Podcasts about cautiously

2. Bunker 2: Stalin, Mao, and the Communist Asian Strategy. Joseph Stalin cautiously hosted Mao Zedong in Moscow, eventually providing industrial support and military aid while seeking to secure Soviet borders through strategic Asian expansion. Guest: Nick Bunker.

Alejandro Peña Esclusa discusses the reported capture of Nicolás Maduro, described as a Cuban asset and drug cartel leader, noting Venezuelans are cautiously celebrating with open protests while threats remain from radical groups and international friction regarding the transition.1900 PRESIDENT CIPRIANO CASTRO AND CABINET

Bongani Bingwa speaks with Dr. Sheetal Kassim, clinical researcher at the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation, about South Africa launching its first human trial of an HIV vaccine exploring early scientific developments that could transform prevention efforts. 702 Breakfast with Bongani Bingwa is broadcast on 702, a Johannesburg based talk radio station. Bongani makes sense of the news, interviews the key newsmakers of the day, and holds those in power to account on your behalf. The team bring you all you need to know to start your day Thank you for listening to a podcast from 702 Breakfast with Bongani Bingwa Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 06:00 and 09:00 (SA Time) to Breakfast with Bongani Bingwa broadcast on 702: https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/36edSLV or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/zEcM35T Subscribe to the 702 Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/v5mfetc Follow us on social media: 702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/Radio702 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio7See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Local officials and advocates in Maine are reacting cautiously after hearing ICE may wind down its "enhanced" operations in Maine.

Scott Hrabcack of Hanna Commercial Real Estate is "Cautiously optimistic" as he goes over the latest numbers

Show Notes On this week's podcast, Dan and Kris bring you the 2026 Year in Preview! There are a lot of new games coming out, but will they be any good? Are they worth being hyped for? Will there be any surprises? What wild predictions do our hosts have in mind? Let's find out! Then, in Week Old News, AI continues to be a scourge, even when it's hard to tell if it was even used in the first place, Capcom's got lots of Street Fighter news, CES gadgets get Dan all hot and bothered, and someone actually beat Super Meat Boy without dying! Finally, in the Checkpoint, Dan and Kris are all about Ball x Pit, Dan attempts to catch up on Stranger Things, Kris finishes Metroid Prime 4, Dan tells a last minute story about computer graphics cards, and more. Enjoy! See Our Faces!!! Stone Age Gamer YouTube Just Hear Our Voices Audio only version Useful Links Support us on Patreon StoneAgeGamer.com The Gratuitous Rainbow Spectrum Safe at Home Rescue Shoot the Moon Stitches Art of Angela Dean's Substack SAG's theme Song “Squared Roots” by Banjo Guy Ollie Social Stuff Join us on Discord! Twitch Geekade Facebook Stone Age Gamer Facebook Geekade Twitter Stone Age Gamer Twitter Geekade Instagram Stone Age Gamer Instagram YouTube Geekade Contact Us

Tensions have eased within the Morning Show after contrasting reactions to the Eagles' starters sitting for their Week 18 loss to the Commanders. Jon Ritchie clarifies that he has relaxed his opinion on the decision and hopes that his theory that the Eagles derailed their path to postseason success is proved wrong. Joe DeCamara debuts his “cautiously confident” mentality for the team moving forward. Rubén Amaro Jr., Ron Jaworski, Eliot Shorr-Parks, and Nick Sirianni recap the ending to the Eagles' regular season and set expectations for their first playoff game against the 49ers on Sunday. The Team wraps up reacting to the show's Twitter poll results and listening to Time's Yours!

The WIP Morning Team discusses where they stand ahead of the Eagles game this Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers. The team breaks down their thoughts and debates whether it is a wild thought to be cautiously confident. The Morning Team talks about how they feel heading into the game. Will the Eagles be able to rise to the occasion? Or will they disappoint early on in the postseason?

Elf on a Shelf: Part 2 Life in hob-along mode. Based on a post by LingeringAfterthought, in 3 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. When she woke the next morning, Zach was standing next to the bed with a pain pill and a glass of water. "Terry's gonna be here in about half an hour. I could make you some breakfast?" he said, putting the pill and the water into her hand. Honey shook her head, feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders. "I'd; I'd like to take a shower before I go; if that's okay," she asked. "Right; uh; I'll just set it up for you. I'll get your things together after you're done in there; if you still want to go, that is; Honey closed her eyes and nodded, "Thank you," she whispered, unable to look at the silent pleading in his face. When the shower was ready, Zach carried her down the stairs and set her down in his large walk-in shower on the bathing chair he'd set up for her. "I, uh; I warmed up the water. The; soap and shampoo stuff is right here," he said, gesturing to a collection of bottles put down within her reach. "If you need anything, I'll be right; right here," he said, sitting down on the toilet, looking like he didn't know what to do with his hands. Honey nodded and took off her nightgown and panties, putting them on the floor outside the shower. She leaned down and began unwrapping the velcro the straps on her boot, finding that she couldn't reach the last one. She opened her mouth to ask for help, but Zach was already sliding the door open to undo it for her. When he disassembled the boot around her foot and lifted it away, a slight whimper escaped her when the motion bumped her ankle slightly. Zach's eyes flashed to hers as she tried to cover herself with her arms, "I'm okay," she whispered. Clenching his jaw, Zach nodded, stood and left the stall. The water felt like heaven after the sad sponge baths she had given herself in bed. Her skin came alive in the heat and flushed a deep pink. "Is that too hot? You're getting red," Zach said, standing next to the door looking concerned. "No; it's perfect," she sighed. She twisted around to reach the shampoo and tipped it over, groaning as she watched it roll out of reach. Zach reached into the stall and returned it to her, growling in annoyance as he watched her try to squeeze some out with only one fully functional arm. Soon, he stepped into the shower with her, clad only in his underwear. "I don't know how you think you're going to do this by yourself; he grumbled, glaring at her as he massaged the shampoo into her long hair. "I'll figure it out; put a folding chair in the tub or something," she said, trying not to notice that the fabric of his underwear was leaving nothing to the imagination the wetter it got. "A fucking folding chair will slip. I'll send this one with you. You still can't reach shit, though." "I haven't done this before. I'll get better as I go." "Yeah, but until then, you'll; Look, you need to give me a call when you; so that I know you're okay." "You wouldn't be able to hear me talk; the water makes this growling noise," she said. "Well, why the fu; never mind. You call me before and after. No longer than 10 minutes, or I send Terry." "And he just does whatever you tell him? You're really kinda bossy." "Glad we sorted that out. Put your head back." With a smirk, Honey leaned back, letting him support her with his arm as he rinsed the shampoo out of her hair. After one minute, Zach began swearing under his breath. "I've been rinsing this shit out of your hair forever and there's still more! How the fuck is this possible?" Honey began giggling, despite the pain it caused her shoulder. "I guess you should allow me longer than 10 minutes to shower, then; she murmured. "Ten fucking minutes, or I send Terry." "Do you have any conditioner?" "Any what?" "Never mind," Honey said, trying to control her face. When he finally released her from being rinsed, Honey grabbed the loofa and put some body wash on it, washing what she could reach with her right arm while Zach glared down at her. "Oh, for fuck's sake," he grated, roughly taking the fluffy sponge from her and then washing her with surprising gentleness. When he delicately supported and washed her broken ankle, he waited until he finished before looking up at her, "Remember, doctor says you can take off your boot for a while now and then, so that should help with the smell. I'll pack the extra sock so you can put a clean one on and wash the; well, just how the fuck are you going to do the laundry?" he asked, as if she created the concept of dirty laundry just to bother him. "Hand wash?" she suggested. "That won't work for these boot socks! They smell like gangrene or some shi;" "Well, now you're just flirting; she said, smiling up at him. For a moment Zach's face went completely blank, his eyes slowly traveling down her naked body as his face turned bright red, then he turned away and cursed under his breath again. "Grab onto my arm and I'll finish you up," he said, clenching his jaw and holding out his forearm to her, as he diligently looked away. Cautiously, she took his arm and tried to stand, rising wobbly on her left leg. Before she could gain her balance, her hand slipped on his wet arm and he pulled her tightly against him before she could fall. Body to body, they clung on to each other in the hot spray, each of them shaking. "Honey; you may notta noticed, but I'm hanging on by a fucking thread, here," Zach said quietly in her ear, "Try not to get yourself killed for two seconds." Honey nodded and wrapped her arms around his waist so that he could move his arms again. She felt him move the loofah between her legs and begin washing her private area, looking around the shower stall as he did. When Honey cringed and her breath hissed between her teeth, he stopped, "What's wrong?" he asked, looking down at her face. "It's; rough; she said, quietly. "Yeah, but it was fine when; oh; right; sensitive. Okay; he said, swallowing as he tossed the loofah aside and hesitantly reached his fingers between her legs. Honey leaned her forehead on his chest and closed her eyes, gasping when his fingers made contact. "Is that; is that okay?" he asked. She nodded and tried to move her legs further apart for him. Zach gently washed her, trying to think of sports scores, laxative commercials, or the accounts payable at the club, but inevitably his cock noticed that he was holding the woman of his dreams naked in his arms. When she shifted against him, trying to keep her balance, a breathy grunt escaped him as she inadvertently rubbed against him. "I'm sorry; she whispered, trying to give him more room. "Don't be; you're perfect; it's fine; he said, trying to think about anything but how it would feel to slide his cock between her slippery lips right at that moment. "Let me just get the; water; he gritted, reaching for the shower sprayer and directing it between her legs. Honey gasped and whimpered as the water pulsed against her clit, down her labia and over her anus again and again, feeling Zach's eyes on her as he did it, intensely absorbing her every reaction. She trembled as she held on to him, trying to remain calm. Finally, she raised her eyes up to him and opened her wet lips and whispered, "Zach; ?" "Hey, how do you guys want your eggs?" Terry asked, sticking his head into the bathroom. "Get The Fuck Out Of Here, Maggot!" Zach roared, as Honey squealed and released him, quickly ducking down to where Terry couldn't see her on the shower chair. "Scrambled, it is," Terry said, ducking out of the bathroom and leaving them alone again. Zach watched Honey begin to shiver as the room cooled off and handed her a towel. "Let me know when you're dry and I'll wrap up your leg again," he said, looking around the bathroom uncomfortably before wrapping a towel around his waist and taking off his wet underwear from underneath. After securing her ankle in the air cast, Zach carried her back up to the bedroom, turned his back to her, and blocked Terry's kitchen view of the loft as Honey dressed. When she finished, Zach turned around again, his mouth hardening into a grim line when he saw she had put on her elf dress again. "You're; going, then," he said, frowning as he watched her wince at the pain in her shoulder as she tried to tie the thick red ribbon belt behind her back. He stepped behind her and took the belt out of her hands and began brusquely tying it. "I want you to stay," he said to the back of her head, tugging the loops into a tight knot. Honey hobbled around to face him, "Enough to tell me why you wanted to send that message to someone?" she asked him, her dark blue eyes somber. "You; you wouldn't want to stay if I did," he murmured, stroking the soft velvet covering her arms. "Then, I guess I should go," she said, looking away before she could start crying again. "Wow, nice apartment!" Terry said, following Honey inside her apartment with the bag of her clothes. "The blood stains really bring the room together; "Say what you will, it's all mine," she said, hobbling over to the sofa and curling up, exhausted. "Here's your mail. I gotta text Zach, he's going nuts; well, more than usual, anyway," he said, handing her a stack of envelopes. "Arrived at hellhole; Angel has typhoid; the tweakers give their love; send food stamps," he said aloud, typing into his phone as Honey went through her mail. "Let me go set up the bath chair; just the thing to class up the joint," he said, disappearing to the bathroom. When Terry returned, he found Honey white as a sheet, reading a letter. "Whoa, kid; you okay? Need a pain pill? Let me take you back to Zach's. You look like you really do have typhoid; he said, kneeling down next to her. "Um; yeah, I'm fine," she said faintly, then cleared her throat. "Would; would you mind taking that laptop with you when you go deliver the charity gifts to the firm? They; asked me to send it back; probably upgrading; she said, quickly wiping the tears off her cheeks. Terry watched her for a long moment, his face grim, and don't mention it to Zach?" he finished. "Um; probably not?" Honey choked. "Ah, Honey; you have hospital bills. This is where a sensible person starts telling themself, 'Hey self, maybe I should go back to that really great guy that wants to take care of me," Terry said, closing her laptop and wrapping the power cord around it. "If he's such a great guy, why does he send people messages like this?" she asked, holding up the screenshot to him. After staring at the screen for a while, Terry let out a low whistle, "Now, see, Zach just puts it right out there. You gotta respect that. No wonder he got so much ass. He send this to you?" "He said he meant to send it to someone else, but what are you talking about? He sent this to me on our first date when he went to the restroom! I thought he wanted to kill me!" Terry canted his head and looked at the screenshot again, "Oh; yeah, I could see that. Especially if you got it without the dick pic," he said, nodding sympathetically. "No, see, this was sort of a sex S O S, if you will. A guy goes out with a girl like you, it's like a high-wire act. He gets all wound up, needs to blow off some steam, sends out a flare hoping someone can help him take the edge off things so you don't find out what a high-strung, rough sex freak he is. You're a big deal. He just didn't want to scare you off, Angel," Terry explained. "He; he wanted to go have sex with someone else after our date??" Honey yelled, incensed. "Only because he *liked* you so much!" Terry argued, winsomely. Just then, Honey's phone rang in his hand and he tapped the screen, "Honey's phone!" he answered. "Don't Ever Talk To Me Again!" Honey yelled at her phone when she saw it was Zach's number. "Ah yeah?" Terry said, holding the phone to his ear. "Yeah. Right. Be right over," he said, disconnecting the call and handing the phone back to Honey. "What did he say?" Honey asked, grinding her teeth. Terry leaned over and flipped her phone back to the screenshot that had frightened her so much, "Yeah; pretty much that; just without the sex. See you when I get out of the hospital, kid," he sighed. During the next week, Honey took a bus to the city hall offices and applied for unemployment, used the library computers to send out her resume and read her email, and got no calls whatsoever from Zach. Gatsby's, however, started having trouble with their delivery service and three meals a day were accidentally delivered to her disreputable apartment. When she called Gatsby's about it, she was assured they were working on it and were sure to fix the delivery service problem; as soon as they got a delivery service. The following week, Honey got a knock at her door. Promising herself she would open the door only for the pleasure of slamming it shut in the visitor's stupid, handsome face, Honey hobbled up and looked through the peep hole. It wasn't who she expected, though. "Um, hi; she said, opening the door a bit and tightening her robe. "Hi Honey, I'm Jeff. You probably don't remember;" "I remember you," Honey said, opening the door wider. "Please come in." "Thank you," he said, coming in and standing with his coat over his arm as she hobbled back to the couch. "Jeff, I always wanted to call Gatsby's and thank you; you know, for what you did," Honey said. "For the 'angel shot.' I didn't realize I was on a date with the owner, at the time. I hope it didn't make trouble for you," she said. "You're kidding, right? He fired me on the spot," Jeff laughed. "Oh no; she said, covering her face with her hands. "Oh, I'm so sorry." "No, it's okay. He hired me back as a manager a couple weeks ago. Said anyone who had the balls to do what it took to protect you, even from him, that was someone he wanted taking care of his customers. Actually said that, looking back, if you had been scared enough to ask someone for help back then and they *didn't* help you, well, he'd probably want to go find them and; and; well, the details don't matter, and they're probably illegal, anyway. The point is, we're good." "Oh, that's; that's good to hear. Is this about the delivery service problem, then?" "We don't have a delivery service." "Well, yeah, I know. I mean the meals that Zach is making you send me." "Um; I'm probably going to get my life threatened for telling you this, but we're not sending you meals. Zach's popping in and out with a lot of takeout boxes under his arm, but Gatsby's isn't sending you any meals, Honey. That's; that's all Zach." "Oh; Honey said, her cheeks warming. "Yeah, no I came to ask if you'd be interested in a job." Honey laughed, "I appreciate it, but don't think I'd make much of a waitress right now." "Actually, I kinda had something else in mind; Honey's heart pounded as the music swelled and she felt the platform descend, her legs dangling down clad in candy cane striped stockings and curled-toe shoes. Her dress was the same pink velvet and white fur trim costume as before, but the fabric was far more luscious and expensive than the dress she'd worn in the mall. It had arrived at her door with a seamstress tasked with making it fit flawlessly. Honey's eyes were closed out of habit, getting ready to sing for the clientele of the great room as Gatsby's "Elf on a Shelf." She knew he was out there. He always came out of hiding when she sang. A smile curled across her face as she felt the spotlight warm her body. She opened her eyes. After the show, Honey stripped off her tights and a stage hand gave her the air cast as soon as the platform had risen out of sight. Gingerly, she eased her leg back into the boot and began strapping herself in again. As she reached the last fastener, two large hands took the straps out of hers and began wrapping them expertly. Honey blushed and looked aside as Zach did it, and tried not to roll her eyes when he checked the other two straps to be sure she had secured them properly. His eyes wandered over her with nervous adoration, like he still couldn't quite convince himself she was real; even after the mundane work of feeding her, dressing her, and cleaning her all those days up in his loft. "Did you like the show?" she asked quietly, looking up at him with a small smile. Zach sighed with relief, having received tacit permission to speak to her again. "Yes," he said. "Did you really like it?" she asked, her eyes twinkling, her smile growing bigger. "I really; really liked it," Zach said, nodding and pulling at the collar of the dress shirt that was having trouble containing him. He seemed to have only grown larger in their weeks apart. "So much that you want to go have rough sex with somebody else tonight?" she asked, her large and deceptively innocent, twinkling eyes skewering him. Zach's mouth set, "I; I don't do that anymore. I exercise," he said quietly, reddening and looking away from her. "Oh; I see," Honey said, nodding. Ignoring the hands he offered her, Honey rolled herself onto her good knee and clumsily pushed herself back up into a standing position, her skirt flashing him as she rose. "What the fuck is that?" Zach yelled, pulling her skirt up to where a large purpling bruise was blooming on her hip. Honey bit her lips and forced her face to stop grinning before she turned and faced him again. "What's what?" she asked innocently. "What the hell do you think? That fucking huge purple ass-shiner you're walking around with! Where the fuck did that come from?" he roared. "Oh, that? I slipped. You know, it's icy out there; she said brightly, patting his chest and hobbling past him to her dressing room. Zach clenched his hands and followed her, growling things under his breath that would make a sailor blush. She wobbled into the dressing room, leaving the door open behind her, wondering if he would follow her in. He didn't, but instead stood there in the doorway glowering at her like a gargoyle as she pulled some clothes out of a large Gatsby's takeout bag. Honey's ribs were beginning to hurt from trying not to laugh. Honey breath hissed through her teeth as she reached behind her, fumbling with the knot of her wide red ribbon belt, her shoulder still healing from the dislocation. Before long, she heard muttered curses and large feet stomp into the room and push her hands aside, untying the belt for her. She smiled her thanks up at him over her shoulder, and moved her hair aside so he could help her with the zipper. Carefully, he smoothed some more of her hairs aside and slowly lowered the clasp. "So, um; how would it have worked?" she asked quietly, the softness of her voice making him lean in to hear her. Zach cleared his throat, "How would what have worked?" he asked, his breath falling warm on her neck as he tried to unclasp the tiny hook at top of the dress with his large fingers. "If we'd gotten together that night; if I'd never got that message," she said. Zach closed his eyes and shook his head. "I would've taken you home. Maybe tried for a kiss at your door, if you looked like you wanted it," he said, his voice hoarse. "Cheek or lips?" she asked. He sighed, "Who am I kidding? I would've passed out from not breathing by the time I got that close." "And those; other things; would you have wanted to do those things to me? To hurt me; to scare me?" she asked, her voice shaking. Zach turned her to look her in the eye, and she wrapped her arms around herself, keeping the unzipped, loose elf dress from falling down. "No Honey," he swore, shaking his head emphatically, cupping her face and holding her tightly. "God no. Never. Never ever. I would've never let you see that side of me. I'd give it up. I gave it up. I'd go run ten miles before I even;" his impassioned vows were interrupted by a loud crack as a delicate hand slapped him across the face. "How dare you?" Honey said, trembling with fury before she winced and cradled her hand to her chest as Zach blinked slowly in disbelief, trying to process what had happened. "That's for deciding you'd just have a boring, unsatisfied sex life with me without even asking what I wanted, you; you overbearing ass! That's for offering only a part of yourself to me! That's for ruining our beautiful date because you were ashamed of the man I lo;" Honey's uncharacteristic rage was interrupted by Zach's mouth descending on hers and claiming it furiously, pressing her against the wall as her dress fell to the floor. The kiss ended almost as quickly as it began, and Zach pulled away from her, his face a twitching, terrifying storm as he stared down at her. He wrapped his hand around the slender wrist of her only functional arm and pressed it to the wall over her head. "You don't hit me like that; ever," he said quietly, breathing hard through flared nostrils. Honey trembled, staring up into his blazing eyes almost panting against him in terror; but also in something else. The corner of Zach's mouth curled when he saw her deep blue eyes dilate hugely, a heady, familiar scent rising up between them. "You don't fucking hit anyone like that; goddamn amateur. You wanna break your wrist? Jesus Christ. Get your ass dressed and I'll take you home, you little freak," he growled, turning around to give her privacy and hide the huge smile he couldn't stop from covering his face. When Honey came up panting for air, she was pressed against the wall of Zach's loft as he fumbled with the locks of his door with one hand. She was making good progress at getting his shirt off, but it kept bunching up around his arms, and the cuffs were still a problem she didn't even want to think about. Even so, she was blissfully occupied with the acres of warm bare skin and muscle that she had excavated. "This isn't my home; she said, looking around bewildered, "why does everyone get my address wrong?" "Probably because they've blocked it out after seeing your place. Shut up and tell me what you want," Zach said, carrying her over to the stairs until he saw a bit of her lower lip he needed to bite and had to take a break to do it properly. "Look, don't give me names, because then I'd have to kill 'em, but tell me what makes you hot, Honey; we're gonna do all of it and more. I'm making your dreams come true, tonight," he said, winding his hand in her hair as she dropped her head back to give him her neck. "Oh! Um; I liked it when;" "No names," he reminded her, covering her mouth. "Right; well, this one guy, he um; he wore a towel around his waist and bent over his dresser to look for his underwear? And this other time, he held this spoon out to me and I opened my mouth and he fed me. And; and; um; in the shower, he; he held me against him in the water and;" "Honey, are all these stories gonna be about me?" "Um; yeah?" "That's sweet of you, tryin' to keep me outta jail and all, but I need you to get to the part about cock and pussy. Stories about me aren't gonna help that. Cock, pussy, tongue, ass, tits, ears, neck, taint - what do you like?" he asked "Right; uh; I liked it when you washed me down there; my pussy; with your fingers?" Honey said, at a loss. Zach drew his head back from her neck and looked at her, his face growing uneasy. "Honey?" "And when you sprayed the water back and forth down there, especially the top bump part, that really made me feel amazing, kind of squirmy, you know?" "Oh Jesus; he said, looking as if he'd been hit in the head. "And um; I know I wasn't supposed to look, but your um; you know; p-penis; in the shower, when your underwear got wet? That was" "I don't feel so good; he said, lowering himself to the floor and sitting down on the stairs. "No, no, it's fine. We can do this. What's a taint and what do I do with it?" she asked, sitting down and cuddling up next to him. Zach held his head in his hands, "You're a virgin; not like an "everything but" Evangelical, but like an alien or something. I don't know if I can do this." "Look, I know how to have sex; I had health class, for Pete's sake!" she said, slapping his shoulder. "What the fuck did I just get myself into?" he said through his hands. Honey pulled his hands down from his face and climbed up in his lap, putting his arms around her and looping her arms around his neck. "Zach; I have been a very good girl; not just this year, but for a long, long time. I figure that makes it so I can ask for something really big. So, here's what I want: I want you and me; just being together. Not planned or rehearsed or trying to be impressive. You already impress me. You're the best person I know. You took care of me when you hated me. You took care of me, even when I hated you. I just want to see what it's like if we let go of all that and just; you know; love. Will you give me that for Christmas, Santa? Please?" she asked, leaning in and kissing his cheek softly. "I've; never done that before," he said stiffly, looking sideways at her, unable to turn his head. "I'll be gentle with you," she whispered, smiling and brushing her lips against his. Climbing down from his lap, she took his hand in hers and led him up the stairs; until he lost patience with her hobbling and lifted her in his arms, carrying her to the top. Honey smiled as he gently lowered her feet to the floor, then took his hand and worked on the buttons of his cuff, "You're really big, but you don't do that big guy thing where you act like nothing matters. You notice everything; I like that," she said, glancing up at him. Zach frowned, watching her and then looking around the room, uncomfortable. "That's just; you gotta do that. You can't just throw your weight around without knowing where it's going. You're gonna hurt someone that way," he demurred, unbuttoning the cuff for her and tugging the other loose, as well. "You give a lot, but you're not a show-off about it; you didn't even let me know it wasn't Gatsby's sending food to me," she said, pulling his shirt down off his shoulders, pressing her face into his back to smell him. "You needed protein, calcium, and vitamin D to build those bones again -- that ramen shit you eat wasn't gonna give you enough of anything; just empty carbs and fuckin' sodium," he argued, putting his hands on his hips and scowling at her. Honey smiled and nodded, unbuckling his belt and slowly pulling it out of the loops. Zach swallowed, "You; you also needed vitamins C and K, so I made sure you got things like broccoli and fish and citrus; not; not everybody knows that," he said, drawing a shaky breath. "I didn't know that," she said, separating the hook and eye of his trousers and unzipping them, smiling when he cleared his throat and breathed faster as she lowered them. "You're smart, but you don't need everyone to know about it. You watch how people treat you when they think you're simple, instead; you want to know who they really are." Zach pulled his legs out of his trousers and laid them carefully over the chair, glancing over to the closet where he really wanted to put them instead. Honey smirked and turned to go get a hanger for him, and he swept her down onto the bed instead, going to get the hanger for himself and carefully hanging his pants to avoid any creases. Zach returned to the bed, standing in front of her knees where she sat, waiting. Honey moved her hands curiously over his hips and thighs, feeling the strength, the hours of toil and exertion he put them through; so that he could have control and be gentle when he needed to be. "You care about what I want; she said, swallowing and slowly sliding his underwear down his hips, gasping in surprise when his cock bounced out and waved at her. "You care about it even when you think I'm wrong; and it makes me love you so much; she said, trailing off and blushing. "You; got my clothes off," he said, looking down at her, his face a mix of bewilderment and wonder. "I guess you see all of me, now," he said, blushing for the first time since she'd known him. Smiling, she pulled her dress over her head and tossed it aside. She winced, reaching back trying to un-do her bra, and instead of helping her as usual, Zach narrowed his eyes, tilting his head. "You do that on purpose, don't you? Doing shit that hurts right in front of me instead of asking me for help. Showing off that fucking bruise to me at the club. Showing me what happens when I can't take care of you; you actually get off on driving me crazy," he said in outraged realization. "You really want to do that rough sex stuff on me, now, don't you," Honey said, her eyes alive with mischief. "Like you wouldn't believe; he said, flipping her over, straddling her back and unclasping her bra. Honey squealed and giggled when he laid himself out over her back, careful to avoid her shoulder and ankle. "You feel that cock, all hard and ready on your panties and between your legs down there? You don't get him now, brat," he growled, pushing her hair aside and biting the back of her neck. "Not until you beg me." "Okay! Please?" she asked, giggling. Zach looked over at her, trying to hold a stern face, "Yeah, that's not how this works. The way this works is, I make you want it so much that you think you're going out of your mind, and *then* you beg me." "Okay!" she chirped. "Oh, fucking hell; he grumbled, trying not to laugh. He nipped all over her back, enjoying her squeaks and gasps, wiggling under him as her need grew. She seemed completely unaware of how she was responding to him, but he proudly basked in her every flutter. He kissed down to the small of her back, hearing her breath stop and then resume at a pant when he began to lower her panties. "Zach; Zach; Honey whimpered. "Yes, Honey?" he smiled, kissing the top of the crease of her bottom, flicking it slightly with his tongue. "Does it; does it always go this slow?" she asked, raising her bottom to him and moaning when he slid his fingers through her crack, making her jump and then grab onto his thigh. "Are you in a hurry?" he murmured, stroking his fingers leisurely around her clit and into her vagina, "Some other pressing; engagement?" he asked, pressing his finger against her hymen and laughing evilly at her shocked, yet needful, reaction. "Yeah; it would feel good to have a hot deep cock in there, wouldn't it?" he asked, thrusting gently into her with his finger. "Zach; Honey moaned, squirming under him. "I like that word 'engagement; '" Zach mused idly, "don't you?" he asked, raising one of her knees up to her side, sliding his cock along her crack, wetting it until it glistened in her juices. "Zach, please; please; please; she gasped, feeling him rise up over her again, pressing against her entry, "I need you; she whispered. "I need you, too, Honey. I've needed you for so long; he answered, parting her lips and moving into her with slow, gentle thrusts. Honey trembled under him, holding her breath, feeling him fill her more and more, until with a slight sharp pain, she took him into her. "Oh; oh; oh; oh; she whimpered. "Just breathe, Honey. You're doing great; perfect. I'm not moving till you're ready," Zach said, reaching deep for control. A sheen of sweat broke over him at the sheer effort of holding himself back from plunging furiously into her body again and again and again. "Is; is this the rough sex part?" she breathed, reaching out to touch the hand he was using to keep most of his weight off her. Zach barked out a breathless laugh, clasping her hand in his, "I don't know about you, but this is about as rough as I can take it, tonight. You're fucking killing me, right now. But, being inside you; it's like magic." Honey moved her head and kissed his forearm, "Be inside me again, Zach; she whispered. With a low sigh, he began moving inside her, his hips pressing and rolling against her, his cock stroking a patient rhythm. She sighed with happiness, feeling him explore and claim her at the same time. His lips moved over her neck and back as he leisurely took her, whispering praise and encouragements, waiting for her to adjust to him. Before long, though, his words stopped, his body growing harder around her, his every muscle stiffening as he gripped her hand harder, his thrusts quickening until, with a soft, surprised grunt, he thrust deep and shook as he emptied himself inside her. With explosive breaths, he rolled off her, pulling her against him in the bed. "Well, fuck; he said in disgust between gasps. "Yeah; Honey said, snuggling back against him happily, "that was perfect; Zach snorted, "No it wasn't, you noob. You didn't come. I fucked it up." "What do you mean? What makes you think I didn't come? That felt great! Let's do that all the time," Honey said, turning in his arms so she could smile at him. "I would've felt it if you came, Honey; it gets tight and squeezes you, almost like it's sucking on you; drinking you down; he said, smiling down at her with rueful affection. "Well, I don't know how it's supposed to get any tighter than that was. I think you're expecting too much of me. Maybe I did come; she argued. "Honey, trust me; when I make you come, you'll know about it," he said, reaching down and caressing her clit with his fingers. "Oh, that's nice; you did that in the shower," Honey cooed, moving her boot up over his hips so he could reach her more easily. "I didn't fucking do this to you in the shower. I fucking washed you. I was a fucking gentleman. People cut diamonds with less fucking focus than I had in that fucking shower. I was just taking care of business, then," he grumbled, leaning down to nuzzle her neck. "I guess; I guess, I took advantage of you, then; s-sorry; oh; she said, raising her hips to him as her breathing became irregular, her head tossing from side to side. "Well, unless I'm wrong, you are about to really pay for it in 3, 2, 1" Zach said, when Honey screamed high and long, her hips bucking as she came hard, covering his hand in her sweet nectar and then bursting into tears. Zach held her close as Honey wailed in pain, stroking her body gently, "Yeah; see, that boot can do a lot, but it can't do squat about it when every muscle in your body wants to stiffen up as you come," he said, still soothing her. Honey slapped his shoulder, "That; that was mean! Don't you ever make me come again!" she panted against him, her face still twisted in slowly receding pain. "Uh huh; Zach said, glancing at the alarm clock on his nightstand, "we'll see how long that lasts, you little freak," he said with a smirk, leaning down to kiss her tears away.  To be continued in part 3, Based on a post by Lingering Afterthought, in 3 parts, for Literotica.

