it but I'm sure you are having an affair with Rochelle Wellington." "I'm neither confirming nor denying anything but how does that make you feel?" I countered. "Infidelity is a crime," she answered after a few seconds, "but Mayor Wellington is a horrible, horrible man." And this was coming from the woman married to that bastard, Pastor Bill. "I confess that I find the whole thing very amusing, to the point where I pray to Christ for forgiveness virtually every night. That includes using me as a distraction for Kendra's nosey little self." "That was not my intent if that's any consolation," I sighed. "I simply thought we had a lot in common." "Such as?" she smiled. "Well, before we moved here, we had no idea where Lancaster, Virginia was," I started. "We both know that waving a Bible around doesn't make someone holy; a custom may be fine for you but it isn't for everyone and we know what it is to be judged by people who have never gotten to know us," I completed. "I also wanted you to know that I know about Bill and we are not alone." "Know? What do 'we' know?" she asked confidently enough. "We know why he let them think you were the one who was unfaithful," I clarified somewhat. Sahara stared at me, her face torn by a plethora of warring emotions; loyalty, anger over being betrayed, and relief that she didn't bear this terrible burden alone anymore were all there. "Men handle such things differently than women," Sahara told me in a distant voice. "My father wanted boys." "I imagine your Father-in-Law wishes he had raised his boy to be a man too," I joked. "That's unfair," I corrected myself. "I have nothing against men of a different persuasion. It is bastards I have a problem with." "Please, Zane, he is still my husband," Sahara admonished me. "Well, he had better start treating you better or I may re-familiarize him with Deuteronomy 23:1 (ty-jw)," I responded. "Your loyalty to him should be met with respect. That is the deal we make when we get married." "What makes you think you know so much about marriage?" Sahara inquired after a bite, some savory chewing and a gulp. "I'm smarter than I look. Okay, that's not too difficult, but I'm usually smarter than people give me credit for." "Smart things like inviting Ms. Kennan to services yesterday?" she taunted me. "I actually didn't invite her but don't tell anyone; I revel in people's opinion that I'm irreverent," I grinned. Sahara tried and failed to fight down her own smile in response. "I've actually invited Belle, Ms. Kennan, to live with me and Jill as well as giving her a job." "I, I don't know what to make of that," Sahara worried. "She's very pretty, I imagine." "Sahara, you need to become a better judge of people," I said. "I wouldn't trust Belle with my car keys or my favorite cuff links, but I'd trust her with Jill's life or my own." "Sometimes it helps to remember we are still listening to the words of a poor carpenter's son who suffered through exile," I pointed out, "who wouldn't do what the authorities told him to do, died because he was betrayed by a close friend, and went to the grave abandoned by all those who said they understood him; not most people's first choice for founder of the world's largest religion." "When you put it that way, it sounds depressing," Sahara agreed. "It also sounds exactly as it played out. It often does not occur to most believers that the flame of Christianity almost fluttered out before it ever really came to life." She looked for me to say something but all I did was grin. A few seconds later I saw that flicker of understanding come alive in her eyes. "Here you are, the star of multiple on-line sexual misadventures, sitting with the preacher's disreputable wife in the most romantic restaurant in town and we are discussing morality and religion," she chuckled. "No one will believe us despite this being the truth. I find your perverse and bizarre sense of humor very enchanting, Zane." "The important thing is that you are having a good time, Sahara," I explained. She laughed out loud, drawing attention to our little candlelit alcove of the eatery. I doubted she cared and I certainly didn't. We finished our meal, I paid, and we headed straight back to her place. The game was, we left zero time for any possible hanky-panky to take place. We wanted the people who were going to accuse us of impropriety to make real asses of themselves when we revealed our timeline established by my filling up of gas right before picking her up, our valet ticket at the restaurant, and finally, our credit card receipt for the restaurant itself. I had outlined my plan to Sahara and she heartily approved. Unlike the time her husband had screwed her over, she could fight this scandal. I pulled into the Penny's driveway and I rushed around to get her door for her (thank you, Heaven, for that bit of etiquette). We walked through the front door only to see Pastor Bill a few steps away from the door. "Where have you been?" he growled. Sahara dutifully lowered her head. "We were at Zetas," I stated calmly, "right where I told you we would be." Bill ground his teeth and glared at Sahara. "What have you been doing?" he snapped. "Nothing," I now grinned. "I accidentally left the lube and the box of condoms on your kitchen counter." Pastor Bill was rendered speechless. "I was the one who dropped her phone into the toilet; don't blame Sahara," I told him. "Sahara, this was fun. I don't often get to have an adult conversation about the basis of Christianity. I do appreciate your insights. I gotta go now. You two have a good evening and I guess I'll see you on Wednesday night, Sahara. Bill, I'll see you on Sunday." "I doubt you will be seeing my wife again," Bill finally ground out. "Sahara, please give me and your husband a moment alone?" I asked her. "Of course, Zane, and thank you again for an intellectually stimulating night," was her own way at rebelling. I could tell ol' Bill didn't appreciate her pleasant tone to me one bit. When she had moved out of sight I leaned into my so-called religious leader. "Bill," I whispered to him, "between you, me and God, if something happens to Sahara, I'm giving you one year and a day, then they'll never find your body. You know the kind of low-lifes I hang out with. I'm not bluffing. The only other injustice will be that you won't suffer nearly enough. Am I absolutely fucking clear?" "I'm not afraid of you, you sleazy scumbag punk," he hissed. "Whatever, Bill, but you might want to know that the circuit board for your home security system is manufactured by a company I own," I lied. I had no idea if there was a circuit board for his system or who the hell manufactured it, but I was pretty sure he didn't know either. Bill and I were at an impasse. He was a bully and a liar who was used to manipulating people using both other people's faith and sins to get what he wanted. My advantage was that I was well known to be willing to inflict pain to get what I wanted (I just wanted to protect my ladies) and he was averse to actual physical confrontation. Belle brought a whole new definition to the conflict at First Anointed Free-willed Fellowship of Christ Church. There were a growing number of people willing to resist the order Bill had crafted for his own power. Now people defied him and the normal techniques of censor had little effect. His best hope was that Zane Braxton would get hung in another bizarre encounter and remove himself from the equation without Bill's interference. That was his hope, anyway. ON The CRUX OF CHANGE "Hey, Briana," I told my buddy from Colorado State. I was standing outside the door that led to my floor once more. "Hey, Future Slave to my Desires," she giggled back. She was a whole lot more playful than the last time we'd talked. "Gak!" I played with her. "I'm pleased to find you in higher spirits tonight. I hope that means you are doing better?" "Actually, I had a freaky weekend," she sighed. "I met my boyfriend's other girlfriend, it was a totally psycho-girlfriend moment too. She came at me when I was training with some sisters for a 5K run. She appeared in the parking lot and started screaming at me. It was scary. I had three sisters and she brought two wacked-out friends. A pair of off-duty firemen broke it up; sadly, one is married and the other is gay." "Briana, I have a confession: I'm a gay man in denial and I'm tired of hiding the real me," I stated sincerely. Briana's laughter rocketed through the connection, followed by some off-screen conversation, then the phone being handed around. "If you want that lie to be believable, tell us you are secretly a lesbian," Jarunee snickered at me in her native Thai tongue. "Give me a second and I'll come up with something more believable," I chuckled back in the same lingo. "How have you been?" "Pretty good; better than you since that little Korean girl wiped your ass all over the mats," she responded in English. "Okay, she's not so little, and I have it on good authority she was a champion on the Tijuana Midget Fighting Circuit while still in preschool," I covered my ass, then a fear began clawing its way inside me. "Is there any suggestion that she and I may have gone to bed together?" "Of course; this morning's upload," Jarunee informed me. "Oh, in that case, please tell the rest of the Kappa Sigmas that I won't be doing Spring Break after all," I groaned. "What, why?" Jarunee gulped, wondering what she'd done wrong. "Her dad is going to kill me," I related jokingly. "I won't make it to the end of this semester, much less to March. It was a nice dream, though." "Are you serious?" Jarunee worried. "Apparently Hope's, that's Hope Song who kicked my ass, father is some sort of a South Korean superman who eats two-bit punks like me for breakfast," I shrugged. "It can't be, and the phone was taken away. "Oh, my God! Was that one of Yeong Song's daughters you banged that can now be seen all over the internet?" a different girl babbled. "You really are a dead man." "Ooo-kayyy, who are you, by the way? I'm Zane," I started off. "Sorry. I'm Chrissy and my father is in the Navy and he does, stuff. I don't know how bad that man is but I've seen SEALs scramble to get out of that man's way faster than they would for any admiral." "What? That's absurd," I joked. "No one is that much of a bad-ass." Except for Gabrielle Black, I am so going to die at this man's hands, aren't I? "All I know is that the Navy decided it was safer to put him up at our house as opposed to a motel. Mom got upset because apparently the North Korean government put a huge bounty on his head since he killed so many of their Special Forces guys, no lie." I said nothing for the longest time. "Maybe he'll think I'm good son-in-law material," I tried to sound upbeat. "Yes," Chrissy tried to sound positive as well. I, of course, was desperately trying to remember how many times I had made Hope suck my cock, and our discussion of anal sex wasn't worth mentioning. Curling up into a fetal ball wouldn't do anyone any good either. "Very well, Chrissy. Can I talk to Briana one more time?" I asked. "Of course, Zane, and don't worry; the whole Kappa Sigma Sorority will start working on this problem. We will figure out something," she assured me. "Hey, guy," Briana sounded apprehensive, "are you going to be okay?" "Babe, it is just another day ending in 'y'. I've got this," I said confidently. "Good night, now." Briana said her good-byes and I took a moment to get my thoughts together before heading upstairs. It turned out I had over seventy ladies in my place, none more surprising than Coach Dana Gorman. She was paired with Valarie against Millicent and Raven in what looked like a close match up on the pool table. Another totally bizarre image was Vivian and Rio laying stomach first on the floor near one of the TV's, calves kicking in the air with Vivian helping Rio with something oddly akin to schoolwork. Mercy, Opal, Brandi, and Brigit were gathered around the closest table having formed some sort of study group as well. Magically enough, in the twilight of my life (no, I am not over-reacting!) it is good to see one of my plans actually work in almost the way I had intended. No one had noticed me arrive so I turned to go to the drink bar, and walked right into Paige. "Hi!" she squealed in excited delight. Her tight little albino body vibrated with orgasmic energy. "Hey, Babe," I kissed her on the lips lightly. She kept her hands tightly clasped behind her back. "You don't smell like sex," she grinned. "I went out to eat with the preacher's wife, Paige," I groaned. "Not every date is an inevitable sexual hook-up. We had a nice meal and talked about our church, morality, and religion, honest to God." "I believe you," Paige wouldn't stop grinning. "Cordelia is in your room, waiting for you, and thank you, thank you, thank you." Paige was undoubtedly ecstatic over the red marker on Cordelia's face that read 'Paige is smarter'. To see that was one of Paige's deepest desires. Cordelia was working away on her tablet as I slipped into my room. She was fully on my sleeping stage, lying on her back and tablet held up over her head as she worked on it. "Hello, Zane," Cordelia said. "I like your place; it is very you." "Cordelia," I managed to say back in a civil tongue. "Did you know who Yeong Song is?" "Of course I do," Cordelia answered without looking away from her work. I didn't say too much because I had little polite to say to the girl at the moment. After a minute she finished up working on her computer, put it down, propped herself up on her elbows, and smiled my way. Her pigtails swayed as she looked me over. "You are upset," she noted. "Why are you here?" I inquired curtly. "Oh, now we are in the 'you are angry with me but doing an admirable job controlling your violent impulses and going to reduce your interactions with me yet not going to let me alter your lifestyle in any way' phase," Cordelia sighed. "I am not fighting the fact that you are the smartest person on campus, maybe the smartest person I've ever met, but I think we are done playing around. When I drive out of these gates for the last time four years from now, I'm going to forget you and go on with my life," I told her. Cordelia smirked, then laughed. "Zane, I made you, you are my creation," she giggled. I was about to get pissed, then I got another boot to the head. "I was drawn to your family's tragic death years ago, saw your return to the United States as an excellent opportunity for us both, created several identities, talked to your aunt on-line about FFU, altered the admissions software so your application would be accepted, and made sure your medical records weren't examined until you were on campus." "You put me and Rio together," I pieced together; Cordelia nodded. "Iona?" "Ah, she's loyal to you, but it was easy enough to put her in your class. She is the type of girl who runs across traffic to save a turtle crossing the road," Cordelia smiled. "I knew she'd rally to your side, just like I knew that would be enough to keep you here until other events unfolded," she seemed terribly pleased. "Now the sorority and Christina are all you as well as the run-ins with the law, but you are my weapon to use on this campus, Zane. I could never beat Chancellor Bazz without creating a scandal that would break the school apart," she informed me. "Your rebellion was a possibility I explored but your ability to enlist Christina and the freshmen wasn't something I could facilitate; again, that was all your doing." "I have respected you and Heaven," Cordelia pointed out. "Because Christina and I would kill you," I countered. "No; I kept her secret because I am not needlessly cruel," she said. I almost believed it. "Wrong, Cordelia; you didn't betray Heaven because Christina and I would leave FFU," I stated. "Your game would fall apart; not because either one of us is special but because you don't like playing with dumb people, there is no challenge to it." Cordelia's smile only got wider. "You don't disappoint," she remarked, without a hint of shame or guilt. "Am I forgiven?" It occurred to me that no matter how absurd on the surface, Cordelia wanted someone to know and, in a way, understand her genius. "I think we may be past that," I murmured. "How about this; the Time Lord Mafia needs, I need your help," she confessed, but I was wary. "When Ms. Black came here I was suspicious that her record was too clean," Cordelia related, "so when you gave me that warning, I began digging very carefully. Well, this morning something happened." "Oh, crap," I muttered. "How bad and how likely is it that you will be tracked back to here?" "I set up a blind station in Lima, Peru," she said matter-of-factly, "all paid for in cash by people who don't know the real me. I had surveillance on the place as standard practice. Late last night, Lima time, three armed men broke into the small room and tore the place up." "Who were they?" I was now more intrigued. "They spoke perfect Spanish so I had no clue until one of them screwed up and a cheap shelf fell on him. He cursed in Hebrew." Cordelia exhibited real shock. "They were Mossad. I check up on some other stuff and I really think they are Israeli intelligence." What in the hell was Mossad doing hunting Gabrielle? What the hell was the only guy in an all-girls university doing getting involved with all this? Fuck it all, I'm a horny eighteen-year-old boy with more girlfriends than any two sane men would want. Wasn't talking to yourself one of the signs of mental instability? I was saved by the phone, sort of. "Zane, this is Doctor Scarlett," the Vice Chancellor said, "I am at your door and I need to come up and talk to you for a bit." "Of course, Doctor Scarlett," I responded as I caught Cordelia's eye. I hung up and the two of us headed into the main area. As soon as we exited the screens, Cordelia went toward the closest group of students to warn them and I travelled down the stairs. "Hey, Doctor," I greeted my latest guest. I screened the keypad from her view, asked the system for a new password, and read it off to her as it popped up. Doctor Scarlett reentered the code and had it scan her thumbprint without comment. "Thank you, Zane," Victoria greeted me politely. "I would like to see your domicile as well, if that is convenient." "Sure thing," I told her. "We have about forty-five minutes before curfew so it's pretty occupied." "It is your room," she nodded. "I have every reason to believe you are responsible with its use." I wouldn't say that, but then in the past five minutes my life had gone to hell anyway, and I had to put up a good face until bedtime. "Ah, the pictures I've seen do not do the view justice, Mr. Braxton," Doctor Scarlett exhaled. "Relax, take a walk around, and/or help yourself to some food, Doc," I offered. "After nine o'clock you may call me Victoria, Zane," she allowed in return. I was a little stunned. No one seemed overjoyed that Victoria was here but they weren't stampeding toward the door either. "You provide a great deal of stability," she told me softly. "Your presence provides your guests with a sense of peace and safety." "Perhaps you missed Coach Gorman giving two of your students pool lessons right over there?" I suggested. "Dana is your guest too, though I doubt her mood is swayed one way or another by your sense of calm," she grinned, then was brought up short. "Zane, there are two women in, bikinis in your, " "It is a hot tub," I provided the identification, "and I also provide the swim suits for those who need them." Victoria stared at me for a few seconds and I could sense her ready to finally explode on me with some righteous rage toward my overtly sexual ways. "Why would you have women's swimsuits?" she asked patiently. "I have one-pieces as well," I responded. "What would be the point of installing a hot tub, showers, and a sauna if I don't also supply the girls with swimsuits and towels?" Those words put her back on an even keel. Still -- "Doc, I have women coming in my second-story bedroom window back home in the middle of the night for the purposes of sexual intercourse," I sighed. "I hardly need to give students here revealing clothing to feed any vicarious thrill. Do you want a suit to take a dip?" "Let me think about that," she replied quickly. "How long does it take you to obtain a girl a suit?" "I have a suit for you already; you are virtually Vivian's size. And I even have one in red if that is your preference," I said. "Do you really want me to be in a red bikini?" she wondered. It was a trick question. "It is a one-piece, and all I want is for you to be as happy as you can be without trampling on the aspirations of others," I answered. "So you feel responsible for all the girls at this school," she stated. It took me a moment to realize this was a statement, not a question. "Good night, Zane," Victoria smiled. "Good night, ladies," she called out to the room. A chorus of 'good night's' were returned. She disappeared down the stairs and I felt a deep desire to be alone. Peace and quiet sounded good, yeah, I know. "Bro?" Rio snuck up on me. She gave me a quick once-over, then tenderly wove her arms around my waist and hugged me tightly. "I'm okay, Rio," I muttered. "Don't lie to me," she squeezed me tighter. "Trust me; I know that desperate, hopeless look well and I can see it creeping up behind your eyes. Zane, I don't know what's wrong and I'm not going to ask, but I want you to know that I'm here for you." I tilted my upper body back and met her gaze. "Who are you and what have you done to my Rio?" I grinned weakly. "Hey," she remained scarily compassionate, "you've soaked up my pain often enough. It is about time you let me carry some of yours." "What can I do?" Iona wiggled up to my side. A further miracle was delivered when Paige appeared within my field of vision at over five feet away. "Guys, do you think I can have the night to myself? I need to work out things in my head," I begged. "Consider it done," Rio and Iona stated together. Iona departed to spread the word. Rio departed as well, but doubled back to give me another hug. "Zane, don't leave me," she whispered into my chest. "Three seconds ago I was going to knock you out, roll you up in a blanket, and take you with me when I scaled the walls and ran home," I sighed. "To the bitter end," I gave Rio's and my own little motto. "To the bitter end," she mumbled back. After that, going to bed was surprisingly easy. "Zane," Gabrielle greeted me with a ghostly voice. I had called her and said we needed to talk. "Someone did some poking around on you," I told her, "and as a result, three Mossad agents broke into a false station they had in Peru. Is there anything we need to know about why Israeli Intelligence sent three armed men looking for you?" "Three," she mused. "The back-up squad was outside. Since you made no mention of a grenade, I assume they wanted me alive. What are the odds of them tracing the search back to Freedom Fellowship?" As she talked, she sat down on the bed next to me, next to my hip. "Since I have no clue as to what resources they can bring to bear, I would feel safe enough remaining here if they were after me," I answered. "What's your next move?" For a reason that went way beyond insane, I suddenly didn't want her to leave. "I wait. I do not have infinite exit plans or resources," she told me. "You are taking this awful well," I noted. "As opposed to wasting energy becoming pointlessly annoyed? You will keep me apprised of further developments," she commanded then rose to leave. "Gabrielle, do you know a guy named Yeong Song?" I blurted out. "I know of him but I've never met him," she stop
Christian College Sex Comedy: Part 22 Belle, Paige, Hope, & Madness In 30 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the podcast at Explicit Novels. To understand why Hope was currently so meek (for her) and attentive, you had to understand that her Father was a stern warrior-patriarch of a very proud and mostly traditional Korean family. At home, she was the dutiful eldest daughter in a family with no sons; here at FFU, she was aloof and deadly, except around Christina and company, where she got to be a relatively normal American girl in her early twenties. Hope's only experience with men was with her Father, who was rumored to have killed any male who looked at her sexually, or expected her to kill the ones he missed. At FFU there were no guys at all for her to form relationships with, until I arrived. It wasn't a Daddy-issue thing, Hope didn't charge off into the great unknown; she became a good student and learned, patiently and confidently. I would have time later to marvel at my brilliance; at the moment, Hope planting small kisses across my abs and chest as my shirt came up was beyond pulse searing. She didn't know stimulation so much as she understood how a body worked. She also was coolly efficient in easing my shirt over my head and off my arms. She used a strong, steadying maneuver to take each shoe and sock off before she removed my pants and underwear together. When she finished, she was left kneeling in front of me, my cock bobbing an inch or two from her lips. She stared at it. I cupped a hand over each ear and guided her lips to my blood-engorged head. I had no intention of ramming it down her throat; her parting of the lips was enough. It was on her own initiative that she licked off the pre-cum starting to appear along the slit. Her lips took in the top of the head and I stopped the pressure on her head. Hope quickly took over, leaning forward, taking in the whole head, retiring before bobbing back and letting her lips pass over the head to the start of the shaft. I let her figure out by using her mouth and wrapping my cock up with one hand what felt good to me. She was growing in confidence by leap and bounds but I was still in charge. I touched each shoulder and she looked up (pretty damn sexy with her cheeks dimpling in as she sucked my cock). "Stand up and take off your clothes," I instructed. I held her hand as she stood. Hope's removal of her clothing was no striptease, although it did have a certain military grace to it, physically perfect and fearless. Four times I had to stop myself from stepping up and ravish her as her body's muscles rippled under her smooth, ochre skin and her breasts swung loose, perfectly round and excited. "On the bed," I instructed. Hope turned presenting her taut athletic ass to me, each cheek rolling in tandem with each stride. She moved to pull back the covers but I stopped her with a word. "No," I corrected her. "I want you above the covers." Hope smoothly altered her motion so that she crawled on all fours onto the bed. She looked over her shoulder at me, deliciously presented, before rolling onto her back. I approached her on my hands and knees from the foot of my sleeping platform and languidly stalked up her body until I stopped and kissed her at the joining of the thigh to the torso. Hope remained attentive and quiet, watching me plant kisses on each side of her pubic triangle without touching it. As I worked my way up to her diaphragm, Hope raised her left leg, bent at the knee, foot resting next to her other knee. I gave a quick smile; Hope was relaxed and enjoying the moment, which is pretty special for a first-timer. I let my lips nibble along the bottom rib until I took a nip out of her waist and made her giggle. Hope shifted away as she brought the back of her hand up to stifle her snickers. I let her go. I wanted to give her a wide range of sensations to sample. Had I done this with any of the other women I'd taken to bed? No, but no two women are alike. The only person Hope compared herself to was Hope and I gave her that level of respect. I laid a path of licks and lip suction up her sternum to her far (left) breast. I circled the areola with my tongue, making sure to rub the nipple with my upper or lower lip as I made my circuit. Hope made this cute little coughing noise but otherwise remained still. Her nipple twirled around my tongue before I engulfed it with my mouth and started a strong steady suction that I accentuated by pulling my head up with her nipple extended by the upward maneuver. This earned me a twitching in her hips. Her raised leg began to flop back and forth to the side while the right leg pressed against me and opened up her crotch for exploration. I took the offer and ran my right hand along her inner thigh above the knee to her plump, moist cunt lips. On the first trip I pushed a finger in up to the first knuckle. I drew some of her juices down along her other inner thigh until I made a circle under her knee. She shivered slightly as I did so. I zigzagged on the return trip, this time running a finger from the perineum, dipping in to her cunt and making a quick twirl right beneath the clit. Two desperate breaths escaped past Hope's clenched teeth. Hope's orgasm was close, closer than she realized. I moved my lips from her breast to her ear once more. I also subjected her cunt to the energies of another finger. I made slow, shallow strokes directed at parting the labia around her now rather impressive clitoris, twisting it and squeezing it between my fingers. (Strong fingers are something you work on in Marksmanship btw.) When Hope's arms snaked up and wrapped me tightly to her, I knew she was on the home stretch. "I am going to take you now," I whispered in her ear. The thrill and confusion of my intentions tore her apart inside. She wanted to learn and obey but she also wanted to maintain her virginity, and the two ideas collided like twin locomotives. Remember, sex is in the mind and Hope's thoughts were on fire. I bit down on her earlobe at the same time I grappled with her right tit and gave several quick sharp spanks to her quim. "Zane!" she started out with a hiss but boiled into a thunderous shout. Her thighs clamped onto my fingers and she drove (no, she didn't claw, she impaled) her fingers into me like nails. The temporary deafness in my right ear was its own reward. I kissed her, running my tongue along the top and back of her teeth while her body shook and shivered. When the last of the tremors subsided I released her and pushed up with my arms, keeping my elbows half bent. "Zane, I'm sorry. I've hurt you," Hope sounded worried that her fingernails had blood on them. The pain was nothing compared to the humiliation I'd go through in the showers tomorrow. Rio took perverse glee crowing over every new sexual scar I accumulated. "Hush now; on your knees facing me," I commanded. This time Hope gave a barely noticeable blink before complying. She sat there attentively, her ass resting on her heels and her palms on her thighs looking smoking hot with damp thighs and perky nipples. I shifted up the bed, keeping to my side until I was properly positioned. I then reached for the back of Hope's head and confidently directed her toward my cock once more. Hope picked up right where she'd left off; slurping my head like a lollipop. Hope didn't get overly ambitious. She sucked me in, rolled my head around her mouth using her tongue with the occasional sojourn an inch or two down my shaft. Being at loose ends since Hope was drooling all over my rod so well, I reached out and began fondling her closest breast. This time I was rough, milking her breast, gripping the base of the breast and pulling down until I pulled the nipple. No response from Hope wasn't a bad thing; if she didn't like it she'd let me know. A few more pleasurable minutes with Hope and I sat up and put my other hand on the small of her back (I have really good abdominal muscles). I brushed my hand knife-like and pinkie first down between her ass cheeks. I brushed her anus but only briefly because my target was her cunt once more. She was hot, wet, and welcoming. I worked two fingers in and pumped her as hard as I dared. When I had her rocking her hips in response to my thrusts, I jumped my fingers down and vibrantly worked over her clit. Hope choked and little shimmies emanated from her hips. Again, I switched things up on her; I moved my hand up and rotated my forefinger against her anus until it gave way. Hope made a slight gagging noise but recovered masterfully and upped the tempo of her blowjob. "Come this way," I directed her by pulling her right buttocks to me. Hope wiggled from the waist slightly so she could look down the length of my body into my eyes. I repeated my hand motion, her eyes flashed with pleasure and she quickly straddled my body. Now her cunt was nearly at mouth level (Hope's pretty tall) while her blowjob continued non-stop in our '69'. I gripped a buttock in each hand, pulled them apart and then lifted my head to her honey box. With my first lick, Hope's resolve began to fracture. I would grove my tongue, move her hips over me and then lick from her clit to the bottom of her cunt. I massaged her several times before resting my head and alternating my fingers in. When my tongue lapped at her creases once more, I trailed a finger up to her anus, no reaction. I tickled her backside for half a minute, then substituted my tongue. I probed delicately and Hope stuttered in response. I went back to twirling her clit while pushing my index finger through her sphincter. Her oral attentions finally broke down. She let my cock plop out of her mouth and rested her forehead on my hip while the overwhelming sensations crashed over her senses. I felt the tightness of her anal cavity around my finger and her cunt throbbing against my tongue. I pushed deeper with my finger and her juices started flowing as Hope became more and more aroused. Valiantly, she stepped up her game, kissing and sucking one of my balls into her mouth. I moaned, which made her very happy. Hope's clit played along my lips as I took it in and sucked on it. She was rubbing my cock shaft as she tantalized my balls when she felt it start to pulse in her hand. My cockhead was engulfed by her lips and she remorselessly gobbling up the top third of my cock with the addition of a little twisting motion with her head and throat. "I'm cumming," I growled. "Take it all but don't swallow until I tell you to." Hope drove me on faster and harder and I reciprocated on her two holes. When I took on her clit once more, it wasn't in the form of a monster wave crashing on the beach but like a building tsunami pulling the energy before pummeling in one overwhelming surge. I poked a second finger into her anus to drive her over the top. Hope's back arched violently and a thin stream of fluid squirted into my mouth. She humped my face and squeezed my fingers in her asshole in a corkscrew fashion. "Zane!" she belted out musically. "Oh, God, that's great, umm, oh, yes, don't stop." My member slapped against my stomach and my balls were starting to boil and I couldn't hold back for long. Several more flexes and grunts came from Hope before she settled down enough for me to get her to do what I wanted. "Hope, I'm cumming," I ground out once more and just in time. Hope barely got my shaft upright and her lips over my head before I began ejaculating into her mouth. She breathed sharply through her nose but didn't choke or spew. Time after time she took my seed until I mustered the strength to let her know I was done. Hope dismounted me and resumed her kneeling position supported by unsteady thighs. I was a little slower in following her though her eyes sparkled when I looked into their brown depths. "Show me," I told her. Hope opened her mouth and I saw my semen brimmed inside. I kissed her lower lip along its entire length then did the same to her upper. I didn't take any of my jizz this time, that would came another time. For now, "Swallow," I spoke, and she did in a mighty gulp. I pulled her into me and led us down onto the comforter, Hope resting in my embrace. I soaked up the gentle passion of the moment with Hope in my arms. When she started kissing me on the neck I realized that was her way of asking for more. I twisted my body and pulled Hope past me so she could extend herself onto her hands and knees with me at her side. She lowered herself, letting her long, luxurious black hair cascade over her far shoulder. My hands roamed over the back of her neck and shoulders while I kissed her mid and lower back. I shifted from her side, ending up behind her. I gave a slight nudge to her calf to get Hope to open her legs wide and let me position my hips behind her. I gave my rod a few strokes to get it ready but really the visual tableau of the tightly sculpted muscles of her shoulders, back, hips, and buttocks made the physical stimulation superfluous for me. Keeping my eyes on Hope, I leaned way back and rummaged under the rolled-up blanket at the foot of the bed. The heating pad I'd asked Barbie Lynn to place there made finding the vial of viscous scented oil that was being warmed up easy. I was pleasantly assured of my feel for Hope to notice she hadn't looked back to see what I was up to. That took a great deal of confidence and trust. The serenity with which Hope greeted the thin stream of liquid as it steamed while flowing from her tailbone into her cleft was intensely arousing to my sight. I set down the container and began rubbing the oil in. First I started around the anus but I soon moved over each cheek, massaging them as well. When I coasted down to her inner thighs Hope figured out what was really going on and I could swear I heard a phantom cough of amusement. She knew I'd tricked her in a playful way. A few seconds later she pieced together the why, distracting her was secondary to easing the fatigue creeping through her thighs, lower back and ass brought on by several tense orgasms. There would be no muting of our joining. For ten minutes she relaxed and soaked up the hot oil working into her flesh. I restarted my efforts by kissing each hip, signaling her that I was anxious for her flesh. I placed one hand on the small of her back and lined up my cock at the top of her ass crack. I gently rocked forward, pushing my cock onto her back. Swaying back, I let my cock slip off her ass, letting it swing free before thrusting forward once more. This time I directed it languidly along the base of her cunt, letting my cockhead part her lips and plow her furrows until I touched then passed the clit on my way through her pubic hair and beyond. I repeated this orchestra of lust, adding in a movement where my bulbous head pressured her sphincter to the point of violation before sliding elsewhere. "Jesus, Zane," Hope sung out, "make up your mind. You are driving me crazy." Hope wasn't being exhorted to climax by any loss of control; it was the tension brought about by not knowing what direction the lesson was going to take. For someone else it would be as if you were reading LA Confidential one night only to discover that the last quarter of the book was missing and not accessible until the next morning. "There will be no intercourse for us tonight, Hope," I informed her. I began pumping along her cunt, mimicking the fucking motion. Time and again I let my cock head cut along her labia, brush her clitoris until it was stimulated by the low ridges along the shaft. It didn't take long for Hope to start pushing back against me to maximize my 'depth'. Hope clenched the sheets as we both increased the violence of our impacts. Her breath was coming in labored huffs and sweat began beading up all over her skin. Considering how fit Hope was, I was impressed with the intensity with which she embraced our sympathetic coupling. "No, not yet; keep going," was her self-encouraging mantra. "Don't let go, don't let go. Push him, push him harder." I scooped up the long tail of Hope's hair and guided her body up off her hands so that her back slid up and down my chest. Our hands did a little dance of their own. She ended up with her left reaching across and holding on to my right at her breast. My right still held the majority of her long locks, and I used those to give a silken caress to my coaxing of her right breast to sensual overload. My left hand landed on her stomach and used that perch to push her harder into me with each thrust. Her left hand wandered back to my ass. Hope's nails dug in deep (am I being marked/branded?) and she matched her pull with my push between her legs. When she finally succumbed to her climax, vaginal juices washed over my cock and down both our thighs. I was perfectly poised to support my lovers body as she surrendered to her orgasmic impulses and erotic energies coursed chaotically through her system. Her murmurs signaled she was regaining control and she made it definite by placing a series of kisses along my right arm. I coaxed us down on the bed facing one another. "I still don't know if I want to have sex tonight," Hope smiled sleepily. "It is your choice to make," I answered. "We both know you have the confidence now to make that decision when you are ready." "Are you looking out for me, Zane?" Hope teased me wearily. "Of course. I look out for all my ladies, even those who can take care of themselves just