Elf on a Shelf: Part 2 Life in hob-along mode. Based on a post by LingeringAfterthought, in 3 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. When she woke the next morning, Zach was standing next to the bed with a pain pill and a glass of water. "Terry's gonna be here in about half an hour. I could make you some breakfast?" he said, putting the pill and the water into her hand. Honey shook her head, feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders. "I'd; I'd like to take a shower before I go; if that's okay," she asked. "Right; uh; I'll just set it up for you. I'll get your things together after you're done in there; if you still want to go, that is; Honey closed her eyes and nodded, "Thank you," she whispered, unable to look at the silent pleading in his face. When the shower was ready, Zach carried her down the stairs and set her down in his large walk-in shower on the bathing chair he'd set up for her. "I, uh; I warmed up the water. The; soap and shampoo stuff is right here," he said, gesturing to a collection of bottles put down within her reach. "If you need anything, I'll be right; right here," he said, sitting down on the toilet, looking like he didn't know what to do with his hands. Honey nodded and took off her nightgown and panties, putting them on the floor outside the shower. She leaned down and began unwrapping the velcro the straps on her boot, finding that she couldn't reach the last one. She opened her mouth to ask for help, but Zach was already sliding the door open to undo it for her. When he disassembled the boot around her foot and lifted it away, a slight whimper escaped her when the motion bumped her ankle slightly. Zach's eyes flashed to hers as she tried to cover herself with her arms, "I'm okay," she whispered. Clenching his jaw, Zach nodded, stood and left the stall. The water felt like heaven after the sad sponge baths she had given herself in bed. Her skin came alive in the heat and flushed a deep pink. "Is that too hot? You're getting red," Zach said, standing next to the door looking concerned. "No; it's perfect," she sighed. She twisted around to reach the shampoo and tipped it over, groaning as she watched it roll out of reach. Zach reached into the stall and returned it to her, growling in annoyance as he watched her try to squeeze some out with only one fully functional arm. Soon, he stepped into the shower with her, clad only in his underwear. "I don't know how you think you're going to do this by yourself; he grumbled, glaring at her as he massaged the shampoo into her long hair. "I'll figure it out; put a folding chair in the tub or something," she said, trying not to notice that the fabric of his underwear was leaving nothing to the imagination the wetter it got. "A fucking folding chair will slip. I'll send this one with you. You still can't reach shit, though." "I haven't done this before. I'll get better as I go." "Yeah, but until then, you'll; Look, you need to give me a call when you; so that I know you're okay." "You wouldn't be able to hear me talk; the water makes this growling noise," she said. "Well, why the fu; never mind. You call me before and after. No longer than 10 minutes, or I send Terry." "And he just does whatever you tell him? You're really kinda bossy." "Glad we sorted that out. Put your head back." With a smirk, Honey leaned back, letting him support her with his arm as he rinsed the shampoo out of her hair. After one minute, Zach began swearing under his breath. "I've been rinsing this shit out of your hair forever and there's still more! How the fuck is this possible?" Honey began giggling, despite the pain it caused her shoulder. "I guess you should allow me longer than 10 minutes to shower, then; she murmured. "Ten fucking minutes, or I send Terry." "Do you have any conditioner?" "Any what?" "Never mind," Honey said, trying to control her face. When he finally released her from being rinsed, Honey grabbed the loofa and put some body wash on it, washing what she could reach with her right arm while Zach glared down at her. "Oh, for fuck's sake," he grated, roughly taking the fluffy sponge from her and then washing her with surprising gentleness. When he delicately supported and washed her broken ankle, he waited until he finished before looking up at her, "Remember, doctor says you can take off your boot for a while now and then, so that should help with the smell. I'll pack the extra sock so you can put a clean one on and wash the; well, just how the fuck are you going to do the laundry?" he asked, as if she created the concept of dirty laundry just to bother him. "Hand wash?" she suggested. "That won't work for these boot socks! They smell like gangrene or some shi;" "Well, now you're just flirting; she said, smiling up at him. For a moment Zach's face went completely blank, his eyes slowly traveling down her naked body as his face turned bright red, then he turned away and cursed under his breath again. "Grab onto my arm and I'll finish you up," he said, clenching his jaw and holding out his forearm to her, as he diligently looked away. Cautiously, she took his arm and tried to stand, rising wobbly on her left leg. Before she could gain her balance, her hand slipped on his wet arm and he pulled her tightly against him before she could fall. Body to body, they clung on to each other in the hot spray, each of them shaking. "Honey; you may notta noticed, but I'm hanging on by a fucking thread, here," Zach said quietly in her ear, "Try not to get yourself killed for two seconds." Honey nodded and wrapped her arms around his waist so that he could move his arms again. She felt him move the loofah between her legs and begin washing her private area, looking around the shower stall as he did. When Honey cringed and her breath hissed between her teeth, he stopped, "What's wrong?" he asked, looking down at her face. "It's; rough; she said, quietly. "Yeah, but it was fine when; oh; right; sensitive. Okay; he said, swallowing as he tossed the loofah aside and hesitantly reached his fingers between her legs. Honey leaned her forehead on his chest and closed her eyes, gasping when his fingers made contact. "Is that; is that okay?" he asked. She nodded and tried to move her legs further apart for him. Zach gently washed her, trying to think of sports scores, laxative commercials, or the accounts payable at the club, but inevitably his cock noticed that he was holding the woman of his dreams naked in his arms. When she shifted against him, trying to keep her balance, a breathy grunt escaped him as she inadvertently rubbed against him. "I'm sorry; she whispered, trying to give him more room. "Don't be; you're perfect; it's fine; he said, trying to think about anything but how it would feel to slide his cock between her slippery lips right at that moment. "Let me just get the; water; he gritted, reaching for the shower sprayer and directing it between her legs. Honey gasped and whimpered as the water pulsed against her clit, down her labia and over her anus again and again, feeling Zach's eyes on her as he did it, intensely absorbing her every reaction. She trembled as she held on to him, trying to remain calm. Finally, she raised her eyes up to him and opened her wet lips and whispered, "Zach; ?" "Hey, how do you guys want your eggs?" Terry asked, sticking his head into the bathroom. "Get The Fuck Out Of Here, Maggot!" Zach roared, as Honey squealed and released him, quickly ducking down to where Terry couldn't see her on the shower chair. "Scrambled, it is," Terry said, ducking out of the bathroom and leaving them alone again. Zach watched Honey begin to shiver as the room cooled off and handed her a towel. "Let me know when you're dry and I'll wrap up your leg again," he said, looking around the bathroom uncomfortably before wrapping a towel around his waist and taking off his wet underwear from underneath. After securing her ankle in the air cast, Zach carried her back up to the bedroom, turned his back to her, and blocked Terry's kitchen view of the loft as Honey dressed. When she finished, Zach turned around again, his mouth hardening into a grim line when he saw she had put on her elf dress again. "You're; going, then," he said, frowning as he watched her wince at the pain in her shoulder as she tried to tie the thick red ribbon belt behind her back. He stepped behind her and took the belt out of her hands and began brusquely tying it. "I want you to stay," he said to the back of her head, tugging the loops into a tight knot. Honey hobbled around to face him, "Enough to tell me why you wanted to send that message to someone?" she asked him, her dark blue eyes somber. "You; you wouldn't want to stay if I did," he murmured, stroking the soft velvet covering her arms. "Then, I guess I should go," she said, looking away before she could start crying again. "Wow, nice apartment!" Terry said, following Honey inside her apartment with the bag of her clothes. "The blood stains really bring the room together; "Say what you will, it's all mine," she said, hobbling over to the sofa and curling up, exhausted. "Here's your mail. I gotta text Zach, he's going nuts; well, more than usual, anyway," he said, handing her a stack of envelopes. "Arrived at hellhole; Angel has typhoid; the tweakers give their love; send food stamps," he said aloud, typing into his phone as Honey went through her mail. "Let me go set up the bath chair; just the thing to class up the joint," he said, disappearing to the bathroom. When Terry returned, he found Honey white as a sheet, reading a letter. "Whoa, kid; you okay? Need a pain pill? Let me take you back to Zach's. You look like you really do have typhoid; he said, kneeling down next to her. "Um; yeah, I'm fine," she said faintly, then cleared her throat. "Would; would you mind taking that laptop with you when you go deliver the charity gifts to the firm? They; asked me to send it back; probably upgrading; she said, quickly wiping the tears off her cheeks. Terry watched her for a long moment, his face grim, and don't mention it to Zach?" he finished. "Um; probably not?" Honey choked. "Ah, Honey; you have hospital bills. This is where a sensible person starts telling themself, 'Hey self, maybe I should go back to that really great guy that wants to take care of me," Terry said, closing her laptop and wrapping the power cord around it. "If he's such a great guy, why does he send people messages like this?" she asked, holding up the screenshot to him. After staring at the screen for a while, Terry let out a low whistle, "Now, see, Zach just puts it right out there. You gotta respect that. No wonder he got so much ass. He send this to you?" "He said he meant to send it to someone else, but what are you talking about? He sent this to me on our first date when he went to the restroom! I thought he wanted to kill me!" Terry canted his head and looked at the screenshot again, "Oh; yeah, I could see that. Especially if you got it without the dick pic," he said, nodding sympathetically. "No, see, this was sort of a sex S O S, if you will. A guy goes out with a girl like you, it's like a high-wire act. He gets all wound up, needs to blow off some steam, sends out a flare hoping someone can help him take the edge off things so you don't find out what a high-strung, rough sex freak he is. You're a big deal. He just didn't want to scare you off, Angel," Terry explained. "He; he wanted to go have sex with someone else after our date??" Honey yelled, incensed. "Only because he *liked* you so much!" Terry argued, winsomely. Just then, Honey's phone rang in his hand and he tapped the screen, "Honey's phone!" he answered. "Don't Ever Talk To Me Again!" Honey yelled at her phone when she saw it was Zach's number. "Ah yeah?" Terry said, holding the phone to his ear. "Yeah. Right. Be right over," he said, disconnecting the call and handing the phone back to Honey. "What did he say?" Honey asked, grinding her teeth. Terry leaned over and flipped her phone back to the screenshot that had frightened her so much, "Yeah; pretty much that; just without the sex. See you when I get out of the hospital, kid," he sighed. During the next week, Honey took a bus to the city hall offices and applied for unemployment, used the library computers to send out her resume and read her email, and got no calls whatsoever from Zach. Gatsby's, however, started having trouble with their delivery service and three meals a day were accidentally delivered to her disreputable apartment. When she called Gatsby's about it, she was assured they were working on it and were sure to fix the delivery service problem; as soon as they got a delivery service. The following week, Honey got a knock at her door. Promising herself she would open the door only for the pleasure of slamming it shut in the visitor's stupid, handsome face, Honey hobbled up and looked through the peep hole. It wasn't who she expected, though. "Um, hi; she said, opening the door a bit and tightening her robe. "Hi Honey, I'm Jeff. You probably don't remember;" "I remember you," Honey said, opening the door wider. "Please come in." "Thank you," he said, coming in and standing with his coat over his arm as she hobbled back to the couch. "Jeff, I always wanted to call Gatsby's and thank you; you know, for what you did," Honey said. "For the 'angel shot.' I didn't realize I was on a date with the owner, at the time. I hope it didn't make trouble for you," she said. "You're kidding, right? He fired me on the spot," Jeff laughed. "Oh no; she said, covering her face with her hands. "Oh, I'm so sorry." "No, it's okay. He hired me back as a manager a couple weeks ago. Said anyone who had the balls to do what it took to protect you, even from him, that was someone he wanted taking care of his customers. Actually said that, looking back, if you had been scared enough to ask someone for help back then and they *didn't* help you, well, he'd probably want to go find them and; and; well, the details don't matter, and they're probably illegal, anyway. The point is, we're good." "Oh, that's; that's good to hear. Is this about the delivery service problem, then?" "We don't have a delivery service." "Well, yeah, I know. I mean the meals that Zach is making you send me." "Um; I'm probably going to get my life threatened for telling you this, but we're not sending you meals. Zach's popping in and out with a lot of takeout boxes under his arm, but Gatsby's isn't sending you any meals, Honey. That's; that's all Zach." "Oh; Honey said, her cheeks warming. "Yeah, no I came to ask if you'd be interested in a job." Honey laughed, "I appreciate it, but don't think I'd make much of a waitress right now." "Actually, I kinda had something else in mind; Honey's heart pounded as the music swelled and she felt the platform descend, her legs dangling down clad in candy cane striped stockings and curled-toe shoes. Her dress was the same pink velvet and white fur trim costume as before, but the fabric was far more luscious and expensive than the dress she'd worn in the mall. It had arrived at her door with a seamstress tasked with making it fit flawlessly. Honey's eyes were closed out of habit, getting ready to sing for the clientele of the great room as Gatsby's "Elf on a Shelf." She knew he was out there. He always came out of hiding when she sang. A smile curled across her face as she felt the spotlight warm her body. She opened her eyes. After the show, Honey stripped off her tights and a stage hand gave her the air cast as soon as the platform had risen out of sight. Gingerly, she eased her leg back into the boot and began strapping herself in again. As she reached the last fastener, two large hands took the straps out of hers and began wrapping them expertly. Honey blushed and looked aside as Zach did it, and tried not to roll her eyes when he checked the other two straps to be sure she had secured them properly. His eyes wandered over her with nervous adoration, like he still couldn't quite convince himself she was real; even after the mundane work of feeding her, dressing her, and cleaning her all those days up in his loft. "Did you like the show?" she asked quietly, looking up at him with a small smile. Zach sighed with relief, having received tacit permission to speak to her again. "Yes," he said. "Did you really like it?" she asked, her eyes twinkling, her smile growing bigger. "I really; really liked it," Zach said, nodding and pulling at the collar of the dress shirt that was having trouble containing him. He seemed to have only grown larger in their weeks apart. "So much that you want to go have rough sex with somebody else tonight?" she asked, her large and deceptively innocent, twinkling eyes skewering him. Zach's mouth set, "I; I don't do that anymore. I exercise," he said quietly, reddening and looking away from her. "Oh; I see," Honey said, nodding. Ignoring the hands he offered her, Honey rolled herself onto her good knee and clumsily pushed herself back up into a standing position, her skirt flashing him as she rose. "What the fuck is that?" Zach yelled, pulling her skirt up to where a large purpling bruise was blooming on her hip. Honey bit her lips and forced her face to stop grinning before she turned and faced him again. "What's what?" she asked innocently. "What the hell do you think? That fucking huge purple ass-shiner you're walking around with! Where the fuck did that come from?" he roared. "Oh, that? I slipped. You know, it's icy out there; she said brightly, patting his chest and hobbling past him to her dressing room. Zach clenched his hands and followed her, growling things under his breath that would make a sailor blush. She wobbled into the dressing room, leaving the door open behind her, wondering if he would follow her in. He didn't, but instead stood there in the doorway glowering at her like a gargoyle as she pulled some clothes out of a large Gatsby's takeout bag. Honey's ribs were beginning to hurt from trying not to laugh. Honey breath hissed through her teeth as she reached behind her, fumbling with the knot of her wide red ribbon belt, her shoulder still healing from the dislocation. Before long, she heard muttered curses and large feet stomp into the room and push her hands aside, untying the belt for her. She smiled her thanks up at him over her shoulder, and moved her hair aside so he could help her with the zipper. Carefully, he smoothed some more of her hairs aside and slowly lowered the clasp. "So, um; how would it have worked?" she asked quietly, the softness of her voice making him lean in to hear her. Zach cleared his throat, "How would what have worked?" he asked, his breath falling warm on her neck as he tried to unclasp the tiny hook at top of the dress with his large fingers. "If we'd gotten together that night; if I'd never got that message," she said. Zach closed his eyes and shook his head. "I would've taken you home. Maybe tried for a kiss at your door, if you looked like you wanted it," he said, his voice hoarse. "Cheek or lips?" she asked. He sighed, "Who am I kidding? I would've passed out from not breathing by the time I got that close." "And those; other things; would you have wanted to do those things to me? To hurt me; to scare me?" she asked, her voice shaking. Zach turned her to look her in the eye, and she wrapped her arms around herself, keeping the unzipped, loose elf dress from falling down. "No Honey," he swore, shaking his head emphatically, cupping her face and holding her tightly. "God no. Never. Never ever. I would've never let you see that side of me. I'd give it up. I gave it up. I'd go run ten miles before I even;" his impassioned vows were interrupted by a loud crack as a delicate hand slapped him across the face. "How dare you?" Honey said, trembling with fury before she winced and cradled her hand to her chest as Zach blinked slowly in disbelief, trying to process what had happened. "That's for deciding you'd just have a boring, unsatisfied sex life with me without even asking what I wanted, you; you overbearing ass! That's for offering only a part of yourself to me! That's for ruining our beautiful date because you were ashamed of the man I lo;" Honey's uncharacteristic rage was interrupted by Zach's mouth descending on hers and claiming it furiously, pressing her against the wall as her dress fell to the floor. The kiss ended almost as quickly as it began, and Zach pulled away from her, his face a twitching, terrifying storm as he stared down at her. He wrapped his hand around the slender wrist of her only functional arm and pressed it to the wall over her head. "You don't hit me like that; ever," he said quietly, breathing hard through flared nostrils. Honey trembled, staring up into his blazing eyes almost panting against him in terror; but also in something else. The corner of Zach's mouth curled when he saw her deep blue eyes dilate hugely, a heady, familiar scent rising up between them. "You don't fucking hit anyone like that; goddamn amateur. You wanna break your wrist? Jesus Christ. Get your ass dressed and I'll take you home, you little freak," he growled, turning around to give her privacy and hide the huge smile he couldn't stop from covering his face. When Honey came up panting for air, she was pressed against the wall of Zach's loft as he fumbled with the locks of his door with one hand. She was making good progress at getting his shirt off, but it kept bunching up around his arms, and the cuffs were still a problem she didn't even want to think about. Even so, she was blissfully occupied with the acres of warm bare skin and muscle that she had excavated. "This isn't my home; she said, looking around bewildered, "why does everyone get my address wrong?" "Probably because they've blocked it out after seeing your place. Shut up and tell me what you want," Zach said, carrying her over to the stairs until he saw a bit of her lower lip he needed to bite and had to take a break to do it properly. "Look, don't give me names, because then I'd have to kill 'em, but tell me what makes you hot, Honey; we're gonna do all of it and more. I'm making your dreams come true, tonight," he said, winding his hand in her hair as she dropped her head back to give him her neck. "Oh! Um; I liked it when;" "No names," he reminded her, covering her mouth. "Right; well, this one guy, he um; he wore a towel around his waist and bent over his dresser to look for his underwear? And this other time, he held this spoon out to me and I opened my mouth and he fed me. And; and; um; in the shower, he; he held me against him in the water and;" "Honey, are all these stories gonna be about me?" "Um; yeah?" "That's sweet of you, tryin' to keep me outta jail and all, but I need you to get to the part about cock and pussy. Stories about me aren't gonna help that. Cock, pussy, tongue, ass, tits, ears, neck, taint - what do you like?" he asked "Right; uh; I liked it when you washed me down there; my pussy; with your fingers?" Honey said, at a loss. Zach drew his head back from her neck and looked at her, his face growing uneasy. "Honey?" "And when you sprayed the water back and forth down there, especially the top bump part, that really made me feel amazing, kind of squirmy, you know?" "Oh Jesus; he said, looking as if he'd been hit in the head. "And um; I know I wasn't supposed to look, but your um; you know; p-penis; in the shower, when your underwear got wet? That was" "I don't feel so good; he said, lowering himself to the floor and sitting down on the stairs. "No, no, it's fine. We can do this. What's a taint and what do I do with it?" she asked, sitting down and cuddling up next to him. Zach held his head in his hands, "You're a virgin; not like an "everything but" Evangelical, but like an alien or something. I don't know if I can do this." "Look, I know how to have sex; I had health class, for Pete's sake!" she said, slapping his shoulder. "What the fuck did I just get myself into?" he said through his hands. Honey pulled his hands down from his face and climbed up in his lap, putting his arms around her and looping her arms around his neck. "Zach; I have been a very good girl; not just this year, but for a long, long time. I figure that makes it so I can ask for something really big. So, here's what I want: I want you and me; just being together. Not planned or rehearsed or trying to be impressive. You already impress me. You're the best person I know. You took care of me when you hated me. You took care of me, even when I hated you. I just want to see what it's like if we let go of all that and just; you know; love. Will you give me that for Christmas, Santa? Please?" she asked, leaning in and kissing his cheek softly. "I've; never done that before," he said stiffly, looking sideways at her, unable to turn his head. "I'll be gentle with you," she whispered, smiling and brushing her lips against his. Climbing down from his lap, she took his hand in hers and led him up the stairs; until he lost patience with her hobbling and lifted her in his arms, carrying her to the top. Honey smiled as he gently lowered her feet to the floor, then took his hand and worked on the buttons of his cuff, "You're really big, but you don't do that big guy thing where you act like nothing matters. You notice everything; I like that," she said, glancing up at him. Zach frowned, watching her and then looking around the room, uncomfortable. "That's just; you gotta do that. You can't just throw your weight around without knowing where it's going. You're gonna hurt someone that way," he demurred, unbuttoning the cuff for her and tugging the other loose, as well. "You give a lot, but you're not a show-off about it; you didn't even let me know it wasn't Gatsby's sending food to me," she said, pulling his shirt down off his shoulders, pressing her face into his back to smell him. "You needed protein, calcium, and vitamin D to build those bones again -- that ramen shit you eat wasn't gonna give you enough of anything; just empty carbs and fuckin' sodium," he argued, putting his hands on his hips and scowling at her. Honey smiled and nodded, unbuckling his belt and slowly pulling it out of the loops. Zach swallowed, "You; you also needed vitamins C and K, so I made sure you got things like broccoli and fish and citrus; not; not everybody knows that," he said, drawing a shaky breath. "I didn't know that," she said, separating the hook and eye of his trousers and unzipping them, smiling when he cleared his throat and breathed faster as she lowered them. "You're smart, but you don't need everyone to know about it. You watch how people treat you when they think you're simple, instead; you want to know who they really are." Zach pulled his legs out of his trousers and laid them carefully over the chair, glancing over to the closet where he really wanted to put them instead. Honey smirked and turned to go get a hanger for him, and he swept her down onto the bed instead, going to get the hanger for himself and carefully hanging his pants to avoid any creases. Zach returned to the bed, standing in front of her knees where she sat, waiting. Honey moved her hands curiously over his hips and thighs, feeling the strength, the hours of toil and exertion he put them through; so that he could have control and be gentle when he needed to be. "You care about what I want; she said, swallowing and slowly sliding his underwear down his hips, gasping in surprise when his cock bounced out and waved at her. "You care about it even when you think I'm wrong; and it makes me love you so much; she said, trailing off and blushing. "You; got my clothes off," he said, looking down at her, his face a mix of bewilderment and wonder. "I guess you see all of me, now," he said, blushing for the first time since she'd known him. Smiling, she pulled her dress over her head and tossed it aside. She winced, reaching back trying to un-do her bra, and instead of helping her as usual, Zach narrowed his eyes, tilting his head. "You do that on purpose, don't you? Doing shit that hurts right in front of me instead of asking me for help. Showing off that fucking bruise to me at the club. Showing me what happens when I can't take care of you; you actually get off on driving me crazy," he said in outraged realization. "You really want to do that rough sex stuff on me, now, don't you," Honey said, her eyes alive with mischief. "Like you wouldn't believe; he said, flipping her over, straddling her back and unclasping her bra. Honey squealed and giggled when he laid himself out over her back, careful to avoid her shoulder and ankle. "You feel that cock, all hard and ready on your panties and between your legs down there? You don't get him now, brat," he growled, pushing her hair aside and biting the back of her neck. "Not until you beg me." "Okay! Please?" she asked, giggling. Zach looked over at her, trying to hold a stern face, "Yeah, that's not how this works. The way this works is, I make you want it so much that you think you're going out of your mind, and *then* you beg me." "Okay!" she chirped. "Oh, fucking hell; he grumbled, trying not to laugh. He nipped all over her back, enjoying her squeaks and gasps, wiggling under him as her need grew. She seemed completely unaware of how she was responding to him, but he proudly basked in her every flutter. He kissed down to the small of her back, hearing her breath stop and then resume at a pant when he began to lower her panties. "Zach; Zach; Honey whimpered. "Yes, Honey?" he smiled, kissing the top of the crease of her bottom, flicking it slightly with his tongue. "Does it; does it always go this slow?" she asked, raising her bottom to him and moaning when he slid his fingers through her crack, making her jump and then grab onto his thigh. "Are you in a hurry?" he murmured, stroking his fingers leisurely around her clit and into her vagina, "Some other pressing; engagement?" he asked, pressing his finger against her hymen and laughing evilly at her shocked, yet needful, reaction. "Yeah; it would feel good to have a hot deep cock in there, wouldn't it?" he asked, thrusting gently into her with his finger. "Zach; Honey moaned, squirming under him. "I like that word 'engagement; '" Zach mused idly, "don't you?" he asked, raising one of her knees up to her side, sliding his cock along her crack, wetting it until it glistened in her juices. "Zach, please; please; please; she gasped, feeling him rise up over her again, pressing against her entry, "I need you; she whispered. "I need you, too, Honey. I've needed you for so long; he answered, parting her lips and moving into her with slow, gentle thrusts. Honey trembled under him, holding her breath, feeling him fill her more and more, until with a slight sharp pain, she took him into her. "Oh; oh; oh; oh; she whimpered. "Just breathe, Honey. You're doing great; perfect. I'm not moving till you're ready," Zach said, reaching deep for control. A sheen of sweat broke over him at the sheer effort of holding himself back from plunging furiously into her body again and again and again. "Is; is this the rough sex part?" she breathed, reaching out to touch the hand he was using to keep most of his weight off her. Zach barked out a breathless laugh, clasping her hand in his, "I don't know about you, but this is about as rough as I can take it, tonight. You're fucking killing me, right now. But, being inside you; it's like magic." Honey moved her head and kissed his forearm, "Be inside me again, Zach; she whispered. With a low sigh, he began moving inside her, his hips pressing and rolling against her, his cock stroking a patient rhythm. She sighed with happiness, feeling him explore and claim her at the same time. His lips moved over her neck and back as he leisurely took her, whispering praise and encouragements, waiting for her to adjust to him. Before long, though, his words stopped, his body growing harder around her, his every muscle stiffening as he gripped her hand harder, his thrusts quickening until, with a soft, surprised grunt, he thrust deep and shook as he emptied himself inside her. With explosive breaths, he rolled off her, pulling her against him in the bed. "Well, fuck; he said in disgust between gasps. "Yeah; Honey said, snuggling back against him happily, "that was perfect; Zach snorted, "No it wasn't, you noob. You didn't come. I fucked it up." "What do you mean? What makes you think I didn't come? That felt great! Let's do that all the time," Honey said, turning in his arms so she could smile at him. "I would've felt it if you came, Honey; it gets tight and squeezes you, almost like it's sucking on you; drinking you down; he said, smiling down at her with rueful affection. "Well, I don't know how it's supposed to get any tighter than that was. I think you're expecting too much of me. Maybe I did come; she argued. "Honey, trust me; when I make you come, you'll know about it," he said, reaching down and caressing her clit with his fingers. "Oh, that's nice; you did that in the shower," Honey cooed, moving her boot up over his hips so he could reach her more easily. "I didn't fucking do this to you in the shower. I fucking washed you. I was a fucking gentleman. People cut diamonds with less fucking focus than I had in that fucking shower. I was just taking care of business, then," he grumbled, leaning down to nuzzle her neck. "I guess; I guess, I took advantage of you, then; s-sorry; oh; she said, raising her hips to him as her breathing became irregular, her head tossing from side to side. "Well, unless I'm wrong, you are about to really pay for it in 3, 2, 1" Zach said, when Honey screamed high and long, her hips bucking as she came hard, covering his hand in her sweet nectar and then bursting into tears. Zach held her close as Honey wailed in pain, stroking her body gently, "Yeah; see, that boot can do a lot, but it can't do squat about it when every muscle in your body wants to stiffen up as you come," he said, still soothing her. Honey slapped his shoulder, "That; that was mean! Don't you ever make me come again!" she panted against him, her face still twisted in slowly receding pain. "Uh huh; Zach said, glancing at the alarm clock on his nightstand, "we'll see how long that lasts, you little freak," he said with a smirk, leaning down to kiss her tears away.  To be continued in part 3, Based on a post by Lingering Afterthought, in 3 parts, for Literotica.

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Adam Crowley and Dorin Dickerson discuss what has made the Steelers seem to play so conservative in games this season and over the last few years.

Send us a textXbox is making moves—but are they the right ones? In this episode of iCritic LIVE, Kevin breaks down the latest shifts in Microsoft's gaming strategy, from studio acquisitions and Game Pass evolution to the uncertain fate of physical media and platform exclusivity. It's not all green lights: we'll explore the risks, the promises, and why cautious optimism might be the most honest stance right now. Whether you're a lifelong Xbox fan or a skeptical observer, this is the deep dive you didn't know you needed.Support the show►Want a question answered on iCritic Live? Send a question here and we'll answer it (if it's a reasonable question): https://streamelements.com/kevintrod/tip►Get free money just from buying gas! Download GetUpside to start making an average of $50 a day: https://upside.app.link/5TMVT►Want to invest in stocks commission-free? Use Robinhood! Sign up through this link to get a free stock: https://share.robinhood.com/kevin1823►PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/KevinTRodWebsite: http://www.icritic.netE-Mail: greatmediauniverse@gmail.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/icritic_official/Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/KevinTRod/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kevintrod/pins/Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevinTRodMy Amazon Wish List: https://www.amazon.com/registry/wishlist/22VIH93Q0H9EP/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_gm__wlMy Criterion Wish List: https://www.criterion.com/wishlist/392515If you would like to send me snail mail, please send all (legal) packages to:iCriticPO Box 2130Huntington Beach, CA 92647All view are protected by the First Amendment and all images and video clips used are protected under Fair Use.

Obviously, there is only one thing to talk about. Please God in the next few days the twenty Israeli hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza are to be released as part of phase one of the deal brokered by President Trump, his team, and a host of nations. More than two years after they were taken hostage, these twenty surviving hostages who have been in hell for an eternity will at long last be home, reunited with their families. And the question is, how do we process this monumental and joyful event?

Kevin Hincks reports from the Cboe Global Markets in what he calls a "cautiously higher" market. Futures trended higher but comes with gold continuing a monstrous run to the upside, paired with a lot of pressure on the Japanese Yen. Kevin believes traders should stay on their toes today after Tuesday's initial rally faded. He also notes comments from Nvidia (NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang on Tesla (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk after Nvidia announced plans to invest in xAI.======== Schwab Network ========Empowering every investor and trader, every market day. Subscribe to the Market Minute newsletter - https://schwabnetwork.com/subscribeDownload the iOS app - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/schwab-network/id1460719185Download the Amazon Fire Tv App - https://www.amazon.com/TD-Ameritrade-Network/dp/B07KRD76C7Watch on Sling - https://watch.sling.com/1/asset/191928615bd8d47686f94682aefaa007/watchWatch on Vizio - https://www.vizio.com/en/watchfreeplus-exploreWatch on DistroTV - https://www.distro.tv/live/schwab-network/Follow us on X – https://twitter.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/schwabnetworkFollow us on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/schwab-network/ About Schwab Network - https://schwabnetwork.com/about

Today's agenda:  Hey big boy Cringe corporate speak: I know just enough to be dangerous Hot topic: all about AI anxiety: what does AI in the workforce mean for your job, your company and your future What is driving the anxiety around AI in the workplace? How to manage AI stress at work Normalizing conversations and open discussions about AI within an organization is important to help manage AI fear and hesitancy Treating AI as an enforcement, not a replacement Cautiously embracing AI as a tool instead of fearing it Questions/Comments  Your To-Do List: Grab merch, submit Questions & Comments, and make sure that you're the first to know about our In-Person Meetings (events!) at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.hrbesties.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Follow your Besties across the socials and check out our resumes here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.hrbesties.com/about⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.  Subscribe to the HR Besties Newsletter - ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://hr-besties.beehiiv.com/subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ We look forward to seeing you in our next meeting - don't worry, we'll have a hard stop! Yours in Business + Bullsh*t,  Leigh, Jamie & Ashley Follow Bestie Leigh! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@hrmanifesto⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/hrmanifesto⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.hrmanifesto.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Bestie Ashley! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@managermethod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/managermethod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleyherd/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://managermethod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Bestie Jamie! ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.millennialmisery.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Humorous Resources: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Millennial Misery: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Horrendous HR: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ • ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Tune in to “HR Besties,” a business, work and management podcast hosted by Leigh Elena Henderson (HRManifesto), Ashley Herd (ManagerMethod) and Jamie Jackson (Humorous_Resources), where we navigate the labyrinth of corporate culture, from cringe corporate speak to toxic leadership. Whether you're in Human Resources or not, corporate or small business, we offer sneak peeks into surviving work, hiring strategies, and making the employee experience better for all. Tune in for real talk on employee engagement, green flags in the workplace, and how to turn red flags into real change. Don't miss our chats about leadership, career coaching, and takes from work travel and watercooler gossip. Get new episodes every Wednesday, follow us on socials for the latest updates, and join us at our virtual happy hours to share your HR stories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Last time we spoke about the beginning of the battle of Nanjing. As the relentless tide of war approached Nanjing in December 1937, fear gripped its residents. As atrocities unfolded in the countryside, civilians flocked toward safety zones, desperate for refuge. Under the command of General Tang Shengzhi, the Chinese forces prepared for a fierce defense, determined to hold their ground against the technologically superior invaders. Despite heavy losses and internal strife, hopes flickered among the defenders, fueled by the valor of their troops. Key positions like Old Tiger's Cave became battlegrounds, exemplifying the fierce resistance against the Japanese advance. On December 9, as artillery fire enveloped the city, a battle for the Gate of Enlightenment commenced. Both sides suffered grievously, with the Chinese soldiers fighting to the last, unwilling to yield an inch of their soil. Each assault from Japan met with relentless counterattacks, turning Nanjing into a symbol of perseverance amidst impending doom, as the siege marked a critical chapter in the conflict, foreshadowing the brutal events that would follow.   #167 The Battle of Nanjing Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. By mid-December, the landscape surrounding Nanjing was eerily quiet. The Japanese Army marched through what seemed to be desolate fields and mountains, but they were not truly empty. Civilians were scarce, with most having fled, but a few remained in their homes, hiding in cellars and barns, clinging to the hope that the war would bypass them. Meanwhile, thousands of Chinese soldiers, left behind and unable to keep pace with their units, still posed a significant danger to the Japanese forces. The Japanese Army had not truly conquered the territory east and south of Nanjing; they had merely passed through. Mopping-up operations became a top priority. Soldiers from the 16th Infantry Division, stationed near Purple Mountain, spent early December conducting these missions far from the city's walls. “Chinese stragglers may be hiding in this area, and they must be flushed out. Any small structure of no strategic value to the Japanese Army must be burned!” This command rang out to the division's soldiers as they spread across the countryside around Unicorn Gate. Soon, isolated fires began to illuminate the horizon, one for each home. Soldiers from the 9th Infantry Division, who were not directly engaged in combat south of the Gate of Enlightenment, were also conducting similar mopping-up operations. On December 11 at noon, one squad received orders to investigate a suspicious farm building. Although it had been searched previously, movement inside prompted renewed caution. The Japanese entered carefully, moving from room to room. In the basement, they discovered eight Chinese soldiers who offered no resistance, immediately raising their hands in surrender. Bound together, they were brought outside. Using a few Chinese words supplemented by sign language, the Japanese gathered that the Chinese had been in the vicinity where one of their comrades had been killed days earlier. Unanimously, they decided the prisoners should be executed in front of their comrade's grave. Some of the older soldiers hesitated, reluctant to partake in the killings, leaving it to the younger ones to carry out the order. Soon, eight headless bodies lay sprawled before a solitary Japanese grave.  On the morning of December 11, the first soldiers of the 6th Japanese Infantry Division finally spotted the distant city wall of Nanjing. They had been engaged in fierce combat for nearly two days, attempting to dislodge the tenacious defenders of the Yuhuatai plateau, the elite soldiers of the 88th Division. In a desperate bid to maintain their foothold on Yuhuatai, the 88th Division deployed its reserved 528th Regiment along with a battalion of engineers. Despite their efforts, the regiment's ranks had been depleted, filled with inexperienced recruits, and their leadership nearly obliterated, limiting their effectiveness. Under the relentless assaults from the Japanese forces, their defenses began to falter almost immediately. Faced with the stiff resistance at the Gate of Enlightenment, the Japanese shifted their focus to the Chinese Gate on December 11. Japanese aircraft were summoned for tactical air support, forcing the 88th Division's defenders to retreat behind the wall. This withdrawal occurred swiftly and somewhat chaotically, allowing the Japanese to pursue closely. Before the Chinese could regroup, 300 Japanese soldiers had breached the wall. Only the mobilization of all available forces enabled the Chinese to push the attackers back outside. Meanwhile, the left flank of the 88th Division, stationed east of Chinese Gate, remained outside the wall. Here, they clashed with elements of the 9th Japanese Division but faced intense pressure and were compelled to fall back. By the end of the day, the Chinese division had shortened its defensive line, regrouping in front of the city wall. Plans for a nighttime counterattack were ultimately abandoned, as it became clear that the division's soldiers were too fatigued to mount an effective offensive. Overall, it proved to be a successful day for the Japanese 10th Army. Further south, the Kunisaki Detachment successfully crossed the Yangtze River at Cihu village, beginning their advance toward Pukou. Its special amphibious training made the detachment ideally suited for the operation, but its limited numbers, essentially a reinforced infantry regiment, raised concerns at field headquarters about whether it could accomplish the task alone. Prince Asaka proposed transporting part of the 13th Division across the Yangtze further north to sever the railway connecting Tianjin to Pukou, cutting off a potential retreat route for Chinese forces that had escaped Nanjing.  On December 11, Japanese artillery shells rained down relentlessly, targeting both the interior and exterior of Nanjing's city walls. Administrators of the Safety Zone were alarmed to witness several shells landing perilously close to its southern edge. In a bid to provide some semblance of security, American and foreign flags were raised around the zone's perimeter, though their protective influence against artillery fire from miles away was negligible. The leaders of the Safety Zone faced an unexpected dilemma: how to handle lawbreakers with the city courts now out of operation. That day, they encountered a thief caught in the act. As Rabe noted in his diary “We sentence the thief to death, then pardon him and reduce his punishment to 24 hours in jail, and ultimately, due to the absence of a jail, we simply let him go”. Refugees continued to pour in, with a total of 850 having found shelter at Ginling College. Vautrin and her colleagues began to feel that their initial estimate of 2,700 women and children seeking refuge on the campus was overly optimistic. They were soon proven wrong. On the banks of the Yangtze River, hundreds of injured soldiers and civilians were lining up to be ferried across to Pukou, where trains awaited to transport them further inland and away from danger. Many had been waiting for days without food. While ferries made continuous trips across the river to rescue as many as possible, the process was painfully slow. As of late December 10, approximately 1,500 wounded civilians remained stranded on the south bank of the Yangtze. The Japanese forces were confronted by a fiercely determined enemy composed largely of young soldiers from the Training Division. These soldiers had the advantage of having been stationed near Purple Mountain for several years, making them familiar with the terrain. Additionally, they were part of an elite unit, groomed not just in equipment and training but also instilled with a sense of nationalism rooted in Chiang Kai-shek's ideology. Li Xikai, the commander of the division's 3rd Regiment, had set up his command post directly in the path of the primary Japanese advance, yet his regiment continued to resist. Despite the fierce resistance, the Japanese gradually gained control over the Purple Mountain area. General Nakajima Kesago, commander of the 16th Division, visited an artillery observation post early in the day and was pleased to receive reports that his troops had captured two peaks of Purple Mountain and were poised to take the main peak.  Yet there loomed a problem on Nakajima's right flank. A widening gap was emerging between the 16th Division and the 13th Division, which had advanced along the southern bank of the Yangtze. There was a risk that Chinese forces could escape through this lightly guarded area. The 13th Division was stationed in the strategically important river port city of Zhenjiang, preparing to cross the Yangtze. The Central China Area Army ordered the 13th Division to mobilize three infantry battalions and one artillery battalion. This new formation, known as the Yamada Detachment after its commander, Yamada Senji, was tasked with remaining on the Yangtze's south bank and advancing westward to capture two Chinese fortresses on the river: Mt. Wulong and Mt. Mufu. This redeployment alleviated concerns about the gap, allowing the 16th Division to focus on the city wall. As the sun dipped towards the horizon, one Captain Akao Junzo prepared for what he believed would be his final assault. He had been ordered to seize a hill northeast of Sun Yat-sen Gate that overlooked the city entrance. His commander told him “The attack on Nanjing will likely be the last battle of this war, and I hope your company can be at the front when the enemy's lines are breached”. The hill was fortified with numerous machine gun positions, reinforced with mud, bricks, and tiles, and connected by an intricate network of trenches. Dense rows of barbed wire lay before the positions, designed to halt attackers and expose them to machine-gun fire. Additionally, the area was likely heavily mined, and Chinese soldiers maintained a high level of alertness. Akao knew this all too well; when he crawled forward and slightly lifted his head to survey the landscape, he triggered a hail of bullets, one of which grazed his helmet. Around late afternoon, four mountain guns from the regimental artillery began firing on the Chinese positions, sustaining the bombardment for over an hour. By 5:00 pm, as the winter sky darkened, Akao decided it was time to launch the attack. Expecting close-quarters combat, he instructed his men to carry only their rifles and small entrenchment tools. With the entire company poised to move, he dispatched a small group of soldiers ahead to cut openings in the barbed wire while receiving covering fire from the mountain guns and the rifles and machine guns of their comrades. The remainder of the company advanced with swords raised and bayonets fixed. As they approached within about 700 feet of the enemy positions, the artillery bombardment ceased as planned. The enemy, still reeling from the ferocity of the earlier assault, scrambled in a panic from their trenches, retreating in disarray. Akao and his fellow soldiers pressed forward, cutting down any opposition in their path. Seizing the momentum, Akao charged to occupy the hill that had been his target. He found it deserted upon his arrival and sent a triumphant message back to command, reporting that the objective had been achieved. However, the reply he received left him baffled: he was ordered to withdraw with his company and return to their lines. Apparently, the regimental command deemed the position too precarious. Sensing that a precious advantage was being squandered, Akao disregarded the order. Before his company could establish a defensive position on the hill, the Chinese launched a counterattack. Lying down, the Japanese soldiers returned fire while frantically digging into the earth to fortify their position. Gradually, they began to form a rudimentary perimeter at the summit. The fighting continued into the night. Exhausted from days without sleep, many soldiers rotated between guard duty and rest, dozing off intermittently in their shallow trenches, reassuring one another that everything would be alright before drifting back to sleep. They successfully repelled all attempts by the Chinese to reclaim the hill and were eventually relieved. On December 11, after leaving his capital, Chiang Kai-shek took time to reflect on everything that had happened in his diary. He reassured himself that his nationalist revolution would persist, regardless of whether he held Nanjing, “Temporary defeat can be turned into eventual victory.” Yet he did not fear so much the Japanese invasion itself, but rather how the weakening of his nationalist government might allow the Communists to rise. He wrote about how his nation was on the brink of becoming a second Spain. While foreign invasions were undoubtedly disastrous, they could eventually be overcome, if not immediately, then over years or decades. Sometimes, this could be achieved merely by absorbing the outmatched invader and assimilating them into Chinese society. In contrast, internal unrest posed a far more fundamental threat to the survival of any regime. As we have seen in this series, going back to the mid 19th century, was it the foreign empires of Britain, France and Russia that threatened to destroy the Qing dynasty, or was it the internal civil war brought on by the Taiping? As Chiang famously put it “the Japanese were a treatable disease of the skin. Communism however was a disease of the heart”. Chiang could accept a humiliating but rapid retreat from Nanjing. In his view, it would be far more difficult to recover from a bloody yet futile struggle for the city that might cost him what remained of his best troops. A prolonged defensive battle, he reasoned, would be a tragic waste and could shift the balance of power decisively in favor of the Communists. This new mindset was reflected in a telegram he sent late on December 11 to Tang Shengzhi: “If the situation becomes untenable, it is permissible to find the opportune moment to retreat to regroup in the rear in anticipation of future counterattacks.” On December 12, tankettes cautiously plunged into the Yuhuatai plateau. Unexpectedly the Chinese defenders abandoned their positions and rushed down the hillside toward Nanjing's walls. Upon discovering this, the Japanese tankettes opened fire on the retreating Chinese, cutting swathes through the masses and sending bodies tumbling down the slope. Some Japanese infantry caught up, joining in the slaughter and laughing boisterously as they reveled in the chaos. A tankette column escorted a group of engineers to the Nanjing wall and then drove east along the moat until they reached a large gate, flanked by two smaller openings, all securely shut. A chilling message, painted in blue, adorned the gate's surface. Written in Chinese characters, it conveyed a stark warning: “We Swear Revenge on the Enemy.” The wall itself loomed three stories high, but Japanese artillery was already targeting it, this was known as the Chinese Gate. Now that Yuhuatai was virtually in Japanese hands, capturing the gate had become the primary objective. At this location, the wall stood 70 feet tall, protected by a 100-foot moat to the outside. All bridges spanning the moat had been destroyed. The area around the gate was heavily defended, with approximately one machine gun positioned every 50 yards atop the wall. Inside, the gate was reinforced with a formidable barrier of sandbags. Chinese infantry armed with mortars and small arms could fire down on the Japanese attackers while others had established isolated positions in nearby buildings that had survived the “scorched earth” policy. Taking the gate and the heavily fortified southwestern corner of the wall was the responsibility of the 6th Division. The division was deploying its regiments: the 13th, the 47th, and the 23rd from east to west. The 45th Regiment, the final unit of the division, was tasked with skirting the western side of the wall and advancing northward, aiming for the Yangtze docks at Xiaguan. The soldiers of the division had already formed a rough understanding of the formidable defenses they were facing. During the night between December 11 and 12, they had advanced nearly to the wall, gathering intelligence to prepare for an assault at dawn. As planned, the assault commenced. Field artillery fired round after round at the gate, but the wall sustained minimal damage. A Japanese tank rolled up, firing point-blank at the gate but producing no visible effect. Next, it was the engineers' turn. A “dare-to-die” squad, equipped with long ladders, crept as close to the wall as possible without exposing themselves and then sprinted the final distance. The moment they broke into the open, a Chinese machine gun opened fire, cutting them down to the last man. At noon, three Japanese planes soared overhead, dropping bombs near a Chinese-held building outside the gate. The smoke from the resulting fire briefly obscured the area. Seizing the opportunity presented by the reduced visibility, a large group of Chinese soldiers holed up inside attempted to dash back to the wall. The Japanese spotted their movement instantly, and every soldier in the line opened fire. The fleeing Chinese were mowed down like ripe grass, collapsing in heaps.  Meanwhile the battle for the Gate of Enlightenment was drawing to a close. On the Chinese side of the wall, confusion reigned regarding the overall situation on December 12. Chen Yiding, brigade commander of the 87th Division, had been warned that heads would roll if the Gate of Enlightenment fell to the Japanese. Hearing the sounds of fierce fighting on the edges of Yuhuatai and seeing the smoke rise from numerous fires on Purple Mountain, he was left in the dark about their implications, surrounded by the fog of war. Chen's troops had finally managed to establish a telephone link to the rear, but by mid-afternoon, it was cut off, likely due to a stray artillery shell. After dark, Chen sent an officer to his left flank to make contact with the Chinese forces there. The report that followed was far from reassuring. A unit from Guangdong Province was abandoning its positions and retreating north, attempting to exit the capital through one of the gates in the city wall. The officer had attempted to inquire about their destination, but the retreating soldiers ignored him. With neighboring units evacuating autonomously, a significant gap was opening in the Chinese line atop the wall between the Gate of Enlightenment and Sun Yat-sen Gate. A frightening possibility emerged: the Japanese could walk right in across the undefended southeastern corner of the city wall and surround Chen Yiding's troops before they had a chance to withdraw. The situation was becoming untenable, a fact underscored by the artillery fire raining down on Chen's position. Despite this, retreat was not a simple decision for Chen and the other commanders of the 87th Division. They had been garrisoned in Nanjing before the war, and the city had become home to many of the soldiers. Shortly after midnight, Chen called a meeting with his senior officers. After considerable discussion, they concluded that they had no choice but to withdraw. Nonetheless, Chen insisted that everyone sign a document confirming their support for this decision, recognizing the potential danger of taking such a significant step without consensus. After all, his own life had been threatened if the situation deteriorated further. Soon after, the Chinese began to move out of their positions. The Japanese were initially unaware of the retreat; all they noticed during the night between December 12 and 13 was that the Chinese artillery fire began to grow increasingly distant. By 4:00 am it had stopped completely. The few remaining Chinese were quickly overwhelmed and killed. In the end, the gate, which had cost so many lives during the seemingly endless battle, was taken almost effortlessly by the Japanese. Soldiers of the 9th Division, stationed outside the wall, scrambled up the slope created by the previous days' shelling. Once at the top, they thrust their hands into the air, shouting “Banzai!” so loudly that they believed their families back home in Japan might hear them. Tears streamed down their faces as soldiers embraced and shook hands, reflecting on the friends they had lost throughout the months of fighting, from Shanghai to their current position. They reassured each other that their sacrifices had been worth it for this very moment. On December 12,  the slopes of Purple Mountain  were ablaze. Zhou Zhenqiang, commander of the Training Division's 1st Brigade, led his men in a desperate struggle to maintain control of the mountain's forested peaks. However, they were being overwhelmed by the better-equipped Japanese troops, and Zhou knew it was only a matter of time before he would have to relinquish his position. Zhou found himself unable to obtain any information from his superiors about the overall situation, despite repeated attempts to contact the Training Division's headquarters. He dispatched a runner, who returned a few hours later with disheartening news: the divisional commander had left late in the afternoon. Other reports indicated a general breakdown in command. The elite 88th Division was in disarray, and an entire division of Guangdong troops, that being the same force that had abandoned the wall near the Gate of Enlightenment, had been spotted marching out of the Gate of Great Peace, seemingly intent on returning home. With indications of collapse all around him, Zhou decided to execute an orderly withdrawal from Purple Mountain, leaving a small contingent behind to cover the retreat. His troops entered through the city wall at Sun Yat-sen Gate and marched in disciplined columns through the streets of Nanjing, where signs of imminent anarchy were evident. Chinese soldiers were scattered everywhere, speaking a cacophony of dialects, yet they appeared to lack any coherent command. Tang Shengzhi's grip on the situation was weakening. Meanwhile Japan's 13th Air Group had been busy with the final stages of the battle for Nanjing.  In the morning of December 12, after raiding Chinese positions at Sun Yat-sen Gate, they  received new orders. Intelligence indicated that Chinese ships, laden with troops, were moving up the Yangtze from Nanjing. Japanese infantry on the ground could only watch as this prize slipped through their fingers, and the army requested air support. All available planes at Changzhou, a mix of A4N fighters and Yokosuka B4Y bombers, totaling 24 aircraft, were assembled for the crucial mission. The day was clear, providing excellent visibility as the pilots headed toward the section of the Yangtze where they believed the vessels would be, based on reasonable assumptions about their speed. At 1:30 p.m., 28 nautical miles upriver from Nanjing, the pilots sighted four ships. Trusting their military intelligence, they saw no need for further identification. Initially, the B4Ys bombed the vessels from a considerable height. One bomb struck the lead ship, a military vessel, disabling its forward gun and snapping the foremast. Then, a first wave of six A4Ns dove down over the line of ships, attacking individually. In total, they dropped about 20 bombs. Several exploded close enough to the lead vessel to damage its hull and injure crew members on deck. A 30-caliber machine gun on board was manned, with gunners stripped to the waist firing at the Japanese planes but failing to score a hit. Several of the A4Ns strafed the ship with machine-gun fire. After 20 minutes of sustained bombing and strafing, the result was utter devastation. The lead vessel was stuck in mid-river, riddled with bullets, aflame, and listing to starboard. Two other ships were beached on the right bank, while another sat stranded on the left. Satisfied with their mission, the Japanese aviators broke off and returned to their temporary base. Upon their landing in Changzhou, instead of receiving accolades, the pilots were met with reprimands. Why hadn't they sunk all the vessels? They were ordered to return immediately to finish the job. Though they didn't find the original targets, they stumbled upon four other vessels closer to Nanjing. One aircraft dove toward the ships, releasing a 60-kilogram bomb that struck one vessel. As the pilot pulled up, he caught sight of the Union Jack on the hull and realized his mistake; he had inadvertently targeted neutral ships. The other pilots recognized the significance of the markings as well and withheld their bombs. The vessel was identified as the SS Wantung. Soon after, the Japanese pilots understood that the ships they had attacked earlier upriver from Nanjing were also Western; three of them were Standard Oil tankers. The last vessel, which had sustained the most damage, was the USS Panay, a lightly armed flat-bottomed gunboat,  tasked with protecting American lives and property along China's longest river. The Panay had been instrumental in evacuating American citizens from the war zone in November and December. On the day it was attacked, the Panay was carrying four American embassy personnel and ten American and foreign journalists to safety. The ship's doctor converted the engine room into a makeshift sick bay, treating a steady stream of injured personnel. By the end, he was tending to 45 patients. The soldiers and passengers were evacuated in two small boats to a nearby marshy island covered in reeds, where they hid, fearful of further strafing. From their hiding place, they watched as a Japanese powerboat filled with soldiers approached the Panay. After firing more volleys at the vessel, the soldiers boarded it, remaining for only five minutes before departing. The American flag still flew from the bow at that time. At 3:54 pm, the Panay rolled over to starboard and sank in seven to ten fathoms of water. Cold and frightened, the survivors waded through knee-deep mud to a nearby village, assisting those too severely wounded to walk.  Meanwhile back at Chinese Gate, the mutual slaughter continued into the afternoon of December 12. The Japanese made no significant progress, although their failure was not for lack of trying. The commanders of the 6th Division had strategically placed the boundary between the 13th and 47th Regiments exactly at the gate, encouraging both units to compete to be the first to seize the position. Yet, despite their efforts, it became clear that willpower alone was not enough to breach the Chinese defenses at Chinese Gate. In peacetime, Nanjing's city gates served as entry points into a bustling capital, but in wartime, they transformed into heavily fortified and nearly impregnable strongholds. Any Japanese officer hoping for a swift victory would soon be disappointed; by early afternoon, the situation at the gate had devolved into a stalemate. The section of the wall manned by the 47th Infantry Regiment, located east of the gate, also saw little meaningful movement as the day wore on. Japanese soldiers, pinned down by Chinese fire from atop the wall, could do little more than take pride in a symbolic triumph. A small group of soldiers had managed to reach the wall and place a ladder against it, but it fell nearly ten feet short of the top. One soldier skillfully scaled the last portion, gripping protruding bricks and crevices of the nearly vertical surface. The entire Japanese front watched him with bated breath. He reached the top and unfurled a Japanese flag, but it immediately drew intense Chinese fire, forcing him to duck for cover. Soon, he vanished from sight, raising concerns among his compatriots about his fate. Later, it was revealed that he had taken refuge in a depression in the wall, waiting out the battle. The real breakthrough of the day would occur west of the gate. The 23rd Regiment was deployed there with orders to capture sections of the wall near the southwestern corner. It became evident that the wall could not be scaled without first bringing up artillery to create gaps in its solid masonry. A significant portion of the divisional fire support, 36 small-caliber mountain guns, four 100mm howitzers, and four 150mm howitzers, was assigned to this section. Artillery observers were also sent to the 23rd Regiment's forward command post to coordinate with the infantry and assess the effects of the shelling. By mid-afternoon, the artillery bombardment had created a ravine-like hole in the wall large enough for an assault. The 23rd Regiment positioned its 2nd and 3rd Battalions at the front, with the 1st Battalion held in reserve. First, the engineers undertook the challenging task. As the assault commenced, the rest of the regiment provided covering fire to force the Chinese defenders to seek shelter while the engineers charged into the 70-foot-wide moat. Once a human chain formed, they held up ladders as a makeshift bridge, allowing a company from the 3rd Battalion to rush across and into the gap in the wall. As the batteries switched to close infantry support, they laid down a barrage around the breach to prevent Chinese interference as the attack entered its decisive phase. The Japanese soldiers scrambled up the rubble, created by the artillery fire, which rose several dozen feet high. Shortly before 5:00 p.m., the Japanese seized control of the southwestern segment of the wall. The Chinese launched several counterattacks to reclaim the position, but none were successful. This action ultimately sealed Nanjing's fate; beyond the wall, there was nothing left to save the ancient city and its inhabitants. As defeat appeared imminent, more and more civilians sought safety in foreign-controlled areas, though danger still loomed large. Bits of shrapnel narrowly missed Dr. Robert Wilson while he operated in the Safety Zone. Every square foot of John Rabe's property became filled with families, many camping in the open with their own blankets. Some sought refuge under his large swastika flag, believing that this would make the area especially “bomb-proof” given the growing friendship between Tokyo and Berlin; they assumed Japanese aviators would think twice before targeting a region seemingly under German protection. With just hours left before the Japanese Army was expected to gain control, the residents of Nanjing made their last preparations, prioritizing personal survival. The brutal behavior of Japanese troops in conquered territories fueled intense concern over the possible fate of injured soldiers who might fall into enemy hands. As Nanjing's last hours as a free city unfolded, it became imperative for local hospitals to evacuate as many wounded soldiers as possible across the Yangtze. On December 12, doctors found a motorboat stranded on the riverbank, having apparently broken down. They managed to repair it and ferried several hundred patients to safety throughout the day. Throughout December 12, the citizens of Nanjing were subjected to the unsettling cacophony of heavy shelling, mixed with the roar of bombers overhead. By evening, the entire horizon south of the city glowed with flames. The sound of fighting emanated from all directions, continuing long after sunset. However, in the middle of the night, activity began to wan. Every few minutes, the muffled thuds of shells could still be heard, though their origin was unclear. For the most part, an eerie silence prevailed, as if the city was holding its breath in anticipation of the final onslaught. Chiang Kai-shek had indicated he would understand if Tang chose to abandon the capital. However, on December 12, he reversed his stance, sending a telegram to Tang expressing optimism that the Nanjing garrison could hold out significantly longer. In his words “If you do not shy away from sacrifices, you will be able to hold high the banner of our nation and our army, and this could transform defeat into victory. If you can hold out one more day, you will add to the pride of the Chinese nation. If you can hold out for half a month or more, the domestic and international situation could see a substantial change.” Tang adopted a hardline approach toward any signs of defeatism among his troops. When he learned that General Sun Yuanliang, commander of the formerly elite 88th Division, was leading approximately 2,000 men from the Gate of Enlightenment to the dock area, Tang acted swiftly. He dispatched Song Xilian, the commanding general of the 36th Division, to halt the retreat. When the two units met, a fratricidal clash nearly occurred. Fortunately, the 88th Division agreed to return to the gate and continue fighting. Whatever Tang's plans, they were rendered irrelevant at 3:00 pm,  when he received another telegram from Chiang, this time ordering a full retreat. Rumors that the Chinese Army had started evacuating Nanjing triggerec panic among many units. Thousands abandoned their positions and joined the throngs of soldiers and civilians moving slowly down the city's main avenues. The crowd seemed to have collectively decided that getting a boat out of Nanjing was the best option, and by late afternoon, a solid mass of humanity stretched for miles through the city toward the dock areas at Xiaguan. To reach Xiaguan, everyone had to pass through Yijiang Gate. This relatively modern structure had served as the main entry point for visitors arriving in Nanjing by boat in recent decades and now only half of the main entrance was open. A crowd of that size trying to get through such a narrow bottleneck was a recipe for disaster. Those unfortunate enough to be right at the front felt the crushing pressure of tens of thousands of individuals pushing from behind. In that densely packed throng, stumbling and falling to the ground was akin to a death sentence; anyone who went down was inevitably crushed by the oncoming waves of terrified civilians and soldiers. As chaos erupted, discipline evaporated entirely. Officers lost control over their men, leading to infighting among the soldiers. Pushing and shoving escalated into fistfights, and trucks drove directly into the mass of people to force their way through. Tanks, emitting sounds akin to prehistoric beasts, rolled through the mob, crushing many under their weight. Amid the madness, some soldiers, driven by frustration over the lack of movement, began shooting into the crowd at random. To relieve the pressure at Yijiang Gate, some units were ordered to exit Nanjing via the Gate of Great Peace at the northeastern corner of the city wall. Upon arrival, they found the entrance nearly sealed shut. Thick walls of sandbags had been erected around it, leaving only a narrow opening through which one person could pass at a time. Massive crowds fought among themselves to get through; even under perfect order and discipline, it would have taken the entire night and most of the following day for everyone to pass. In the midst of the frantic chaos, it could take a week or more. During the night of the 12th, a select group of Japanese soldiers, chosen for the offensive, stripped their equipment down to the bare essentials: rifles, bayonets, and helmets. They avoided any gear that could produce a metallic noise, alerting the Chinese defenders to their approach. Stealthily, they moved up to the wall, carrying bamboo ladders tied together in threes for added height. Ascending the rungs, they ensured not to make a sound that could betray their position to an alert Chinese sentry. Everything hinged on remaining undetected; even a couple of hand grenades tossed down the wall could halt the attack in its tracks. Reaching the top without being noticed, the soldiers quickly fanned out. Chinese soldiers stationed on the wall saw the swift dark figures and opened fire, but it was too late to thwart the assault. A brief fight ensued; most Japanese soldiers were too close to use their rifles and immediately resorted to their bayonets. The stunned defenders were pushed back, and the successful assault team established a perimeter, awaiting reinforcements from outside the wall. They didn't have to wait long. A massive assault along the length of the 6th Division's front line commenced at dawn on December 13. Japanese artillery concentrated its fire on a narrow section of the city wall, progressively working its way from the bottom up. Gradually, the shells formed a slope of debris that soldiers could use to scale the wall. A short air raid was executed, and after the planes had weakened the remaining resistance, a group of soldiers rushed up the slope. While their comrades provided covering fire, they climbed the last stretch, rolling down a rope ladder. Within minutes, 40 other Japanese soldiers had joined them. By 10:30 am, the Rising Sun flag was flying over the wall. The Japanese invaders were met with a horrific sight at the top of the wall. Beyond lay the grim aftermath of days of shelling. Some houses were leveled, while others burned. The ground was littered with bodies, some decapitated or disemboweled, and pools of blood surrounded them. As Chiang Kai-shek's order to abandon the city gradually filtered down to the troops manning the wall around Nanjing, things began to move rapidly.  By late morning on December 13, all the major entry points into the city had fallen to the Japanese. These included Chinese Gate in the southwest, the Gate of Enlightenment in the south, and Sun Yat-sen Gate in the east. The first thing that struck the Japanese soldiers upon ascending the wall was how starkly different it was from their expectations. They had anticipated a bustling city teeming with people, but instead, the area adjacent to the wall was characterized by farm plots, resembling countryside more than an urban center. The second notable observation was the complete absence of inhabitants. Cautiously, the Japanese soldiers entered the city they had just conquered, their bayonets fixed and rifles at the ready. Yet, surprisingly, very few shots were fired. After weeks of fearing death and injury, once the immediate danger receded, a certain stupor settled in. For most civilians in Nanjing, their initial encounter with the city's new rulers was uneventful. It took several hours for the Japanese to move from the wall into the urban parts of the capital. It was not until around noon that residents noticed the first groups of Japanese soldiers marching down the streets in clusters of six to twelve men. Initially, many met the conquerors with relief, hoping they would be treated fairly. Their optimism was bolstered by Japanese planes dropping leaflets over the city, reassuring residents of humane treatment. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. On December 9, fierce battles erupted, especially at the Gate of Enlightenment. Despite heavy fighting, the Chinese showed remarkable resilience, turning Nanjing into a symbol of determination. However, the tide shifted as overwhelming Japanese artillery and tactics began to breach defenses. By December 13, as chaos engulfed the city, the invaders claimed victory, but not without significant loss. Civilians, caught amid the destruction, clung to hope amid despair.