fine," I noted. She nodded and I realized that she'd tentatively opened the door into her inner circle of friends. "To answer an earlier question, I take no pleasure in ordering you around as some kind of power trip. I communicated with you in a manner that maximized your focus on our caresses." She nodded and gave me an affectionate peck on the forehead, reaffirming her dominant status. "You will come with me and shower," she ordered me. I retrieved two robes and my shower kit and a naked Hope lead me to the Solarium shower. We did not bathe ourselves; we lathered, rubbed, and rinsed the other, and I could tell Hope relished the experience. "Tell me something: how come you and Heaven have never snuck off in the woods and knocked boots?" she mused. "You are not asking because you think we did and didn't talk about it so you must be wondering what it would be like if we did, so yes, I would fuck you if you asked me to while doing a little shooter-spotter bonding out in the forest," I related to Hope; on the Marksmanship team, I was the spotter to her shooter. Her eyes flashed like lightning on a pitch black night. A powerful, lethal rifle in hand and a lover penetrating her was Hope's aphrodisiac, her perfect storm. "You should get ready for that. I definitely think it will make us a more simpatico team," Hope smiled and rubbed her breasts against my chest. "Are you going to make me obey you?" "I'm going to stick a ponytail up your ass and make you call me Master," I confided. "Oh, so how do you want your bullets; orally, anally or at high-velocity?" she remarked as her grin became more feral. "I've got nothing but love for you, Baby," I joked. We finished toweling off and headed for the bedroom area. We immediately noticed that while the sofa-beds were still open, they were unoccupied. Had we been that loud? I'm being rhetorical, I am the soul of discretion but I bring out the vocalist in every woman I meet. Inside the screens I could make out the forms of multiple girls having already settled in under the covers. Rio and Mercy were intertwined at their usual place on the far side of the bed. Barbie Lynn was curled up, facing away from us, in the middle of the platform, and Vivian was on her back, eyes closed, stretching out on the near side. I motioned Hope to follow me to the spot between Barbie Lynn and Vivian at the foot of the bed. She looked down at her carefully placed clothes then back to me. Her gaze went to the clock on one of the wardrobes, back to me, then she followed. We lay in each other's arms for a few minutes as our hair dried and bodies wound down. "Umm, that was definitely more than I envisioned, Zane," Hope sighed happily while staring up at the clouds in the night sky. "I need to be going but I look forward to seeing you in the morning." "No, you are staying the night," I stated. Hope pushed herself up into a kneeling position, hands on her thighs and her ass resting on her heels. "You are getting off on ordering me around, aren't you?" Hope smirked. To maintain the illusion, I didn't answer. I did get on my knees, wrapped my arms around her waist, and pulled us both into a kneeling, upright posture. Our mutual attraction brought our fresh bodies into contact. Hope exhaled and let her hands come to rest on my buttocks and the side of her head rest against my collarbone while my hands cupped each of her ass cheeks. Hope then did something I hadn't even imagined; she purred like a sated cat and snuggled firmly into my embrace. "Thank you, Zane," she whispered. "You're welcome, my Little Thunder" I responded. I knew I could have said something like 'you are worth it' or 'you did all the real work,' but I went with what felt right and those were the words she wanted to hear. Never just another Monday Morning. Death is inevitable; no one can force it upon you or save you from it. "Zane," a woman whispered in my ear. It is a testament to my out-of-control sex life that I didn't immediately know the identity of the woman in my bed even though drugs and/or alcohol were not involved. "Yes, Hope?" I turned and whispered back. "We are surrounded," her eyes glimmered. Indeed, we had been surrounded in the few hours we'd been asleep. Barbie Lynn had crowded in on Hope's section of the bed. As Hope rolled onto her side and snuggled into me, Barbie Lynn wiggled in behind her and pressed her magnificent boobs into Hope's back. She had even put her upper arm to rest on Hope's and had situated her right lower thigh and calf between Hope's legs. On the other side of the equation, Vivian was on her side, left leg laid over my thighs and left hand on my chest, on top of Hope's hand. Both our new female companions were sound asleep and snoring softly. "What do you want me to do about it?" I inquired quietly. "I don't know," Hope seemed conflicted. "Barbie Lynn is having a good dream." "And?" I wondered. "Her nipples are digging into my back and she's humping my ass," Hope grinned. At least she wasn't offended. "What would you do?" "Turn over slowly, push her on her back, spread her legs and then slip two fingers into her cunt and pump her," I tried not to snicker. "Work in small circles, then start suckling on a nipple; she likes a bit of teeth." "I've never been sexually involved with a woman," Hope said. It wasn't a statement but a declaration of an issue she was contemplating. "You would like to see Barbie Lynn and me, pleasuring one another, would you not?" Hope mused. "Absolutely," I nodded slightly, enough not to wake our companions. "I'll bring it up to her over breakfast," she informed me thoughtfully. "I need to look into her clear blue eyes when I talk this idea out with her." "She'll like that," I murmured, "and that is what she deserves too." Though asleep (we hoped), Barbie Lynn nuzzled into Hope's ear and let her hand drop down onto Hope's closest breast. "She's not making waiting easy," Hope looked worried concerning her desire to postpone the encounter. "The best things in life are never easy," I pointed out before we both drifted back off. Good News, Rejection I woke up with the feeling that something was wrong but I couldn't place it. The alarm wasn't going off, the phone wasn't ringing, and there were no sirens screaming. Vivian, on my left side, had worked her way between my arm and my body and was draped over half of my form. The awkwardness only increased when I realized she'd slid a hand between her legs. That wasn't so bad except it also meant the back of her hand was also rubbing along my cock. Her other hand had come to rest against my neck on the far side and her face was blowing softly on my neck's near side. Remember the arm she'd separated from my side? The devilish hand at the end of that arm had somehow wedged itself under her underwear and was holding one of Vivian's ass cheeks. Vivian began the slow, steady process of awakening, bringing about a strange paralysis in me. As her mind wandered its way toward alertness, both of her hands fidgeted slightly. My pulse jumped and my rod raced to iron hardness against her wrist as she stirred. "Your hand is on my ass," she murmured. "I'm sorry," I gulped. "I wish I could say I was sorrier but I'm not. My only excuse is that I was asleep when it happened." "I know, Zane, I put your hand on my ass," Vivian said, her breath tickling my jugular. "It was already close and, I was curious." I blinked up at the ceiling, having moments ago misread the evidence and believed I'd violated this woman's trust in me. "I am going to spank you," I seethed. "I am going to strip down your panties and spank your ass for putting me through what you just put me through." "Does it buy me any goodwill if I tell you that Chastity brought some things over for Hope last night?" Vivian wondered. "They're over on the dresser. That's why I cut the alarm off, so you two could get some more sleep." "The alarm is off," Hope whispered. "What time is it?" She didn't sound so happy. "I didn't hear you wake up," Vivian apologized. "Long-range shooting involves controlled breathing," Hope answered. "What time is it?" Vivian rolled over, leaned off the bed, and retrieved her phone. "5:27," Vivian hissed back to us. "Oh," moaned a sleepy Barbie Lynn. "I guess Zane and I will have to do it in the shower again, not that I mind," she finished with a sexy grin. "No marathon session if you go downstairs," Vivian cautioned. "Zane and I have already showered," Hope said, "So we can avoid the ritual at this time." "How was it?" Barbie Lynn propped herself on an elbow and gazed upon Hope's face. "I will never look at Zane touching or kissing another woman in the same way," Hope imparted to her. "I'll talk about the details when I've digested the lessons I learned last night." "Yes, lessons," Hope confirmed as she rolled back the covers and sat up. "It is his chosen method for our sex play, that of female student and male instructor." "That's just fascinating;" grumbled Rio, "but some of us do need showers. If Zane doesn't put in an appearance, hey, what are you doing, Monkey?" Rio's attention turned to Mercy. Mercy had rolled on top of Rio, elevated on all fours, and was now sucking on and nibbling Rio's left nipple. "Did I tell you to do that?" Rio quizzed Mercy. Mercy shook her head in the negative but kept hold of the tit in her mouth. "Don't you worry, you annoying cunt," Rio grinned evilly, "I've got something planned for your insubordination this time. Now scoot." This time Mercy did wiggle off Rio. "Why don't you play teacher/student with me?" Barbie Lynn teased me. "You eat ice cream with a spoon and steak with a knife, Barbie Lynn, but hell, if you want to play Merry Monk and Naughty Nun with me, I'm game," I grinned. Barbie Lynn's grin equaled mine and added a salacious tongue running along the lips. She is my best sexual partner ever. "Before you run off can I ask Zane for one favor first?" Vivian asked the ladies. I was hoping she'd be considerate enough to ask me too. "Atta girl," Rio perked up. "Ride his face. Get his patented tongue-tickle wakeup call." "That's not what I have in mind," Vivian responded. "Sure," Barbie Lynn answered Vivian's request. "What; are we stockholders in Zane now?" Hope inquired. "I withhold my vote until I know what Zane has to do and how he feels about it." "Thanks, Hope," I looked over at her. "You are my spotter. If you are distracted, your performance suffers and so does mine," she smiled. "It is enlightened self-interest." Yeah, right. "I understand, Hope," Vivian nodded. "I knew if I asked Zane, he would consult with you ladies so I elected to take on any of your rejections myself. Zane, would you let me cuddle up against you for a few more minutes? That's all I want." "Sure," I agreed. This wasn't going to be so hard. Unfortunately, fate is cruel and I'm an idiot if there was ever any doubt. Vivian maneuvered so that her back was to me and she was pressed into my body. Hellish complication number one: when Vivian had leaned off the bed, I had removed my hand from her underwear, causing it to have ridden half-way down her ass. Hellish complication number two: I sleep naked; my cock was hard and wedged between said ass cheeks, and I mean wedged in deep. Hellish complication number three: "Zane, could you wrap your arm around me, please?" Vivian murmured. I had a feeling she had closed her eyes, feigning sleep, so I draped an arm over and rested it on her stomach, nice and safe. Vivian took my hand and pulled it to a point underneath her right tit and slightly into her cleavage beneath her shirt. Okay, I'm thinking, I'm still safe. I can do this for a few minutes and not crack. I had a really good time with Hope last night and I'm not running at a 100% over-stupid like I normally am. Vivian started to stretch, her back arching away from me while her shoulders and hips pushed in. I had to admit that her hair smelled great. I knew what to do next, but then I realized that what I had to do was think like someone who didn't know what to do. (Confused? Join the club) "What do I call you?" I whispered into her ear. "Vannie," she responded quietly. 'Vannie' must be the nickname her boyfriend uses. "Time to wake up, Vannie," I breathed. Vivian kept arching her back, with some gradual hip rotation added to the mix. My cock was rubbing down between each buttock; my hand was being pushed over the top of her shirt-covered breast. I had a reprieve when the bell's edge of my phallus caught on the waistband of her panties. Vivian swiveled her hips a few more times and then rotated her shoulders so that the palm of my hand wove circles over her breast. Her enticed nipple came out to play by twisting with my movements. I still had some hope, though, that she'd stop soon. When she ran her hand from her stomach to her crotch I prayed that a little self-stimulation was all she was seeking. With her left hand, which I hadn't tracked, she worked her panties half way down her thighs before resuming her gymnastic routine. Then her fiendish hand migrated over her thigh and cheek until it wrapped around my cock and gave it a squeeze. I had to do something quickly. "Vannie," I whispered with more urgency, "you really need to wake up." Vivian faked a yawn then wiggled violently against my hips. This allowed her to force my cock through her ass crack and between her thighs. Vivian was showing a surprisingly inherent talent as a champion lap-dancer. I had done the whole pseudo-sex thing last night with Hope so why was I being subjected to this again? "Vannie, I wish you didn't have to go." That caused a hiccup in her performance. Her hip movements became almost romantic in their tenderness and a low contented growled emanated from her chest. I racked my personality assessment of Vivian to figure out what to do next. Sexual conduct is best when you know what your partner is looking for and meeting that expectation. I took my hand from her breast, sauntered it up her sternum to her neck and jaw. I tilted her head toward me. Her eyes were still closed as if asleep so she made no reaction as I leaned in for a chaste kiss, no tongue. She kissed back in an equally tender fashion. "You need to wake up, Vannie," I said one last time. She nodded, gave me another kiss, and then let her head settle back on the pillow. "Thank you, Zane," Vivian told me as she looked up and over her shoulder at me. "Fuck it all, Bro!" Rio yelled. "Your cock is in her ass. Fuck her! Fuck her! This is your chance to nail the stuck up bitch." "She's not a stuck up bitch and my cock is not in her ass," I countered. "Trust me," Barbie Lynn provided her input, "if that meat was up her ass, the look on her face would be totally different." What happened to normal days of waking up where we greet each other, ask about our plans for the day, and wonder what we are having for breakfast? Seriously, who has discussions about what a girl's face would look like with my cock up their ass first thing in the morning? "On that wonderful note, I'm going to, I suddenly realized I was boned by reality. I had nowhere to go. I didn't need to shower and I didn't have to be anywhere for an hour and a half. Speaking of boners, why wasn't Vivian letting go of my cock, which she held tightly against her cunt lips? Well, if you can't be happy, "Vivian, could you stay with me a little longer?" I requested gently. "That's it," Rio chuckled. "Lure her in with that patented Braxton seduction then tap that ass good." There was rustling from Rio's side of the bed. "Mercy, you stay put." "I'm going down and talking to the other girls," Barbie Lynn announced. "Zane, I'll explain things to our shower buddies." With that, she scooted away from the covers and crawled off the foot of the bed. "I'm going to put some clothes on," Hope spoke up. "It is something of a marvel that so many of you seem comfortable in your nakedness but I'm not there yet." She too made her way off the bed and to the clothes Chastity had left for her friend. "Sure, Zane, I'll stay a little longer if you like," Vivian was finally allowed to respond. I nestled into her and she molded tightly to me. As I was busy inhaling the scent of her hair my hand returned to her stomach. This time it was a little lower, like brushing the top of her pubic hair lower. Vivian did me two better. Her right hand reached back and stroked my hair as I rested my lips on her neck, innocently of course. Her left hand was up to far worse; she reached down and began to pet my cockhead that was conveniently poking between her legs at cunt level. At that point, I'm trying to figure out why in the hell Vivian is torturing me. A loud slap of a hand on ass echoed to me from Rio's side of the bed. Mercy squeaked. Then it occurred to me; two could play at Vivian's game. The hand on the stomach wandered up her body, underneath her sleeping jersey and began fondling her left breast, including the occasional pull on the nipple. Another spanking resounded from the Rio/Mercy duo as I freed my left hand from beneath me and wrapped up Vivian's hair. I tilted her head toward me and began kissing her lips. Her mouth opened at my approach and we were soon wrestling back and forth with our lips and tongues. A third slap of Rio's paddle on Mercy's ass rang out. I began pumping against Vivian's ass. As my cockhead withdraw deep into her muscular thighs her hand followed. I stopped when her fingers touched her clit. I'm still somewhat unclear on how Christian school girls stand on masturbation but it obviously didn't matter that Vivian was doing it right now, she had her shirt bunched up above her breasts, her panties around her knees, and my cock massaging her cunt. Two more smacks echoed from Mercy's paddling which concluded with a squeal of pleasure. Sometimes those two, I guess the next step is for them to be the first FFU openly lesbian couple or a Bonnie and Clyde crime spree, based on which way the neuron misfires in Rio's noggin. As for which way Vivian's brain was going off the rails, I wasn't totally certain. "Yes," she broke our kiss. "Yes, yes, yes," she panted. We were now rocking with some real synergy. She titled her face away from me and placed her chin on her chest as her breathing became rapid and shallow. Farther down, my cock and her fingers became impossibly slick with a mixture of my pre-cum and her vaginal fluids. I picked up the tinglings from her cunny first but they rapidly spread to her stomach and thighs. "Yes, oh, yes, oh, Holy God, ugh, ugh, ugh, Yes!" Vivian cried out. More liquid sloshed against my cock, not too much but enough to make me shoot, all over her hand and thighs. "Oh, oh, oh, it's been so long," she wheezed through tortured lungs. We rapidly put the brakes on our action and settled into a comfortable embrace. A minute later she gave me one last playful ass wag and sat up. My cock was thankfully going into a dormant state. Vivian had swung her feet off the bed, then turned and kissed me (chastely once more). "Thank you, Zane," she smiled as she began lapping my semen off her hand. "I can't wait to try this out with my boyfriend." Plus side: Vivian was getting the courage to get back with the long-time boyfriend who had 'accidentally' taken her virginity. I'd like to make Vivian's quality of life better. She also liked the taste of my seed. Down side: I'm back to being a practice dummy for the ambitious girls around me. Also, she liked the taste of my seed. "I appreciate you letting me loosen up and work out some of my issues with you," Vivian completed. Why can't a woman be satisfied with being a total jerk to me so I can stay angry with them for more than five seconds? I know there are chicks out there that get out of bed, sneer down at their former lover, and belittle them before laughing like the Wicked Witch and sauntering out the door. I blame my misconceptions on Lifetime TV, my Aunt watches it, honest. I flopped down on the bed and stared at the last bit of dark skies before the first rays of sunlight drove them away. Hope stepped into my field of view, grinning, with her ponytail dangling down and tickling my nose. "Zane, I really care for you and I am saying this with the utmost sincerity," Hope began. "You should have let Christina throw you out that first day," she smiled. "I have trained in the martial arts since I was five yet I've never seen anyone take a beating like you have in my entire life. The Energizer Bunny has nothing on your staying power, Zane. From Barbie Lynn at the beginning of the semester to Vivian right now, you just get it coming and going. I'm in awe with your inability to learn from your mistakes. I mean that in the kindest way." "Have I done anything right?" I sighed. Hope grabbed my nose, pinched it painfully, and yanked my head over for eye-to-eye contact. "You do a lot right, Zane, no pity party for you. I can name a dozen women who would charge into a burning building to save you, me included," she pointed out. "Zane, I want to protect you, and my Father taught me to ignore the cries of my own family if we were ever attacked because that would reveal my position," Hope informed me. Man, that is just plain fucked up in so many ways I don't even want to get into. What kind of father does that to his little girl? "I've never had a pet; I sleep with an automatic pistol under my pillow and a combat shotgun beneath my bed. I couldn't imagine anyone would consider himself a man unless he was versed in at least three forms of combat. I don't think I need to go into my instructions should a man touch me inappropriately, much less touch me when I was naked," she smiled warmly. "Wait," I mused after a moment's retrospection, "you want to protect me? Can't I be the one protecting you?" "Okay," she replied thoughtfully, "after Karate Club today, you and I can spar and if you can take me two out of three submissions, I will allow you to protect me." Wait, I am going to risk getting my ass kicked for what? It isn't like she's going to sleep with me if I win, and I can definitely get some action with Cappadocia if I refuse. "I'd like to but I have plans," I shrugged. "I am sure Cappadocia will understand. Besides, I might finish you off quickly and the two of you can get at it when I leave," Hope countered. "What makes you think, ?" I get out. "Zane, you live in a glass house, literally. You and her are no great secret," Hope interrupted. "Fine, let's see who gets schooled this time," I agreed. "So, how many years of Karate have you had?" "None," she smiled sweetly. "If it matters, I am advanced in the teachings of Taekkyeon, Hapkido, and Geom Do." "I have no clue as to what those styles are," I admitted. "A striking techniques style, a mixed martial arts style, and Korean Sword fighting," Hope informed me without a hint that she was offended by my ignorance. I knew that was a vast simplification of what those schools taught but from my limited experience, we could sit back and discuss them for twenty years and not cover every nuance. What I did know was, this school had more than its fair share of females unusually skilled in the arts of killing their fellow sentient life forms. Wait, was this the Hell Mouth and I am surrounded by an army of Buffy's, Faith's and Willow's? Did that make me Zander? Maybe I was Oz. He got to be a werewolf after all. "Where do you go," Hope asked with intense curiosity, "between that blink of your eye and the next?" "I'm imagining what you look like without your bra and panties on," I lied. I said that because I wanted to see her reaction, not because I had a hope in hell of her believing that. She did nothing. "I try to put my current circumstances in a context, no matter how crazy, that allows me to figure out what I should do next." "I should have known that you would embrace a cosmic embryonic spirit when making crucial decisions," Hope noted. Translation: I'm nuts. "I am glad you pierce through my many layers of obfuscations to see the real me," I retorted. "I am glad you see the real me too," she smiled. I got dressed, pulled out some homework, was jumped by my cohort of hotties, stripped down so they could examine my new collection of war wounds before finally letting me regain my clothing and dignity, while the ladies whispered conspiratorially about me. With the help of Vivian and Iona, I actually made it to the Dining Hall for breakfast by seven. Hope, Barbie Lynn, and Vivian broke free and headed for the senior tables first but soon it was just Iona, Rio and me. Paige stopped by only long enough to check on our status; I kissed her on the inside of each wrist and she ran her fingers through my hair and straightened my collar. I had Rio check me for electronic devices because Paige likes me but she is in the Time Lord Mafia, as is Iona. I have a little feud going on with their leader. On the way out the door, Raven caught up with me for a status update on our project. She'd written a beautiful opening paragraph and I told her that we would have the books from George Mason on Wednesday or Thursday. We asked how our weekends went; she went to the Soccer match up in Maryland and I had avoided sex the entire time. Raven seemed pleased by the news and I'm not even in a relationship with her. Okay, I may be the only one who believes I'm not in a relationship with her but I'm happy ignoring the rest of the world at this moment. Once I passed the Dining Room threshold I was brutally reminded that I still had Handmaiden's Duty. She was a nice, voluptuous junior named Georgia who was quite tall and quite well stacked. My task; to name all the descendants of Noah listed in the Book of Genesis. Every time I got one wrong I had to kiss her. I'd complain about the blatant sexual harassment but a) I like kissing girls and b) I could do without the ridicule of the entire school, check that; anymore ridicule from the entire school than what I was already getting. My some miracle I made it through enough names for Christina and company to surround us (Vivian, my guardian, was right there too). Georgia suspended her punishment gracefully as Heaven pulled me aside. "We have a date for Tuesday night," she beamed like a thousand suns. "Cool. Should we bring anything?" I inquired. "No. She's doing barbeque pork chops and chicken breasts, plus some other Southern stuff that I have no clue about what it is," Heaven informed me. "What is a hush puppy?" "Deep-fried corn meal batter, I think," I tossed out there. "When do we go over?" "5:30, and she'll have beer for me and Doctor Pepper or Sun Drop for you," she giggled. She was of legal drinking age and I wasn't, and Danica, our date, was a Lancaster City patrolwoman. "I'll meet you at the car, Babe," I grinned down at her while squeezing her in my arms. "But we have to be going," I noted. Arriving late to Assembly was unforgivable. "Zane, I've decided to tell my Father about you," Hope dropped her bomb right as we headed off again. I stumbled. "Zane?" Vivian and Georgia asked simultaneously. "Do you know how I say we should all live every moment as if it were our last? Well, never have I felt that to be truer than right now," I grinned fatalistically. "Thanks Hope." Around Memselbub, or whatever his God-damn name was, I lost track of Noah's grandsons and began kissing Georgia a lot. About Using-Half-The-Damn-Letters-In-The-Alphabet's name, I caught a furtive hand movement by Rio and Mercy give a little jolt but I didn't have time to delve into that right then because I caught sight of Cordelia coming to Assembly from another angle. I had a stroke of inspiration, or maybe I just had a stroke, because I dropped my bag and charged the svelte, sexy brunette Top Gun of the Time Lord Mafia, aka the Science Club, and it was about time I applied a fresh coat of paint (whoop ass) to her little red wagon. I pushed through the crowd of girls and got within six feet of Cordelia before I registered on her radar. Cordelia is a quick thinker and meticulous planner so it took her only one foot of space to figure out that this was the 'he's got no plan' that she'd been told about. I chose the blindly opportunistic blitz attack because even I didn't know what I was doing, so how could she figure it out? Cordelia squealed, dropped her book bag, and ran for it. Now, I'm not really the moron that I often appear to be and this attack was not me blindly flailing at the world. Safety laid in either a building she could shut the doors upon entry or the Assembly Hall. Her problem was that both options sucked. She'd have to push through a press of girls to get inside the Assembly Hall; I was bigger and stronger and would definitely catch her if she tried that. Running to another building, then, was her only real chance. That was a problem of physics, crowd dynamics, and physiology, all of which she was good at. Sure, I was the faster runner, but Cordelia would break free of the crowd first, giving her a head start. The question was; would it be enough? Cordelia made for Simmons Hall, which was a good plan except for one annoying aspect of school life, politeness. Two girls were hurrying out of the building but stopped to hold the door for her, and me. Had Cordelia made it to the stairwell at the end of the hall she could have held the door against me long enough for us to risk being late for Assembly. It was good, quick thinking. The politeness cost her one lonely second and that was all it took. I grappled her in the hallway and rolled us onto the ground. Cordelia was giggling and screeching and trying to wiggle free but I would have my revenge. I finally got her on her stomach and her arms pinned behind her back when Vivian caught up, looking incredibly peeved. "Okay, Zane, you got me, you got me. I give up," panted Cordelia. "That's nice," I responded. I hooked her closest leg, flung off her shoe and yanked off her sock. "Damn, Zane, are you going to make me walk around barefooted?" Cordelia snickered. "Nope," I answered as I went after her other foot. Cordelia struggled but not overly much. It was all fun and games until I tied one sock around her ankle then secured the same side hand to the ankle behind her back. She fought harder to keep the other wrist/ankle set free but I got those to. I'd hog-tied her, sort of. "Oh, come on," Cordelia moaned, starting to get pissed. "Zane, stop this," Vivian warned. "Vivian, do you want to see pictures of us, you and I, on the internet? Because that is exactly what this is about," I explained. "Cordelia feels like she can fuck with my life without repercussions. I'm not even asking her to stop, only to give me a warning before she does anything that is going to make my life rough." "Things like Barbie Lynn and me in the shower, Cordy," I grumbled. "But it was so hot to watch, Zane," Cordelia countered. "All it takes is two phone calls; one to me and one to her," I pointed out. "Vivian, can I have a red marker?" Vivian thought about it for a second, then handed it over. I went around to Cordelia's face and began writing on it. Cordelia was fuming and only got angrier when, by touch alone, she figured out what my message was. "Fine," Cordelia growled, "lesson learned. Let me up." "Nope. They will find you when Assembly is over," I informed her. Now she thrashed about for real. "Don't do this, Zane," Vivian cautioned me. "I'll explain later, I promise," I responded to my guardian. "Cordelia, we are going now. Do you need anything?" "I could use a sip of water," she smirked. I went over to the water fountain, drank some in, filled up my cheeks then knelt down beside her and let her suck the water out of my mouth. "Umm, Zane spit, my favorite flavor," Cordelia joked. Vivian and I made for the door. "Oh, come on, Zane," Cordelia called out. "This isn't funny anymore. Let me go." "They will let you go around 9:05 when the first students show up, Cordelia," I shouted over my shoulder. "I hope you give this little exhibition some thought." As we sprinted across the campus grounds, we spotted Iona standing guard over my book bag. "Thanks, Iona," I grinned. "It was something I had to do." "Oh, it gets worse," Iona sighed morosely. "Zane, it wasn't my idea." She handed a cloth bracelet made of an intertwined white and green thread to Vivian. "I'll get you a blue thread as it seems you've earned it." Any explanation was cut off by the bell for Assembly. We raced into the seats various compatriots had saved for us with bonus confusion of having Georgia sitting next to me. Chancellor Bazz was back in charge but I didn't have too much time to notice; Georgia had returned to her Bible quiz and I was screwing up big time. Much secretive kissing ensued. Once we exited the Assembly, the mass of us disseminated to our various first classes. Iona had to go a different way than me but Rio stuck close. I noticed she and Mercy both had more elaborate bracelets. "So, what's up with this," I tapped it. "He-he," Rio gloated. "It is an indicator of what you've done to us, or we to you." "Whose idea was this?" I groaned. "Three guesses, Brainiac," she laughed. "What does mine indicate?" Vivian worried. "Kissing and groped," Rio snickered. "I'll make sure you get your blue strand asap. That means you've been naked with him." Vivian gave me a concerned look. "Still feeling sorry about leaving Cordelia tied up?" I joked. "Our Lord Christ teaches us to forgive those who have trespassed against us," Vivian quoted. "Wait, you guys tied up Cordelia? Where? And can I go get me some?" Rio exulted. "She's free by now," I let down my buddy. "He did write 'Paige is smarter' on her face with a red marker," Vivian added. "Bro, she is going to kill you," Rio giggled. "Nah, Cordelia is angry but she doesn't buy into revenge," I stated. "She will look for other schemes to control me and I'll find other ways to keep her in line." "What has Cordelia done to control you?" Vivian asked. "Vivian," I sighed, "why do you think Cordelia would create a free porn site with my sexual antics as the main attraction? She can see me perform whenever she wants, but why share it?" "That is convoluted as fuck," Rio griped. Vivian was thinking that over. "So she gets at you by putting at risk the women you are with," she thought out loud. "You two are playing a game of chicken. She threatens to expose those who have sex with you, and you dare her to do just that. It seems to me you two are putting other girls at risk in your simple little game." "It is not a game, Vivian, it is not little, and it definitely isn't simple," I explained. "It is not me versus Cordelia any more than it is Rhaine versus Christina, or the Progressives resisting Chancellor Bazz. Everyone wants something and most are willing to aggressively pursue those goals. I mean, you found a use for me in less than four days." "I, I, Vivian stuttered because I'd laid bare this morning's activities. She was saved by the entrance to my classroom. She dropped me off, then returned to her normal schedule. My ass had barely touched my seat when I got a text. Apparently, I had an important phone message. It turned out to be from the Vice Chancellor's office. "Hello," Ms. Reveal, who, like the Vice Chancellor, was new to the school, answered, "Doctor Scarlett's office." "Hi, this is Zane Braxton. Did you assign me a meeting with the Vice Chancellor?" "Yes, Mr. Braxton, and you have one minute to get here," the young lady informed me. "When did Doctor Scarlett tell you to call me?" I asked, right as Ms. Goodswell walked into the room. I was almost out of time. "I don't see how that was relevant," Ms. Reveal sounded cross. "Well, sorry then, but the nine o'clock hour isn't good for me. English rocks so call me back when there is another opening in the good Doctor's schedule," I said smugly. "Wait, you can't, Reveal got out before I hung up. I enjoyed the class while noticing that no one rang me back. I was suspicious that Scarlett was yanking my chain and no calls pretty much confirmed that. At the end of class Virginia Goodswell pulled me and Raven, my project partner, aside. After all, last time she'd seen us together, we'd had, difficulties. "Are you two making positive progress?" She smiled to us. "Yes, we are," Raven chimed in. "I've created our opening statement and Zane is getting four books from George Mason for us to use as source material." Virginia looked at me askance. "Raven, this might be a good time to inform you that we are getting those books under a third party's name because Rio picked his pocket and checked them out using his student ID and password," I told my partner. "Zane, if you are exhibiting this much larceny for a freshman English project, what are you going to do for Finals?" Virginia teased me. It was clearly too late to chastise me. "As I recall, the Library of Congress's security is provided by the lowest bidder," I retorted. "God give me strength," Raven and Virginia said with perfect symmetry. I may not be respected but I am treated with tolerance and compassion, which is more than I should expect. Vivian escorted me to the second class of the day, Biblical Archeology, which I shared with Rio. At the door Vivian tapped my arm. "At Homecoming I'd like you