The Refugee Council says fewer asylum appeals are needed, but there must be 'legal' and 'judicial' oversight of decisions. Also: questions are raised about new criminal sentencing guidelines which could prevent visits to pubs or football matches. And: a lucky escape for those on board a hot air balloon which landed on a street in Bedford.

On this episode, Ted and Patrick start by discussing why the Alexander Isak saga and Newcastle's lack of moves this summer. Then they discuss Morgan Gibbs-White's new deal and if it saved Spurs from themselves. Next, Gianluigi Donnarumma is trying to leave PSG, but does Man United make sense for him? The episode wraps up with Everton's busy summer window and sharing the best and worst transfers of the Summer window (so far!). Enjoy! Get our Premier League Previews: https://www.thetransferflow.com/upgrade Subscribe to our FREE newsletter: https://www.thetransferflow.com/subscribe Join Variance Betting: https://www.thetransferflow.com/upgrade Follow us on our Socials: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe1WTKOt7byrELQcGRSzu1Q X: https://x.com/TheTransferFlow Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/thetransferflow.bsky.social Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetransferflow/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@transferflowpodcast Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro 00:45 - Premier League Previews 01:57 - What is Alexander Isak thinking? 03:27 - Newcastle have been slow 04:15 - Players wanting moves without running down contracts 04:27 - What happens next for Isak? 05:57 - Does next summer make more sense? 06:47 - The most likely outcome 07:20 - Newcastle still want a quality CF + Benjamin Sesko 08:30 - Newcastle are behind other UCL teams 09:55 - Aaron Ramsdale + James Trafford to City 10:55 - Newcastle will have to splash a lot of money 12:17 - Morgan Gibbs-White new deal 13:53 - Are we mean to teams? 14:44 - Nicolas Pepe's old article 16:00 - Spurs now have money left to spend 16:58 - Forest photo ops 18:04 - Did Forest get Lyon relegated? 18:58 - Gianluigi Donnarumma to Man United? 19:33 - Both sides are negotiating through the press 20:12 - A new era of PSG 21:08 - Finding places that will pay you big wages 21:42 - Doing better than Man United 23:00 - Why do Man United Destroy Goalkeepers? 24:12 - Everton have been busy this summer 25:00 - The Moyes move and lots of needs 26:29 - Cautiously optimistic? 26:55 - Upgrades to their attack 27:24 - Fofana and Moyes 28:20 - Aznou's numbers 29:00 - Improving their fullbacks? 30:18 - Respect for Moyes 31:08 - Palace are an example to follow 32:18 - Moves we like and hate this summer 32:58 - Eli Junior Kroupi to Bournemouth 34:45 - Tijjani Reijnders to City 35:33 - Rayan Cherki is the opposite 36:04 - Thierno Barry 37:00 - Betting against Pep? 38:35 - Stiller makes more sense than Reijnders at that price 40:15 - AC Milan adding Pervis Estupiñán 41:00 - Matheus Cunha still makes no sense 42:00 - Napoli adding Noa Lang and Lorenzo Luca 43:10 - Atalanta adding Odilon Kossounou and Kamaldeen Sulemana 43:59 - Johnny Cardoso to Atletico 45:00 - American and British Accents 46:34 - Our Meetup + Variance Betting 47:59 - B - Roll (Podcast apps, what kind of freak is Patrick, Ted's Hinge Story, and Tech) #manchesterunited #transfernews #premierleague #newcastle #everton #alexanderisak #psg #tottenham #nottinghamforest

On Thursday's Daily Puck Drop, Jason “Puck” Puckett is joined right out of the gate by Mitch Levy from the world renowned Mitch Unfiltered podcast.  Puck also catches up with Jerry Brewer of the Washington Post to discuss NBA expansion to Seattle and Mike Garafolo from the NFL Network chats about the opening of training camp. Puck welcomes Mitch during the live show, however, if you want to watch or listen to the full show, you need to join the Puck's Posse at PuckSports.com to get full access.  In the meantime, as we always do, enjoy this weeks sneak preview of “KJ-Arent's”, Ch. 9 as we discuss the Cal Raleigh home run derby, poke bowls, and Mitch plays some audio back that exposes Puck! Puck then talks with Washington Post columnist and good friend Jerry Brewer about Adam Silver's comments about NBA expansion this week at the NBA Board of Governors meeting in Las Vegas.  Does it feel like we are closer or further away from the NBA returning?The NFL season is just days away from getting underway with teams reporting to training camp.  NFL Network's Mike Garafolo joins Puck on the phone from the road to discuss the opening of camps and specifically the expectations for the Seahawks and quarterback Sam Darnold. Puck wraps up the show with, “Hey, What the Puck!”  Cautiously optimistic about the Seattle Seahawks! (1:00) Puck opens show (5:09) Mitch Levy, Mitch Unfiltered (24:10) Jerry Brewer, Washington Post (50:00) Mike Garafolo, NFL Network  (1:03:32 ) “Hey, What the Puck!?”  

Cautiously excited to see Superman (2025), we decided to check out part of the extended Supes cinematic universe with a film built around his cousin, Kara Zor-El, a.k.a. Supergirl. Not the worst superhero movie we've seen, but maybe one of the creepiest, what with all the adults making out with high school girls. Starring Faye Dunaway, Helen Slater, Peter O'Toole, Brenda Vaccaro and Peter Cook. Written by David Odell. Directed by Jeannot Szwarc.

This week's blogpost - https://bahnsen.co/4nZl7Sv Cautiously Pessimistic – Navigating Investment Expectations In this episode of The Thought Somebody Podcast, host Trevor Cummings and guest Blaine Carver discuss Trevor's latest article titled 'Cautiously Pessimistic.' They explore the concept of cautious pessimism in finance, explaining how it contrasts with the common term 'cautiously optimistic' often used by financial pundits. Trevor and Blaine delve into the importance of setting reasonable investment expectations, emphasizing the significance of understanding the purpose of investment funds and developing grounded, historically-informed perspectives. They also caution against misplaced optimism and the psychological impacts of investment decisions, explaining the potential pitfalls of reacting to market volatility and irrational exuberance. Through various analogies and historical instances, they underscore the value of asking the right questions, such as the purpose and time horizon of investments, to ensure alignment with financial goals and to mitigate the emotional scars of market fluctuations. 00:00 Welcome and Introduction 00:19 Cautiously Pessimistic: An Article Overview 02:29 The Importance of Context in Financial Advice 06:16 Understanding Investment Expectations 07:39 The Role of Time Horizon in Investment Strategy 16:12 Reasonable Expectations for Bonds and Stocks 24:46 Understanding Premiums and Historical Correlations 26:16 The Impact of Valuations on Future Returns 28:09 The Concept of Market Bubbles 29:42 Setting Realistic Expectations 32:27 Lessons from Historical Market Trends 34:50 The Role of Emotions in Investing 42:02 The Importance of Groundedness in Investing 48:08 Concluding Thoughts and Listener Engagement Links mentioned in this episode: http://thoughtsonmoney.com http://thebahnsengroup.com

You ever have someone call you an optometrist when you're, say, very much not? Yeah… that happened again. So in this episode, I'm laying out the not-so-subtle (and sometimes very contentious) differences between optometrists and ophthalmologists—education, lasers, the whole thing. We also dive into the thin but mighty conjunctiva, the raging war against red eyes, and yes, my completely unsolicited but deeply held thoughts on AI in healthcare. Spoiler: I don't hate it, but I am watching it like it might try to prescribe eyedrops. Takeaways: There's a reason you never see an ophthalmologist use the puff machine—and it's not snobbery. AI in healthcare? Will's got opinions. Cautiously optimistic, mostly side-eye. Optometrists and ophthalmologists mostly play nice—until lasers get involved. If you're itchy, red, and goopy, there's a good chance your eyeballs are trying to tell you something very specific. Someone invented ointment and basically saved ophthalmology. We owe them a smooch. — To Get Tickets to Wife & Death: You can visit Glaucomflecken.com/live  We want to hear YOUR stories (and medical puns)! Shoot us an email and say hi! knockknockhi@human-content.com Can't get enough of us? Shucks. You can support the show on Patreon for early episode access, exclusive bonus shows, livestream hangouts, and much more! –⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ http://www.patreon.com/glaucomflecken⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  Also, be sure to check out the newsletter: https://glaucomflecken.com/glauc-to-me/ If you are interested in buying a book from one of our guests, check them all out here: https://www.amazon.com/shop/dr.glaucomflecken If you want more information on models I use: Anatomy Warehouse provides for the best, crafting custom anatomical products, medical simulation kits and presentation models that create a lasting educational impact.  For more information go to Anatomy Warehouse DOT com. Link: https://anatomywarehouse.com/?aff=14 Plus for 15% off use code: Glaucomflecken15 -- A friendly reminder from the G's and Tarsus: If you want to learn more about Demodex Blepharitis, making an appointment with your eye doctor for an eyelid exam can help you know for sure. Visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.EyelidCheck.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for more information.  Today's episode is brought to you by DAX Copilot from Microsoft. DAX Copilot is your AI assistant for automating clinical documentation and workflows helping you be more efficient and reduce the administrative burdens that cause us to feel overwhelmed and burnt out. To learn more about how DAX Copilot can help improve healthcare experiences for both you and your patients visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠aka.ms/knockknockhi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. To learn more about Pearson Ravitz go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://www.pearsonravitz.com/knockknock⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Upgrade your Summer. Go to http//www.cozyearth.com and use code KNOCKKNOCK for 40% off best-selling temperature-regulating sheets, apparel, and more. Trust me—you'll feel the difference the very first night. Produced by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Human Content Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Amy gets fingered for the first time.In parts, by Djmac1031- listen to the ► Podcast at Connected.Tommy sat by the edge of the pool, alone with his thoughts as he waited for Amy to come back out of the house.Both of them had made it back unseen and unquestioned from their little secret getaway into the woods.He had just gotten back poolside when Amy's best friend Cindy came over to him.“If you're looking for Amy, I just passed her in the house a minute ago,” Cindy said. “She looked kind of strange, and freaked out a little. You two love birds aren't fighting or something are you?”Tommy sighed inwardly. Cindy was a good friend to Amy, but she was always so damn nosy. She'd been “shipping” the both of them since long before “shipping” had become a catchphrase, and a stupid one at that, Tommy thought.“No, of course not,” Tommy replied, as casually as he could. “I haven't seen her since the Marco / Polo game broke up a while ago and everybody wandered off.”Cindy looked skeptical. “Thought I saw you two still chatting after I got out of the pool,” she said, raising an eyebrow. “You sure somethings not up? You better not have upset my bestie!” she growled.“I don't know what you're talking about,” Tommy said, a little too defensively.“I'm gonna talk to her about it later tonight, ya know. I'm sleeping over. I'll get her to dish, whatever it is, you know that right?” Cindy claimed boldly.Tommy shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. “You guys have fun, talk about whatever you want, I don't care.”Cindy gave him a look that said she didn't quite believe that, then spun and walked away.Tommy watched her leave, relieved she was finally gone. He caught himself looking at her plump ass as she retreated, then quickly averted his eyes.Cindy was cute, even beautiful he had to admit. If he was being honest with himself, he found her attractive sexually. But he certainly didn't have any feelings for her. Not like he had for Amy.Tommy's thoughts drifted back to Amy, and their time alone in the woods, and what they'd done together, a series of firsts for both of them.He thought of her final words to him before she left the wooded path for the house: “I love you too.”Was it love, he thought? It was certainly more than just some teenage “crush.”Was it just sexual? No, he thought. He'd had feelings for her long before what became their first sexual explorations together this evening. He was just finally getting around to admitting it to himself, and understanding that Amy had these same feelings too.It was all so new, so confusing. But exciting too, he had to admit.He sat there alone, feet in the water, thinking about all of that, and trying not to think about the handjob Amy had given him just minutes ago, or about seeing and touching her breasts for the first time. The last thing he wanted was to pitch another tent right there by the side of the pool.He looked up from his thoughts and saw Amy's mom heading into the house.Tommy had a moment of panic. He hoped Amy was done doing, well, whatever she was doing in there. She'd been gone awhile.But he supposed she had to clean up the mess he'd made. She was probably washing her suit and towel out, making sure no telltale stains were left behind.He didn't realize he'd been holding his breath until he saw Amy bound out the door and down the steps into the yard, and he let it out in a rush of relief.She looked happy and carefree enough, so if she'd encountered her mom it must have gone okay.Amy paused, looking around, and her face lit up in a radiant smile when she spotted him.Amy had to keep herself from running over to Tommy. She felt like she was floating over the grass, not simply stepping across it as she walked towards him, butterflies in her stomach.He stood as she approached, and it struck her, not for the first time, just how handsome he was.His eyes were a strange but beautiful combo of green and brown, with yellow flecks you could only see up close.His hair was a darker blonde than hers, although it was lightened now by the sun and spiky in a short summer cut.His body was lean and lanky, with wide shoulders and long legs. While not super muscular, what he had was lean and firm and strong from the various forms of physical work he always seemed to be doing.Amy's eyes traveled down his hairless chest to his stomach, then (not for the first time) to that hint of a V shape that started just under his abs, pointing the way towards his,“No, stop, not now,” Amy thought. “That way madness lies,” she laughed to herself, remembering her Shakespeare.She hoped he hadn't caught her looking, then realized maybe she wouldn't mind so much if he had anyway.His eyes seemed fixed on her as she approached, and they were speckled moonlight.Amy felt her heart flutter and a tingle between her legs. “Oh girl,” she thought. “If this is love, you're in trouble,” she groaned inwardly.Then they were together, standing face to face.Amy desperately wanted to hug him, to kiss him, but they both knew they couldn't risk such open displays of affection just now.So she instead simply spoke, “Hey there.”“Hey,” Tommy replied, almost a whisper.They both stood there, smiling like, well, two young lovers. Neither knew what to say next. Tommy broke the silence. “Wanna get a snack?”“I'd love to,” was her reply.They spent the rest of the party almost entirely by each other's side. Oh they socialized, chatted with their other friends, even played horseshoes for a while. But they we're always at least close by, making eye contact and sharing secret smiles.The party eventually started to wind down, and people began saying their goodbyes.Tommy kept a respectful distance as many were approaching Amy to congratulate her and say goodnight. She stood for a while with her parents, thanking each guest in turn for coming and for their thoughtful gifts, etc.He felt a sudden tap on his shoulder. It was his mother.“Hey sport, I'm gonna go. Do you want a ride back with me or are you staying for a bit?” They only lived a few blocks away, an easy walking distance, but his mom had driven so she could bring over the food she'd volunteered to make and the graduation gifts they'd gotten for Amy.“Is it okay if I stay a bit? Amy's parents said it was okay if a few of us stayed and watched a movie,” I explained. “I can walk home after, no problem. It's a nice night.”Mom looked at him and grinned. “Wanna spend more time with Amy, huh?” she said knowingly. “Don't think I haven't noticed how much time you two have been spending together lately.” Tommy gulped but said nothing.His mother relented. “Well, okay. I trust you, and I trust Amy's parents. You won't get into too much trouble I think. Just behave yourself, you hear? Be a good gentleman. And be home by midnight.”Tommy smiled and nodded. “Sure mom, you bet. Thanks.”“Just remember: God is watching you.” And with that she turned to make her goodbyes to Amy and her parents.“Yeah, well, we gave him a hell of a show earlier then,” Tommy thought to himself, and had to stifle a laugh.The popcorn was made, some fruit juice poured, (“You guys have had enough soda for one day” Amy's mom had said, stern but kindly) and they were settling down to watch the movie.The only person who wound up staying besides Tommy was Cindy, who of course was sleeping over.Amy and Cindy were on the center couch. Tommy sat alone in a recliner chair off to the side, as Amy's parents came in from the kitchen.“We're heading up to bed now,” Amy's dad started. “We expect you kids to behave yourself.” Amy's mom turned and looked directly at Tommy. “I expect you'll be a gentleman and show respect for our house?” she asked him.“Yes ma'am, yes sir,” Tommy replied, addressing both parents.Mom nodded, then turned to Cindy. “Cindy, you're chaperone. Keep a watch over these two. They've been making eyes at each other all night.”“Mom!” Amy cried, embarrassed.“What? You thought we didn't notice? We're not as blind as you think we are,” her mom shot back.Amy flushed crimson, but said nothing more.“Cindy?” Mom continued, “you heard me right? You're on guard duty. Understand?”Cindy barely contained her eye roll but nodded and replied, “Yes ma'am, of course.”“Just remember,” Dad said suddenly, “leave room for the Holy Spirit,” and looking directly at Tommy, dropped him a wink and smiled.Tommy gulped. He had no clue what to make of that at all, so he simply nodded.Mom threw dad a sharp glare and his smile quickly faded. “Straight home after the movie young man, you understand me?” Mom said.“Yes ma'am, I understand,” Tommy replied.Then they both gave Amy a kiss on the cheek and went upstairs to their bedroom.The room was silent for several moments after they left, finally broken by Cindy. “Well that was awkward,” she blurted.They all laughed, breaking the tension.They'd all changed into some dry clothes earlier, (Tommy had only just remembered to fetch his from his mom's car before she left) and Tommy couldn't help but notice how cute Amy looked in her sleepwear; a pink Hello Kitty pajama top and matching shorts.It was, as all her outfits were, modest, but it left her shoulders bare and he could see the tan lines made by her bathing suit. Suddenly he was thinking about her breasts, exposed and pale in the moonlight, as she'd slowly slipped down the straps,He was snapped out of this memory by a voice. “Tommy? Earth to Tommy!”It was Cindy. “You can't see the TV well from there. Come sit on the couch with us. I'll scoot over, you can sit next to Amy.” She smiled wryly, and Amy elbowed her good naturedly, but put up no further argument.“Yeah, sure, makes sense,” Tommy said casually, trying not to sound too eager.The girls scooted over and he sat down next to Amy, who was now in the middle, Cindy to her left at the other end.Their hips touched as he sat, and he awkwardly tried to figure out what to do with his left arm. He decided to put it around Amy's shoulders. He made sure to keep his hand up on the couch, a safe distance from the tempting curve of her breast.Amy settled her head on Tommy's shoulder, sighing almost imperceptibly in contentment. Cindy heard it though, and this time did not contain her eye roll, but smiled knowingly.They watched the movie like that for a while, in silence. It was some rom-com the girls had picked out, one of their favorites. Tommy didn't really care what they picked. He wasn't there for the movie.It was a PG film and a pretty tame one at that. No sex or nudity of course. Although there were a couple of kissing scenes and during them Tommy could feel Amy shifting slightly under his arm, and knew exactly what she was thinking.About an hour into the movie, Cindy suddenly stood up. Making a show of stretching (Tommy could not help but notice the way her large breasts pushed out from her less modest tank top, despite himself) and, mock yawning, turned to address them.“I'm tired, I think I'm gonna go to bed,” she announced, looking slyly at Tommy for a second. Then to Amy she added, “your parents bedroom is right across the hall from yours. Keep your cell phone nearby. If I hear them stir, I'll text you.”Turning back to Tommy, she said, “There's about 30 minutes left in this movie. If Amy's not upstairs and in her bed in 35, I'm personally knocking on her parents door and waking them up.”“I know your parents told me to chaperone,” she continued, “but I figure if God sees all, let Him keep an eye on you two.”And with a sly wink and a totally knowing grin, she turned and went upstairs.Tommy and Amy both sat silent and shocked as they watched her go.Tommy broke the silence. “I, I can't believe she just did that,” he muttered.Amy just sighed, cupped his face with her hand, turned it towards her own, and whispered, “she's a good friend.”And just like that they were kissing.Tommy's mind was spinning happily. She smelled so good, clean and fresh after her earlier shower. Some kind of floral scented shampoo, he thought, and he also caught a hint of what he guessed was perfume; a light, almost fruity scent. Her hair was loose, wavy, and flowing around her face and neck.He could taste her lip gloss, sweet with a hint of cinnamon.It wasn't long before the arm he still had half on the couch dropped to a more comfortable, intimate position.Breaking the kiss a moment, he looked at her, head tilted, eyes questioning. No words were needed. She simply nodded her consent and shifted herself into a better position for his hand to gently cup her breast.Again he felt her hard little nipple underneath her shirt, already swollen. He could see her neck and what little skin that was exposed just above her chest flush with excitement as she squirmed under his touch.His hand then slid under the soft cotton fabric and found the bare skin of her breast beneath. He was surprised she wasn't wearing a bra, but supposed the top was generally modest enough that she didn't need one.Or, he speculated, she'd left it off on purpose.Amy rested her head back on the couch and closed her eyes, focusing on the incredible sensations, as his hand explored her firm young flesh. He was so gentle, and every time his fingers found her nipples her body jerked as if shocked.Tommy's voice broke through her trance, whispering. “Amy, are you  okay? Tell me if I hurt you, or,”“I'm fine, just, sensitive,” she stammered. She opened her eyes, imploring, “don't stop, please.” She leaned in, finding his lips again.As they continued making out, he felt her hand land on his upper thigh, slowly moving towards his crotch.The loose fitting shorts he was wearing were containing his throbbing erection, but just barely. Then her hand was over it, feeling it's length for the second time that night.Suddenly she was tugging at his waistband, trying desperately to free it.It took all of his willpower to grasp her hand and remove it.“Amy, we can't. It's too risky. And too, messy.”She groaned and frowned. “I know, but,”Tommy lifted her chin up to face him, and spoke softly, lovingly. “Amy, I want it too, but we have to be smart. If your parents walked in on us with my pants down, or if I made a mess again all over your couch,” he paused, removed his hand from her breast, and with one finger made the “throat cutting” gesture across his neck.She nodded, regretfully. “Yeah, you're right. Dammit.”They sat quietly for a moment, just holding each other.She looked at him suddenly, with a determined glint in her eye.“Would you,” she paused, licked her lips, swallowed nervously, started again:“Would you, touch me, somewhere else?” Her voice was a weak whisper.“Where?” said Tommy, not getting it yet.Amy smiled shyly, looked down, and slowly parted her legs.Understanding dawned in his eyes. A huge grin spread on his face, but was quickly replaced by gentle concern.“Are you sure?” he asked sweetly. “Because I don't want to pressure you, or make you feel like you have to,”Amy cut him off sharply but lovingly. “Tommy, if you don't touch my Kitty right now I'll wind up screaming in frustration. Please. I need this.” Her voice was a harsh whisper that contained a desperation he'd never heard from her before.Tommy was utterly taken aback by this outburst. Then he broke into a goofy grin. “Your kitty?” he said incredulously.Amy flushed with embarrassment. “It's what, it's what I've always, called, it. I know, it's silly.”“It's adorable,” said Tommy, “and so are you.”His hand went to the bare skin of her right thigh, slowly caressing her soft, tan skin.Her breathing became heavier as his hand slid higher up her thigh, finding the hem in the leg of her pajama shorts, then slipped under it.His fingers found the edge of her panties where they met her thigh, then paused.She moaned, put her hand on his, pushed it further. “Please,” she groaned, “please keep going.”His fingers started to work their way under the edge of her panties when she suddenly stopped him.“Just don't, just don't push your fingers, inside. Not all the way,  okay? I'm still a virgin, and I wanna stay that way for now. At least till we're ready to,” she stopped herself, then shrugged, “, well you know. Touch anywhere else you want, just don't push inside,  okay?”Tommy nodded, understanding. He knew enough about the female anatomy to understand what the hymen was and how it could be broken. He certainly didn't want to push Amy beyond what she was ready for.“Don't worry, I don't ever want to hurt you, Amy. Please tell me if I do. And stop me if I go too far. I've never done this, and I want it to be right,” he said.“Just touch me,” she hissed. “I'll guide you if needed, okay?”Without further hesitation, his hand slid up again, finding her panties, but instead of going under them he suddenly changed direction and went over the fabric, cupping her entire “Kitty” in his palm.What he found was warm, almost hot, and he could feel moisture seeping its way through the gusset, warm and slippery like a lotion or oil.He looked at her with happy confusion, and she smiled. “It gets that way sometimes. When it's, excited.” She winked at him wickedly. “But you're torturing me, Tommy. Here, let me just,”With a quick move, her hand was suddenly inside her pajama shorts, and with a jerk she pulled her panties aside, allowing him easier access. He instantly felt the hot wet flesh of her virgin cunt under the palm of his hand.He wasn't sure who gasped louder at the moment of contact, him or her.Amy's eyes rolled back in her head as his fingers started to explore her soft folds.Tommy was mesmerized by what he was feeling. His fingers gently probed and explored her swollen labia, then found where they separated as his fingers slipped between them, locating the entrance to her vagina.He stopped there, remembering his promise not to probe too deep.Cautiously, he stuck a finger tip in, then looked at Amy. “This okay? Not too much?”Her breath was hitching, as she struggled to keep quiet despite the immense pleasure. “Ya, yes, it's fine,” she stammered. “Juh, just a little deeper. There, stop! Now just slide it in and out a bit.”He followed her instructions and she closed her eyes again, imagining, as she had when she'd masturbated earlier, that it was the tip of his cock sliding in and out of her virgin hole.She felt like a fire hydrant the way she was gushing from the gentle fingering. Tommy felt it too.“It's so wet,” he said, his voice a low marvel. “I know, sorry,” she stuttered, barely able to speak.“Don't be,” he whispered in her ear. “I got you way messier earlier, remember? Besides, I'm assuming this means I'm doing a good job, right?”“Oh, yes, yes you, oh, oh God, don't stop, a little faster, oh, oh Jesus, I'm gonna,” Amy suddenly bit down on her lip so hard she thought it might bleed, as she felt the wave of her orgasm hit her, knocking her head back against the couch, her arm squeezing Tommy's waist so tight he could barely breathe, her other hand flying to her mouth to cover her scream as her body shook uncontrollably.“Don't stop don't stop don't stop,” her voice came muffled from under her hand as she felt a fireball of pleasure spread outwardly from her vagina, simultaneously up towards her head and down to her toes. Then her sounds were no longer words, but high pitched squeals. Her body rocked forward, then back, then shook with what looked like a convulsion. Her eyes rolled back in her head.Amy gives her first blowjob.Amy had been sitting with her eyes closed in a state of utter relaxation, wrapped in Tommy's strong embrace. Suddenly they opened, and looking down, she saw Tommy's erection, still straining against his shorts.“Oh, Tommy, I'm so sorry, I totally forgot about, that,” she gestured to his crotch. “Are you sure I can't, you know, help take care of it? It seems so unfair to leave you that way.”Tommy glanced at the TV. There were maybe ten minutes left in the movie. Plenty of time, really. But he was still worried.“Amy, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want you to. But I'm just concerned about making another mess all over you, or worse, on your parents couch!”Amy looked sad, then thoughtful. She looked up at him suddenly, with a gaze that was both shy yet determined.“I have, I have an idea,” she said, her voice shaking, “but I don't know what you'll think of it.”Tommy looked at her quizzically, so she continued, “I could, I could, you know, put it in my, in my mouth.” She blushed at her own brazen words.Tommy's eyes went wide. “You mean,?”Amy simply nodded. Her face still flushed but also filled with love and determination. “Yes,” she answered. “I want to please you that way. Please?” she begged, pouting.Her plea broke any remaining willpower he had left to resist. He kissed her, then smiled. “How could I possibly refuse that pretty face?” he chuckled.He sat back, loosened his shorts, then slid them down. His cock sprung free immediately.Despite having seen and touched it in this state earlier that evening, Amy still couldn't help but giggle at how his penis bounced and twitched all on it's own.“What would be the, you know, best way to, you know, do that?” she asked, suddenly feeling bashful.“Um,” Tommy thought, “maybe on your knees? On the floor?”Amy nodded and slid down to the floor, placing herself between Tommy's legs.This seemed like a good position, she thought, as she got her first really good, close up look at his penis. There was a long, thick vein that ran up the underside of it, from the bottom of the shaft up to the strange indentation of flesh just under the tip that reminded Amy vaguely of her own folds just above her clit. She observed his balls again, in their strange little sack of flesh, covered in small dark hairs.“It's all such a strange looking thing,” she thought to herself, “but somehow beautiful, and arousing.”Amy took his throbbing member in her hand, feeling it pulse in her grip, then started to lean forward towards it.Just as her lips approached his swollen head, she froze. Letting go, she looked up at him, suddenly afraid.“I,” Amy started, “I don't, I don't know what I'm doing,” she stammered. “What if I hurt you?”“You don't have to do this, Amy, we can stop right now,” Tommy said, concerned.“No, no, I'm just, I wanna do good,” Amy smiled weakly, “just afraid I won't be.”“Relax, take your time, go slow, you'll be fine baby. I'm so worked up this won't take long anyway,” he laughed, calming her. Then he echoed her earlier words, “I'll guide you if needed,  okay?”She nodded, smiled, then advanced once more towards his throbbing cock. She felt Tommy's hand touching her face in gentle reassurance, then brushing her hair back away from it. She met his gaze and smiled.Her lips found his head and kissed it tentatively. As before in the woods when she touched it for the very first time, it suddenly started bouncing up and down like a diving board someone just leapt from.She suppressed her mirth this time, determined to get down to business. Again taking his thick shaft in her tiny hand, she held it steady, as she kissed the tip more confidently now. Tommy gasped, feeling the warmth of her lips make contact with his sensitive glans.Feeling bolder, Amy parted her lips and slowly took the tip in her mouth.Tommy winced suddenly, and whispered through his clenched jaw, “mind the teeth!”Amy's mouth let go immediately, and she blurted, “Shit, sorry! You  okay?”“Fine, I'm fine, just, it's  okay baby, try again,” Tommy said reassuringly.Amy's cheeks flushed hot, but she nodded and slid her lips over the tip of his cock again, this time making sure to keep her teeth clear.She got past the tip easily enough, then took another inch or so. Here she paused yet again. She had no idea how far she should or could go, or what to do next.Sensing her confusion and hesitation, Tommy spoke to her softly. “Only go as far as you're comfortable, baby, then just slide it in and out, kinda like what you did with your hand earlier, but using your mouth instead. Does that make sense?”“Mmm hmm,” Amy replied through her full lips, the vibrations causing a groan of pleasure from Tommy. She made a mental note that he liked that.Slowly, Amy started to move her head, up and down, feeling the hot flesh of his cock sliding across her tongue, feeling the ridge of his tip passing in and out of her lips; a very strange yet pleasurable sensation.She was starting to get the hang of it. Using her right hand to hold his cock steady, her grip gentle yet firm at the base, Amy continued to bob her head up and down over his cock, although she still only dared to take about a third of it.It was incredibly hard, yet also felt somehow soft and spongy in her mouth. She was surprised to realize it had no real taste to it at all besides a hint of salt.She was so busy concentrating on what she was doing that she barely remembered to check to see how Tommy was handling it.Looking up, she saw him covering his mouth with his hand, trying to contain his groans and gasps. But his eyes spoke volumes as to the pleasure he was receiving.Their eyes met again, and Amy somehow managed a smile despite having the first penis she'd ever seen, touched, and now sucked in her mouth. She started humming again softly, grinning up at him with a wicked sparkle in her ocean blue eyes.That sent Tommy over the edge. These sensations were all too new to him, far more intense and pleasurable than anything he'd ever managed to create with just his hand. There was no way he could hold back for long.Amy suddenly felt his penis swell in her mouth, like it was expanding somehow. The earlier handjob she'd given had clued her in on what this meant of course; his climax was imminent.Now was the moment of truth, Amy realized. Would she be able to handle him squirting all that thick, sticky stuff in her mouth?Despite being completely inexperienced, Amy was a smart girl. She decided the best course of action in a split second.Quickly she lifted her head up so that her mouth now only held his throbbing cock head. Her lips sealed tight around the ridge forming a vacuum. The hand that had been gripping his base now started to stroke his shaft up and down as he'd taught her before, jerking him while applying gentle suction with her mouth.If she was going to try to catch all of his squirt, she decided she should treat his cock like a straw and try to suck it out. That's just what she did, and she felt the first blast pushing its way up his shaft under her hand, forcefully shooting out the tip.It hit her tongue; hot, salty, but also sweet somehow. The texture was thick and creamy, like some strange combo of yogurt and egg whites. Amy tasted it for only a microsecond before acting on instinct and working the slimy glob to the back of her throat and swallowing.Just in time for the second blast. This one caught her less prepared, and she choked slightly, then kept going.But there was simply too much to keep up with. Her mouth was filling up faster than she could swallow, and with horror she realized some of his cum was leaking out past her lips despite her best efforts at containment and about to drip on the couch.Suddenly she felt a hand just under her chin. Tommy, thinking quickly, had grabbed some fortunate nearby napkins and was using them to catch the run off oozing from her lips and down her chin.She took the napkins gratefully, and quickly mopped up her chin. Amy pulled her mouth back until her lips were resting just over the slit of his tip, then slowly stroked his still hard shaft, feeling the last few drops squeeze out on her tongue.She rolled his cum around on her tongue a bit, savoring the taste this time. It didn't taste bad, nor did it taste good, she thought. Just, odd. But it certainly wasn't terrible or anything. And just the notion of what exactly it was, and just how it had wound up in her mouth, sent pleasant little shivers through her.Amy looked up at Tommy, the tip of his penis still on her lips, and grinned proudly. She'd done it! She'd actually made him squirt with her mouth! And managed to keep it from getting truly messy by actually swallowing almost all of it.Amy felt his penis starting to soften slightly in her hand. She marveled at the fascinating biology of it all for a moment before deciding on a whim to lick him completely clean of the last few splashes of cum that were stuck to him.She heard Tommy moan, and felt his body tremor, as she gently finished cleaning his shaft and head with her tongue. Then, giving it one last kiss, she reluctantly let go of his slowly deflating penis.Amy then felt a sudden pang of guilt. Not for giving her first blowjob, no. She actually felt proud about that. She just felt bad for being so focused on what she was doing that she'd totally missed out on seeing most of Tommy's reaction.She looked up at him again. His face was flushed, but grinning ear to ear. She noticed with some alarm that his lower lip was bleeding, and called his attention to it.“Really?” Tommy muttered, as if coming out of a trance. He tentatively touched his lip, saw the blood on his fingers, then chuckled softly. “Well, it was either bite my lip or scream so loud I'd wake your parents. Small price to pay, I guess,” he said laughing. “It's not bad, it'll be fine, don't worry.” He dabbed his lip with a fresh napkin, wiping off the blood.Amy got up off her knees and sat beside him on the couch, then simply wrapped her arms around him in a warm hug that he returned in earnest.“That was beautiful, Amy. Absolutely amazing. Thank you so, so much,” he whispered in her ear, followed by, “I love you.”“I know,” she whispered, grinning again. Tommy laughed. “Well played, princess.”Looking up, Tommy noticed the credits were now rolling on the movie.“Shit, I better get moving,” he sighed, reluctantly letting go of Amy and reaching down to pull his shorts back up.“Wait,” whispered Amy, “just a second, I just wanna, ,” her hand wrapped around his now soft penis and gave it a gentle squeeze, “say goodbye.” Then she giggled. “It's so strange how different it feels when it's soft,” she marveled.“Yeah, well keep that up and you'll wake it up again,” he said, only half joking. He already felt it starting to stir despite having just had his second orgasm within a couple of hours.“Take a last look,” he cracked before pulling his shorts up and adjusting everything back to normal.Their eyes met again, and Amy gently kissed him, taking care not to put too much pressure on his sore lip. But it had already stopped bleeding and he didn't wince at her kiss, simply returned it.Finally they broke the kiss, and Tommy stood up. “Time for me to go, babe, sorry.”Amy nodded, then suddenly looked troubled. Noticing the look, he asked, “What is it? What's on your mind?”Amy took a moment to gather her thoughts, then finally spoke. “Tommy, I, I've really, enjoyed everything we've, done together tonight. All of it. And I don't feel guilty or shameful about it. Does, does that make me, a slut?” she asked with a gulp.“No, God no,” Tommy gasped. “Do you love me?” he asked her, looking in her eyes.“Yes, so much,” she replied earnestly.“I love you too, Amy. And I don't think it's wrong for two people who love each other to, to do these things, to, to make each other feel good. To, please each other,” he said, “no matter what some guy in a collar says from a pulpit.”Amy's face relaxed and broke into a warm, grateful smile. “Thank you,” she said softly, “that makes me feel better. Because I feel that way too.”“I gotta say,” said Tommy, “It kinda surprised me the way you swore when you were orgasming. It was, it was kinda hot.”Amy blushed but grinned. “Yeah, that surprised me too, actually,” she said, then just shrugged.They shared one last embrace, a quick final kiss, and then Tommy was out the door.He turned to look back at her, waved, and whispered loudly, “I love you. See you again soon.”“I love you too,” she mouthed silently, blew him a kiss, and closed the door.&l

Bible Reading: Mark 4:35-41BOOM! Seven-year-old Carter sat up in bed. Rain spattered against the window, and lightning streaks made his room as bright as day. He could see his favorite teddy bear propped in a corner. BOOM! Another loud crash of thunder. Carter burrowed under his covers, a pillow pressed over his ears.From under the blankets, Carter peeked toward the wall where the rosy glow of a nightlight usually shone, but between flashes of lightning, only blackness filled the room. Cautiously, he poked the button of a little table lamp near his bed, but instead of warm, friendly light, there was nothing. Trembling, he buried himself even deeper in his bed.Rain poured down harder outside, sounding as if someone were hurling tennis balls against the house. Wide awake now, Carter wondered if he dared make a run for his parents' room. Just then he felt a soft touch through his blanket. "Mom?" he asked in a muffled voice."I'm here, honey." Carter looked out from his blanket tent and, as another flash of lightning illuminated the room, saw his mother in her fuzzy green robe standing next to him. Another BOOM shook the house. "Noisy, isn't it?" said Mom. As she sat down on the edge of Carter's bed, the power came back on. With Mom there, and with the familiar light filling the room, Carter no longer felt afraid. "Did you remember that Jesus is right here with you, Carter?" asked Mom. "He was watching over you even before I came in. He controls the wind and rain, you know. We don't have to be afraid because He's with us."Carter began to feel sleepy as he listened to his mother's comforting voice. Her hands closed around his, and he heard her saying, "Thank You, Jesus, for loving Carter and especially for being here with him during the storm." Outside, the storm rumbled farther away while rain dripped quietly from the roof. Through almost-closed eyes, Carter saw his mom turn the light off and tiptoe from his room."Thank You, Jesus," whispered Carter. "I'm so glad You're always here." He yawned, snuggled under his covers, and soon fell asleep. –Phyllis I. KlomparensHow About You?Are you afraid of thunderstorms? Or maybe there's something else that scares you, like meeting new people or being alone in the dark. When you're in a situation that makes you feel scared, remember that Jesus is with you and trust Him to comfort you and help you not be afraid. He loves you so much that He gave His life to save you, and He is always watching over you. Trust Him to take care of you.Today's Key Verse:[Jesus] said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" (NIV) (Mark 4:40)Today's Key Thought:Jesus is always with you

European stocks are firmer across the board, whilst US equity futures trade cautiously ahead of US-China talks on the weekend.USD recovery pauses for breath, JPY outperforms whilst the Kiwi lags a touch.Marked divergence as EGBs & Gilts react in full to trade updates. USTs await a barrage of Fed speak.Softer intraday Dollar keeps commodities afloat for now.Looking ahead, Canadian Jobs, Speakers including BoE's Pill, Fed's Barr, Kugler, Perli, Williams, Goolsbee & Waller.Read the full report covering Equities, Forex, Fixed Income, Commodites and more on Newsquawk

4 virgins  coeds end up in each others' bodies.Based on a post by shimm2, in 2 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Steamy Stories.Challenging Mary"But is every birth control pill a sin on its own?" Chris asked them.It made Mary's head swim, to hear Christopher talk about sex like this. She was almost sure he was the one she wanted to give her virginity to. It would be a sin, sure. But she could settle up with God after. What she was more worried about was whether he was interested in her, or how he would act afterward, or what people would say, or the logistics of getting the two of them alone.The four were sitting on the back patio of the boys' home. Their parents were out for the evening. It was a warm Sunday night, early in May.This wasn't a double date, at least not according to what Mary told her parents. And not according to what the four 18 year olds told each other. It was a group outing. The parish priests encouraged teens to organize these, rather than fall into sinful temptations by being paired off with someone.Chris's brother Paul answered. "I asked Father George about that, and he said it was.""Did he justify it with scripture though? You ask him if something's a sin, odds are he'll say yes," Chris argued. “Sometimes I wonder if priests would call anything a sin, if it violates their own celibacy vows.”Theresa looked annoyed. "It's clear, okay? Every time you take a pill, you're doing that with the intent of having sex without having children. I don't know how we get onto this kind of topic. It's not like it applies to any of us, right? Sex before marriage might be something other people do, but we're Christians after all.""Amen," Paul said, tenderly, with no irony.“There are other medical conditions that are treated with the hormone pills.” Like the woman with the issue of blood;” Chris pointed out. “It can help a correct menstrual cycle problems, too.”“True,” Mary conceded. “Jesus healed that woman, but it's not inherently sinful to take medicine, either. We can't assume others are sinning, if we don't know their circumstances.”Mary secretly hoped Paul & Theresa would pair off and leave her with Chris, but she knew it wasn't going to happen. While Mary might be willing to cross the line, no way would Theresa. She was really pious. Generally Mary liked that about her; it helped her stay strong.Paul and Christopher were fraternal twins. Born the same day, but Paul was taller than Chris, and had sandy blonde hair, unlike Chris's more muscular build and brown hair. Their parents often hosted church youth gatherings, so Mary's parents assumed this evening was more structured than it actually was."Yeah, it's cool," Chris said. "Should we play a game?"Paul took initiative and offered; "If you all are interested, I uh; found this spooky book in the downtown library," Paul said, placing it on the table. It looked really old, but it was in good condition for its age. He opened it up to a certain page. "Check it out. It has some kind of spell, I think?""What for?" Mary asked. "Do we get to make wishes, or talk to the dead?"Paul shrugged. "I don't know. That part is written in code or something. Whatever it is, it's not English or Latin."Chris slid the book over by him, interested. "Well, you know I couldn't make any heads or tails of this at all.""So you're suggesting we hold some pagan ritual? That doesn't sound right," Theresa said."Just for the fun of it. It's not like any of us actually believe in the Greek gods or demons or whatever this is supposed to summon," Chris said. "What do you think, Mary?"Mary gave him a small smile. "Yeah, I love this weird occult stuff. I mean it's all fake, but it's interesting anyway. What do we do?"Paul got up and opened a cabinet. "Okay. We have to light a candle; and probably turn out the lights." He got the scene ready on the table in front of us.Theresa was begrudgingly going along with it. She hadn't objected again. Paul turned out the light so it was just the candle illuminating the group sitting around the table. With the book in the middle, they started chanting the words together, though it took a couple tries.When they reached the end of the poem or whatever it was, the candle went out. Mary gasped in surprise. This was a little too real. In the darkness she heard Chris burst out laughing."Hey, that wasn't funny, guys," Theresa complained. A moment later she turned the light back on. She was so confident they were all virtuous Christians, but she didn't want them to be in the dark together too long. "Which one of you blew out the candle?"They got into a little argument about who it had been. No one wanted to take credit, but Mary suspected one of the boys had done it, and wanted to just leave it unexplained.Theresa and Mary left not long after. Theresa dropped Mary off at home. "See you tomorrow," she called. Mary waved to her as she went inside. In just a few minutes Mary was ready for bed. She was kind of a modest girl, and a little curvier than her peers. She didn't bother with a lot make-up or jewelry or contacts. She settled into bed and thought about Chris again as she drifted off to sleep.A parallel world.Mary opened her eyes, and found herself in an unfamiliar room. Or rather, she didn't exactly find herself in the unfamiliar room. She didn't find herself in herself at all. The first thing she was conscious of was that she had morning wood. She'd never had that of course. As she shifted in the covers, it kept pressing against and rubbing against the fabric which was stimulating, but not an entirely nice kind of stimulating. Then she noticed she didn't have the d cup breasts that had always gotten her attention she didn't want. Gone too were her thick thighs, hips, and ass. Sitting up in bed, she looked down and saw the outlines of a rib cage under her pale skin. And that morning wood was now sticking straight out from her crotch, so firm and engorged, and so sensitive, begging to be touched. She had never seen one of these in real life before, so she felt a thrill as she put a hand on it. She felt the warmth of the shaft in her hand, and she felt the warmth of her hand through her shaft. It was a revelation.Briefly she wondered if jacking off this cock would be a sin, if it wasn't even truly hers. But that worry was quickly lost.She was so absorbed in the task at hand, that a rustling on the other side of the room startled her. It turned out the other bed was occupied! On the other bed, Chris sat up, and Mary abruptly realized that he could see her stroking her cock from there.And if she was in a boy's body, and that boy was sharing a room with Chris; that meant Mary was in Paul's body."Having trouble with that?" Chris asked, gesturing to her lap."Are you joking?" Mary asked, finding it awkward to talk in Paul's voice."Does it look like I'm joking?" Chris asked, pulling the covers aside. He too had an erection sticking out of his lap. Chris came over and knelt by the bedside, and quickly started licking the head of Paul's cock. Mary quickly surrendered herself, letting him go to town on her. This wasn't anything like she expected her first time with Chris to be, but she could hardly complain about how he was making her feel."Oh Chris," she moaned. In a teenage boy's body, it didn't take long for her to feel the sperm rising. "I'm about to uh...ejaculate," she said, struggling to find the right word.Chris kept bobbing his head as Mary felt the enormous release of Paul's load down his brother's throat."Let me reciprocate," Mary said, coming down from her climax. The very nature of this male climax felt so foreign to her mind, it was an entirely new feeling. She might be in Paul's body, but she still had feelings for Chris and wanted to lick his cock as tenderly as he had licked hers."Too late," Chris said, and Mary saw him wipe a puddle off the floor with a dirty sock."Next time," Mary said.In the silence that followed, Mary felt condemned on two fronts. She was ogling Chris's naked cock with lust in her heart. And she had just been a passive participant in a sodomite sex act. This was too weird and she fought to clear her mind with a distraction. "Hey Chris, are you; yourself today?" Mary asked, in Paul's voice and body."Yeah, why?" he asked nonchalantly."Um, this is going to sound weird, but; I'm Mary. I woke up in Paul's body this morning," she said, nervous about how he would react.The two compared narratives on what transpired the previous evening, and concluded that the book of spells had affected the supernatural phenomena they were now experiencing."That explains it. I don't normally do this, jacking off; in Paul's presence. Paul and I don't. But I just had a feeling that you were someone different today, and I could tell you didn't know how to use the; equipment," Chris said with a smile. "So you and Paul switched bodies? That's wild. I guess you'd better find him and figure out how to sort all that out.""Yeah, I guess so," Mary said, giving him a shy smile that probably looked weird on Paul's features.They each showered and got dressed, then went through their morning springtime routines. Mary followed Chris's lead. Chris drove them both to school. It felt good to sit next to him in the car. She wished she could do more, hold his hand, lean her head on his shoulder; but it wouldn't look right, with her in Paul's body. And Chris's earlier display of exhibitionism seemed to have cooled."Do you know where you need to go? I mean, do you know where Paul goes for homeroom?" Chris asked.Mary dismissed the fleeting inclination to ask for his help. She also wanted to impress him. "Yeah, of course.""Good. I'm going to drop you off in front here, and then go find a parking spot," he said."Thanks, Gawd, this is weird." Mary declared, as she climbed out of the car. Paul's backpack felt really heavy. She wove through the thick crowd of students out front and into the halls of the school. This wouldn't be their school for long, she thought.She had an eye out for Paul; or rather for Paul in her own body. She was craning her neck trying to see down the hallway, when she felt a tap on her shoulder. It was Theresa. Mary thought it was weird to be seeing Theresa from above; Theresa was usually the taller one."Hey? Paul? Didn't you hear me calling your name?" Theresa asked."No," Mary said. "Listen, you're not going to believe what happened to me.""I know," Theresa said, matter-of-factly. "Come with me."Theresa took Mary's hand, or Paul's hand really, and tugged her around the corner, past the bathrooms and the vending machines, and into a supply closet. Theresa shut the door behind them."Okay, this is going to sound weird, but I'm not really Paul," Mary said."Mary, I said I know," Theresa grumbled."What do you mean?""Because I'm Paul," Theresa explained. She started taking off her shirt while Mary thought for a moment. If she was in Paul's body, and Paul was in Theresa's body, then maybe the three of them had been switched around. After all, Chris said he wasn't any different, other than feeling a sudden desire to enjoy mutual masturbation.Theresa; Paul, actually; was quickly down to his panties. Well, the panties belonged to Theresa. Mary couldn't keep it all straight."Why are you getting undressed?" Mary asked."Can I ask you a favor?" Paul asked. "I've been out-of-my-mind horny since this all started, and I know it's a sin, but I tried masturbating down there, but still! And this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Not only to feel what it's like from the other perspective, but to feel what it feels like for someone who's with me in particular; ""What are you suggesting?" Mary asked."Would you please have intercourse with me?" Paul pleaded.Mary was caught off guard. She was supposed to wait until marriage, but she had thought about giving it a go early with Chris, and then there had been the blowjob that morning, and Mary still wasn't sure what that counted for.And now Paul was propositioning her. But it was also easy to ignore that it was Paul in Theresa's body, because it ultimately was Theresa's breasts before her, her nipples erect, her bush exposed, her eyes looking up at her full of hope and desire. Mary never would have thought she was attracted to Theresa, but her mind and Paul's teenage boy hormones were mixing."I don't know," Mary said. She realized her uncertainty alone would reveal a lot.Paul handed her a condom. "Here. We won't leave a trace. It'll be like it never even happened, and Theresa doesn't even need to know.""I'm not sure I would go that far," Mary said. Theresa would deserve to know if her virginity had been taken. But would it be Mary who had taken it, or Paul? And would Theresa have really lost her virginity at all, if she didn't participate in it? Somehow despite the intensity of her orgasm earlier that morning, this was all quickly getting her worked up again. Paul reached out and unzipped the fly on her jeans; his jeans, letting the erection inside free. Paul reached into the boxers and caressed it. He knew exactly what to do, since it had been his own, up until today. Mary's objections were shrinking from view."But I guess you're right, that it wouldn't do her any harm," Mary belatedly finished the thought. "And then we've got to get this all sorted out today." She stepped closer and kissed her friend on the lips hungrily.Christopher's Parallel Paradox.He immediately felt different when he woke up. It wasn't just the texture of the big t-shirt he was in, or the fact that he was wearing a t-shirt at all. It was the round bulges of flesh underneath that shirt, it was a body with weight distributed very differently from his own.The alarm was beeping, and it took him a minute to figure out how to silence it. And then he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. Holy shit! He was Mary. He sat down on the edge of the bed, dumb-founded. He'd never been to Mary's room, but that had to be where he was.He realized he had to roll with the situation. Hopefully Paul would know how to undo whatever they'd done the night before.Chris pulled the t-shirt up over his head and reached for a clean one from the open dresser drawer. He caught another glimpse of himself in the mirror, of his bare breasts, of the panties covering his crotch, and that's when it really hit him. Chris had never seen breasts before, not in real life, not up close like this. Should he fondle them? Mary would never know. It was too good to pass up. Like the teenage boy he was, he started to get turned on at the sight of Mary almost naked, but it didn't have to stay "almost". And quickly he learned what her breasts felt like, and what it felt like to be felt up.Cautiously, he slipped the panties down. He'd probably need a fresh pair of those too, especially since he could feel the heat and moisture building between his legs. It almost felt like an erection, the way he was swollen down here, and begging to be touched. Chris had certainly never touched a snatch before, and he explored the outer folds of skin, slowly, carefully. But if it hurt, he'd know. He knew right away when his index finger nudged his clitoris. It felt like an electric jolt of pleasure. And while it didn't feel like it would take much clitoral stimulation to get him off, there was more he wanted to discover. He found that he was indeed getting hot down there, and sopping wet, and his middle finger slid into the tight muscle within. Chis could only imagine what it would feel like to be penetrating Mary's snatch with his cock, when he had it back. And he could only imagine what it would feel like to have something more than a finger pressing into him, probing him deeper.He was on the edge of orgasm when Mary's mother called out, "Hurry up, honey! You're going to be late for school!"With a sigh, Chris wiped his fingers on last night's shirt and got dressed. Even though he knew he had to dress like Mary would, and play the part, it felt a little odd to be putting on her clothes. It took him a few tries to get the bra fastened, and even then, the hooks were lined up wrong.At school, Chris felt the urge to pee, and unthinkingly he went into the men's room like usual. It wasn't until he had wiped himself off that he realized his mistake, but by then it was too late. With his pants down, he thought about finishing what he'd started back in Mary's bedroom, but he decided he shouldn't linger in the wrong bathroom too long.When he came out of the stall, he found himself face to face with himself."Hey, bro," Chris heard himself say.In Mary's body, Chris asked, "Paul? Is that you?""Yeah," Chris's body replied. "Lucky you, eh? Getting a morning alone with Mary's body?"Chris laughed. He considered denying it, but his brother wouldn't believe that for a second. "It's been; educational.""There are other things you could learn, other lessons we could teach her," Paul said. "This is a golden opportunity. Can I take a look?"Chris dropped his pants again (Mary's pants) and got up on the counter and spread his legs (Mary's thick thighs). Paul leaned over to get a look, so close Chris could feel his got breath on his glistening vulva. And then Chris nearly jumped when he felt Paul part those lips, and slip a finger into him. That aching desire that had been with Chris all morning suddenly flared up. He gasped aloud."Relax," Paul said. "This is Mary's cunt, not yours, remember?"Chris nodded for his brother to continue. He knew what it looked like when he had an erection, and it wasn't hard to tell that his cock was straining against his pants fabric now."What do you think? Should we fuck this slut?" Paul said with a wicked grin."I think she's a virgin," Chris said."Then you could be the one to do the honors, brother," Paul said. "Don't you want to know what it feels like? I know I would, if I were you."The truth was, at this point Chris hardly needed to be convinced to get fucked. Or to get fucked with his own cock. There was something particularly taboo about that idea. But it was his brother's desire to fuck Mary's snatch, knowing it was Chris in her body. That was hard to reconcile with his animalistic desires. But if Paul was so eager to, then it had to be okay, even if it did still feel a little weird."Yeah, give it to me," Chris said. His brother pulled out his cock, already hard and glistening with precum. He moved between Chris's legs and lined the tip of the cock up with Chris's hole. And then bracing a hand on the bathroom mirror, Paul pushed the head of Chris's cock into Mary's snatch. For Chris, it felt huge, like he was going to burst. He felt it pressing against his vaginal walls. The shape of the obstruction was familiar, but the way it felt as it inched into him was completely new, and it sparked sensations that had new analogue in his male mind. When he felt the cock; his own cock; pressed all the way into him, nudging something sensitive deep inside, he grabbed his brother's hips; his own hips; and shook with bliss. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take, but he was eager to find out.Mary's alternate reality.Having awakened earlier and brought Paul to orgasm, Mary felt the familiar boil of semen in her balls, a sensation she was getting better at recognizing and anticipating, and with an undignified grunt, she started to ejaculate into the rubber, and collapsed on Paul's chest; Theresa's chest, rather, with these firm pointed breasts heaving.In the post-coital glow, Mary wasn't sure where this left her. When all this was sorted out, would she be attracted to Paul because of the glorious first intercourse they'd had together, or would she be attracted to Theresa for how good her body had felt? Mary's mind cleared as she got up off the floor of the storage closet and slipped the spent condom off her softening cock.If Paul was in Theresa's body, then that meant Theresa had to be the one in Mary's body. Mary felt a pang of guilt that she had maybe taken Theresa's virginity, but well, Paul had insisted."I don't know how you all deal with being turned on all the time," Mary said."I don't know how you all deal with it either," Paul said contentedly, still sprawled out on the narrow floor of the closet. "Thanks, though.""You knew who I was right away," Mary realized out loud. "Does that mean you already ran into me today? I mean, whoever's in my body?""Yeah, last time I saw Chris, he was headed into the second floor men's room actually. The one with just one stall?" Paul said."Hang on," Mary said. "Chris is the one in my body, not Theresa?""Yeah, that's how I knew who you were. All four of us got mixed up," Paul said.Chris, actually Theresa; had pretended to be Chris, when they woke up. She kept up the rouse all the way to school.Chris wasn't Chris, it was Theresa. It had been Theresa who had given her a blowjob when they woke up together, carrying out her desire for Paul's cock, which actually made more sense than Chris suddenly decided to suck his brother's cock. And then Theresa had lied and said she was really Chris.And Mary realized that if it was Chris in her body, then he could be up to no good like his brother was. Mary fastened her jeans and quickly snuck through the hallways of the school, up the stairs, to the second floor bathroom.The sounds she heard as she approached the door confirmed her worst fears. A woman inside was whining in time with a man's grunts. It was her own voice actually, Mary just wasn't used to hearing it coming from outside her own head. But she still wasn't prepared for the scene she found when she opened the door. Her body was up on the counter, her back against the mirror, her legs spread wide. And Chris's body was thrusting up against her. The two were so enthralled in the act that they barely spared her a glance as she came in.At first she felt betrayed and sick to her stomach. She'd had such a crush on Chris. But here he was, in Mary's body, fucking Theresa. And at the same time, what she saw before her was the act she'd been dreaming of: Chris's cock sliding in and out of Mary's snatch. Though she wouldn't have picked a school bathroom for the venue. Mary wondered if maybe there could be some hope for her and Chris after all? That sense of betrayal started to give way to arousal despite herself.She stepped closer to the couple, until she could see the shaft of Chris's cock as it withdrew from her snatch, slick and shining with her juices, and bare. She considered interrupting, pulling Chris's body off of hers. But at the same time, she knew that if this act ended with Chris's sperm inside of her, that could bind them together for life. She knew she was probably ovulating that day.She didn't have to consider her situation for long. Fate quickly settled things."Oh god, I'm cumming again," Chris wailed, in Mary's high register."Ugh I can feel that, you're so tight," Theresa grunted. "I'm about to cum too, brother. If I make you cum inside her, it's your baby she's going to have. Are you sure you want this?"Mary noticed that Chris was being deceived, though Chris didn't seem to. "Give it to me. I want to feel it!" he urged.With a yell through clenched teeth, Chris's cock pressed far into her. Mary couldn't see what happened next, but she could tell when each spurt of cum entered her, based on Chris's cries of pleasure.Mary was still in shock from seeing herself possibly impregnated.Theresa withdrew Chris's cock from her, and now it was coated with his sperm. She gave Mary a smirk. "You want a turn with your own body now, don't you, Mary? It sure looks like you do." Theresa, in Chris's body, stepped over to her and ran a hand over the bulge where, it was true, Mary had gotten hard again.Mary was conflicted. On the one hand, she might have just gotten pregnant by Chris's sperm, which was sort of a wish fulfilled, though very much ahead of schedule. If she fucked her snatch unprotected now, she'd be adding Paul's swimmers to the mix and maybe increasing the odds she'd get pregnant. On the other hand, this was her chance to have sex with Chris, even if they weren't in the right bodies for it. And every cell, every hormone in her body, was urging her on.She dropped her pants and went to the counter where Chris, in her body, was still leaning back against the mirror."Hey," he said. "Sorry about; ""Let's leave all that for tomorrow," Mary cut him short with a kiss. It wasn't at all how she expected her first kiss with Chris to be, bending her head down to meet her lips, pushing her stubble against her soft mouth.Chris pulled her close. He didn't need much foreplay now, freshly fucked and dripping with cum. Mary dropped her jeans and pressed her cock; Paul's cock; into her own snatch.Mary could feel how slippery the inside of her snatch was, now that it was full of Chris's sperm. But she was also amazed at how tight she still was.She had been experiencing new firsts all morning, each one more intense than the last. When she had fucked Theresa's snatch, it had been a revelation, something that her virgin teenage girl brain, armed with only her fingers and her Christian guilt, could never achieved on her own. But this was something far beyond even that. She swelled with pride when she felt her vaginal muscles bear down on her, knowing that it was her snatch that was capable of delivery such exquisite pleasure. And she felt even more proud when she brought Chris to orgasm, knowing exactly where she was sensitive and how she liked to touch herself. When he started to shake with the intensity of it and grip her tight in his arms, she knew something of what he was experiencing, though she was sure she had never brought herself to an orgasm that intense.She wasn't going to last long, but Chris didn't need her to hold out for long, he was already riding high on wave after wave of orgasm. Mary gasped as she felt vaginal muscles; her own vaginal muscles; rippling around her rod."Chris, I'm going to cum," she said, about to lose control."Me too," he gasped. "Are you sure you should? It'll be Paul's; "His reminder was well intended, but it was too late for her to change course, and she wouldn't have had the willpower anyhow. The floodgates opened within her and Paul's sperm poured into her womb. Chris's grip on her tightened like a vice; not only his arms around her back, but the muscles in Mary's womb."Oh Mary!" he cried out. Through the overbearing pleasure as she spurted again and again, she was slightly jealous that Chris had gotten to feel something she had only fantasized about. At the same time she tried to relish this tender moment between them."Oh Chris, I love you so much," she blurted out, her words largely motivated by the sense of release as she poured more of Paul's seed into herself. Chris was still in the throes of passion, gasping for air, maybe incapable of responding.They had just recovered their senses again when a bell rang. Soon someone would notice them missing. Soon someone would notice the bathroom occupied for too long. As Chris slid off the bathroom counter, a drop of cum ran down his leg. Mary wasn't sure yet how she felt about everything that had happened.Mary went off to Paul's classes. She tried to take notes, though she was distracted by the kinds of thoughts she'd never really had before. She kept replaying those moments when she'd been inside herself but not herself. Now she wondered what it would have felt like on the other end, as the girl she usually was, or rather as the woman she was now.At lunch break, Paul found her. He said if they got together and chanted the spell again, it would at least rearrange them again. And they could keep doing that every day, until everyone ended up back in their own bodies. It didn't sound like a great plan, but it was a plan."Did you hear what Theresa did?" she asked."No," Paul said, surprised. "What was it?"Theresa, the most vocally pious of the foursome; the most judgmental crusader for purity, was now manipulating her best friends and lying about it.Mary felt so ashamed, she didn't want to say anything, but Paul needed to know. She told him everything, from how Theresa had lied to her that morning, and sucked off Paul's cock, to how Theresa had tricked Chris into letting her fuck him."And uh; you may have gotten me pregnant," Mary said, looking down with shame."Wow. Just; wow," Paul said. "And I thought I was the naughty one in the group for giving Theresa's virginity away.""You're not mad?" Mary asked."I mean, if I were going to get you pregnant, I think I should be part of it," Paul said. "But what's done is done, right?""Maybe I can take a morning after pill," Mary said. "Yeah, maybe it's a sin, but what have we done today that isn't one?"The two women were in the bodies of the two brothers. And the two brothers were spending a day in women's bodies. But the catch was that the guys were in the female bodies of their brother's ‘crush'.After school, Mary couldn't find Theresa anywhere. Not that she particularly wanted to, but Chris was still Paul's ride. Failing that, Mary managed to take a bus back to Chris and Paul's house.Dinner was tense. Neither Mary nor Theresa wanted to talk much, to avoid revealing that they weren't the two brothers. But Mary spent the entire meal glaring at Theresa, which outwardly looked like Paul sneering at Chris. Afterwards, the other two showed up. That night, the boys' parents were around, so the four kids had to be quick. They chanted the spell, carefully keeping their quiet voices in unison, and then the other two took off, leaving Mary and Theresa to go to bed in the boys' shared room."So what you said about next time?" Theresa began, stripping off her dude clothes, revealing Chris's cock standing erect. "Time's running out.""I can't believe you," Mary said, trying not to shout. "That was when I thought you were actually Chris.""You really fell for that? Even after I sucked you off? Chris would never, even if he knew it was you." Theresa sat cross-legged and started to stroke the foreskin up and down."Who are you to say that? All day, you've been doing things with Chris's body that you never would yourself," Mary fired back, no longer enticed by the erection Theresa was stroking. Yes, she wanted to touch that cock and suck on it and feel it move inside her, but she wanted to do all that with Chris, not with Theresa, and this was the wrong time to even be thinking about it."This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. To know what all these things feel like to them. To sin without consequence for once," Mary said."You're proving it right now. If I'd told you who I was this morning, that never would've happened. “ Theresa justified her deceit. “I got to be someone else for a little while, for maybe the only time in my life.""Without consequence for you, that is," Mary grumbled. "I took your cherry, by the way.""Well I took yours, so we're even.""What you did was way worse," Mary said."You'll sort it out. Besides, I knew you were going to get pregnant eventually. Admit it," Theresa said tauntingly.Whether Theresa was right or wrong about that, Mary was still mad at her. "I hate you, Theresa." She turned over in Paul's bed and tried to cup the pillow around her head so she could go to sleep while Theresa stroked out one more. But it ended up being too much for her to ignore. She turned her head, and saw Theresa tilt her head back as the milky white fountain erupted from the head of Chris's cock. Mary cherished the mental image, hoping that in time she'd be able to ignore the fact that it wasn't really Chris.Mary woke up the next morning to the sound of an alarm beeping next to her. She struggled with the settings to turn it off. Her eyes were heavy like she'd hardly slept at all, She was back in a female body, but not her own female body. Looking around, she recognized Theresa's cross on the wall. She woke up on top of the covers, with a wet stain between her legs. Paul must have stayed up late masturbating Theresa's snatch one last time.Mary was still upset with Theresa from the day before, but now she had a chance to get back at her. And to experience the things she'd only ever tried as a guy all over again as a girl. No, as a woman. By the end of the day, Theresa's uterus was going to be knocked up for sure.To be continued in part 2, Based on a post by shimm2 for Literotica.