Christian College Sex Comedy: Part 19 It Doesn t Matter, and I Don t Understand. In 30 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the podcast at Explicit Novels. Being dead is wonderful; you never get tired and you have all the time in the world to regret how you ended up this way "You are so good to me, Zane, and I appreciate it," Barbie Lynn murmured. "You never give me less than 100% and I've never felt like you take me for granted." "It is you and only you, Sarah, Cindy, Eve, umm, help me out here," I grinned. Barbie Lynn lilted in the voice of an angel while she pressed off the glass with her upper body and leveraged down onto my cock. I shifted one hand off an ass cheek to move it to the back of her neck and pull her face in and up to mine. She also constricted her anal muscles around my shaft, concentrating on my cockhead. "Does this make my body more familiar to you?" she panted, our lips only inches away. "Not as much as these eyes, these eyes of my own beautiful seraph," I whispered. Barbie Lynn completed the kiss. Her hips rotated up slightly and mine shifted lower and under so that my penetration reached deep inside. For thirty seconds we kept the tender kiss going before she had to break free. "Oh, Jesus, Zane, this feels so good, I can't, oh, Lord Jesus," she gasped out as I shifted out, then back in rhythmically. "More time, I want more time with you, Zane," Barbie Lynn panted with a heavy breath. "We have tests this afternoon and Vivian is waiting," I shook my head in disappointment. Fierce passion engulfed both of us. Clearly, I got my money's worth from the contractor who had installed the shower because the glass wall didn't give way despite our enthusiasm. "Lord Jesus loves, ," Barbie Lynn screamed across campus. Her arms locked my head and shoulders in place, her face grinding into my chest. Her torso desperately tried to impale her hole deeper onto my rod. Her scream degenerated to an uncontrolled growling against me while I kept her back to the glass and up against my body. "Zane, I know I've been really needy today but you've been so kind and understanding, and I appreciate you putting up with me the kind way you have," Barbie Lynn snuggled into me. "You are the best." That's what I wanted to talk to Barbie Lynn about, taking me for granted and using me like a sex toy. Boy, I just saved myself from acting like a total ass! "Babe, you are better than I deserve." I kissed her neck as I lowered her legs down to the tiled floor. "If I ever take you for granted, promise me you'll kiss me, rub your body against me front and back, and then walk away. I guarantee you I'll fall on my knees and beg for forgiveness." "I like it when you beg," she said with a glimmer in her eye. "Why am I being nice to you again?" I teased. Barbie Lynn simply let her eyes go wide and innocent with a cute little smile on her face. "Oh, yeah," I whistled, "you give me hope, happiness, and warmth in good times and bad." "My body has nothing to do with it?" she questioned in a coquettish fashion. "It's passable," I shrugged as I cut the water off, "but I hope you will fill out one day, you know, quit the training bra and become a little more womanly." Mind you, Barbie Lynn hadn't seen a training bra in ten years. Hourglasses went to Barbie for lessons on how they should be shaped and her ass was the perfect balance between fantasy cheerleader and soccer girl. "Thank you for spending time with someone as poorly endowed as me," she purred. "I admit that I'm holding out for Doctor Burns. He's got it going on," I struggled to say convincingly. Barbie Lynn fought valiantly to hold back her reaction to the thought of seeing our over-70-year-old male Biology teacher in any sexual manner. "Burns without his clothes on is an image I could have forever gone without," she shuddered. "Gosh, I value you more than my own personal desires so I guess I'm stuck with you, Barbie Lynn," I sighed playfully. "Would you two get out of the shower!" barked Vivian. She was sitting in a chair in the main room. We stepped out of the shower, grabbed the waiting towels, and began drying each other off. Vivian surprised me by keeping a somewhat detached eye on the two of us. Maybe she wanted to make sure Barbie Lynn and I didn't turn drying into fondling, thus ending up with us rolling on the tiled floor. The floor would be uncomfortable but having hot, sweaty Barbie Lynn flesh pressing into me, I put this on my 'to do' list. We quickly got dressed and moved to where Vivian was standing and waiting. It wasn't until we were making our way to the elevator that Vivian spoke. "Barbie Lynn, would you take the elevator? Zane and I need to take the stairs," she said. "Sure thing, Vivian," Barbie Lynn smiled. She stepped up to me and kissed me on the lips. "I'll see ya Sunday night, slugger." "I kinda, sorta have a standing date with Heaven," I cautioned her, "so if you come by, be careful." I didn't miss Vivian rolling her eyes in exasperation. The elevator came and took Barbie Lynn away. I waved Vivian to the stairwell, held the door for her, and together we went down. "What are we going to do?" I broke the insufferable silence. "What do you mean?" Vivian evaded. "Damn it!" I snapped. Since I stopped moving, Vivian decided to stop too. "Yes?" she looked to me with what I was learning to read was a disarming friendliness. "I want to make you happy but I don't want to change, Vivian," I grumbled. "So, what are we going to do?" "How much of your time and energy are you willing to devote to Christ?" she countered. I had to think that over. Monday was no good; it was Recovery night. Tuesday was 'make it up to the girls' night. Wednesday was Specialty Night, Thursday, that was no good; it was Orgy Night. Friday was first date night, Saturday was SYFY/Party night and Sunday was second-date night. "I am on a committee at Church on Wednesday nights and I go to both Sunday school and Church service on Sundays," I offered. "Isn't that enough religious stuff?" "Zane, do you have sex at Church?" Vivian pierced me with her eyes. I was so boned because while I was preparing some sort of verbal obfuscation, Vivian sighed and looked down at the stairs. "Why do I even bother?" she moaned with despair. She looked up at me, clearly in pain, "It is a Church, Zane. Doesn't that mean anything to you? Because it definitely means something to me." "Vivian, it is a building, made of stained glass, brick, stone, and lumber," I responded heatedly, "and I don't need any of those to be in God's presence." "It was sex in a church," Vivian nearly screamed. "Come on, now, do you respect anything at all?" "You are right, I don't respect a building simply because someone declares it to be holy. I don't recall my vote being consulted. I don't respect people who bully with scripture but won't study the original Greek and Latin texts it was written in to learn what was really said. I don't respect anyone who refuses to think for themselves and listens to some two-bit liar like Pastor William." "He is your pastor," Vivian growled back. "He deserves, " "Nothing," I snapped. "He's an adulterer, and I've seen it with my own two eyes so don't you dare lecture me on him. If you defend him, it is only because you don't know shit about him." Vivian glared at me but I could see she was trying to see if I was making stuff up. "I respect you, Vivian, and that's no lie," I continued. "Since our fight I haven't a clue what to do with you but I have respected you. You believe in give and take; you believe in consequences and redemption. The only other person I've met like you is Iona. I trust Iona with more than my life; I trust her with Rio's." "Right now you are pissing the hell out of me, but that doesn't change the fact that I trust you and respect you," I added. "I don't need someone with spiritual authority to tell me what to do; my heart does that for me." "Zane, it is the constant sex," Vivian groaned. "I thought I could take it but it never seems to slow down with you." I had to think that over. "Vivian, you can't confuse love and sex," I insisted. "You are in love with your boyfriend and you two have been through some rough patches and survived. Sex without passion is masturbation, Vivian. If you are ever tempted, fall back on your love for that man because when you love something, there is nothing you will let stand in your way." I could see the turn in the argument defused some of Vivian's wrath and sent her mind down different pathways. "Okay, then why is it okay for you to have sex without love?" Vivian said as we resumed our progress downstairs. "I love in different ways, Vivian. I love Iona and Rio as best friends, there is nothing I wouldn't do for them. I love Heaven and Paige because they do for me things that make me want to do for them right back. I love Brandi and Opal because they are fun and they give me the space to be me. I love Barbie Lynn, well, just because it feels natural and right. Christina, Christina, I will always love without cause or reason. I love her," I related. "If Christina asked you to stop seeing all those other women, would you?" Vivian asked with a glimmer of hope. "I don't know. Our pseudo-agreement lets me have my college years to go wild before I give it all up to be a good husband and father," I replied. "Are you thinking of going to Christina and asking for her help with me?" "Yes. Yes, I am," Vivian told me. "The only problem with that plan is that it requires Christina to declare her feelings toward me and make a commitment about what she wants to do with me," I pointed out. "Good luck with that." We hit the bottom of the stairs at a run and raced through the halls and doors on our way to the Dining Hall. We found Christina and company waiting outside for us when we got there. Christian handed a thick envelope over, my bribe to Deacon of the Warlord's motorcycle gang. "Heaven, date night Sunday? I've found a theater playing Hugo," I asked my fox-faced girl. "What? You think you can ask me out on Friday for a date on Sunday? What kind of girl do you think I am?" she growled. "Heaven, you weren't here for most of the week, and you have to admit the world had gone crazy. Come on, Babe," I pleaded. "I'll have to think about it," Heaven grumbled. Behind her back all her other friends were stifling their grins. All those grins fell behind impassive masks when Heaven turned around facing them and stomped back and forth. "What's the problem, Heaven?" Hope asked. "Barbie Lynn comes skipping across the yard from her dorm with a smile that outshines the Sun, Heaven began. "She said she's been doing intensive physical therapy," Christina interrupted. Yay! I've graduated to being considered exercise equipment. "Harrumph," Heaven grunted. "How come his hair is wet? Besides, he's taking another girl home for the weekend." "It's Iona," Chastity explained. "Think about how wound up he's going to be by Sunday evening, because you know he's not going to do anything Iona's uncomfortable with." "Yes," added Faith, "he'll be ready to knock 'em out of the ballpark after a whole weekend of physical denial. Maybe you shouldn't go out with him; he's probably going to be pretty fierce." Heaven glared at all her friends before turning on me. "Fine, I'll go out with you, but if I can still walk by curfew, you had better know I'm going to make next week hell for you. Are we clear?" Heaven threatened. "Is that all Zane is to you, a sexual release valve?" Vivian gasped before I could answer Heaven. "You are making light of a serious moral struggle for him." "Vivian, Zane was the first man to tell me he loved me and I've believed," Christina said. "He saved me from a fight and academic troubles by putting his body on the line," Chastity added. "Me too," continued Hope. "He pretty much saved my life," Faith chimed in, which oddly twisted back to ruining her life with Christina and company when I exposed her as the Chancellor's spy. Maybe the girls had made up somehow. "He's put up with more of my crap than I care to get into. He loves me for who I am, and he's my lover and boyfriend," Heaven clarified. "If you spent one night with Zane making love, you would know I'm more of an addict than anything else. It is just that I get, grumpy when he's not around every minute of every day." Everyone's eyes sort of gravitated toward me. "You are all great women but I have to go to class," I grinned, then took off. Vivian raced to catch up with me. "Do you have commitment issues?" she panted beside me. "No. I was getting hard. All that feminine compassion directed my way was getting me sexually aroused and they were all staring at my crotch," I explained. "I figured running away was the best resolution for what was coming down the pipeline." "Have you ever considered chemical castration?" Vivian asked. WHAT? The last quarter of the school day went rather well, considering I had to juggle balls once between classs. (Apparently I resemble a dancing bear or something.) My second chore required me to bounce a soccer ball on my knees for a trip to the soccer field. Considering some of the crap I've had to do here, I almost volunteered to do it walking backwards. Karate started out so surprisingly normal (not my normal, but normal-normal), I should have known better. We had barely finished warming up and stretching when Gabrielle Black walked into the room. She stood against the far wall poised for our dispersal into teams. When first team knelt and waited for Coach Gorman's instructions for today, Gabrielle made her approach. "Coach Gorman, we seem to have had some difficulty connecting so I decided this would be the best place to meet," Gabrielle said in a deceptively upbeat manner. "I'm teaching a class," Gorman replied deadpan. "I teach several classes. I guess that makes me a teacher. In fact, I'm teaching right now, get lost." "I'd rather not." Gabrielle gave her deadliest smile. "Care to make me?" They really need to start psychological testing of the staff at FFU, or at least stop giving them daily doses of testosterone. "Since reason and rationality have clearly avoided you like the plague," Gorman growled, "why don't you tell me what you have in mind?" "A little sparing match," Gabrielle suggested. "So you really need to see if you can kick my ass, or is it just that you have to be Alpha bitch?" Gorman countered. Several of the more religious-minded students gasped, but they didn't realize this wasn't a game. Someone needed to do something, and of course it had to be me. I didn't very well have the time to overdose Rio with caffeine and throw her at Gabrielle. Besides, I am sure that's a war crime. "Me first!" I declared as I broke free of my second-team circle and walked toward the two adults. This was the point where I expected one or both of the women to tell me to ass out, mind my own business, I'm stupid, or something. Gabrielle stepped back and stripped off her jacket and slipped off each boot. I figured that since I was about to die, I'd best get rid of my gi; that way they'd have something to drape over my lifeless eyes. "Zane, what are you doing?" Cappadocia belatedly hissed at me. "Eh, you know, sometimes a woman has to be put in her place," I joked. It wasn't like Gabrielle was going to take it easy on me in the first place. Several girls laughed at what they were sure was levity on my part. You see, I was about to become a legend. Unfortunately, it was the legend of Don Quixote, damn fucking windmills dressed in tight black form-fitting outfits. To the credit of my limited intellect, I approached this fight with a totally different philosophy than any I'd faced before. I discarded every tenet of Thai kick-boxing (except the one that says never do anything that will make the lady-boys mock you). I went completely defensive, abandoning any hope of striking Gabrielle. I figured if such an opportunity presented itself, it would only be a trap. It took Gabrielle about two seconds to unravel my master plan, then she was on me like a fart in an airplane bathroom, choking the life out of you with nowhere to run. Because I am such a badass, it took Gabrielle eight more seconds to land a telling blow. I staggered back but instead of coming at me, she shifted to my side. Since I had my arms up to defend my head, she was slipping out of my field of vision. There was an added bonus; I discovered I couldn't hear her move over the mats. I somersaulted in the other direction which bought me a few more seconds, but I never regained my feet. Once more she opted to shift to my flank than come head-on. A man on his knees cannot out-turn a woman on her feet. I caught her knee in my shoulder, propelling me face-first into the mat. I tried to turn with the blow so I could keep eyes on her. Gabrielle slammed into my shoulder blade and I slapped the mat hard. I pressed up with my arms but Gabrielle was on my back so fast I might as well have been standing still. For a second our legs struggled as she tried to put me into a leg lock. Then her body rolled over on me and drove three fingers into my spine right above the coccyx. Blinding pain exploded over my body and I screamed. I wasn't paralyzed but I didn't need to be; I was in too much God-damn pain. Gabrielle's body was tight against my back. One hand cupped my chin and the other was placed on the back of my skull. She gave my head a quarter-twist. "You are dead," she whispered. Technically, she would have merely snapped my spine at the base of my skull. My cells would have struggled on for a few more minutes but that hardly seemed to be the point. Gabrielle stood up within inches of me and gave me an emotionless, pitiless stare. "Did you get what you wanted?" she asked softly. "We'll see," I grunted, then rolled onto my back. "Did you put me in my place?" she queried next. I had to chuckle, then I had to choke back on the pain. "Oh, yeah, we are perfectly placed." Seeing her brows crowd together in displeasure, I added with a pained gasp, "You've clearly never stood on a mirror and looked up at your cleavage the way I am now." Gabrielle reached down and touched my wrist before letting her fingers work up to my elbow. She pulled me up quite rapidly and gave me a soulless, piercing gaze. "You are insane," Gabrielle noted. That wasn't said as a joke or a condemnation. She said it as if she was recognizing a kindred spirit. When you are ten years old, being best friends with an assassin sounds pretty cool. Most of us grow out of that. After all, being buddies with a person who has a casual disregard for human life might come back to haunt you if they ever decide you are an encumbrance they can do without. "When I beat you, can I draw a smiley face on your forehead?" I blurted out. Why did I say those things? Maybe it was a brain tumor, or maybe Gabrielle was right and I am insane. Maybe my buddy Don Quixote was telling me the windmill is still standing. "What do I get when I beat you, again?" she inquired. "I've developed an inside track on some authentic saltwater taffy," I shrugged. Gabrielle didn't seem very impressed. "I could feel honor-bound to jump on the next grenade thrown your way?" "I'll think of something when the time comes," Gabrielle informed me. Turning to Gorman, she said, "Are you ready?" "I'd like a, Wilhelmina started to say as she stood. Dana put a hand on Willy's shoulder and shook her head. "I've got this," Coach said. She stood up and discarded her gi, depending on your point of view, she was fortunately/unfortunately wearing a white sports bra. Wait! Am I in chest-to-chest proximity with Gabrielle while scoping out Dana? Was I dropped on my head repeatedly as a child? Maybe I should hunt down my former nanny and ask her. "Let's make Zane's idiocy, Dana continued telling Captain Willy, ", worth more than the beating he took." Gorman stripped off her pants, revealing white biker shorts. It was very cinematic; Gorman in white and Black in black. Sadly, I believed White needed some serious Divine intervention to win this showdown. "Zane," Gabrielle requested my attention with that deathly quiet voice of hers. I must have looked pretty scared because she almost smiled at me. "You can let go of my hand now." Jumping back felt like a surefire way to test her killer instinct so I let go of her hand and backed away slowly and carefully. Only after I gave us some space did I contemplate the trust she'd put in me, allowing anyone to be that close outside of combat. I was walking past Dana when she grabbed my shoulder, stopping my progress. She pointed me to the spot on the floor she had just vacated. Wow, I had my ass kicked and still made First Team. I moved over to my new place in the hierarchy and thanked Dana in the only way I knew how. "Does this mean you are going to sit on my lap when you get back?" I said with a voice as sincere as I was serious. "Zane," Coach Gorman said over her shoulder. She was keeping her eyes on Gabrielle, "when I get back, I am giving grave consideration to having a general melee, and I'm placing a bounty on your head if we do. You will have all weekend to recover." A general melee sounded a whole lot like a 'beat up the new guy' kind of thing, and I had planned on devoting my weekend to Iona. Further banter was ended by Black and Gorman facing off. Willie gave the 'Go' and things went John Wu-crazy. My bright shining moment was delivered right off the bat. Gorman went fullout, denying Gabrielle the ability to control the maneuvering in the fight the way she'd controlled me. My beating hadn't been in vain; Gabrielle undoubtedly knew Gorman's fighting style but Dana knew nothing of hers. My body had bought Dana what little insight Gabrielle had been willing to give up. After all, Gabrielle knew my game from the moment I'd thrown out my challenge. Still, she had to beat me up to get at Dana. I could take on most members of the first team and, as Dana constantly reminds the world, I can take a beating, which meant I was the body for the job. I've fought Gorman on several occasions and she's damn impressive. Gabrielle was doing crap I'd never seen before and I wasn't even sure was humanly possible. I swear, if she'd turned into a Terminator, I couldn't have been more surprised. Dana's fighting prowess only went up in my estimation because she wasn't impaled on Gabrielle's fist in the first thirty seconds. It wasn't a misstep that screwed up Dana's game plan; her mistake was predictability. One second she was pushing Gabrielle back and the next she was on the floor, struggling to keep Gabrielle from establishing a chokehold. For a second I contemplated grabbing up Cappy and Willy, then rushing Gabrielle. After all, it would have been a shame for Dana to die alone. It would also seriously curtail my desire for an open-casket funeral but hey, Dana is almost a friend. Dana wasn't finished yet. Unknown to me, she has the ability to dislocate and relocate her shoulder. No one in the class wanted to consider how painful that had to be. The loud popping noise was enough to make us decide to miss dinner. Dana got an elbow and fist in before they separated. They went at it again, but this time, it was harder on Dana. I could feel that her confidence was shaken now that she had a clearer measure of Gabrielle's strengths and weaknesses. Gabrielle remained a steadfast cypher. If Dana was turning out to be a tougher opponent to crack than she'd expected, Gabrielle wasn't showing it. What she was doing was exhibiting the iron stamina of a triathlete. Dana wasn't fighting for air but I didn't see Gabrielle even breaking a sweat yet. Had I been Dana, this would have been the time I started crying out to a vengeful God for forgiveness. Dana didn't do that. Instead, digging down to her dogged determination and fighting on, her game, her gamble, was for Gabrielle to screw up somehow and take advantage of it. She had to hope that something came up before her endurance failed. And in the fourth minute of the fight, it happened. Of course it was a trap. I couldn't blame Dana for risking it because fighting hard, non-stop, for over four minutes is its own form of torture. Gabrielle caught Dana's leg, swept the other one out from under our Coach, then finished up with driving an elbow into her hip as they hit the mat. There is fast, unbelievably fast, a weasel on speed, and then Gabrielle, and if you gave a weasel enough speed to keep up with Gabby, the weasel would explode first. Dana is fast, but I'm faster and I know I didn't have a prayer of blocking Gabrielle at this point in their fight. The blow to Gorman's hip seemed to have temporarily paralyzed that leg. Without the leg, her torso below the ribcage was fatally exposed. Getting repeatedly punched in the stomach sucked. Sadly, Dana thought the same thing and totally missed Gabrielle flipping her over onto her stomach. Gabrielle came down with a palm to the center of Dana's spine. It had to hurt, but I had little doubt that if Gabby had used her fist, the spine would have been broken. "We are done here," Gabrielle announced calmly as she rose to her feet. No one said a word until Dana stirred on the ground. With varying degrees of speed, the first team swarmed over Dana. I alone approached Gabrielle. After she finished dressing and stood, she acknowledged my presence. "Did you learn what you wanted to know?" I asked. "Yes," she stated, once more into her emotionless mode. "Then you asked the wrong question." I drilled her with a combination of bravery and anger. Gabrielle walked away without acknowledging my statement. She got to the door and stopped before exiting through the door. "What do you think I should have asked?" she said with a vapor of condescension. "You should have asked us if we can help," I told her. Maybe I'm na ve, but I'm sure she's facing her past alone. Purity is a paradox; we are awed by it yet we are repulsed by it as well. Vivian was terribly subdued as she walked me back to the dorm. It was the two of us because my Handmaiden mistress was Erica, a second-team Karate classmate. She'd given me a rain check due to the trauma we had all just been through during class. "You can use my room this weekend if you like," I broached the silence. "I'll ask Rio and Mercy to be somewhere else and Barbie Lynn can stay with you." "I don't want to sleep with Barbie Lynn, Zane," Vivian replied. "I want to sleep in my own bed." "That's bull- , I decided saying "shit", while a minor infraction, wouldn't do my argument any good. "You know Barbie Lynn to be kind-hearted and decent. She's not going to molest you. You two will be totally platonic." "I don't know what to think," she replied. "I never thought Barbie Lynn would be the one to have sex outside of marriage." "I knew she was flirty but that was it," she continued. "Now, now she's moved into your room and is having sex with you as if you were a married couple." She sighed. "Fine, not like a 'normal' married couple so we don't need to go there." Ah, no mention of anal sex I see. "Vivian, I don't like to talk about my relationships with other women but I think Barbie Lynn would understand," I tried to explain. "There was no seduction between us, we collided. I showed up at FFU pretty depressed. I'd spent a long month with my Aunt trying to adjust to America and a place and lifestyle I didn't know." "My Aunt and I fought a lot and that Sunday Pastor Bill and his buddies tried to shake me down for my inheritance. I had the feeling that is why they wanted Aunt Jill in their church, and after all the crap Jill had been through, I felt that sucked," I said. "I'm in my room, sad and pissed off, then Barbie Lynn Masters comes soaring into my life." "She thought I was 'Glenda's' brother, I told her my name was Zane, and next thing I knew we were all over one another. She gave me a blowjob and I gave her multiple orgasms and we parted ways. She thought she might see me once a month and I had no idea this was a girl's college. You are aware of the humiliation that followed," I concluded. "Zane, that explains nothing," Vivian observed. "Okay, I could have been clearer," I admitted. "What I was trying to say is that Barbie Lynn didn't change. I allowed her to do what she wanted to do with a guy all along. She is still the same woman who goes after life full of enthusiasm, who likes to work with kids, teaching Sunday school and going to church." "And you want me to sleep with her when I've avoided the pleasure for the past three years?" Vivian refused to give in. "I'd want you to sleep with Iona if she wasn't already heading out with me. I have a few others I could ask but that would be awkward. I like Opal and Brandi but I also know they'd hit on you if given half a chance," I outlined. "I can sleep alone, Zane," Vivian stated. "I know that, but do you want to?" I asked. Vivian didn't immediately reply. "You climbed into bed with me and some of the ladies, Vivian. There is a certain quality provided by a sleeping companion that you enjoy. You wanted it enough to put some faith in me and Barbie Lynn last night," I added. "Zane, why are you making a big deal about this?" Vivian inquired. "Your happiness matters to me," I answered. Vivian and I walked into the dorm and into the elevator before she spoke. "Coach Gorman warned me about this," Vivian groaned. "Do you realize how much easier my life would be if you grabbed my breast or something like that?" "Is that an invitation?" I perked up. "No," she stated decisively. Her glare emphasized the point. "I mean my job keeping the Devil in line would be easier if he wasn't constantly giving me my favorite cupcakes." "What's your favorite cupcake?" I grinned. "Behave yourself," she sighed, somewhat amused and somewhat exasperated. "Yes, ma'am," I nodded. "That's a good boy," Vivian acknowledged. "When I'm a good boy Heaven gives me a ginger cookie," I prodded. "We are Not going to go there," Vivian declared authoritatively, and that was that. I thought I would have to stop by and pick up Iona Beckett on my way out. I was obviously forgetting I was dealing with the most organized person I'd ever met. I know Iona looks after all her own affairs and most of mine, plus I suspect she keeps an eye out for Rio as well. She was waiting in the main area of my 'room' when Vivian and I arrived, her overnight bag beside her. I gave her a kiss and hurried to my room, where someone had already packed a weekend worth of stuff for me. I do not deserve one tenth of the affection aimed my way. Being hung by my toes from a ceiling fan is a small price to pay for what I receive. Still, I make a note to avoid girls with bizarre foot fetishes while in close proximity to ceiling fans, my life is pretty freaking weird enough already. I gathered my stuff, gathered up Iona, and made my good-byes. Brandi was kind enough to snuggle up to my back, reach around and pinch my nipples. It was playful, not painful, so I didn't mind too much. Besides, I had bigger fish to fry. When I told Rio that she'd need to share another bed with Mercy for the weekend she nodded. "No problem, Bro," Rio told me. She then stepped up under the guise of hugging me good-bye and tried to nut me. She's a dangerous friend to have but since I can count her public displays of affection for me on one hand, I was ready for her. "Damn it," Rio snarled, "you can't give my room to that Jesus-freak!" By 'my room' she really meant my (Zane's) room and 'Jesus-freak' was Vivian, who was eight feet away looking at her. "It isn't going to kill you two to behave for two days, Rio," I stated. Mercy, standing right behind Rio, remained unfortunately silent on the subject. "Rio, if you two would agree to abstain until I got back, I'd be willing to let you stay, but you are the King Kong of bedroom antics and Vivian needs the space," I explained. "Fine, we'll crash at Aunt Jill's," Rio smirked. "I'm sure she can't shut the door before I get a foot in. She's far too nice to break it or kick me out." Oh yeah, I cannot begin to describe what Jill's reaction to a Mercy-Rio lesbian love-fest at 2:00 in the morning would be like. It would probably involve paramedics and a defibrillator. "Okay," I shrugged. I fished out my keys and tossed them to Rio. "Sweet!" Rio trumpeted. "We'll meet you at the car." "We are not going," I corrected Rio. "Iona and I will stay here, camp out on a sleeper-sofa, and take in some Pay-per-View. Come by and pick us up for the party around nine tomorrow night." "Your loss, Princess," Rio mocked me and walked away. Mercy loyally padded along. "I'm sorry, Iona," I said to my petite friend. "I promise I'll make it up to you." "I'm not looking for any particular place but a particular man," she smiled serenely. "Sadly, I still have a piece of business to attend to and I see the person I need to see," I said as I spotted Valerie playing a competitive game of pool versus Raven of all people. When Valerie had taken her shot I stepped up to her side. "Can I catch a ride to the Dixie Roadhouse in the next few minutes?" I whispered. "Sure. Wait, are you expecting me to hang around when you go inside?" Val smirked. "I've already gone a round with Gabrielle Black today so I don't feel I deserve a second ass-whooping. I'd appreciate you sticking around at least until the gunfire starts," I chuckled. "Fine, I'll stay, but you'll owe me one," Valerie smiled. "By the way, how tough is Gabrielle?" "I'll let you know when my concussion fades," I responded. "That good, huh?" Valerie persisted. "In less than thirty seconds she snapped my neck. It took her less than five minutes to break Dana's back after that, and right there at the end I swore I saw a lone bead of sweat on Gabrielle's brow," I related. "Just so we are clear; if I ever see her chasing your ass down like Gorman did that day, you are on your own," Valerie snorted. "I thought you were a bad-ass," I taunted her. I really didn't want her fighting Ms. Black on my behalf. "Granddad is a bad-ass; I'm a teenage girl who is good with bikes and can handle myself in a brawl but I'm not a true bad-ass. What I am is smart enough to not attempt the craziness that is your life," she huffed. "Being smarter than me is hardly an accomplishment to be proud of," I jibbed back. Raven, who had been pretending to not be eavesdropping, made this choking sound at that comment. "Let me finish Raven off and I'll take you there," Valerie said. "Valerie, she's killing you," I noted. "I like a challenge," Valerie countered. She must because Raven only had one ball left to sink while Valerie had four. Less than a minute later Raven sent Valerie and I heading for the stairs. Iona gave me a slight nod and grin. Rio came storming up at us half-way down. "You motherfucker," she snarled. "Problems?" I replied cautiously. "Mercy said she wasn't going with me," Rio growled. "What did you do?" I asked. "I slapped the bitch," Rio retorted. I could tell that pissed Valerie off; I wasn't too happy either. "You put her up to this, didn't you?" "I certainly did. I told her that she was going to have to step up instead of taking advantage of you all the time," I explained. "Did it hurt?" Rio knew I wasn't talking about Mercy's pain. "Yes," she rumbled. "If I can't trust her, I can't use her." "Whatever you decide to do, I'll live with," I shrugged. "I hope you know how hard it was for her to do what she did." Thankfully, Valerie was far more controlled than Rio and judged the conversation to be too delicate for her input. "Mercy is my deal, Zane. She's my responsibility and I'll take care of her without your interference," Rio stated aggressively. "It doesn't work that way. People aren't one dimensional and you can't expect to help people and not have them change," I countered. "You changed Mercy, for the better, and that includes her desire to take up some of the responsibility you've borne onto her shoulders. And the only reason for her to do that is, you annoy her so much." "Yeah," Rio finally deflated, "she was looking pretty miserable." "Buddies take your pizza; friends take your pain, Rio. Get used to the fact that there are three of us standing beside you when you need us," I reminded her. "I wasn't asking for anyone's help," Rio insisted. "In that case, get in Zane's car and take a trip. When the cops finally pull you over you will have three years friend-free in prison," Valerie now interjected. "Ha!" Rio snorted. "That's no good. Zane already promised to break me out if I get sent away." "Zane," groaned Valerie, "do you have even a passing acquaintance with common sense?" "I get a lot of that," I answered. "What now, Rio?" "I go back to my room," she sighed, "apologize to Mercy, then come back upstairs and work out a deal with Vivian for use of your room." "No tying them up and gagging Vivian and Barbie Lynn in their sleep," I cautioned Rio. "Fuck you," Rio muttered darkly. "Fuck you and your mind-reading ability. Fine, I'll be good, okay, I'll be as good as I can be." With that, Rio tossed me back my keys and then bounded downstairs and out the door. "I swear to God I would have tossed her out a window by now, if I were you," Valerie snorted. "Umm, she grows on you, kind of like a tapeworm," I chuckled. "I think my invitation to catch a bullet has been voided now that you have your keys back," Valerie noted. "I'll catch you tomorrow night." "Sure thing, but I may need you for that 'thing' if I can set up a meeting," I replied. That thing was meeting up with a possible undercover officer which held the possibility of being a real disaster. Valerie was being kind enough to ignore her instincts, and her advice to me, by helping me out. Valerie shook her head in skeptical amusement at my poor decision-making before we walked back upstairs. That bit of drama over, I swooped in, picked up Iona (figuratively) and escaped my room before anyone else could intervene. I thought we were doing quite well until I spotted someone sitting on the hood of my car, with a suitcase. "Hey, Paige, what's up?" I inquired with a good deal of exasperation. It was kind of stupid, actually. I knew exactly what she was doing here; I hadn't invited her and I didn't want her coming along on Iona's weekend. "I thought I'd let you spend the weekend with me," Paige smiled smugly. A light breeze tossed her alabaster hair across her translucent albino features. "You are late, by the way." "No, Paige, this is Iona's, I started to say. "It would be wonderful spending the weekend with you, Paige," Iona stepped up and hugged her. "It will be so great; their house is huge, Aunt Jill is so kind, and there is the sorority right next door." "Okay, Paige, you can come along, but this is a no sex weekend. Are we clear?" I warned her. "We'll see," Paige smirked. "I plan to sleep both nights in his bed, completely naked and rubbing against him," Iona beamed. "He'll crack," Paige wagered. "No, he won't. I trust him," Iona pledged. Paige appraised me for a second. "Okay, I'm game. We'll see if we can break him," Paige allowed. I once joked with some Kappa Sigmas about joining a monastery. I'm being driven to reconsider that option. After that exchange I was happy enough to make it to my home in one piece. I'd have been happier if there wasn't a police car in the driveway. I was walking onto the porch when my ladies spoke up. "Zane, why would the police be here?" Iona worried. "Zane, if they arrest you and I then attack them, will they let us share a cell?" Paige mused. "Iona, I have a few ideas and none of them are good," I responded. "Paige, they don't house men and women together, but I can probably smuggle a message to your side and tell all the lesbians what a screamer you are." Iona didn't get to question and Paige didn't get pick on me before I opened the door and went inside. "Hey, Aunt Jill," I called out, "I'm home and I've brought Iona Beckett and Paige Zeller with me." We had already talked over Iona's stay with Jill; Paige would be a whole new series of complicated hurdles. "Zane," Aunt Jill greeted me heartily. She was coming off her lounger while Officer Danica Campbell rose from the sofa and gave me a measured look. "This is Officer Campbell of the Lancaster Police and she has an official criminal matter to discuss with you," Jill finished in a worried tone. "Mr. Braxton, if I could have a word with you on the porch," Danica put forth the question that wasn't really a request. "Of course, officer," I responded. "Ladies, could you please hang out here with Aunt Jill for a few minutes and I should be back as soon as possible." I walked back to the porch. When Danica passed me, I shut the door and we turned to face one another. "Zane," Danica smiled. "Hey, it is good to see you, Officer Danica Campbell, but I have a feeling this isn't a social call," I sighed. "You are correct. There was an incident at the Dixie Roadhouse last night and your name came up during the inquiry. The Sheriff's Department contacted the PD and I decided that it would be more discrete that I meet you at your home as opposed to on campus," Danica related. "What can you tell me about the Dixie Roadhouse?" "I went there with a few buddies, got into a fight, and beat a Warlord named Big Ted into unconsciousness," I informed Danica. "What do you know about a guy named Peter 'Deacon' Baker?" Danica asked. "He's like a big deal with the local chapter but I don't actually know the guy," I replied. She studied me for a moment then appeared to accept me at my word. "This is a different crop of girls," she said with smirk. "Yes, they are friends of mine. Iona is a best bud and Paige is, Paige. She's very smart but very hard to get along with at times too," I explained. "How is your other friend?" She tried to sound casual. "I was curious if she'd be here tonight." "I'll tell her that," I grinned. "It will make her week when she hears you've asked about her. She still thinks you are very special." "She's quite a handful," she grinned back. "Not that I'm complaining. I can hardly get over the sensation of her nipples on my back as she drove into me." Heaven was going to love that, I was sure. Her eyes wandered northward to the adjoining property. "More girls?" I followed her gaze to see three Kappa Sigmas coming through the tree-line. "Those are some Kappa Sigma sorority sisters, friends of mine. They are cool," I told her. "Uh-huh," she sounded skeptical. "There has to be a story behind that that statement, I'm willing to bet." She pulled out a business card from her breast pocket. "Here's my card, in case something regarding the case occurs to you, or whatever." The girls were almost on us so I had to whisper. "You aren't, like, married, or divorced from somebody with violent tendencies, are you?" I inquired softly. "No," she chuckled, "and cause for you asking that question has to be yet another interesting story, I'll bet. Maybe you can tell me about it if we get together." "Mr. Braxton," she said a bit louder as she took a half-step back from me, "have a good weekend and try to stay out of trouble." "I'll do my best, Officer Campbell," I responded. "Ladies," she made a passing recognition of the Kappa Sigs as she left the porch and headed for the car. Only when Danica's cruiser pulled onto the road did the Kappas speak. "Hey, Zane," Leigh spoke up first, "isn't that the speed trap lady?" "Yeah, she's nailed me before," I admitted, and immediately regretted my choice of words. "Really?" Paris prodded me. "Isn't she a bit old for you?" "No, speed trap, she pulled me over but I got off with a warning ticket," I back-pedaled. "So, she got you off," Ferrara skewered me. "Which of her orifices was required for that?" "Aarrrggh," I cried heavenward. "Fine, Iona and Paige Keller are inside. Together with Jill, they will be making dinner for those of us who care to share our table. I have to go a bar and pay off a biker gang chieftain before he hunts me down and kills me." "Can we come along?" Leigh smiled. "We don't want to fight or anything like that, but I'd like to get some video of it, in case something fun happens." "That's right," Ferrara joked. "Something like him being beaten up, shot, stabbed, or killed. Leigh, Zane has sustained two beatings on our behalf. Let's not go for a third time before the month's out." "He didn't take a beating in the second fight," Paris corrected her sister. She was right; in the fight at the mall my opponents hadn't landed a blow. "I heard he was pretty roughly abused when he went to jail over that," Ferrara gave me a knowing smile. "All that conjecture is fascinating, ladies, but I do have a guy to pay off so go inside, make yourself at home, and I'll be back soon," I announced. I kissed each sister; Ferrara on the cheek, Paris on the lips, and Leigh with a tonsillectomy. I double-timed it to my car and didn't look back. The Fading Light And The Lord Mafia. I made it to the Dixie Roadhouse five minutes late. There were only fifteen bikes parked out front so I figured that if something went wrong I'd only be kinda dead, as opposed to the totally dead, killed in five or more fashions. There were three biker babes outside the door, drinking beers and talking; one was thankfully