This week, the cast is searching for the ever-elusive 12-bit game. Andi is confused about the wrong PoE, Kelley and Joshua debate the merits of Pirate Laser Cannons for one final time, and special guest Ryan Radcliff ponders the problem of Nintendo target balls trademarks. Oh, and Chris is crying in the Twitch chat. The post RPG Cast – Episode 762: “Cautiously Pessimistic” appeared first on RPGamer.

Governor Brian Kemp got what he (and his 'dark money' donors) sought: legislation to try and limit lawsuits and suppress massive jury verdicts (rare as they actually are, actually) . On today to discuss the kinds of impact this bill will have on everyday Georgians and particularly plaintiffs seeking damages, my good friend Nick Utley with Utley Law Firm took my call. ------Columnist Jay Bookman likened the Trump Administration's stripping away of federal agencies' workforce to a "giant game of Jenga," and honestly, it's the most appropriate framing I've read of this push to gut the U.S. government. ------Cautiously excited about the Georgia Department of Transportation is at the 'seeking input' stage of exploring an Atlanta-to-Savannah rail option. Before anyone gets too excited, though, this is like "step two" in a long list of steps before a shovel moves a patch of dirt, but still ...

Surviving a Crash.Based on the post by x sociate23, in 3 parts. Listen to the ► Podcast at Steamy Stories.As Cadet Cockman regained consciousness, he became aware of two things: the throbbing in his temples and the acrid smell that stung his nose and throat. His blurry vision gradually focused to look about the dimly light cabin. Red emergency lights slowly strobed overhead, bathing the interior in silent pulses of crimson like the inside of a gigantic beating heart. The instrument panel was dead, the viewport a blank oval.Memories of the crash began to surface. The red-hot flames of reentry, the flaring of the landing jets, the rushing up of the ground. His hands still felt the heavy shuddering of the yoke, his ears still heard the terrible sounds of rending and tearing metal as they struck. Despite his best efforts, they had come in too fast and at too sharp an angle. The last thing he recalled before darkness was the lieutenant reaching to hold his hand.He turned his head and pain shot up his neck. His whole spine felt compressed from the violent bouncing as their ship had skipped like a stone. The Venusian was unconscious, her head flopped forward. The loose strands of purple that hide her face were turned an eerie black and he couldn't tell if she was breathing. When he took a deep breath of his own, he began violently coughing.All at once his mind realized the danger. The smell was the fire suppression system, designed to prevent the rocket from blowing up in the event of a crash. He had to get them out of there, the gas could be lethal if breathed in for too long.Slapping his harness release, he stood up wearily. His body ached, particularly the areas where the straps had covered him. He released LuNar from her seat and lifted her small frame over his shoulder. Her body was limp but still warm. He hoped it was a good sign as he carried her to the exit, snatching an Aid kit from the wall with his free hand, the other wrapped around her slender thighs.Lifting the cover, he punched the emergency hatch button, air hissing as the door fell open. Harsh sunlight streaked inside, forcing him to shield his eyes. He clamored through the hatch with his burden and stood on a raise mound of dirt to look around.They were in the middle of a green rolling plain, the undulating hills carpeted with waist high savannah grasses and dotting with scraggily trees here and there. The hot sun of CarterD2007 burned overhead as Cockman looked towards the direction they had come in from. A huge groove was dug into the dark earth, stretching for hundreds of feet towards the horizon. Small brush fires burned and smoldered, trees along the giant runt were sheared in half by tritanium wings. Parts of the ship littered the ground, their shiny metal surfaces glinting in the sunlight.He spotted a small clump of trees about fifty meters away. They looked as good a place as any, so he moved towards them at a brisk pace, careful not to jostle the girl in his arms too much. They needed a place to wait, not only for the suppression gas to dissipate but also due to the still slight risk of explosion. He found a clearing under one of the trees, its coniferous leaves shielding the blistering sun.He lay LuNar down gently, supporting her head. Unzipping her tunic, he felt for a pulse at the neck. There was no pulse. Panic gripped him as he remembered he'd barely passed his Venusian Anatomy course. Taking a chance, he placed his ear to her upper left tit, his face turned away from hers. He relaxed as he was rewarded with the rhythmic thump of her heartbeat as well as her shallow but steady breathing. He also couldn't help but notice how soft her tit felt against his cheek."Cadet Cockman?!"Her shout resounded through his skull as his head jerked up. She had an appalled look on her face."I-I-I was checking your heart!" he stammered, leaning away from her chest as she sat up."I bet you were," she said hotly, eying his crotch with a look of suspicion in her eyes. He looked down and to his dismay found his fly was open. She curtly zipped up her top and seemed to swoon. He noticed a cut on her forehead, a bead of greenish blood trickling down. She attempted to stand but he placed a restraining hand on her shoulder."Easy, Lieutenant, Easy.""I am not easy!" she howled, slapping his hand away. First the boob thing, now this. He only seemed to be making her more and more angry.'Perhaps Venusians don't like to be touched,' he wondered to himself. But she needed medical attention, cultural differences be damned."Ma'am, you're hurt, let me help you," he pleaded, reaching into the Aid kit for antiseptic and gauze. She eyed him warily but at last relented. He delicately dabbed at the cut. It wasn't very deep so she wouldn't need sutures. He removed the backing from a plastic-bandage and gingerly placed it over the cut."There, all better," he said, looking her in the eyes. Again, she seemed to calm down immediately as she spoke."Now it is your turn.""What?"She gestured to his left arm. There was a large tear in the uniform across the bicep, the edges already soaked through with blood. He'd been so worried about her that he hadn't even realized he was injured. He realized it now, though, as he painfully removed his tunic, peeling the sticky sleeve away from the wound. The gash was deep but thankfully the blood had already clotted. Lieutenant  LuNar dabbed at it with the antiseptic cloth. It hurt like the devil and he reflexively jerked away."Hold still," she commanded, gripping the elbow."Sorry, it just hurts," he whined."Don't be such a chimNar," she scolded."What's a chimNar?""I believe you Terrans call it an in-fant," she stated as she cleaned up his arm. The offended Earthling scowled as he watched her deft fingers apply auto-sutures, wincing as they pulled the wound tightly shut. She sprayed the area with liqui-seal and wrapped the arm in an elastic compress. Lastly, she injected a dose of Omni-biotic into his deltoid with a hypo-spray, giving herself a dose in the neck for good measure."Where'd you learn the Nurse Nightingale routine?" he wondered aloud, flexing the arm. The painkillers were already working."I was first in my field medic class at the Academy," she said proudly, puffing up her chest. Cockman had to restrain his eyes from flickering to the movement."Well, thanks for the patch up.""So I take it we crashed?" she asked, seemingly ignoring his gratitude.'Damn, not even so much as a thank you,' he thought ruefully, 'Stuck up much, lady?'"Unfortunately, Ma'am," he answered as he stood up, replacing his tunic but leaving it unzipped. He then helped her to her feet, "It should be alright to head back for supplies."They moved towards the downed craft, Cockman in the lead. As they came closer, LuNar stopped suddenly, staring towards the cockpit. Thinking she had seen something; he followed her gaze and it took him a moment to realize she was staring with loathing at the Pinup portrait. It was another survivor, her scantily clad blue skin nearly free of blemishes.At last, LuNar huffed, held her head high and stoically strode past Cockman and into the ship. The Earthman cast one last glance at the vulgar Venusian before he too boarded.Feeling TerribleThey spent the rest of the day, which the records they had consulted before the crash said were approximately twenty-six Earth hours, salvaging what supplies they could. The HAB unit was first and was thankfully pretty idiot-proof. It was a self-contained unit that with the simple push of a button would unfurl into a plasticine igloo twenty feet in diameter. They cleared a space for it near the ship and filled it with other essentials. Rations, sleep sleeves, inflatable mattresses, a couple of Zapper pistols, an AC/heat unit; all of it found a home in the small space. The last thing Cockman brought in was a portable, battery powered sub-space radio.With their shelter secure, the next issue was finding a source of water. Luckily, a scout of the area found a pond nearby and a spectro-analysis found the water potable. The pair bedded down for the night, thoroughly exhausted.Eza awoke the next morning feeling terrible, her body aching and throat irritated from the suppressive gas they'd breathed the day before. She lay on her bunk, staring at the ceiling as she thought about the strange dream she'd had. She could not recall the specifics except that it had involved Cadet Cockman and was very pleasant. She looked over at his bunk and became concerned when she saw he was not there, his sleep sleeve neatly rolled up.'Why did he not tell me he was leaving the HAB,' she wondered. It was protocol after all. She saw that he had taken one of the Zapper pistols and she rose to strap the bulbous pistol in a holster that hung low on her wide hips. She walked out into the bright morning sunlight which was already heating up the landscape considerably.She spotted him elbows deep in the manifold of the ship. He appeared to have been up for hours working and as he stood erect, Eza noticed that he was shirtless. His well-defined muscles rippled and flexed as his stretched, absently scratching at his wounded arm. She suddenly felt flush as he bent over once more, his ass shifting in the tight confines of his trousers. Realizing she was staring, she turned away to head back inside when all at once she saw it.Where once had been a disgraceful depiction of a half-naked Venusian was now a large swath of black paint. He had taken the time out to cover the offensive image. Her gaze fell upon him and the rush hit her once more. It was a deep, primal, carnal sensation.'No, not now. Not him,' she thought with a mix of excitement and distress. Her breathing grew laborious as she watched him, a fire beginning to smolder in her core. She fought down the urge as she watched him lay down on his back under the canopy, sweat dribbling down the channels of his chest and abs.He noticed her and waved. Her breath caught in her throat as the wave surged through her, threatening to overwhelm her. She darted back inside, leaning heavily against the interior wall, trying desperately to clamp down on the urge, her loins ablaze. She had felt this before but now it was much more intense. She had to be careful or he might find out.RationsCadet Cockman was getting the distinct impression that Lieutenant  LuNar was ignoring him. Truth be told she was but not for the reason he was thinking. They had spent their second day on planet separately. He busied himself with work on the ship while she had stayed in the HAB, reading her holopad which had also survived the crash.Now it was evening, and they sat on their bunks eating their assigned rations. Cockman shoveled another spoonful of glop into his mouth that the label claimed was tuna noodle surprise, the surprise being it was moderately palatable despite looking like Martian yak barf. LuNar, meanwhile, was eating what looked like split-pea soup out of a collapsible, self-heating bowl. She had her back to him, just like she had done each time he was in the room with her. He was starting to feel like he had committed some egregious intergalactic faux pas when she finally put down her bowl and turned to him."Cadet, I wish to apologize for my behavior yesterday. You were only trying to help, and I should not have gotten angry with you.""Think nothing of it, Ma'am," he replied, swallowing another bit of mystery meat, "But in the interests of avoiding a repeat, might I ask what it was I said or did that upset you?""It was not you, it was me. I should not let some stupid nickname both..."She looked away as if suddenly realizing she'd said too much. Now his interest was thoroughly piqued."Nickname, Ma'am?" he asked, not really expecting an answer. He heard her sigh, the tone sounding like a violin string."It is from my Academy days. During my sophomore year, a Terran boy wished to court me, but I had politely declined. He then spread the rumor that Venusian females are promiscuous. So, they started to call me Easy LuNar."Cockman frowned sympathetically. He understood where she was coming from, with a name like Cockman, you learn to expect the dick jokes. He also felt sorry for her. She was an intelligent, dedicated, not to mention exceedingly beautiful woman and did not deserve the ridicule of some callous, sex-hungry asshole."I think Eza is a nice name," he said and found he genuinely meant it."Thank you, Cadet.""Curt. Just call me Curt.""Okay, Kurt," she trilled. Then she smiled for the first time and his heart seemed to skip a beat at the sight. The smile widened as she added, "I think that is a nice name as well."Staring at the HolopadOn the morning of the fifth day, Curt awoke to find Eza sitting up in her bed and staring at her holopad with a look of sadness on her blue face. There were tears in her eyes and when she noticed him watching, she hurriedly put away the pad. She turned to wipe away the tears, explaining that she was just not feeling well that day as she headed outside intent upon some nonsensical errand. For some reason the excuse worried him, namely because he knew that Venusians rarely, if ever, got sick.While she was away, Curt stole a peek at her holopad. It was wrong for him to pry into her personal life, but they were in this together. To survive, they both needed to be at the top of their game, not bogged down in depression. Yet what he found now left him feeling hollow. There on the screen, just as she had left it, was the image of a handsome blue skinned Venusian male.'Her lover,' he surmised, feeling a pang of jealously but immediately chiding himself for it. It made no sense for him to feel that way since he barely knew her and yet the feeling was still there. He also realized his first impressions of her had been all wrong. She wasn't some uptight, bossy, know it all. She was a vibrant, feeling woman and she was homesick.Looking again at the picture, he suddenly felt the need to make her feel better about their predicament.She avoided him most of that day and it wasn't until that evening when she sat staring at her holopad once more that he saw his opening. He spoke up, trying not to sound too gruff and unfeeling."You miss your family, huh?" he asked. She seemed hesitant to respond. Perhaps it was another Venusian taboo."Yes," she said at last, sighing."Anyone in particular?" he asked, secretly dreading the answer."My brother, Edrin," she said, showing him the picture. She was curious about the seeming look of relief on the Earthling's face."Don't worry, we will get you home to him," he assured her."Yes, but not in time.""In time for what?""My hatch date.""Is that anything like a birthday?""Yes," she said, suddenly remembering that unlike her kind, Terrans gave live birth."When is it?""Tomorrow.""Is it wrong for me to ask how old you'll be?""Not at all. Let me think...Venus has a shorter yagra," she said, using the Venusian equivalent for years, "So, eighteen Earth years."Curt was dumbfounded. She seemed so mature, was even a higher rank than him and yet she was barely legal. A thought also occurred to him, but he kept it to himself. He already had everything he needed for it."Well, if it's any consolation, I'd like to wish you a Happy Hatch date.""Thank you, Kurt," she replied, once more tripping over his name.He waited until she fell asleep, then set about on his self-imposed task.The next morning, Eza awoke, feeling depressed knowing that today was her hatch date but that she could not be with her family to celebrate. She especially missed her broodmate, Edrin. As she sat up, she felt her hand brush something hard. She was surprised when she saw what lay on her bed.It was a wood burned etching of Edrin on a piece of stiff bark. The likeness was decent for free hand and she realized with amazement that Curt must have spent all night long on it with only a laser bolt remover to work it. She looked over at him on his bunk.The morning sunlight shone down through the skylight of the dome, alighting upon his handsome face as he slept and she smiled as the stirring swelled once more within her. She realized with satisfaction that she was no longer averse to the feeling.She wanted him.Customs and PracticesThere seemed to be a shift in their dynamic. No longer were they superior and subordinate. They treated each other as equals, though they kept to themselves for the most part. Eza also seemed out of her funk, literally letting her hair down. She began wearing it unencumbered, the long purple locks cascading down in loose ribbons and curls. The change only added to her alien beauty and Curt was finding it harder and harder to concentrate when she was around.Just like now. It was the heat of the day, and he was trying to nap on his bunk. Try as he might, though, he just couldn't help glancing her way every few minutes. She sat on her bunk with her back to him, her feet tucked under her bottom. He could still see her face in profile, the text on the holopad in her lap reflected in her deep green eyes. A smile threatened to curl the edges of her lips. He stared at her hair, imagining running his fingers through it as he kissed her dark, ripe mouth. His eyes traced the sinuous curves of her back, settling on the round bulge of her ass. Her hand seemed to tremble as her fingers scrolled the text. He'd had enough, his curiosity aroused more so than his manhood.

We've had some thoughts over that past two days. We can't share all of them. At the same time, we'd like to thank all those who shared their thoughts with us on the past two days' events with somewhat less caution than we've had to exhibit!

3560 – January 17, 2025 – Anxiously But Cautiously – The time of Joe Biden and the near democrat dictatorship over America is about to end. We Anxiously but Cautiously await the transfer of power from DEMS to Republicans.  I personally would prefer the transfer of power be said to be to We the People; obviously Republicans have been less than ... The post Anxiously But Cautiously appeared first on CSC Talk Radio.