Willa. I made sure I had the money before disembarking from my car and heading in. "Hi there, Zane," Willa greeted me. I recalled that Belle would be working at the bar near UV campus tonight and tomorrow. "Hey, Willa, Katt, and Janet," I grinned. "Willa, if I get out of this, can I have a moment of your time when I get back?" "Sure," Willa seemed curious. "I would like to talk to you too." That was a bit odd but okay. When I entered the Dixie Roadhouse it took me a moment for my eyes to adjust but I knew where Deacon's table was from my last visit. Deacon was there with two of his associates, all in similar states of disrepair. My first thought was: What in the hell happened to them? The second was: Wow, they let someone in a half-body cast out of the hospital rather quickly these days. It looked like a herd of water buffalo had worked out the dance routine from that prison scene in the play Chicago, he had it coming, all over their bodies. None of his infirmities kept Deacon from glaring with horrible malevolence at me as I approached. "Here is your five thousand dollars," I stated as I lay the envelope on the table. None of them made a move on the money and I began to worry. Then I took in the full effects of their injuries and I figured out that not one of the three could reach over and get it. I opted to push the money across the table to the closest cripple. One of the guys managed, with some pain, to pick up the envelope and count the money. "It is all here," the guy mumbled to Deacon. I could see in Deacon's eyes that his hate for me was far from quenched but I didn't know why. It wasn't like I came back and kicked his ass, oh fuck, maybe I had. "I'll be going, then," I said as I backed up four steps. "I hope you feel better next time we meet." With that, I rapidly evacuated myself from the building. I found myself de-stressing next to Willa outside. "So, who in the hell fucked up Deacon and his buddies that bad?" I inquired. "Some people were hoping you could tell us," Willa prodded. "It wasn't me if that is what you are worried about," I assured her. "Tell me what happened." "From what little we've been told or been able to figure out, Deacon and his two senior officers stepped out to their rides around 11:30 last night when they got jumped," Willa related. "Then it gets weird, weirder," Katt continued. "Their attackers dragged them thirty yards over to the electrical shed," she pointed. That way no one could see them from the bar. "Then they proceeded to beat the ever-living hell out of them," Janet concluded, then took a swig of beer. I had to think about that for a moment. "Didn't they see who did it?" I questioned. "Blackbeard and Booth (who I assumed were the other two broken bikers) were knocked out before they saw anything and Deacon hasn't related what he saw, his jaw is wired shut because it's been broken in four places," Willa tried and failed to hide her grin. I had to think about that for a second; Deacon's jaw looked like it was carved out of granite. "Ladies (an affectation they found amusing), if Deacon and his two buddies had gotten into a fight outside the Roadhouse, wouldn't the rest of you come running, and wouldn't they have called out if they saw a gang of guys they didn't know coming toward them?" I ruminated. "That makes sense," Katt confirmed, "but what does that mean?" "One person," I muttered; "one really, really skilled person." "No way," Janet shook her head. "I can and have one-punched a person and I'm only so good," I countered. "I would have figured out which bike was Deacon's, picked the third one closer to the door to hide behind. After that, when he passed by me, I would come around the bike at a crouch-run and kick the closest target where the ear and jaw meet. If I do it right his brain beats around inside his skull a few times and it's lights out," I explained. "It looks like you've given this some thought," Willa observed. "No; the move is standard kick-boxing and the tactics are the usual for ambushing a dangerous animal. If you come at it head-on, you might still win but the price is much higher. Deacon and the other two talking in a place they felt safe was the 'distraction' for the ambush," I explained. "Oh," Willa contemplated the scenario. I could see her eyes walk over the parking lot as she considered the events playing out. "Of course, that still leaves you facing two opponents, right around six feet and 220 to 240 who are adept at violence," I pointed out. "If you could hit the second guy the same way fast enough and somehow render the last one incapable of speech, Willa concluded. "You would have to be insanely fast and if someone was that good, what would they be doing at a biker bar in Lancaster, Virginia?" "Don't you know? This is the destination of choice for all international assassins on the run?" I joked. "Willa, can I have that moment now?" She shrugged, grinned, and walked with me to my car. It was refreshing to be side-by-side with a woman not interested in jumping my bones. If she'd been a lesbian instead of what she was, it would have been perfect. "You are too young for me, Zane," Willa headed me off. "Cool," I answered, which was not what she expected. "I need to talk with you a bit but not here. I don't want to risk anyone else listening in." Now Willa appeared to be curious. "Okay. The abandoned roadside motel on Chandler Road, 2:00 pm tomorrow," she responded. "Thanks, Willa. And also, do you know where I can get some fake ID's?" I asked as I got into my car. "I'll see what I can dig up," Willa smirked. She rejoined her buddies on the porch and was chatting away as I took off for home. I knew that my ordeal for this evening was far from over. There still was the hurdle of finding a place for Paige to sleep and making sure she stayed in the room Jill and I agreed on. The struggle with Jill over Rio had been epic enough; I certainly didn't expect the sounds of women's laughter and modern music to be the first thing I heard when I stepped out of my ride. Mind you, Jill thought Rio still had moral fiber. If I told Rio she had even a single moral fiber left she'd span Heaven and Earth hunting the mythical beast down a la King Pellinore. On the plus side, Aunt Jill knew nothing of Paige so I could play up that angle. I walked indoors to a chorus of 'hey' and 'Zane' coming from the kitchen. I strode into a flurry of dinner-prep activity. Apparently we were attempting Italian sausage ravioli, broccoli & carrots, mashed potatoes, salad, and gazpacho. Okay, I was pretty sure Jill thought ravioli was the invention of Chef Boyardee and
Christian College Sex Comedy: Part 18 Even if you know who you crawl into bed with, be surprised. In 30 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the podcast at Explicit Novels. You will never see tomorrow's sunrise or yesterday's night. Caught In the Middle My clothing melted away as I slowly made my way to the bed. On the far side, Mercy reclined with some degree of expectation and happiness on her face. Her hands were cuffed over her head and her thighs showed some degree of vaginal stimulation by Rio. Last night Rio had taken it slow and gentle with her. Tonight, I imagined that Rio was going to tear a chunk off, so to speak. On the closer side of the bed rested Brandi (on the outside), Opal, Paige and Barbie Lynn. Barbie Lynn was pretending to be disinterested, throwing a yawn into the act; Paige's eyes were riveted on me; Opal acted as if she was smitten with me as well; and Brandi knew something was going on but wasn't sure what it was. Poor Paige was about to be ambushed. "Hey, my petit Принцесса," I simmered at Paige as I crawled up the bed toward her. It was clear she wanted to be center stage tonight, but she kept dragging along her body issues she'd felt thrust upon her years ago. A woman doesn't have to be busting out of a D-cup, have an hourglass shape, or the face of a Victoria's Secret model to pull a man's eye in for a feast. I got to Paige's ankles and the confidence of her smile shown through. She pulled her legs up and prepared to slip off her panties. "No you don't," I cautioned her as I grabbed her ankles and pulled her down toward me. "What did you call her?" Brandi chimed in. "I'm pretty sure that means 'Princess' in Russian," I replied in a husky voice, my eyes still soaking up Paige's beauty. "I once saw a Swedish art house film translated over to Russian in a Bangkok theater." "That's freaky-weird," Mercy remarked, running her fingers along her collar. "You can recall a word from a film in a language you don't even understand." "It had to do with a woman," Barbie Lynn grinned at Mercy before turning to me. "He's like that, and I love him for it." Paige looked from Mercy to Barbie Lynn to me, and that was her mistake. "Hey!" Paige squawked as Barbie Lynn and Opal grabbed her wrists and forearms, maneuvering them over her head. She struggled with Barbie Lynn and Opal but they were far more athletic than she was. I settled in between her legs and began kissing the insides of her upper thighs. "No," Paige began moaning as Barbie Lynn and Opal began sucking on her breasts through her sheer bra. Rio came striding into the room still stark naked but now carrying a large bowl of Neapolitan ice cream covered in chocolate syrup and a cherry. She rounded the bed and stutter-stepped. "Crap," she muttered. "Take this," Rio put the bowl on Mercy's quivering stomach, "I've got to get something for my Spank-o-matic." Spank-o-matic was her pet name for Barbie Lynn. Opal moved her lips up Paige's chest to her throat. Barbie Lynn, on the other side, jumped past Opal by going straight from the nipple to the ear. Since Opal was on her side, Brandi was able to straddle her and lean over to Paige's chest. She rolled up Paige's bra, temporarily pinching those pale pink nipples. "Iiieee!" Paige jolted. "Watch, her protests were buried by Opal's lips clamping down on Paige's and their tongues starting to play tag. Brandi continued her attack on Paige by popping her mouth over the breast closest to Barbie Lynn and swirling the nipple with her tongue, Opal had been doing a good job showing Brandi how to share pleasure. "Good God!" Brandi exalted. "This one tastes like cherries." Paige stifled a sob as Brandi went down for a second taste. I imagine Paige wanted me to discover this inventive little twist. I began rubbing her panties with my nose and kissing her panty covered cunt. I rolled my lips back and forth over her cunt. "Why are you doing this to me?" Paige whimpered once she broke her lips free from Opal's embrace. "Honey, do you think none of us noticed how much you make Zane smile?" Barbie Lynn drawled. "It isn't like he'd tell us what turned him on about you, Paige, so Barbie and I decided to find out for ourselves," Opal added. "Zane?" Paige begged for understanding. "I had no part of this, but once I saw Opal and Barbie Lynn closing in for the kill, I decided to play along because, quite frankly, you are so tasty," I confessed. "Brandi, please, I can't think straight with you nipping at my breasts like that," Paige pleaded. "Umm," Brandi mumbled before releasing her suction on Paige's breast. "Tell me what flavor the other one is. Is it cherry too?" Never more than an inch away, Brandi fell back to Paige's pale but painfully aroused nipple. "No," Paige wailed. "I want Zane to find out, ah, strawberry," she finally gasped out. "Let me sample it first, Brandi," I requested. Brandi shot me a peek down past her naked breast and gave me a wink. Barbie Lynn took advantage of Paige's distress, kissing her deeply and passionately. "Honey," Barbie panted to Paige, "is there anywhere else you want to be?" "I, no," Paige managed to get out. Opal tilted Paige's head toward her and took in a full kiss. "You are so eminently fuckable," Opal purred. Before Paige could respond, Barbie Lynn drew Paige back in. Within seconds, Paige was working in a three-way tug-of-passion with Opal and Barbie Lynn tongues. Brandi was letting her tongue wander from Paige's right nipple down to her belly and below until we kissed. Before and after that we worked down her panties until I finally cast them aside. I did a push up, Brandi wiggled underneath me, pressing her delicious tush against my raging rod, and I switched positions to where Brandi had been. Her left nipple really did taste like strawberries. I figured she'd used strawberry jam in a light enough glaze that its sugary redness was perfectly camouflaged by the pale pink of her areolas, freaking clever girl. Paige tilted her head away from her playmates long enough to see if I was the participant in question and if I enjoyed the experience. "Umm, damn clever," I murmured. "I've never thought of doing that before." Her eyes positively flared triumphantly at the news. "Well," Paige gasped, "you have only a, mediocre, intellect," she finished purring because Opal and Barbie Lynn's fingers and lips were driving her to distraction. "I still don't understand." Paige struggled for a breath between amorous attentions. "You pretty, pretty girl," Opal soothed seductively. "You are the most beautiful creature here tonight. Tomorrow morning the contest goes on, but tonight you are the Grand Prize winner, mainly, you've won us," she indicated herself, Barbie Lynn and Brandi. For other girls, they had often been called beautiful, pretty, and had reason to believe they were the hottest woman in the room. That had never been Paige; she had pride and pride to spare but that had always been based on her smarts. Her smarts were how she had ensnared me and while she knew I saw her as a beautiful creature, she largely believed I was alone in that assessment, until now. The borderline panic that had been residing inside Paige evaporated as all that energy turned into boiling sexual expression. It wasn't until Brandi was sucking deeply on her cunt that Paige realized I'd withdrawn to the foot of the bed. "Zane?" she panted as she raised her head once more and looked for me. "Paige, trust me; you are doing fantastic without me. Besides, we have most of the night. Once they have had all they can take from you, you are all mine," I grinned wickedly. She lowered her head back slowly and let Barbie Lynn and Opal hold her down and dominate her affections. "Mercy, wouldn't it be nice if some hottie wanted you as much as those bitches want Paige?" Rio teased her playmate. Mercy's immediate reaction was drowned out by her shudder as Rio dolloped a spoon full of ice cream onto her breast just above the nipple. The 'near miss' was torture enough for the girl. "Yes, one does," shivered Mercy. "Have you been letting someone else sample your goodies which are rightfully mine?" Rio quizzed her as she lapped up the ice cream as it melted toward Mercy's neck. "No," Mercy squeaked. "The only hottie in my life is you." "Wait; did I give you permission to speak?" Rio changed the direction of her attack. "Yes," Mercy gulped, "I mean, you asked me a question." Rio shimmied up until she was resting her crotch on Mercy's hips. She then took Mercy's nipples between her thumbs and forefingers, twisting them and pulling them up painfully. "That definitely sounded like you were being a smart-ass," Rio declared authoritatively. "Were you being a smart-ass, my cum-bunny?" "Eeep!" Mercy squealed from the pain. "Which answer do you want to hear?" Rio's eyes grew wide. She rolled her body forward until they were breast to breast and chin to chin. "Oh, yes, you are being a clever little wench. No matter what I say, you are going to say the opposite because you want me to take ownership of your lush, big-titties body, don't you?" Rio teased. "Yes?" Mercy hesitantly guessed. "Sorry, but you can't piss me off tonight, you annoying cunt," Rio taunted. Of course, 'annoy' was Rio and Mercy's key word for loving one another. "I've already got something horrible planned for this evening and you aren't going to distract me." Mercy noticeably perked up at that announcement. "I promise this is going to tear you up inside and out too," Rio gloated. Rio dismounted Mercy and scampered to her personal toy drawer. She gathered up several preselected goods and strode confidently back to Mercy's side. "Zane, I could use a hand," she called out as her goods spilled out of her hands. Mercy looked on attentively but didn't risk Rio's wrath by speaking. "Sure, what do you need?" I inquired as I crawled over carefully so as not to disturb the ladies on my side of the bed. Rio lubed up a slender steel vibrator. "Here, hold this (a vibrator) in place," Rio directed me to press the device's point against Mercy's clit with the trigger on her belly. I did it and was curious to figure out what Rio had planned. Rio presented her 'normal' strap-on, grinned at me, then started rubbing it on Mercy. I had to smile at her imagination but I had a feeling Mercy hadn't totally clued in yet to what the plan was. Rio began pouring lubricant over the artificial cock, the other vibrator, and then over a small series of anal beads, anal beads? When did I get anal beads? "AK!" Mercy gasped as the first bead was pushed in. "What was that?" "Shut up, Ass-angel," Rio smirked, "only a few more to go, so suck it up and be my bitch." As this new form of sexual expression was going on before me, a thought occurred. "Rio, you borrowed my credit card and car, didn't you?" I whispered. Rio's response was a maniacal grin. Mercy on the other hand, "Zane, I'm sorry," then Rio slapped Mercy's thigh, "Ow! She said she had your, Ouch!, permission." "I'm cool with it, Mercy, but Rio's license was suspended so next time you need to do the driving," I consoled the girl. Rio was too happy with herself to become overly upset with our little conversation. As if she was trying to prove how crazy/inventive she could be, Rio began putting the strap-on on, Mercy. Even as she fitted it snugly in place the realization was coming over Mercy. She desperately wanted to ask Rio something but was too torn up by Rio's glee to ruin the moment. Rio stroked Mercy's artificial cock a few times to make sure it was totally lubricated. "Okay," Rio cooed to Mercy as she mounted her stomach, "I'm going to make this easy on you because you are annoyingly child-like. When I rub your breasts," Rio let her hands settle and caress Mercy's tits, "it means I want you to pump me slow and easy." "When I pull your delicious nipples like this," Rio yanked and Mercy bucked up and grunted in pain, "I want you to hammer me as hard as you can. Does any part of my instructions confuse your little mind?" Mercy shook her head, indicating her understanding, but a definite sense of joy was coming over her countenance. She knew how good being penetrated felt and Rio trusted her to return the favor. Only when Rio's hip rotations rubbed the dildo into Rio's cunt did Mercy protest. "Rio, that's your, your cunt?" Mercy pleaded softly. Remaining incredibly unpredictable, Rio leaned down to Mercy's face and kissed her with tenderness. "Mercy-babe, I haven't been a virgin for some time. Stupid shit-long ago-let's not talk about it right now," Rio whispered. "Rio, I lo, I've never found anyone more annoying than you," Mercy breathed back. "I never thought I would." "That's your problem," Rio laughed quietly. "It is my job to do all the thinking while you look all hot, sweaty, and sexy. Am I going to have to hammer your tight asshole to make my point clear?" "Please?" Mercy perked up. Rio responded with some serious tongue-on-tongue play accompanied by intense mammary stimulation before speaking. "Maybe," Rio teased, "but someone has to get my rocks off before I contemplate anything else, so get to it." Rio began a series of rotations and presses to work the strap-on further into her cunt. After a few motions, Mercy fell into a sympathetic rhythm and was rocking up when Rio stopped, making Rio's ride one continuous penetration. Rio kept an intense eye-lock with Mercy as she took the plastic cock. She playfully tugged at her own lower lip as her breathing picked up a pace. "I think you've been fucking dozens of other sluts behind my back," Rio expressed deeply. "So have you been jumping some poor girl in the showers? Do you press them up against the wall and tear up those untouched cunts, or do you bend them over facing the wall and bugger those virgin assholes? " "No, no, I haven't," Mercy whimpered. "But you've wanted to," Rio teased her through increasingly hearty pants. "No, Mercy gulped. "So, you've never wanted to bend me over a sofa out there and make me squeal with pleasure?" Rio persisted in a mysterious tone. Mercy squeezed her eyes shut and turned away. "So if I ordered you to surprise me some night, jump me, bend me over and stir me up inside like only a wanton fuck-bunny could, you wouldn't do what I commanded, my Whore?" Rio taunted. "No," Mercy replied desperately as she looked upon Rio's face once more, "I would do that for you." "Do you know why?" Rio whispered. Mercy had no thoughts she could articulate. "You'll do it because you are Mine, I own you and you will do whatever is necessary to make me happy. You are going to tell me every dark little secret you hide in the horniest, sexiest part of your mind; every fantasy you have, every thought that makes you wet, and I'm going to make you live them out. You won't try to hide any from me because you know that if you lie, when I figure them out eventually, and I will figure them all out, I'm simply going to fulfill them with some other hottie I pick up instead of you. Is that what you want?" "No," Mercy whispered. "So every kinky, freaked-out, sexy over-the-top thing you want to do, you are going to tell me about, even though you know I'm going to force you to do it?" Rio scolded. "Yes," Mercy continued quietly. "If you don't tell me or you refuse to do what I say, I'm going to start selling you to motorcycle gangs and frat parties and find someone I can trust instead. All you can do is obey because I have total control over you, and if you don't you know how crazy I can be; clear enough for you, Butt-Slut?" Rio closed the trap. "I'll do whatever you want," Mercy responded; liberated by Rio from any guilt she might have. Now she could still be the Good Girl, only now she was one forced to do bad things against her will. Rio would soak up all the 'badness' in their relationship, be the one she could blame, and Mercy found that overwhelmingly, annoying. It was enough to make Mercy want to annoy Rio for years and years to come. "Good girl," Rio stroked her cheek. "Enough talking; shut the fuck up and start pounding this cunt until I squirt and scream." Mercy was a moment too slow so Rio began working over her nipples energetically and painfully. It got the desired effect; Mercy propelled her hips up so forcefully Rio rose over an inch off the dildo. "Wow, better than a whole year of horse-riding lessons," Rio giggled. "Oh, before I forget, I have one more treat for my personal prostitute." She reached down to the top of the vibrator and cut it on to the medium setting, shooting a jolt straight to Mercy's clit. "Oh, God!" Mercy gasped. "You are so annoying I had to think of something special just for you, Butter-cunt. I bet those vibrations feel great against that juicy clit of yours," Rio teased, and Mercy nodded vigorously in response. I had to consider that it wasn't two weeks ago that fundamentalist Mercy had been weeping on top of me, crying that her life was over because I had gently masturbated her once. Now she was working out 1,001 Nights of Pleasure with one of the greatest perverts I knew, who says you never see miracles anymore? As turned my attention back to Paige's prize, I noted a small black wooden paddle Rio must have tossed Barbie Lynn's way right behind her rump. Feeling inspired, I rolled back to Mercy and Rio, reached around to retrieve the lube, and began slinking up on Barbie from behind. Barbie Lynn was totally drawn into the play around Paige so ignored me. Opal and Barbie Lynn were orchestrating sensitive excitement from the top of Paige's pale haired head to the flat plain that flowed from her ribs down past her hips. Barbie Lynn had told me she was familiar with other female students before she met me. I would have bet that Opal had experimented a time or two. That the two of them could make such compassionate love to Paige was a surprising marvel to me. Paige's normally translucent flesh was blushed red with blood at every point her top two lovers had tantalized with all their kisses and licks. I was sure that if Paige could have found her voice, she would have been singing out to the Heavens with joy. The cause of her physical incapacity was Brandi, who was experimenting on her own style of cunt-licking. I studied Brandi for a minute before I knew what her technique was. She'd flit her tongue back and forth like a tiny motorboat for several seconds then switch to a slow probing action for twice as long before returning to the rapid-fire motion. The result was that Paige would amp up but before she could spike, Brandi would let her cool down before driving her to even greater heights closer to climax once more. I guess I can be a bit of a bastard. The girls were going along so wonderfully yet I still felt I had to indulge in my swelling need. I settled on my knees behind Barbie Lynn and brushed the paddle across that so-perfect ass. She taunted me with that ass, pushing back toward me, increasing its vulnerability, but kept her primary attention on Paige. I repeat: Barbie Lynn is beyond awesome. I reached back and paddled her once. Barbie Lynn took a deep breath but didn't relent. The second spank was harder and the third harder still. It was the fourth one that did the trick. "Oh, God, Yes," Barbie Lynn exclaimed. The great thing was that her body rocked forward and her ginormous breasts brushed over Paige's face. Paige was excited, not lost in orgasm. It took her maybe three milliseconds to latch onto one of Barbie Lynn's tits and engulf an areola in her mouth. Chewing on that nipple came a few seconds later. Barbie Lynn began moaning up a storm and stroking Paige's hair, Opal grinned and fell ravenously on Paige's left nipple, and Brandi went over to full-on clitoral assault mode. Paige gamely held on for almost a minute before she let Barbie Lynn go and proclaimed her immense pleasure. "Oh, all of you, oh, God, I, I can't take, Oh Fuck, Zane!" she ended up screaming. Huh? I had done nearly nothing this session and still there was my undeserved name on a woman's lips. If the girls had resented me I would have totally understood. Instead, Barbie Lynn looked over her shoulder, rubbed a hand along the paddle resting on her ass and smiled. Opal laughed musically. Brandi was beset by Paige's orgasm though. Paige's stocking clad thighs were wrapped tightly around Brandi's head as she thrashed and undulated over the sheets. Brandi kept lapping like a champ because Paige was a copious ejaculator, as I could attest. "Damn, Zane, you can pick 'em," Opal congratulated me. "What? This plan wasn't mine," I confessed. "No, I mean your luck in picking out bed partners is better than mine," Opal explained. "Oh, you were missing a few nights ago. I'm sorry it didn't work out for you. Who did you home in on?" I asked. "Cappadocia," Opal told me. Uh-oh. "I don't think Cappy is ready for a bi-sexual encounter. Besides, she's far too aggressive for you right now," I informed her. "Yeah, we figured that out. We both tried being on top all the time and things sort of fell apart," Opal related to me. "We both did agree you are one hell of a primer for virgins." "Thanks, that's very kind of you," I jibbed. "Oh, wow," Brandi gasped out, finally released by Paige. "That was wild." Brandi backed away from Paige's cunt on all fours before rolling over and resting the back of her head on Paige's thigh. "She's yummy," Brandi giggled. "We should get her over for shower time." Paige was now splayed out, limp, and looking up at the ceiling. "I, I, Paige rasped. "Yes, Sugah?" Barbie Lynn purred down at Paige. "I, I have to do this again," Paige worked out. She followed that up by wrapping a hand into the hair at the back of Barbie Lynn's head and pulling her in for a kiss. "Woot!" Opal shouted. "We got another one. Zane, who is next on the menu?" "How about Vivian?" Brandi suggested. "Okay, ladies, there is no menu. We are not stalking girls down for bi-sexual trysts, and if we were interested in anyone, we should ask Paige for her opinion first," I countered. Paige rapidly disentangled from Barbie Lynn and propped herself up excitedly on her elbows. "Cordelia," she declared defiantly. "Cordelia Dresden, I've always had this secret thing for her, which also involves a little bondage and having her tell me I'm smarter than she is as I torture her with an ostrich feather," Paige finished with a wicked smile. "Thought this out much?" Opal snickered. "Just because Zane was the first person to see me as the devastatingly beautiful woman I am doesn't mean I haven't made contingency plans for when the inevitable happened," Paige was smarmy right back. "Paige, you were sure Zane would take you to his bed?" Barbie Lynn said. "As I recall, those were some shaky few minutes you two had." "Inevitable?" Paige scoffed. "I never doubted for a moment. In fact, I already have him trained." Even Brandi looked askance at that declaration but Paige beamed victoriously. "Zane," Paige grinned sweetly. "Bouncy, bouncy." I sighed, reached over Barbie Lynn, hooked one arm under Paige's arm and around her back while the other was reaching between her legs. I hefted her up and pulled her over on top until she comfortably straddled me. Paige glowed like the Sun. "Holy crap," Opal giggled. "Bouncy, bouncy," Brandi perked up and spoke to me. I wasn't sure what I'd do or say but it turned out I didn't matter. "No, you don't," Paige scolded Brandi. "Get your own command phrase; this phrase is mine." "What happens now?" Brandi prodded. I had the feeling that actual intercourse fascinated her. Paige turned her head away from the woman and looked down on me. She crashed upon my frame in slow motion until she was resting her chin on the top of my sternum and we had to strain to keep eye contact. "Please, Zane, take your mighty cock and put it in my tight, wet cunt. Make me tingle from the tip of my toes up to the ends of my white hairs on the crown of my head," Paige playfully pleaded. "Be gentle because my new-found friends have left me tender and hyper-sensitive all-over." Mighty cock, it isn't like my buddy attracts amorous attention from sequoias or something. My cock is a highly valued member of the team, but come on now, it is a freaking piece of meat. I can certainly get the job done without, Paige looks up and licks her lips while she pants like a famished huntress. Suddenly the last three years of my maturity lose their blood supply as it rushes elsewhere. Oh, well. I'll recall what I was bitching about later. "Okay," I grinned. "Maneuver up and I'll work it in." "I'll help!" Brandi excitedly volunteered. Before I could politely decline, Brand landed on my left leg and was pushing Paige's ass up. Paige was far more amused with the situation than I was and reconciled Brandi's movements with her desires to rise up from straddling to kneeling with one leg up. Brandi took the opportunity to stroke my cock, raised it to the vertical, and dragged it over Paige's cunt. She rested my cock a little far back, or so I thought. Paige thought so too. "Not the ass!" she squeaked. "Not the Butt!" "You want it in your, Brandi hesitated. "Her cunt," Barbie Lynn filled her in. "Yes, it looks so delicate," Brandi wondered. "Well, yes," Paige snipped, "but Zane has taken my virginity. My anus is even smaller than my cunt, and it isn't like Zane isn't already going to pass Cleopatra's Needle through something the size of a dime as it stands." "Did you just call Zane a needle-cock?" snickered Opal. "No," I groaned. "Cleopatra's Needle is an obelisk, like Washington's Monument, except only one-twentieth the size." "Yep," Rio panted from her side of the bed, "she definitely called him 'needle-cock'." "I don't care what you gals call it," Barbie Lynn chuckled. "He can stick me with that cock anytime." "Tell me you love me, Zane," Paige sighed. "I can't. You are absolutely wonderful to me but I can't lie to you even though I think it would make you happy to hear those words," I frowned sadly. "Why can't it be you and me?" she asked but her fatigued smile betrayed no anger. "Eh, the tired old romantic tale: boy loves girl but girl can't, or won't, show affection for him," I related. "How about this story instead," Paige's smile grew. "A post-Apocalyptic tale where you, me, and a select group of other genetically superior women retreat to a remote coastal island, fend off the end of the world, and set about repopulating the Earth over, and over, and over again." "Wait; if I agree does this mean you are going to plot out a way to bring about the end of civilization as we know it?" I questioned. What I didn't question was the reality that Paige would never have children of her own womb, but hell, this was her fantasy; right? "I know where your mind is, Zane Braxton," Paige said softly with tears brimming in her eyes but that smile still on her lips, "and that makes you a wonderful, wonderful man." "Now, please, bouncy, bouncy," that mischievous glint returned to her countenance. In some stories this would be the trigger for me to ram my thunderous love pylon deep into her womb. Or, I could hug her tight and let us express our emotions in some open, healing manner. In my reality, I was still somewhat of a tool to Paige, an object that brought her happiness and fulfillment. I was almost a human person of worth to her too. Paige had arrangements, not friendships, and controlled those relationships with mental domination. I know it would have surprised her and brought forth a torrent of denial if I showed she trusted me, as exhibited by her actions of the past few minutes. Rarely did one love their power drill or hammer and you certainly didn't get all teary-eyed when you read their mind correctly. Brandi steadied and reinforced my cock with a hand as Paige worked her way down. I held Paige by the hips to keep her from trying to move too fast. She was busy concentrating, undoubtedly committing the sensations to memory, I kind of like really smart women. "What does it feel like?" Brandi questioned Paige timidly. "If, you have never been, penetrated, you couldn't understand," Paige panted. "Don't worry about it," Opal cooed to her friend. "We are sophomores so we have nearly three years with Zane here at school. That is plenty of time to talk him into doing the deed." "That shouldn't be hard," Brandi giggled. "I've seen Zane scoping me out. He wants me." "Ha," laughed Barbie Lynn. "If it was that easy, there wouldn't be a virgin in this room. Zane could have woken up that part of me ten times over if his wanting my body was all it took." "Pop your cherry!" Rio shouted, close to climax. "Call it what it is, you dumb bimbo, oh, fuck!" She twisted Mercy's nipples with a violence that caused me pain by just looking. That cued Mercy to pound up into Rio unmercifully. Rio released Mercy's breasts and put her hands to torturing her own nipples. Her orgasm came in seconds. With sheer force of will, Rio fought off her physical spasms until she was body to body with Mercy, Rio's hands cupping Mercy's face and her lips planting fast kisses on Mercy's lips, nose, and eyes. "You are mine, mine, mine," Rio exulted with animalistic fury magically melded with heartwarming compassion. It was coaxed along by the vibrator to her clit, sending Mercy off to her own orgasm. "God mother-fucking damn, Rio," Mercy screamed, "Own, own me; make me yours." "I'm tattooing, your ass, this weekend," Rio whispered and groaned. On my side of the sexual diorama, Paige was still screwing herself down my cock, though Brandi had less to do but more to think about. "I can't decide when I want Zane to do the deed for me," Brandi wondered. "No," I breathed heavily, eyes still on Paige and her radiance, "Brandi, you and I will figure things out when the time is right." "Or you tie him down and ride him like Paige," Opal giggled. "Bouncy, bouncy," Paige panted through her chuckle, "It is not just a catchy jingle. It is the recipe for romantic success." "You talk too much, Princess," I emphasized with a thrust deep into her womb, "I think it is time to start your interrogation." She sizzled and I had a dark desire to feel her body heat burn me so we quickly figured out how we could get along. "Roll over, Pound cake," Rio ordered as she worked the strap-on off Mercy. "I've got all sorts of issues to work out and your priceless backside is my destination of choice. Buck up, Buttercup, stick out that ass and get ready for some furious pent-up teenage aggression." I was stunning that the friction Mercy generated as she spun over in the sheets didn't set the bed on fire. She wasn't on all fours but her ass was raised at a four-five degree angle and quivering in her desire. Rio affixed her tool of choice before allowing her gaze to bask in Mercy's splendor. It took her several seconds before she draped her body over Mercy's back. "I'm going to become so bored with this view," Rio teased, "in about fifty or sixty years." Mercy flexed and undulated her back, ass and thighs against Rio's body. Together the two lovers moaned sensually. "I lied to you," Rio panted into Mercy's ear. "I'm not going to get tired of your body in fifty or sixty years. I'm going to fuck you to death before you hit thirty." Mercy gave some sort of guttural reply which she accentuated by driving her posterior against Rio's artificial cock. It slid up between Mercy's cheeks as opposed to going into her anus but Mercy was certainly energetic enough to keep thrusting. Sometimes I wasn't sure which one was leading the other down the road to impassioned insanity. Afterglow The whispering in my ear had woken me up. I shifted my head toward the noise and saw Paige's elfin head cloaked by her fine white hair. In her slumber, Paige had brought one hand up to her chin and took slow nibbles out of the tip of her thumb. Her body was curled up in a near-fetal ball with her other arm vanishing beneath the sheets. Paige's lips parted and she moaned. "Oh, right there, Brandi, yum, yeah, right there." She rotated the shoulder of her downturned arm and her hips rocked gently beneath the covers, certainly driving those attached fingers against her cunt. She went back to nibbling her thumb and slowly quieted down. Paige was in the middle of the bed so I had to raise my head to peek past her sublime form to see Rio and Mercy who were both facing away, Rio was closer to me with her arms wrapped around and cradling Mercy. Fingers stroked my stomach bringing my head to the other side. Barbie Lynn was snuggled up against me and both her hands rested on my stomach, though only one was rubbing against my abs. The only problem was that Barbie Lynn regularly slept on her side with one hand on me and the other resting under the pillow, plus both hands on my stomach were lefties. I shifted slightly, looked over and tracked the moving hand back to the arm that led to a slumbering Vivian. I swear to God I did nothing to deserve this. I had to think about this for a few seconds. Finally I decided on a little clarity. "Vivian," I whispered as I tapped her hand. From experience I knew she woke slowly so I was patient. "Umm," she smiled dreamily at me. A three-count later her eyes focused enough to match my gaze. "You are in my bed and while I don't mind, I want to make sure you are doubly okay with this," I requested softly. "Opal and Brandi woke me up when they left," Vivian informed me, "and I felt, alone and left out. Are you okay with me being here? Are you going to be able to control yourself?" A few things made sense now. Vivian and her boyfriend had fallen into the habit of cuddling on one of their beds. Before long they were falling asleep comfortably in each other's arms. He woke up, high school boy's hormones racing, and she took a few moments too long to realize what was going on. I gave her bonus points for not hating the guy for taking her virginity and stealing away the bedtime comfort of lying with another person she yearned for. "Vivian, you have my permission to crash on my bed anytime," I smiled warmly. "Barbie Lynn will keep me in check. If you ever want to join me and no one else is around, I keep some restraints, left dresser, second drawer." "I don't want to tie you down, Zane," she whispered. "Restraints are not only about holding someone down but empowering the other partner. You get to feel comfortable close to me, I don't mind you being close to me one bit, and I don't have to worry about doing something I'll regret," I related. "You learned all of this in rural Thailand?" Vivian mused. "They are an ancient and scholarly people," I countered. "Are we okay?" "We are okay," she responded. "Great," muttered