‘Tis the season for giving. By TheSleepingKing. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. 7:16 am The door from the bathroom swung open, spilling steam into the dim blue rays of light sneaking in through the blinds. Wrapped in a towel, Shauna strode into her dorm room, feet sinking into the carpet as she padded across the floor. Pausing at the window she pulled the cord to raise the blinds, bathing the room in the soft glow of an overcast Michigan dawn. A dusting of snow covered the glazing. About an inch drifted on the ledge outside. Beyond and several stories down a lone figure rounded onto the back straight of the athletic track. Shauna leaned in, her breath fogging the glass. She poked two dots and underlined them with a curve. Smiled at the new face smiling back at her. It was a beautiful Christmas Eve morning.She unhooked the towel and tossed it over the back of the chair parked under the desk. The cool air plucked at her nipples and sapped the heat from her skin. She skimmed her hands around the bulge of her breasts, across her taut tummy and the arc of her ass. Appraising her profile in the mirror she nodded. Spin class and yoga really paid off this year. From the top drawer of the dresser, she picked out white lace panties and drew them up over toned, creamy thighs. She paired them with red and white argyle knee socks and a soft strapless bra. Sifting through the hangers in the closet she settled on a flirty red A-line dress with wide shoulder straps and a length about mid-thigh. Not practical for the weather. But perfect for the mission. 7:32 am She capped the outfit with a fuzzy Santa hat and white-soled black Keds before returning to the mirror. She turned side to side and took a twirl, the dress flaring out before settling over her legs. Certainly the sexiest elf she'd ever seen. She glanced over at the clock on the nightstand. She would need to get going soon to make her deliveries. The schedule was tight. On any other Christmas Eve she'd still be asleep; tucked in tight and dead to the world in a quiet corner of her parents' six-bedroom McMansion in Traverse City. She'd get up around 10:00, meet her brother for lunch, then spend the afternoon serving food at a shelter across town before heading home for the traditional Christmas Eve dinner with her family. This year, dinner had been moved up to lunch – something about grandma and grandpa's flights. So volunteering was out. She was fine with it at first. But as the season ramped up and the holiday spirit infected her, she felt the need to replace it with something. Some way to give back. To spread a little cheer to those less fortunate this time of year. As 3rd floor RA for the co-ed dorm, she was privy to certain information. The administration realized not every student could make it home for the holidays. So the school remained open in a limited capacity, depending on the holiday and how many students remained behind. This year on her floor there were three. And since they were stuck there maybe she could celebrate with them before she left. She snatched a small white drawstring bag off her bed and slung it over her shoulder, the contents momentarily rustling about inside. Taking her key card from the dresser she slipped it into her bra and reached for the door. She paused, re-thinking, the lever rocking under her palm. Quickly, she picked it out and tucked it neatly into the back of a sock instead, before ducking out into the hall. 7:40 am Shauna stopped at Room 303. She gave her usual rata-tat-tat RA knock and shrugged the bag off her shoulder, holding the strap in the crook of her elbow. The corridor was weirdly quiet. No music or raucous conversation bleeding through the walls. She couldn't imagine having to spend the next week here under these conditions. A latch clicked in front of her, and the door creaked open. “Hey Ty,” she chirped, “Merry Christmas!” Ty seemed surprised by the greeting, then confused by her presence. He smiled. “Um…thanks. Merry Christmas to you too.” His eyes dipped – first to her cleavage, then to her legs – before rebounding to hers. He now seemed nervous too. “Can I come in for a minute?” “Uh…yeah, sure.” Shoving his hands into the pockets of his sweats he stepped aside. She glided past, her blonde curls swishing about her shoulders. Ty gently shut the door behind her. Shauna glanced around the suite. Open textbooks were strewn across the couch. Graph paper filled with notes littered the desk. The three computer monitors that typically flickered video games, now hosted row upon row of complex equations she didn't understand. Ambient techno pulsed softly through a pair of small speakers, and the room smelled faintly of Axe body spray. “I'm sorry,” he offered, “I wasn't expecting anyone today.” He was a freshman, so she'd only known him one semester. But he seemed like a good kid. Sure, he was disheveled, nerdy, and a little immature. But he was charming and considerate, and very bright – dedicated to keeping his name on the Dean's List. Didn't hurt that he was cute either. “That's okay,” she replied. “Santa knows it sucks having to be here over the holidays, so he got you a present.” She lowered the bag and reached inside, pulling out a deep green envelope with a silver star sticker sealing it shut. “Nothing big, just something to give you a break from…” she waved her arm toward the paper and monitors, “…this.” Cautiously he took the envelope, turning it over to find his name written neatly on the front. “Oh,” he said, “…thanks. That's…really nice.” A moment of awkward silence followed. “Go ahead,” Shauna prompted, “open it.” Ty shrugged. He peeled up the star and lifted the flap, extricating a Christmas card with a red-nosed Rudolph gracing the cover. He smiled as he opened it, eyes tracking back and forth across the page. Wedged in the crease was a white 3 by 5 note card. Flipping it right-side-up he discovered a sketch in black marker in the center. He froze, the smile fading, jaw dropped. He looked up at Shauna. Then back at the card. “Wait…,” he stammered, “is this…. Are you…. Is this for real?” Shauna raised her eyebrows and shrugged. “Santa likes to make sure no one on the nice list gets left out.” Her gaze fell to his groin, dialing in on the growing bulge. There was the response she was hoping for. She hung the bag over the doorknob. Closing the distance between them she reached out and pinched the card in her fingers. “Why don't you get comfortable.” She set it on a textbook and slouched against the desk, waiting. Ty looked left, then right, unsure of what to do. Finally, he stepped back and eased himself down to the edge of his bed. Shauna placed her hands on his thighs, pushing them apart before kneeling between them. The tented fleece covering his crotch pointed directly at her. She smiled. Looked up. “You've done this before, right?” He paused a moment, then nodded vigorously. She wasn't convinced. But it didn't really matter. It might even help keep her on schedule. She gave him a shove, forcing him to recline and brace with his arms. Grabbing his sweats by the pockets she jerked at them until they pooled around his ankles. His cock sprang out, slapping his abdomen before swaying back to vertical. She wrapped it in her fingers, the whole head protruding from her fist. He puffed and shivered under her touch. Leaning forward she lowered her head. His body tensed. She raised her eyes to find his narrowed, his mouth rounded and dry. “Relax,” she cooed, “just enjoy it,” and slipped his dick between her lips. A breath rattled his chest. She felt the blanket cinch beneath them as his fingers gripped and pulled. First she teased the glans, undulating her tongue beneath, then around and over the top. His hips shot up to meet her mouth. She lightened her hold, welcoming him in deeper. She bobbed her head to the rhythm of the music – down on one and three, up on two and four. His cock was rock hard, curving into the roof of her mouth with each descent. He sighed, and groaned, and grunted; the tone and timbre of each growing more urgent with each passing minute. Shauna's free hand dove under her dress and between her legs, fingers plucking aside the damp lace and strumming the slick, smooth lips of her pussy. Her partners were usually more experienced. More restrained. It had been some time since one had responded with such virginal enthusiasm. And she found it to be quite the turn-on. She held her neck as steady as she could, relinquishing control of tempo and depth. Ty trembled, huffing air through gritted teeth. Shauna peeked to find his eyes closed, neck strained, deep blue veins pulsing through. Sensing the moment, her fingers left the base of his dick and curled around his balls. She tightened her lips to a gentle squeeze. Ty stalled. A guttural growl forced its way into the air. His eyes popped open wide and fixed on Shauna's. With a batting of lashes, she pushed down on his throbbing cock until the tip of her nose bumped his abdomen. A heartbeat later, torrents of warm, viscid cum spewed into her mouth. The jets struck the back of her palate, sloshing over her tonsils and sliding down her throat. She swallowed hard but couldn't keep up. Each burst seemed richer than the last, filling her cheeks and leaking from the corners of her mouth. Her own juices deluged her fingers in response; the squelching filling the gaps between Ty's staggered gasps. A dozen spurts later his orgasm subsided. Shauna held his cock a little longer, savoring its texture on her lips and the mild, distinct flavor of his seed. She moved with him as his hips sagged back to the mattress, sinking him deeper to the root of his erection. After one final gulp she sucked in her cheeks and lifted her head, teasing the remaining fluids from the head of his dick. He gawked at her, speechless. She pulled her fingers from her pussy and held them up in front of her. They gleamed in the light, strands of grool clinging to her knuckles as she separated them. Fixing on him she sucked each finger into her mouth, swabbing them clean before licking her lips. Ty's eyes rolled back in his head and he collapsed flat on the bed. Shauna giggled. Pushing off she rocked to her feet. She looked at him spread over the rumpled blanket, his penis twitching on his tummy. She nodded, pleased with herself. Sweeping her hair out of her face she took the gift sack from the doorknob and the note card from the desk, slipping the latter into the former. “Did you enjoy your present?” she asked, slinging the bag over her shoulder. Ty groaned a sigh, his satisfaction evident. A smile lit Shauna's lips. “Good,” she said, “that's great.” She made her way back to the door. “You know, Santa can't offer gifts like this to everyone, so…let's keep this between us, okay?” An arm raised and a hand approximated a wave before tumbling limp to the mattress. She took it as a yes. Catching her reflection in the window she adjusted her hat. “Merry Christmas Ty,” she said softly, before disappearing into the corridor. 8:05 am Snowflakes drifted past the tall narrow windows of the student lounge separating the north and south wings of the third floor. Curled up at the far end of the couch opposite the ping pong table, Shauna twisted the cap off a bottle of diet soda and took a sip. Pulling her phone from the bag she checked the time. Javon would arrive in fifteen minutes. Plenty of time to finish her drink. She stretched out across the cushions and downed another swig. This one excited her more than the others. She and Javon were casually acquainted. Though both juniors they rarely shared classes. But they saw each other often around campus; playing pool in the lounge, grabbing coffee at Starks, or stocking up on dollar tacos Tuesday nights at Frankie's. And always, always flirting. Nothing ever came of it, unfortunately. He was putting himself through school and the scholarships just weren't enough. So he needed to work a lot. Every chance he got he'd bank some overtime or pick up an extra shift. That didn't leave much time for anything else. But today was Christmas Eve. The print shop would be closed tomorrow, so he couldn't go in tonight. Which she hoped would free up just enough time for what she had in store. A door closed in the distance, followed by footsteps in the hallway behind her. She checked her phone. He was early. She chugged another mouthful of soda, then quietly stuffed everything into the bag. The footsteps halted. A latch turned and a door opened, then closed. She counted to thirty, then slid off the couch and left the lounge, rounding the corner toward 317. 8:08 am Shauna waited, impatiently, shifting her weight from foot to foot. Still no response. She knocked again, harder this time. Shuffling noises, then heavy footfalls. The door swung open on a scowling Javon, his uniform shirt crumpled in his fist, muscles chiseled and taut. She smiled up at him, head cocked to the side. He looked her over, his mood softening as he recognized who she was. “Hey,” he said, eyebrows furrowed. “What are you still doing here?” She shrugged, ignoring the twinge in her pussy. “Waiting to see you. Can I come in?” Javon retreated inside, tossing his shirt on the bed and perching on the edge of his dresser. Shauna followed, taking quick stock of the room. Clean and sparse. Suitable for someone who spent very little time there. She turned her attention to him. Tall and dark, with bold, crisp features. His hands splotched with cyan and yellow ink from the press. “Is um…is this a bad time?” “Nah,” he said, shaking his head. “I was just going to take a shower, then go down for a nap.” He waved a hand in her direction. “Soooo, who are you supposed to be?” “I'm a Christmas elf,” she replied. “Santa's Helper.” Javon's eyes widened. “Oh. You're a lot taller than I would have expected of an elf.” “Well, we're not all size challenged artisans baking cookies in the off-season you know. Some of us are taller, and educated, and…really cute.” He laughed, his pecs jumping. “That's fair. Please forgive my ignorance of the elf community. I don't know any – aside from you.” She shrugged the bag off her shoulder and reached inside, crossing the carpet between them. “Listen, she began, “Santa knows how hard you work to be here, and how much that keeps you from having a life. So, he got you a little gift. It won't make up for having to be here over the holidays, but it might help take the edge off?” She pulled out a red envelope and handed it to him. He stared at it, his face cycling through several emotions, settling on confused. “Thanks,” he said, “that's…really sweet. I'm sorry I didn't get you anything.” Shauna smiled to herself, setting the bag on the floor. “Open it.” She wandered past him to the window. Raising the blinds she took a quick peek outside before turning and sliding up onto his desk, swinging her feet freely beneath. Javon zipped a finger under the flap and extracted the card; a red-nosed Rudolph printed on the cover. As he shook it open a white note card fluttered out. He snatched it out of the air and held it up. A sketch in black marker graced the white space. Shauna watched over his shoulder as he stared at the figures suggested by the swooping lines. He fanned the card, then turned and eased off his seat. He walked over to her, holding it up, the image upside down. His mouth curled in one corner. “This is uhhh…you and me?” She squinted at the picture. “Well…right-side up and all, but…sure.” She took it from him and snapped it on the desk. Her arms extended, fingers wedging themselves between the waist of his jeans and the warm, smooth skin of his abdomen. She reeled him in between her legs, squeezing them in hers. “Come on,” she said, thumbs separating the button and peeling the zipper. “Take a break.” Javon reached out, tracing the curl of her ear with his finger. Tilting his head, he leaned in for a kiss. Shauna planted a hand in the center of his chest, stopping his lips a hair's breadth from hers. His heartbeat pulsed through her arm and gut, thumping through her clit like a kick drum. She tapped a finger on the card beside her. He glanced down. Then back at her. She smiled. Pushed him away. She hopped off the desk, lowering her eyes to the height of his fly. Waiting. Javon nodded. In a single swoop he shoved his jeans to the floor and stepped out. The outline of his cock bulged the breathable fabric of his boxer briefs, curving down his right leg. A squeak left Shauna's throat. She reached inside and fished it out, needing both hands to hoist the shaft. It hardened in her grip, rising, reaching for its target. She pulled a few long strokes, its heat warming her hands. She had imagined what he might be hiding. But none of those dreams fell short of reality. Reluctantly she let go. Eyes fixed on her prize she slowly turned round, bending over the desk. She shuffled her feet a shoulder's width apart and casually wiggled her ass. Javon stepped up, his demeanor all business. Stroking his meat with one hand he grabbed the hem of her dress in the other and flipped it up over her butt. Her firm white cheeks glowed in the morning light. He took the waistband of her panties and rolled them down her hips and thighs, abandoning them around her calves and exposing her labia to the chill of the room. She was sopping wet. He swiped his penis along her slit, greasing it with her cream. Current bolted up her spine, raising the hairs on the back of her neck. She threw her ass toward him, anxious to be filled. But he took his time, lubing every inch to a slippery shine. Finally satisfied, he set a palm in the small of her back and wedged the tip of his cock between her folds. Slow and steady, he sank into her vagina. Shauna gasped, eyes round. Her knees buckled, fingertips clawing at the laminate as her canal expanded to accommodate the intruder. It was thicker than any dick or dildo she remembered. And she was suddenly grateful he'd been so careful to slicken up. He took shallow, steady thrusts, loosening her vice a touch each time. Short, silent breaths gave way to grunts and groans. She tried to restrain herself in case anyone still left was walking the halls. But it was a losing battle. The pressure coiling inside would soon be too much to contain. Javon curled over her. Reaching into her dress he freed her breasts from their padded sling and cupped one in each hand. He pinched her nipples between strong fingers, yoking her tits to her clit with little bolts of lightning. The heat of the moment telegraphed through her skin, flushing her ears, cheeks, and chest a robust, rosy pink. He pushed on, diving deeper into her velvet pouch. Her arms burning, Shauna lowered her elbows and forehead to the desk. Her hair shrouded her periphery, leaving the only clear view that of her lover's balls swaying back and forth between her thighs. A delightful fog rolled over her brain, occluding everything outside the aura of their bodies. “Do you want it all,” Javon whispered, his voice piercing the veil. Shauna turned her head, mouth agape. “That's not all of it?” A baritone chuckle rumbled from his chest. He straightened up, releasing her boobs for a firm hold of her waist. He eased down the throttle, slowing his rhythm. Measuring the distance. She caught his eyes for a moment, glimpsing the same lechery she felt coursing through her veins. He smiled at her. Then hilted his cock in her pussy. “Uhhh gawd.” A wave of pleasure rippled out from her core, breaking over her entire body. She couldn't gauge how big he was, but he was now twice as deep as he had been seconds ago. He gave her a moment and a few shallow dips before ramping up the pace; drawing his dick out to the barb each time before plunging back in. Shauna's ass rippled, limbs shuddering under each impact. She stretched her arms to brace herself. But her hands squeaked against the desk each time he crashed into her, jolting her forward. She began to lose control. Her pelvic muscles clenched; labia stretching around his shaft. He growled his approval. A stern smack stung her left buttock, forcing a squeal from her larynx and a shock to her sex. Another followed, echoing off the walls into her ears. Her strength failed, drooping her back and turning her legs to jelly. Javon grabbed hold of one and lifted it, bending the knee and setting it securely on the desktop. He continued to hammer away. The cords binding her orgasm began to fray. She imagined his view from behind; her sodden pink snatch vulgarly splayed for the massive dark rod plowing her gut. Words escaped her, leaving only screams and moans to communicate her desire. 8:42 am Shauna's head was swimming, her brain just mush. But she held on, wanting this ecstasy to last forever. Her hat flew off her head, landing silently on the windowsill. Long fingers raked through her hair. They gathered her curls into his fist and pulled. Her head snapped back, jaw dropped, eyelids fluttering. The cords snapped and the coil exploded. She bore down on his dick, silent and stiff, her body racked with orgasm. Her toes dug into the carpet, her raised foot flopping about over the edge of the desk. She slapped the top with her hands, translating her contractions into a frantic rhythm beat out for Javon to hear. Her juices flowed freely, seeping out past his cock and dribbling down her thighs. And through all this, he continued to fuck her. Shauna's orgasm continued in suspended animation, tweaking her muscles and prickling her skin. As snug as he fit there was now no friction. He glided in and out like a piston in a well-oiled machine. He pumped harder, faster, working to create resistance. But her pussy was a flooded mess and that wasn't going to change. He whispered something toward her ear. A question? She couldn't decipher the words. But it didn't matter. As long as he kept filling her, perpetuating this feeling, he could do whatever he wanted. She nodded as best she could. The pounding slowed and the hand holding her waist released. The slapping of skin ceased, and his penis slipped out of her vagina. The emptiness was deflating, like the air had been sucked from her lungs. She turned to look but he stopped her, pushing her head back down to the desk. She opened her mouth to demand he continue and that's when she felt it. The pressure on the dip of her anus. Her insides knotted up. Everything clenched, then released. Her rosebud relaxed, and Javon's cock surged up her ass. She held her breath, expecting pain. But there was none. Only an indescribable fullness she had never experienced before. Each time he retracted her stomach dropped. Each plunge threatened to split her at the seams. Orgasm ripped through her again, rattling her bones and sweating from every pore. The room closed in, swaddling her in a thick black heat. She screamed but heard nothing. Felt only his cock. His fingers curled over her shoulders and around her neck. He pushed and pulled her with new urgency, opposing the swing of his hips. He'd found the resistance he was seeking, and it drove him on toward ferocious climax. In her stupor, Shauna somehow regained control of her limbs. She twisted an arm behind her back and flailed at his. When he looked down, wanton lust blazing in his eyes, she willed words from her lips. “Cum in me,” she cried, breathless, desperate for his load. “Cum in my ass.” He glared at her, neck craned, jaw set. He shifted his weight, pinning her tits to the desk and raising her butt. He tried to hold out a bit longer. But she was too tight and he was too far gone. Nodding his head Javon closed his eyes and buried his throbbing cock balls deep, erupting hot semen deep in her bowels. He roared in release, his balls smashed against her pussy, rocking into the curve of her ass. The pressure lifted her foot from the floor, grinding her hip into the edge of the desktop. But she didn't care. His cum splattered inside her, capping her climax with a warm, gooey buzz. Her buttocks quaked with each spasm. She had his cock. All of it. In the moment, that was everything. 9:04 am Gradually the pumping slowed. The pressure on her back eased and the room drifted back into focus. She glimpsed herself in a mirror near the window; hair disheveled, bare breasts smushed beneath the cockled red fabric; a trembling leg coiled on the desk, panties dangling casually from her ankle. “You are so fuckin' hot,” said the voice in her ear. She cooed, not yet able to formulate words. He rested in her a moment longer, sharing her warmth. When they'd finally caught their breath Javon stood tall. Kneading his hands into the meat of her cheeks he pushed himself back, emerging from her ass with an obscene wet slurp. Empty, Shauna sighed, the void disappointing. Her rosebud gaped, then winked several times before shrinking back into place. Javon slumped against the wall near the window. Fumbling with the latch he cracked it open. December rushed in, swirling round their bodies and raising goosebumps on their skin. Shauna shivered, invigorated, the cold soothing her scalded sex. Watching her lover she smeared her cream over her pussy and along the crack of her ass. His organ flexed toward her, but Javon shook his head. Smiling, she wriggled off the desk. On wobbly legs she gathered the note card and the bag and set them on the edge of the bed. Rummaging around in the neck of her dress she tucked her tits back into her bra and plumped them into position. Javon sauntered over, her hat in one hand, soggy panties in the other. She took the cap and fit it over her head. “Can't put those back on,” she said of her underwear. “You keep them.” He nodded, draping them over the corner of the television. She shouldered the bag and looked up at him. “Did Santa get you what you wanted?” He laughed. She followed his eyes down to his semi-hard, polished rod. “I think he fucking crushed it,” he replied. Closing the gap between them he lowered his voice. “Tell me something though. Is this strictly a Christmas situation, or…are…special occasions not required.” Shauna shrugged, the corners of her mouth curling up. “Why don't you come by sometime and find out,” she offered. “You know where I live.” She gave his penis a playful nip and tug and backed out into the hallway. 9:13 am Shauna stood quietly outside Room 334, gently swaying to a tune in her head. Her fingertips tingled and her pussy hummed along to the beat, still riding the high of the last half-hour. A trickle of semen stained her inner thigh, the remainder of Javon's deposit still trapped inside. She smoothed the front of her dress and flipped the pom of the hat to the side. She was a few minutes behind schedule. But that shouldn't be critical here. Ready for more, she knocked on the door. There was a rustling inside. A few moments later the door opened on a beautiful raven-haired Japanese girl in a tight anime tee shirt and bright blue boyshorts. Seemingly surprised, the girl dropped the pencil she held in her left hand. “Hey Sachiko,” Shauna chirped. Sachiko ripped off her headphones and flashed a nervous smile. Shauna nodded inside. “Can I come in for a minute?” Sachiko glanced over at something Shauna couldn't see, then backed her slender frame away from the door. Shauna strode inside, the latch clicking shut behind her. Unlike her first two stops, this was a bit of a gamble. Their contact had been minimal, generally restricted to her RA duties. And her scouting report was incomplete. She knew Sachiko was a sophomore, and a graphic design major. She spent summers at home in Osaka. But she couldn't afford to fly back and forth for breaks, so she usually spent them on campus. Rumor was she was into women. Of this Shauna had no confirmation. But from their interactions in the dorm and Sachiko's shyness and fluster around particular friends she did have a feeling. It was risky. But that heightened the thrill. The room was warm and cozy, lit by a floor lamp and a cube on the nightstand. Fuzzy orange pillows adorned the loveseat below the window. Incense burned in a jade tray on the corner of the dresser and a thick down comforter covered the bed. Several sketchpads scattered across the desk, a collection of porcelain cats lining the shelf above. It was clearly the space of someone needing a touch of home. “Am I like…in trouble…or something?” Sachiko wondered. “No,” Shauna laughed, amused as much by her apparent discomfort as the absurdity of the question. “I mean, have you ever been in trouble? I just wanted to wish you Happy Holidays.” Sachiko blushed. Her face made several contortions before settling on a half nod and awkward smile. “Th…thank you,” she stammered. Shauna pinched her lips between her teeth. So far so good. “I like your kitties,” Shauna continued, drifting toward the shelf. She scanned for messages, photos, anything that might give her a clue. “My sister sends me a new one for my birthday every year,” Sachiko offered. “They're beautiful.” She spotted a sheet of paper with dark smudges sticking out of the pad on top of the pile. “What's this?” she asked, reaching for it. “What? Oh!” Sachiko leapt toward her, mortified. “It's nothing, I just – ” Before she could swipe the pad Shauna had the page, staring at a gorgeous unfinished graphite sketch of a sleeping woman. She lay on her side, head on a pillow, hands underneath. Bikini panties cloaked her nethers, an arm crossed her bare breasts. And her face. Well…. Her face was very familiar. Shauna smiled to herself. This might work after all. Sachiko slunk back as Shauna turned around. She studied the drawing a moment longer, impressed by the resemblance. Finally, she looked up at Sachiko. The rosy hue of her cheeks crept into her face and neck. Shauna noticed for the first time she wasn't wearing a bra. “Did you draw this?” Sachiko sighed, looking everywhere forward. “I um…. It…it's for a class.” “You did it from memory.” She rubbed her arms with her hands. “Yeah. It just…works that way.” “It's amazing.” Shauna returned the drawing to the desk. Sluffing off the bag she retrieved the final card. “I know you don't really celebrate Christmas,” she said, “but it can't be easy being here by yourself while everyone else is. So, I got you a gift.” The silver envelope rested in her palm while Sachiko hesitated, her name glittering in gold marker. She looked up, embarrassment clouding her eyes. Shauna smiled, extending her hand. Finally, Sachiko accepted. She zipped open the flap and removed the card. A red-nosed Rudolph blinked at her from the cover. Shauna dropped the bag on the loveseat. She clasped her hands behind her back and crossed her legs at the ankles, a flirty little swivel seizing her hips. Sachiko picked the note card from the fold and looked closely. Her fingers began to tremble. Shauna sidled up closer, tucking a lock of Sachiko's hair behind her ear. Sachiko jumped at the light touch. But her gaze remained fixed on the card. Her lips parted. No sound escaped. “If you want me to stop,” Shauna murmured, “just let me know.” She kissed Sachiko's ear lobe, rolling it between her lips before drifting to her cheek and the nape of her neck. Sachiko's tremor spread to her chest. The cards fell from her grasp. Shauna continued down, over her shoulders to the swell of her breasts. She caressed one in each palm, grazing the nipples with the soft cotton of the shirt. Sachiko tangled her fingers in Shauna's hair. They curled and flexed as Shauna descended, raising her shirt and kissing her navel. She lingered there, circling, lips skimming Sachiko's butter-smooth, unblemished skin. She smelled of cherry blossom and jasmine. Shauna filled her head with the scent, priming her for the peach she was about to unwrap. Sachiko's hushed whisper floated down from above. “Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god.” Sinking to her haunches Shauna eyed Sachiko's sex. A small wet spot darkened the fabric between her legs. Shauna peeled the underwear down over Sachiko's ass and thighs, pooling them around her feet. Exposed to the low light was a plump, tidy pussy, closely cropped dark pubic hair gracing her mound. Shauna's lips quivered. She bowed, pressing her face between Sachiko's thighs, sopping up the heat. Sachiko moaned, easing her legs apart, welcoming Shauna's tongue between her folds. Her entire body shook, chopping her breaths between chattering teeth. Shauna probed a little deeper. Sachiko doubled over, humping Shauna's mouth. Shauna yipped with delight. She shook her head side to side, slathering Sachiko's light sweet syrup over her cheeks and chin. She dug her nails into the brunette's ass, spreading her cheeks and kneading the meat. Sachiko mauled her own breasts, stretching and twisting the characters on her shirt into impossible shapes. Buffeted by Sachiko's gyrations Shauna wobbled on the balls of her feet. It was all she could do to hold on for the ride and she found herself failing at that. Toppling to her butt she roped an arm around Sachiko's neck and pulled her ear to her dripping lips. “Sit on my face,” she hissed. Sachiko fell to her knees, straddling Shauna's chest and pinning her to the floor. On all fours she scooched forward over the blonde's shoulders until her succulent snatch hovered over her RA's gaping mouth. Shauna's tongue darted out, flicking Sachiko's swollen clit. Stifling a scream Sachiko collapsed on Shauna's kisser, squeezing her ears between her thighs and swirling her pussy over her lips. Shauna lost herself in Sachiko. Inhaling her essence. Drinking her qi. She thrilled at her lover's responses – involuntary, honest and pure. There was no pretention. Only the passion of an inexperienced girl wholly submitting to her desires. She reveled in it, lapping at Sachiko's sex from the hood of her clit to the crease of her ass. Sachiko's back arched, thrusting out her chest. Her head lolled back, eyes strafing the ceiling. She squirmed on Shauna's face, blissfully ignorant of her weight, Shauna's nose, or her need to breathe. She reached back between the Shauna's splayed legs, probing under her dress until her fingers found the blonde's honeypot and slithered inside. Strangling Sachiko's wrist in her thighs Shauna groaned into her pussy. The vibrations spurred Sachiko's building orgasm, winding her body tighter and tighter, pushing her fingers faster, deeper. The circuit closed, the feedback loop complete. Every flip of the tongue, every curl of a digit, amplified the next. Sachiko bucked and thrashed. Shauna swirled and writhed. Again and again they traded blows until suddenly Sachiko fell silent, her body rigid, muscles strained. Clutching fistfuls of Shauna's hair Sachiko spread her knees and bore down, smashing her quaking pussy into Shauna's lips and gushing slippery, viscous cum all over her face. Racked with spasms she hunched over Shauna's head, wave after crashing wave of orgasm pummeling her sex. 9:38 am When the contractions finally slowed, Shauna worked her hands up to Sachiko's buttocks and nudged her. Spent, Sachiko rolled away, settling on her back against the foot of the bed. Shauna's chest heaved, gulping the cool dry air. Her eyes re-adjusted to the light. Reaching up she brushed the hat off her head and raked her fingers through moist matted hair. Arms flopping to the floor she sighed. That went well. She rolled her head and looked at Sachiko. The junior lay knees up, feet flat on the floor, her arms draped between her legs – the odd twitch in her muscles interrupting her stillness. Shauna willed herself up and crawled over. Finding her eyes shut she pressed in close and planted a tender kiss on her forehead. Sachiko smiled. “Merry Christmas,” Shauna whispered. Sachiko nodded, radiant from her orgasm. Shauna stroked her ear. “If you want me to model for you sometime,” she added, “give me a call.” She gathered her things and prepared to leave. As she passed the mirror on the closet door she stopped to look. Her face and neck glistened, glazed with Sachiko's juices. She tossed the hat in her hand, raising it to wipe herself clean. But she didn't. She decided instead she liked the way it looked. And she'd wear it a little longer. Pursing her lips, she slipped out of Sachiko's room. Light as a feather she skipped down the hall toward her room. She slowed passing Javon's door, wondering if he was already asleep. Her phone chimed in the bag, interrupting her curiosity. Retrieving it she scanned the screen and frowned. Two texts and a missed call. All from her brother. “Hey Josh,” she answered. “Yo, where the hell have you been?” There was an urgency in his tone. “I've been calling you. I'm out front, let's go!” She frowned. “Wait, what time is it?” “Quarter to ten. I told you I'd be here at 9:30, remember?” She thought for a minute, then rolled her eyes, realizing what went wrong. “Fuck,” she spat. “I thought you meant 9:30 your time.” “So you're not ready?” “No, I packed last night. I'll be right down.” Hanging up she shook her head. How did she make that mistake? She thought she'd have an hour to shower and clean up, but now they were running late. No time for any of that. Swiping the key card from her sock she popped into her room and tossed the gift bag on the bed. Snagging her backpack and navy peacoat from the closet she dashed back out headed for the lobby. 9:52 am Shauna flung open the passenger door of the coupe and tumbled inside, stuffing the backpack between her feet as she settled in the seat. Her teeth chattered from their brief exposure to the cold. Rubbing her hands together near the warm air vent she looked over at her brother behind the wheel. He stared at her, forehead crinkled, a mix of confusion and amusement scrawled across his lips. “What,” she said, staring back. He glanced down at her bare thighs – the coat just covering her lap – then back at her scowl. “Nice touch,” he replied, pointing to the bright red pileus cap. “Thanks,” she quipped, flashing a smile. “But you know it's snowing, right?” She flipped him the bird. He shrugged. “You're going to get Uncle Leo in trouble today.” Shauna tried to stifle her laugh. “Just drive Josh.” He put the car in gear and pulled away from the curb. “Unlike you,” he said, “I got an early start. So I'm going to get some coffee. Did you eat already?” “Yup,” she nodded. “Several times.” Josh's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing. At the next light he made a left and turned into the coffee shop drive-thru. Waiting in line behind a pick-up he turned to his sister. “Are you okay?” he asked. “You look a little…weird.” Shauna checked herself in the side mirror. She could taste Ty's spunk on her tongue; feel Javon's cum in her ass and Sachiko's pussy all over her face. A shiver buzzed her clit. She reclined the seat several notches and sighed, beaming at the ceiling. “Yeah,” she said softly. “I'm just…filled with Christmas spirit.” Quietly she shoved her hands beneath her legs to keep from touching herself for the remainder of the trip. By TheSleepingKing for Literotica

On today's show Andrew and Bill begin with the latest messaging from Beijing on efforts to stimulate the economy in 2025 and beyond. Topics include: Politburo language that echoes 2008, muted reactions from the mainland markets, why the ultimate policy decisions may not be made until the PRC has more clarity on Trump's intentions, and more. From there: Nvidia finds itself at the center of an antitrust probe, while the PRC restrictions on critical minerals are broader than initially thought, and drone components are now also being restricted from export to the US and Europe. At the end: Reviewing last Friday's verdict from the DC Circuit in TikTok v. Garland, and charting the next steps for TikTok and the Trump administration as January 19th approaches and TikTok faces a ban in the United States.

Send us a textMatt Given is an experienced education technology leader and the CEO of Seesaw, a groundbreaking learning experience platform designed for PreK-5 students. With over 20 years of experience in education and edtech leadership, Matt has held executive roles at Kaplan, Catapult Learning, and EdisonLearning. Known for his expertise in universal design for learning and his ability to bridge the gap between home and classroom, Matt is a driving force behind Seesaw's mission to create accessible and engaging learning tools.

AP correspondent Ed Donahue reports on the road ahead at the Federal Reserve.