Barbie Lynn, "let's go to sleep because if I wake up, Vivian, I'm going to make you hold my head in your lap while Zane pleasures me from behind." Vivian grinned, rested her head, and closed her eyes. I laid back down and let my vision darken behind sleepy lids. I really felt like hammering Barbie's delicious ass but I knew she was tired and needed her sleep. Besides, she had only said that because she wanted Vivian to go to sleep. "Honey," Barbie Lynn whispered words sweeter than fresh cane sugar, "you had best give me all the long, hard strokes I can stand in the morning or I'm going to leave my own set of teeth and claw marks all over that wonderful body of yours." Normally I should accept the warning and fall asleep immediately but since it is a well proven fact that I have no sense where sex and sensuality are concerned, I was awake for quite a while. When I did wake up, it was brought about by Barbie Lynn rolling away from me. "Vivian," Barbie whispered kindly. Once Vivian was appropriately responsive, "Vivian, I'm about to wake Zane up and make him take that damn fine cock and use those powerful strokes I love to fill up my ass with cum until I scream." "You might want to go back to your sofa until he lifts me to climax," she advised. "On second thought, make that two screams, I'm feeling extra horny this morning." Isn't it wonderful that I get no say in where my cock is going or when I'm going there? I mean, it's not like I'm an adult or we are currently residing in my room. Wait, I am!! I'm sick and tired of this shit and I'm putting my foot down! Barbie Lynn rubs her scrumptious ass cheeks against my thigh and moans like my bitch in heat. I Man-Up; I'll set her straight as soon as I finish fucking her, damn it! Okay, I'll set her straight when I finish fucking her twice, but that's all she's getting from me. Barbie Lynn languidly gets onto her elbows and knees, favoring the sore one. She scoops the tube of lube from under the pillow and pushes it back to me as Vivian shakes her head, scoots off the bed, and makes her way to the exit. I pour some lube onto my palm then rub my hands together to warm it up because I don't want to cruelly use something cold on her vulnerable flesh. "Zane, I need this so bad," Barbie Lynn purrs. "Hammer me, hammer me twice and make me scream." "Oh," I growl, "I intend to." I'm going to nail her good then give her a piece of my mind. "Baby, I know you are taking Iona home this weekend so can you sneak away during lunch and sex me up one more time?" she pleads with a voice rich with need. "Of course I will, Babe," I reply. And then I'll give her a piece of my mind, damn it! "What's wrong, Zane?" Rio asked as she watched me strip my bed. She wasn't offering to help. "Man," I sighed, "sometimes I think I'm nothing more than a tool for sexual release on this campus." "That's surprisingly accurate," she chuckled. "I'm stunned you realized it so quickly." "Realized what?" Iona grinned as she glided into the room, unusually chipper. "Zane realized he's a sex toy, a pleasure slave to our whims," Rio pontificated. Mercy sighed slightly and came over to help me with the bed, as did Iona, and she hadn't even made the mess. "The willingness to give of yourself does not indicate a surrender of your will," Iona countered. "Zane gives and gives freely, without expectation of return." "He is your mirror image if you think about it," Iona continued. "With Zane it is pleasure and with you it is pain." Now you never know which way Rio will go with something like this; Iona was like a kid sister to her but I wasn't totally sure Rio hadn't experimented with patricide, matricide and infanticide along with cannibalism. "Damn, Iona," Rio came up and wrap her arms around Iona's waist from behind, "that's real cool." "Ah, you are welcome?" Iona smiled but with uncertainty. "How about I give you Mercy for a night? You know, a snuggle buddy for you to sleep with. We could dress her in an appropriate nightgown and she could be like a big warm teddy bear for you to cuddle with." "I would rather have Zane dressed up as a cuddly teddy bear," Iona glanced to me. "Oh, hell, no!" I declared. "I have my pride, ya know." "Get over it, Zane," Rio laughed. "You are the only guy I know whose home page is linked to both gay and lesbian porn sites." I am? How the fuck did that happen? "Would you do that for me, please?" Iona pleaded playfully. I had to avoid answering no matter what. "Iona, I've decided to designate you as my heir," I surprised her. "We'll do that Monday." "I already knew that," Iona stated evenly. "It was posted on your website yesterday." "What!" I squawked. "Am I bugged? Am I carrying a wire? How do people figure out these things?" "Cordelia," all the women in the room said simultaneously. Yep, I'm going to have to fix her little red wagon. I wonder if she has my home wired for surveillance as well. "Iona, what would you do with all that money? Zane's got a boatload of money; right?" Mercy broke in. "I don't know," Iona began; "Maybe make a trust for Christian World Charities or something like that." "Bitch," Rio recoiled, "do you know what Zane's family does? He's a freaking gazillionaire." "Rio," Iona swiveled so that she was facing Rio, "there is no such number and Zane's family mines copper, cobalt, chromium and manganese, primarily." "Dummy, that's the parent company," Rio scoffed, heady with her one-time mental superiority over Iona. "They build spaceships." "That's silly," Iona countered. "No one builds spaceships anymore. Do you mean rockets?" "Yeah," Rio groaned with impatience, "they build rockets that put satellites in orbit, spacecraft components, space-age ceramics, non-integrated circuit computers, and crap like that." Iona looked to me for some clarity. "I don't know," I shrugged. "I had a collage of the solar system in my room when I was five; I went to the NASA facility in Florida once a year; I've been to that space facility in Russia once; and I've seen a rocket launched from this site in South America. I figured all kids did stuff like that." Then something occurred to me. "Rio, how do you know all this about me?" I inquired. "Eh," Rio grunted. "In that first week I considered kidnapping you so I wanted to figure out what you were worth so I would know how much to ask for." "How much is he worth?" Mercy asked. "Enough so that his people wouldn't call in the FBI, they would call in some former Spetznaz and simply kill me instead of paying the ransom," Rio chuckled. "Yeah," I laughed too, "I recall Dad saying that he'd 'met up' with some South African Commandos when he was not much older than I am now. He sent them Christmas presents every year until he died." "Zane, I'm not sure I want that much money," Iona worried. "Well, you've met Aunt Jill and we both know she couldn't handle it," I countered. "What, what, what about Rio, Oh, My God, what am I saying? That would be nuts," Iona fretted. Rio gasped. "Hey!" Rio shouted. "What's wrong with me?" "You are totally insane with an annoying lack of impulse control," Mercy stated clinically. Rio's mouth dropped open and she gawked at her 'toy'. "Pound cake!" she barked at Mercy. Mercy perked up and looked ready to throw herself on the bed and at Rio's mercy. "No," I intervened. "We have to get to breakfast and I can hear Vivian pacing like mad just beyond the screens. She deserves better from us. Now let's get going." Everyone was remarkably behaved until we got into the elevator and the door shut. "Are you sure you are the right person for this job?" Vivian asked Mercy as the doors shut. "What?" Mercy gulped. "What do you mean?" "Yeah, what the fuck do you mean by that, ya Cunt?" Rio interjected both her words and her body into the conversation. "Mercy and I are doing just fine." "You shower together, sleep together, stick all kinds of things in one another; I'm neither blind nor stupid," Vivian growled out. "I'm sorry," Mercy mumbled. "Oh, I don't blame you. They got to you before this 'guardian' thing happened. It is simply unfortunate that you ended up as Rio's minder and now we will have to deal with it," Vivian responded without heat or condemnation (toward Mercy). "Are you going to turn her in?" I had to ask. "Forcing Mercy to face the condemnation and ridicule of those who have no clue to her situation would not be the Christian thing to do," Vivian sincerely related. "I will not let Mercy fall into depravity. She and I will work together to save her soul." Rio didn't trust her and looked ready to pounce. On the other hand, I was truly impressed and believed her. "What is your plan?" Iona joined in. "Vivian, you wouldn't bring this up if you didn't have a plan." "I am creating a list of Christian works, not the Bible, Rio, that the two of them could read together for half an hour before bedtime," Vivian enlightened us. In the short-term it sounded naive but if you took into account the almost three years Mercy and Rio could be here together it was rather clever. "Blow it out your ass!" Rio growled back. "No, Rio, you will do it," I demanded. I had never demanded anything of her before. I'd asked, begged and suggested but I had never told her 'do this or else'. I was now. Rio and I locked gazes. She felt betrayed and pissed. "Fuck you," Rio snapped at me. "You don't tell me what to do." "You'll do what I tell you to do now," I insisted. "Or what?" she sneered. I could feel Iona cringing beside me. Mercy was afraid and looked trapped. Vivian was taking the exchange with interest. "Or nothing. I am not going to hold anything over your head but I'm also going to fight to keep you from fucking up your life," I kept at it. "It is what friends do." There was a pause. "Glenda, you suck," Rio declared quietly. That quavering in Rio's resolve was Mercy's cue. "I'll do the readings," Mercy said. "Rio, if you want to wait in the bedroom for me, well I'm fine with that, if that is what you want to do." "Gurr," Rio mumbled. "Fine, I'll do it, but if I hear even one chorus of Kumbaya, I'm skewering someone with a pool stick." "Thank you, Vivian got out. "Not a word," Rio warned. "Not another damn word, from any of you." Mercy shot me a look and I could see she finally got it. You let Rio run amok for 90% of the time so that you could coax Rio toward stability the other 10% without her rebelling. I didn't want to make Rio sane; I was sure she was happy being fucking nuts. I only wanted her to be a 'fucking nuts' that didn't make her destroy her life and drive away the people that really cared for her. What can I say? I'm selfish. Rio fills a void in my life and I didn't want to see her fall away into the darkness the way my Mom did. Aliens, Vampires and Werewolves, maybe not. To make the right decision requires a combination of confidence, knowledge, and luck. A little nonsequitur: I once asked my close associates why they believed in God. Rio said: "Well, I can't very well be a convincing Satanist if I don't give lip service to the Other Guy." Iona put it this way: "The Universe makes sense. It is our roadmap for Ascension and a fuller understanding of God's Love." Christina reasoned: "I've seen Evil so there must be Good." Heaven s take was: "Because I prayed for death but Christina came; and I prayed for you (Zane) to go but you stayed." Hope expounded: "Because I live in a country that allows me to own a K11 assault rifle for home defense." No one wants to ask Hope if she has the official rifle of the R O K Army with her at school, or if she actually has the grenades that go with it. What good would it do; it isn't like we would try to take it away from her. Most of us like living too much. Chastity observed: "Firefighters, organ donors, Christian converts in Iran, with so many people giving for no material gain, that indicates to me a higher purpose for mankind, a struggle between right and wrong." Faith rebutted: "Belief in Christ cannot be given a definition. If you define it, it ceases being faith." Barbie Lynn: sweetly gave me a peppermint and smiled. She had to look no farther than the fate that had brought us together and the joy we shared; she didn't need words. Paige resolved: "Only something with infinite precision and power could bring about the Big Bang. The day they can give a name to that force, I will gladly surrender my faith." Cordelia said: "Let me think about my reply. Why do you believe in God?" (Like I'd ever tell her.) Cappadocia lamented: "What an empty and lonely thing life must be, if these few years are all we have?" Opal s mind was made up: "I always have and never heard an argument that would make me think differently." Brandi chided: "It was how I was raised. But the first time you kissed my stomach, I had my own personal religious experience (giggle)." And Now, Back to the Story! Breakfast unfolded pretty much like it had a week ago, with the added bonus of poisonous glares between clumps of students, bandages, bruises, and the sense of unease that comes from unresolved conflict. After all, neither Christina nor Rhaine had won. This was acceptable to most of the sane crowd as the alternative would have been to make the school unbearable to the other half of the student body so that they left. Instead, we got to bask in the chilly civility that Christian politeness dictated. At least I wasn't (too) worried about a pack of girls ambushing me. As was becoming her habit, Gabrielle Black had devoured her food in less than four minutes and paced the perimeter of the Dining Room floor, her eyes dodging about with no discernible pattern. I kept an eye on her because she worried me in a way that went far beyond hormones. "Zane?" Iona repeated. I had barely registered her first request for a moment of my time. "Yes, Hon?" I smiled down at her. She looked happy for the eye contact but worried about what she had to say. "Zane, there are two other candidates for Freshman Class President, Mhain Reynard and Millicent Pierce," Iona informed me. "Millicent?" grumbled Rio. "Zane saved her ass and now she's kicking sand in his face? The bitch." "Millicent is free to do what she wants. She may have wanted to be nominated before all this chaos came about. I'm not going to begrudge her having political ambitions," I told them. "Zane, I don't think you understand what this means," Iona worried. "Sure I do; Millicent and I are going to split the Pro-Christina vote. There will be a run-off. If it is Millicent and I, Mhain's votes will go to her and I lose. If it is Mhain and Millicent, my votes will go to Millicent and she wins. If it is Mhain and I, it will be a toss-up. Essentially, Millicent can definitely defeat Mhain but I can't." "This sounds like a job for the NSA," Rio glared off to where Millicent was sitting. I don't think Rio knew what Mhain looked like. NSA referred to Rio's title as my in-house assassin, Ninja Stripper Angel. "Don't worry," I patted Rio on the shoulder, "I got this, Bro." When I got up, Rio followed me nonetheless. Chancellor Bazz was absent for the second day in a row so the highest authority seemed to be Doctor Scarlett, the Vice Chancellor. Gabrielle noted my movement but didn't deviate from her path. Mrs. Cunningham was closest but seeing neither authority figure appeared nervous, she too went about her rounds. Mind you, girls are moving around the Dining Hall all the time but I'm special, being a troublemaking, devious male. I rounded a table and walked over to Millicent, who was warned of my approach by an associate. She twisted in her chair and waited for the flavor of my greeting. "Hey, Millicent, I want to congratulate you on your nomination and I hope you get the votes to be on the ballot," I said as I extended my hand. She shook it and smiled. "Thank you, Zane. Good luck to you too," she replied. "How about we have a debate a few nights before the election? Interested?" I pondered. "That would be great," Millicent agreed. "We can request the Assembly Hall but we'll need to figure out who should be moderator." "We'll figure it out," I nodded. "I'm going to say 'hi' to Mhain as well." "I will come along," Millicent informed me as she stood up and stepped to my side. "Hi, Rio." "Eat shit and die, you ungrateful whore," Rio snarled back at Millicent, who backed off. "Zane should have left you for Bazz to fuck over." Millicent's crowd was shocked, then outraged. "Cool it, Rio." I stroked her arm. "You and I do what we do for our own ends and not for the accolades of others." I turned to her, "Right?" Rio took a deep breath. "You are such a dumb blonde," she smirked at me. "I get my thirty pieces of silver up front." "Thanks, Babe," I grinned at Rio. I looked back to Millicent. "I'm still going to see Mhain if you want to tag along with me and Rio." "I'm feeling fearless with a positive outlook on life so I'll risk it," Millicent smiled. Yeah, beating Millicent in this election was going to be fun, right up there with waking up on the
Christian College Sex Comedy: Part 16 Too Many Hot Asses On Campus In 30 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the podcast at Explicit Novels. If you make one person happy, you save the World. Make a million people happy and you become a politician "Wait," Vivian waved her hands sideways, "Zane is really sleeping with a bunch of women? I thought that was an exaggeration." "Did I come at a bad time?" Barbie Lynn spoke up. She was holding a suitcase and a carry-on bag. Behind her was Millicent with one suitcase and Raven with a dress bag. I was reminded that Barbie Lynn would be moving back into the dorm as dorm mother in the morning, but she was currently between places and clearly expected to spend the night here, in my room, with me. "Come on in," I offered Barbie Lynn as I crossed over to get her bag. Vivian stepped up and put a hand on my arm to stop me. "Barbie Lynn will not be staying in your room tonight!" Vivian laid down the law. "Vivian, you always ranked higher than me in the club hierarchy and I have a bad knee, but if you have a problem with me, face me, not Zane," Barbie Lynn growled. "Don't worry, Babe," I soothed Barbie, "I'm working on a solution right now." "Zane, slap this skank" (referring to Vivian), Rio snarled. "She put her hand on you so defend yourself all over her punk ass." "Vivian is only doing her job," I addressed Rio. "I'm not going to hold that against her." "Zane, is this another one?" Raven inquired about Vivian's sexual status with me. "No. She's my official guardian, and as soon as I kick her ass, she's going to sleep on one of the main room's sofas for a month," I explained. "No, when I win, I will exclude everyone from this floor except you, me and the dorm mother," Vivian countered. Valerie came bolting into the room with the clothes, Opal, and Cappadocia. "I will go change into shorts outside. Vivian, you change here. Coach, can you referee the match?" I tried to bring some order to the chaos. Vivian ground her teeth but took the clothes and started to strip before I got my own clothes. "Zane, stay on - change in the corner. There are too many freshmen girls out there," Vivian conceded. "You two should decide if you want to stick to Zane's bedroom or cover the entire floor," Dana stated. "I leave that to Vivian," I allowed. Vivian chose the full floor and Dana decided that things would remain cluttered, the students would remain on the floor as obstacles to fight around, believing we were good enough to not smack a civilian. "Good job, Vivian," Dana congratulated her senior student. "Use the terrain to counter his reach advantage. "Any advice for me?" I asked. "Yes. Don't get that pretty face beaten up," she smiled snidely at me. "That will teach Zane to take your side on anything," Rio sneered. "I'm not on your faction's side, Rio," Dana confirmed, "but it doesn't mean Zane and I aren't friends." "I'm fine," I assured Rio. "Tell us when, Coach." Dana looked Vivian and I over. "Go!" she snapped. Vivian caught me off guard by running away but I quickly gave chase. She compounded the situation by scrambling across a pool table in play then kicking at me when I came around the side. She followed up on that advantage with a series of punches that drove me over the back of a chair. Girls were screaming, squealing, and running all around us. She advanced around the chair so I bolted over the closest sofa. Now Vivian pursued. She launched a flying kick over the sofa. I folded under it and was a millisecond faster on the recovery. My punch hit her in the ribs and pushed her back. A flurry of blows rained down on me. I tried to drive her back but Vivian's technique was too close to perfect for me to beat through. Vivian switched up with a series of swift front kicks to buy some room, then started maneuvering again. "She's a righty," Valerie told me. That meant she was right-handed, thus she made most of her attacks and blocks from the right, covering the left instinctively. Since the right was not significantly stronger in most athletes, you could wear down an opponent by concentrating your attacks on the over-extended right, or so the theory went. Even then, it took two minutes to catch her calf with a kick and put her down. She rolled out of my attempted hold but ended up on her ass, back to a chair. "Five-minute break," I offered. Vivian blinked but took the hand I offered to help her stand up. "Drink," I motioned to the juice dispenser. She looked at me funny, then went to get one. "Be careful, Vivian; he's trying to get inside your head, convince you he's not such a bad guy," Dana counseled her female student. "No kind words for me?" I joked. "I already know you are a good guy, Zane. The only reason you cut Vivian some slack was that you would rather have her friendship than the win, which is far more dangerous to Vivian," Dana winked at me. I took a Grapefruit juice while Vivian drank some Gatorade, both with our backs to the sink. I caught her stealing some looks my way. "Next time I'll pin you," she told me while looking away. "We both have to be thinking that or we wouldn't be fighting," I responded. "The difference is that I am right," she said as we made eye to eye contact. "FFU doesn't teach you to be second best," I nodded, which brought a smile to her face. "Thirty seconds," Iona warned us. We picked spots ten feet apart and were ready when Dana gave the word. Since my previous strategy had relied on attrition, Vivian went for a quick, lightning series of attacks. She rebounded off sofas, tables, and chairs as she drove me about the room. At a crucial moment she drove her foot into my thigh above the knee and sent me sprawling into a crowd of observers. As Vivian closed in for the kill, I spilled a startled freshman into her. By the time she disentangled herself from my distraction, I was on my feet. Her glare told me she didn't approve of my move. We crashed together; she leveraged me over and threw me onto a sofa. We grappled and rolled off the sofa and onto the floor. Vivian rammed an elbow into my throat but I wedged a knee under her hips and propelled her over my head. "You've done a good job, Coach Gorman," Valerie lauded Dana on Vivian's performance. "She's either three or four on the team," Dana informed the group. "It is her or Evangeline fighting for third, with Cappadocia and Wilhelmina being second and first." "You have some weird damn names at this school," Valerie commented. "This from an outlaw biker chick with the handle of Valkyrie?" Dana teased. "Of course, I'm also still trying to figure out how a guy who is knocking boots with Barbie Lynn Masters is giving the time of day to Paige here." "Hey!" Paige squawked. "Zane thinks I am very good at sex, I'll have you know." "Trouble," Barbie Lynn moaned. Vivian had faked me out and put a foot into my stomach that sent me cartwheeling. Me, I'd have kicked me in the calves and thighs to weaken me up but Vivian went for a stomp to my diaphragm. I rolled away, then kicked out. This is where my greater reach came into play; Vivian couldn't fall back fast enough and I put my heel into her hip. I was up a hair before Vivian could make a counterstrike. I rolled her thrust under my arm, caught the limb and rolled the two of us onto the ground. She placed a hand underneath her and tried to shake free of me. I locked her arm, twisted, and leaned into her body. "Do you give?" I asked softly. I had her pinned and I doubted anyone here besides Dana could have escaped. "No," she hissed. I could sense people gathering around. "Time for another five-minute break?" I inquired a little louder. Vivian gave one last surge of resistance, then relaxed. "Fine," she grumbled, "five minutes." I rolled off and offered her a hand. Vivian ignored it, choosing to get on all fours, then stand. She was about to walk way when she turned and extended her hand to me. She shook and headed back to the closest bar. "Zane?" at least five different girls asked me at once. I wasn't sure why I'd let Vivian up either. "Dude, if you lose this, I am personally going to use my strap-on on your ass," Rio growled. "I'm going to go home and start researching the most painful applications of acupuncture possible," Paige enlightened us all. "I'll take care of your hurts," Barbie Lynn sympathized. "You are such a slut," growled Rio. "No," Opal interceded. "I think that Brandi, Barbie Lynn and I are going to be taking comfort with Zane when the rest of you bimbos have lost faith in him, leaving him lost and forlorn." "How many of you am I going to have to fight off?" Vivian sounded worried. It was beautiful music to my ears, not to be blamed for once. "There is me," Iona chirped, "and wait until Heaven shows up. Forty-eight hours without her Zane-fix and she's going to look forward to dismembering someone," she added with a pleasant sincerity. Vivian looked to me skeptically. "It is entirely my fault," I confessed with upraised hands, "I should learn to say 'no' from time to time. I keep leading these fine young ladies on." "Do you see why you need to win now?" Dana asked Vivian, who looked uncertain. "You are Zane's only hope of surviving the school year. You are a lifesaver." "Oh, okay; let's get back to it then," Vivian sighed. I rolled my shoulders and followed. The second Dana gave us the nod, we attacked one another. I had hoped to catch Vivian off-guard and clearly Vivian thought the same thing. In close, Vivian had the advantage. She got several blows into my right side and I never fully recovered. Vivian got a foot behind my left leg and tumbled me down as I grabbed her shirt. Her shirt tore, we rolled, first her on top, then me before we broke up. I jabbed, she tumbled back and regained her feet, I backed up and did the same. Vivian tossed her ruined shirt aside and readied herself. Maybe a half dozen people in the room followed the next exchange of blocks and blows, Vivian hammering away at my right while I clipped her left shoulder and stomach. I saw an opening, tried to flip her but she pulled me down and ended up on top. She cocked back her fist to strike with her right while pinning my shoulder with her left. I had a hand poised at her armpit and the other half-raised to block. Vivian realized she was about to clock me in the head hard; my block wouldn't be fast enough. Something passed between us at that moment. I hooked her under the arm, flipped us over, and landed on top. Vivian twisted her arms but I twisted my block into a wrist hold and pinned the other when she attempted to break the hold. For that second, I had her pressed to the ground, our breasts heaving from the exertion. "Okay," she said softly. I immediately let go of her wrists and got off of her in all haste. I offered to help her up and this time she took it without hesitation. We stood there, clasped hands held at her chest level, facing and studying the other's features. The cheering broke out the moment the freshmen student body realized the fight was finally over and that I had somehow come out on top. I tilted my head slightly because I really had to know why she let me win but I never got the words out. "I really don't know," Vivian whispered. My well-wishers pulled us apart and I was getting slapped on the back and kissed. I noted that Dana, Barbie Lynn, Valerie, and Mercy stood around Vivian. Valerie must have seen what really happened and wanted to know why. Mercy had probably been reminded of whose side she theoretically belonged to. Barbie Lynn would be Dorm Mother again, making Vivian her charge, and Dana was her instructor after, which explained everyone's presence. "So, can we have our own little celebration?" Paige requested, her pale eyes burning bright. "I have a church meeting in an hour," I frowned. Rio and Iona were in the room with us but were close to the screen entrance, giving Paige and I some space. "We could sneak something in," Paige winked hopefully. "You are many things to me, Paige, but you are not someone I want to leave after only a quickie," I looked down at Paige as I wrapped my arms around her. She pouted but clearly wasn't too angry with my decision. Outside her odd fascination with me, Paige was a clever, logical girl. "I believe Heaven is going to be all over you this evening," Paige sighed. "Friday is for your Aunt Jill and Saturday is the Block Party, so what are my chances for Thursday or Sunday?" "I was hoping to make Thursday night a sleep-over sort of thing and I'd like it if you were here," I asked. "I really don't want to commit my Sunday until I'm sure Heaven is okay. You have to admit she's had a really lousy week." "I don't have to admit anything, Zane, but I make allowances because you mean well," Paige smiled. "I chose to accept that your loyalty to Heaven is a mirror of the loyalty you show me." "It has nothing to do with bouncy, bouncy, bouncy?" I teased. "No," Paige wiggled tightly against me. "That would be an irrational decision based on memories of deep sexual pleasure and I'd never confess to that." I felt her place a gentle kiss on my chest. I answered with a kiss to the top of her head. "Now scoot," I commanded. "You are far too distracting and I do have to get going." Paige rubbed her body against me as she moved past to the entrance; Iona and Rio came my way as I got dressed. "I should have Mercy tied down, gagged, and blindfolded by the time you get back," Rio grinned. That was her way of asking my permission to use my room without actually asking. "I'll make sure Vivian is set up before you get back," Iona informed me with upbeat energy. "Iona, since I hate Mercy Chaplain, why don't you spend the weekend with me?" I asked. The implication was that Rio would be tearing Mercy up all weekend long. "I'd love to," Iona hugged me. "Sleep in his bed," Rio chuckled. "I plan to," Iona boasted. "Lose your virginity," Rio teased. "No," Iona gave Rio a raspberry. "Zane loves me the way I am." "Are we going to cuddle?" I smiled warmly down at her. "Damn Skippy!" she chirped. "I'll even sleep in the nude because I trust you so much." "Busted!" Rio laughed at me. I groaned, finished getting dressed, and made my own way out. Before I could make my escape from the main area, Vivian flagged me down. "Vivian, I'm going to, I started to say. She lifted up her phone in response. "Your schedule is online," Vivian pointed out. "What I was wondering was why you are still using the fifth floor showers when you have showers in the Solarium now?" "Wow, are you offering to shower with me?" I faux-gasped. "That didn't take you long." "No!!" Vivian glared with some exasperation. "I'm trying to limit your contact with naked women." No one within earshot was rude enough to laugh out loud. "I could say something like 'shower with me and I'll respect your virginity,' but I'll respect your virginity no matter what," I gazed upon Vivian. "I do formally request that you allow me to continue to shower on the fifth floor. I hope you don't disregard my request out of hand." Vivian levelly met my gaze, then nodded. "I'll think about it," she allowed. "Holy Smokes," Brandi whispered from nearby, "he's broken down the wall." Vivian flinched. "No," Opal whispered back, "but she's no longer ready to castrate him in the next fifteen seconds either." That observation made Vivian crack a glimmer of a grin. I took it as my cue to run for it. Rochelle Wellington and University depravity, sort of. Once they got over me 'borrowing' certain gear from some of the male committee rooms, the Festivities Committee fell in line with Rochelle Wellington's agenda. I sat back as normal while they hashed out how best to use the new imagery that I'd provided courtesy of the girls at FFU. At this, my second meeting, I chose to sit behind Sahara Penny, Pastor Bill's wife. I learned she was Lebanese Christian and she'd married William Penny when he was in the US Navy, before he became a priest. There were a ton of things left unsaid about her opinion of his ministry and I got the definite opinion that Bill had left his last post because everyone thought Sahara had an indiscretion with a young male parishioner. My guess was that if a young male parishioner was involved, the cheater was that bastard Bill. As an added insult, Sahara's name wasn't even Sahara; that was the name Bill had listed on their marriage certificate because he found her Lebanese name difficult to pronounce. Her minority background, coupled with her husband, the pastor, letting everyone think she was a cheating whore, made Sahara the pariah of this little community. Because I had absolutely nothing going on in my life, I had to avenge Sahara. Being dumber than a box of rocks certainly didn't hurt my determination. By the end of the session I had managed to accomplish four things. I'd helped Sahara feel better about herself and know she had a friend in me. If you have ever felt alone and isolated in the world you know how good that can feel. I had confused Mrs. Bainbridge as to my actual intentions; she thought I was cozying up to Sahara instead of Rochelle. The committee was mildly impressed that I had both shown back up and had appeared to bust my hump in contributing to their efforts at what their menfolk thought was a joke. Most importantly to me, I had gotten a few covert smiles from Rochelle Wellington for both my help to the other members and to my efforts with Sahara. As wife of the mayor, she wasn't supposed to make waves, which included things like befriending someone the men had designated to be on the 'Shunned' list. I was forgiven for my transgression because I clearly didn't give a fuck about what any of them cared. When the meeting broke up Kendra Bainbridge, Sahara, Rochelle and I were quickly the last ones left. I hovered close to Sahara as we made our way to the door. "Zane, you need to return this equipment to the proper room," Rochelle reminded me. "Sahara, why don't we walk to our cars together?" Kendra suggested sweetly. This was the most I had heard Kendra address Sahara in the short time I had known them. It was clearly also her attempt of a cock-block on Sahara and I, which was a fortunate misread on the situation between myself and the Pastor's wife. "That would be nice, Kendra," Sahara replied. She reached out and stroked my elbow. "Thank you, Zane," she added with a smile. Kendra departed, smug in her victory, leaving Rochelle and I alone. "I'll get this equipment put away and be right back," I told Rochelle. "Could you make sure all the new files are backed up to my account?" "Of course, Zane," she smiled warmly, and set to work. I raced to get things squared away and hurried back. She remained at the table completing her work, coat off, when I moved in behind her. "Are we still friends?" I asked softly as I leaned in next to her ear. "Of course," she turned her head so our gazes were only inches apart. I made to kiss her on the lips; she recoiled so I waited. I wasn't afraid I'd spooked her; she wanted passion and the sense of freedom that came for embracing a choice all her own. The fear drained away and she completed our encounter. She was tentative at first and I mostly let her take the lead for the first two minutes until she became more confident. When the time was right I turned her in the chair and pulled her up by each hand. My hands went to her neck while hers settled on my hips. "We have our boundaries?" Rochelle questioned me. "Absolutely," I confirmed. "Your neck," I kissed her neck, "ear," I kissed her ear, "and cheek are all on my side of the boundaries." I had gotten as far as fondling the breasts last time around but I had time to coax her that way and was in no hurry. "Where are your boundaries?" I inquired of Rochelle as I lowered my hands around her hips. "I definitely think we should keep the boundaries at the waistline," she suggested. "So you want my waistline, but was that up or down?" I smiled. "What?" she blushed. "Do you want to keep your hands above my waist, say to the stomach and chest, or you could go down below the belt?" I teased. "Just kidding," I let her off the hook. Instead, I moved my lips to her face and came to a stop there. "We shouldn't be doing this," Rochelle sighed. "Okay," I was disappointed, "but you will have to tell me to let go of you first." "That isn't fair," she moaned, as she pressed her body against me and rested her forehead on my shoulder. I doubted it helped her resistance when her stomach pressed against my highly aroused cock. "Zane," Rochelle choked out, "I've been a good wife for thirty years. I'm a pillar of the community and a loyal member of this congregation. What am I doing with a man younger than my youngest baby?" "Rochelle, I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do, but I'm not going to lie about wanting you." "I don't think you are running away from your husband and family; I think they have moved on without you, despite all you've done to make them a part of your life. If you end up alone three or more times a week, give us a shot; if not, you are doing okay and should stay where you are," I advised. "I don't want to lose you," Rochelle worried. "You are not going to lose me, Rochelle. You are beautiful and that is not going to change; even if you are unattainable and I have to watch you from afar," I soothed her. She seemed to swell up with happiness in my arms. "That isn't fair one bit," she moaned. "Fine. I don't find you attractive; I am going to forget you the moment I walk out this door and I'll never look at you again," I taunted her. "Happy? You are off the hook." "Maybe if you were a better liar," Rochelle looked up at me smiling, "Remember that I am married to a politician." "Oh, then tell me if I'm lying: I want to pick you up, press you onto this table and make love to you until you scream with pleasure," I challenged. "What about our boundaries?" she panted. "I'm trying really, really hard to honor them but you aren't making it easy," I confided in her. Rochelle decided to change tacks. She backed away and leaned against the table, facing me, with her arms supporting her upper body as she reclined. "We shouldn't do this," she told me, but even as she shook her head, she smiled and bit her lower lip provocatively. I pursued her, Rochelle spreading her legs to allow my body to better press down on her. I kissed her fervently several times before she spoke. "Stop," she whispered. "I can't." I began working open the buttons on her blouse. Rochelle rolled her head back so that my lips and tongue played along her throat. "Ah, Zane, you should stop that," she exhaled as she gently held one hand to the back of my head as I kissed her breasts through her bra. "There are three hooks," she added as I started slipping her bra off. She pushed away from the table so I could slip her shirt and bra down. Since I had her off the table temporarily, I elected to unzip her skirt from the side and drop that and her slip to the carpet. She was looking horribly vulnerable being so nearly naked, down to white panties, thigh high white stockings, and black shoes. Sure, she was plump in the middle and her rich, swelling breasts sagged, but they were gorgeous to hold and behold. I more than evened the playing field, stripping completely naked. Rochelle moaned when she saw me exposed and she trembled with lust. I was sure she thought about running away or running at me, but she chose something in between. Rochelle reached forward and tenderly grabbed my cock in one hand. "Oh, my," she gasped. I moved closer, brushed her hair aside and put my hand to the back of her head. I brought her into yet another kiss, this one longer and more passionate than the rest. "I am going to move one step at a time," I told her softly, our faces barely an inch apart, "but I am going to take you tonight." Rochelle's first nod was timid, but they became very enthusiastic. I rested my hands on the lush flesh just below the hips and lifted her halfway onto the table. "I think I'm violating your boundaries," I grinned wickedly. First her eyes flared, she looked surprised, and finally she let her giggle turn into a laugh. She gave my cock a delicious twist. "I think we are way beyond that," she panted happily. I pressed into her, bobbing in for a kiss, withdrawing for her smile, and going in again. It took over a minute for Rochelle eventually to feel comfortable and self-assured enough to kiss me on the neck. I thrust my pelvis into her as a response. That appeared to be what it took for Rochelle's emotional dam to burst. She wrapped her stocking clad calves around each thigh and began kissing my shoulder and chest with hungry little pecks. "Zane," she panted as she yanked on my cock, "I haven't had sexual intercourse in twenty years." My first thought was 'Crap, someone else trying to squeeze my cock off,' but I realized that was unfair, plus she had delivered five children. "Rochelle, can I be crass and crude with you?" I said softly. That clearly wasn't what she expected to hear; still she consented. "Rochelle, I know it has been a long time since you've had sex, and it has probably been very vanilla. Have you ever had sex bent over a table?" I wondered. "No," she blushed. "I've only had sex on a bed, on my back. Isn't that normal?" "Um, okay. I'm going to fuck you, Rochelle; I am going to nail you, make you scream and cry and beat your fists in ecstasy," I threatened her. "How does that make you feel?" "I, she gulped, "that scares me but, nothing was said for several seconds. "Damn it," I hissed, "your body is tormenting me." Rochelle gasped and trembled once more. I dove into her left breast and bit down. She pulsed against me; then I started pressing her down on the table. Removing her panties was remarkably easy after that. I let my cock, still in her hand, rub against her slit. When her labia parted her fluids quickly coated the tip. I moved it up and down while we kissed, and I mean kissed. Rochelle kept stroking my cheek and hairline. I began pulling and teasing her nipples. A moment later I hooked her legs up until she instinctively wrapped around my waist. When I was rubbing my member along her cunt lips we kissed. When I feasted on her nipples she moaned like a slut and arched her back to entice me further. "Put it in me," she begged, overwhelmed with desire, "Put it in me now, please." "Whatever you want," I whispered in her ear. Using both our hands (I got the feeling she wasn't sure what she was doing) I wedged my cockhead in between her labia and pushed. Rochelle was snug, not tight, and certainly wasn't trying to tear the skin off my cock going in. For her part, my partner was going off beneath me chanting 'yes, yes, yes' and rubbing her body against mine. By the way she was sparking against me, I knew she was close to orgasm. "Ugh, ugh, ugh," Rochelle squirmed, "Oh, God! Yes!" she exulted beneath my body. She thrust rhythmically multiple times before gracefully resting against the wooden surface. "Oh, my God," she gasped. "I've never had an orgasm that intense before, or had it happen so fast." "That was all you, Elle," I grinned. "You have built up a great deal of sexual energy over the years and I had better be careful with you or you'll tear me up." "Oh, wait, that is a good thing, isn't it?" she asked from deep within her heaving bosom. "What did I tell you? The bodies of true women are dynamite and need to be handled with care. My main concern is that I can satisfy you," I confided in her. She had no initial words in response, instead relying on an intense stare. "Elle?" she panted. "No one has called me Elle since my father died." "Would you prefer I call you something else?" I replied. "No. It was a surprise, that's all," she told me. I pushed a little farther into Rochelle as she finished speaking. "Oh," she murmured. I let Rochelle's legs fall to the side as I gently coasted in and out of her. I gave her a few minutes of tender sex before pulling out and kneeling between her legs. "What?" she started to mumble before my lips settled onto her cunt and my tongue rolled through her folds. "Oh, wow," she moaned. Her clitoris was already evident so after a few generous strokes of the tongue, I tilted up and encased her clit in my lips and sucked. Rochelle bucked her hips in reaction and started up a deeply passionate groan. To add to life's injustices, I was sure no one had ever gone down on Rochelle's love box before. Despite having already cum once, Rochelle climaxed again inside five minutes. "Oh, God!" was her guttural gasp. Her body jerked, trembled, and stiffened before going still once more. I licked my way up her body, teasing both sides of her belly button, slobbering over her right breast, and ending up driving my tongue into a muscular dance with hers. Kappa Sigma "Umm, is that what I taste like?" she panted, with thankfully a good deal of pleasure. "Now you know one of the reasons I'll be coming back for more," I teased. "One; what is the other one?" she grinned wearily. "No, you don't," I responded with a kiss to her nose. "You don't get to have that kind of fantastic reaction to me then act like it was nothing." "Oh, don't say that," Rochelle scolded me, "I know I'm not very good." "Are you dumping me?" I asked. "No," she exclaimed anxiously, and clutched me with her hands on my upper arms and thighs pressing on my hips. "Why are you acting as if I didn't enjoy myself?" I questioned. "You climaxed twice and guys love that kind of thing. My only problem is that we can't keep giving you the screwing you so richly deserve. If we are missing much longer, they are going to send out search parties." Rochelle continued to hold me tight but had calmed down a lot. It did take me a moment to figure out that I needed to carry the conversation. "How soon can we get together again?" I asked softly, which was precisely what she wanted to hear. "Maybe we shouldn't," she hesitated, but from my experience she was playing with me. "I know I've pushed this, Elle, but you are worth every effort. I see a sensual, mature woman abandoned by some guy who clearly didn't appreciate her finer qualities," I pledged. "Zane, the risks are so great," she worried intently. "We could really suffer over this, affair." "Fine," I sat up, "I'll give you up for your sake but you have to promise to do one thing for me." "What is it?" she hesitantly inquired. "How many young women have been in your husband's office less than five years?" I opened with. "Two," she recalled somewhat confused. "The one with the most seniority; tomorrow I want you to go into her office and tell her you know about her liaisons with your husband, her boss, the Mayor," I advised her. "Don't act angry. Instead, act comfortable with the news and put her at ease. She'll be glad to confide in someone, trust me." "What if she hasn't had an affair and goes to my husband with this accusation?" Rochelle bit her lip in concern. "Rochelle, you have a seriously hot body and incredible sexual energy. Since your husband hasn't been neutered that I'm aware of, he's been getting sex somewhere else. I haven't heard of a thriving sex industry in town so for discretion's sake, he is having sex with women he has power over; namely, employees," I explained. "How did you come up with all of that?" she marveled. "Elle, there is nothing greater in all of God's Creation than women, body and soul. I notice things that most people miss and appreciate qualities most ignore," I enlightened her. "You have a smoking body but if you weren't such a wonderful woman, I wouldn't be here." "Ah, you make me feel ten years younger," she sighed before kissing me on the nipple and chest. "Crap," I bitched. "That means I only have two more encounters with you before you become jail bait." That assessment made her laugh joyously. "I've lost my mind and I don't know why," she breathed in a terribly sexy way, hardly upset at all. "We are leaving now," I declared, "Because you are so sexy right this instant, if I stay, I'm going to hammer you so hard we are going to break this table. I'm not sure how we can explain that." "Does the 'hammer me through the table' line work on younger women?" Rochelle teased. "Do you want me to go grab a younger woman and find out?" I zinged back. "No!" she insisted. "I am sure we are not exclusive but I'm sure I don't want to share you with anyone I don't have to. I think we should get together again but I'll have to contact you." "Use Felicity's phone and have her call Rio," I directed. "She'll get a message to me." "Are you going to, seduce Felicity too?" Rochelle inquired warily. "Nope, that has never been my intention," I answered. I wasn't sure how to explain to Rochelle that the real worry was Rio kidnapping Felicity for a Lost Weekend of Sapphic splendor. A discussion about homosexuality and my acceptance of it wasn't in the cards for tonight. "I want her and Lance to have a shot at happiness," Rochelle said. "I want Felicity to be happy as well," I evaded. If she noticed my failure to mention her youngest son, she was good enough not to press the matter. We kissed before we walked out the door and left; she went home and I headed home to have dinner with Jill. We had hot dogs and green beans; Jill had a hard three days at work and she wasn't a diligent cook to begin with. My Shirt is not my Friend Before heading back to campus I stopped by the Kappa Sigma House. I got some rather comfortable attention from the ladies, which was a bit bizarre when it was tag-team action from two sisters I'm pretty sure are lesbians. I stopped by to see Tawny for a minute to talk to her about the block party I might still have an invitation too. I ended up spending a few minutes of alone time with Leigh (okay, Paris is on her bed pretending to study but it isn't a tiny room). "I know you need to go home soon," Leigh lured me in with a sympathetic voice. I let her come into my arms and while I was aware she was about to shift me I was still taken aback by her enthusiasm. I landed back-first on her bed and she ended up straddling my crotch with her legs folded underneath her. "Let me help you with your shirt," she grinned evilly. I wasn't aware my shirt was in the way or that I wanted it off but what the hell. I started to unbutton my shirt but she slapped my hands away. Instead, she pulled my shirt out of my pants and yanked it up and up until the top was over my head. Once she had it over my face and my arms pinned, she stopped and snickered. "What the, oh, come on, Leigh," I complained. "You like to be tied up, admit it," she teased me. "Is your webcam on?" I countered. "If I say yes will you be even more turned on?" she wiggled on my aroused crotch. "Somebody says you will." Leigh scooted down my body, then placed her tongue on my nipple and blew a cool breath on it. The arousal was agony. Things didn't get better when she set her lips to the other nipple. "That's it, Zane," Leigh moaned, "so fucking big and hard." She was rubbing her breasts and stomach along my rod, making me wish we were naked once more. Leigh was taking sadistic joy in working my nipples over too. It was so good that I was momentarily confused when she took in both of my nipples at once (honest, I don't have man-boobs). I had a second tormentor. "Hey, Paris," I gasped. "Zane, you are so sweet. I am going have to make use of your trellis Friday night because I can't sleep right remembering how you tongued and cocked me over at the party," Paris sighed happily. "Here, let me help you breathe." Paris helped move my shirt from over my chin and lips, which did help me take a deep breath, but in the intake, a nipple and a bit of breast were inserted past my lips. Paris was a 34B but could easily fit a C, and dining on her firm and vibrant flesh was no hardship for me. I figured that I could take two women at one time; I'd done it before. The third presence was perturbing but now both my nipples were covered. It was when a slick cold substance was placed upon my belly that I started to protest. I had the knowledge that there were four women over me when a newcomer initiated some licks, rubbing her flat tongue over me from sternum to belly button. "Oh, wow," she said, it is Ricky Frasier, another sister. "You have to try this." "Sure," yet another god-damn sorority sister chimed in. "Let's cover his cock in it and see how that tastes." That's it! I'm changing my damn aftershave because clearly it is too fucking much for these girls. "Won't the honey get stuck in his pubic hair?" Jersey, my latest jailor, inquired. "No. Zane shaves down there," Leigh chortled. "It makes the blowjobs that much nicer." "Cool," Ricky giggled. "Let's get his pants down and judge how much better he tastes." Screw it; I'm getting Swat on speed-dial, some flash-bang grenades, and a stun gun so I can fight my way out of these situations. All being nice has gotten me is the classification of hors d'oeuvre. "Enough, sisters," Tawny's voice called out before they could get my pants unbuckled. "Zane is our friend; he needs to get back to his dorm before he's missed and I don't think the other chapters will look kindly upon us sampling the prize before the end of the semester awards him to us," she chastised the ladies. "Let him up and say good night." Thankfully, coming from Tawny made that a command and not a mere suggestion. I got a series of 'sorry, Zane' and 'goodnight, Zane' comments as they pulled my shirt down and let me stand up. Ricky waggled a squeeze jar of honey at me suggestively. "Ricky, don't you have a boyfriend?" I noted. "I won't tell him if you won't," she grinned. "Webcam," I thumbed over to Leigh's computer. "Why don't you give him a call right now and tell him you've been experimenting with some tricks for this weekend," I suggested as a way out. She ran up and hugged me, then put her lips to my ear. "We really should keep you here," she whispered. A simple 'thank you' would have sufficed. I managed to make it out of the house escorted by Tawny and trailed by Leigh. As I opened my car door and tried to get in, Leigh cuddled up to me, looking all sweet, honest, and innocent. "Zane, I want you to pound me this weekend like you are laying down posts on a hundred acre farm," she purred. Tawny rolled her eyes in exasperation, Leigh looked hopeful, and I was suddenly contemplating cock-reduction surgery. "I wish I could, Leigh, but Friday I'm embracing Tibetan Buddhism, shaving my head, and moving to Nepal to live a life of celibate monasticism," I informed her. "Zane," Leigh murmured hungrily, "I crawled up your trellis for a night of sex. I'm pretty sure I could scale a thousand foot cliff to rescue you from an unguarded cell if the price of failure was never having you fuck me again." "Your mistake was telling her your plans," Tawny laughed. "I kind of figured that out," I groaned in despair. "Good night, now," I added as I made my getaway. Not Sleeping Alone I had one task to deal with before I climbed the steps to my place. A few freshmen waved goodnight as they left my place and made for their own rooms before curfew. I sat on the floor and gave Brianna Kincaid, the Kappa Sigma at Colorado State, a call. "Zane?" Briana said in a soft disbelieving voice. "Have I caught you at dinner?" I inquired. "If so I'll call you back later." "Sure, yes, no, I mean I'm at dinner but I can talk," Briana worked out. "What's up?" "I hadn't heard from you and I wanted to make sure you were okay with what the other Kappa Sigma houses have been telling me. I wanted to make sure you were okay with developments. My deal was exclusively with you after all," I explained. "I, no, I'm not okay with it," she whispered painfully. "Fine. I'm withdrawing from this contest, Briana. We'll work something out on our own." I sounded a bit pissed off. "You would, wouldn't you?" she mused. "Of course. Don't think I'm being noble and all that, though; you have a dangerous body and a bedroom voice," I dodged. There was a long pause. "Don't do it," she whispered. "Briana, I have a real low opinion of people who abuse another's trust," I told her. "Honestly, Zane, I'm okay with this, now more than ever. Besides, I'm going to win so it doesn't matter," she sighed with pleasure. "I'll be fine if my sisters don't kill me in the next few minutes." "Threaten them with my awesomeness if things get rough," I joked. "I promise you everything will work out," Brianna laughed. "So now that you've made my day, what's next for Zane Braxton?" "I'm going upstairs and going to bed," I replied. "How many and anyone we know?" she chuckled softly, getting over her funk. "Is it impossible to believe that I'm seeking out a good night's sleep alone?" I faux-groaned. "There was this evil internet rumor that, Jarunee says hey," she was interrupted. "The rumor was, you turned down a chance to have a go with a girl." "Technically, I sobbed as I refused the offer," I explained. "I was too exhausted to actually speak." "Cool," she snickered then, "Wait, Adele says you have another video up." "Aren't you ladies eating dinner?" I questioned. "Yes; consider yourself dessert," she teased. I could make out a cluster of women close to the phone and could barely make out (groan) Leigh's and Paris's voices. Fantastic, I was getting bound down and molested on the World Wide Web. I'm such a lucky guy. "Well, umm, at least they didn't drag you out into the woods this time," Briana offered sympathetically. "You are going to let me tie you down and lick you from head to toe; right?" "I'm all yours," I assured Briana. "I also have to go now because I know of at least five ladies waiting on me so I'm still a ways from letting sleep take me." "Take care, Zane, and you rock; night," Briana signed off. I made my way to the door and punched in my code right before two freshmen girls came running down the stairs. "Hey" they grinned as they slipped past. I couldn't stop myself from scanning their retreating forms, which turned out to be somewhat lucky. No sooner had the girls disappeared into the elevator than Mercy appeared with Rio. Mercy was in the lead, dragging Rio behind her. Mind you, Rio was running full out to keep up but Mercy was taller and in better shape. I whistled for their attention. Mercy and Rio pulled up short. "Come here," I motioned to Mercy with a 'come-hither' finger. I was somewhat stunned that Mercy looked back to Rio for permission. Rio couldn't help a burning light coming to her eyes. She pressed Mercy up against the wall, pushed her arms out to the sides then took Mercy's head in her hands and kissed her deeply. "Very good, bitch, now go see what Zane wants," she teased Mercy's lips with her tongue. Mercy flushed a deep red, then came my way. "Mercy," I lectured quietly, "you need to remember that you are supposed to be Rio's guardian and pretend you are keeping her in line." "But what if she tells me to do something else?" Mercy whispered back. I leaned into Mercy until my lips touched her ear. "Now, don't nod," I breathed into her ear, making sure Rio couldn't hear. "If the answer to what I ask is 'yes,' touch my shoulder. Do you understand?" Mercy touched my shoulder. "Do you like Rio owning you?" Another touch affirmed Mercy's desire. "If you want her to stay, you are going to have to be the sane one. That means you are going to have to take extra punishment from her in order to save Rio from herself." She waited long enough for Rio to start getting fidgety before she touched my arm. "If she tosses you aside, I'll work extra hard to get you two back together, I promise. Now go take her upstairs before she explodes," I finished up. Mercy backed up and reached for Rio. Rio snorted, tossed her head with indifference, and allowed Mercy to lead her upstairs. At the top I saw some of my compatriots gathered around the first living area, centered around Dana Gorman. Dana was drinking a beer and in conversation with Valerie and Vivian. Iona and Paige were sitting close but clearly working on different subjects. Finally, I had Raven, Brandi, and Barbie Lynn watching some television. I was sort of curious where Opal was. "Alright, everyone," Vivian called out as she stood. "Everyone out; Zane is back and it is almost 10:00 o'clock." "Can I finish my beer?" Dana nodded my way. "Yes," Vivian and I spoke simultaneously. "Thank you, Vivian, but I believe we should all remember this is Zane's room until you put a ring on his finger," Gorman gave Vivian a snarky smile. "I'm not going to marry him," Vivian declared indignantly. "He's eighteen, childish, and a philanderer." "It is his ability to screw me to unconsciousness as well as willingness to engage in a bi-sexual three-way whenever I want that are his most appealing features to me," Paige stated clinically. "I love the taste and feel of his cum on my tongue," Brandi perked up. "Oh, MY, God!" Vivian turned and gawked at Brandi, who refused to wilt. "I didn't need to know any part of that." "I want to know," Rio giggled. "No, you don't," Mercy tugged on Rio's arm. "I'm taking you to bed now and make sure you behave." "Oh, poo," Rio grumbled, but her eyes were clearly burning with hunger for Mercy who was doing an admirable job of not melting on the spot. "You are going to have Rio sleep in Zane's room?" Vivian spun around and addressed Mercy. "Where is Zane going to sleep?" "I'll sleep between them," Mercy replied. She left hanging out there that I'd be sleeping with her. "That's my cue to go to bed," Barbie Lynn gave a sexy, lopsided leer my way. "No," Vivian sputtered, clearly losing control of the situation. "Coach," Vivian pleaded to Dana. "I'm going to give you some advice, Vivian, not as a faculty member of FFU but as a combatant," Dana spoke clearly. "What is your goal for Zane? Think about it." "I'm to make him live by FFU standards and morals. That includes getting to his classes and sports as well as keeping him chaste and respecting the Purity Pledge," Vivian outlined. Dana preempted the laughter with a sharp glare. "Zane has missed three classes because of the fight he got into defendingtwo of his fellow students and two due to legal complications ordered by the Administration," Dana informed her. "No one is in more sports than Zane. We've all seen him go to his sessions crippled too. How do you plan to improve on what he's already done?" "In this case, that part of the job should be easy," Vivian countered. "And there you are doomed," Dana sighed. "Zane does what he does easily because it is not in his nature to go against the grain. Every chance he gets, he does what we want. That doesn't make him weak, though." "To the contrary, when he sets his mind to something, he drives at it with all his force, and when we get in the way, he fights with a rare desperate intensity and cleverness that many women here have come to admire. Zane didn't defeat the Chancellor and me; Christina Buchanan did. The thing is, it was Zane who convinced Christina to fight." "If you want to beat Zane, you are going about it all wrong; stop the women around him, not him," Dana concluded. "If you try to rein him in, he will slip past you, and a hundred girls will help him get away with it." "What should I do, then?" Vivian was stymied. "You are a good Christian girl; you'll figure something out," Dana winked. I knew what Dana was getting at, and while I didn't believe it would work, it was one of the best bets. A good Christian woman might be able to make me a good Christian man; seeing how Vivian might make that work wouldn't be boring. "I'm heading down to the bathroom," I announced into the confusion. Rapidly, Barbie Lynn, Mercy, and Rio went down at well. "Vivian?" I invited her to join us. "No. I'm not afraid to use the readily available facilities here," she answered snidely. Down in the bathroom Rio finished quickly, then came up behind Mercy, who was still brushing her hair. Rio's hold on sanity slipped away and she grabbed each of Mercy's ass cheeks in her hands, jiggled them up and down and giggled maniacally. "Damn it, damn it, damn it," Rio went off. "I love this ass so much!" "How do you feel about that, Sugah?" Barbie Lynn teased Mercy. Mercy lowered her face until her long hair obscured her expression. Balancing carefully on her hips, Mercy pulled her skirt up to give Rio a better view. Rio looked to me on the verge of crying. "Best, Slut, Ever," she wept tears of madness. "Alright," I chided Rio. "Get your stuff together, both of you, and we can get to bed. At the moment I thought I had the situation restrained, Mercy turned around and started to push past Rio. Rio jumped onto Mercy and slammed their bodies onto the counter, making guttural animalistic noises as she bit and kissed Mercy's shoulders, neck and lips. I scooped Rio by the waist and yanked her away. "No!" she growled. "Mine, damn it, mine!" She didn't claw at my arms but she struggled valiantly to get away. Barbie Lynn stepped up, put Mercy back in some sort of presentable order, and we finally exited the bathroom. By the time we got back to the Solarium, Rio had calmed down (enough) and Vivian gave me only a careful glance. She did signal me for a second of my time so once I had Rio stashed away, I returned to her. "I am still thinking about letting you shower downstairs," she allowed, "but only at the proscribed times. Tell me one thing and please be honest: Do you shower alone?" "No. Usually I shower with about eight to ten other girls," I answered. Vivian studied me intently, looking to see if I was having a joke at her expense. She took a deep breath, looked at the carpet, and finally nodded. "Thank you for your honesty," she told me. "This is how our fight begins, then," I grinned. "I'm not fighting you, Zane," Vivian responded. "Yes, you are," I countered playfully. "You are testing my moral boundaries and looking for a weakness you can exploit to make me feel guilty for how I treat the girls here." "Do you feel bad about the way you treat the female student body?" she inquired. "Nope. I want them to feel happy, safe, and free to express themselves," I replied. "I admire your approach; it shows your inventive and truthful nature at its best." "I'm not going to sleep with you," she smiled. "Nice try." "I hope you don't hold it against me for trying," I shyly responded. "I admit, this afternoon I would definitely have held it against you, but tonight I'll let it slide," she allowed me. "Zane, what do you sleep in?" I assumed she didn't mean 'my bed'. "Nude; I sleep in the nude. What do you sleep in?" I bantered. "Panties and a Dallas Cowboys jersey," she gave me her first wicked grin. "Baby Powder blue, since I'm sure you are going to ask,&
Christian College Sex Comedy: Part 13 Exiled In 30 parts, By FinalStand. Listen to the podcast at Explicit Novels. You can live without freedom the same way you can live without light, happiness, or music Chastity, Hope, and I were exiled to our rooms for the rest of the day, and I pretty much spent it in isolation. Cordelia had disabled my own private internet hookup in case my domicile was ransacked so I was left with school work to go over. At 12:30 they brought me lunch and at 6:30 a student brought me dinner. As I was eating, there was another knock on my door. This time there was a girl I didn't recognize from the dorm. "Yes?" "Hi, I'm Alice Hendricks, and I'm your new Dorm Mother," this bright-eyed brunette with pigtails and a gymnast's body greeted me. "Good for you," I replied then started to shut the door. "Wait," she said hurriedly. "The code you gave Barbie Lynn Masters doesn't work." I sighed. "Do you see that green pad beside the keypad?" I indicated the object. "Yes," she nodded. "It is the thumb pad scanner. You enter your code and scan your thumb," I told her. She entered the code and scanned her thumb, and nothing happened. "It doesn't work," she noted. I rolled my eyes. "Let's think about this," I groaned. "You used Barbie Lynn's code and scanned your thumb." I watched as the wheels turned behind her eyes. "Oh, my thumb doesn't match the code, how is this going to work now?" she questioned. "I need to access your room." "Fine," I shrugged. I pushed her aside, covered the keypad with my body, and entered the proper code to generate a new number. "4-7-4-4 is your number. Punch it in and scan your thumb and you're set." "Good night," I told her, and headed back upstairs. "Wait. I need to check out your room," she informed me. I grunted, turned, and faced her. "Do you have a phone?" I asked. Alice nodded. "Can I see it?" She hesitated but handed it over. "You are one of the Enemy," I stated. "What do you mean?" Alice asked. I handed her phone back. "The majority of the girls in this dorm don't have phones anymore because of the Chancellor. You only have one because you are in with the Chancellor and you are pretty much going to be hated for it. Don't get caught alone in the showers, you scumbag," I warned her. "That's not fair," she declared. "Oh, we are past being fair, Alice. Now come upstairs and get your tour over with," I shrugged. Once we got there, Alice stumbled and gasped. "How am I going to search through all of this?" she wondered. "That's not my problem," I told her. "I will be in my bedroom." I went in that direction and I noted she was following me. I flopped down on my bed and listened to her low whistle. "This is your room? How did you get all this, stuff?" she inquired. "I bought all of this for the freshman class to use so we could be safe from the Handmaiden's Duty from time to time," I answered. The door opened and a double set of footsteps came running up the stairs. Rio and Iona came bolting into my room, stopping short when they saw Alice. "Hi, I'm Alice, your new Dorm Mother," she stated crisply. "What are you doing in Zane's room?" "Oh, the fuck you say?" snapped Rio. "Where the hell is Barbie Lynn?" "That is quite enough of that, Ms. Talon," Alice demanded. "Can you please give us some space?" I requested. "No, I don't think that would be wise," Alice countered. "Fine, whatever," I shrugged. "What's the news, girls?" "They sent 40 of our people to the infirmary," Rio said while glaring at Alice. "They preferred to shove us down stairs. Barbie Lynn hurt her knee and Pandora Jaspers bust her scalp open." "Alice, you are going to go out and sit on the sofa now," I told her. "No, I am not," she responded. "This is your last chance to keep things civil, Alice," I cautioned her. "You seem to have forgotten why I am here," Alice replied. "I haven't forgotten, Alice, but you clearly don't understand the cost of that decision," I said. "What is that supposed to mean?" she shot back. "Ladies, I'll see you tomorrow, but we clearly aren't going to be given any common courtesy tonight," I told my ladies. Rio came up, kissed me hungrily, and then glared at Alice. "Cordelia needs to see you at the corner of the Clegger Building at 12:15," Iona whispered in my ear as she hugged me. I gave her a wink as we parted. The girls left and I had to put up with Alice for an hour as she tried to make conversation and I did my best to ignore her. "Zane," Dana Gorman called out as I reclined on a sofa and Alice skulked around. "Over here," I motioned. "You have been temporarily reinstated by the Review Board," she informed me. "Don't waste this opportunity." It was 8:00 o'clock at night so I had to wonder what discussions had taken place. "Am I supposed to be grateful?" I scoffed. "I didn't hear an apology for treating us students so shabbily, nor Heaven being re-admitted. All you did is give us something today that you plan to take away tomorrow." "Don't be an idiot," Dana snapped. "You aren't in a position to make demands." "Well, it was nice to see you, Dana," I shrugged. "I am sorry about this morning. You were very impressive, by the way." Dana shook her head in disgust and left. "You shouldn't have been mean to Coach Gorman," Alice scolded me. I shrugged. Alice tried to be nice, insisting she wasn't in the way, but ended up staying with me until my last bathroom break. I pretty much hated her. Retribution, Removals, and Recouping strength. The post-midnight meeting with Cordelia and a rag-tag group of students was probably the most insane stunt I'd pulled for some time. I thought Cordelia was nuts but my opinion was not solicited. I was wanted for my upper body strength and long reach. See, one of the Administration's greatest tools was the school's surveillance network. As Cordelia saw it, there was one point of weakness for the system and that was in the heart of the Security Center, the system servers that coordinated all the incoming data and video feeds. We weren't going to sabotage it; that would be simple. No, we were going to steal it, and that's exactly what we did. I had to admit that was the last thing Gorman would have suspected us of trying to pull off and the best part of it was that all the surveillance devices were rendered impotent because we stole the objects that held the information of our misdeeds. We stole out the back gate of the campus and buried the equipment out in the woods. Lightning Strike I knew there would be hell to pay and I couldn't contact my normal shower-mates so I went to the shower early and was back in bed by the time Dana Gorman stomped into my room. "You weren't in the shower," she growled, "but several other students were." "Why are you angry for me not being in the shower with the girls?" I yawned. "Because it would give me leverage to make you give me back my security system, you Jackass," she snapped. "And you blame me, why?" I slipped out of the covers, naked, and started to get dressed. Dana didn't seem to mind looking me over. "This is no longer a game," Dana pointed out. "You've stolen thousands of dollars of University property. If I can't find things and quickly, I am going to have to bring in the Sheriff's Department and that equals criminal charges." "Should I take it you've made no progress in the assault on the students yesterday, or is their support for Christina good enough reason for you to let them suffer?" I continued. "You are being an idiot again," Gorman accused me. "We can deal with that once you and the others stop treating this like some social experiment and get back to your studies." "I think this is the point where we cease having anything to discuss, Coach," I muttered. Gorman looked down at the ground and clenched her fists in frustration. "A third of the Soccer team walked off yesterday. I lost half the Karate club as well," she ground out. "Archery disbanded, and it looks like Orienteering and Marksmanship will do the same today. I'm telling you, this is nuts. I've worked my ass off making this school athletically competitive and everyone is throwing that away." "I don't know what to tell you except that I doubt any of this would have happened if someone hadn't been gunning for Rio on our first day," I said. "I certainly made mistakes but you made the first one. I do have one thing I want you to think about." "What is it?" she asked warily. "How do you like your war now?" I stated with intensity. She didn't laugh it off this time. "You think this is going to keep going?" she questioned. "You have our backs against the wall; you are beating and expelling us," I explained. "We don't have many options." "I won't let you win," she said evenly. "I'm afraid it is out of our hands, Dana," I warned her. I didn't know for sure things were going to spiral out of control but I couldn't see any way out of it. Dana shook her head and left. Around 6:45 Alice came to escort me to breakfast. She talked; I remained quiet until I picked up Rio, Valerie, and Iona. We were crossing campus to the Dining Hall when Valerie nudged me. I looked in the same direction she was and saw Hope walking across the lawn on a definite mission. It didn't take me a second to see where she was heading; Rhaine and two of her associates were in huddled conversation. Rhaine never saw what hit her. Hope did a spin kick to her head and sent her flying. She punched the other two, followed up with a heel kick to one and two blows to the head to the last one. Hope then swooped down, snatched up their phones, and rapidly walked away. The first attack hadn't lasted ten seconds. "This is your last chance to get out of this," I whispered to Valerie. "I'm sorry, Mother," Valerie sighed. I didn't have time to know what that meant because I figured the open nature of Hope's attack was Christina's way of telling the rest of us it was time to strike back for what Rhaine's people had done to our side yesterday. I turned and clocked Alice hard enough to knock her down. "Rio, get her phone," I hissed to my friend. Rio was surprised for a second, then jumped on Alice's body. People around us began murmuring but most were in shock. I didn't wait around because I had spotted a group of five of Rhaine's people a few feet ahead. The ripples of Hope's attack started to reach them when I kicked the first one in the back. Valerie was right at my side, flipping a second girl over before she had a chance. I saw Iona grabbing up their phones even as we fought on. The remaining three were able to turn and face us but it didn't do them any good. We steamrolled over them, punching and kicking them into the ground. The first girl near us began to scream as I closed on the next group. This turned out to be Joy and Mercy. Valerie was about to pummel them but I held her back. "Joy, Mercy, sit on the ground and give us your phones," I growled. They hesitated and tried to back up. "Mercy, do it," Rio hissed. "I don't want to see you get hurt." That did it for Mercy, and she took to her seat and handed her phone to Rio. Rio showing compassion toward Mercy was unlooked for and something we'd have to talk about when this bout of madness ended. Joy went down beside Mercy, allowing Valerie and I to move on. By the time we closed on the fourth group, the general student body had figured out something bad was happening and parted like the Red Sea as we approached our quarry. The three girls we approached knew we were coming. I could read their disbelief in their eyes; they couldn't imagine that the attacks they'd perpetrated on our people were coming back to haunt them. One got a blow into my stomach before we finished them off, giving their downed forms a few extra kicks before heading for our last targets. There were four of them, with the added complications of a history teacher named Mrs. Cunningham who was a matronly, sixty-something-year-old instructor. They were standing at the four doors that entered into the Dining Hall and if I had been them, I would have run, but I guessed that the teacher standing so close made them assume we'd hold back; we didn't. The first girl stepped up to say something to me when I split her lip and sent her stumbling back. I kicked the one farthest away while Valerie punched another one in the throat. I chased the second girl down and while she was bent over, I pounded her in the cheek and planted her in the ground. I spun back and kicked the first girl in the face, flipping her over, and witnessed Valerie run the fourth girl into a door and knock her out. Mrs. Cunningham finally recovered enough to grab my arm. "What are you doing?" she muttered weakly. "Yesterday, these girls thought it would be fun to kick some of their fellow students down some stairs, landing them to the infirmary," I responded. "Today they reaped what they sowed." I had no idea if any of the girls I'd attacked had actually beaten up any of Christina's people, but that wasn't the point. The Administration had let Rhaine's girls know that they wanted Christina's people intimidated and suppressed. Not being schooled in the application of force, things had escalated when Christina's people had not backed down. The Chancellor had let them think they were entitled and we'd just shown them they were not; they were going to be held accountable for what they did. Mrs. Cunningham released me and bent over the first moaning girl. Iona came up with a handful of phones. "What do we do with these?" she asked. "Give them to me," chuckled Rio. She took the phones, took out the memory cards, and chucked the phones up on the roof. In the end, Christina only used twenty of us to send eighty of Rhaine's people to the infirmary, and we accomplished it all in under five minutes. We brazenly arrived at breakfast, most of us making for the food line but Rio sprinting for the bathrooms to flush the evidence. Up with the teachers, things were in utter chaos. Gorman's walky-talky didn't seem to be working (thank you, Cordelia) so she grabbed the closest student and wrote them a message. She handed it to the girl (a freshman) who promptly read it, then ate it right in front of the coach. Coach sat that girl down, grabbed a second girl. This one took the message and ran straight to the bathroom and flushed it. Around Chancellor Bazz a storm was boiling over. Several teachers had witnessed the violence and wanted something done about it before one of them was drug into the matter by means of a physical confrontation. They were demanding the attacking students to be rounded up immediately. Several teachers, led by Doctor Larson, were begging, pleading, and demanding that the Chancellor call it quits with this whole suppression scheme. Bazz refused to budge, ordering Gorman to round everyone up and hold them in the