It was always going to be a long episode, because let's face facts... You can't cover the dawn of a new fascism in half an hour.Jemma and Marina get straight into it - and there's absolutely no shying away from the fact that not only did Trump win, but he won 'bigly'. The Trawl ladies share their experience of the election night, and how a party which started out hopeful and jubilant ended up being anything but. There's a period of reflection on how so many could get the result so wrong and an incredible clip from Jon Stewart that highlights how maybe we know nothing at all. They also share the raw emotion they felt, how they coped with the news and how they try to make sense of the world around them. There are some moments of lightness where the dominance of US politics on the rest of the world is discussed - like why the hell should we care about Maricopa County (?) and a musical interlude that reflects exactly how so many of us will be feeling. Cautiously, Jemma and Marina look ahead to what may be coming down the tracks as the first convicted felon becomes president and what this means for all those who will be directly and indirectly affected - whether they knew it or not. Thank you for sharing and do tweet us @MarinaPurkiss @jemmaforte @TheTrawlPodcastPatreonhttps://patreon.com/TheTrawlPodcastYoutubehttps://www.youtube.com/@TheTrawlTwitterhttps://twitter.com/TheTrawlPodcastCreated and Produced by Jemma Forte & Marina PurkissEdited by Max Carrey

Officially, the Kremlin is keeping quiet about the reelection of Donald Trump. But Vladimir Putin might be looking forward to new opportunities with a second Trump administration. Also, Israel has carried out thousands of air strikes in Gaza and Lebanon -- there are serious ethical and legal questions about some of those attacks. And, in global health news: the WHO says it tracked 8 million cases of tuberculosis last year — that's the highest ever.Listen to today's Music Heard on Air.We aim to raise $67,000 by Dec. 31 to power our newsroom. Will you help us reach this goal? Donate today to keep The World going strong!And, we're looking for feedback on our website. Take our quick survey!

Welcome to episode 244 of the Grow Your Law Firm podcast, hosted by Ken Hardison. In this episode, Ken sits down with Gary Martin Hays. Gary Martin Hays is a successful attorney based in Atlanta, Georgia. With a thriving practice in a competitive market, Gary is known for his emphasis on personal client interactions to build strong relationships and improve case outcomes. He is recognized for his use of edutainment videos to educate and entertain viewers, establishing trust and credibility in the community. Gary's extensive experience in marketing, including television, radio, and online platforms, has contributed to his firm's long-standing presence in the legal field. Additionally, his commitment to community involvement and continuous learning, as evidenced by his numerous publications, demonstrates his dedication to providing valuable legal services and resources to clients and colleagues alike. What you'll learn about in this episode: 1. Marketing Strategies:  - Understand consumer needs such as addressing medical bills.  - Cautiously invest in advertising, put yourself out there, and spread the word. 2. Importance of Personal Client Interactions:  - In-person meetings and accessibility establish strong relationships.  - Improve case outcomes through personal connections. 3. Enhancing Personal Injury Claims:  - Accurate assessment of traumatic brain injuries (TBIs).  - Utilization of services like Brain Cushion for valuable diagnostic tools. 4. Building Client Trust:  - Demonstrate compassion and share past successes to build trust.  - Create edutainment content for client engagement and education. 5. Transition and Growth of Law Firms:  - Asking for help, broadening your network, and attending learning events.  - Be open to feedback so you can mitigate negative reviews that could hurt your business.   Resources:  https://www.garymartinhays.com/   Additional Resources:    https://www.pilmma.org/aiworkshop https://www.pilmma.org/the-mastermind-effect https://www.pilmma.org/resources https://www.pilmma.org/mastermind

When John and Ida Harris didn't answer their door in 1895, the visitor knew something was wrong. Cautiously they opened the door. The nightmare they saw inside would stay with them the rest of their lives. Come hear a tragic tale of the American West that your grandma didn't want you to hear.

The latest in business and financial news and what it means for your money, reported by CNBC's Peter Schacknow

Family, friends, loved ones and even those with “sweet outer shells

Discover all of the podcasts in our network, search for specific episodes, get the Optimal Living Daily workbook, and learn more at: OLDPodcast.com. Episode 2583: Explore the unexpected wisdom turtles offer about healthy living in Jill Coleman's article. Discover how adopting a slow and steady approach, valuing purposeful movement, and wisely taking risks can profoundly impact your well-being and success. Dive into these insights to enrich your life's journey. Read along with the original article(s) here: https://jillfit.com/2012/08/13/turtles/ Quotes to ponder: "Slow and steady wins the race. It's about a lifelong commitment to healthy, tight nutrition and consistent training." "Move with purpose. Rest as needed." "Cautiously stick your neck out." Episode references: Metabolic Effect: https://www.jadeteta.com/blog/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the first places voice actors often look for auditions is on Pay to Play sites. For a fee, these sites let you audition for jobs from potential clients all over the world. But these sites can have downsides, including unethical business practices. Controversy over these sites has been highlighted at voiceover conferences and throughout social media. In this episode, the BOSSES delve into navigating online casting platforms and cultivating loyal client relationships outside of these sites. We discuss the investment of time and resources needed to be successful and the importance of evolving with the industry to avoid getting left behind. Ever-evolving AI technology challenges us to redefine our roles and strategies, and we tackle this head-on sharing insights into how we can adapt to remain indispensable. 00:00 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Hey VO Bosses. Ann Ganguzza here. Are you struggling to market that boss voice of yours? Well, let me tell you about the VO Boss Blast. With a custom vetted list and personalized emails, we can help you get your marketing message out to those who hire. Find out more at vobosscom and let's blast off together.  00:24 - Intro (Announcement) It's time to take your business to the next level, the boss level. These are the premier business owner strategies and successes being utilized by the industry's top talent today. Rock your business like a boss a VO boss. Now let's welcome your host, Anne Ganguzza.  00:43 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Hey, everyone welcome to the VO Boss Podcast. I'm your host, Anne Ganguzza. Hey everyone, welcome to the VO Boss Podcast. I'm your host, Anne Ganguzza, and we are here with the Real Boss series with my good friend and guest co-host, Tom Dheere. Hey, Tom Dheere.  00:55 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) Hello Anne Ganguza.  00:57 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Tom Dheere, it was so awesome to see you at VO Atlanta. I have to say.  01:01 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) Yes, the drive-by hug Right.  01:03 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) I know and I saw you for like a split second, but still it was good for that split second to get the hug in. Absolutely, I know the two of us were insanely busy but getting back together since VO Atlanta. There was a big bomb dropped at VO Atlanta with the Drama, bomb.  01:17 Yeah, with the online casting panel, which began with an apology from the CEO of Voicescom. And so, hmm, let's talk, shall we? Let's dish, let's dish, let's, let's, let's fill some tea. So what were your initial? Were you surprised and what were your initial thoughts? And actually we should just recount for the bosses who were not there at VO Atlanta, the very first thing, on a panel of online casting with J Michael Collins, j Michael asked the acting CEO of Voicescom was he prepared to apologize to the voiceover community for the actions on behalf of Voicescom in the past few years, now that David Cicerelli has stepped down and indeed there was an apology. So, tom, were you there, present in the audience?  02:07 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) Well, yes, I was there. I was asked to be there actually. Me too, me too Okay so you were part of that little group of people that were asked to make sure that we would be present at the online casting. Because then we could talk about it like this so then we could talk about it, or we could step up to the mic and ask some pointed questions.  02:23 But to give everybody a little bit of background is that Voicescom has had a pretty bad reputation for a good 10 years, Because I think the first great resignation was in 2014, which is when the interview with Graham Spicer came out and the article that somebody wrote showing how, you know, the same casting notice was posted on Voice123 and Voicescom, but the Voicescom was thousands of dollars lower. So they were caught kind of red-handed doing what many would consider some unethical practices.  02:53 Double-dipping, triple-dipping, Right so Jay O'Connor, who is the acting CEO of Voicescom, is also the son of the recently deceased Supreme Court Justice, sandra Day O'Connor, and he also works for Morgan Stanley.  03:10 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) And Morgan Stanley was the company that put $17 million investment into Voicescom, not a voiceover company.  03:13 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) Not a voiceover company. They invested that roughly six, seven years ago. So I'm assuming that David Cicerelli stepped down because he didn't come through on his promise to make their money back. So that's why they put one of their own people in there. So I'm assuming Jay's job is very simple make their money back. So that's just kind of the background. And JMC who I just had him on my Ask Me Anything said that one of the conditions of Jay appearing at VO Atlanta was that he apologized for the past business practices and behaviors. So it made me think about the word responsible. Jay was not CEO of Voicescom when all the interesting stuff happened. However, if you break down the word responsible, it's response able able to respond.  03:57 Oh, I like that Well yeah because, if you think about it, Jay is not guilty of the stuff that Voicescom did under their previous administration, but now he is able to respond to all of that stuff. So you know that late last year Voicescom signed the Fair Voices Pledge and altered their terms of service, the Fair AI.  04:19 Thank you Nava and Tim Freelander and Karin and all those wonderful people there. So what was extra funny is I was sitting next to Miranda Ellis, who's our buddy, who helps run VA for VO, and we were talking about it. We're wondering who's that guy up there? And then I was telling her about the whole Jay O'Connor thing and then JMC said and here is CEO of Voicescom, jay O'Connor, and we're like oh okay, there he is.  04:47 And yes, he did apologize. He gave them an F for how they handled the situation, but they said they're going to be working on moving forward and a lot of pointed questions were asked. I was surprised that he was there. I was surprised at the apology. I think he handled most of the questions from the audience pretty well, pretty professionally.  05:03 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) I wasn't surprised at the apology. I mean, j Michael basically said are you prepared to apologize? And when you are a CEO of a company, I mean at some point, like I imagine, you're going to work that out politically correctly in front of an audience of thousands, knowing that we would be talking about this. What was he going to say? To be quite honest, I mean, I wasn't surprised that he apologized. I wasn't surprised that he took Jay Michael on it, because, guess what, there's business for him sitting there in the audience.  05:33 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) Oh yeah, potential customers. There was a sea of potential customers in there and ones who had left the platform who now could be persuaded to return to the platform as well. I did make it a point to talk to him afterwards. I as well. I did make it a point to talk to him afterwards. I first said I'm sorry about your mother's recent passing.  05:46 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Oh, thank you.  05:47 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) I say thank you on behalf of I know he's a person.  05:50 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) He is a person, yeah, Like he's just a guy.  05:52 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) He probably didn't know Voicescom existed, right? So, like he doesn't know about this stuff and we have to give him the benefit of the doubt, of course of the doubt, we have to assume he's an ethical, response-able person and I said hey, if you need some insight from boots-on-the-ground people, let me know. I gave him my card. He said thank you, he was very kind. So am I optimistic about Voicescom? Cautiously pessimistic? No, yeah, cautiously optimistic. So I'll say cautiously pessimistic. But you know what? I'll tell you something, anne. I rejoined in September of 2023 because they did change their terms of service, they did sign the Fair Voices Pledge and also, as the VO strategist, I have students who want to understand what's going on and if it should be used and how it should be used Yep.  06:37 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) completely agree with that. So if nothing else.  06:39 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) I wanted to create an account to understand how the platform functions, how to feed the algorithm.  06:44 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) If we are going to be working with students I mean myself included. I mean honestly. I mean we have to know about these platforms so that we can talk about them and recommend them or not to our students. So I feel like I'm a member of Voice123. Now I will say that I was not able to stay for the full session at VO Atlanta because literally they scheduled that right in the middle of my X session, so after 20 minutes I had to leave and so I did not get a chance to speak to him myself personally. But I know a lot of people that I've talked to did, and Mark Scott also did a nice recap on his podcast about the conversation and his conversation with him as well, and myself and Law had a discussion about it as well on a podcast. So I think it's good that we're talking about it. But I'd like to go further, tom. I'd like to talk to you about pay-to-plays in general, what part they play now in the voiceover industry and where you might see them going in the future.  07:36 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) It's funny because maybe 15 years ago they were a disruptive force in the voiceover industry, not unlike AI right now, which is currently a disruptive force in the voiceover industry. And, like I've said about AI and you and I talked about this a couple of episodes ago when it comes to disruptive technologies or business models, you can fight it, you can ignore it, you can adapt to it or you can embrace it. So everybody has their own journey and their own path on how to define success as a voice actor and what they need to do. You want to do all high-end cartoons and video games. You need representation. You need to join SAG-AFTRA. You may need to move to LA or New York or Dallas and do a boots-on-the-ground thing. If you want to narrate audiobooks, that's a different track. If you want to narrate e-learning modules, that's a different track. The best way that I can illustrate this is talking about my journey on Voice123. I joined Voice123 in 2006.  08:47 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) no-transcript.  08:49 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) Yeah, I joined it the first year that I went full-time as a voice actor. I learned a lot on there.  08:56 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) It wasn't my first year as a voice actor, but it might've been my second or third, and it was an opportunity. It was a new opportunity to get work, and I remember at the time. How else did you get work outside of if you had an agent? I did not have an agent at the time. I was working on the online platforms like Freelancer back in the day I mean, it was Freelancer, I don't know if it was Odesk.  09:18 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) Odesk Elance, Elance.  09:23 - Intro (Announcement) I was on all those too.  09:24 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) I was on all of those too, and then Voice123 came out and I joined in 2006 as well, and actually it worked well for me Although you have actually created a record of how well you've done on that platform throughout the years, and so I'm eager to hear about that.  09:42 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) Sure. So for those of you who are listening to this, I'll just read this to you as best I can, but I've got a little slide up here. So I joined in 2006. There was only one tier, it was $200. That first year, I made $1,100. So a great return on investment. Next year, rejoined, made $2,750. So that was great. 2008, it went up to $300. I made $2,650. 2009, made $1,. I made $2650,. 2009, made $1950,. 2010, I made $13,000.  10:08 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) What changed.  10:09 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) I got better at auditioning and I also landed a big textbook like a science textbook. So that was a big chunk of that $13,000.  10:17 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) So let me ask you, in those years, in those early years, how many auditions were you doing? Were you doing 10 a day, 20 a day, as many as possible?  10:26 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) I was doing a lot less than that. I was doing a handful a day, but also my direct marketing strategies were working pretty well, so it was complementing. So I was blogging and doing social media and posting on Facebook and Twitter and stuff like that, so it was part of a balanced breakfast, absolutely. 2011, made almost $8,000. 2012, I renewed, but I only made $350. Now what happened in 2012 is that my voiceover career turned the corner. I went full-time in 2006, but late 2011, all the seeds I'd been planting for all those years started to bloom. So I found myself auditioning a lot less because I was just booking a lot more as a result of my direct marketing strategy.  11:08 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Right and then also probably repeat clients at that time were starting. I was also getting repeat clients.  11:13 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) So yeah, so that was happening too. Now, in 2013, I did not renew. I made only $300 just from a legacy client. But the main reason I didn't renew is because there was a cultural thing going on in voiceover where a lot of voice actors were saying that if you are on a pay-to-play site, you are contributing to the lowering of rates, you are a bottom feeder, you're enabling predatory practices, and I made the dumbest decision in my voiceover career, which was I stopped auditioning on Voice123. It was a huge mistake. So, 2014, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, I made virtually nothing because I didn't have a paid account.  11:50 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) But also what happened in those years. Had you gone more to direct methods of marketing? Yes, okay.  11:57 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) Yes, direct marketing was my main jam. 2014 was, to be totally honest, and that was the year I made the most money as a voice actor. And then in 2015, 16, 17, 18, my income started fluctuating wildly $20,000, $30,000 rises and falls year over year. One of my top 10 clients replaced me with AI back then too.  12:17 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) In what year was that?  12:18 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) That was 2018, I think, A top 10 client. I was replaced by AI and then 2019, I made nothing. 2019 also, there was like a major downshift in my voiceover revenue because I noticed almost all of my direct marketing strategy stopped working. So did I all of a sudden become a lousy voice actor? Maybe Did industry trends change and my voice was out of fashion? Definitely not. It was becoming even more in fashion more young, energetic, friendly guy next door sound, which is still in demand. So, after contemplation and talking to friends and professionals, I rejoined for $888 in 2020. And now there was a tiered plan.  12:59 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Yeah, exactly I was going to say at this point bosses, pay-to-plays evolved. They used to be just one fee and it was usually around $200 to $300. I remember when Voicescom came on the scene it was the cheaper of the two, for $200, when Voice 123 was at $295, I believe, or something like that. And so then there was a bunch of people that joined Voicescom because they kind of undercut the competition, so to speak, which maybe we should have looked at that in the beginning and said, oh, look at that Now there's competition in the online community and online casting community because Voicescom was the second, I would say, largest platform to come out and they grew fairly quickly, I think because of that lower price point.  13:42 And they also did a bunch of good marketing, I would say, on Google. I think they did a bunch of Google ads and they had a bunch of. Seo that they were working on, and so they became really, really popular around that time.  13:58 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) So what happened in 2020 when I rejoined? So I rejoined like it was a Black Friday sale. Basically, I had one month and in one month I made $1,300. But here's what I noticed. Well, I made my money back immediately. But the other thing I noticed is that when you're on Voice123 and you can click on the client number, sometimes you can see an email address associated with that client profile and often it's the extension of productioncompanycom and I started noticing production companies that I used to work with or that on Voice123. So I was like oh, interesting. So apparently there has been a migration of ethical, well-paying production companies making quality content that had been slowly making their way to Voice123 and probably Voicescom too, because it's easier to curate a roster, it's easier to post an audition.  14:51 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Oh my gosh, yeah, you have hundreds and thousands of people of different voices on these platforms and it can be a little bit cheaper. I know that was the whole thing, because here you're not necessarily saying how much will it cost, right, when you have a direct contact, versus specify your budget, right? A lot of these pay-to-plays asked you to specify a budget and so if you specified a lower budget, you could still have hundreds of people responding to this, because it was like freelancer Odesk. It started to become the lowest bid, wins almost.  15:23 - Intro (Announcement) Yes.  15:24 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Like kind of thought, and especially when you're talking after the many years of online casting, it just then became a thing where, oh, I can get cheaper voiceover, and for a business, right, I can have lots of different voices I can choose from and it's probably cheaper. And so for a business, I mean really, where's that business decision, unless you've caught them right and you've become like a valued voiceover actor for them, that you've given them value over and over and over again. Now, all of a sudden, they have hundreds of thousands of people they can choose from that are credible, right, and they're cheaper. So business decision, tom?  16:00 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) Yeah, here's the thing about that too is like since 2020, since I rejoined, my gigs aren't $100 or $200. They're $4, $5, $6, over $1,000.  16:08 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Because you can specify that.  16:15 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) Because I can specify that and that also tells me that there are ethical, well-paying production companies on Voice123 in addition to bottom feeders. So in spring of 2021, the algorithm changed All of a sudden. The auditions there was a lot less and they were a lot lower paying, so I didn't renew.  16:27 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Well, they redid their platform a couple of times completely. So that caused a lot of commotion in the voiceover world.  16:35 And, interestingly enough, tom, I just want to bring this up who else was sitting on that stage at VO Atlanta but Rolf Veldman, who was always the one from Voice123 that got a lot of heat from these conferences. But I love Rolf. I think, rolf, he took it year after year after year right as a person who was not necessarily in the voiceover business either, but he would show up and he would respond and he was, I believe, transparent, which then I gave him my respect for that Because, if nothing else, he was transparent.  17:11 He finally was on the stage and probably going wow, the guy from Voicescom is getting all the heat this year.  17:18 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) Oh, he was grinning from ear to ear. He was eating it with a spoon. He loved it. So 2022, I rejoined again, but this time I joined on the $2,200 tier. So this was late March 2022. In that year, I made $12,000. And then 2023, which is my first full calendar year of being under the $2,200 tier, I made almost $19,000.  17:39 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) That's a definite return on investment. So.  17:42 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) Yeah, and as of this year, 2022, and today, as of literally today, April, I have made $6,200.  17:50 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Now is the majority of that from new clients or clients that are coming back to you.  17:55 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) Well, that's the thing, it's a combination. So there's two sets of clients, you know, there's your audition and pray clients, and then there's your legacy clients.  18:05 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Audition and pray Yep, absolutely Right.  18:06 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) Commercials tend to be audition and pray. Cartoons, video games tend to be audition and pray. E-learning, corporate explainer, more of the audio book. Often those tend to be non-audition and pray because often you join an e-learning roster or you join a telephony roster and you don't audition, they just send you work. So with Voice123, there's a lot of them. One particular one comes to mind I auditioned for a corporate, short, three-minute, corporate industrial about bananas in a grocery store. If you work in the produce department, how do you handle the bananas to make sure they don't bruise, how to display them properly, quality check and all that stuff. It was a gig. Three minutes directed session, $550. So I'm like okay, that's like right in the sweet spot for that. That's like perfectly fine For three minutes directed session, great. And then they sent me nine more without auditioning.  18:59 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely.  19:00 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) So an audition in Prey see, that's what people think about Voice123 is that it's an audition in Prey machine. It is if you suck, and it is if you can't audition well, and it is if you can't deliver the goods once you audition and book the spot. So I do have a lot of new clients, but a lot of them, a lot of them, have come back for more.  19:18 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) And with Voice123,. One of the big differences of the platforms is that you can take the client off the platform. They have never intercepted and I don't believe that they will, because I think that's Rolf's claim to fame and how they lasted right through the turmoil of people being angry at them was that you could always take the client off the platform. Now, voicescom does everything in their power to make you not take the client off the platform, and that is where they get into people labeling them as double and triple dippers.  19:50 So not only are you paying for that yearly membership fee and they also have different levels. But when you have a managed job or any job you cannot disclose, you won't know their email address, you cannot work with them off platform and people have been threatened if it's found out that they're working with them off platform. So thoughts on that business policy. Tom, what do you think about that?  20:17 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) I'm going to answer that question with a question. Do you think voice actors should pay to audition for anything?  20:22 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Well, you know, yeah, that's a really, really good question. I mean, I don't think so.  20:27 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) I don't think so to a point.  20:29 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) I think they should pay for a platform that gives them opportunities. So that's a tough one, right? I mean should they pay to audition.  20:38 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) Well, I think of it this way If you told me 20, 25 years ago that I would have to pay to watch a Yankee game on television, I would have said you're out of your mind. And now they have the yes Network, where you have to pay to have access to get the quality content that you want. That being a Yankee game and auditions are quality content and that's a subscription model of a lot of businesses today.  21:02 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Right, and even I've considered it for this podcast, right, all right, so you can get a certain amount of listens free, but there is quality content or maybe more in-depth content that you would subscribe to.  21:13 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) And you do keep it with subscriptions, like Patreon pages do, and things like that. Yes, it's a common business model. Here's another question Do you think voice actors should get paid to do auditions?  21:24 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Well, that's a good question. Not necessarily. It depends on if that gets used right, If their audition gets used for the job, if you're getting paid.  21:32 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) Is it a demo or a scratch track?  21:34 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I think so. But now, okay, let's just say you pay for the option or you pay for the opportunity to get auditions. Should then there be an escrow fee? Right, and that's what a lot of people have the problem with an escrow fee. And should there be a managed services fee? And should there be a managed services fee? Now, anybody that manages a job, right that project, manages the job. A manager takes a percentage, an agent takes a percentage, but then on top of an annual fee right to audition, plus an escrow fee. Now, if you remember, tom, in the beginning Voicescom's escrow fee was an option and I believe is it still an option. If you want to do, because escrow was an option back in the early days, you could choose to have them hold the money or say I'm going to get my money guaranteed if I put it in escrow, and then you paid a fee for that.  22:27 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) I think it's mandatory now.  22:29 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Yeah, yeah, so that's triple dipping to a lot of people right, Get rid of one of those fees, I mean do you feel that's right.  22:40 - Intro (Announcement) I mean, I think it's fair that it's either you pay to be on the site and there's no additional fees or being on the website is free and then they're taking a percentage of it, not both.  22:48 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) Now, you weren't there for the Q&A. Our friend, miranda Ellis, who I was sitting next to in the audience, got up and she said I have a problem with the fact that one of the casting spec options is broadcast in perpetuity. And she said that's a big problem for a lot of voice actors because that can create permanent conflicts. She asked are you going to get rid of that? And he said no, because we would lose a lot of business that way. That's not a good answer. That's the only thing I was truly unhappy about with his answers, but he owned it.  23:17 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Yeah, honestly, I think that it's a responsible action for an online platform like that to like lead the way. Right, because here's the deal. Right, you're talking about consumer mentality. I mean in voiceover jobs, I mean if people are not used to. If you're a small company, you're not used to hiring a voice artist and you're not sure, like, how does that work? Right, I mean in perpetuity. I mean if you work for a company, right, and they hire you, you sign a contract, you're working full-time, everything you do for that company is property of the company, and that just became that same mentality. Right for the freelancers Okay, I'm going to pay you.  23:53 Work for hire yeah work for hire and I pay you and that's it, and that's where the mentality stayed for a lot of companies. I think if you are a large service provider to a voiceover, you should take the lead and do what's right and do what's ethical, and that to me would be like start it and say no in perpetuity. There's not an option for in perpetuity.  24:14 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) Right.  24:14 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) And that would be a nice thing. Otherwise we sit here and we fight, and we fight, and we fight like we've always fought right To get rid of in perpetuity. Do you think in perpetuity will ever go away, tom?  24:24 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) I think it will always exist in some form yeah, I agree.  24:30 The thing that concerns me the most about it is that, like, if there's a casting notice and it says erotic, there is explicit sexual content. Everybody knows what that means. They know what they're getting into. If it's a casting notice for a political ad Democrat, republican or whatever you look at the script and you go oh okay, do I feel comfortable with this? You know what you're getting into. You can make a value decision. If it's these text-to-speech things, some of these casting notices, or if it's an online perpetuity, a lot of the voice actors don't know what that means. They don't know what they're getting into, and that's where SAG-AFTRA, nava and other organizations that's where the onus is on them to educate, to make sure that people are aware of what these things mean. That should not be the case. Voicescom should not have that option or the ability to modify the option.  25:16 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Exactly. You know what I mean Exactly.  25:17 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) Because there's genres and sub-genres. You know like, if you want a public service announcement forever to technically broadcast and have that be in perpetuity, you can make a case for that.  25:26 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) You know what I mean.  25:27 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) But it's too broad and it isn't explained. There should be like a little button or a little like question mark or a little thing next to it. You click on that and it's like this is what this means.  25:37 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) And voice actors should have been educated many, many, many years ago, right? And what does it mean when you deliver an audio file, right? This is where, okay, we're creatives, we're good at what we do, but we also this is where the business sense comes in. Right, here, have my audio.  25:53 And usually what happens is something bad has to happen for us to like say, oh shoot, I probably should have a terms of service or a statement of work or a contract for all our non-broadcast stuff. So all our non-broadcast people are like, yeah, sure, give me a hundred dollars or give me $500, give me a thousand, that's perfect. And then all of a sudden, they find that their voice is out there on TikTok, you know, I mean, I'm not saying that that was Bev, but things like that happen, right. Or it even happens today with agents that are looking after our best interests, where sometimes you'll find a commercial that was supposed to only be regional which is now in a different place. And how do we know about it? Not until somebody tells us about it. And so we should. Now, with the technology, there should be a way to voice print and tag our audio so that we know if it's not where it should be, and it's being used.  26:41 - Tom Dheere (Co-host) And they're working on that? Yeah, exactly, they are working on that, exactly.  26:44 - Anne Ganguzza (Host) Wow, I really feel as though we should have a part two and a part three and a part four with this conversation. But wow, tom, good stuff. Thank you so much for sharing. I love that you shared the real numbers. I mean, anybody that knows me knows how much I love talking numbers because it really brings a level of realism to the bosses and I think that we all need to really see those numbers and it really helps to educate us on making good decisions for our businesses. So, thank you, tom, it was wonderful talking to you again and I look forward to the next podcast. Bosses, I'm going to give a great big shout out to our sponsor, ipdtl. You, too, can connect and network like bosses real bosses like Tom and myself. Find out more at IPDTLcom. All right, have an amazing week, guys, and we'll see you next week. Bye.  27:33 - Intro (Announcement) Join us next week for another edition of VO Boss with your host, Anne Ganguza, and take your business to the next level. Sign up for our mailing list at vobosscom and receive exclusive content, industry revolutionizing tips and strategies and new ways to rock your business like a boss. Redistribution with permission. Coast to coast connectivity via IPDTL.   

Economist and commentator Chris Johns joins Eamon to talk about the UK General Election.Recorded on Monday 27th May 2024. Become a member at https://plus.acast.com/s/the-stand-with-eamon-dunphy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Scheim is feeling good about the Sox!

Black Friday sales rose less than inflation, while Cyber Monday is expected to turbocharge sales period; Biden directs investment in more domestic drug production; new home sales declined 5.6% in October.

Adam Livingston moved his family from Pennsylvania to a parcel of farmland near a village then known as Smithfield, West Virginia, sometime in the 1770s. The village's name would evolve over the years to the more pragmatic name of Middleway. However, colloquially, it would also acquire the moniker of “Clip” or “Cliptown” for the bizarre events that would transpire there. A few years before 1790, the once-thriving Livingston family would begin to endure supernatural harassment so extreme that they were beleaguered and exhausted, leaving their neighbors and visitors bewildered. According to one popular account, a mysterious Irish stranger appeared at Livingston's door seeking shelter one dark and stormy night. Livingston provided hospitality to the weary traveler until the stranger summoned his host when fearing his death was near, begging that he send for a priest to deliver last rites. While Livingston was generous in his accommodation, being a Lutheran and having a disdain for Catholic priests, he refused to send for one. The stranger died during the night and was buried in unconsecrated ground the next day. Soon after, it seems a curse had befallen the Livingstons. Progressing as many stories of prolonged poltergeist bedevilment do, the haunting started with strange and unexplained noises about the home. Then, unseen forces would smash their crockery, light their bedding on fire, and roll great balls of fire from the hearth across the floors, causing panic. Livingston's cattle all died, and his barn burned down. The entity's most noteworthy destruction was making a persistent sound of clipping as if by invisible shears and leaving any family or visitor's cloth or leather sliced, often with crescent shapes cut into them. This peculiar practice would lend the phenomenon its name, the “Wizard Clip.” While we may never know the accurate details of the happenings, something otherworldly apparently did materialize at the Livingston homestead. We can more easily explore why such mystical occurrences transmogrify into enduring folklore. To help us with that challenge, we're joined by author and intelligence analyst Michael Kishbucher, whose recent book, The Appalachian Legend of the Wizard Clip, thoroughly investigates this early American story. Aiding in the elucidation is Appalachian folklore expert, lead researcher, and producer for Small Town Monsters Heather Moser. Cautiously pull up a chair close to the fire as we examine the obscure yet harrowing tale of “America's first poltergeist.”  Visit our website for a lot more information on this episode.