parking lot. Gorman was trapped. "That's insane," Dana snapped. "What am I going to round them up with, students? We've seen how well that's worked. I don't have enough security guards to peacefully bring them in and my only alternative is to bring in the Sheriff's Department and use force, and I'm not going to do that." "You will if I tell you to," the Chancellor threatened. Dana threw her hands up in the air and backed away. She paced for about a minute, long enough for us to get our food and take our seats, which were all in one section of the Dining Hall due to some 'screw up' (read: Cordelia) in their seating assignment. There appeared to be around three hundred of us now and morale was high. I caught sight of Gorman angling toward Christina and starting to talk. Christina signaled for her to stop but only long enough to summon three people to her, one being me. Temperance, the senior, was one of them, and the third was a girl I'd only known by her photograph. She was Hannah Cartwright, the Sophomore Class President. "I'm asking for a cease-fire," Dana reiterated. "The fighting ends on both sides, strict discipline will be enforced for any and all infractions, and there will be no administrative actions for what has happened over the past forty-eight hours." "We want our phones, tablets, and laptops back, plus the ability to use them," Temperance stated. "All expulsions are to be cancelled and the procedure to bring Heaven back is to begin immediately," I continued. Dana nodded to both addendums. "I want my security system back," Dana countered. "We will start looking for it as soon as this deal goes through," Christina agreed. "That is the best I can hope for," Dana sighed. She stuck out her hand to Christina, who stood and shook it. "Deal?" Christina looked around to get our consensus. "Deal," Christina echoed. I wanted to sit back and savor our partial victory but Christina was tense and nervous and that infected us all. When Dana got back to the Chancellor, she made her case. Doctor Bazz glared at her for a moment but the words that followed, while spoken in a low voice, reverberated throughout the hall. "That's idiotic; we will not negotiate with these children. Your incompetence has led us to this point, Ms. Gorman; you are fired." Several teachers immediately protested but Dana simply put down her walky-talky, turned, and strolled out of the room. Doctor Bazz cancelled classes for the day and confined everyone to their dorm rooms and dorm floors until the situation was resolved. Christina told us to ignore the travel restrictions but to keep in groups and avoid confronting security. When we were ordered from the hall, I noticed everyone was traveling in groups now, even the teachers. Things had become totally crazy. As Valerie, Rio, Iona and I returned to our dorm, we ran across Alice coming back from the nurse's office. When she saw us, she looked hurt and a bit afraid, but she showed enough courage to confront me. "Why did you hit me?" she demanded. "I did nothing to deserve that." "Alice, you were sent to spy on me, or did you search every dorm room as thoroughly as you searched mine?" I shot back. "I was told to do that when I accepted the position of Dorm Mother," she replied. "Did it occur to you that I might resent being singled out for persecution and, if given a chance, I'd strike back?" I explained. "If not, it should have, especially after yesterday." "I had nothing to do with what happened to those other girls," she shook her head. "Listen, you stupid cunt," Rio snapped. "You got orders from the same person who sent those girls to hurt our friends." "When you chose to take Barbie Lynn's place, you placed yourself side by side with those mean girls, Alice," Iona added. "You chose to be a soldier in their army. Soldiers get shot, even if they don't get involved in shooting at the enemy themselves." "It is time for you to go," Valerie told Alice. Alice stayed in the hallway as the rest of us walked away. By the time we made it to my door, Pandora, Paige, Brandi, and Opal had joined us. "Cordelia wants your hook-up activated once more," Pandora informed me. She had a bruised right eye and a bandage above the eyebrow. "She figures any minute now, the Chancellor will shut down our regular internet lines." "Sure thing," I agreed. "I'll get the hot oil and work Valerie over after that tough fight she was in," Rio volunteered. "Boundaries," Valerie cautioned my buddy. "Besides, if anyone works over this body, it will be Zane." Rio chortled and I gave the tall biker-chick a skeptical look. "Just kidding," she laughed, "though we both could probably use some stress relief." That train of thought was interrupted by a fresh group of freshmen entering the area. I went over to one of the glass panels that gave me a view over the campus. Small groups of students were violating the curfew, and here and there a lone campus security guard gave chase but it was an uneven struggle. Students could run inside a dorm and vanish, and Campus Security didn't have the resources to search every dorm room. The pair that came up the stairs thirty minutes later was a real stunner. It was Barbie Lynn with her knee wrapped up, being supported by, Dana Gorman. Dana also had a backpack that clinked very time she moved. "Look what I found sneaking across campus," Gorman snorted. No one said anything; she was the Evil Henchman, after all. "Thanks, Dana," I said, as I took Barbie off her hands, "take a seat and relax for a while. What brings you to my room, anyway?" Barbie looked terribly concerned by this turn of events. "My cable is dead, no internet or TV, and I don't have access to the few remaining security systems, so I figured if anyone had access to the outside world, it would be you," Dana related. "What do you need?" I continued. "I'd like to watch some international soccer," she told me. I looked toward Paige, who shrugged, then nodded. Dana took a spot on the closest sofa to a TV and sat down. She unzipped her backpack and pulled out a beer. Rio homed in on that and jumped over the sofa beside Dana. "What do you think you are doing?" Dana asked Rio as my friend put her hand into the satchel. "Getting a beer; I figure we are all rebels here," Rio smirked. "No, you are a rebel; I'm unemployed, and I don't want to add a criminal conviction for giving alcohol to a minor to my list of accomplishments," Dana explained. "Come with me," Valerie commanded, as she scooped up Rio's arm and headed away. "Let's play some pool." "Oh!" Rio bubbled, "Are you going to use your big hard stick on me?" "Yes; it is called caning," Valerie retorted. Barbie Lynn, Iona, & Zane Iona was looking lost with everyone seemingly going in different directions, so I took her by the hand and, with Barbie Lynn, retired to my bedroom. "I love you two," I sighed as the stress slowly started to recede. Barbie Lynn pulled close to my side and when I looked at her, we kissed. Iona pressed into my front and rested her head on my chest. Our lips parted and I looked to Iona, who was giving me a wide-eyed smile. We kissed for some time until Barbie Lynn began massaging my rod through my pants. I returned to Barbie until Iona hugged me tight, resulting in me going back and forth for a while. "Let's go to bed," Iona suddenly spoke up. Barbie Lynn chuckled at the smaller girl's assertiveness while I marveled at how far she'd come from the scared girl who had grabbed my arm only a few weeks earlier. I sat Barbie Lynn down on the edge of the bed and worked off her skirt first. I stopped Iona from doing the same, preferring to undress her next. I alternated taking off items of clothing until they were finally naked on the bed, side by side before me. "Well, Zane," Barbie Lynn began, sliding one leg up until the heel was touching her thigh. "What are you waiting for," Iona finished, mimicking Barbie's movements. "I would like to express right now how much I've missed the both of you," I swore to them. "Less talk; more action," Barbie Lynn instructed. I began stripping as fast as I could and the girls crawled underneath the covers. Iona was on her back, propped up on her elbows as I finished shedding my clothes. Barbie Lynn surprised her by rolling onto her side and taking a nipple into her mouth, causing Iona to give a startled squeak. Iona had not expected to be the center of our attention, that was normally Barbie Lynn's role, so she couldn't mount an effective defense against our combined affections. We each feasted on a nipple, taking the occasional stop to kiss Iona deeply, or one another, with Iona's breasts rubbing against our cheeks. Both our hands made our way to Iona's honey box, pulled her reluctant legs apart, and began rubbing all over her pubic area. We pushed fingers almost a knuckle deep into her super-tight virgin cunt. Barbie and I spread her juices around, making the whole pubic mound slick and fluid. We even put our fingers on opposite sides of her clit and rolled them back and forth, sending her over the edge. "Jesus," she panted. "Oh, thank you, thank you, oh, thank you," she gasped. "This feels so good, Yes!" she cried out. At this point, I was thinking about letting Iona go but Barbie Lynn kept flicking her clit and probing her cunt while sucking in and twirling her breast. I added a finger to the mix and kissed Iona, who desperately tried to suck my tongue out of my mouth, ouch! At the same time, Iona's back arched off the bed again and again, her thighs trembled, and she clutched at the headboard so hard it shook. At the point I feared Iona's heart would explode, I pushed Barbie Lynn's hand away and she looked up with her lips slick with the saliva generated by sucking on Iona's tits. "She is the best friend I've made all year," Barbie Lynn confided in me. "Better than me?" I questioned. "Honey," she drawled, "I think we can agree you're a tad more than a friend." "What am I, then," I teased; "pen pal, cyber-fan, bosom buddy?" "I think bosom buddy, she grinned as she squeezed her magnificent orbs together, ", is closer to what I'm aiming for." "My cunt is still quivering," Iona mumbled in a tiny voice. "Did I lose my virginity?" "No, Baby," Barbie Lynn cooed to her, "You had a really good one is all. That is what an orgasm is supposed to feel like. That is what Zane does to me every time." Huh? I do? "Oh," Iona sighed dreamily, "I like that. Isn't it your turn now?" "It certainly is, and Zane knows what I want, don't you," she winked. "I'll get it," I feigned annoyance, "but I'm still going to take my time with you. I'm not rushing into anything." "I like the way you think," Barbie Lynn purred. She laid out on the bed, her beautiful breasts spreading out and her hair cascading over the pillows she rested on. It hurt to move away from the sight of her. I got a small tube of lube, crawled over to her, and wedged the tube to the small of her back. Letting her body warm it up would make the sensation more pleasurable. "Whoa, that's cold," she gasped and wiggled. "Let me warm you up, then," I grinned. I moved underneath the sheets and then between her legs. "Hello," she said demurely, my body poised over hers, our faces nose to nose. She rested her elbows on my shoulders with her arms up. "This feels good, Zane, feels right." Her thighs pressed against mine and my cock rested on her pubic mound. I moved my face down and stole a quick kiss. Barbie followed suit and soon we were lip-locked. In time we were trading kisses on the neck and earlobes, our heads playfully moving back and forth. When I reached the top of her breastbone, Barbie Lynn flinched; she'd tried to loop her bum knee over my leg and the pain had been a sharp reminder of her limitations. I lowered myself and took a nipple into my lips and tickled it with my tongue. "Does that make it feel better?" I teased her. "Uh-huh," she purred, "now get back to it." I hardly felt inclined to deny her request and began alternating each nipple and breast. I let my lips and tongue go over every inch of her breast, especially along the base where a slight taste of sweat mixed with the scent of her body soap. "Zane, I want you in me," she pleaded with sultry passion. "But I want this," I responded, running my hand along her puffy cunt lips. "I promise we can do that later, you know how much I love your tongue, but I'm missing something else even more," she expressed her desire. I thought about the body dynamics of the situation and decided the best solution was to roll Barbie Lynn's hips on their side, lifting her left, uninjured leg to my shoulder. Retrieving the warm lube, I rubbed some liberally over her ass hole and two of my fingers, pushing the middle finger gently in first. Barbie Lynn flexed her body and moaned as the finger pressed into her. Soon she was rocking her hips and pushing down on my hand. "That still looks painful," Iona whispered as she moved in for a closer look. "The pleasure far exceeds the pain, Shugah." Barbie Lynn expressed what was about to come. I leaned/crawled over her hips, one hand still working Barbie's tits over while I kissed a nipple and tugged on it with my teeth. Barbie was letting her arm roam around when Iona intercepted it and put the blonde's fingertips to her mouth. Unbidden, Iona began sucking on those fingers and I could see that Barbie was torn between the eroticism of the act and the fact it was innocent little Iona who was doing it. Barbie Lynn used her free hand to push her succulent boob deeper into my mouth, not that there was any way I could get it all into my mouth. Iona went from finger to finger, spending extra time on the thumb. Barbie's chest began heaving from the excitement and took a jolt when I sunk my second finger into her rectum. "Are you okay?" Iona worried. "Yes, yes, yes," Barbie Lynn exulted happily, "and it's going to get better real soon." I decided to move two fingers along her sopping wet slit and let my thumb depress her clit and rub it around. "Aha, ah, oh, yeah," she panted as my hands began working in tandem. I could tell Barbie Lynn was fighting a losing battle against her orgasm and I wasn't in a mood to make things easy. I rammed my two fingers deep into her ass while biting her nipple and strumming her clit as fast as I could. "Lord Jesus loves Me!!!!" she went off. "Gah! Yeah, yeah, oh, ugh, baby, Yes!" Barbie Lynn went on and on with increasing volume. Her cunt dripped all over my fingers, slick and sensual to my touch. I brought those fingers to my lips, going back for a second taste while her body still shook from her climax. "Don't mind us," Rio announced as she strolled into my room, pulling a reluctant Mercy behind her. "My bitch is here and I'm going to bite a chunk off." "Hi, Mercy," Iona waved. Mercy shot her an embarrassed smile. Rio led her to the far side of the bed. I was a bit concerned that too many people were coming into my room but I couldn't look everywhere and pay attention to Barbie Lynn and Iona too. I took up the lube and coated my cock. Before I could spread it out evenly, Iona reached down and did the job for me, even sharing a shy smile with me as she did so. She even helped me lodge it against Barbie Lynn's anus. Iona felt the tension along my cock until Barbie's sphincter gave way and let me in, then she moved her hand away. "Wow," she whispered, even as Barbie Lynn sighed in satisfaction. As a counterpoint, we heard "On your knees, Slut-Bunny," Rio barked to Mercy. She pushed Mercy forward face-first on the bed, flipped up her skirt, and took a bite out of her ass. Mercy yelped and buried her face in the sheets. Sometimes Rio could be sane, but totally nuts was her default setting. I measured the tremors in her body as I gently pressed my body onto Barbie Lynn's hips, deepening the penetration of my cock into her back passage. "Oh, God, Zane," she moaned. "This never gets old, filling me up like you do." I slapped her meaty ass cheek hard enough to leave an angry red handprint. Barbie gave a deep intake of breath that became a squeal of joy. Mercy grunted as Rio yanked her panties off her ass and down her legs. "Crawl over there and give Barbie Lynn a kiss," Rio demanded. Mercy gulped and hesitated to respond so Rio hauled off and smacked her ass hard enough for people outside the room to hear. Mercy's eyes grew wide, her mouth gaped open, and her cheeks flushed, then she smiled. She made her way slowly across the bed, clearly enticing Rio to spank her several more times. Mercy first brought Barbie Lynn's gaze over toward her by tipping her chin with one careful hand. The first kiss was tentative and tender. SMACK! "Kiss her like you want to be kissed, you whore!" Rio taunted Mercy. As she spanked her with one hand, she drove two fingers into Mercy's cunt with the other. I had to assume that Mercy was already pretty wet because instead of pulling away from the penetration, Mercy leaned forward on her elbows while thrusting her hips back against Rio's intrusion. While I was being sensitive to the slow burn Barbie Lynn was going through, Rio drove her hand rapidly like a maniac. It was a good thing that Mercy liked it rough, but then she chose to be with Rio as much as Rio chose to pick on her. At the opposite side of the expression spectrum, Iona curled up against Barbie's other side and let her lips gracefully flit along the shoulder and arm. Mercy returned for another kiss at the same time I reached my full expansion inside of Barbie Lynn. "Oh, my," Barbie gasped. I waited as she adjusted internally while Mercy kissed her with a lot more passion and intensity. That didn't stop Rio from administering a few more sharp smacks to Mercy's bottom, compelling Mercy to rumble with a hunger for more. Iona let her lips migrate from arm to hip, and leading up Barbie Lynn's hip to my stomach. "Reach a hand back here and take over, you slut," Rio told Mercy. When Mercy made the maneuver, Rio began stripping down. Unlike this weekend, she had only her two labia piercings in, though she still had her tattoo along the hip. She gave me both raised eyebrows to go along with her insane grin as the clothes finished coming off. I partially withdrew my member from Barbie Lynn, eliciting a moan. Iona settled up against me, resting her hands on my chest and hip. I kept a grip on Barbie's hip and slipped a hand around Iona's hip and buttocks, rubbed it along her anus, ending at her cunt. "Ugh," Iona grunted, as I stroked her kitty and sunk a finger inside. The group of us got into a rhythm once Rio knelt behind Mercy and began lapping up her cunt and squeezing her ass. By the way Barbie Lynn was pushing and rotating her hips, grabbing the sheets in tight fists and moaning between her kisses with Mercy, she was approaching her second orgasm. "Zane, Jesus Christ, Zane, oh, God, Baby, ah, aha, Yes!" she screamed. Her ass muscles gripped, twisted, and squeezed my cock so hard, it took all my concentration to not shoot off into her rectum. Barbie Lynn kept pulsing and rocking over the sheets as waves of intense pleasure crested and slowly worked its way through her system. Iona and I started seriously kissing as she stood on her knees beside me. "I want to try something," I told her. "He wants to try something?" I heard Valerie's voice talking to an unseen party. "Somehow the current five-way isn't enough for him." There was a snort in agreement of that. I pumped Barbie Lynn four times in quick succession, then leaned back until my cock was at the very edge of leaving her ass. My torso pivoted, I slipped my arms between Iona's legs and pulled her up by her buttocks and to me. "What?" she gasped. As Iona rose up and I twisted back to a face-forward position, I licked and tongue-tickled my way from her chest, to her stomach, and finally to her pubic hair. "Ah, oh, okay," Iona exhaled with pleasure. She put her hands on my shoulders, moved higher, and moved her legs over my arms and rested them on my shoulders. I still had to hold tight to her ass and raise her to the point I could get my mouth fully on her clit and moist lips. "Oh, damn," Rio giggled, "Zane's making me pull out my toys." SMACK! "Mercy, you behave." Rio moved off the bed, stopped, and said, "You had better not remember where I'm getting these from," to another person. "I wouldn't think of it," Dana Gorman allowed. Clearly my surprise showed in my body because she spoke again. "I wanted to see what all my girls were giggling and whispering about in the showers. I put it down to standard virgin girl hysteria. Now, " "I half expect some porn director to say 'Cut, print' at any second," Valerie added. I really didn't need my sex life critiqued at this moment. I was balancing one girl on my face, licking her silly, while pounding Barbie Lynn's ass. Seriously, can't a man have a simple three-way with two college girls in his room in peace? I was soon too overwhelmed by the price of my sexual ambition to worry about that question. I drank deep of Iona's nectar, licking along the folds from top to bottom while letting my upper lip press against her throbbing clit. She took one hand from my shoulder, wrapped it up in my hair, and cautiously pushed my face deeper into her cunt. "Oh, God, Zane, ah, yes, yes, yes," she panted. "That's it, right there, Ah!" Iona began riding my face with greater and greater vigor. Barbie Lynn gyrated against my crotch. I heard a vibrator cut on and Mercy groaned as Rio did something to her. I suspected that was moving her off Barbie because Barbie began using greater force against me. I began to feel a tightness building up in my guts as my blood pounded from the exertions I was putting myself through. "Come here, Mercy," Rio coaxed, "On your back, my little slut, and spread those legs." I wished I could see what she was up to because soon Mercy was moaning and gurgling all over the place. "Please, Rio," Mercy pleaded, "please, " "Do you like that?" Rio teased. "Wiggle that ass for me, then, Baby." "Ah, oh, Rio, I love you," Mercy moaned. Smack! "None of that, you skank," Rio snapped. "You are my toy, nothing more." "Yes," sobbed Mercy. "Good girl," Rio responded. Mercy gave off a hiccup, then a gasp of pleasure. "You know you are my tight-ass whore; right?" Her victim lurched and moaned several more times. "Yes, yes, I understand," Mercy gasped. "I'm yours, whenever, you want." SMACK! "Good girl. Now shake that ass, Bitch," Rio continued. Mercy began making choking, sobbing sounds. "Don't you dare cum until you get me off. Work that tongue like you mean it." I could now visualize Rio and Mercy in a sixty-nine, Rio on top, with a dildo up Mercy's ass. While figuring that out, I almost missed Iona starting to spasm on my face. I could feel her cunt contracting on my tongue. One hand was yanking and releasing my hair while the fingernails on the other dug into my shoulder. I moved my tongue and latched onto her clit with my lips and sucked on it for all I was worth. "Ah, oh, oh, oh, Zane!" Iona screamed. Her fluids dripped over my nose, into my mouth, and down my chin, but that wasn't my problem. My problem was that Iona's body was convulsing, bending her backward toward the head of the bed and me forward into Barbie Lynn. Of course, if I couldn't stop Iona's progress, she'd topple onto Barbie Lynn too. "Oh, God fuck damn!" Barbie exploded as I rammed my full length into her inadvertently. "Jesus, love, which was cut off by her orgasm taking over. Her anal muscles constricted and that was it for me. Hot semen shot down Barbie's gut, causing her to scream even louder. My whole body was trembling from my ejaculation, plus the strain the two women were putting on me. Somehow I hung on long enough for Iona to reach behind her, catching the headboard, while Barbie Lynn extended her arms up to brace Iona from tumbling over. "Fuck, yeah, that's what I'm talking about," Rio laughed. "Mercy, you can come now." "Uh, uh, thank, oh, God," Mercy gasped out. "Rio, umm, ugh," she choked out before she buried her face into Rio's cunt and muffled further expressions of ecstasy. "Gurr," Rio growled, before burying her face into the top of Mercy's thigh. I figured by Mercy's thrashing that Rio took a bit of a nip out of her playmate's flesh. In a shuddering heap of sweaty flesh, Iona, Barbie Lynn, and I flopped onto the bed without anyone being crushed. They lay there while I remained on my knees. "Damn," Valerie chuckled, "I feel like a virgin all over again." "Hell, I need to take a shower and I just sat here," Gorman agreed. I moved between Barbie Lynn and Iona. "Fuck, he's still hard." "Zane's like that," Barbie Lynn laughed between gasps of breath. "He's always hard after the first round, God bless his soul." Iona snuggled into me, kissing my chest between gulps of air. "It's only been thirty minutes," Iona sighed. "We'll let him recharge a little bit before going at him again." "Yes, my ass hurts," Barbie Lynn added. "I won't be ready for, say an hour." Rio dismounted Mercy and rolled next to Barbie Lynn. "Mercy, get up here and kiss me, damn it," Rio breathed huskily. Mercy staggered around on all fours and crawled up Rio's body until she straddled her. A dreamy smile on her face, Mercy went to kiss Rio on the lips but Rio stopped her. "No, you don't, you cunt," Rio chastised her. "Here," she indicated her chin. Mercy kissed it. Rio then led Mercy on a slow quest over her nose, cheeks, earlobe, and finally the lips. Rio grabbed Mercy's hips and pulled the older girl down on top of her. "Okay, I have to ask; how did Rio end up in bed with Mercy? Mercy is one of my better martial artists and Rio is, well, Rio, kind of an annoying little twerp," Gorman wondered. "I won her playing bingo," was Rio's smarmy comeback. "They developed a relationship when you put her in our path," I was a bit more honest. "Mercy discovered something about herself and someone in Rio who could satisfy her needs." To emphasize the point, Rio spanked Mercy's ass hard and the girl humped Rio in response. "So, besides Cappadocia, are there any of my other girls you, have a relationship with?" Dana inquired. She even leaned forward on the chair she was sitting on. "What makes you think Cappy and I have a thing?" I asked. "On Monday," Dana rolled her eyes at my naivet , "she hated you and on Wednesday, she couldn't keep her eyes off of you and couldn't drive the other teammates out of the gym for your, private lesson. Just because I'm over thirty doesn't mean I'm soft in the head." "That's not fair, Coach," Rio smiled past Mercy. "We never thought you were bright." Before I could say or do anything, Barbie Lynn elbowed her. "Ow!" Rio snickered. "Why are you hitting me?" "I owe you. You said a bad thing, and Zane says never fight yesterday's battles. Now that the Coach is no longer the bad girl, we don't pick on her," Barbie Lynn explained. "But I'm always annoying," Rio countered. "Why is this time special?" "Rio, don't you think Zane deserves a break? He's always throwing himself onto the train tracks for you and you give him shit for it," Barbie Lynn sounded a bit cross. "After all, you wouldn't have Mercy if you'd had your way. Zane was right about you being good for the rest of us to know, and he was right about saving Mercy. I trust him about Coach because I trust you too." "Trust, smust, I'll keep my spank-o-matic," Rio grimaced. She clearly got Barbie Lynn's point but admitting it at the moment wasn't in her. "So, does anyone want to give Mercy a hard spanking? If not, I'm going to get my big strap-on and ream her ass until she is so hoarse, she can't scream anymore." "Don't you think you two need to grow together before using the 'OMG' model?" I warned her. That thing would tear Mercy's unprepared ass to shreds. I reached over Barbie Lynn and spanked Mercy four times, two to each ass cheek. She yelped and jolted with each contact, and while tears welled in her eyes, she couldn't have been happier. "I'm getting my favorite strap-on, then," Rio wiggled from under Mercy. "Hold her back," Valerie joked. "She's lost her mind." Mercy buried her face in the bed, shook her head, and raised her ass up in the air. "Fine, if it's the Spas-monkey you want, so be it." "Have some of this," Barbie Lynn fished out the lubricant and handed it to Mercy. "I don't know how patient Rio is going to be when she gets back." Rio, who was only a few feet away getting out and attaching her strap-on, stuck out her tongue at Valerie and Barbie. "Spas-monkey? I prefer Vibrator-Bunny, or didn't you two get my tweet?" "How about Vibrating Spas?" Iona suggested. Rio howled and charged the bed. "That's it," she giggled, "that tight little virgin ass-hole is mine!" Iona squawked and buried herself under my side. "That's my virgin ass to nurture and enjoy, bro, not yours," I taunted Rio as I reached around and put a comforting arm around Iona. I wasn't sure how Iona would take that. Her kisses to my ribs ended those worries. "I'll nipple twist you for her," Rio grinned. Belying her threat, she was lining up behind Mercy while Mercy was rubbing lube all along her ass cleft and anus. "I never considered the benefits of anal sex in a school full of virgin school girls," Valerie mused. "Oral sex, I expected, but not anal." "Somehow, when the Founders created the Purity Pledge, I suspect they were forbidding all kinds of intercourse, but they never counted on Zane," Dana stated. "Rio, I'm not going to take you on in a contest you love and I hate," I smiled. "How about a shoot-off? I'll spot you two orgasms." "Four," Rio hissed. She'd spread the oil over her dildo and was slowly pushing it into the ass of Mercy. Mercy had her face still buried in the sheets, her fists balled up and her hips pushing back. "Uh, uh, uh," Mercy groaned, as Rio penetrated with short jabs. She rested her hands on Mercy's shoulder and neck. "Okay, now I'm grateful I sleep on my back," Valerie commented. "I promised Zane I wouldn't break her, but if I felt that poking my hiney, I'd stick it somewhere she'd not soon forget." "Do the world a favor and stick it in her mouth," Dana smirked. "Hardy, har-har," Rio chuckled. She reached down beside Mercy, retrieved her vibrator, and began rubbing it along that girl's cunt slit and clit. Barbie Lynn reached for my cock and began stroking it, rubbing it along her ass and between her cheeks. "I need another beer," Dana sighed. "All this is doing is reminding me that plastic doesn't really get the job done." "Get me a Coke and I'll get the popcorn," Valerie said. "After all, I have an open invitation to join whenever I want." I had to wonder when that had happened, then I remembered Rio and her big mouth. Iona had settled in on her side, head propped up on her elbow, as she watched me push into Barbie Lynn once more. I had my hands on her hip and thigh, pushing in with more force this time around. "Feels, so, good," Barbie Lynn sighed, as my cock filled up her rectum. "Make me feel good, Daddy." I lifted up her left leg, then gingerly took her wounded leg and raised it to my shoulder as well. As I felt the deep reaches of her bowels envelop me, Barbie Lynn arched her back and let out a sob of joy. "Oh, that's what I need," she moaned, "That's what I've missed." Unlike our first round, this time we were raw with our hunger for one another. I kneaded her breasts, teasing and pulling the nipples from time to time. Her body was folded up so that our faces were close enough for me to lock onto those gorgeous bedroom blue eyes. Barbie licked her lips and blew kisses at me. I was so into Barbie sensually that I almost missed Mercy going off next to us. "Oh God, oh fuck, oh God!" she verbally exploded. "Please!!!" Rio kept up the slap, slap, slap of her thighs against Mercy's ass. "Don't you give up on me, Bitch," Rio taunted her. She grabbed a handful of Mercy's hair and pulled her shoulder up off the bed until she was balancing on her hands and knees. Rio shot a look my way and mouthed 'I love you' as she kept working Mercy over into one cascading orgasm after another. I was pounding deep into Barbie Lynn's tight orifice, Rio was happy, and Iona was giving me a dreamy, contented look. Life could hardly be better. "Zane, we need to, Oh, My God!" Virginia Goodswell cried out in a shocked voice. "Here, have my seat, Virginia," Gorman grinned. "You look like you are about to fall over." I hadn't even heard Dana or Valerie return. "Zane, what are you doing?" Virginia questioned. "I'm a little busy," I ground out. Fucking was hard, attention intensive, and pleasurable work. "Virginia, he's having anal intercourse with Barbie Lynn Masters," Dana chuckled. "I thought that would have been obvious. Rio Talon is using a strap-on and a dildo on Mercy Chaplain, and Iona, having been touched and licked to two orgasms, is sitting this round out." "I can see that and, Dana, what are you doing here?" Virginia, my Spiritual Advisor, asked. "I'm unemployed so they aren't my students anymore," Dana snorted. "Also, Zane's got one of the few illegal internet hook-up plus satellite TV. My apartment is a tomb, comparatively." "This was the farthest thing from my mind when I learned my Dad was sending me to an All-Girl Christian University," Valerie added. "It is the skirts," Rio giggled. "Zane can't keep his hands off the skirts." "In my experience, Zane has the pathological desire to worship the female form," Iona joined in. "Listen, I knew Zane was having, relationships, but coming in and finding him in bed with four women, girls, students is a bit much to wrap my mind around," Virginia related. "My sex life has been a bit vanilla." "I prefer to think of mine as disappointing," Dana confessed. "All my boyfriends have lived under threat of dismemberment, so I've had it pretty safe too," Valerie stated. "Threat of dismemberment?" Virginia stammered. "She's a member of a major criminal biker organization in the Rockies," Dana informed her. "We are a motorcycle club," Valerie defended her family. "I'm having sex here," I growled. "If you don't mind, " "We are good, Zane," Valerie replied. "Don't worry about us, and Barbie needs you." "Gee, thanks," I grumbled, but she was right; Barbie Lynn needed my attention. "Ms. Palmer, every one of your known associates, except your baby sister, has a criminal record," Dana said. "I've never been convicted of anything," Val countered, "and Mom got off on a bad search." Mercy cried out as Rio shifted to sharp powerful jabs with her artificial cock. "I've got a record," Rio crowed proudly. "That only means you were sloppy enough to get caught," Valerie pointed out. "It wasn't my fault; I ran out of road while driving a stolen Porsche," Rio told us. "You stole a Porsche?" Valerie asked. "How do you run out of road in an expensive, high-performance sports car?" Virginia wondered. "Yes, take that, Mercy, you bitch," slap, slap, "I stole a Porsche and I ran out of road when I cruised into another car showroom on the far side of town. Who knew that those dumb sons-of-bitches didn't put a back way out that place?" "Rio, why did you steal something that didn't belong to you in the first place?" Iona begged to know. "Blame drugs, teenage hormones, or the fact that it was a school night, I hadn't studied for a test the next day, and this sounded like the best way of not having to take it," Rio suggested. I would have told them that was Rio-speak for 'I have no idea' except I'd finally stretched Barbie Lynn's hamstrings to the point we had our tongues entwined, mouths pressed, and teeth nibbling on each other's lips like famished lovers. I could feel her anal spasm vibrating up through her body and her lungs fighting for air. She was getting close and I thought it was going to be a big one. "That would be an exhibition of low impulse control," Dana chided Rio. "I think it shows poor life choices," Virginia stated. "I think it shows she's fucking nuts," Valerie declared. "Fine, whatever, but I'm one of the two people fucking a sweet piece of ass while you dykes are sitting on the sidelines," Rio taunted them. "You are my students," Virginia began, "I don't, She was interrupted by Barbie Lynn. "Ugh, Oh, Lord Jesus, Zane," she gasped then, "Ai!" she screamed so loud I was afraid my brain would explode. She kept trying to buck me off and thrash about so violently that I was afraid she'd hurt herself, or me. I rode that wave for almost a minute before Barbie Lynn made one final strenuous effort, then went limp in my arms. I gently shifted her legs down my sides to rest on the bed. I remained propped over her until her eyes focused on me and an ephemeral smile graced her lips. "Umm, sleepy," she purred. "Okay, Babe," I said, then kissed her nose. Her eyes closed and her breathing became low and regular. "Okay,&quo
Send us a textIn the 4th century AD, two Christian friends - Basil and Gregory - travelled from Cappadocia to Athens to go study Greek literature with Libanius, the leading rhetorician of the time. While there, these two young and wealthy Cappadocians befriended a fellow student named Julian, the nephew of the Emperor Constantine. There in Athens, the three young Christians mastered Greek philosophy and rhetoric at Libanius' feet. Later on, Basil went on to become the bishop of Caesarea, one of the architects of orthodoxy's victory over the Arian heresy, and was later named a "Doctor of the Church." His friend Gregory of Nazianzus rose to become one of the foremost preachers and theologians in church history. And their friend Julian became Emperor - and having repudiated the Christian faith, attempted to turn the newly Christian Roman Empire pagan again. Clearly, as the example of Julian the Apostate shows, pagan mythology and literature pose a danger to Christian faith. But can pagan learning serve Christian faith as well? Jonathan and Ryan are joined, once again, by the Rev. Calvin Goligher to discuss St. Basil of Caesarea's "Address to Young Men on the Right Use of Greek Literature," in which he answers heartily in the affirmative, and explains how to use Greek poetry, philosophy, and history for the edification of young Christian students. St. Basil's Address to Young Men on the Right Use of Greek Literature: https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/basil_litterature01.htmFrederick Morgan Padelford's Introduction to St. Basil and the Address to Young Men: https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/basil_litterature00.htmRichard M. Gamble's The Great Tradition: https://amzn.to/3Q4lRnONH episode on Justin Martyr: https://newhumanists.buzzsprout.com/1791279/episodes/10722142-justin-martyr-s-first-apology-feat-calvin-goligher-episode-xxivNH episode on Athanasius: https://newhumanists.buzzsprout.com/1791279/episodes/9827740-athanasius-on-the-incarnation-feat-calvin-goligher-episode-xvRobert Louis Wilken's The Spirit of Early Christian Thought: https://bookshop.org/a/25626/9780300105988New Humanists is brought to you by the Ancient Language Institute: https://ancientlanguage.com/Links may have referral codes, which earn us a commission at no additional cost to you. We encourage you, when possible, to use Bookshop.org for your book purchases, an online bookstore which supports local bookstores.Music: Save Us Now by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com
Think Frankists Are Irrelevant? That's who gave you Scofield, Darby, Dispensationalism, and Zionism. The Lurian Kabbalah is the Impetus behind the world plan of destruction, and the genocide of the European. We are witness to a FRAUD carried out in their Artificial world under their artificial terms and enslaved by their artificial concept of wealth and power.The root of the word God comes from Got(h). We're not looking for a heavenly being to come rescue mankind. We're looking for the spirit of emapthy, compassion, bravery, justice, and defiance to rise within ourselves. God works through us, not on our behalf. This is not work for the weak or cowardly. The Goth are the "Chosen," and it is a heavy burden to be tasked with defeating EVIL.Get Dr Monzo's Whole Food Supplements for your 90 Essential Revitalizing Nutrients here:https://SemperFryLLC.comClick His Picture on the Right for the AZURE WELL products and use code BB5 for your discount.Pods & Exclusives AD-FREE!https://patreon.com/c/DisguisetheLimitsDon't be a schmoe, Support the Show!https://GiveSendGo.com/BaalBustersConsistent shows, Consistent effort.Want Dan's book or his Award winning hot sauces and spicy honey? Go here:https://SemperFryLLC.comJoin Dr. Glidden's Membership site:https://leavebigpharmabehind.com/?via=pgndhealthCode: baalbusters for 25% OffIntroducing Survival Prep and Safety Supplies here:https://bit.ly/4b2yFojBooks and Documentaries You Should Own:https://www.bannedbyamazon.com/Use Code: BBDan for 10% OffSupport keeps the videos coming.Find clickable portals to Dr Monzo and Dr Glidden on Dan's site, and it's the home of the best hot sauce, his book, and Clean Source Creatine-HCL.Subscribe to the NEW dedicated channel for Dr Glidden's Health Solutions Showhttps://rumble.com/c/DrGliddenHealthShowBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/ba-al-busters-broadcast--5100262/support.
He was a nobleman, related to the imperial houses of Persia and Armenia. When these two houses went to war with one another, Gregory withdrew to Caesarea in Cappadocia, where he heard the Gospel proclaimed and came to faith in Christ. There he also married and had two sons. After his wife's death he returned to his homeland and served in the court of Tiridates, king of Armenia. When the king discovered that Gregory was a Christian, he subjected the Saint to many tortures, finally having him cast into a pit full of mire and poisonous reptiles. But Gregory was miraculously kept alive in the pit for fourteen years, during which a widow secretyly provided for his needs. King Tiridates, still cruelly persecuting the Christians in his land, eventually went mad and became like a wild animal. In a dream, the king's sister was told that her brother would only be restored to sanity when Gregory was freed from the pit. This was done, and Gregory healed and baptised his persecutor. At the king's request, Gregory was made bishop of Armenia. As bishop he brought countless thousands to faith in Christ and is counted as the Enlightener of Armenia. In old age he retired into ascetical life, and reposed in peace.
He was a nobleman, related to the imperial houses of Persia and Armenia. When these two houses went to war with one another, Gregory withdrew to Caesarea in Cappadocia, where he heard the Gospel proclaimed and came to faith in Christ. There he also married and had two sons. After his wife's death he returned to his homeland and served in the court of Tiridates, king of Armenia. When the king discovered that Gregory was a Christian, he subjected the Saint to many tortures, finally having him cast into a pit full of mire and poisonous reptiles. But Gregory was miraculously kept alive in the pit for fourteen years, during which a widow secretyly provided for his needs. King Tiridates, still cruelly persecuting the Christians in his land, eventually went mad and became like a wild animal. In a dream, the king's sister was told that her brother would only be restored to sanity when Gregory was freed from the pit. This was done, and Gregory healed and baptised his persecutor. At the king's request, Gregory was made bishop of Armenia. As bishop he brought countless thousands to faith in Christ and is counted as the Enlightener of Armenia. In old age he retired into ascetical life, and reposed in peace.
Thổ Nhĩ Kỳ - đất nước giao thoa kỳ diệu giữa châu Âu và châu Á, đang ngày càng thu hút du khách quốc tế bằng vẻ đẹp đa dạng và những trải nghiệm khó quên. Trong số đó, hành trình road trip từ Istanbul đến Cappadocia chính là một cuộc phiêu lưu vừa mộng mơ, vừa khám phá văn hóa và thiên nhiên kỳ vĩ, khiến bất kỳ ai cũng say mê.
QUOTES FOR REFLECTION“Americans have…a new rule written into their mental operating systems: Do your own thing, find your own reality, it's all relative. …Today, each of us is freer than ever to custom-make reality, to believe whatever and pretend to be whoever we wish. Which makes all the lines between actual and fictional blur and disappear more easily. Truth in general becomes flexible, personal, subjective. And we like this new ultra-freedom, insist on it, even as we fear and loathe the ways so many of our… fellow Americans use it.”~Kurt Andersen, author of Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire “…there is the view that God still speaks to us independent of the Bible. Drink this milk for a number of years and you will soon be attributing to God the inner voices coming from your fallen self.”~Conrad Mbewe, Zambian pastor “Truth is what your contemporaries let you get away with.”~Richard M. Rorty (1931-2007), postmodern philosopher “When people give up the search for truth, people turn to propaganda. And propaganda relies on emotional power.”~Jacques Ellul (1912-1994) French philosopher and sociologist “…we are not entitled to such license, I mean that of affirming what we please; we make the Holy Scriptures the rule and the measure of every tenet…”~Gregory of Nyssa (c. 335-c. 394), influential Christian leader, based in ancient Cappadocia “…we ought not to deliver even the most casual remark without the Holy Scriptures: nor be drawn aside by mere probabilities and the artifices of argument. Do not then believe me because I tell you these things, unless you receive from the Holy Scriptures the proof of what is set forth: for this salvation, which is of our faith, is not by ingenious reasonings, but by proof from the Holy Scriptures.”~Cyril of Alexandria, 5th century Christian bishop “[Christ] is everywhere, but he does not wish that you grope for him everywhere. Grope rather where the Word is, and there you will lay hold of him in the right way.”~Martin Luther (1483-1546), German reformerSERMON PASSAGESGenesis 1 (NASB95) 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.... Psalm 33 (NASB95)6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,And by the breath of His mouth all their host….9 For He spoke, and it was done;He commanded, and it stood fast. John 1 (NASB95) 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it…. 14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 5 (NASB95) 39 “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; 40 and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life…. 45 Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; the one who accuses you is Moses, in whom you have set your hope. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” Luke 24 (ESV)25 And [Jesus] said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself…. 44 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” Galatians 1 (NIV) 11 I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. 12 I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2 (NIV) 19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. Hebrews 1 (NIV) 1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. 3 The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.
Acts 2:1-24When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren't all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will show wonders in the heavens aboveand signs on the earth below,blood and fire and billows of smoke.The sun will be turned to darknessand the moon to bloodbefore the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who callson the name of the Lord will be saved.'“Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God's deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.
Only a few days remain to begin your 14-day free trial of Night Falls Premium, as the offer ends Monday. This month we'll be releasing our Travel Collection, which will take you on hours of gentle, uninterrupted journeys — from the shimmering white sands of K'Gari Island, to the pastel cliffs of Sorrento to the hot air drifting above Cappadocia. It's the perfect way to hold onto the warmth of summer while settling back into your rhythm — all ad-free, and all designed to help you sleep. Tap to subscribe in Apple Podcasts, or use the Supercast link below for Spotify and other players, to start your free trial before it disappears. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
To become a follower of Jesus, visit: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/MeetJesus (NOT a Morning Mindset resource) ⇒ TELL SOMEONE ABOUT THE MORNING MINDSET - Your personal recommendation can make an eternal difference in the lives of the people you know! STEP ONE: Go to http://YourMorningMindset.com STEP TWO: Share that page with someone you know! ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: 1 Peter 1:1–2 - Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, [2] according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. (ESV) ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THE MORNING MINDSET: (not tax-deductible) -- Become a monthly partner: https://mm-gfk-partners.supercast.com/ -- Underwrite one daily episode: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/daily-sponsor/ -- Give one-time: https://give.cornerstone.cc/careygreen -- Venmo: @CareyNGreen ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ FOREIGN LANGUAGE VERSIONS OF THIS PODCAST: Subscribe to the SPANISH version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Spanish Subscribe to the HINDI version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Hindi Subscribe to the CHINESE version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Chinese ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ CONTACT: Carey@careygreen.com ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ THEME MUSIC: “King’s Trailer” – Creative Commons 0 | Provided by https://freepd.com/ ***All NON-ENGLISH versions of the Morning Mindset are translated using A.I. Dubbing and Translation tools from DubFormer.ai ***All NON-ENGLISH text content (descriptions and titles) are translated using the A.I. functionality of Google Translate.
To become a follower of Jesus, visit: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/MeetJesus (NOT a Morning Mindset resource) ⇒ Get a copy of the MM Companion Journal: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/journal ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: 1 Peter 1:1–2 - [1] Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, [2] according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. (ESV) ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THE MORNING MINDSET: (not tax-deductible) -- Become a monthly partner: https://mm-gfk-partners.supercast.com/ -- Underwrite one daily episode: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/daily-sponsor/ -- Give one-time: https://give.cornerstone.cc/careygreen -- Venmo: @CareyNGreen ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ FOREIGN LANGUAGE VERSIONS OF THIS PODCAST: Subscribe to the SPANISH version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Spanish Subscribe to the HINDI version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Hindi Subscribe to the CHINESE version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Chinese ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ CONTACT: Carey@careygreen.com ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ THEME MUSIC: “King’s Trailer” – Creative Commons 0 | Provided by https://freepd.com/ ***All NON-ENGLISH versions of the Morning Mindset are translated using A.I. Dubbing and Translation tools from DubFormer.ai ***All NON-ENGLISH text content (descriptions and titles) are translated using the A.I. functionality of Google Translate.
To become a follower of Jesus, visit: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/MeetJesus (NOT a Morning Mindset resource) ⇒ Join the MMM Prayer Team: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/PrayerTeam ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: 1 Peter 1:1–2 - [1] Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, [2] according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. (ESV) ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THE MORNING MINDSET: (not tax-deductible) -- Become a monthly partner: https://mm-gfk-partners.supercast.com/ -- Underwrite one daily episode: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/daily-sponsor/ -- Give one-time: https://give.cornerstone.cc/careygreen -- Venmo: @CareyNGreen ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ FOREIGN LANGUAGE VERSIONS OF THIS PODCAST: Subscribe to the SPANISH version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Spanish Subscribe to the HINDI version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Hindi Subscribe to the CHINESE version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Chinese ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ CONTACT: Carey@careygreen.com ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ THEME MUSIC: “King’s Trailer” – Creative Commons 0 | Provided by https://freepd.com/ ***All NON-ENGLISH versions of the Morning Mindset are translated using A.I. Dubbing and Translation tools from DubFormer.ai ***All NON-ENGLISH text content (descriptions and titles) are translated using the A.I. functionality of Google Translate.
Summer may be over, but the journeys don't have to end. From September 8th to September 22nd, you can start a 14-day free trial of Night Falls Premium — our ad-free world of deeply relaxing stories and exclusive themed collections. This month on premium, we'll be releasing our Travel Collection, which will carry you across oceans, mountains, and winding coastlines, with hours of gentle storytelling designed to help you drift peacefully to sleep and ease back into your routine after a vacation. Wander the wild sands of K'Gari Island, stroll sun-warmed streets in Sorrento, glide above Cappadocia's painted valleys, and follow the curves of the Amalfi Coast. Tap to subscribe in Apple Podcasts, or use the Supercast link below for Spotify and other players, to start your free trial and set off on your next dreamlike escape tonight. Supercast link
To become a follower of Jesus, visit: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/MeetJesus (NOT a Morning Mindset resource) ⇒ BECOME A MONTHLY PARTNER: (not tax-deductible) You can find out how to become a monthly partner including how to receive your "thank you" gift - our bonus podcast called "Digging Deeper." God t: https://mm-gfk-partners.supercast.com/ ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: 1 Peter 1:1–2 - [1] Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, [2] according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. (ESV) ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THE MORNING MINDSET: (not tax-deductible) -- Become a monthly partner: https://mm-gfk-partners.supercast.com/ -- Underwrite one daily episode: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/daily-sponsor/ -- Give one-time: https://give.cornerstone.cc/careygreen -- Venmo: @CareyNGreen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FOREIGN LANGUAGE VERSIONS OF THIS PODCAST: Subscribe to the SPANISH version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Spanish Subscribe to the HINDI version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Hindi Subscribe to the CHINESE version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Chinese ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ CONTACT: Carey@careygreen.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THEME MUSIC: “King’s Trailer” – Creative Commons 0 | Provided by https://freepd.com/ ***All NON-ENGLISH versions of the Morning Mindset are translated using A.I. Dubbing and Translation tools from DubFormer.ai ***All NON-ENGLISH text content (descriptions and titles) are translated using the A.I. functionality of Google Translate.
To become a follower of Jesus, visit: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/MeetJesus (NOT a Morning Mindset resource) ⇒ Listen to our other podcasts: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: 1 Peter 1:1–2 - [1] Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, [2] according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. (ESV) ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THE MORNING MINDSET: (not tax-deductible) -- Become a monthly partner: https://mm-gfk-partners.supercast.com/ -- Underwrite one daily episode: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/daily-sponsor/ -- Give one-time: https://give.cornerstone.cc/careygreen -- Venmo: @CareyNGreen ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ FOREIGN LANGUAGE VERSIONS OF THIS PODCAST: Subscribe to the SPANISH version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Spanish Subscribe to the HINDI version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Hindi Subscribe to the CHINESE version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Chinese ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ CONTACT: Carey@careygreen.com ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ THEME MUSIC: “King’s Trailer” – Creative Commons 0 | Provided by https://freepd.com/ ***All NON-ENGLISH versions of the Morning Mindset are translated using A.I. Dubbing and Translation tools from DubFormer.ai ***All NON-ENGLISH text content (descriptions and titles) are translated using the A.I. functionality of Google Translate.
To become a follower of Jesus, visit: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/MeetJesus (NOT a Morning Mindset resource) ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ ⇒Check out all of Carey's books - for adults and kids, fiction and non-fiction : https://CareyGreen.com/books ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: 1 Peter 1:1–2 - [1] Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, [2] according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. (ESV) ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THE MORNING MINDSET: (not tax-deductible) -- Become a monthly partner: https://mm-gfk-partners.supercast.com/ -- Underwrite one daily episode: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/daily-sponsor/ -- Give one-time: https://give.cornerstone.cc/careygreen -- Venmo: @CareyNGreen ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ FOREIGN LANGUAGE VERSIONS OF THIS PODCAST: Subscribe to the SPANISH version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Spanish Subscribe to the HINDI version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Hindi Subscribe to the CHINESE version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Chinese ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ CONTACT: Carey@careygreen.com ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ THEME MUSIC: “King’s Trailer” – Creative Commons 0 | Provided by https://freepd.com/ ***All NON-ENGLISH versions of the Morning Mindset are translated using A.I. Dubbing and Translation tools from DubFormer.ai ***All NON-ENGLISH text content (descriptions and titles) are translated using the A.I. functionality of Google Translate.
To become a follower of Jesus, visit: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/MeetJesus (NOT a Morning Mindset resource) ⇒ TELL SOMEONE ABOUT THE MORNING MINDSET - Your personal recommendation can make an eternal difference in the lives of the people you know! STEP ONE: Go to http://YourMorningMindset.com STEP TWO: Share that page with someone you know! ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: 1 Peter 1:1–2 - [1] Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, [2] according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. (ESV) ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THE MORNING MINDSET: (not tax-deductible) -- Become a monthly partner: https://mm-gfk-partners.supercast.com/ -- Underwrite one daily episode: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/daily-sponsor/ -- Give one-time: https://give.cornerstone.cc/careygreen -- Venmo: @CareyNGreen ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ FOREIGN LANGUAGE VERSIONS OF THIS PODCAST: Subscribe to the SPANISH version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Spanish Subscribe to the HINDI version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Hindi Subscribe to the CHINESE version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Chinese ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ CONTACT: Carey@careygreen.com ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ THEME MUSIC: “King’s Trailer” – Creative Commons 0 | Provided by https://freepd.com/ ***All NON-ENGLISH versions of the Morning Mindset are translated using A.I. Dubbing and Translation tools from DubFormer.ai ***All NON-ENGLISH text content (descriptions and titles) are translated using the A.I. functionality of Google Translate.
He began his life in the cruelest of circumstances: both of his parents were imprisoned for their faith in Christ. First his father, Theodotus, died in prison, then his mother, Rufina, died shortly after his birth, so the infant was left alone in prison beside the bodies of his parents. But an angel appeared to the widow Ammia, telling her to go to the prison and rescue the child. Ammia obtained the city governor's permission to bury the parents and bring the child home. He was called Mamas because he was mute until the age of five and his first word was `Mama'. Despite his late beginning, he showed unusual intelligence and, having been brought up in piety, soon openly proclaimed his Christian faith. When he was only fifteen years old he was arrested and brought before the Emperor Aurelian. The Emperor, perhaps seeking to spare the boy, told him to deny Christ only with his lips, and the State would not concern itself with his heart. Mamas replied `I shall not deny my God and King Jesus Christ either in my heart or with my lips.' He was sent to be tortured, but miraculously escaped and lived in the mountains near Caesarea. There he lived in solitude and prayer and befriended many wild beasts. In time, he was discovered by the persecutors and stabbed to death with a trident by a pagan priest.
He began his life in the cruelest of circumstances: both of his parents were imprisoned for their faith in Christ. First his father, Theodotus, died in prison, then his mother, Rufina, died shortly after his birth, so the infant was left alone in prison beside the bodies of his parents. But an angel appeared to the widow Ammia, telling her to go to the prison and rescue the child. Ammia obtained the city governor's permission to bury the parents and bring the child home. He was called Mamas because he was mute until the age of five and his first word was `Mama'. Despite his late beginning, he showed unusual intelligence and, having been brought up in piety, soon openly proclaimed his Christian faith. When he was only fifteen years old he was arrested and brought before the Emperor Aurelian. The Emperor, perhaps seeking to spare the boy, told him to deny Christ only with his lips, and the State would not concern itself with his heart. Mamas replied `I shall not deny my God and King Jesus Christ either in my heart or with my lips.' He was sent to be tortured, but miraculously escaped and lived in the mountains near Caesarea. There he lived in solitude and prayer and befriended many wild beasts. In time, he was discovered by the persecutors and stabbed to death with a trident by a pagan priest.
There's so much more to the figure of St. George than his battle with a dragon. Legends also tell of his grisly martyrdom, capture of a demon, and postmortem abilities to cure madness through contact with his relics. In the Holy Land, there is even a tradition syncretizing St. George with a a supernatural figure of Muslim legend. We begin with a look at a modernized take on the St. George legend, the annual Drachenstich, or “dragon-stabbing," held in the Bavarian town of Furth im Wald. Beginning in 1590 with a performer representing the saint riding in a church procession, George was soon joined by a simple, canvas dragon, which over time evolved into the the world's largest 4-legged robot used in the event today. 19th-century Drachenstich in Furth im Walld Mrs. Karswell next reads for us the primary source for the dragon story, Jacobus de Voragine's collection of saint stories compiled around 1260, known as the Golden Legend. It popularized the tradition that George was a Christian soldier in in the Roman (Byzantine) army, born in Cappadocia, in central Turkey, and executed for refusing to bow to Imperial gods. There is also a princes to be rescued from the dragon but no king gives George her hand in marriage, as you might expect. Though Voragine set this episode in Libya, this setting was not really retained i the tradition. As one of early Christianity's "soldier saints," George held particular appeal for soldiers of the Crusades. We hear of two incidents of George leading Crusaders to victory as recounted in the Golden Legend and the Gesta Francorum (deeds of the Franks). When in 1483 William Caxton's English translation of the Golden Legend appeared, anecdotes of British interest were added, including George's connection to English knightood and The Order of the Garter. Elizabethan writer Richard Johnson featured George in his 1596 volume, Seven Champions of Christendom, elements of which were borrowed into mummers plays in which George became a hero. We hear snippets of these. Returning to Germany, we learn how George was also said to have encouraged the armies of Friedrich Barbarossa at the Battle of Antioch during the Third Crusade. We then delve a bit more into the history of the Drachenstich performances. Some folksy details from 19th-century newspapers documenting the tradition are also provided. We then return to the Golden Legend for an account of George's martyrdom. The location of this episode is not specified, but George's pagan nemesis here can be identified with Dacianus, the Roman prelate who governed Spain and Gaul. The tortures endured run the gamut from rack to hot lead, all of which are supernaturally endured until the saint is ultimately beheaded. Divine retribution in the form of fire falling from heaven is also included. Next, we investigate earlier sources adapted into Voragine's dragon story, the first known being an 11th-century manuscript written by Georgian monks residing in Jerusalem. George's background as a soldier from Cappadocia is identical, as is the endangered princess, though the victory over the beast lacks elements of swordplay and is largely accomplished through prayer. In this version, George is also responsible for the founding of a church complete with healing well. From the same manuscript, we hear a few more miracle stories, the "Coffee Boy" legend, George's defeat of a loquacious demon, a cautionary tale of a murderous and greedy hermit ostensibly, and a charming story involving a unhappy boy, George, and a pancake. We then take a look at the oldest St. George text probably written in Syria around the year 600. It's known as the “Syriac Passion of St. George," and details an extraordinary series of tortures so fantastical as to be declared heretical by the Church in the Decretum Gelasianum, probably within a century of the story's composition. 14th-cent Russian depiction of St. George's Martyrdom Digging a little deeper,
The glam squad is in overdrive as Pol' Atteu and Patrik Simpson welcome actress, model, and total powerhouse Danielle Vasinova into the Undressed hot seat! You know her from The Bay (where she snagged an Emmy), the Yellowstone universe (1923), and now the buzzy new series The Madison alongside Michelle Pfeiffer and Kurt Russell. But behind the Hollywood dazzle is a farm girl from Connecticut who once shoveled manure, milked cows, and slept in her horse's stall when she got mad at her parents. Talk about rags-to-red-carpet! From cheerleading drama (she made the squad, her best friend didn't) to being scouted by Elite in a mall, Danielle dishes how her small-town upbringing collided with the high-fashion world of New York. She opens up about moving to L.A. in her Honda Accord, crashing on a blow-up mattress in Van Nuys (with some colorful neighbors), and landing her first acting gig on The Young and the Restless as “Stone” — literally overnight. The convo goes wild with casino confessions (Pol' screaming like a jackpot winner over $5), favorite cocktails (Danielle's a “skinny spicy” girl, Patrik' a Espresso Martini queen), and whether marrying Danielle could get Pol' or Patrik that coveted Cherokee/Sioux “check.” From horse racing dreams (her bucket list is a Kentucky Derby winner named Danny California) to how she landed 1923 by actually knowing how to ride a horse when another actress couldn't — Danielle proves preparation meets destiny. Plus, she spills on working with Harrison Ford, crossing paths with Helen Mirren, and filming The Madison in Montana. The tea gets deeper when Danielle reveals she nearly lost her life in early COVID days — placed on a ventilator, dropping to 90 pounds, and relearning how to walk. Her resilience and gratitude shine as she recalls surviving against all odds, a life-changing moment that reshaped everything. Patrik and Pol' share their own brushes with illness, a dramatic horse accident (caught on film for Gown and Out in Beverly Hills), and how angels—and a bit of couture flair—always seem to intervene. And because it's not Undressed without some glam gossip, we touch on Danielle being honored as Glamour Magazine's Woman of the Year, modeling for Condé Nast in Cappadocia, and her Comic-Con adventures (yes, being body-scanned in Van Nuys by “Dick” is as awkward as it sounds). Finally, Pol' pulls Danielle into the mystical world of his famous coffee cup reading. In the grinds, he sees anchors of her life: a feather tied to her role as Kestrel in The Madison and a volcanic rock from Iceland she always carries, both symbols of grounding and destiny. The reading hints at not only two new opportunities ahead, but also a hidden admirer in her life who wants to step out of the “friend zone.” Danielle is shook, Patrik is cackling, and Pol' insists the rock will guide her toward love and fortune. From Hollywood gossip to heartfelt survival stories, farm life to fashion spreads, and casinos to Comanche dialect coaches, this episode is a rollercoaster of laughs, revelations, and glam-tastic storytelling that proves Danielle Vasinova is anything but ordinary. Subscribe to our audio: linktr.ee/undressedpod Follow Pol Atteu: Instagram: @polatteu Tiktok: @polatteu Twitter: @polatteu www.polatteu.com Follow Patrik Simpson: Instagram: @patriksimpson Tiktok: @patriksimpsonbh www.patriksimpson.com Follow SnowWhite90210: Instagram: @snowwhite90210 Twitter: @SnowWhite9010 www.snowwhite90210.com Watch Gown and Out In Beverly Hills on Prime Video. www.gownandoutinbeverlyhills.com #UndressedPodcast Armenian Coffee Reading: https://polatteu.com/armenian-coffee-cup-read Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Have you ever trusted an animal's instinct when it comes to trusting people?Today I want to introduce you to Ismail, I had the pleasure of meeting Ismail on one of my trips to Cappadocia and have come to look forward to seeing his smile and his company. Ismail is one so much talent, a kind heart, and someone that is easy to laugh and get creative with when it comes to photography and his love for horsesWe chat a little about what it means to allow the pursuit of what you love change your life, how his first horse led him to becoming a veterinarian, and how that brought him to Cappadocia, and to what life is like for him now. We talk about how learning is something to never give up on and how the pursuit of being open to learning allows us to welcome incredible things into our lives.He shares one of the most important life lessons I believe we can all learn, in how knowing time with ourselves is not something to fear but rather something to press into. How life can allow us the opportunity to do so or we can pursue it for ourselves, and how it leads to allowing us to know who we want to become. Ismail is kind, someone I trust, someone with a gentle heart, one who works hard, and pours into his work without hesitation. Ismail is someone you will not get to know fully from this episode, like most that I get to share on here, you are getting a small part of someone's story, a piece of what makes them who they are, and I'm so honored to share a part of this humans story with you. So tune in today and meet this sweet human, I believe animals hold an ability to know the good in someone, and I have witnessed time and again Ismail to be someone who holds the trust of a horse, and it is such humans that I believe make this world a kinder and more loving place to be And to you Ismail thank you, thank you for letting me share a little of you, thank you for the times of sharing conversation, for getting to create with you, for your gentle and warm heart, and the chance to know you more. You are a beautiful soul and one I am grateful to know. May you always be seen fully for who you are in this life
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.
"Saint Eudocimus was from Cappadocia, the son of pious and most illustrious parents, patricians in rank. He especially cultivated chastity and mercy, the one by never meeting the gaze of a woman, the other by cheerfully providing the needs of the poor. When he was made military commander of Cappadocia, he continued in his righteous ways, showing mercy and uprightness in all his dealings. Having so lived in piety, quietly and without ostentation, he was called from this life at the age of thirty-three, about the year 840, during the reign of the Iconoclast Theophilus. Not long after his burial, his grave became a fountain of unending miracles, as God revealed the virtue that Eudocimus had striven to hide; when his grave was later opened, his body was found incorrupt. His holy relics were translated to Constantinople." (Great Horologion)
"Saint Eudocimus was from Cappadocia, the son of pious and most illustrious parents, patricians in rank. He especially cultivated chastity and mercy, the one by never meeting the gaze of a woman, the other by cheerfully providing the needs of the poor. When he was made military commander of Cappadocia, he continued in his righteous ways, showing mercy and uprightness in all his dealings. Having so lived in piety, quietly and without ostentation, he was called from this life at the age of thirty-three, about the year 840, during the reign of the Iconoclast Theophilus. Not long after his burial, his grave became a fountain of unending miracles, as God revealed the virtue that Eudocimus had striven to hide; when his grave was later opened, his body was found incorrupt. His holy relics were translated to Constantinople." (Great Horologion)